Jistan

Jistan ran to Shai’s side, his sword lifted. He spotted the enemy unmancer and could guess what happened to his friend’s magic. But Shai still raised her hands on instinct as the enemy mancers advanced, trying to stop their magic attacks.

When a large icicle from an arctimancer fired toward them with its needle-sharp point, Jistan grabbed Shai’s arm and pulled her down to the ground with him. The cold missile shot past them as they fell to the dirt. Shai’s mouth hung open in surprise as they lay there.

“You alright?” he asked her. When she nodded, he scrambled back to his feet and raised a hand to freeze the enemy unmancer, but she closed her hand into a fist first, removing his magic as well. He cursed.

With his and Shai’s magic down, the enemy now had the advantage. He winced as a geomancer’s rock exploded next to them, showering them with grit.

“We need to reach better cover!” Raz shouted from where he hid behind one of the wagons.

“Everyone, head for the trees!” Jistan shouted as more magical spells whisked past them. A lightmancer’s orb hit one of the horses and the animal screamed, a charred circle gouged into its flesh. The horse went down.

Jistan gestured for Shai to go first so he could cover her back. He started to run after her, but an enemy soldier appeared in front of him, swinging a scimitar. This soldier had on a uniform with a sun-and-moon sigil just like the others. Which meant these were Zanteon soldiers.

Jistan didn’t have time to think about what that meant as he swung his sword up to block his enemy’s blade. The man wasn’t very skilled with it, and after their swords clashed three more times, Jistan stabbed the man through his stomach, making him topple to the ground.

Jistan looked around for his people, but most of them had already made it to the cover of the forest, so he ran after them. He stumbled over a tree root along the way, but finally, his back hit a tree trunk, right next to where Shai hid.

“I’m useless without my magic,” she told him, her voice shaky.

“You have your dirks,” he reminded, shouting over the sounds of battle.

“I’m not exactly skilled with them yet!”

“It’s fine, I’ll cover you. Try to stay out of the fighting as much as you can. If you do face an opponent, just remember what you’ve learned so far.”

She nodded, swallowing as she took her dirks into her hands. His chest tightened with the same worry she had on her face. He still cared about her as much as he ever did, perhaps even more now. The thought of losing her brought a deep ache to his heart.

He winced as a magical orb shot past their hideout, chipping some of the bark from the tree. Around them, his RDP soldiers who still had magic were firing spells back at the enemy. He felt envious of them, wishing his own magic would hurry and come back.

He looked at Shai. “I’m guessing mana regeneration potions won’t work to bring our magic back?”

She shook her head. “An unmancer’s power removes the ability to access mana. Our bodies can’t generate any.”

“And this lasts an hour?”

“At least.”

He cursed again, peering around the trunk of the tree. The enemy mancers had stopped using magic now, and several were advancing toward them with weapons raised. The enemy unmancer stood on the outcropping behind them, her hands still raised as she continued undoing the magic of the RDP soldiers.

Jistan needed to do something before none of them had any magic left. He needed to get that unmancer.

“Raz,” he shouted one tree over. “I need a bow and arrows!”

Raz called to another soldier, who removed his quiver and handed it over, along with his short bow.

Raz tossed them over to the prince. “What are you planning to do?”

Jistan thrust the quiver strap over his head. “Tell our soldiers not to use any more magic until that unmancer is down. Use weapons only.”

Raz nodded and started giving out the order.

The enemy soldiers ran into the trees, and swords and scimitars started clashing. Shai raised her dirks into an X above her head, screaming as she blocked the blow of a sword. Jistan ran up behind the enemy and stabbed her in the back. The woman gurgled, then collapsed forward.

Shai jumped out of the way, staring down at the woman. Then she looked up at Jistan, a small smile on her lips. “Did you see that? It worked! I blocked her attack!”

He almost laughed at her joy over something so minor. “You know, usually we celebrate our victories after we win. Go, run farther into the trees and stay with Q, since she still has her magic. I’m going to take down the unmancer.”

Shai nodded, running deeper into the forest.

Jistan turned, swung his sword across the throat of another attacking enemy, then sheathed his blade and grabbed onto the lowest branch of the tree. He heaved himself up along the trunk, holding on tight to the bow in his hands. He kept climbing, hoping his soldiers could hold their own on the ground below.

He kneeled on a limb that seemed strong enough to hold his weight, then peered through the leaves until he could see the unmancer, who was still flinging her hands left and right. She was even moving closer, hoping to attack more of the RDP in the forest.

Jistan grabbed an arrow and nocked it to the bow, taking aim. His father had a lot of faults, but at least he’d insisted Jistan train in all areas, even though the prince had hated archery. He was only decent at it after practicing for the past three years.

He lined up his shot, then fired. It was off, only hitting the unmancer in her upper thigh. She winced, stopping to grab her injury.

He lined up another shot and let it loose again, but this time the unmancer dodged. And then one of her fellow soldiers noticed him and shot a fireball into the tree.

Jistan dived, landing stomach down on another branch as the previous one went up in flames. As he worked to catch his breath, he noticed the fire quickly engulfing the entire tree.

He clambered down the branches as fast as he could, landing on the ground in a crouch. As he adjusted his footing, a soldier charged at him with a scimitar, and Jistan didn’t have time to pull out his own blade as he raised the bow, hoping it was enough to block the attack.

But then an orb of darkness hit the man and he went flying, smashing into a tree. He was knocked out cold.

Aladia ran to Jistan, grinning. “Told you I would be useful.”

The prince only flashed her a half smile before pulling out his sword again and running for the nearest enemy soldier.

Wounding the enemy unmancer helped slow her down, and eventually she was knocked unconscious from an electromancer’s bolt of electricity. It seemed to do the trick, because now that Jistan’s soldiers could use magic freely again, they quickly overwhelmed the enemy.

About two dozen of the Zanteon soldiers surrendered. The rest were either dead or had fled. Jistan ordered the enemy soldiers tied up so they could be questioned.

“Do you think they know about our quest?” Tivon asked the prince. The biomancer had stayed far from the fighting the whole time, having next to no training in combat.

“I don’t know how they could,” Jistan replied. “But it’s possible. They were either hoping to slow us down or stop us from reaching Zanteos.”

“Or they could’ve wanted to kill you, the Casland Prince.”

Jistan shook his head. “I don’t know about that. Seems like they would’ve sent more soldiers.”

“Maybe this was all the soldiers they could get into Casland. Frankly, I’m surprised they made it this far past the border.”

“Me too. I’m going to send word to the nearest RDP brigades to guard the towns between here and the border in case Zanteon soldiers try to harm our people. And could you make sure our medimancers tend to the worst of our injured first?”

“Of course, Your Highness.” Tivon went off to complete the task.

Jistan started to walk away too, but Shai stopped him.

“I heard what you’re doing,” she told him. “And I’m glad you care so much about your people. I think you’ll make a great emperor in the future.”

He was pleased to hear her say that, especially after his doubts about the whole Leiam situation. “Thank you. I believe helping people should be an emperor’s first priority.”

“It doesn’t seem like something your father puts first.”

He hesitated, then said, “I think he means well.” He looked around to make sure no one else was nearby, then added, “He sees stealing the Obsidian Chest as helping our people. Ending the Crossover War would see better results than winning minor battles, like this one. Some people are necessary casualties in my father’s eyes, but I’m not my father. And if we’re not fighting for the people, then what are we fighting for?”

Shai smiled. “I agree.”

He smiled back. Maybe he’d renewed her faith in him.