Free Light in the Barren Lands: Travail of The Dark Mage Book One by Brian S. Pratt Page A

area where the Mists of Sorrow had once been that now killed anything that came near. Empire trade routes had suffered immense damage until the logistics of their new reality were worked out. James explained that what killed everything was something called radiation, but Jiron never had completely understood his friend’s explanation as to what it was.
    As they made their way along the trail toward the dock, James’ head began to clear and his legs grew steadier. When rubble appeared strewn across the trail ahead, he brought them to a halt.
    “Hold up,” he said.
    “What is it?” asked Jiron, scanning the trees on either side for signs of the enemy.
    James indicated the rubble. “I think this was Rocky.”
    “Rocky? But we are not even close to the beach yet.”
    “I know.”
    Boom!
    The explosion caused Jiron to instinctively turn his head toward the noise and see a dark shadow move among the trees. “Shhh!” he whispered as he pulled James behind the shelter of a nearby tree. With a nod of his head in the direction of the shadow, he mouthed, “The enemy”
    James nodded understanding. With great care and caution, he peered around the trunk and saw five distinct shadows moving their way. When one passed through a ray of sunlight streaming through a break in the canopy above, they saw it to be a soldier. Then movement in the trees on the other side of the trail drew his attention as more soldiers emerged into view. None were on the trail; instead they were making their way stealthily through the trees.
    Any break from behind the tree would be instantly discovered. Jiron quietly drew both knives from their sheathes while James removed four slugs from his belt. And with their backs against the tree, they waited.
    They didn’t have long before they heard the sound of soldiers approaching through the undergrowth. A snap of a twig, the rustle of leaves as a soldier brushed against a bush in passing, the enemy drew ever nearer with seeming exorable slowness.
    Heart pounding, James glanced questioningly to Jiron, who shook his head. “Wait” he mouthed. James trusted Jiron’s judgment in all things martial, so remained still.
    The seconds ticked by and the sound of those making their way through the trees grew closer. When a step was heard just on the other side of their tree, Jiron burst into motion and sank his knife into the man’s chest. So fast had he moved, that his second knife took out another before the soldiers knew what was happening.
    Crumph!
    Using his well used, battle tested spell, James caused the earth to erupt, throwing men into the air and the battle was joined.
    The trees swarmed with men, far more than what he would have believed the single boat could carry. His four slugs flew into the men in quick succession while Jiron waded into them with his knifes.
    “Come on!” Jiron taunted as his knives felled yet another. Armor was useless against a knife fighter of his caliber. When a soldier attacked, he would parry the blow to the side with one knife while sinking the blade of the other though a gap formed between interlocking folds of armor.
    Crumph!
    Men screamed, bodies flew through the air, some crashing into trees to the sound of shattering bones. And still soldiers came forward.
    James called upon the magic of the island’s grid and spheres began to appear. The nearest soldiers paused at this new manifestation. But when one of the spheres let loose with a beam of bright red light that burned a three inch hole clear through a man, chaos erupted. Men fled.
    Jiron finished off his man then watched the soldiers flee. “Not very sporting,” he said to his friend as more flashes of red felled more men.
    “Isn’t supposed to be,” James replied.
    Already half the attackers were down and the rest were dropping like flies. Not every beam would drop a man. Often as not, when they struck, they wouldn’t hit anything critical; men were beginning to be hit multiple times. The odor of burnt flesh