Chapter 20.5-4

A wave of Javni'Tolkhrah charged up the slope toward us. There were a lot of different kinds, like there always are when you're dealing with them—a three-headed wolf, something that looked like a cross between a tiger and a crab, things like that. My first arrow hit one in the eye, killing it, while Zakhin'Dakh dived on the wolf creature with a war shriek. Whirling, he slashed at another creature that was trying to run past him, while another of my arrows arrow killed a tiger-like creature that had been crouching to spring at him.

I dodged to one side, reacting before I knew what I was doing. You do that sometimes if you've had as many things try to kill you as I have. A lightning bolt blasted past me. The lightning wouldn't have hurt me, but it's not like I knew what was coming when I dodged, then fired back. I got just enough of a glimpse of something humanoid to stick an arrow in it. I didn't think I got a solid hit , but but another Javni'Tolkhrah was charging me, so I didn't exactly have time to check.

Zakhin'Dakh had his talons full, too. He was taking two or three of the things at a time, slashing their faces, biting them with his beak, even picking up and throwing some of the smaller ones. I'd shoot an arrow at one of them when I had the time, but I was too busy with my side usually. He was getting bitten and scratched, and though he hadn't got hit too bad yet, I knew it was just a matter of time.

When I had a second to shoot a couple of the monsters around him, I yelled, Take off! Fight from the air!

He screeched in understanding and took off with a leap, slashing another Javni'Tolkhrah as he passed over. I had to turn back to my side, since three different messed-up kinds of cat-things were charging at me. The first one got an arrow in the head, but I had to drop Naishia's Messenger and draw Zithrandrak and Eldereth for the other two. They crouched, ready, waiting for the pounce. Just like I thought, they jumped. I stepped aside, stabbing one with Zithrandrak. I hit it too hard, though, and had to let go of Zithrandrak to keep from getting pulled off-balance as the thing died. 

The other one slashed at me with its claws, but I managed to get Eldereth in the way, shocking it a bit. I backstepped, slashing at it, but only managed to scratch it. It tried to charge me, and this time I got a good hit, taking a couple of its toes off, then finishing it off as it stumbled. I whirled to meet whatever was coming next, and was a bit surprised to see nothing else coming up the slope at us. Zakhin'Dakh was just throwing this fishy-dog-thing down a particularly steep spot as I turned. 

I saw movement in the trees below, and rolled aside just as a ball of fire exploded where I had been. It singed me a bit, and Zakhin'Dakh's shriek didn't sound good. I ran back over to Naishia's Messenger, glad to see it was in good shape (good thing it's enchanted so well), picking it up and nocking an arrow. I saw another movement and fired an arrow. Something fell with a thud, so I figured this time I'd hit something important. I saw Zakhin'Dakh land and charge into the woods, and then heard a strangled yelp. Maybe there'd been two mages?

There was another explosion, a shriek, and then the sound of Zakhin'Dakh tearing into something. Three mages. Then I saw some Javni'Tolkhrah bird-things coming, and had to quit paying attention to what Zakhin'Dakh was doing. (He says he found another mage-guy and a few smaller Javni'Tolkhrah.)

****

Almonihah's not mentioning it here, but it's bad that Javni'Tolkhrah are working with mages.
In other news, it's kind of hard to write as AZ for a fight scene. He's not big on describing battles usually.