"Please!" The brigand, sprawled on the ground in a rapidly growing pool of his own blood, pleaded once again. "Help me!"

Before he could speak another word a large spiked mace struck his head, splattering his brains and driving the bones into the ground.

"No." The attacker smiled. "Why should I? These idiots never learn, do they?" The attacker raised his hand in apology. “Don’t mean to be disrespectful.”

Lucon shook his head. "Our mission is to defeat the brigands and bandits currently assailing the United Empire's territory, not to vent your frustration."

Svafar shrugged, ripping the mace free from the ground. Clumps of bloodied mud dripped free from the metal spikes.

"But that's why you have us." Svafar laughed. "To put the fear of the Gods back into them."

Lucon sighed. "Tethra, give me strength. Why am I here with these…People?"

Lucon surveyed what was left of the battlefield. Over forty brigands lay dead, not one of theirs. Many were wounded but they took it in their stride. Most were pleased to have another scar to impress the locals, especially the women.

"She's a peaceful goddess." Svafar dismissively waved his hand. "You should try...Hey!" Lucon slapped the back of his hand. "Fucker broke my emblem. I've had that since I've started fighting. It's always brought me good luck!" He turned to the dead brigands, menacing his bloody mace at their corpses. "Was it you?! The one with the hair lip? Or you with the pathetic beard?"

Lucon could only shake his head as Svafar vented his frustrations on the bloody corpses. The others riffled through the pockets of the dead, looking for trinkets to sell. A distasteful practice but it kept the men in line.

Unlike Svafar and the rest of his men, who had travelled far from the Frozen heartland, Lucon hailed from an Administrative Zone. Administrative Zone three, to be precise. The same land he currently stood in. A land of rolling hills, small forests and abundant sunshine. Perfect for a simple and peaceful life.

Lucon lacked the raw strength and size of those from the Heartland, something scholars attributed to their cold and harsh environment, but compensated with the speed of his blade and the sharpness of his mind. At least that's what his superiors told him, and what he told himself when some of the men were becoming quarrelsome.

"Is this everyone?" A soldier asked Lucon. Like Svafar he wore thick padded armour, supplied by the United Empire forges from the frozen capital, Eidfell Trellbog, along with whatever scrap pieces they had festooned themselves.

"It is." Lucon sheathed his unbloodied blade. "Appears they sent too many of us for this band of rabble."

The large soldier laughed. "Yeah." He patted Lucon's shoulder, for the others hailing from the frozen heartland it was probably light but for Lucon it was much more significant. "You Zoner's are pretty funny."

"Lowlanders." Svafar held the soldier's shoulder. "Or maybe just Lucon. We've been told not to call them that. Remember?"

"But it's true." The soldier weakly protested before flashing a smile and returning to his pilfering.

Svafar waited until the others were clear. "They aren't going to respect you much until you bloody that little knife of yours."

"I'm a commander." Lucon retorted, figuratively holding his ground. "I don't need to get into battle myself. Besides, a few of you would be dead if you didn't listen to my orders."

Lucon pointed to the edge of the battlefield. Five brigands lay slumped against a tree, large crossbows at their feet.

Svafar scratched his impressive beard. "Where did they get them anyway? They don't look like ours, or even your people." Svafar winced slightly. "I know I just gave them shit...What's wrong?"

Lucon had barely listened to Svafar's words. His attention was drawn to the sky and how odd it looked.

"Does the sky look...green to you?" Lucon's voice was little more than a whisper.

Svafar squinted as he looked up. He frowned as he looked between the sparse clouds.

"Now that you mention it, it does look a little odd." Svafar shrugged. "Do you think it's some magical test?"

Despite the power and vast territory held by the United Empire, the number of mages it had was few and far between. And those that could actually perform magic on this scale were almost non-existent.

"No." Lucon placed a hand on his sword to calm himself. "This isn't any magic I've seen before."

The green tinge to the sky did not extend indefinitely. They stood near the edge of the anomaly, which did little to assuage his worries.

"I think it's a good time to leave." Lucon motioned away from the centre of the green sky. "We've done our duty-"

A lightning strike echoed through the air. Everyone stopped and looked to the source, right at the heart of the green sky. The few clouds floating underneath began to change, rapidly growing black and flattening into a disk. Lightning emerged from the top and licked at the sky.

"What is that?" A soldier stumbled backwards, coins and simple jewellery flew out of his hands.

Normally Lucon would admonish such a foolish question but he had no idea either.

"Time to leave!" Lucon yelled. The soldiers looked at Svafar who appeared annoyed they might need a second person to state the obvious.

"If it slows you down, drop it!" Svafar yelled back as they began to run. No one disobeyed him as the lightning grew longer and thinner.

They had barely left the battlefield when another terrible crack came from the sky. Lucon looked back and nearly fell over, his mind did not truly understand what he was seeing.

The sky was falling. Literally falling. Like giant sheets of glass, the sky broke apart and began to fall. Someone screamed, Lucon didn't know if it was his own voice, as they saw what lay beyond. Endless fields of flame, twisting and swirling colours of every conceivable shade twisted and writhed together in a frantic orgy of dominance. The next moment everything vanished in a blinding white light. Lucon's eyes screamed in pain, so too did everyone else. Lucon dropped to the ground. His fingers shook as they gripped tight onto the grass. It was small consolation that he could still feel when he could still see nothing.

"I can’t see!”

Lucon ignored the stupid comment and placed his head hard onto the ground. He did not know if the light was continuing to shine or if he was permanently blinded.

A terrible rush of wind washed over them, buffeting the trees and breaking many branches free. As they crashed around them Lucon’s vision began to return.

“I can see again!”

“Shut up!” Lucon yelled. “Shut up! None of us can see right now!”

A soldier swore but Lucon did not have the energy to pursue the minor insubordination. He pulled himself up and rubbed his eyes hard. With every blink, it became easier to see. First he could just make out vague shapes and colours, within a few beats he could make out the individual blades of grass around his hands.

“Wh…” Lucon forced himself to his feet. “What was that?”

“Fucking mages!” Svafar spat, a great goblet of spit ran down his beard. “I hate them! Always doing some tricky shit to fuck people over.”

“Healers are alright.” A different soldier said. Though Lucon could not see him he knew it was the soldier that had called him a Zoner. “My mum got use of her foot-”

“Hush.” Svafar snapped. He readied his mace. “We don’t know what’s happening.”

Lucon stared at the distant forest and continued to blink until his sight had completely recovered. When he turned back to the source of the light, the soldiers were slowly recovering and beginning to move to the tree line, he saw nothing amiss. The clouds were normal, the green tinge had disappeared and no sign of a falling sky or the swirling colours.

“Like it never happened.”

Lucon stood still in disbelief. He narrowed his eyes as he saw something rising against the clear, blue sky. Smoke.

“Something struck there.” Lucon pointed to the smoke. The soldiers, those that could see properly, grumbled and shook their heads. “We need to investigate.”

“You just said that we’ve done our duty-”

“I know!” Lucon took a deep breath. “I know. But this…I’ve never heard of anything like this. And if it is something serious, an invasion or some magical attack, the United Empire needs to know. It could be days before they get someone to this region.”

“There are towns everywhere.” A different soldier said. He tapped his weapon, a short spear, into the ground. “Someone will have seen something…If they can still see, and they’ll tell the Empire.”

“This area is sparsely populated.” Lucon shook his head. “And they still don’t like the United Empire. Especially since so many people have been levied for the conquest of The Shadow Isles.”

Svafar leant close. “You don’t think it’s them? Do you? I heard those Dark Elves are really nasty to fight.”

“I don’t…” Lucon dropped his shoulders. “I don’t know. But if it is we need to know.”

“You heard him!” Svafar began slapping the heads of those still not standing. “Let’s get moving. Find out what stupid shit is happening over there and, if it is bad, get out of there. We’re not going to fight some horrific monster.” Svafar looked at Lucon. “Right?”

“Absolutely not.” Lucon checked his sword. “Let’s go.”

---[]---

What first struck Lucon was the state of the animals as they neared the source of the smoke. They too had been blinded, from a magnificent deer to a tiny mouse. They stammered back and forth, their eyes still frantically searching for anything. When they heard them approach they fled, even if they could not see. Lucon had never felt such pity for an animal compared to the deer that knocked itself out cold running into a tree. A soldier asked if they could kill it for the meat but most were just sorry to see the deer in such a sorry state. By the time they had passed the deer had recovered, though it had a decided limp to its walk.

The smell of smoke grew stronger, some of the upper leaves of the trees were burnt and twisted as they neared a hill. Svafar raised his fist, ordering them to slow, as they began the ascent. Dead birds littered the ground. Their eyes were all stark white, completely and utterly burned out. The shock alone had killed them.

“Thank the Gods the brigands weren’t this far.” A soldier murmured.

Svafar ordered him to hush and began to crawl low. The grass was now dried and crispy, crunching under them.

“Any ideas?” Svafar asked.

“None,” Lucon whispered back.

The top of the hill ended abruptly with a still burning edge. Where there should have been trees now stood charred husks, their branches charred black with a red interior, the air above shimmering with heat.

“Get your weapons ready.” Lucon quietly ordered. “Anything ranged would be good.”

The soldiers prepared their javelins, short spears tipped with black obsidian. Though the glassy material had been replaced with steel in most of the United Empire’s armies it still found use in some of the more eccentric forces. No one would deny its effectiveness against exposed flesh.

Svafar crawled on his belly to the top. He winced as his hand touched a hot ember that had broken from one of the branches.

“I can’t see anything.” He whispered back harshly. “Too much smoke. It’s clearing…Whatever that thing was,” He pointed to the sky with his thumb. “It took out most of this hill.”

Lucon ordered the soldiers to spread out along the ridgeline while he moved next to Svafar. Thick, acrid smoke rose from a crater that had once been the top of a small hill. He peered over the edge, the soldier opposite was ready to pull him back at a moments notice, and followed the perfectly smooth curve.

“It’s a large crater.” Lucon gripped the burnt edge. “But it’s not very deep. The centre is somewhere down there. If there is something I bet that’s where it’ll be.”

“We should wait for the smoke to clear a bit first.” Svafar readied his short javelin. “We’ll probably kill each other if we head in there now.”

Lucon agreed, so they waited. Time crept forward at a glacial pace. Puffs of steam and smoke, as something superheated by the pillar of light finally erupted, continued to bellow out. Slowly it faded and Lucon could see further into the crater.

“There’s someone in there!” A soldier yelled.

Lucon had difficulty remembering most of their names, these people weren’t expected to last long, but he knew he was their best scout, with the best set of eyes.

“Right in the middle. There appears to be a small area that hasn’t been burnt.”

The soldier spoke the truth. Through the clearing smoke Lucon could make out a vague outline of someone lying prone in the middle, curled up and not moving.

“We need to get in there.” Lucon rose up. “Find out if they’re okay.”

