The Rogue Knight Read Free Page B

Cole by the shoulders from behind.
    Cole jumped and turned, startled enough to make Jace laugh.
    â€œThe other guy is no longer with us,” Jace said. “We’re wasting time. Let’s fly.”
    His rope coiled again, and Jace shot up the slope. Cole pointed his sword, spoke the command, and whooshed upward.
    No matter how many times Cole did it, jumping with the sword remained exhilarating, partly because he always felt a little out of control. Landing tended to be the trickiest part. Cole had learned that if he immediately took another sword-assisted jump instead of coming to a full stop, the impact was greatly reduced. So he strung together some jumps up the slope, over to the bridge, and along the road until he saw Twitch and Mira waving at him from up ahead.
    Pointing his blade at a spot near his friends, Cole shouted the command again and flew through the air toward them. The sword slowed him at the last second, but not enough to prevent him from stumbling to his knees on the dirt road.
    While bounding with the sword, Cole had passed Jace, who was using his rope to grab trees beside the road and slingshot himself forward. Jace caught up by the time Cole rose to his feet.
    â€œYou need to practice those landings,” Jace said.
    â€œYou need to work on your speed,” Cole shot back.
    Jace gestured toward the side of the road. “What’s that supposed to be?”
    Cole turned to see a misshapen brown lump the height of his waist rocking back and forth on two uneven legs. Perhaps sensing the attention, the ungainly object hobbled toward them.
    â€œMira tried to shape something for us to ride to Carthage,” Twitch explained.
    Jace exploded into laughter. “That? It looks like a walking mud ball.”
    Cole tried not to laugh. The description was pretty accurate.
    â€œI was rushed,” Mira said, flustered. “Making semblances is very hard. Even the best shapers take their time when simulating life.”
    â€œSo why try?” Jace asked.
    Mira shrugged. “I saw what my power can do when we fought Carnag. Remember how big it was? How well it simulated me and my father? That power is inside of me now. I just have to learn to use it. I know I’m capable of big feats of shaping. I thought maybe if I harnessed my desperation, I could shape something useful.”
    The mud ball toddled over to Jace, then bumped into his leg and tipped over. The undersized semblance started to sway gently and made a garbled, squishy sound.
    â€œIs it trying to speak?” Jace asked. “You know, it looks a little like Twitch. Was he your model?”
    â€œStop it,” Mira said, swatting Jace on the shoulder. She staggered, and he caught hold of her.
    â€œWhat’s the matter?” Jace asked.
    â€œThe effort took a lot out of me,” Mira said. “I’ll be all right.”
    â€œYou realize we have a long way to go,” Cole reminded her.
    â€œI was trying to make it easier for all of us,” Mira said. They watched the misshapen little semblance as it tried to rock back into a standing position. Mira gave a little laugh. “It was supposed to be bigger.”
    Her comment freed the others to laugh, and they did.
    â€œAre you telling it to move?” Cole wondered.
    â€œI designed it to follow us when we weren’t riding it,” Mira explained. “I think it understands that part. It was supposed to have four legs. And it was supposed to obey instructions from me, but it seems mostly oblivious.”
    â€œCan you shape it more?” Cole asked. “Improve it?”
    Mira shook her head. “I’m wiped out.”
    â€œCan you unshape it?” Jace inquired. “People might find it.”
    â€œProbably, but it would drain me too much. I’m already going to have a hard time keeping up with you guys. I was stupid to try to make a semblance all at once. Carnag did it, so I thought maybe I could too. Projects like this