---
Pain rang his arms and hips. No deep cuts. He shoved the nearest man hard and made him crash into his friend. He bought himself two heartbeats. It was enough.
Kai thought, I will start killing them. I wanted to spare some, but they are not yielding. They keep pointing their spears. Fine. I will kill all and leave one or two alive. His eyes narrowed. The part of him that had been waiting for permission woke up.
Azhara took two more men from the edge. She saw the captain square up again and she did not try to shoot him. She shot the man behind him whose spear angle would have made the captain's next step perfect. That man went down holding his leg and the captain had to step wrong. It saved Kai a bruise that would have slowed him.
"Thank you," Kai breathed, not out loud, and felt the soul road carry the thought back to her.
"Do not thank me," Azhara breathed back. "Enemy incoming. Cut them down, sir."
He cut.