“You’re not wondering what they’re doing in the middle?” Svafar raised his brow, waving to the devastation surrounding them. “That they survived this?”

“I…I don’t know.” Lucon signalled to two soldiers. “But we need to know. Be incredibly cautious and careful. If it looks like you’re walking into a trap then get out of there.”

The two grumbled a complaint but followed his orders nevertheless. They vaulted over the ridge of the crater and advanced on the body. Another wave of smoke erupted and obscured their vision. Lucon’s chest tightened as he could no longer see them. Though soldiers’ lives were to be spent it was a poor commander that spent them frivolously.

“Lucon!” A soldier emerged back through the smoke. His face only showed an unfathomable level of confusion. “You need to see this!”

Svafar nodded and jumped over the edge of the crater. Lucon glumly nodded and followed. The smooth stone forming the surface of the crater was incredibly warm, so warm that a few moments was enough to make each step very uncomfortable. A small gust of wind blew through the crater and dispersed most of the smoke. The two soldiers stood either side of the body but, even after what had already transpired this day, Lucon was not prepared for what lay before him.

At first, Lucon thought it was an animal, the creature had a short yet thick coat of a light brown fur covering its entire body, yet it was not just some creature. It lay away from Lucon, so he could see its legs, long and thin with cat-like feet, complete with small pads and sharp claws that curled around its long toes. A long tail lay limp and curled near its rear. It was not a decorative piece, Lucon could plainly see where it was attached to the body. Above that he saw its hands, long fur-covered fingers with equally menacing claws, curled up to its chest. A thick piece of smoke obscured its head but Lucon was no longer in the mood to doubt anything.

The smoke all but disappeared. The creature was a she; at least that's what the pair of modest breasts told him, though they were completely covered in a thinner fur, compared to her back and legs. For a brief instant, he presumed that they functioned similarly to a wolf or a cat. Her ears were long, as long as a Dark Elves but covered in a very fine coat of fur, especially inside the ear itself. Hair, actual hair, flowed out of her head and stopped just above her shoulders. It was difficult to tell which was which.

Her face twitched, apart from the fur perfectly humanoid, and her eyes opened. Horizontal cat slits greeted him, her iris a brilliant blue. She muttered something and tried to pull herself up but her muscles were too weak. Lucon's instinct to help, and that of the others, were overridden by the absurdity of what they were witnessing.

"Fretu ty isbka?" She spoke very softly. When she opened her mouth Lucon saw they were sharp and jagged, like a predator.

"Iokdhe?" She asked louder.

"What did she say?" A soldier asked Svafar.

Her eyes shot open and swivelled around everyone in a mad panic.

"Gawhdj!" She screamed. She tried to scamper away but her arms failed her, falling headfirst into the hot ground. She screamed and retreated to her safe circle at the centre of the crater.

"It's alright." Lucon raised his empty hands to try and convey he meant no harm. "Can you understand me?"

The cat woman said nothing. She held her clawed hands close to her chest. Just when Lucon began to think being naked was her normal condition she began to panic once again, curling her body into a ball while covering her crotch and breasts. Her tail wrapped itself around her torso.

"I don't think you can," Lucon mumbled. "Someone give her something to cover herself with."

Svafar ripped a long piece free from his side and offered it to her. She was hesitant to take it at first but after a quick sniff and knowing she was still naked she snatched it from his hand and wrapped it around her body tight.

"I know this is going to be fun," Svafar muttered.

Lucon could not help but agree. However, this was something they could not run away from. They had to do it right.

Lucon crouched low. "Do you have a name?"

The cat woman continued to frown but her demeanour had improved once she realized they weren't hostile.

Lucon pointed at himself. "Lucon. Lucon."

The woman slowly nodded. Though she could not understand their language she was more than intelligent to understand what they were attempting.

Svafar did the same, pointing to the other soldiers. By the end her body had relaxed, her ears no longer rigid and pulled back hard.

Lucon turned to her hand pointed.

"Ikel." She pointed at her face. "Ikel."

Lucon smiled and stood up. "At least we've got the basics down right."

"What now?" Svafar asked. Ikel glanced between them in worry. She must have been worried they were planning something horrible in a language she did not understand.

"We take her back to the nearest fort." Lucon pulled out a map. Ikel became very interested at the sight of paper but Lucon did not let her look. It contained the locations of many important military sites, not that they were particularly difficult to find. "They have a Fire Scrier. High Command will know what to do."

Svafar scoffed. "I doubt that."

"So do I. But we have rules and procedures for a reason." Lucon motioned for Ikel to stand. "We're leaving."

Lucon pointed out of the crater. Now the smoke had cleared she could see the rest of the soldiers, and the hot ground between them.

Ikel stood but shook her head. A string of nonsensical words emanated from her mouth. She stopped mid-sentence and pointed to her clawed feet. When she raised them, carefully to not let the cloth slip, Lucon saw the thick pads were slightly inflamed, the very edges were much darker and looked burned.

"Alright. We can't get you any boots so we'll just have to carry you."

Ikel pointed to her feet again. Lucon tried his best to show how they wanted to carry her out of the crater. She held a hand close to her chest and nodded slowly.

"Svafar. You or one of your men will have to carry her. I'm not strong enough."

Svafar sighed and offered his hands to Ikel. She hesitates but still took them, but she did not shift herself to be carried. Svafar gingerly scooped up her legs, always watching her face and the sharp claws that would easily tear through his neck. She shifted in his arms but only to become more comfortable. Svafar shrugged and began to walk. Ikel gripped his armoured chest tight but neither said a word about it.

"Do you think she eats normal food or only fish?" A soldier asked. "I mean, how does it all work down-"

"Be thankful she cannot understand you." Lucon cut in. "Remember, you may not be on the front lines but you still represent the United Empire, so always act accordingly."

"Am I going to carry her the whole way?" Svafar asked loudly. Ikel looked at him strangely then to Lucon. She had already worked out the chain of command.

"We'll commandeer a cart if we find someone on the way." Lucon clicked his tongue. "I'm sure they'll understand we're in an unprecedented situation."

---[]---

Ikel devoured the food before her like a ravenous wolf. She barely took breaths between mouthfuls, one hand was always full while the other was stuffing her face. The soldiers were mildly impressed by such a display of gluttony.

"That's her fourth plate." Svafar marvelled. "She'll devour the fort's entire food supply if we let her."

Lucon glumly nodded. "At least she can eat our food. Keep an eye on her, I need to make a report."

Svafar gave a rough salute. Even though it was little more than a hand raised to his brow it was a vast improvement over the rest of the soldiers.

Lucon left Ikel in his capable hands and left the open air mess hall. Ikel presence had drawn quite a crowd, so large the local fort commanders were having difficulty in maintaining order. It wasn't every day that something like Ikel just walked in, doubly so after the pillar of light. As Lucon wormed his way through the gathered soldiers he heard them talking about the bright pillar of light. This fort was far enough away that it hadn't blinded anyway, though many still had some difficulty in seeing clearly for some time afterwards.

The crowds quickly thinned as Lucon arrived at the command post, a simple wooden structure designed to be easy to build and defend. The guards, a mixture from the Heartland and the Administrative Zones, gave him a small nod before allowing him through. He could see the curiously plastered on their faces as clear as day. They wanted to ask but were not permitted.

A squat man sat inside at one of the many small tables. He was almost buried in paper but tried to work his way out of it.

"Hello." Lucon did not know this man's name either. "I need to use a Fire Scrier immediately to contact High Command."

The squat man looked up from his paperwork. "There are many reports-"

"Have you heard what we've discovered?" Lucon forced himself to pause, to catch his breath. One of the few things that brought his blood to boil was people so stuck in their ways and rules they would not act.

"I have..."

"High Command would be very interested to know why you kept such information from them by not using a Fire Scrier immediately."

The man dramatically sighed and delicately placed down his pen. "Very well. I'll let them know."

He jumped from his seat and slowly walked to the back of the command post. A simple wooden door awaited them, emblazoned with the emblem of the United Empire but with an additional marking. A large flame surrounded the shield, the sign of a Fire Scrier.

Inside lay a very simple arrangement of furniture along with a particularly large and ornate metal brazier. I'm the corner an older woman, not from the Heartland, sat patiently, her eyes following their every movement.

"This man says he needs to speak with High Command." The squat man had already begun walking away. "I'll leave it to you."

The woman raised a brow but did not question it further.

"It will take some time." The woman rose from her chair. As she approached the brazier she drew a small purse from her pockets, barely larger than his thumb. "But, are you sure that you wish to speak to them? This is outside of the normal structure of command."

"I do." Lucon gently gripped his fists. "I'm actually of a decently high rank so I hope they listen."

The Fire Scrier emptied the contents of the small purse, a fine blue powder, over the dull embers. Instantly the flames came to life, reaching almost to the ceiling yet giving off almost no heat. The Fire Scrier spoke in a hushed tone to the flame. People flickered in and out of existence. Lucon knew better than to ask what was happening. During his early days, he had almost been flogged for disrupting a Fire Scrier while they were working.

Lucon's body tensed as a group of ten men came into the flame. These men formed High Command, the highest military authority in the United Empire.

"Lucon." The man on the furthest right began. "Why have you used emergency authority to contact us? I'm sure you're well aware of the consequences of misusing your authority."

"I am." Lucon felt his voice waver for a moment. "I believe that what I have witnessed constitutes an emergency."

Two of the other men stopped their discussion and listened in.

"Very well." The man placed down his quill. "Explain to us the situation in the most simple of terms."

Lucon tried to recount the story as accurately as possible. When he reached the changing colour of the sky the man raised his hand for Lucon to pause. He caught the others attention and told them to listen. Lucon did his best with all ten staring at him, some in disbelief, others trying their best to make sense of something that even he did not understand.

"And that is where we are right now." Lucon coughed lightly. "That concludes my report."

He glanced to the Fire Scrier. She had remained perfectly silent, even through the less believable parts.

"This...Creature." An older man in the centre began to speak. "She is with you now?"

"Yes. Currently she is eating under heavy guard and supervision."

"I see..." The man stroked his short, well-trimmed beard. "Anything else of note?"

"She appears quite intelligent. She understood our names and who they are associated with. She asked...pointed at things and animals we passed. I don't believe she's wild, despite her physical appearance."

"We will continue to investigate this further." The central man began to write on a fine piece of paper. "All of your current assignments are hereby voided. You and your men are to bring her to the capital with all speed. Use whatever means of transport you can find. Money is no issue."

"Understood." Lucon saluted. "I'll have her brought to the capital immediately."

The man nodded and the flames slowly died back. The conversation was over.

---[]---

"Back home?" Svafar asked. "That's a decent trip. Especially with winter coming any day now."

"I know." Lucon spared Ikel a glance. She had finished eating at her ravenous pace and merely picked at what remained. Her eyes looked at her food but her attention was focused on what they were saying. "But those are our orders. And I have no intention of pissing off High Command."

