Read Online Refuge: Kurt's Quest by Doug Dandridge - Free Book Online Page A

mules that had been pulling it had been unhitched
and driven off, along with many of the Duke’s men’s horses.
    [What about our horses,] sent Jackie as she
took another arrow out of the air, this one from a longbow.
    [Jump over the wagon, and let the horse go,]
sent Kurt, pulling the reigns and kicking his mount into motion.  [Once you’re
away from the beast the enemy won’t target it, and it will run off.  If we win,
we can get them back later.]  He didn’t bother sending what would happen to the
horses if they lost, since it would not be their concern at that time.
    Garios stood atop the wagon, his shield
covering himself as he swung his ax into the shield of a horseman who was
leaning over his saddle to engage the dwarf.  Kurt took the man’s head off just
before vaulting out of his saddle and onto the top of the wagon, almost losing
his balance on the tarp covered boxes and barrels.  He kept his footing, and
turning around to strike the head off a lance, then swung his blade to take the
right hand of the lancer off at the wrist.
    Jackie landed beside him, keeping her footing
with perfect balance in a display of agility that made Kurt feel like a clumsy
buffoon.  She spun in place, taking another pair of arrows from the air, then
jumping backwards into the alley behind the wagon.  Garios caught another arrow
on his shield, while Kurt jumped down to the ground beside Jackie.
    *     *     *
    “We have mages coming,” shouted the Dwarven
Priest, looking nervously at the approaching men in robes.  The street was now
crowded with men in armor, bowmen in leather, swordsmen and spearmen in chain,
and full armored knights in plate and mail.  And pushing their way through them
were a half dozen men in robes, long staffs in their hands, murder in their
eyes.
    Drake climbed up beside the priest, his own
staff in hand, his eyes flashing the red of fire. Fire was his element, his
power, his to do with as he pleased.  He straightened up and pointed the staff
at the other Mages, who were mumbling words and erecting shields against the
power of one they recognized as a master, despite his young age.
    A gout of fire flew from the staff, striking
the barrier and splashing off like water.  Unlike water, it still contained
dangerous heat, and many of the soldiers not covered by the barrier shrieked
and beat at themselves as fire sprouted on their exposed clothing and scorched
their flesh.
    James cried out, and the spout of flames grew
both wider and brighter.  Garios started the words of a protective spell, his
eyes wide as he watched the unbelievable power coming from their Mage.  The
flame went from red, to white to blue tinted in an instant, something that the
Dwarf, having been around wizards all of his life, had never seen anything like
it.  The Mages who were trying to deflect the fire were all at least of the
master level, and no Mage, no matter how powerful, should have been a match for
so many other wizards.  With scrunched up faces, they mumbled words and
continued pouring power into the only thing keeping them alive.
    Garios could feel the heat of the battle
against his face, the only thing keeping him from bursting into flame the
Divine protection he had invoked.  The canvas covering of the wagon began to
smoke, even though there was little flow through from the power going out in a
lance of fire.  Most of the flame continued to bounce from the barrier, but
some started to get through, and one of the mages, the youngest, yelled out as
his sleeves caught aflame.  He waved his arms, trying to douse the fire and
only fanning the flames.  And the barrier weakened, and more flame penetrated,
and, like water finding a hole in the dyke, it was the end.  In moments all of
the enemy mages were on fire.  An instant later they were all reduced to ash,
an object lesson for anyone wanting to challenge this young Archmage.
    An arrow struck James in the shoulder.  The
young man looked down on the shaft with