Chapter 233


    The friend Id once watched struggle to walk, flew.


    His feet barely touched the ground as he closed the gap to Gawain. At thest second, he flicked his shield arm out, loosened straps sliding easily from his arm as the shield skidded off to the side. He gripped the sword with both hands, swinging it more like a baseball bat than any martial weapon. Metal shed with metal, resonating a deep hum as Gawain recoiled, shield going wide, leaving him open.


    Nick spun around, his once clumsy movements fluid and graceful as he guided the blisteringly fast follow-up strike into the gap at Gawains thigh.


    <em>Mmf.</em>


    Gawain staggered back, off-bnce for less than a second before he corrected his form. Shadow hissed freely from the fractured metal armor in a steady stream that formed small clouds, advected by the swirling gale of air between the twobatants. Tendrils of smoke from the swirling shadows that surrounded us snaked towards the clouds formed by Gawains wound, absorbing them quickly.


    The exchange grew fierce, as Gawain tried to meet Nicks sudden flurry of aggression in kind, but Nick didnt give him an opening, every brutal two-handed strike flowing smoothly into the next.


    It felt like I was witnessing the birth of something monumental. Something that only happened once in a lifetime.


    Which made it all the harder to stop watching.


    Because while Gawain himself seemed honorable enough, given his refusal of Sir Kays proclivities, one of his Knights had attempted to sandbag Nick while he was <em>losing.</em> It stood to reason now that he was turning the tide, things were going to escte.


    Most of the Knights were still viewing the bout impassively. There were plenty of clenched fists, and angry mutterings, but no sudden movements or hands reaching for swords. But Kettlethe knight that had tried to sabotage Nickwas nowhere to be seen.


    I looked around in a panic and realized Pot was also gone moments before a sharp point pressed into my back and an armored forearm looped around my throat.


    Dont. Pot whispered.


    Talia growled and bent low, ready to pounce.


    <em>Whyshit. The contract hadn''t been activated because he hadnt hurt me yet. Same with Kettle. </em>


    I held out a hand to still her.


    <em>Not yet. Need to time this right.</em>


    Wow, I carefully turned my head, ensuring he could hear me while still monitoring the duel. You guys really are the defects.


    Keep your voice low. Pot growled, and the point pressed harder into my side.


    Have you ever <em>not</em> been a follower, Pot? Dont answer that. Its rhetorical. I ran my mouth, still buying time. Not to mention obvious. Thats all you are. Worse, youre not even a good follower. A dressed up, trumped up sycophant who will do anything for the person they follow, even if doing so directly conflicts with their wishes. Because, apparently, a stupid motherfucker like you knows whats best for them.


    On second thought. Shut. Up.


    Must be a real burden to Sir Gawain, with a snake like you coiled in his satchel.


    Saxon <em>filth</em>


    Nicks battle-cry cut him off. Gawain was half-stooped over. My friend bellowed at the top of his lungs, bringing the de down directly on Gawains head. His helmet split open, and shadow spilled from the wound, spreading out, bing fog. Thest of the retaliatory power faded, and Nick took a half-step backward. He was drenched in sweat, heaving.


    Kettle reappeared from the crowd and raced into the circle approaching Nick from behind, brandishing a nasty-looking war hammer in both hands.


    <em>Now.</em>


    I sucked in a breath and shouted Nick! Behind!


    Everything happened at once.


    Nick whirled, exhaustion forgotten, then watched dumbfounded as the previously viinous Sir Kay leapt forward to defend him.


    Pain enveloped me as the de at my back dug in a quarter inchthen disappeared. The arm around my neck loosened as the armor itself disappeared.


    <em>Credit to Kinsley. The contract paper worked. </em>


    Subconsciously using <strong></strong>I pulled my hand crossbow and aimed it backwards, over my shoulder, The shadow that was once housed in a suit of armor reeled backward, bolt stuck where its face should be, struggling to maintain its form. Ished out with my heel. The strikended at chest level and the shadow stumbled backward.


    Tendrils, thick and hungry, extended out from the swirling circle, dragging Pot into it even as he screamed and struggled to escape.


    <strong></strong> warned me just in time, and I ducked beneath the long horizontal sweep of a longsword. The knight that attacked me was advancing, one of several. Theyd witnessed the end of what just happened, but not necessarily the why.


    Traitors! Sir Kay bellowed, suddenly heroic andpletely out of character delivering the lines Id fed him. He fought side by side with Nick as they both worked together to push back Kettle, Sir Gawain motionless behind them. Traitors to the round!


    Some knights turned, but it was deafeningly loud, and several appeared to not notice.


    <em>Not enough. Need to stall until they get a read on the situation. If they attack me under the impression theyre defending themselves, the contract may not trigger. Me on t terrain against multiple guys in heavy armor would not go well.</em>


    I sent Talia an image and a question.


    After responding with an affirmative, she raced away from the dueling square towards the swirling shadow perimeter, returning to her wolf form, white fur overtaking brown and ck as her muzzle extended. She opened her mouth and howled, purification magic extending out in a small crystalline radius that covered both of us. The shadows shrieked as twisted, barely perceptible forms frantically crawled over each other, trying desperately to get away. They didnt seem capable ofplex thought, and were torn between maintaining the barrier and staying the hell away from Talias purification magic, forming a gaprge enough for both of us to escape into.


    As we advanced, the shadows slid back into ce, muffling the sound of the melee. All light faded, and fear turned to rage and hunger as tendrils sparked, recoiling as they shed with Talias magic.


    How long can you hold it? I asked her.


    My summons expression was hard to read at the best of times, harder now that I had to pick it out between shes of repelled tendrils. If I had to guess, she looked strained.


    Not... long. Will need to recover after a minute. Talia growled. A feathery knife of darkness shed, bouncing away from my neck. Did you have this nned the entire time and not tell me?


    I shook my head. Then, realized that she probably couldnt see it. Kind of making it up as I go.


    Nick was a bad influence.


    So what now? Talia grunted.


    Now? I looked around. Despite the hostility of the environment, I felt oddlyfortable. The unformed shadows posed as much of a threat to the knights as they did to me. So long as I had Sir Kay defending Nick and could buy Talia enough time to recover, it provided the perfect environment for me to do what I did best.


    Hit and run.


    I grabbed <strong></strong> hilt, and couldnt help but chuckle low in my throat, as dozens of sshes of yellow and red appeared beyond the barrier of the dark. Now, we hunt.