"You actually spoke with them?" A soldier leant in close. "All of them?"

Lucon knew they knew High Command was not some elusive spectre, but it was unusual for someone like him to get an audience, even briefly.

"Yes. All of them."

The soldier whistled. "You've got some serious balls on you."

Lucon smiled but did not understand the point he was making. Overall, High Command was rather pleasant and agreeable, especially to some people that Lucon had served under.

"Here's hoping Ikel doesn't get stoned to death." Svafar scoffed. "Some of these people are superstitious and, quite frankly, stupid."

"We'll get her some clothes. Proper ones." Lucon looked at Ikel's hands. "I don't know how cold-resistant her fur is. But maybe we'll learn what language she speaks, or she learns ours. It's going to be difficult to communicate if all she can do is point and repeat the word."

Svafar slammed the table. "You heard him. We're going home!"

The soldiers cheered, Ikel appeared very confused, as was Lucon. Once they dropped her off at the capital they would probably be sent back here, or perhaps even to The Shadow Isles, if things were going as poorly as he had been told.

---[]---

"What is that?" Ikel leant out of the slow carriage, pointing into the snow. "I saw move..." She scratched her ear as she sought the right word. "Movement! I saw movement over there."

Lucon pulled the thick curtain back. “I believe that’s a deer.”

A solitary deer stood proud on a rock jutting above the thick snow. It noticed their presence, stood perfectly still before dashing away, great plumes of snow following its passing.

“A deer!” Ikel happily exclaimed. “So that’s what they’re called.”

Ikel slumped back into the soft seat. “What a strange creature.”

Svafar slowly shook his head as he looked out the window as well. “Not too many of them now. I think the United Empire needs to call a ban on hunting again. Well, guess I’ve just figured out what our next job is.”

Ikel tilted her head, her ears pricked up but she did not ask what he meant. She rested back into her seat and pulled a fur blanket around her body.

Lucon was thoroughly impressed by Ikel’s ability to learn languages. Less than seven days had passed since her violent arrival and already she had a better grasp of their language than some who had spoken it their entire lives. She was infinitely fascinated by everything and never asked a question twice. Lucon had quizzed her, as surreptitiously as he could, and she did not forget. While impressive it made Lucon increasingly suspicious that she was hiding something. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was but there was something about her. She claimed she had no memory until she arrived at the crater but one would not claim a deer to be strange and not a hare.

“We’ll be in somewhere nice and warm soon.” Svafar laughed. “Lots of food, a roaring flame and cosy beds. Not having to sleep on these seats. Not that they’re bad, mind you.”

Lucon was eternally thankful they had found someone willing to travel to Eidfell Trellbog, comfort aside, so they didn’t have to commandeer their transportation. High Command had instructed him to come with all possible speed but it still would have left a bad taste in his mouth.

“What is this made from?” Ikel rubbed the soft cotton seats. “It’s not animal skin, like this.” She pulled at the fur blanket. “Is it a type of hair or fur?”

“A product from a plant,” Lucon said. “Not one that grows here. It’s too cold.”

Ikel frowned. She held a clawed finger to her lips. “How…How did you know about it? If you come from this frozen land then how do you know…Oh? Did you…What’s the right word. Trade for it?”

Lucon held his tongue for a moment. He did not know if she was digging for information or simply curious. There was no harm in general information that she could discover from literally everyone.

“The United Empire conquered the lands below.” Lucon began. “The warmer lands, where we discovered you. They grow it there and we’ve brought it back to the Heartland.”

“But you aren’t from the Heartland.” Svafar smiled. “Your skin is too dark.”

“I wondered about that,” Ikel said softly.

“Not as dark as the people from Seocurkural.” Svafar smiled. “The first time my people saw them we thought they had fallen into tar and tried to help them. Oh…Oh those were some very, very awkward stories.”

Ikel appeared genuinely concerned but, again, did not ask what he meant.

The Heartland continued to pass them by. Despite the snow falling around them the roads were clear. Lucon looked out the window again and found those clearing the roads. Shackles adorned their wrists and ankles as they shovelled away the snow. Burly taskmasters followed them close behind with large wooden cudgels. Only a single strike was necessary to force the slaves onward.

“What are they doing?” Ikel asked as she leant close to Lucon.

“Criminals,” Lucon mumbled. “Mainly rapists and murderers.”

“What is that?”

“Bad people,” Svafar mumbled. “Very bad people that did horrible things to others.”

“So…” Ikel shook her head.

Lucon did not like how she was about to say something and decided to keep it to herself. Almost like she understood the concept of slaves, like she knew it was ethically wrong.

One of their soldiers shouted and pointed forward. Lucon smiled as he laid eyes on Eidfell Trellbog, capital of the United Empire. The city was truly a marvel, Lucon remembered the first time he had seen it and it completely took his breath away. Ikel gasped, unable to hide her utter shock.

Eidfell Trellbog had been built around a large solitary mountain, completely encompassing the mountain with layers upon layers of buildings. The layers formed disks of snow and roughly cut stone, hundreds of trails of smoke rose from giant chimneys that Lucon knew fed from hundreds of smaller furnaces and fireplaces. From the centre a great plume of smoke rose into the clear blue sky. Deep from within the mountain, forges worked tirelessly to create the weapons and armour needed by the United Empires armies. Not all were created in this one place but the vast majority were made in this one place.

“It’s huge!” Ikel exclaimed. “It’s…It’s an entire mountain!”

“And it goes far inside too,” Lucon said calmly. “Almost four hundred thousand people call Eidfell their home.”

Ikel’s mouth was agape. Svafar laughed at her expression, like she was a remote village girl seeing a large city for the first time.

“I…I don’t believe it.” Ikel leant out the window again. “Four hundred thousand, you say?”

“At least.” Svafar smiled. “Probably a lot more. The United Empire can’t keep a proper count of everyone.”

“Really…”

Again Lucon had the feeling that Ikel was hiding something. Reflecting on it Lucon guessed that he would make the same choices if he remembered where she came from. Right now it was in her best interests to play dumb. Perhaps later she would start to remember things, as they were needed and to extend High Command’s interest in her.

Riders came forward from the city’s walls. The large, squat horses ploughed through the snow like the finest iron plough through his homeland’s soil. They were not going to attack them but escort them to safety, not that there was anything to fear so close to the capital of the most powerful Empire in the known world.

“Big deers?” Ikel asked, bringing her head back inside the carriage. “How do you ride something that ran away the moment it saw you?”

“Horses,” Svafar said calmly. “I suppose you could call the deers. They’re a lot stronger…We ride them so we can move quickly, in and out of battle.”

“How do they follow instructions?” Ikel peered out. “Do you tell them?”

“No.” Lucon shared a glance with Svafar, who merely shrugged at her question. “They have…reins that guide them.”

“That’s…That’s very interesting.”

Ikel retreated back into the carriage. Lucon hoped High Command would not go too hard on her.

---[]---

Lucon waited impatiently outside the large Adamantium door that protected High Command. Both he and Svafar were instructed to wait while the Ten spoke with Ikel. Lucon worried if she would hold herself together under their scrutiny and how well it would reflect on him.

"Relax." Svafar slapped his shoulders hard. "You're going to put her off, just by you being so nervous."

"Why? Why shouldn't I be nervous?" Lucon took a slow and deep breath, his voice had turned shrill under the stress, albeit self-inflicted. "We're just a few feet away from the Ten. They could have us killed if Ikel says we were rude or upset her."

"You worry too much." Svafar placed both hands on his head, letting his elbows splay out. "She seems like a good person."

Lucon had said nothing about how long they had spent awake at night, discussing nearly every possible topic. He found it odd that one could be attracted to a being so different from themselves. Nevertheless, it did not matter to Lucon, so long as it didn't interfere with anything.

"She knows more than she lets on," Lucon said softly. "A lot more."

"That she does." Svafar smiled.

A knock came from behind the door. The plethora of guards moved to open the heavy doors. Unlike Svafar, and the rest of his men, these were actual soldiers of the United Empire. Elite soldiers at that. Their armour and weapons were crafted to the highest possible standard, nothing was bent or roughly forged. Lucon did find their choice of weapons to be odd, all wielded axes of different sizes.

Ikel emerged, a little shaken but kept her head up. Behind Lucon saw the Ten engaging in a furious discussion. About what Lucon could not tell. He caught the word metal and power on their lips but little else, the door began to close the moment Ikel stepped through.

"How'd it go?" Svafar asked softly.

Ikel let out a deep sigh. "I think it went well. I answered everything they asked, to the best of my ability. They want me to stay in Eidfell. When I started talking to them I began to remember bits of what happened before."

Lucon forced himself to make an inquisitive face, Svafar appeared genuinely surprised.

"Anything on how you came here or a way to get back?"

Ikel's ears drooped. "No. I don't. But I do remember that I was some sort of...metal researcher. I recalled ways to make very strong iron. Far stronger than what you have now."

Svafar ran a finger over the edge of the small axe he wielded. "I find that hard to believe."

"It's true! At least...I think it's true."

"Did you use that as to bargain with the Ten?" Lucon asked.

"Yes. They've given me my own workshop and everything that I could possibly need to make the stronger metal."

"Just be careful." Svafar leant close. "Just make sure that you don't give everything up at once."

Ikel tilted her head, her ears spread as wide as they could.

"Make sure they don't get everything they want...If they do then there's no reason to keep you around."

"I find that hard to believe," Lucon said. "The United Empire has treated everyone that has helped them extremely well. Even if you only improve our iron then that should be more than enough for you to live comfortably...Unless you do have more. In which case they'll probably let you do whatever you want."

Ikel nodded slowly, thoughtfully. Ideas and thoughts floated through her head until they coalesced. Her smile widened.

"They told me to start right away...What's happening to you two?" Ikel appeared genuinely concerned. "Are you leaving this city? Going to fight these wars I keep hearing about?"

"Maybe." Svafar shrugged. "It all depends on what Lucon gets assigned to. My men and I have to follow his commands...Not that that's a bad thing."

Lucon smiled, Ikel laughed and tapped both of their shoulders.

"Before anything I want to try some of this rum I've heard of."

"Oh." Svafar chuckled nervously. "You might not want to go that heavy right away-"

The heavy boot steps of an elite soldier stopped Svafar. He held a simple piece of paper in his hand, a wax insignia of the United Empire and of High Command.

"Is this for me?" Lucon asked softly.

The soldier nodded. "It was just handed to us."

He nodded to a small hole in the stone wall to the side of the gate. The covered hole was large enough to allow a tightly wrapped scroll through but little else.

"Thank you." Lucon saluted the elite soldier. It was returned despite both working for different branches of the army and the complicated difference in rank.

Lucon quickly skimmed the scroll. Svafar and Ikel leant close to catch a glimpse.

"Says that we're staying."

"Yes!" Both exclaimed simultaneously.

