Recap: Shaking his head with a small laugh, Phoenix spoke quickly. “Fight back to back, and none of us will suffer injury. We have shown our power, and now they will want us alive. Kill them all.”
Ember opened her mouth to protest, but a look from Phoenix made her close it again. Lindani simply nodded, and Spedro said nothing. Turning back to the battle, Phoenix was surprised to see that every single invader within the village was now in a circle around them, anger in their eyes. No longer would it be one on one, but now every man left would be trying to kill them, and only them.
Continued:
Phoenix glanced at Spedro, and an imperceptible nod passed between the men. As the circle of men drew tighter, Phoenix tapped his foot. Once, twice, three times. On the third tap, Phoenix jumped left, while Spedro jumped right. Spedro turned and raised his hands, then waved them in a circular motion. A thick circle of rock rose from the earth, encasing both Lindani and Ember. Their confused yells sounded through the top of the cylinder before Spedro closed off the top of it. Both men feared for the women’s safety, and would be better fighting without the worry of having them in the open.
Phoenix turned to the men that circled them. “Come. Meet your deaths.”
The twenty five men left shifted nervously, before one with the markings of a Captain on his armor walked forward slowly, sword in hand. “You have killed my men. Surrender and we shall let you live.”
Spedro grunted, as close as he would come to a laugh. Phoenix smiled before answering. “Close to forty of your men lie dead on the ground, killed by myself, Spedro, and those two women. Then twenty five of you expect us to surrender?”
The Captain raised his sword and pointed it to Phoenix’s throat. “Yes.”
Phoenix chuckled, amazed at this man’s stupidity. “How about this? Drop your sword, then command your men to do the same, and we will think about letting you return to Demetrius unharmed.”
The Captain scoffed, then cursed. Phoenix turned to Spedro, preying on the fear of the soldiers behind the Captain. “Spedro, how long would it take you to kill all these men now that the women are safe?”
Spedro shifted his foot and the ground shook slightly, a long rumble sounding. “Seconds.”
“Care to prove it?” Phoenix asked.
Spedro smirked, then raised his foot, and brought it down, splitting the earth. The rift opened wide and the Captain fell through, then Spedro clapped his hands. The earth closed around the Captain’s shoulders, only his head poking through. Spedro raised his right hand, palm open. The ground shook slightly as Spedro slowly closed his fist, and the Captain started screaming. The earth around his body was closing in slowly, crushing him. His face turning red, the Captain tried to take a breath, but could not, as the ground was crushing his ribs and lungs to dust. Finally, the rift closed altogether and the Captains head rolled to the side, no longer attached to the shoulders beneath the dirt. The men that still stood shook, then another strode forward, sword held out to Phoenix, offering it to him. Fourteen men stepped forward, offering their swords, while ten more seethed in anger. A pile of swords at his feet, Phoenix turned to the ten who would not surrender.
“Surrender,” Phoenix said, almost growling.
“Never,” Said one soldier, removing his blade from its sheath.
“Then die,” Phoenix said, and raised his hands toward the well. Eleven ribbons of water flowed out, and ten men rushed toward him, swords drawn. Before they reached him, Phoenix sent one ribbon of water at the nearest soldier, sending it down his throat while his mouth was open in a battle cry. With a cough, the soldier fell, dead before he hit the ground. The other ten ribbons wound around one another before coalescing into a rope, then Phoenix brought his thumb to his forefinger, sharpening the edge. The soldiers were upon him now, and he spun out of the way of a strike to his head. Whipping the water behind him, the soldier was cut in half and Phoenix moved on. Dodging and whipping his water rope at enemy after enemy, Phoenix made short work of the remaining eight men, killing them all. As the last one fell, Phoenix allowed his rope to fall to the floor as well.
Breathing heavily, he nodded to Spedro, who turned and brought down the cylinder that housed the women. Their eyes took in the carnage around Phoenix’s bloodstained boots and they glanced at one another. With a nod, Lindani conjured and orb and threw it at an unsuspecting Phoenix, smirking as it splashed on his chest, knocking him to the floor. Looking up at the sky and trying to catch his breath, Phoenix saw Spedro floating on a gust of Embers wind as she scolded him.
Lindani’s face appeared above him and he focused on her, trying to correct his swimming vision. “Next time you two think you can do something like that Phoenix, I will tie you down, and throw orb after orb right here,” She said, poking him in the crotch pointedly. “Get it?”
Groaning, Phoenix sat up and rubbed his now black and blue chest. “Yea, I got it.”