Joshua’s horse heaved heavy breaths as he and Richard rode hard down the street. Froth streamed from the horse’s mouth, running out from its mouth to the reins like the white foam on a lake’s shore. Despite this, Richard kept up the pace ahead of him, and Joshua urged his horse faster to keep up.

  It nearly bucked from his heel, but Joshua’s steady hands kept the horse running straight. Sweat sprung up along his horse’s hide as Richard took a hard turn in front of him. A black iron fence rose up before his path, blocking the way.

  Joshua pulled hard on his reins, urging his horse to slow down. It did so roughly. The beast lost its footing on the hard stone, falling to the ground and sending Joshua flying out of his saddle. Joshua hit the stone in a roll, holding his head tight between his arms.

  Fire raced down his arms, as he came to a stop. Joshua lay still for a moment, breathing hard as he bit back his breath. Hot blood flowed in tiny rivulets down his arm, marring what was left of the masking cream.

  “Are you alright?” Richard came back around, his horse too was uneasy on its feet.

  “Fine,” Joshua said, brushing off his clothes and standing.

  He ignored the blood that flowed down his arms. It would heal soon enough and the pain would fade. He started back to his horse, but one look told him it was too late. It wouldn’t rise again for quite some time.

  “I don’t think I can continue,” he said. “Go on without me.”

  “No need,” Richard said, pointing further down the road. “There’s a break in the fence down there. It looks like it was torn apart.”

  Richard dismounted and led Joshua down to the hole. The black iron rent and bent and large claw marks dug deep into the stone. Joshua whistled softly at the damage. No ordinary creature could have done so much damage.

  “This is the Order’s main grounds,” Richard said as he crossed through the gate. “We’ll go see if we can find the creature, but if anyone spots us, we’ll run.”

  “I understand.” Joshua nodded, following after. “Observation only.”

  They followed the claw marks in the dirt carefully, but there was really no need. No guards came out to question them. There was no sign of anyone around. It was far too quiet, even for the dead of night.

  “Over there!” Richard charged forward, pointing to a building wreathed in torchlight.

  Joshua ran after him, finally catching up to where Richard had stopped. A great black creature stood silhouetted in the moonlight, its hulking form easily taller than three men. Its skin was like the night sky. Lights like stars even glowed across its black skin. It uttered the same piercing cry that Joshua heard on the street, amplified a hundredfold.

  “Amazing.” Richard kneeled down, his face filled with awe.

  Joshua could barely take his eyes off the creature. He watched with fascination as it attacked, reaching at one of the two people before it with blinding speed. It moved faster than something its size should be able to.

  The man barely dodged the attack, jumping away before the claw hit. The ground rumbled from the blow. It shook through Joshua’s feet, all the way to his heart. He gasped, trying to breath. That was real, true power.

  “Is that what we were looking for?” Joshua asked, finally regaining his voice. “Is that the monster that’s been killing our brethren?”

  “I can’t be sure,” Richard said, taking a small book from his pocket along with a length of lead wrapped in cloth.

  “You’ve never seen anything like it?” Joshua asked as he leaned over Richard’s shoulder and watched him sketch.

  “No. It moves like a golem,” Richard said, glancing up and down as he drew. “No muscles, no breath, it moves with magic alone. But, golems are only made with earth and water. They’re the only elements with substance.”

  “What about a savod?” Joshua asked, thinking of the name.

  “Savod,” Richard said, stopping his sketch and looking up. “Where did you hear that from?”

  “It’s just what came to mind,” Joshua said. “I don’t remember where I heard it.”

  “A savod couldn’t be walking on Nelim.” Richard turned his attention back to the battle. “If it was, that would be the end of us.”

  He didn’t say more. Joshua did the same, but he still couldn’t get the name out of his head. Where had he heard it before? He couldn’t place it, no matter how hard he tried.

  “He’s holding his own pretty well,” Richard said, drawing Joshua away from his thoughts.

  Not well enough. The man had the monster’s attention and frantically dodged every strike. He had no time to hit back. The other one only watched on, clutching at her side as she knelt on the ground.

  They wouldn’t be able to win against it, in the end.

  Then it came. The man wasn’t quick enough to dodge the savod’s claws. In one strike, the claw slammed him into the ground and sent dirt flying into the air. Joshua was sure it was over. Nothing could stand against that power.

  The savod didn’t move. It stood still, its eyes still transfixed on the ground. It was over wasn’t it? Shouldn’t the creature turn to its next target? The uncertainty ate at Joshua and his heart beat loudly in his ears.

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  Suddenly, Joshua felt it. A surge of power erupted from the man. Again, Joshua found it hard to breath. It had the same feeling, the same touch that he felt from the black ooze. It had the same pulse as the infection that rested in his arm.

  In that moment, the battle changed. The man stood from where he was pinned, pushing up against the claw with his sword. He pushed the savod off him and jumped back. Joshua could barely see a faint outline of dark power that surrounded his sword.

  “That power,” Richard whispered beside him. “We need to help him, now.”

  “Why?” Joshua asked his voice cracking. “I thought we were just observing.”

  “That power is similar to a wizard’s.” Richard rose, already starting to run forward. “He might be able to give us some answers.”

  Joshua ran after, already drawing power to his arms. There was only really one element to go with, the greatest destructive power a mage knew. Joshua smiled as he summoned the flames to his hands, their orange light licking the night air.

  They were on the savod in moments. Fire danced from Joshua’s fingers in large bursts, each one a torrent of heat. Yet it wasn’t like normal. Joshua didn’t feel any drain with each spell. It was as if he was sipping on a well of infinite power.

  There was no effect. As their flames petered out, there was no damage to the creature. The heat faded from Joshua’s arms, and emptiness rose up within his heart. Nothing seemed to get through.

