Paladins' Parabellum

Chapter Twenty Five: A Win But A Loss

Another battle is underway, and I can't fucking believe my eyes. This asshole has the balls to attack the most sacred kingdom on this continent. The Kromagian southern armies clash with Nite with such intensity, that their voices roar like a multitude of roaring lions.

"Holy cow," Ulrika says in a soft voice.

"Keep firing until you have no arrows left!" Thyrna commands her archers. They begin sending their arrows in no uniform design. Every arrow I can see hit its target, even if it's stopped by a shield.

Gosh, you've trained them well, mother.

I take out my sword by hand and levitate it over the wall in front of me. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I see Thyrna lean over the wall, facing my way.

"Kaioson, no," Thyrna says.

"I can help," I say, keeping my eyes on the fight. Ulrika steps back to let her come up to me. "Thyrna..." When I look at her, she calls my sword to her hand. Ulrika's eyes pop open in reaction to seeing my sword command to Thyrna's will.

"If you're going to help, you'll need armor." She tosses my sword into the air. I keep my attention on her as it falls back into my scabbard. "Are you joining him too, Ulrika?"

"I am," Ulrika says.

"Follow me." We follow Thyrna back into the building, then towards an armory. "Suit up." Ulrika and I walk together over to the gold-plated torsos. "Each piece of armor is magically enhanced. It'll take destructive blows to break the magic."

"How is that possible?" Ulrika says, touching the torso armor.

"I wish I knew that answer. Kromagians are secretive of their magic."

"Interesting." Ulrika helps me put on a whole suit of armor. "How does it feel?" Next, I test my mobility by swinging my sword, jumping, squatting, then mildly activating different magic spells.

"A little bit of mobility lost, but I think I can manage," I say.

"That's good." I help her into her armor, and she does her testing, but her movements are quick with vicious speed.

"Whoa there, Ulrika. You seem like you've worn this before," Thyrna says.

"I was a knight."

"Really?!"

"Mhmm. When I was eighteen. Served for six years with the Ambargara special forces during Narberth Roven's rebellion." Thyrna does this muffle laugh that makes me look straight at her. She stops when we make eye contact but keeps her smile.

"I like your wife, Kai," she says, pointing at Ulrika. "After this battle, you gotta tell me how you met my son." Ulrika grins and chuckles.

"Sure!"

"Alright, you ready?"

"Hell yes."

"Kai?" They both face me to await my answer.

"Time to end this madness," I say." Ulrika gives an affirmation head nod while Thyrna rubs her hands together.

"Let's end this." Thyrna points her finger at me. In a flash of light, I teleport to the front of the gate. I immediately put my helmet on and look up to the Guardian to my left. It's frozen, holding the javelin behind it in a ready position to throw. Ulrika ports in, then Thyrna. There's a sword around Thyrna's waist and a quiver on her back I didn't see before. "Kaioson, Ulrika, keep away from Ivaran until we can limit his numbers." She fires one arrow to her right without looking in that direction. The arrow curves left into the battleground then pulls up into the sky with a cultist at the end of it. It blows up into sparkling glitter. "I'll provide support, then join when I'm done."