“Archers above us!” Celaine snapped, shooting her arrow at someone on the roof. There was the sound of scrambling. A roof tile fell and shattered on the ground nearby.

Hump didn’t need to think. He filled his staff with power, envisioning a spell formation in his mind, imagining a barrier around them. “Shield.”

Essence exploded from his staff, clear and efficient. The air shimmered like ripples on water, as a dome formed around them. There was a dull thud as a crossbow bolt struck the barrier just as it solidified, bouncing off and hitting the ground.

A moment later, his spell was complete. A couple more bolts struck and bounced off harmlessly, but the window was closed. The dome of solid essence protected them from all directions—he couldn’t hold it for good, but if that was the best of their fire power, Hump wasn’t worried. These thugs had underestimated them.

“You’re a bloody wizard,” the lead thug snapped. “Why do you work for these pricks?” His coat fell open, and he took what appeared to be a baton from his belt, only there was a white heartstone embedded in the end. Not a baton. A crudely made wand.

“Says the man ambushing three people in an alley,” Hump said. “Who are you?”

The focus of his wand shone white, essence spiralling toward the man in streams of misty essence, power gathering. He swung it like a bat, the air howled. “Wind Blast.”

The air blasted toward them—a white wind. It tore up loose bits of brick from the wall, ripped dirt and pebbles from the ground, and all of it bombarded Hump’s shield. The impact staggered him, and he leant into it with his body weight, adding essence to reinforce his Shield. It was a powerful Wind Blast, but it was unfocused.

“You’re not bad,” Hump said, grinning. “There’s a decent amount of power there, but your control is lacking. You need to focus that essence, or your attack will be inefficient.”

The man scowled, his face contorting with rage, nostrils practically flaring. “Kill these bastards!” he screamed.

"These aren’t just kids, Stu,” a man behind Hump shouted, nervousness in his voice. “What are we doing?”

“Shut up,” the lead thug—Stu—shouted. “We ain’t running like dogs from this trash. Not without the black stone. Up Packer. Get up!”

The man Hump struck with Rockshot stumbled to his feet. His left arm bulged unnaturally at the elbow, likely dislocated. The skin around the wound was torn and mangled with blood. Essence flooded from the wound, making the blood appear blue, the internal essence abilities of a martial showing their strength. There was no chance Hump would be standing with a wound like that.

Stu whispered something, and Packer grunted. He took something from his pocket and held it up to his nose, inhaling it. Hump felt essence fill the alley, familiar, yet strange at the same time. The same enhancement the bandit warlock had used, except this time the brute didn’t have a poisoned arrow in his belly.

The man used his uninjured arm to grab his other wrist and then with a sudden jerk, pulled the bone back into position. He let loose an animal like snarl. Essence shone brighter, the flow of blood slowed. He flexed his arm, bending his fingers into claws, glaring straight at Hump.

Hump grimaced. “That’s just gross.”

“Definitely warlocks then,” Celaine said.

Hump nodded. “Seems so.”

“All of them?” Bud asked.

“Can’t tell,” Hump said. “You get their numbers.”

“I count five,” Bud whispered.

“Six,” Celaine said. “There’s a second one hiding on the roof over there. Hump, if you buy me a few seconds when you drop your shield, I’ll handle them.”

Hump took his spellbook from his belt and it opened to the page on Essence Blast. He’d need to invest more into Tier 1 spells after this to make better use of its power, but for now, a big hit was all he needed.

“I’ll blast them,” Hump said. He glanced over his shoulder, noting the weapons of the two behind them. One carried an axe and shield, the smaller of the two, a woman, carrying a short sword. “Bud, keep the two in front of us off me and I’ll see what I can do about the ones behind us. And be careful. Looks like they might both be warlocks.”

Bud drew his sword. “Got it.”

“This time don’t hesitate to kill,” Celaine added.

“Don’t worry about me,” he said. “I’ll do what I have to.”

The presence of the brute changed, essence shimmering beneath his skin like lightning in a storm.

“Packer, are you good?” the lead thug said.

He grunted, nodding in answer. His face didn’t show a hint of pain.

“Then bring this damn shield down!” the lead thug shouted.

The brute grinned as he picked up the spiked club at his feet. His legs started to shine with bronze light, calling upon the power of the earth, though Hump couldn’t tell what for.

Stu swung out again with his club-like wand, essence shining at the end. “Wind Blade.”

