Book 2 Chapter 37

The blade slid across the child’s neck with an almost too practiced ease... Yet it was the assassin who ended up shocked, the smile disappearing from his face as his form flickered and the dagger came around once more flying towards the back of the boy’s neck.

Just before the dagger could sink into the unprotected flesh, a brilliant white light rose from the child’s body. The dagger struck against the light and was repelled away as it spread until even the killer was pushed back.

The light gathered itself together as it formed a translucent layer over the child’s body. The young princeling watched in astonishment as the light continued gathering until he was entirely covered by the thin glowing shield, hovering just inches over his skin.

Tirr stood across the warehouse with his arm forward and hand facing out. He could feel his power surging through him as he channeled the Life Blessing. The shield of life was a simple miracle, formed through faith to create un indestructible barrier, preventing all harm from befalling its target. He had used it before to protect Claire on the night Torvus had attacked them initially. The only problem was that it required a constant supply of faith unless time was taken to set it up beforehand.

As Tirr held the shield on the princeling Maria dashed forward with well-versed coordination. They had assumed they would run not something like this, somewhat thanks to Torvus’s advice. And had arranged their plan from the beginning with their first goal being the safety of the little prince before trying to fight back.

The assassin behind the boy recovered quickly, his body flickering as he sped back towards the prince. Tirr was focusing on holding the shield when he heard two soft clicks followed by quiet twangs come from the shadows of the warehouse.

A burning sensation filled him like a hot lance as something pierced into his side. At the same time, he felt a substantial impact on his shield and sent more power surging into it as he glanced down at himself.. Sticking from his chest not far from his heart was the other side of what he assumed to be an arrow, or perhaps a crossbow bolt from the sounds he heard.

“Maria!” He yelled just as two more figures appeared from the shadows. Their daggers shone dangerously as they attacked the young woman from both sides, moving to block her path forward. She reacted quickly raising her hammer above her ahead and bringing it towards the ground with all her strength. It crashed into the ground with an explosive impact that seemed to shake the entire building, sending dust flying around her.

The two assassins attacking her avoided the blow easily but didn’t expect the intense tremor that traveled through the ground afterward. They were set off balance briefly creating just enough time for Maria as she continued without skipping a beat. She dove at the child, still tied to the chair as the assassin behind him struck down once more.

Tirr saw the blow coming and sent another surge of faith to maintain the shield. As he resisted the blow he felt his side growing numb. Blood pooled suddenly in his throat until he was forced to cough, spitting a splatter of foul looking blood on the ground in front of him.

Poison… he thought to himself as he gritted his teeth and cycled his blessing through himself to purge the toxins. Tirr looked at the two assassins that had just recovered their footing and had resumed their mad sprint towards Maria. He didn’t see any sign of the ranged weapon that had struck him which meant there were at least two more of the killers hiding somewhere among the crates and shadows of the building. Still, as long as she reached the prince it wouldn’t matter anymore.

His jaw clenched as another pair of clicks was followed by two more lances of pain. He was starting to look more and more like a pincushion as Maria finally reached the young prince. She ignored the assassins and dove onto the child, taking him and the chair down to the ground in one motion. As the killers dove onto her with flashing blades. The light around the child disappeared, replaced by a similar light that expanded in the blink of an eye from Maria herself. She clutched the Prince to herself tightly as she covered him with her body. Her mind focused only on strengthening her shield as much as possible as attacks rained down from above.

Seeing Maria reach the other boy. Tirr let out a grin, heat rose around him as flames sprang to life, lighting the area in eerie orange and red. Two more bolts struck into his body, but he paid them no mind, focusing the flame around him into one bright point. As the point grew he compressed it further and further, pouring as much strength into it as he could.

Tirr heard a curse from the shadows and laughed cruelly, knowing it was too late for them to escape. “Dodge this scum!” He yelled as he released the compressed flame. Let go all at once, the power exploded out in a raging inferno. With the warehouse now lit by the fire, Tirr saw the two hiding crossbowmen stand to run before being swallowed by the flames.

Maria held on for blow after blow when she heard a boom come from behind her. The assassins above her were suddenly gone as she was pinned down a scorching fire. It roared over her like a raging maelstrom and she felt her back searing as her shield couldn't keep up with the heat of the flames

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the fire subsided and Maria pushed herself off the young prince, focusing her Blessing on the pain coming from her back. Her body was cover in soot and ash and the tunic and trousers she had borrowed were burnt and charred. However, as she looked around there was no sign of the assassins or even the building they had just been in.

She heard the thunk as a charred hunk of debris slammed into the ground some distance away. The force of the explosion had annihilated the building around them sending whatever remained flying across the surrounding area.

Tirr stood at the center of the destruction with a satisfied smile as he looked over his handiwork, “Serves them right...” He nodded to himself as he spotted the charred remains that had once been humans before turning towards Maria confidently, “Let's get out of here!”