Authors: Nonie Wideman,Robyn Wideman
Akira Rises (29 page)
“Here, here” confirmed all the men who had been listening. For Nels had not been quiet as he spoke for them all.
“Thank you all.” She looked around at each man. Each man nodded in turn. Akira remembered a time when she would have hated these men, just because they were men. Now when she looked at them it was with affection. Well save one man. Her feelings were definitely not affectionate. They were bordering on a stronger emotion. She wished their journey would pass quicker.
Akira did not see the arrow that whizzed past her and embedded in Nels’s shoulder, but heard it. The shocked look on his face as he grunted out “ambush!”
Akira shouted louder, “ambush!” as she raised her shield. She looked to Dimitri who circled his horse to see where the ambush was coming from. He already had his shield raised up with one arm and his sword raised. The arrow had come from ahead on the trail.
“Shields!” Dimitri shouted. “Defensive column!” He looked at the angle of the arrow penetrating Nels’s shoulder. It came from a higher vantage point. His eyes scoured the valley wall above them. “Are you alright, Nels?”
“Nothing vital but it buggers my shield arm.”
“Are you bleeding much?” Dimitri’s eyes kept scouring looking for any movement ahead and above. Cronus was scouring behind.
“The arrow is plugging the hole.”
“Akira! Break the arrow off close to his shoulder. Do not pull it out.”
Akira grimaced and closed the gap between herself and Nels. Nels looked at her with sympathy, “It’s going to hurt you more than me,” he lied. “Quick, the arrow sticking out is in my way!” Nels grabbed the arrow close to his shoulder. “Break it now!” he commanded. Akira grasped the arrow and broke it off. Nels grunted. “I’m okay, now get your shield back up.”
Akira’s heart pounded with adrenaline. She steeled herself for battle, forcing the adrenaline to strengthen her muscles for a fight. She pulled Pegasus around to Nels’s wounded side. She raised her shield to protect his wounded side. His arm had lost strength and his shield was wobbling. Another arrow whizzed past missing its mark. Cronus saw the movement above and fired off an answering arrow. Several of Dimitri’s men followed suit. At least one arrow found its mark. A man fell from above the rocky mountain trail, sending rocks and debris down onto the mountain trail. His body rolled part way before tangling with brush. Then all was silent except for the sound of the horses’ feet shuffling up and down and the men and horses’ heavy breathing as they stood their ground in formation. No more arrows rained down upon them.
Erastus scrambled up the bank to examine the body for clues as to who their attacker was. “Lone assassin. He carries no colors and is marked with a snake tattoo.” Erastus pulled a ring off the man’s hand and brought it to Dimitri. “One of the Dark Lord’s assassins.”
Dimitri nodded. “Robbery was not the intent. Somebody wants to pick us off one by one. Or somebody wants just one of us dead.” The men nodded knowingly and looked at Akira. “You were closest to Nels. He may not have been the target.” Dimitri was speaking to Akira.
Akira looked confused. “I expected an attack from Baron Rolfe. Why would the Dark Lord want to kill me?” Akira looked up towards the dead man.
“Someone perceives you to be a threat. You are A’kil. You have magic powers.” Dimitri turned his horse and moved forward. Without being told, the men formed a protective column around her.
Akira looked apologetically at Nels. She was angry. A comrade was hurt because of her presence. Nels smiled, reading her thoughts. “Not to worry, it was my turn to take a hit for the team. You just figure out how to use your magic to even up the score.”
Akira sighed.” My powers are very limited. I’m no big threat. I just have enough magic to be light and fast on my feet. It barely makes up for my lack of strength compared to most male warriors. Whoever sent that assassin wasted him on me.”
Dimitri turned in his saddle. “Perhaps he knows something you don’t about your abilities. Nels, are you good until we reach a healer?”
Nels grunted. “I hate to slow us down but the arrow shaft is making me bleed a little too much. You are going to have to cauterize the hole soon. It is weird. It burns like I’m on fire and the burn is spreading. Shit... I think it is a poison…” Nels slumped forward in the saddle. Before he hit the ground, his big heart stopped beating. Erastus and Akira had reached for him as he slumped over but his great weight had too much momentum. They dismounted quickly and turned Nels over. His lips were blue. Erastus closed Nels’s eyes. His face was grim. “He’s gone, boys. Damn cowardly poison.” Cronus and Dimitri slid off their horses. Grim curses filled the air. They hoisted Nels’ body across his saddle and tied it securely. “You're coming home, old boy,” said Dimitri. “You will have a fitting warrior’s send off to the lands beyond.”
Akira did not cry. Nels would not want her to. All through the training program, he had encouraged Akira to control her emotions.
She grabbed a small loose braided strand of her hair and sawed it off with her dagger. She took it and placed it in Nels’s hand. She tied his hand closed with a leather strip. Dimitri looked at her questioningly.
