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(Page 3 of 11) Ivaris - Chapter 2 by Jennifer Raney
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"Buh!" I gasped and jumped back.
Seroan drew his sword and whirled to face the opposite side of the street, "Get back," he said, shielding me with his body.
In his haste to re-conceal himself, our attacker slipped off the roof of the warehouse across the street (he hadn't expected to miss, for goodness sake). He abandoned his attempt to re-conceal himself, and resigned to approach Seroan directly, a shuriken ready in each hand. He wore no disguise, nor the usual dark attire of an assassin. Instead he was in plain clothes, perfect camouflage for daylight in a busy city. One might mistake him for a baker or a laborer but for the deadly weapons he brandished, and the focused expression of a professional killer.
Seroan held his sword and buckler ready, and flinched as the first shuriken tore past his cheek, drawing a surprising amount of blood. The second glanced off his mailed shoulder. (See? Aetomexis was watching me and doing his best to foil our attacker.)
At this point I regained my wits, and realized I wasn't helpless. As though in a timed drill, I grabbed myself a ball of fire as fast as I could, and prepared to hurl it at our attacker.
I stepped out from behind Seroan's protection, looked the assassin in the face and nearly fell over backward in shock – I knew this man!
His name eluded me, but I remembered he was some Lieutenant in the Melee Corps; he had given a recruiting speech at the University last semester. I processed this information for only a moment, but it seemed like ages. I thought well I'll never hit him now, but I had the fireball ready, so I gave it my best shot.
"Sho'thi ahlan vasheen!" I cried as I shoved the blaze forward and hit him square in the chest. I was surprised that he hadn't been able to dodge my attack, but I tried not to over-analyze my success.
I'd also forgotten my new strength - the force of the blow had thrown him across the street into the building on the other side. I gaped at the charred body, slumped and smoking against the wall that had cracked with the impact.
Seroan took a few deep breaths, and watched me with mild puzzlement.
"I can't go to the Ministry, Seroan," I said after I'd had a few complete breaths. His inquisitive stare finally forced me to meet his eye.
He may have been a bit simple, but he apparently understood the significance of my decision. If a soldier in the Army's employ was trying to off me, there was no telling who I'd be able to trust in the Ministry.
Finally he relaxed his gaze and put a hand on my shoulder, "You alright?"
"Y- well yeah, I'm fine," I stammered, "but you're bleeding."
He wiped the blood from his face and shrugged, "Occupational hazard. You've got quite a fireball, there, miss."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
I smiled awkwardly and looked around us. The street was silent except for the rain dancing on the wet stone pavement. I was surprised nobody had come to investigate the bloody great noise of a fireball-propelled corpse nearly collapsing a concrete wall.
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