Juan is hit face on, startled to a midair stop and then momentum hurtles him backwards like he was just smashed with a freight train. He is blown tens of feet backwards into the heaving crowd of battling enemies and disappears into the chaos. Like being swallowed into a sea of moving darkness.

“Stay with me. Hold on I can heal you a little.” Sierra’s weeping voice comes through at me, despite everything assaulting my senses, it’s clear as a bell. I run quickly to slide down beside them, crunching to a halt on the gravel of the dirt track, stones biting into my knees and shins. My guards following...