The light spread, forming a blade of white essence and howling through they alley toward them, carving wide wounds into the wall on either side. It struck Hump’s Shield, breaking across its surface in trails of essence, dissipating into the air.

Packer charged behind the blow, the man’s feet thudding on the ground, heavy as hammers, trailing bronze essence. Nothing Bud couldn’t handle, and not Hump’s job right now. When it was too late for the brute to stop, Hump released his shield, turning his attention upward.

With an effort of will, he gathered the remnant power of his Shield to his command, condensing it around his staff and launching it above. A wave of blue surged up—not his best attack, but a flashy one. The two crossbow wielders about dodged back out of view, shouting.

At his side, Celaine used Spring Step, jumping from one side of the alley wall to the other, leapfrogging her way to the rooftop where the silver light of Power Shot soon followed.

Hump glanced back to where Bud was engaging, meeting the martial’s charge. Frostfire erupted along his blade, making the alleyway flicker with light. His aura descended, icy cold in the alley, the air shimmering pale blue around him. The martial stamped his foot against the ground and a spike of earth shot forward, but Bud cut it aside with a two-handed swing, then carried on forward, forcing the man back with a hail of blows. The thug dodged back, unable to keep up with the spiked club in his good hand.

Hump turned to deal with the two quickly closing in behind, the shield holder up front, the rogue behind, both of them cautious in their approach. Hump stamped his staff against the ground, the earth cracking as his essence flooded it, tendrils of bronze sparking from his staff and lacing the ground, taking it under his control. He felt the ever-present timelessness of earth, the unending power. All Hump sought was a piece of it. Even that was more than he’d ever attempted with this spell before.

“Explode Earth,” Hump barked. A chill washed through him as his spell stole away his essence. There was a crash as the muddy path erupted toward them both. The lead man raised his shield to protect his face, then disappeared behind the dust. In its wake, the path was left a muddy ditch, full of rock and lumps of dirt that barred the path of their assailants, all of which he could use as ammunition.

Hump stretched his staff out, willing the stones to rise by his command. They floated into the air, suspended by essence. He stabbed with his staff, launching a dozen rocks into the dust. There was a shout beyond, and as the dust cleared, the shield holder had fallen to one knee. Blood was pooling from his leg, and he was breathing heavily. Further back, the rogue had retreated, avoiding the worst of the attack.

Suddenly, the rogue charged, shadow coating her as she sprinted. Hump channelled essence through his spellbook. “Blast.”

A wave of blue shot forward, and the rogue jumped, kicking the shield holder into the blow as she used his shoulder for a boost, leaping into the air. The shield holder was shot back, screaming, rolling hard against the ground. Hump paid him no mind, taking aim at the rogue and preparing another spell, but the woman suddenly evaporated into a cloud of smoke. An ability Hump had seen more than once from Skander. Enough to know to whirl around, Parry Shield already on his lips.

He swung his staff as the rogue appeared behind him, streaking smoke, her sword descending toward him. Hump’s spell caught the blow, the impact knocking the rogue back. The rogue was fast, but her abilities were meagre even compared to Stu’s. Hump already had his next spell ready, drawing upon the formation in his spellbook to enhance its strength. The pages shuffled, essence erupting from inside, flowing back and forth between his staff like trapped lightning.

He sent a blast directly into the rogue’s chest, sending her crashing into the wall at his back. She gasped, crumbling to the ground, shortsword falling to the side. Using Transform Earth, Hump bound her arms and legs in stone and turned back to the shield holder. The man was on his feet, eyes wide as he stared at his fallen companion. He glanced back at Hump, at the roof, and Stu, then fled the other way down the alley with a limp, veering down the first path he found.

Hump let him go, turning back to assist Bud, the knight still engaged with the club wielding thug. The brutish man moved as if he didn’t have an injured limb. His face was contorted with fury, with rage... Bestial, transformed by a corrupt power. He was changed, no longer fully human. His jaw extended, his teeth barred into a snarl, his brow wrinkled as if his bone structure had pushed it forward slightly.

Behind him, Stu tossed out Wind Blades, forcing Bud to parry and keeping him from completely closing the distance. When Celaine shot an arrow from above, Hump realised what else was giving him trouble. The air around the arrow slowed as if the air had turned to sludge, then stopped entirely, floating over the head of the brute without momentum. Some sort of air density barrier.