Lucon raised his hand. "We're to assist you in whatever research endeavour you may have, so long as you get written approval by the Ten."

"Ikel sounds like she wants to research what being shit-faced is like."

Ikel did not understand. Idioms and sayings would take a long time to understand.

"Oh." Lucon smiled. "Looks like I'm to be promoted."

"Congratulations." Svafar laughed. "Now you won't be able to...No, you still will, won't you."

"You could be working for someone far, far worse," Lucon said snidely. "Someone who would just throw you into battle, discarding a piece of meat."

"And I am extremely grateful for that." Ikel laughed, her tail swirled behind her. “But let’s try this rum first.”

---[]---

"Here we go!" Ikel said happily. She wore a full suit of thick leather as she instructed the United Empire Smiths. Her fur bad burned in several places already and it smelt awful.

"I hope this will be as strong as she claims it will be," Lucon mumbled softly.

"Have some faith." Svafar laughed. "She hasn't let us down yet."

"Just let it cool." Ikel waved back the eager smiths. "You don't want to burn yourselves."

"But you already have." Svafar pointed to the slightly blackened patches of her fur, the ends tiny black beads where they had melted from the extreme heat. "You were offered protection."

Ikel dismissively waved her hand. "I don't want them to mess this up. I'm sure your bosses are getting annoyed that it's taking so long."

Lucon leant against the wall some paces away. "It's been three days since you started. I'm sure they'd give you all the time you need if they see you making progress."

"Still..." Ikel looked back to the cooling bar of metal.

Svafar slowly walked to Lucon's side. "She really is a strange woman, isn't she? How many women so you know that want to work here? With all this heat, smoke and sweat?"

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Lucon quickly looked around the large smithy. There were indeed no women but there were very few men present as well. This smithy, really a forge, was where many experiments were undertaken. It had the best equipment but little was produced here. Nevertheless, the smiths were more than intrigued to hear about Ikel and her new metal.

"If it's as good as she claims then she'll be set for life." Lucon mused.

"She even mentioned a way to smelt and work Adamantium." Svafar whistled. "If they had been excited about her before they're going to be jumping out of their chairs now."

"Indeed." Lucon slowly nodded. "They have been very excited of late."

Lucon decided to omit that he had been pushing for a promotion, using Ikel's knowledge as a bargaining chip. At the very least he soon wouldn't be dealing with penal soldiers.

"Get ready to submerge it in the water." Ikel's hand hovered near the glowing piece of metal. The smiths too watched on in anticipation, the burly man holding the long metal tongs looked to Ikel, waiting for the instruction.

"Now!"

Steam erupted from the water, a great roar followed. The nearby smiths backed away while Ikel watched on with visible excitement. At least that's what her swaying tail told Lucon. Only when the steam had completely subsided did Ikel allow the metal to be raised. Truth be told it looked like a normal piece of metal, albeit with slight blue and orange discolouration.

"This is perfect!" Ikel hugged the smith holding the metal. He was unsure how to react so remained perfectly still. "I thought it would be more difficult, but you guys..." Ikel laughed. “You guys really know what you're doing."

Despite the compliment coming from a nonhuman the smiths shuffled awkwardly and muttered words under their breath. Ikel seemed not to mind, quite the opposite actually.

"Let's give this a look then." The smith mumbled. "Looks like it'll be pretty strong."

"I hope so." Ikel wiped away another handful of sweat from her face. "I know your High Command won't be happy if this doesn't work properly."

"Bah." The smith dismissively waved his stubby hand. "Let those scheming fools do whatever they want. But even if it's not that strong it certainly looks interesting."

Ikel smiled but Lucon could tell that she was very nervous. He had not heard anything from above but they could just change their mind on a whim and send her to the scientists for dissection.

The Smith placed the metal bar onto the table and produced a small wooden box. Inside lay a series of implements, all with a very sharp point.

"If it beats this." The Smith held up one of the implements with the number seven on its side. "Then it's better than most of the steel we can produce. Probably as good as what the Blood Hammers can make."

Lucon had yet to see a Dwarf but had heard many fantastical things about the stubby men and women.

The Smith ran the edge of the implement along the metal bar. There was no scratch left behind, nothing at all. He frowned and wiped away a tiny trail of metal.

"Well, that's interesting. It just peeled this off like it was nothing. Let's try something a little stronger."

He produced an implement with the number eleven on the side. He ran it across the metal again, this time it left a tiny mark. He checked with the numbers either side, eleven was its strength.

"This is incredible." The Smith laughed as he put the implements back into their box. "It's basically iron. Not Chelium or Bosciycium, and yes it's only a little bit softer than Adamantium. Ikel. You don't have anything to worry about from High Command. If anything they'll be drooling over this."

"Yes!" Ikel grabbed both Lucon's and Svafar's hands and jumped with joy.

Lucon felt the soft pads of her hand, a very strange sensation. What was even more strange was the dirty look Svafar threw at him. It softened when Lucon relinquished his touch but Svafar did not.

"This is so exciting!" Ikel continued to bounce with joy. "If you two men will excuse me for a moment, I need to instruct them on how to mould this metal properly. It's not easy and if they do it wrong it could damage its strength."

Ikel gave a tiny wave before almost skipping to the smith's, holding her hands tight behind her back and above her swaying tail.

"I'll never get tired of looking at that," Svafar mumbled.

"Her tail is rather pretty." Lucon turned his attention to the desk of papers.

"No...Not that-"

"Svafar. I don't care what you do or with whom." Lucon did not raise his eyes from the papers. "So long as it doesn't interfere with Ikel's ability to produce results, what she or you do in your own time is of no consequence. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

Lucon did not look back but he was certain Svafar was not saluting him properly. In truth he suspected Svafar was attracted to Ikel, Ikel was not like most women of the United Empire, beyond her physical appearance. There was something alluring about a woman that had such fire and energy but Ikel held no such sway over Lucon.

"Let's hope High Command will appreciate this," Lucon mumbled. "Then I might finally be able to get a promotion away from the penal legions."

"Do you hate us that much?" Svafar asked, a teasing tone to his voice.

"Of course I did." Lucon smiled. "But who's to say that hasn't changed?"

---[]---

Twelve days had passed since Ikel created the new type of steel. As the Smith's predicted High Command was positively ecstatic with the results. Ikel offhandedly requested a private laboratory and workshop, before she could speak a massive room had been granted for her personal use. And that was before Ikel said she had more things to give to the United Empire. However, not everyone was getting everything they wanted. Lucon paced back and forth in his small room, situated near Ikel's massive laboratory and workshop, clutching the piece of paper so tightly the edges had torn.

Someone knocked on the door.

"It's unlocked." Lucon spat out, refusing to take his eyes off the paper.

"There's no need for that," Svafar said as he opened the door. "I thought yesterday everything was going well?"

Lucon sighed and placed the paper on his desk. "It was. Until I received this."

Ikel peered around Svafar's shoulder. She had taken to wearing normal clothes, even though her fur coat meant she was fairly resistant to the cold, and even wore a few accessories, like a small golden bracelet and a thick scarf.

"What's wrong?" Ikel asked. She word thick boots, however they had to be specially formed for her unusual feet.

Lucon said nothing and thrust the paper towards Svafar. He took it but his face quickly contorted into a frown.

"I can't..."

"Let me have a look at it." Ikel gently took the paper from Svafar. Lucon was so incensed by its contents he didn't notice her lingering touch on his arm.

"Let's see...You applied for a higher position and-"

"They denied it." Lucon sighed and leant back into his chair. "That's the third attempt I've had. Any more and-"

"They'll start to get angry?" Ikel raised a fur-covered brow.

"Yes." Lucon sighed. "That's exactly right. Even if I deserve it they’ll throw it back in my face."

"Sounds like they want to keep you around since you discovered Ikel." Svafar smiled at her. "I don't mean-"

"It's alright." Ikel lightly punched him in the side. "I know what you mean."

"Maybe..." Lucon flopped onto his desk. "But I don't want to be stuck in this cold land for the rest of my life. I want to have my name remembered." Lucon pulled himself back up. "You will, since you've given us that metal and the horti...What was it called again?"

"Horticulture." Ikel almost smiled. "The cultivation of plants. With my advice you should be able to increase food production by seven percent and reduce manpower requirements by four."

"Is that a lot?" Svafar asked.

Lucon nodded. "For an Empire it is massive. See? They'll remember you for a long time...But not me..."

Ikel held a clawed finger to her lips. "I have a meeting with High Command later today. I could talk to them about it."

"You would?"

"Sure." Ikel smiled. "You are one of the two Humans that rescued me. I haven't asked for anything really, beyond my laboratory and a few other little things. It shouldn't be too hard."

"You will?"

"Sure." Ikel shrugged and smiled. "Most Humans look at me like I'm sort of freak or something to be used. You look at me like I'm a curiosity. It might not sound much different but it is to me."

"That would be incredible." Lucon spun in his chair, completely missing Svafar patting Ikel's rear extremely hard. "That would be the best thing that's happened to me in a long time."

"That's actually kind of sad." Ikel smiled bitterly. "But, I actually need a favour from you."

"Me?" Lucon raised a brow. "I have surprisingly little authority in Eidfell."

"I want to see the city." Ikel began. "I've been locked inside this place for so long...Light from fires or those little cube things just isn't the same."

"I can say that I've authorized it." Lucon began rummaging through his desk. "But whether or not the guards will listen is another matter entirely."

"If anyone tries to stop me then I'll tell them I'll never make another thing for High Command." Ikel dramatically folded her arms. "That should be enough to get into the city."

"You do know that you'll be mobbed?" Lucon began to write a roughly worded writ. "Not because they have you, but because you're different."

"That's fine." Ikel nudged Svafar's side with her elbow. "With someone like him by my side it shouldn't be a problem."

"You'd be surprised." Lucon suppressed a smile. "I remember when one of the dark-skinned humans arrived here. They thought he had fallen into tar. Can you imagine how he must have felt when a few dozen people were trying to help him?"

"Sounds like you don't want me to go." Ikel teased. "Do you think that I'm going to be taken away by some brute?"

Lucon looked up as he finished the writ. Ikel smiled inanely while Svafar gently shook his head.

Lucon clicked his tongue and continued writing. "I don't know how you can put up with her all day and night. I would have gone mad by now."

Ikel pouted at Lucon. "I'm not that bad to live with."

"Absolutely not." Svafar body stiffened.

Lucon guessed why he had such a reaction but chose to ignore it. So long as he received his promotion and Ikel continued to produce results he did not care. He briefly wondered what their children would look like, dismissing the resulting image of Ikel but with a human torso as absurd.

"Enjoy the sights." Lucon passed Ikel the writ. "I hear there's some very strong alcohol, if you know where to look."

"I certainly will." Ikel licked her lips. "Do you want to come with us? You have been stuck in this place for a while now."

