? The Path of Fire (Path of Light and Fire Book #1)(Completed) ?

Chapter 26.5 - A Man Apart

That was wrong, Sabin.

"You should-" Wade said.

"Not now," Sabin interrupted. "I need to focus."

Sabin coughed and his blood spattered against the ground. The stomach wound still needed to heal and those sudden movements hadn't helped. He kept his eyes on the Acadians. Hima regained his composure and Sabin was sure that trick wouldn't work again.

Bolts of energy crackled through the air. Kianna perched on the sniper's hill Sakima created for her, wielding her Silverwood bow. She pulled the string and focused on her next target.

Hide took the front with his naginata, and thrust for his head. He parried each blow with Wade, being pushed further out of range.

This will not work. The only way I get close is with a blade in me.

Okay.

Sabin slapped away the naginata and stepped inside Hide's guard. Instead of dodging Hima's thrust, he let the blade connect under his arm and shoved his blade through Hide's throat in exchange. He grabbed the naginata and shadowed away. Hide's body crashed to the ground.

He gave priority to the old wound as the new one began its slow leak. He hands shook and his vision blurred.

The remaining knights formed into a triangle with Asako at its head and stepped over their dead comrade.

"Try that with me boy," she said.

She rushed him and swung her great-axe with the speed that most men swung a katana.

She must be an Incomplete. This shaming of Incompletes is nonsense. I hid my talents to fit in, yet for all the talk of purity, they employ Incompletes in war. They stood here at the height of Acadian notoriety.

The anger of his Path bubbled over. He wanted to disregard strategy and rip their heads from their bodies.

Keep control.

Why should I?

No! That's dangerous. I must keep control.

I must end this now.

He knocked Asako's axe aside and tossed the naginata between Meita's legs. He shadowed behind the three of them and yanked Wade from the dead man's throat.

"You should..." Wade said.

"I said not now!" Sabin retorted.

Meita's legs tangled in the naginata and he closed the distance on the three of them before she was free.

Asako thrust her axe at Sabin's head to guard Meita, but lacked the precision or space to follow through. He kicked the haft up and stabbed Meita in the shoulder.

He shadowed out just in time for Meita's blade to sink into Asako's leg.

Meita pulled her blade out and took the apex. Asako hobbled and held her axe a fraction lower.

They are falling apart.

Asako broke formation and flung her axe at his head. He shadowed to his right and it landed with a thud behind him, Asako drew the sword at her hip and sneered.

He stabbed Wade into the ground and grabbed the heavy axe.

Let's take this out of play.

He drew on his Path, spun and flung the weapon in Sakima's direction as hard as he could.

"Sakima! Catch!"

He dusted his hands and pulled Wade from the ground.

This battle is mine.

"I will say this one last time. I did not-"

"Save your lying words, you filthy Yuan dog," Asako said. "We will put you at our heel, where you belong."

Sabin sighed and pounced on the triangle. Asako struck, but he was able to grab her wrist with his right hand and disarm her, putting Wade through under her arm and in her chest with his left.

"You-" Hima started.

He behind Hima and cleaved his head from his body.

Meita roared and hacked at him, heavy handed swings without technique or purpose. When she reached back for an overhand strike, Sabin thrust Asako's blade through her chest.

Nineteen deaths by my hand.

He could never return to Acadia now. He was always different, always on the outside of Acadia. Now it was official.

I am a man with no country.

It didn't matter that they'd been trying to kill him and he'd done nothing wrong.

He pulled Wade from Asako's body.

"Sabin, I must insist..."

"Not now, Wade."

"But..."

A rumbling raised behind him then, a cacophony of sounds that chilled Sabin to his core. Chants, marching and battle cries filled the air. Sabin turned to see a company of Yuan soldiers, roughly two to three hundred men, eclipsing the town of Sikati. Kianna floated down from her makeshift tower and jogged his way.

Wade finally finished his sentence.

"A Yuan army is coming for you Sabin. Remember that."