The Grey God

The sound of a key scraping against the door drew Jenn's attention outward again, and she moved to the side of the door, flattening her back against it. In order to find her, the first guardsmen would have to enter the cell.

Steadying her breathing, Jenn gripped her daggers and waited.

The heavy door opened with a grating sound. She held her breath as the guardsman on the outside hesitated, seeking out the two prisoners he couldn't see. Only Sofi was visible from the door.

The point of a sword entered ahead of the guardsman. Jenn waited. She counted to three, when the guardsman's hand came into view.

Jenn launched into action. She chopped at his hand with one dagger, slamming the sword into the ground as she whirled and slashed his neck with her other hand. She whirled again, this time slamming the dagger into the opening between the door and frame, just above a hinge, to keep it from closing. She snatched the dead man's sword and shoved him into the hall out of his way as two more swords descended.

She couldn't sense them as she did when her magic was free, but she could dance the way Darian and Xander taught her. Jenn let her instincts take over, ignoring the instinct that told her no mortal should be able to fight one guardsman, let alone three. She slashed and blocked, soon seeing what Sofi meant. One of the guardsmen was half the size of the other two, and his strikes were almost too fast and low for her to catch.

Another fell, and the third shoved her into the cell. Jenn slammed onto her back, the sword flying free. She rolled and leapt to her feet. Her kicks were ineffectual against the guardsman's chainmail, and his sword plunged into her chest.

Instantly, her world fell into blackness. Just as fast, it exploded into light again, as Bianca's charged healing power slammed through her. Jenn pushed herself up. Bianca stepped away, and Jenn dropped, sensing the guardsman's next blow. It grazed her arm.

She rolled onto her back and swept his feet from beneath him, pouncing. A punch to his throat kept him from reacting, and she launched up again as the fourth guardsman attacked. A fifth appeared, as in Sofi's vision, and tried to push the door closed. The dagger jammed it open, and the guardsman reached up to snatch it.

Anger filled Jenn. With a wince, she stepped straight into the sword of the smallest guardsman then slashed his throat. Pain radiated through her, but she pushed herself towards the door. The guardsman on the ground rose, coughing and choking from her blows. Jenn tackled the guardsman trying to close the door. She slammed her elbow into his face, grunting as his dagger sliced through her shoulder.