-Callia-

  I used my Instinct Tracking to check the positioning of Guward and the captain. With the alarm raised, I needed to be sure they were ok. Guward was at the entry to the prison but unmoving, but the captain was in the tunnels below me. It was clear that I had made a mistake. I shouldn’t have trusted the man so easily! The enemy of my enemy turned out to also be my enemy! However, now wasn’t the time to contemplate that issue. I quickly reached out to Callen, urging him to rescue the captives while I bought time. In return he assured me he will get it done quickly and urged me to take no risks buying time.

  I didn’t have the tools or time for anything as elaborate as traps. Instead, I’ll need to make them feel pressure. The need to check every corner and advance methodically and slowly. The earlier I started, the better, so I abandoned my position crawling along the ceiling and hit the ground in a roll. Breaking my roll into a sprint, I rapidly closed the distance down to the barracks. I slid right up to the door and stopped to listen for a moment.

  “Rex, you take your men and wake the boss! Odric, you lead the rest of us to the bitch!” As they unlock the door, I kick it as hard as I can. It breaks free from its hinges, knocking the men crowding around it onto their asses. I stomp on the door and the man under it. Smoothly I reach into the room like a viper with my blade darting into the eye of the traitor. Then, before anyone can respond, I pull myself back out and into the hallway.

  They briefly struggle to climb over the collapsed door in pursuit, but instead of running for the door, I leap up onto the ceiling and pin myself above. The man hastily rushed into the hallway, momentarily confused seeing nobody. The boss gets up from under the door and talks nasally because of his broken nose.

  “She’s a sprinter! We won’t be able to run her down without the boss, but if she’s going to flash down hallways to ambush us, she’ll wear herself out! Stick in groups and scream if you see her!”

  The men began forming a shield wall and cautiously advancing down the halls, all while I waited above. This was just one of several sleeping areas down here, as it would likely become much more crowded soon. Instead of engaging the men below, I moved along the ceiling quietly, moving ahead of them as they cautiously moved in the dark corridors to wake up more men. I arrived at the entry to Ralf's throne and soon saw the light of a torch with six men huddled around it watching the shadows.

  I moved above them and dropped into the middle of their formation. I could’ve axe-kicked one on the way down, but instead I spun the momentum of my fall into a leg sweep. I caught the whole group, even breaking some of their ankles. Without hesitation I started swinging my knife, letting instinct guide me. My blade glowed faintly as I sliced through limbs and armor like it was nothing. Definitely a new skill, but I didn’t spend long contemplating that as I moved towards the exit. Stopping the first group from reaching Ralf was a win, but I didn’t want to get caught between him and a bunch of his thugs again.

  I easily caught up to the lead group, but before I could jump down on them, a shrill scream broke out from below. One of the men in the back of the group was shaking and pointed at me with his sword as he fell over onto his ass. I wasted no time taking the distraction as an invitation to decapitate the leader. One tried swinging wildly at me but lost his arm. The others were scared senseless, scrambling over each other in fear. It made running down and killing easy, as I moved easily from man to man, crippling them.

  The sound of others closing in made me give up my chase as I swiftly blended back into the shadows. I moved about the cave passages tracking any group small enough to overpower, but it didn’t last long as I felt my instinct for danger subtly spike. Ralf was awake, which meant it was time to leave. I alerted Callen that time was nearly out, and he told me to meet up with Reesia and Nixie at the battlewagon and head out without him.

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  There was no time to question what his plan was, so I made it to the cave entrance and retrieved the bow. Then I broke out into a sprint towards the gate. Up ahead Nixie was standing on the Battlewagon. She saw me and immediately used hand signs to signal me to jump from a wall instead of the gate. Behind me I heard the angry roar of Ralf as he emerged from the cave and spotted me.

  Ralf charged like a bull, closing distance faster than I was comfortable with, but not fast enough to stop me from vaulting the wall and into the back of the battle wagon that Nixie was driving. She immediately turned us towards the forest while slamming the accelerator. Behind us Ralf slammed right through the wall. He slowed briefly before spotting the wagon. Immediately he began to close the distance but was interrupted by Reesia, who shot the mounted ballista wildly in his direction. It missed, but he had to swerve to avoid it.