“It is to remind him of me in the other world, that he taught me how not to weep, to be strong. It is my promise to make him proud of me. He was a good teacher.”
Dimitri nodded his approval. “Nels would be proud of you. But I’ am certain he would not mind if you shed tears for him. Would have flattered the bastard.” Dimitri raised his sword and shouted, “Glorious bastard, may your journey be swift to the other side!” The remaining men raised their swords and shouted, “Glorious bastard,” in unison. Akira whispered, “Dear friend, after echoing glorious bastard!”
Dimitri spurred his horse and they galloped ahead with Akira surrounded by shields ready, and eyes alert. His eyes were steely and his face looked fierce. Dimitri was battle ready. His nostrils flared as he drew in deep breaths. He was pumped for battle. Akira looked at the men as they rode beside her. Their faces were fierce and frightening. Their faces showed no fear and she knew they would cause fear when passing bystanders. Akira looked ahead and sat straighter on Pegasus leaning forward slightly. Had she been able to see herself she would have seen the same fierce expression on her face as her companions.
Her eyes sparkled dangerously deep blue. The warrior spirit had been born. Akira felt no fear. Nels had died a purposeful death.
If I’ve powers the Dark Lord wants to kill me, I will find them and use them against the Dark Lord
.
Nels would want to be avenged
.
First
, Akira thought,
I will cut my baby warrior teeth on Baron Rolfe
. With Dimitri in front of her and his men beside and behind her, she looked inwards, looking for her magic. The strong emotion she felt as she looked upon her dead combat instructor and comrade in arms unlocked another level of awareness of a power that she had unconsciously repressed.
Had it been dark out her comrades would have seen her eyes glow in the dark. Akira recognized a new feeling sweep over her body. Something deep inside of her was awakening. Something deep inside was responding to passionate emotions. She did not try to repress the feeling. A strange energy flowed through her body. The fine hairs on her arms stood up. Her skin prickled momentarily. It was as if her whole body was vibrating. She did not fear the feeling as she had as a child.
Passion is the key to unlocking my powers. I’m not afraid of this feeling anymore!
Dimitri felt a strange warmth as she stared at his broad shoulders. He resisted turning to look back. He did not want Akira to see the bloodlust in his eyes just yet. He feared his eyes would frighten her. She was now a warrior, and soon he would have to decide if he would let himself love her completely and risk making them both vulnerable. Her desire to be a mighty warrior was no secret. The not so secret reason Dimitri credited his success in battle was his ability to go into battle with no attachments cause hesitation to die in battle. If Akira was to be a fierce warrior she needed to be equally unattached. He was suddenly torn. Akira had the potential to be a valuable a’kil asset in a war against the Dark Lord. A warrior with magical abilities would be invaluable. The set of Dimitri’s face was grim.
Akira’s eyes closed and she prayed Dimitri could take away taking away the hollow feeling death brought. She thought
I’m Akira, warrior and woman
.
Fear me enemies!
She reigned in Pegasus. She held him to a stop. The men did likewise wondering what made her bring them to a halt. She looked at their questioning faces. She looked at each battle hardened face. She gave voice to her thoughts and shouted it to the sky as loud as her voice could go. “I’m Akira, warrior! Fear me enemies for I’ve found my a’kil and ride with mighty warriors! I’ve found my a’kil and I fear it no more. I resist it no more. Now my enemies may fear it!” Her heart pounded in her chest. She now understood why her mother tried to hide her from her evil husband’s dark mages.
The warrior spirit of Dimitri cheered her proclamation, her warrior spirit welcomed the unleashing of her latent powers. The heart inside the warrior body felt sad.
The men echoed, “Akira!” and raised their swords as witness to her proclamation. Her eyes sparkled unnaturally. Her eyes did not sparkle from tears. Her eyes were the iciest blue they had ever seen, and any doubt that she had mage blood flowing in her veins would have been squashed, if any doubts lingered.
A fierce warrior had died. A new one was born. It was no wonder, to Dimitri and his men, that the Dark Lord sent assassins to kill her. They looked at each other with knowing looks. The men around her knew instinctively that they would need to protect her until she came into her own, and even then, with dormant powers awakened, she would need protection. They looked at Dimitri who wordlessly affirmed their thoughts with his eyes.
They positioned Akira in the center of their column. In unison, they reformed their impressive and fearsome looking column. The men with extra alert eyes scanning their surroundings, scanning the sky, nudged their mounts back to a gallop. Akira was rising.
Author’s Notes
Thank you for reading my novel. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did (perfect! yay) please leave a review on Amazon. Nonie Wideman
If you can’t find where to leave the review, please check
www.robynwideman.com
for the link.
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