"I'll be fine." Lucon smiled. He noticed Svafar look a little happier. "Have some fun and be sure to be back before nightfall. The streets are not safe for someone like you after dark."

"You worry too much." Ikel gently pushed Svafar towards the door. "You should take a break yourself. You want to look presentable to High Command when they give you that promotion."

They gave a final wave before shutting the door. Lucon heard a few muffled words followed by their boot steps travelling away.

"Whatever," Lucon mumbled aloud. "So long as she gets me my promotion it really doesn't matter if they're screwing each other."

Lucon shrugged once more and continued with his work.

---[]---

"I can't believe that worked," Lucon said. He breathed harshly and held a hand to his chest. "You actually got me my promotion."

The guards grunted and ushered Lucon forward, away from the closing door protecting High Command. Ikel and Svafar stood outside, both beaming with happiness as Lucon walked towards them.

"I told you I would." Ikel gave him a thumbs up, or claw up in her case. "Did you ever doubt me?"

"No...Yes. Part of me did. But they sounded a little strange." Lucon locked back at the closing door. "It sounded like they wanted to get rid of me. They mentioned you and...I don't know. It sounded like they didn't have much confidence in me."

"Then show them they are wrong," Ikel said loudly. Svafar slowly nodded. "Show them they were wrong to demote you in the first place. You, Lucon, had better be grateful. I had to promise them a whole bunch of stuff…” Ikel winked. “Just kidding. I asked and they said yes. Maybe that’s why they looked funny. Since they think I was the one giving them the orders.”

Lucon took one last look before the door closed with a loud bang. “That would be interesting…But they also said that I’m not longer needed to be here.” Lucon clicked his tongue. “Since I’m now a Commander of the Legions-”

Svafar whistled. “Now I’m really impressed.”

“I know.” Ikel bumped his side with her elbow. “I thought it was just going to be one or two…Do you think they’re overdoing it to keep me happy? It’s one of the few things I’ve asked for.”

“Since…” Lucon coughed. “Since I got that promotion they’ve ordered me to lead the attack of The Shadow Isles.”

“I thought we should have been done there by now,” Svafar said softly.

“So did I. But the Dark Elves on the central island are attacking. Still. So we’re having to deploy nearly every single soldier there to quell them.”

“Isn’t that.” Ikel leant close. “I don’t know much about the army but isn’t that dangerous? They aren’t even on the same continent as your Empire. What happens if someone attacks you now? Surely it’s a great opportunity.”

Svafar laughed. “No one would be stupid enough to do that. And even if they did we’ve still got tens of thousands of people to defend these lands until they get back.”

“But when we went to the markets, which were great by the way, everyone was talking about it.” Ikel made a nondescript exasperated sound. “It’s no secret. Surely your enemies have informants.”

Svafar gently patted her head. “They might. But what can they do with it? The United Empire can easily crush any rebellion. And how are they going to compete when our soldiers are equipped with the fancy metal of yours.”

“It just seems kind of dangerous.” Ikel pouted lightly. “But I’m sure those boys back there have their reasons.”

Lucon shrugged. “But I guess this is goodbye. I-”

“For now.” Ikel looked to Svafar. “You aren’t going off to the other side of the world, at least according to the maps I’ve seen. And we’ll still be here when you get back.”

“Right…” Lucon turned to Svafar. “Thank you.” Lucon offered his hand. “I think I was wrong about you and your men. They’ve…They’ve been alright.”

Svafar laughed heartily. “You aren’t so bad yourself.”

Before Lucon could react Svafar brought him into a large hug. Ikel’s eyebrows shot up as she watched Lucon’s fingers twitch and Svafar give him a final squeeze.

“Oh my…” Ikel whispered.

“You’ll be fine.” Svafar finally released Lucon. “Just remember to have someone in between you and those Dark Elves. I hear they’re really good with their bows. Better than anyone here, and they love to use poisons too.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Actually…” Ikel tapped Svafar’s shoulder. “I think you should go with Lucon. At least to see him off. I have a few things that need doing. A few experiments that can’t wait any longer. If I do wait…” Ikel sighed. “Then I’m going to have to waste a considerable amount of time and money.”

She nodded to the closed door. “And you know what they are like with money.”

“Good luck, Ikel,” Lucon said.

Ikel rolled her eyes and gave him a quick hug. Her fur felt strange on her neck, he had felt it before but something was off. It was trembling. Lucon knew she had no feelings for him, that was reserved for the man to his side, but it still felt off. He reasoned she was just nervous at having to work so hard after getting him the promotion.

“Take care-”

“I’m coming with you!” Svafar wrapped his arm around Lucon’s neck. “Don’t you get all soppy with me before you leave.”

“When I get back are there going to be a bunch of furry little kids running around?” Lucon asked softly.

Svafar shook his head. “No. Ikel said that’s impossible. And…Thanks.”

“Thanks?”

“For not saying anything about…You know.”

Lucon scoffed. “I thought you were, but it’s none of my business.”

“So!” Svafar slapped his back hard. “I’ll give your new men a sendoff message. Let them know who their new boss is and what they’re going to be expected to do.”

“Is that a boost or a downer for them?” Lucon asked dryly.

Svafar laughed but did not confirm nor deny his concerns. Lucon merely shrugged and hoped that everything would turn out for the best. It had so far, why not now?

---[]---

Svafar slowly pushed open the door to Ikel’s laboratory. He knew that Ikel had asked not to be disturbed but it was him after all. Surely she would be happy to see him, no matter the time or place. Ikel said little when she accidentally walked in on him taking a bath, even less when she straddled his waist.

Svafar's whimsical memories were brought to a halt when he saw what lay in her workshop. Lucon had not exaggerated when he said it was a mess. Equipment, expensive equipment, lay scattered across the floor. Components had been ripped clean out of many, leaving them empty husks. Papers littered the desks, all showing a circular construct. Svafar could not make any sense of it. He doubted even Lucon could.

"Ikel? Where are you?" Ikel waited for a reply but nothing came. The workshop was very large, she could have easily been at the far end and not hear a word.

Slowly Svafar worked his way through the discarded piles until he finally heard a noise. It wasn't much, a muttered swear, but it was Ikel's voice. Svafar traced the sound to a large side door, closed but not locked.

"Are you in there?" Svafar called out as he neared the barred door.

He could hear voices from the other side, muffled by the door. They sounded like Ikel. Svafar prepared himself for a verbal lashing and pushed the door open.

The other side was nowhere near as cluttered, if anything it was cleaner than how her laboratory normally looked. The components she had ripped lay in neat piles alongside larger items in the process of disassembly. Svafar still had no idea what Ikel could possibly be trying to make with this.

"Hello?" Svafar called out as he fully stepped through. His voice echoed through the room but still no response.

A large sheet of cloth hanged from one corner of the room to the other. Behind that something emitted a bright blue light. Someone moved in front of the light. It was difficult to see a perfect form but only one person had a tail that followed her every step.

"Is that you, Ikel?" Svafar called out.

The silhouette stopped and snapped its head towards him. A few breaths passed before it spoke.

"Oh. Hello Svafar." The voice belonged to Ikel. "I thought you were training today?"

"I was." Svafar began walking towards the curtain. "But I saw Lucon off, wished him luck and decided to come visit you."

Again Ikel hesitated. "So Lucon's gone then? That's a relief. Not that he's gone, per say, just that he's finally got the promotion he's wanted all this time. I'm actually quite happy for him."

"So am I." Svafar smiled, not that Ikel could see it through the cloth. "That's why I wanted to see you. Now that we have some alone time."

Ikel looked back to the source of bright light. "Can it wait just a bit longer? I'm almost done here, then we'll have lots of time to ourselves."

"What are you building anyway?"

Svafar reached the curtain and began to push it aside. Ikel's hand reached out to stop him but she hesitated. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she held a hand on her hip.

"I could actually use a hand, I suppose." Ikel raised her hand, wiggling her index finger back and forth. "But if you do come in here you can't leave until we're finished."

Svafar already had the curtain half pulled away before she had even finished. Ikel wore her normal clothes, albeit drenched with sweat, almost panting with exhaustion. Her fingers shook as did her clawed feet. It was not often Svafar saw her so exhausted. What lay behind her took his breath away. A metal circle, tall enough to just touch the ceiling and just as wide, lay nestled between four massive glowing stones, each encased in a metal that Svafar had never seen before. From the centre of the circle, the bright blue light emanated, even though there was no obvious source.

"What is this?" Svafar moved closer to the centre of the light.

"Careful." Ikel grabbed his arms. Her fingers trembled, even as she coughed to steady herself. "I...Kind of wanted to show this off when it's done but..." Ikel sighed. "I know that you won't run away. Right?"

"Should I be worried?" Svafar crouched and inspected the glowing stones more closely. They appeared formless but the metal casing was anything but. Before he could study it further Ikel grabbed his collar and pulled him up.

"There's no need to yank." Svafar laughed.

Ikel rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm. "Don't touch anything you don't understand."

Svafar held her by the hips and pulled her close. "So make me understand. You've always done a terrific job of teaching me."

Normally Ikel's tail would be swaying through the air, not resting limply against her legs. Something was wrong.

"This is just really stressful." Ikel smiled. "Once it's done we can have as much fun as we want."

"So what actually is it? You still haven't told me."

"Energy!" Ikel said triumphantly. Svafar did not understand. He wished that Lucon was with him, just so he could help to fill in the gaps.

"How..." Svafar rubbed his brow. “How does that help?"

"Think of all the coal and wood that's needed to heat this city. A lot, right? I learnt that forests are grown just for the sole purpose of providing wood." Ikel held a clawed hand on her hip. "And I don't like that. This way we can heat whole cities without needing to clear forests, meaning those people can work somewhere else, freeing up massive amounts of manpower."

Ikel smiled and stepped forward. A hand gently rubbed along his crotch. "And I know all too well what sort of manpower your people possess."

Svafar kissed her. "So how do we finish this so we can go somewhere else?"

"You-" Ikel coughed loudly, her tail fluttered through the air. "It's almost finished. I just need to connect these wires and then it'll be finished."

"Wires?" Svafar eyes followed Ikel's shapely behind.

"I thought I told you." Ikel crouched beside a bundle of multicoloured pieces resin. When Svafar crouched next to her he saw the resin surrounded thin pieces of copper. "Actually, it might have been Lucon." Ikel shrugged. "Doesn't matter. These allow...If you could just put these into the same coloured holes that would be such a help."

Svafar felt strange playing a children's matching game but did it all the same. Ikel appreciated his help and that's what mattered most.

When the last wire was in place Ikel stuck her head onto his shoulder and inspected his work.

"Looks good." Ikel nibbled his ear. "The others are done so we can begin." She skipped happily to a raised lectern hidden to the side. Many resin-covered pieces of copper led into it, travelling underneath to a series of large raised cylinders resting inside a metal ring. Svafar peered underneath, the large cylinder would push down and connect two small exposed sections of copper wire, a locking mechanism ensured they remained together.

