The sun was setting in the mountains as they ambled down the streets. Konstanz was always cool and pleasant in the evenings, quiet as the populace returned to their homes for dinner, avoiding the chill that would descend in the night. They walked in silence, content now that they"d eaten well, the meal still warming them from inside. The desolate streets made Nikolai sigh, remnants of the curfew during the war and his subjugation of the Dragon Lords. It was impossible to tell when these streets would be filled with life."We"re being watched!" Elya shouted and before Nikolai realised he was being pushed against a wall, surrounded by his three companions with their weapons drawn. Experience told him to believe a soldier"s instincts. It was better to be safe than miss that one moment when an a.s.sa.s.sin slid his blade through your guts. Once was enough for that kind of sensation. Drawing a deep breath, he pulled mana into his body and took out the small primer stone he kept on him for emergencies.
A soft pulse of power pa.s.sed through the courtyard and Nikolai frowned when he didn"t get any response. Elya was certain that someone was there but his senses weren"t getting a response so either she was wrong, which was doubtful since this was a woman that shredded dragons regularly, or there was a…
"Oh, Fates preserve us! Andrei there"s a Shade here. Seven!" Nikolai roared and caught the sword Chen had tossed over. Seven materialised out of the air and with both short swords drawn and put himself between Nikolai and the surroundings. Andrei pulled the Knights to the side as Nikolai started chanting. Without a wand or staff, he needed time and if a Shade was around, there was only one way to gain it.
His voice rose to a crescendo, and magic filled the air, mist spreading from him in waves. To the humans on the street it was cool and refreshing but to a Shade it would restrain them like they were moving through a swamp. Nikolai didn"t stop and cast another spell, a small circle of white fire forming around him. Seven kept his eyes on the street and suddenly banged his blades together twice and Nikolai winced, there were at least two Shades on this street.
"What"s going on Nikolai?" Elya asked, her sword steady and hair whipping in the wind.
Nikolai chanted and coated Andrei"s sword with twisting sparks of purple lightning and returned the weapon.
"Give me your weapons. We"re under attack by Shades. You can"t see them normally and the mist I conjured won"t keep them back long." He kept an eye on the mist and could see the small movements that indicated their attackers. Luckily Elya didn"t question him and in short order they held enchanted blades. The mist dissipated, and they formed an arc in front of Nikolai, Seven prowling in front and sniffing the air to get a sense of the attack.
"They"re coming." Elya said tightly gripping her blade as she squinted down the street.
The howls came first.
Something that Nikolai had never wanted to hear again. His palms were sweaty, and he suffered from shortness of breath, eyes spinning in search of the Shades. A skittering came from the side and Elya lashed out, her blade vanishing as she released a dozen strikes. Her instincts were astonishing. A shriek rose and Elya charged forward certain that she"d hit, Alexis at her side.
At that moment Nikolai stomped on the ground, the circle he"d inscribed rising above their heads. It spun, and streaks of light shone on the road, lighting up two shadowy, figures one sneaking up on Chen and the other in full retreat from Elya"s charge.
"Strike them down quickly!" Nikolai roared. "It won"t last long."
His companions needed no more encouragement, and they battered the Shades with their enchanted weapons, eliciting horrifying screams as the creatures lost cohesion and slowly came apart. Nikolai chanted once more and the disc burst into two beams of light that shot towards the disintegrating Shades caging them in small orbs of white light.
He waved his arm and brought the orbs into his hands.
"What was that?" Elya asked, her eyes wavering in shock and Nikolai could tell she had only faced mundane foes during the war.
"They"re Shades, powerful souls that have been twisted by magic into indestructible ma.s.ses of shadows. They"re used primarily for a.s.sa.s.sination and I haven"t seen any in two years." He frowned, considering who had sent them. It was very difficult to prepare and control a Shade, let alone two.
"What will you do with them?" She looked at the spinning orbs.
"They"re indestructible so I"ll have to prepare a seal." Another unwanted addition to his tower.
Seven returned at that moment with guards and they cordoned off the area to make sure nothing else was lurking nearby. Nikolai sent Elya back to the manor to rest, and she gave him a knowing smile before she left. He felt a little sad once she was gone, but he quickly shifted focus and called Seven over.
"Who was the target? We were too close together, so it"s impossible to tell. Those bolts couldn"t have come from the Shades, so look into who it could be."
Seven made a few signs and Nikolai hesitated. Silver hair and blue eyes came to mind, and he responded firmly.
"Any means necessary. If she was the target… I want them dead by the end of the day." If Elya saw him at that moment, she would be startled by his cold look that promised death.