as he manoeuvred it around. ‘They’ll have full squadrons of cavalry, dragoons too most likely – most of our company are on foot! They left the city yesterday; it’ll take no more’n a day before they’re caught.’
‘We should get a head start then.’ Still she didn’t mount, instead kneeling beside one of the pillars.
The mercenaries watched her for a moment then Teshen and Lynx slipped from their horses too and loaded icers. The ice-bolts had far better range and accuracy than sparkers, for all the chaos and destruction those could wreak. If they outnumbered the pursuing Charnelers, felling one or two might see them off. Before their pursuers could appear, though, a chunk of stone burst off the pillar above Toil’s head in a white cloud. More gunshots rang out and the mercenaries ducked as icers whistled past all too close.
‘Shit, another patrol!’
Lynx swung around left, his aim drawn by the white muzzle-flash of their attackers. Movement in the street was all he could make out in the dark, no white uniforms but even a district watchman might be a half-decent shot. The crash of his gun was echoed a moment later by the double-crack of two more. Further back down the avenue he saw a half-dozen figures scurrying to cover. One was winged and spun around, howling, the rest fell into nearby doorways.
‘We’ll get pinned,’ Anatin growled as he snapped off a shot and reloaded. ‘Rain fire on ’em all.’
‘Burners?’ Lynx shouted, appalled. ‘You’ll start a firestorm!’
‘Only advantage we got,’ the man yelled back.
Lynx glanced at his comrades. Reft was beside him, loading an earther into his gun. Toil clearly had fewer qualms about using fire-bolts in a residential street and already had her gun loaded.
‘There are people in every house!’ Lynx shouted.
‘A burning house don’t help us,’ she replied, nodding at the street ahead. ‘They’re locals, just need to scare them off.’
Belatedly Lynx realised the patrol were too far for a burner to reach; the destructive bolts just didn’t have the range, even if they didn’t need accuracy. He swore and pulled a sparker, bearing right towards the street they’d run out of. Reft raised his gun and the deep boom of his earther roared out through the night – despite his great size, the hairless man was still jolted back by the shot. A dark path split the air ahead of them, night turning in on itself before it hit and Lynx felt the ground shudder under the impact. Cobbles exploded left and right as a furrow burst through the street fifty yards away. Screams rang out, glass shattered, stones and wreckage drummed against the buildings on either side.
A flash of movement came from the right. Lynx checked a moment then saw the distinctive shape of guns, the flash of white tabards, and pulled the trigger. A jagged tear in the dark spat out from the muzzle of his mage-gun; a bolt of lightning corkscrewed across the street to consume the nearest Charneler. Spiked white claws leaped in all directions, savaging another and slashing at the wooden awning of the nearest house.
Toil took that as her cue, not bothering to aim much as she fired the burner down the centre of the street. A dulled, animal roar burst from the gun as an orange streak raced forward, dropping short of the Charnelers. A great whump of yellow flame burst out from the pale tip of that streak and mushroomed out – fire reaching almost from one side of the wide street to the other.
‘You’ll be the death of us,’ Lynx muttered as Toil stood and made for the horses.
‘Not yet.’ Toil smiled as she passed him. Anything more was lost in the crash of gunshots ringing out in her wake, then they all raced for their mounts and there was no time to argue.
‘Later then,’ Lynx said.
Toil swung gracefully into her saddle while the mercenaries around her clambered up. She reached out and gave him a little pat on the head.
‘Aye, I have that effect on people.’
Chapter
‘We should get a head start then.’ Still she didn’t mount, instead kneeling beside one of the pillars.
The mercenaries watched her for a moment then Teshen and Lynx slipped from their horses too and loaded icers. The ice-bolts had far better range and accuracy than sparkers, for all the chaos and destruction those could wreak. If they outnumbered the pursuing Charnelers, felling one or two might see them off. Before their pursuers could appear, though, a chunk of stone burst off the pillar above Toil’s head in a white cloud. More gunshots rang out and the mercenaries ducked as icers whistled past all too close.
‘Shit, another patrol!’
Lynx swung around left, his aim drawn by the white muzzle-flash of their attackers. Movement in the street was all he could make out in the dark, no white uniforms but even a district watchman might be a half-decent shot. The crash of his gun was echoed a moment later by the double-crack of two more. Further back down the avenue he saw a half-dozen figures scurrying to cover. One was winged and spun around, howling, the rest fell into nearby doorways.
‘We’ll get pinned,’ Anatin growled as he snapped off a shot and reloaded. ‘Rain fire on ’em all.’
‘Burners?’ Lynx shouted, appalled. ‘You’ll start a firestorm!’
‘Only advantage we got,’ the man yelled back.
Lynx glanced at his comrades. Reft was beside him, loading an earther into his gun. Toil clearly had fewer qualms about using fire-bolts in a residential street and already had her gun loaded.
‘There are people in every house!’ Lynx shouted.
‘A burning house don’t help us,’ she replied, nodding at the street ahead. ‘They’re locals, just need to scare them off.’
Belatedly Lynx realised the patrol were too far for a burner to reach; the destructive bolts just didn’t have the range, even if they didn’t need accuracy. He swore and pulled a sparker, bearing right towards the street they’d run out of. Reft raised his gun and the deep boom of his earther roared out through the night – despite his great size, the hairless man was still jolted back by the shot. A dark path split the air ahead of them, night turning in on itself before it hit and Lynx felt the ground shudder under the impact. Cobbles exploded left and right as a furrow burst through the street fifty yards away. Screams rang out, glass shattered, stones and wreckage drummed against the buildings on either side.
A flash of movement came from the right. Lynx checked a moment then saw the distinctive shape of guns, the flash of white tabards, and pulled the trigger. A jagged tear in the dark spat out from the muzzle of his mage-gun; a bolt of lightning corkscrewed across the street to consume the nearest Charneler. Spiked white claws leaped in all directions, savaging another and slashing at the wooden awning of the nearest house.
Toil took that as her cue, not bothering to aim much as she fired the burner down the centre of the street. A dulled, animal roar burst from the gun as an orange streak raced forward, dropping short of the Charnelers. A great whump of yellow flame burst out from the pale tip of that streak and mushroomed out – fire reaching almost from one side of the wide street to the other.
‘You’ll be the death of us,’ Lynx muttered as Toil stood and made for the horses.
‘Not yet.’ Toil smiled as she passed him. Anything more was lost in the crash of gunshots ringing out in her wake, then they all raced for their mounts and there was no time to argue.
‘Later then,’ Lynx said.
Toil swung gracefully into her saddle while the mercenaries around her clambered up. She reached out and gave him a little pat on the head.
‘Aye, I have that effect on people.’
Chapter
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