"Have you told anyone about that?" Svafar pointed to the underside of the lectern. "That alone is worth a lot..."

Ikel was muttering something to herself. Her eyes twitched back and forth. Svafar had only seen this when she was incredibly nervous.

"It will be fine." Svafar held Ikel's shoulder. "You're a genius at this stuff."

Ikel lightly sighed and squeezed his hand. "You know exactly what to say to me." She pointed to the largest cylinder. "Do you want to have the honours?"

Svafar took Ikel's hand into his own and pressed the cylinder down together. It clicked near the bottom and did not rise again. The devices began to hum and glow with energy, the bright light at the centre of the circle dimmed and began to grow into a thin disk.

"Thank..." Ikel held her free hand over her mouth. "It works! It actually works!"

"Did you actually doubt yourself?" Svafar squeezed her side.

Ikel swatted his hand away. "Of course I did. We failed the last..."

Ikel's entire body went rigid, her ears were flat against her head and her tail tucked itself between her legs.

"What we?" Svafar asked softly. The glowing disk continued to grow.

"I...um..." Ikel's eyes twitched left and right, her fingers flexed uncontrollably. She tried to speak again but only unintelligible noises came out.

Despite Ikel's intelligence, she did have trouble thinking of an excuse when surprised, but this was far worse than anything so far.

"What we?" Svafar asked louder.

Ikel's mouth refused to formulate actual words.

"Fine." Svafar shook his head. "I don't know what you're doing here but you aren't going to-"

"I can explain!" Ikel placed herself between Svafar and the metal cylinders. "I'm being serious, I can-"

"Get out of my way," Svafar growled. Ikel held her ground and tried to stare him down.

The shimmering disk continued to expand. It had already reached the halfway point and showed no sign of slowing down.

"Fine then." Svafar picked Ikel up and threw her to one side.

She sprawled in midair but she landed on all fours, without a scratch or sprain. She glared at Svafar with a level of hatred he did not think possible. Her eyes flicked to a corner of the room, to a loaded crossbow and small daggers. She glanced back once more and darted towards her weapons with a speed he did not know she was capable of. Svafar forced himself to tear his eyes away from her and tried to bring the cylinder back up. His fingers gripped but the locking mechanism refused to budge.

"If in doubt." Svafar reached over and pulled the resin-coated wires with all his might.

They ripped free, sending sparks and shots of fire everywhere. His moment of victory was cut short by a flash of pain in his back. His muscles twitched as the foreign object refused to vacate, his back grew slick with blood. He turned back. Ikel had already finished loading the next bolt and was training it on his head. The fact that he had taught her how to use said weapon was lost upon him at that moment. He dropped low and ran around the metal circle. A bolt flew past his head and into the stone wall.

"You shouldn't have said anything!" Ikel shouted as she loaded the next bolt. "I would have kept you as my pet. You're cock's pretty fucking huge and you know how to use it. How does that sound? Just fucking for the rest of your life?"

Another bolt whistled past Svafar's head. Ikel swore and moved around the room as she reloaded her crossbow. The shimmering disk continued to grow. Whatever function those wires had they were no longer necessary.

"How does that sound?" Ikel laughed. "You strutting around naked for the rest of your life. Able to hump me whenever it takes my fancy."

Ikel swore as Svafar continued to use the metal circle as a shield. The wound on his back was not life-threatening, at least for now, but the pain was considerably more than normal. He glanced at the bolt resting on the ground. The head was not a simple piece of metal. It had fractured into a thousand tiny pieces, long hairs that remained attached to the base.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Svafar shouted. He peered around the metal circle. His heart dropped as Ikel's crossbow was aimed straight at his face. Much to his surprise she did not fire, even though it was a certain kill.

"Well?!" Svafar moved out of cover while keeping the metal circle between them. Much to his surprise, Ikel did not shoot. She wanted to, with all her heart but couldn't. "What are you waiting for?"

"I wish you hadn't come here today." Ikel continued to walk around the room to get a clear shot, Ikel made sure he always had something in the way. "At least Lucon wouldn't have put up such a fight."

"Does he know about this?"

Svafar knew he did not but wanted to get something out of her. An explanation of what she was doing and, more importantly, why.

"Of course not. The less people that could come down here the better." Ikel clicked her tongue as they reached opposite sides of the circle a day began to peer out. "This is ridiculous."

"How about you drop that crossbow so I can beat you to death?" Svafar snarled.

"Funniest thing you've ever said." Ikel leant around and tried to loose another bolt. She clicked her tongue when he had before she could get a good line on him. "Funny asshole."

"Or how about I just start smashing these things." Svafar stomped as hard as he could on the glowing rocks. While the stones did not budge the metal surrounding them did. More sparks flew off and the growing disk shimmered and began to wobble.

"Don't do that!" Ikel screamed. "You'll kill everyone!"

"Eidfell will survive anything that your little toy can throw at it." Svafar stomped again. This time there were fewer sparks but the disk began to wiggle quite violently. "And there are more cities in the United Empire than this place."

"Don't you understand what it's connected to?" Ikel began to pant with fear. "What will happen if it is destroyed like this?"

"Enlighten me!" Svafar stomped on the other intact glowing stone. The sparks were far more violent than before. The shimmering disk did not change but Svafar was certain it would stop if he broke all four.

"J-Just stop! Please." Svafar lowered the crossbow. "See?"

"Throw it to the door."

The moments passed as Ikel stood still.

"Yeah right.” Svafar stomped on the second stone again. "Why shouldn't I just keep doing this?"

"Fucking stop!" Ikel shrieked. "You'll kill everyone."

Svafar held his boot over the stone and waited.

Ikel snarled. "I guess you're too stupid to work it out on your own. Most of your blood...This is a portal. Do you know what that means?"

"Keep talking."

"A portal connects two places together. Like a door between far away rooms. And on the other side is my world. Another portal and archway, just like this.”

“You’re not convincing me from just smashing this thing.”

Svafar grit his teeth. Though he was talking and acting tough the wound was sapping his strength. There was only so much blood he could lose before he began to grow weak and pass out. And he was all but certain that Ikel knew that as well.

Ikel snapped her head around and began advancing on Svafar.

“Because.” Ikel wiped the sweat from her face, somewhat difficult as her entire face and body was covered in fur. “Because if the portal is destroyed now it’ll loop through itself, throwing out tremendous amounts of energy, enough to destroy a continent. And that’s if it’s good. I don’t know what would happen. No one’s been stupid enough to try and break one while it’s forming.”

“So that’s how you got here?” Svafar snapped the shaft from the bolt, keeping the filament head in his body to block the wound. “One of these things?”

“Actually no.” Ikel’s voice returned to normal, what he was expecting before Ikel revealed herself to be more than duplicitous. “Normally you can only go from one portal to another. Do you think it’s possible to have a doorway that only has one side? No. But we managed to find a way.”

“That burning light,” Svafar muttered.

“Yes.” Ikel reached the edge. Svafar had already reached the other side of the metal circle, the portal as Ikel called it. “There were supposed to be fifty of us, each of us with the knowledge to build a stable portal on the other side. I don’t know where they went-”

Svafar raised his leg to stomp on the glowing stone. Ikel realized she had been allowed to distract herself by speaking and shrieked in anger. She ran at Svafar in a rage, like an animal on all fours, and lunged at Ikel with a dagger in both hands. Svafar remained still until the last moment, taking one of her blades into his own hand and ramming the broken shaft into her neck. It punctured her throat but blood did not spurt forth, like so many times when Svafar had stabbed an enemy. If anything it made her even angrier. Ikel snapped at him with her blood-stained teeth and stabbed his back and chest with the remaining dagger. Svafar took her other hand and head-butted her. His forehead crashed into her nose, breaking it flat and sending her stumbling backwards. She staggered back but refused to fall down. Her eyes were tiny slits, such was her fury.

“Just gotta smash this one-”

Ikel tried to scream and charge but her wounds had taken their toll. Svafar smashed his fist onto the fragile metal casing, blinding him in a shower of sparks. A deep clang echoed throughout the room as the shimmering disk, now barely a foot away from the metal circle, began to writhe and the edges tear. It solidified for a moment. Svafar saw things he did not understand; thousands of people like Ikel, wearing armour and wielding strange long staff-like weapons and long thin shields, stood in formation below a small platform, which Svafar presumed held the other portal. They began to look worried, their formations started to shift and break despite their commander's orders. The next moment the portal became nothing more a shimmering light again.

“A fucking army.” Svafar coughed up some blood. “Nothing more than an invasion from within.”

“I…” Svafar was utterly shocked that Ikel could still stand, let alone talk. “The Madiamar Empire will rule…Everything!”

Ikel snarled and tried to attack once more. She was nowhere near as ferocious as before, but the blades were still dangerous. He waited until she was almost on him and kicked with all his might. Blood and spit escaped her mouth as she stumbled backwards. Her bloodied hand fell back and touched the crumpled shimmering field. Ikel looked at him, not in anger or disgust but unimaginable horror. The blue light began to absorb her, transforming and swallowing her arm. Svafar tried to rise to his feet but stumbled forward, resting his hand against the metal circle. Tears flowed from Ikel’s bloodshot eyes as she reached for his arm. The shimmering field had begun to collapse in on itself and her arm, like a wet piece of cloth. Her clawed fingers touched his as the blue light consumed the last of her body, began to crush down and collapse her body just as it jumped from her hand onto his skin. Everything began to fade from Svafar’s mind as he and Ikel were drawn into the bright blue light as it wrapped itself around them.

---[]---

Lucon stepped back as a soldier unfurled the large map as snow continued to fall around them. Not that Lucon was surprised, given they were still in the heartland. Lucon briefly looked up as a snowflake crossed his vision. The soldiers looked confused as to why they had stopped while the capital was still in sight. They did not know they were going to be joining up with three smaller forces. Lucon decided to give them a few moments of rest before the march continued.

The soldier loudly cleared his throat as he placed stones in the corners of the map.

"The Shadow Isles." Lucon began. He looked to his subordinate, in rank but certainly not in age and experience. "What can you tell me about it?"

His subordinate pointed a stubby finger to the northern ended of the central island. "The Dark Elves here are continuing to resist. They are using devastating hit and run tactics. And with their Jaguar mounts...We are unable to catch them."

"I see..." Lucon held his chin. "What about the new metal? Is it helping our men to survive better, at the very least?"

His subordinate's face softened. "It is. Formerly lethal wounds are now reduced to cuts and scratches. The Dark Elves are now resorting to using poison tipped arrows and bringing their Jaguars into the battle itself."

"It's never easy with them." Lucon sighed. "Do you have any ideas how to fix this?"

"I do not, sir."

"We have some time before we reach The Shadow Isles anyway." Lucon smiled. "I will do my best to think of a solution. If any of the men come up with a good, even a barely decent idea let me know. I don't want anyone to did that doesn't have to."

