Paladins' Parabellum

Chapter Five: The Skirmish At Ambagra

The portal back to the room collapses in a fog-like smoke. Instead of pulling my sword out of my scabbard, I call it to my hand. Just like Thaa Alora, we're surrounded by people attacking each other. Our allies are easily distinguishable because of their nonuniform appearance against Nite's masked face and dark clothing.

Swords clash nonstop. Through the sea of people, I see pops of colorful magic being cast from the hands of mages.

"Ulrika, where is your family?" I say. Ulrika spins in circles turning her head left and right.

"Oh, no," she whimpers.

"What's wrong?"

"We're already here." She points straight ahead. Down the cobblestone street is a mansion a few hundred feet from us. "No!" She lunges forward, but I catch her by her waist.

"Ulrika, wait!" I point my sword towards the roof of the mansion, then rotate it flat. "Hold on tight to me as hard as you can."

With all my strength, I secure her against my body. The moment she grips me with all her might, I send us flying towards the mansion. Once we close in over the courtyard, I aim my sword at an open space far from any action. I land on the ground, then Ulrika bolts from me, sprinting to the front door. She runs head-on into a cultist, taking them out as she makes her way to the house. I follow after her, casting my sword into people to give her a clear pathway.

We reach the door, but she's having a tough time pushing it open. I can hear people fighting what seems to be at a distance from the door.

"Help me with this," she says. I push alongside her, but it's barely moving. "No, no, no, no!" She tries with all her might, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Stand back. I'll blast it open."

Since this door isn't budging with our combined strength, I summon a power move called "Delayed Gasm." I cup my right hand behind my left hand with my thumbs locked. I charge a massive amount of explosive energy in my hand. Shockwaves pulsate out of my palm in a circular shape. The blast's trajectory is too broad, so I curl my fingers in to direct it at the door. I let out a forceful yell.

"Umm...what was that about?" Ulrika says. A few seconds later, my power ripples the door open. Wood splinters fly inside, and nothing comes out at us.

"Ah, yes! Thyrna, thank you."

"Your adoptive mother taught you that?"

"She only showed it to me once. I could barely cast it. I'm glad it worked, or I would've used multiple blasts to open this door."

I rush inside with my sword near my head, ready to strike. Right in front of me, a woman is suspended by a chokehold by a heavily armored cultist. Around the room, men fight the cultist.

"Momma," Ulrika screams. Her mother's grip on their forearm drops and dangles. Ulrika lets out a short high shriek. "Momma!"

I catapult my sword into the cultist's rib cage, sending him flying across the foyer. To the hallway's right, a black mustache man beheads a cultist then runs over to Ulrika's mother. They hug, then she looks over at us. Ulrika runs over to them, and I follow behind her.

"Momma, Spyro!" Ulrika says. The men around me take out their targets as I get closer to the two on the ground. Ulrika sheaths her swords and hugs her mother around her arms. "Mom, are you okay?" She checks her neck, hovering her fingers over the red lacerations.

"Is that you, Ulri?" Her mother says. She leans up closer to see Ulrika's face.

"It's me."

"My God, what did you do to your hair?" The jest is enough to bring Ulrika into a weeping smile. Seeing such a wonderful moment nearly puts me in tears.