Page 54 of Tethered Thrones

It didn’t take long before we were noticed. A well-aimed spear nearly caught me and sent me tumbling from Hadi’s back.

Rather than taking the time to climb back atop him, I began to fight, pulling my new dear horn weapons free and silently thanking Hideyoshi for stocking me up.

“There!” Clem shouted, pointing.

I couldn't see what he was seeing from his vantage point, but I still went where he told me to, fighting my way through, ignoring the stiffness in my muscles from holding me back.

Hadi moved ahead of me, clearing the way, Kiar followed, protecting us from behind while Bracken dove down, attacking relentlessly. When I glanced back at him, the humans against us were using concentrated efforts to get him now, spears and arrows shooting through the air toward him, but I didn't worry. Despite his size, Bracken was agile.

Instead of worrying about any of them, I concentrated on getting to wherever Clem was pointing.

And suddenly, it was upon us. Distracted by the battle as I had been, I hadn't seen the horses until they wereright there, a multitude of them with soldiers on their backs.

I gasped and paused, watching the warriors cut down our enemies from the back of horses that didn't look quite as dead as they had before.

“Sun!” a familiar voice shouted.

I searched for the source, not seeing Jia until she was over me, riding a steed I had seen her on many years ago, before our beloved horses were taken from us.

She offered her hand.

“Quick! Get on!”

I took her hand, allowing her to help swing me onto her stallion.

“This way!” she shouted, and I realized in shock that she was talking to Hadi and Kiar who were behind me.

They were truly on our side, I realized once more as she kicked her stallion forward, sending us bounding through the battle until we were surrounded more by our allies on horseback than the humans who were against us. Somehow, it was still hard to fathom.

“I've been looking for you everywhere!” Jia shouted back to me. “It took us too long to remember the tunnels that lead here. Just as well. You got here just in time.”

“Where did you come from?” I demanded. “And the horses? Are they truly ours?”

“They're ours!” she said, grinning back at me. “This old boy was lost to me in that treacherous time, and he found me again, just like that. And it's not just the horses, Sun. Humans rose too. Not all of them, but our allies.”

I shook my head, feeling lost.

“There's no way–”

“Sun!” Clem shouted and I spun around, deflecting a flying arrow with my arm. I got a shallow slice through the forearm, but better that than my head.

I looked back, heart racing at the sight of Hadi, Kiar and Bracken, still in the thick of battle.

“There are too many of them!” I shouted.

“Don't give up yet!” Jia said. “We're nearly there!”

She pointed forward and I realized then where she was taking me–right to the gates of Kari. She, and her platoon were going to get those doors open. I had no doubt. Inside there was where this would all end.

“General Hideyoki went south with his battalion. I don’t know if he’ll make it back in time. I took Tao south toward Hae and then veered off and rejoined this group once my stallion found me. Sun, you wouldn't believe the things happening through the land. Everything is already changing.”

“Bracken!” I shouted and my large bat beast, attuned to my voice, rose into the air, shaking free of the humans trying to grab him to pull him down.

Instead of continuing to fight, he swept through the air towards me.

“What is it, Sun?” he asked from above us.

“Make way to the gates!”