Lucon made sure it sounded like he truly cared for his men, which he did. In a sense. But living soldiers provided a barrier between him and all the nasties out there. His subordinate did not seem to notice or care.

"I will...Strange clouds we're having."

Lucon was already looking at the map. "What was that?"

"The clouds. They look...wrong."

Something prickled at the back of Lucon's neck, at his mind. He'd heard those words before.

He tore himself away from the map and looked up. His subordinate's jaw hung open, his eyes wide in fear and confusion. So too were the other nearby soldiers and officers. Some of the soldiers throughout the rest of the camp had not noticed but wondered what everyone else was looking at. Their faces instantly matched their companions.

Above Eidfell Trellbog the sky had turned green. The many high clouds had turned black and were rapidly flattening themselves into disks. Lightning rumbled in the distance, thousands upon thousands of lightning bolts reached up and struck something solid above the city.

"It's happening again!" Lucon shrieked. He cared not how the others would judge him, if they even heard him. "How...That bitch cat! She must have done this."

"What are y-"

Lucon body turned to ice when the sky began to shatter. Great cracks began to form in the sky, like sheets of glass, and began to fall. Behind the falling sheets he could once again see the insanity of the writhing colours.

"Everybody down!" Lucon shouted. "Don't look at it! Eyes in the snow!"

Lucon dived under the table. Wet snow filled his face and nose but he was too terrified to care. He heard the order repeated over and over, followed by the sound of soldiers dropping. Lucon counted his breaths, waiting for the flash of light.

The breaths continued in silence. A solider moved, crunching the snow.

"What-"

He screamed the next moment as everything became white. Not even Lucon escaped it, with his eyes scrunched tight and face-first into the ground. Many soldiers screamed, calling for their mothers and any God they could remember. A few breaths later the light instantly vanished.

"What was that?!" Someone screamed.

Lucon pulled himself up, careful not to look at Eidfell. His vision had a tinge of green but nothing like the last time. The other soldiers and officers slowly picked themselves up, deeply shaken and afraid but mostly in one piece. Shouts began to ring out. Several had not listened to Lucon and had been blinded. Whether or not it was permanent he did not know. At least this time they had healers.

"What did you mean by cat bitch?" A soldier asked. Lucon was not in a state to worry about protocol.

"Ikel. She arrived through one of those things. I knew she was lying."

Lucon rubbed his eyes and looked towards the capital. The uppermost peak had completely melted, molten stone flowed down and through some surviving snow, throwing up great plumes of steam. The rest of the city looked fine but Lucon knew the would not be the case.

"Everyone!" Lucon shouted. "We're advancing on Eidfell Trellbog. They'll need our assistance. At the double!"

His orders were repeated and disseminated, the camp burst into life, as Lucon watched the steaming capital. He hoped nothing was wrong but his heart told him otherwise.

---[]---

Lucon's fears grew ever greater as they neared the city. Signs of life had all but disappeared. While most activity was obscured by the unique roofing of Eidfell Trellbog the smoke had dwindled to almost nothing. Like there was no one maintaining the fires or the forges. The small hamlets and homes outside the city had also become silent and still.

"Investigate the nearest house," Lucon ordered. "I remember seeing smoke coming from that house when we left. See what they have to say."

A small group of soldiers broke away from the main group. Lucon watched them scamper across the snow like a herd of white rabbits, while they stood still on the road, a glaring blot in an otherwise peaceful and serene land.

No one spoke a word as the soldiers approached the house. All of the windows were boarded up and closed, not unusual for the dead of winter, but no one responded when they knocked on the door. One looked back at Lucon. He waved them forward with his hand.

Two soldiers rammed the door with their bodies. On the third try, the door gave way and the two tumbled in. Lucon heard someone mutter something about discipline but that was cut short by a scream. Both soldiers ran from the house, one screaming like a terrified girl, the other simply ran with all his might. The other soldiers tried to catch him but he was slipperier than an eel. He ran past them and into the snow-covered fields. Only when a mounted soldier caught up to him did he stop.

"Bring him back," Lucon ordered. "Bring them both back. I want to know what they found."

As the two soldiers were trundled back the remaining soldiers peered into the room. Most recoiled in disgust, several threw up, but none were willing to go inside.

The soldier that had ran arrived first. Lucon's subordinate was not happy.

"Explain yourself." He spoke calmly but Lucon could feel the anger in his voice. "Why did you run?"

The soldier shook his head. "I'm not going back in there. I don't care what you say, I'm not doing it."

"So what did you see?" Lucon asked. "What made you run?"

The soldier refused to answer. His lips trembled and his brow began to run slick with sweat. Lucon shared a glance with his fellow officers. They were growing increasingly concerned at a formerly loyal soldier’s complete reversal.

"It was everywhere!" The second soldier screamed. He was larger than the first, scars and wicked tattoos adorned his face. Not someone that should have run. "Everywhere!" The man began to weep uncontrollably.

Lucon dismounted his stocky horse and trudged through the snow to the crying man. He had been given considerable space, out of pity or sympathy Lucon had no inclination or interest.

"What did you see?" Lucon asked softly.

The soldier wiped away the tears and snot building on his face. "I...I don't know what I saw."

An officer tried to speak but Lucon silenced him with a raised hand.

"Describe it to us." Lucon looked beyond. The other soldiers were returning, none had the same enthusiasm as before.

"Flesh." The man swallowed. "Covering the room. I saw hands, eyes, beaks and dog jaws...I don't know what it was but it covered everything." He looked back to the house. "The floor, the roof, even the fireplace...I don't..."

Lucon held his shoulder. "Get something to drink. As strong as you need."

The soldier whispered a silent thanks and ran to the baggage train at the rear.

"I need to take a look," Lucon announced. "Some men are to come with me, the rest will continue advancing down the road until they reach the crossroads."

The crossroads Lucon spoke of was less than a mile away. Those that were not chosen looked relieved they were not having anything to do with whatever horror lurked within the house.

"I've...Let's go."

No one spoke a word as they advanced on the house. They met the soldiers coming the other way. They too spoke of flesh covering the interior of the house but little else. Lucon sent them back to their main force to gain some strength, even if that was through liquor.

Nothing was amiss as they approached the house. Nothing at all. Somehow it made Lucon feel all the more unsettled by what he would soon be facing. An officer ordered a torch to be lit and an unlucky soldier to illuminate the house. He grumbled as he struck a piece of flint on stone.

A noise came from within. Everyone froze still, Lucon could even hear the sound of falling snow but nothing else.

"Did-"

The noise came again. It was little more than a muffled, strangled cry, yet it turned Lucon's stomach.

"Get that torch going," Lucon said.

The soldier hurriedly struck a light and peered around the door. He gasped and froze solid. An officer, the most junior amongst them, volunteered to look. He held himself better but was still shocked by what he saw.

"Lucon. Sir...You need to see this." His voice was little more than a whisper but to Lucon it sounded like he was almost pleading.

"Alright." Lucon took a deep breath. "Let's see what's got everyone in such a panic."

Lucon knew he was not a brave man but after receiving his promotion he had become a little braver, at least on the surface. He attributed it to the uniform and looks of respect from his officers and adoration from the civilians. All such thoughts evaporated when he finally looked inside.

All Lucon saw was flesh. Piles of skin and flesh, in every part and on every convincible surface of the room. Four great lumps lay in the centre, two slightly larger than the others, all surrounding a table half-submerged in the knotted flesh. It took Lucon a moment to realize they were people, or at least they were once people. The flesh quivered as the torch light was shone upon them. One of the smaller mounds fell backwards and Lucon nearly vomited.

There was no face, only a collage of mouths, eyes and even hands and a foot. They all slowly moved seemingly at random. An eye locked on Lucon, Lucon's body froze, but the flesh did not even notice. It continued swaying back and forth while the far two began to shake back and forth. Something covered the two that made it hard to see, a thick black fur coat covered the upper half of the pile. Lucon was not surprised when mouths began to emerge; dog and wolf snouts, many merged with one another at horrific angles, snapped and snarled at the air. The other two began to take notice and turned. The second fur-covered pile produced arms, most were human but three were different. Two looked identical to Ikel's, the other covered in thick scales. Somewhat mercifully the fourth pile was nothing more than a smooth pillar of flesh. Somehow it made Lucon the most ill.

"None of the Gods have anything to do with this." Someone whispered.

The voice caused the small smooth pillar to shudder. Lucon shrieked as a skull, belonging to a child, pushed against the surface of the pillar, hard enough to see its teeth. A foot below that the jaw pressed against the skin as well. Slowly the bones receded and the flesh began to calm.

"How?" Lucon asked. "How..."

This time the flesh did not respond. Something on the ceiling moved. Only a thin layer of flesh covered the roof, bundling itself around the beams for support. Lucon watched as veins, easily as large as his finger, pulsed a sickly blue blood towards the centre of the roof, right above the centre of the table. The four pillars looked up and Lucon began to back away. A turtle shell, the size of the table, hung from the centre of the roof, yet it was nothing like the turtles he knew from his homeland. The shell was built solely from hard muscle and suspended by thick bones with veiny flesh wrapped around it. At the rear, a dog's leg grew out of the rim of the shell and kicked sideways erratically. It stopped as quickly as it had begun and hanged limp, pulling the shell down at a steep angle. From the centre a long hand emerged, its fingers were little more than bones, and began to reach down to the pillars.

"Burn it!" Lucon yelled. Finally, his feet recognized the order from his mind and obeyed. "Burn everything!"

No one needed any encouragement. The torch wielding soldier ran around the house, lighting everything that might burn, while everyone backed away.

The long hand reached and pushed through the smooth flesh. Lucon swore that he heard a moan of ecstasy. The bony hand swirled and pushed deeper into the flesh, now the noises were far clearer, until it found the skull.

"Burn it all!" Lucon shrieked.

The soldier had started many fires but it wasn't enough. He threw pieces of lit firewood onto the roof but it had little effect. The other soldiers and officers ran to help hmm, perhaps to get away from whatever they were witnessing, leaving only Lucon and his subordinate.

The thing began to remove the skull. The smooth pillar shuddered and began to collapse, a thick white liquid flowed from the opening pooled in the folds.

A lick of flame burst through a window. An axe cleaved it open, sinking into the thin flesh but it did not annoy any of the creatures. An officer threw in an old oil lamp, right onto the table. The white liquid erupted into flames and spread throughout the entire house.

Lucon's subordinate grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

Within moments the flames had engulfed the house. The blue blood burst from the veins and ignited on contact, spreading the fire even faster. The three remaining pillars began to writhe and shuffle but could not escape the flames. Fur burned, skin charred and fat melted under the extreme heat.

The soldiers and officers rejoined Lucon. Many were still in a state of shock but at least they could still move.

The shell kicked and bucked, the dog leg spasmed wildly as the suspending muscles pulled erratically. Something began to scream.