  I pulled out my bow and drew an arrow, intending to help, but in my rush I overdid it and ripped the bow in half. Tossing the broken bow aside, I agilely hopped from my seat onto the vehicle's back and swapped places with Reesia on the ballista. The wagon shook violently as Nixie tried desperately to navigate the forest without any previous practice.

  Ralf was beginning to close again, but the ballista was reloaded and ready to fire. I lined up my shot, but right before I fired, Nixie screamed as we hit a root that was shaped just right to send us spinning into the air. Flying through the air, I slipped out from the gunner position, grabbing Reesia and the flailing Nixie and jumping from the vehicle. We hit the ground hard, but it was still better than being trapped in the wreckage of the battlewagon.

  I got to my feet and checked the others. Reesia was fine, but Nixie was out cold. I pulled her behind the crashed battlewagon and got my knife ready just as Ralf entered the clearing. I could tell from his expression this wasn’t the kind of fight I could talk my way out of, nor would it end in capture. At my side Reesia readied her sword, and a quiet standoff began. I subtly shifted my position away from Reesia, circling toward the left. Ralf’s attention was fully locked on me, which was ideal because I’m not sure Reesia would last long if he targeted her.

  Barely a moment after the standoff began, it ended. Ralf barreled towards me at his blistering speed. I jumped aside with all my might, narrowly escaping his grasp. Rolling back to my feet while Ralf skidded to a stop, turning back towards me. I didn’t have time to evaluate his style previously, but now it's clear he has focused on strength and vitality. He utilized his strength for extreme speed and his vitality to overcome obstacles, but he lacks control. It was the same problem I was suffering from because of my recent increase in strength, but my issue was temporary from the stat allocation.

  He rushed me again, but this time I caught onto his fur cloak, letting him pull me along. The force from grappling dislocated my shoulder, and I barely held on. He skidded to a stop but hadn’t even realized I was dangling behind. I moved with the momentum of his run, forcefully plunging my dagger deep into his side. Sending him sliding across the ground as I briefly rode him like a sled. I tried to jump free, but the momentum kept me at his side a moment too long.

  He grabbed the arm that I had stabbed him with and swung me like a hammer into the ground. I gasp in pain trying to think of a way to be free, but I feel him yanking me again before I can properly resist. In the next moment the gleam of a sword slicing cleanly through Ralf’s arm frees me from his grip. Reesia had sliced clean through his arm, likely saving my life.

  His other arm slams into the center of Reesia’s chest, launching her back into a tree. The indent of his punch was visibly carved in the armor, shattering whatever runes and enchantments had tried to stop him. I have no time to check if she is okay, as Ralf immediately snaps back at me. I feel a tingle of fear up my spine as we stare off, my only weapon lodged in his body, and my arm shattered.

  Instincts kick in again, and I narrowly avoid another charge. I’m huffing from exhaustion, but so is he. I look around for anything I can use as a weapon while Ralf slowly sets up for another charge. However, before he charges, he looks to the side, remembering Reesia. He looks back at me with a wicked grin and slowly adjusts his stance towards her. While no words were spoken, it’s clear he intends to crush her unless I do something to stop him.

  No time to think I threw myself in his path, grabbing a board from the shattered Battlewagon. I wielded the board like a spear, mounting it in the ground against a charge. He was already charging, and my instincts screamed at me to dodge, but I refused. I barely register the sound of ropes snapping from the battle wagon as I brace my spear against a violent impact. I slide with the spear all the way back against the tree, but it slows to a stop.

  In disbelief I look up and see Ralf with a ballista bolt in his skull. My wooden board was buried deep in his gut as he limply dangled from it. I look behind and see Nixie peeking up from the wreckage. Blood drips from her scalp from the earlier crash, but her voice rings out.

  “Did we get him?”

  Hysterically I break into laughter while slumping back onto the tree next to Reesia. I can hear her breathing, which is the best check I can manage as my limbs go slack. Nixie limps over next to us and starts checking her.

  “She’ll be fine. I think.”

  Nixie slumps down next to me. I try to keep myself awake. Falling asleep now would be dangerous, but I can only hold on long enough to see someone coming towards us from a distance.