powers.
I'm set. Be careful down there.
It was strange to hear Ted's thoughts rattling around in her mind, but in lieu of a walkie-talkie, the system worked quite well.
Aren't I always ?
No comment.
Natalie glanced up at her cadre of troops. Two of them were familiar as the ones she'd assaulted before her apprehension just a week earlier. The one with the black eye she'd caused met her glance.
Natalie winked. "That's healing nicely."
The bruised man growled, but Razellia put her hand on his chest. "Can we please focus on the common enemy?"
Natalie and the guard both grunted their assent.
She peered out the crack in the door. At first glance, the entire town seemed to be abandoned. Nobody was on the streets, and many of the buildings were boarded up with the lights off. It was a ghost town, and she hoped the appearance would help them get the drop on their attackers.
The noise was faint at first, like the light thumping of deep drums. The gallop grew louder as the raiders approached. Bump-bump; bump-bump; bump-bump. The dot in the distance became larger, and the men riding their Lychos came into view. As the townspeople had predicted, there were more of them now. The party was up from four to 12. The volume crescendoed as the pack passed the front of the building and pulled up in the center of the town square. Step one of the plan was in full swing.
Natalie examined the figures more closely. They were unshaven and burly. While she wasn't close enough to smell them, she figured that riding on the hairy beasts didn't exactly keep them dryer-sheet fresh. One of the Lychos snarled, and Natalie saw the crimson-eyed guard take a step back.
"Relax." She let her smile extend wide. "So far, so good."
Natalie took one last look outside the door. While she knew this gang wasn't affiliated with the light soul army, it was still strange to have to fight them. After all, weren't they supposed to be on Erica's side? On her and Ted's side?
As Natalie stepped toward the door, Razellia stopped her.
She looked more than a little concerned. "I don't like this. You should let one of the villagers do it."
Natalie took Razellia's hand. Her friend's hand.
"I aim to win. If we do, then that better prove that I'm one of you."
Razellia gave her hand a squeeze and nodded. "Good luck."
Natalie raised her eyebrows. "No such thing."
She smiled as she spun on her heels and left the cover of the hollowed-out tavern behind.
She took a step forward into the light, making sure to keep her left hand out of view. Her fingers gripped a glass jar. She could feel the liquid inside it shifting from side to side. Natalie pulled a device that was very similar to a lighter from her right pocket. With the flip of a switch, she had a flame going. Natalie lit the rag that was stuffed into the top of the jar.
It wasn't until she held the fiery bottle in front of her that the raiders took notice. The entire dozen pointed their energy weapons in her direction. She gulped as the devices powered up.
Natalie ignored her fear and puffed out her chest. "Hey, guys. We knew that you liked fire, so we got you a present."
She tossed the glass a few feet in front of her. It slammed into the dirt, which the raiders may have just noticed was much wetter than normal. As the jar burst, the alcohol-soaked dirt caught fire as well, creating a circle of flames around the entire town square. The smell of the burning booze filled Natalie's nostrils as the heat from the fire added an extra element of heat to the dry desert air. She couldn't even see the raiders through the barricade of red and orange. They were trapped.
Natalie admired the fiery prison. "Ooh, pretty."
She stood in place a little too long, as the bandits started firing their weapons in every direction. She'd have been hit for sure, if Razellia hadn't yanked her back at the last second. They ducked into the alleyway beside the tavern as pulses of energy rocked the buildings they hit. They could no
I'm set. Be careful down there.
It was strange to hear Ted's thoughts rattling around in her mind, but in lieu of a walkie-talkie, the system worked quite well.
Aren't I always ?
No comment.
Natalie glanced up at her cadre of troops. Two of them were familiar as the ones she'd assaulted before her apprehension just a week earlier. The one with the black eye she'd caused met her glance.
Natalie winked. "That's healing nicely."
The bruised man growled, but Razellia put her hand on his chest. "Can we please focus on the common enemy?"
Natalie and the guard both grunted their assent.
She peered out the crack in the door. At first glance, the entire town seemed to be abandoned. Nobody was on the streets, and many of the buildings were boarded up with the lights off. It was a ghost town, and she hoped the appearance would help them get the drop on their attackers.
The noise was faint at first, like the light thumping of deep drums. The gallop grew louder as the raiders approached. Bump-bump; bump-bump; bump-bump. The dot in the distance became larger, and the men riding their Lychos came into view. As the townspeople had predicted, there were more of them now. The party was up from four to 12. The volume crescendoed as the pack passed the front of the building and pulled up in the center of the town square. Step one of the plan was in full swing.
Natalie examined the figures more closely. They were unshaven and burly. While she wasn't close enough to smell them, she figured that riding on the hairy beasts didn't exactly keep them dryer-sheet fresh. One of the Lychos snarled, and Natalie saw the crimson-eyed guard take a step back.
"Relax." She let her smile extend wide. "So far, so good."
Natalie took one last look outside the door. While she knew this gang wasn't affiliated with the light soul army, it was still strange to have to fight them. After all, weren't they supposed to be on Erica's side? On her and Ted's side?
As Natalie stepped toward the door, Razellia stopped her.
She looked more than a little concerned. "I don't like this. You should let one of the villagers do it."
Natalie took Razellia's hand. Her friend's hand.
"I aim to win. If we do, then that better prove that I'm one of you."
Razellia gave her hand a squeeze and nodded. "Good luck."
Natalie raised her eyebrows. "No such thing."
She smiled as she spun on her heels and left the cover of the hollowed-out tavern behind.
She took a step forward into the light, making sure to keep her left hand out of view. Her fingers gripped a glass jar. She could feel the liquid inside it shifting from side to side. Natalie pulled a device that was very similar to a lighter from her right pocket. With the flip of a switch, she had a flame going. Natalie lit the rag that was stuffed into the top of the jar.
It wasn't until she held the fiery bottle in front of her that the raiders took notice. The entire dozen pointed their energy weapons in her direction. She gulped as the devices powered up.
Natalie ignored her fear and puffed out her chest. "Hey, guys. We knew that you liked fire, so we got you a present."
She tossed the glass a few feet in front of her. It slammed into the dirt, which the raiders may have just noticed was much wetter than normal. As the jar burst, the alcohol-soaked dirt caught fire as well, creating a circle of flames around the entire town square. The smell of the burning booze filled Natalie's nostrils as the heat from the fire added an extra element of heat to the dry desert air. She couldn't even see the raiders through the barricade of red and orange. They were trapped.
Natalie admired the fiery prison. "Ooh, pretty."
She stood in place a little too long, as the bandits started firing their weapons in every direction. She'd have been hit for sure, if Razellia hadn't yanked her back at the last second. They ducked into the alleyway beside the tavern as pulses of energy rocked the buildings they hit. They could no
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