Conquering The Unbroken

Chapter 60

Renit shouts my name but I'm too far gone. The only evidence I have of him behind me is his lightning continuing to strike the enemy soldiers that get too close to me as I run for Silas. The crown prince, the future king, strikes with his sword but is shoved back by a firm kick to the stomach. He stumbles, falling on his ass, but is up again in a second.

He wants a different fight. Silas wants his father to know that he can survive the test of a battle and actually be there to fight it in the first place. Not doing this for himself is the first step in making himself a leader of a kingdom. Doing this for the people suffering back home and the entire struggle of the land, Silas is standing taller than us all.

Soldiers surround him, attempting to swallow him whole, but I blast them back with my power. I attempt to create a wave of Citlali's magnitude but it's not nearly as tall or thick. Soldiers are shoved back and crash underneath the force of that stone wave, but most rise again to face me.

"Why aren't they using their powers?" Silas shouts, taking one step back. I shield him with my body, following that step with him.

"I don't know," I respond. "It's possible he believed Saebia wouldn't have any forces to combat his. These might be the mortal witches of his legion."

I don't want to ask him why he's not using the available power of blood manipulation. It occurs to me that maybe, just maybe, Silas wants to kill these soldiers the honorable way. He inherited that power when his father had control, therefore, it is tainted with what he was forced to do during those weeks. What he turned into.

Silas doesn't want to use any powers for they're all associated with his father. A sword and a shield is one weapon his father never considered using. To distance himself from his father, Silas wishes to be that opposite. Now is not the time to make such a stand, but I am only here to protect the future king of Esaria.

Already, we've thinned out a considerable number of the king's men. But they're still fighting. Specifically with weapons, few with immortal powers. They're aiming for us, for the king, for Citlali and Binx fighting together and attacking the eastern flank. What a shame, the king of Esaria didn't show up to his own battle. All the more reason to send something back to prove we won.

"Are you ready?" I ask Silas this time.

"Do you think we'll make it out?" A sincere question, judging by the fear in his eyes. "Do you think we can do this?"

I sigh. "Only if you're willing to lead us. We need a king, Silas."

His face hardens when he looks back to the army of black and red in front of us. They're fighting Saebia's guards, the final line of defense. Silas's sword and shield clatter to the cobblestone and from within, he's readying an unknown power.

"Together," he promises. "We'll use the power that started all of this. The power of ground."

A grin stretches across my face and we step apart, granting enough distance. Renit grips onto my shoulders from behind, but when he realizes what is about to happen, he turns his attention to the Saebia guards attempting to hold back the enemy soldiers.

"Let them in!" He screams at the top of his lungs. His voice carries across the empty space of scarce bodies. "Make a hole!"

I watch Silas shake out his fists, watch him take a deep breath and puff out his cheeks. I've only done this with Citlali, but the power of ground is the power of ground.

Two witches of ground are worse than one.

The Saebia soldiers part. Shouting and screaming erupt, and it's not from them. It's from the Esaria soldiers advancing. "Hurry!" Renit warns. He takes Silas's shield and sword to use against arrows but applies his lightning blasts to take down a few out of the many.