141

You can’t decide where the greatest danger lies.

“Just hit anything you can!” you shout, striking out at whatever unfortunate mage, bear, or other enemy comes your way. Neve makes an efficient gesture with the fingers of one hand and fires a bolt of ice at the bear; Maevaris swings her staff at a mage in rich Venatori robes; Ashur alternates between trying to protect everyone, trying to heal everyone, and trying to blast people away from you with targeted force magic. More than once, you watch a cultist who was trying to sneak up on one of you go flying overhead in a perfectly described arc (and you have to admit you’re impressed; Ashur’s work is careful and precise even under pressure).

But Neve’s ice projectile glances off the bear’s thick hide; Mae’s blow fells one blood mage only to have another pop up in his place; Ashur’s attention is divided to the point where he can’t keep up. There are just too many of them without picking a single target and presenting a united front.

Unfortunately, by the time you realize you should have picked a strategy, it’s too late—and now the Venatori have five prisoners instead of just one.

• THE END.