Celaine dropped, landing behind both Stu and Packer, both oblivious to her presence. Even to Hump, she felt almost as if she wasn’t there, masked by shadows, covered by an aura of obscurity. Only her eyes gleamed in the dark, shining with the green of dragon’s blood. Her arrow glinted silver, and she released it straight at the lead thug. Its momentum slowed, but it tore through the dense air. Slowed, but not stopped, though its trajectory had been changed.

Stu took the shot on the left side of his stomach, tearing open his side. He cried out, clutching the wound with his hand but keeping his feet. “The bitch is behind us!”

Fast as a flash, the thug launched himself at her, abandoning his club springing after her on all fours. The earth conformed to his movement, enhancing his strength. He threw up a handful of stone and it shot at her. Celaine dodged, then used Spring Step to jump, aiming for the roof.

The lead thug aimed at her, the air around her shimmering and her momentum slowing. The brute hauled himself up the wall, hands like claws. And then he had her by the ankle. Celaine was dragged down and slammed to the ground. Her body bounced as she impacted the ground, her head swayed from the impact. She gasped, eyes lulling.

“No!” Hump shouted, stabbing at the thug with his staff. A beam of essence shot out, but the leader managed met it with his own Shield, placing himself between them and Celaine. Hump forced more essence into the spell, roaring with fury. The shield shattered, the beam struck him in the shoulder, shredding leather and cloth and sending the man flying back past Celaine on the ground.

But the brute was there. He landed on top of her, knees on either side, reaching for her neck with claw like hands. Somehow, she managed to grab him by the wrists, her dragon blood strength enough to hold him back, at least for a moment, but he had to be three times her weight. But she couldn’t hold him off. She released one of his arms and rummaged for her dagger, the man’s free hand finding her throat, but she brought the blade up against his side. It found flesh, but she didn’t have the leverage to push all the way through his armour.

And then Bud was there. His blade pierced the man’s back, going all the way through to his chest. The thug’s eyes went wide, his body shook, and then it went limp. He pulled his sword free, ice crystalising over the thug’s wound, tearing open his innards and tainting the ice red. Celaine shoved him off of her as Bud stepped back quickly, crashing against the wall behind him where he just stared. Hump ignored him, stepping past Celaine as she regained her footing, and pursuing the man behind the attack.

He fled down the alley, blood coating his coat at his side where her arrow had struck, and a hand pressed to his wounded shoulder where Hump had struck. Essence gathered around him, and his speed picked up. Hump raced after him as fast as he could, but as he rounded the next corner, the man was gone.

“Shit,” Hump cursed. He backtracked, finding Bud with his back to the wall, staring at the body of the man he’d just killed.

“The ones on the roof?” Hump asked.

Celaine pushed herself to her feet and brushed herself off. She had a nasty cut on her cheek where he’d launched one of the nails from her club, and a welting, red line down her neck toward her collar bone.

“Both dead,” Celaine said, her voice strained. They both looked toward the rogue woman, unconscious within Hump’s bindings, but still breathing.

“Two escaped,” Hump said. “I couldn’t catch the leader.”

“Maybe we can get it out of her,” Celaine said angrily, pointing at the still unconcious rogue. She touched a hand over the wound on her neck and winced. “Mother mercy, I’m stupid. Nobody’s ever caught me like that. What was that trick the wizard pulled?”

“Air density manipulation,” Hump said. “He wasn’t very skilled, but he had some power to him.” Hump glanced at his friend. “How are you doing, Bud?”

Bud’s gaze didn’t move from the body. “Well, I didn’t hesitate.”

His sword hand was shaking.

Celaine approached him and gripped Bud’s shaking wrist. “You killed him, and he deserved it. You protected me and did your duty.”

Bud stared at her and gave a nervous nod. “I did my duty.”

There was a touch of ice to the air. Celaine must have sensed it too as she released his hand and stepped back.

“He was a warlock,” Bud continued. “A user of evil powers, and he was using them to try to hurt you.”

Blue light shone in his eyes. From his feet, ice began to crystalise. He dropped to his knees. And the bitterly cold essence of Kelisia descended from the sky. The god pillar a beacon of Bud’s triumph, and of Kelisia’s approval.

Behind him, Hump heard more footsteps thudding through the alleyway. He forced himself with all his will to turn, finding a guard squad rushing their way. They came to a stop as the god pillar came into view, and all four of them fell to their knees, heads bowed. Even if it wasn’t their god, Hump would have understood. This power, this close… it was beyond imagination.

He turned back to the pillar of Frostfire and marvelled in the might of Kelisia. Around Bud, his god glyphs took form. His third blessing had finally come.