Guardian (Sequel to Fearless)

Chapter Eighty

A/N -- Sorry for the wait! Hope you enjoy! Unedited. Will come back for minor typos. Just really wanted to get this chapter out there. Also, THE SONG. Wanna feel the chapter. The SONG.

Iris whirled about behind the front lines. Her daggers twirled about in her hands. Rhalla was in the front, surely tearing rifts in the ranks. Once the gates were breached and they had broken into the courtyards, she knew she had to be smart. She was working with an army again -her role was flanking. Blades sunk into flesh, spilling the blood of her enemies. Iris couldn't stop seeing Azabela getting ripped from her horse.

Not to mention, Zayn Rothstead had been unseated from his own mount not too long before. Despite the failed betrothal, Iris's stomach had dropped for a moment seeing him fall to the ground. For everything he wasn't, he was still someone she cared about. When he'd gotten back up, the rogue was relieved. The fight in her heart thrummed stronger than ever.

Suddenly, she was an instrument of death again, and she wasn't the only one. After dispatching a group of two men, her eyes found the absolute spectacle of Master Dyran Morvais. And holy gods in heaven, was he impressive. The long guisarme swirled about the premise in graceful strokes. With his weapon palmed by two hands, he leapt through combat. His armored black robes almost made it look as if he floated through the air as he moved.

In what could only be described as a whirlwind, the weapon started spinning in his grip too quickly for anyone to approach safely. The move batted several men backwards, and slashed an unfortunate opponent's face near in half. Iris watched as the next second, it broke its pattern to swiftly spear another one through the chest. Spin. Spear. Spin. Spear. All the while, his body moved with the poise of a wraith. The shine of his black hair whirled as his frame.

With masterful execution, Dyran ducked low and used his weapon to yank several opponents off their feet. As he skewered one man in a fashion that could only be described as some sort of meat-stick kebab, he spoke a command Iris couldn't hear from her spot on the battlefield. The spear pulled from his opponent, dropping the baron's soldier dead to his knees. The weapon kept the rest prone. Nightingale pounced in on the others, claws and teeth flashing with red. Iris only got to watch for a minute as the great cat ripped them apart as they struggled to stand.

Then she was back in the swing of combat.

Dyran, meanwhile, took a breath. His green eyes looked over the field, finding his son fighting. Still fighting. Still alive. Still alive. He within the same proximity of his only child, despite the fact that he knew Kayde could take care of himself.

Kayde moved liked an Eruthan with his blade -stances and all. The guardian master smiled a little in spite of himself, full of pride. Kayde's full-blooded Eruthan grandmother would be proud to see him too. That thought lasted a second. Maybe less. Dyran's focus was broken from his son by another enemy. He dispatched them with a moment's passing. So many years of experience had rendered the master near invincible. Nearly.

He would never admit his talents, however. Because there were a few things in life that could surely kill. Overconfidence, arrogance, to be straightforward. Distraction was another. So he refocused, though he moved through the field to be closer to Kayde, even still. Nightingale followed in the wake of death he left.

All in all, battle was going well for the most part. There were indeed casualties -but they were seemingly winning out.

It was about thirty minutes before Dyran called for a flanking maneuver to circle the estate. Raising the guardian horn to his lips, he signaled four short bursts to Rhalla. As they'd gone over at the commander's tent on their way, she quickly rallied what was left of her flanking force and then blew her own horn, and at that sound, a section of Zayn's force joined in the squadron. Ra and Dregar followed with them, joining in behind Rhalla Gwenneth.