  “Change tactics,” Richard said, the air around his hands gathering frost.

  The savod tried to turn on them, but the man wouldn’t let it. His sword danced across the monster’s face and it screamed in agony. For a moment, Joshua could see the cut across its skin, but before he could blink, it disappeared.

  Joshua gathered the cold in his palms, and together he and his master unleashed their attack. Thousands of shards shot out from their hands, peppering the savod with their sharp tips. Still, the attack didn’t even scratch it.

  Joshua shook his head, trying to dispel the whispers. They were getting stronger the more he used the elements. Already his head was pounding; he could barely concentrate on calling forth the power.

  Joshua could feel it, the taint that flowed through his blood. There was a power hidden in it, something that could raise him to a new height. He could even become like a god if he would just reach out to it.

  “Nothing’s working,” Richard said beside him.

  Joshua knew then what he had to do. He reached for it, drawing into the power inside his wrist. It felt foreign, so unlike the elements. It surged through his system, running along his runes with blinding speed.

  It was real power.

  Green and black flame rose around him, covering his entire body. It danced across him in a winding path, coiling around him like a snake. It didn’t burn him, but he knew that the flames burned hotter than any he had held before.

  “What are you doing?” Richard asked, taking Joshua back to the world.

  “Ending this,” Joshua said, keeping his eyes focused on the savod.

  He swept his arm wide, forming four balls of green flame from the mass that surrounded his body. They sat in a line marked by his arm’s path, patiently awaiting his command. With a smile, he commanded them forward, willing them to reach out and strike.

  Four streams of flame shot out toward the creature, each one striking their target. Joshua could barely contain the joy that rippled through him. This was what real power felt like, so unlike what he knew before.

  The creature’s cry rang out through the night. The flames shielded Joshua; it was more muted than it was before. He thanked the flames for that blessing. With them in his thrall, he could defeat the savod.

  The savod turned on him, the swordsman forgotten. Joshua knew it; he was the greater threat now. He drew up the flames again, letting their green tint fill him with power. The savod rushed him, its claws stretching out to him.

  Instinctively, Joshua called up stone, willing through his runes for a great wall to block the attack. He had done it hundreds of times before; even a novice could use the spell. Yet, it did not rise.

  Joshua fell back as the claws hit him. Searing pain ripped down his chest. The savod had harmed him, despite the power. He hit the ground hard, rolling through the dirt and clutching at his chest. The flames faded as he rolled, completely extinguished.

  Joshua gasped for breath as he lay in the dirt, shutting his eyes tight and wishing a thousand curses on the world. He was powerful, how could such a thing happen? How could that creature even scratch him?

  Joshua tried to rise, tried to draw the power back to his arms. They fell limp, completely useless. It was gone; the power had fallen from his hands so easily. Now he was just empty, a husk instead of a man.

  With his waning strength, Joshua forced himself to look up at the savod. It towered over him, examining him with its light filled eyes. For a moment, Joshua thought he saw curiosity in it, but it was fleeting.

  The savod turned away from him, going back toward the swordsman. So now, he wasn’t worth its attention. Richard was at his side immediately after, helping him stand and letting Joshua rest on his shoulder.

  “You’re going to have to tell me what you did after this,” he said.

  “I’m not even sure.” Joshua gasped as the fire raced down his chest again.

  “Well don’t push yourself,” Richard said.

  He tried to help Joshua walk away, but he couldn’t support both of their weight. Richard fell, and Joshua fell with him. The pain raced through his chest again as he scraped across the dirt. It seemed there would be no escape.

  “Go on without me,” Joshua said, rising to his knees.

  “Not a chance,” Richard said, standing up. “I’m going to go see if the horses are still fit to ride. If they aren’t I’ll even steal two.”

  “What about those two?” Joshua asked.

  “We’ll figure out something,” Richard said before he took off running.

  Joshua sat up, doing his best to control his breath. He couldn’t see it, but he could already feel the hot blood running down his chest. The pain was already fading. It was numb now, just a dull ache.

  He held his hand against the cuts, but there was nothing for him to do. He couldn’t fight anymore, and he could barely move. The man and the savod still fought before him, locked in a battle of attrition. Resting back on his arm, he watched the rest of it unfold.

  Adrian was having a bad day. Sarpans screamed a falcon’s screech as they charged at the caravan. His men held the line against them. Adrian pushed back against his own opponents, cutting down three of the monsters with one swing of his axe.

  The blue-blooded bastards shouldn’t have been this far north. The caravan should have skirted them easily. Adrian grimaced as his axe bit through the hard scales of one of the sarpan’s shoulders.

  Its claws struck out as it struggled against its death. They scraped uselessly against Adrian’s black leather breastplate. Adrian kicked it away with his boot and surveyed the battlefield with a quick glance.

  Only ten of the scaly monsters had caused such a problem. At least two of his men were down. He didn’t know who yet. He growled as he took another of the lizards in between its shoulders, knocking it off Carl with one swing.

  “Damned lizards,” Carl said with a grunt as Adrian helped him up.

  “We’re getting too old for this,” Adrian said as they turned back to the battle.

  From the southwest hills, more of the sarpans charged across the grass. There were at least twenty more by Adrian’s count. He whistled shrilly, and the sound cut through the men as they put down the last of the first wave.

  “Form up!” Adrian yelled, holding his axe high.

  They moved back into their ranks, leaving the dead and dying sarpans lying on the ground. Adrian ignored the bodies of his own men that lay still in the bloodstained grass as well. There would be time after.

  His men formed up with the wall of wagons behind them. Their backs were against the wall, but that didn’t matter. The sarpans might think they were going in for the kill, but the Crows weren’t done yet.

  A man fought his hardest when there was no other way out.