Fire engulfed the shell, the muscles contracted from the heat and something tried to climb out. Lucon only saw a mangled face, human yet utterly horrific, stare at him before the flames began to take it. As it began to melt the skull slipped out and the creature truly began to scream. Lucon stood perfectly still, utterly transfixed in horror, as the fire consumed the roof. Someone grabbed him and pulled him back. Only when they were halfway back to their forces did Lucon order them to stop.

“Thank you.” Lucon stammered out. “What…What happened?”

“I don’t know.”

Lucon looked towards Eidfell. None of the houses had any smoke but there was every chance there was more of those things.

“Check every building,” Lucon ordered. “Check every building as we approach. Burn everything that contains those…I don’t know what monstrosities those were.” Lucon grabbed the collar of the closest man. “I want to see everything infested with those things burning. Do you understand?”

“Yes Sir!” The man needed no encouragement.

Lucon relinquished his hold and took a deep breath. “Let’s keep moving.” He looked back to the burning house. “There…Let’s keep moving.”

---[]---

No one watched them approach, no small group of horse-mounted riders thankful for the assistance. The city exterior was just as devoid of human life as the houses behind them. Lucon's nose recoiled at the pervasive smell of burning flesh, to say nothing of the inhuman screams that filled his head.

"You don't think they've been turned into those things?" A nearby officer asked loudly.

"I hope not," Lucon muttered.

Tens of thousands of people called Eidfell home. If even a fraction had transformed...

Lucon's thoughts were cut by a shout. For a brief moment he thought it came from a city guard on the wall. Instead, some of the soldiers at the front pointed to the base of the outer wall. Snow had continued to accumulate, unsurprising given everyone's disappearance, but the bloodstains on the wall were fresh. Snowflakes stuck to the blood and drew it into their crystalline structure, further illuminating the bloody smears. Most lay near the bottom of the wall and several beneath the fresh layer of snow. No marks adorned the top and only a few at the midway point, yet all were irregularly spaced.

No one spoke, Lucon broke the silence.

"What does anyone make of this?" Lucon asked.

"S..." The nearby soldier hesitated to speak until he received a nod from Lucon. "It looks like someone was thrown from the walls. The walls bulge out at the bottom...So that's why there's so many blood marks there..."

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" Lucon looked along the wall. Still nothing moved. "Go...Send some soldiers to check the areas where the blood leads into the snow. See if there's something there. Dig to the ground if you have to."

The unlucky soldiers grumbled and complained but still did their duty. They moved fast and low, their axes held tight in their hands, until they stopped just before the piles of snow. Lucon thought that something might have tried to attack them, whatever fleshy horror they had discovered in the house or the dozens of burning homesteads and tiny hamlets behind them. Lucon was certain their scientists and researchers would have loved to get their hands on those things, but Lucon only wanted to see them burnt.

The soldiers began to dig at the snow with their axe heads. One stopped, backed away and waved to them. Lucon had no idea what he was trying to say and had someone sent forward. The officer saw whatever lay in the snow, had it carried out and wrapped in their cloaks. They ran back to their force with the bundle suspended between them.

"Not more of those things?" Lucon asked. His hand instinctively reached for his weapon even though he had no idea if it was of any use.

"No, sir." The soldiers laid down the bundle before him. "But I think we have that cat woman."

"What?"

The cloaks came free, revealing a creature similar to Ikel. Yet there were stark differences; firstly the creature was clearly male, its brown fur coating covered in blotches of grey and black and its ears were longer. Blood ran down its face, matting its fur in blood, out of many deep wounds, deep enough to see bone. Lucon did not need any training to know how this creature died.

"That's not her."

"It's not?"

Lucon pointed to the creature's groin.

"I thought..."

Lucon shook his head. "Doesn't matter. Where's our surgeon? I want to know how this creature died. And keep digging near the walls. If you find any more I want them brought back here."

"Everyone else is to assume defensive positions." Lucon's subordinate continued. "Keep your eyes focused on the walls for any sign of activity. A few need to keep an eye behind, just in case...Something sneaks up on us."

"And if that light happens again?" An officer asked.

"Then we'll be dead or one of those things." Lucon shrugged. "Get to work, men. We need answers."

---[]---

Their army’s surgeons, a small cadre of men from a southern administrative zone, poked and prodded at the forty corpses they had so far recovered. The more they brought out from the snow the more questions were raised. A few of the bodies matched Ikel general description but many were completely different. Some looked more like dogs or wolves than cats, some like rats and one had a beak and feathers like a bird. Another looked like a turtle, giving Lucon no shortage of panic. Thankfully its shell was solid and not made from knotted flesh.

As Lucon continued to watch the bodies and the surgeons work from afar the lead surgeon slowly walked towards them. He stopped a few paces away, readied his pipe with a finely ground orange leaf and lit them with a small, personal flint lighter. Gold and brass adorned the metalwork, not a cheap implement.

“Well…” The surgeon drew deep on the pipe. “Where do you want me to start?”

“How they died.”

The surgeon glumly nodded and drew again on his pipe. “These…Creatures? They all died in the same manner.” He pointed his pipe at the nearest dead. “All died when they fell from the wall. I think you can imagine where those blood smears came from.”

“Any clue if they jumped or were pushed?”

“I can’t say for certain. But…There are some strange scratch marks on their bodies. It looks like it came from their own claws. Like they were trying to dig their skin apart…”

“I see…” Lucon looked to the gate. It stood proud and silent, no sign there was anything wrong. “Anything else of note?”

“Not without a proper dissection.” The surgeon bit on the end of his pipe. “That’s all I can say for now.”

“Thank you.” Lucon turned to his officers. “Get the gate open. We’re not going to find out anything just by waiting here.”

Soldiers, armed with ropes and hooks, approached a cleared section of the wall and threw their ropes. After ensuring the hooks were secured they began a slow and ponderous climb. Archers, the few archers that came from the Heartlands, took up position ready to strike down anything hostile moving on the wall.

“Any sign of other forces?” Lucon asked. “We aren’t the only soldiers near the city. Surely?”

“We are probably the closest.” His subordinate softly replied. “Eidfell has incredible defences. It makes sense to concentrate our strength here, not that there would be many that would reach here without having to pass through the mountains and outlying fortresses.”

“So we might be the only ones for some time.” Lucon sighed. “Send a group of riders to the nearest major town. Tell them to send reinforcements and that something horrible has happened.”

Lucon bit his lip. “Even if it destroys us, someone has to know that something terrible happened here. Better that than just wandering into a catastrophe.”

The selected few were more than happy to leave. They took their supplies and hurried along the road, staying right in the middle to give the still burning homes and hamlets as wide a berth as possible.

The climbers reached the top of the wall and clambered over. They glanced either side and visibly relaxed. One peered back and shrugged.

“What’s he saying?”

“There’s no one there.” Someone replied. “No one at all.”

“Did they all jump?” The surgeon asked. “It would explain the spacing, I suppose.”

Lucon had no way to confirm or deny the surgeon’s thought, but it was an intriguing thought.

The soldiers disappeared from view. A mighty groan emanated from the gate as it slowly swung open. The soldiers stood on the other side, unharmed but shaken.

“There’s more of them inside.” A soldier said. “Looks like they fell…I don’t know.”

Lucon clenched his fist and ordered the men to advance. They assumed a tight formation and slowly walked through the gate. Once bustling city streets were completely devoid of movement. Some small fires burned, remains of stoves and open markets smouldered tiny trails of smoke, but there was no sign of life.

“You think those things,” Lucon’s subordinate nodded to the burning houses. “Took everyone? Or those animal people things?”

“There were four people in that house,” Lucon mumbled. “Imagine how big it’ll be if it has everyone in here.”

A soldier raised his hand for everyone to stop. Something moved in one of the houses, pottery smashed and a door creaked open.

“Archers.” The order was softly repeated. Their bows trained on the door as something stumbled out.

It was one of the dog humans. This held a thick cloak close to its body, pulled tight around its head. Its clawed hands pulled so tight on the cloth it had torn but it did not appear to care. Terrified eyes swivelled around until they focused on the soldiers. Clarity and sanity returned, its muzzle softened as it raised its hand.

“Help me!” The dog creature spoke with a male voice. “Please!”

It started running towards them, uncaring or unaware of the arrows pointed at them.

“Don’t shoot,” Lucon said. “Someone stop…Him.”

A very large soldier broke their ranks, one of the few with a shield, and stopped a few paces from the dog creature. The dog creature stopped, its canine feet scuffed on the flat stone as it tried to get a grip.

“Don’t come any closer.” The large soldier growled, not in a menacing way.

“What?” The dog pulled its cloak tighter. “What is happening?”

“Who are you?” Lucon asked, more ordered. “Tell us in the simplest terms you can.”

“I…” The dog creature scratched his elongated nose with its claws. “I was preparing dinner for my family…Everything went bright. I couldn’t see…When I could I was like…” He raised his hand. “This.”

“Have you been out of your home until now?” Lucon asked. “There…”

More sound began to emanate from the nearby buildings. Things moved behind the shuttered doors, glints of eyes like predators hunting a deer in the night. The doors opened and more of the animal creatures emerged draped in whatever scraps of cloth they could find. Now there were hundreds, of a greater variety than those they found outside the walls; dogs, cats, birds, sharks, turtles, some kind of frogs and snakes and spiders. Some had more human bodies, at least their upper half like the snakes and siders, but their lower halves were far more animalistic than the others. Everyone had turned into beasts. Yet no one wore any clothes.

None said a word, everyone just stared at each other in utter confusion. Wind whistled through the open city gate and rattled the awnings and stretched cloth sails.

“What do we do?” An officer finally asked Lucon.

Lucon cleared his throat. “Are you all citizens of Eidfell?”

A few nodded but most were still stunned by what they had become.

“What is happening to me?!” One of the beast creatures screamed.

Whatever had kept them together finally broke and the crowds of beasts began to cry, scream and wail uncontrollably. The soldiers huddled tighter in their formation but lowered their weapons. No one had any idea what was happening.

A few particularly large beasts, these were almost twice the height of a normal human, incredibly strong with curled horns either side of large floppy ears, pushed their way to the front. Lucon thought they were cows, or buffalo’s at the very least. The soldiers readied their weapons, especially their javelins designed to deal with large bears and wolves.

“I…” One of the cow beasts rubbed his stubby fingers over his chin. “What is this?”

“I honestly have no idea,” Lucon said from behind the safety of his soldiers. “S-Shouldn’t there be more people?”

“Some…” The cow shook his head, the others with him looked to be on the verge of tears. He looked to an open house. Lucon could see an arm of a reptile beast resting in a pool of growing blood. “They couldn’t take it, what we are…Is this a dream? Please tell me this is a horrible dream?”

“Explains what we found outside.” An officer muttered.

“Can you assure me you aren’t hostile?” Lucon said. “We have some food and supplies, for what good it will do.”

“We have food.” The cow shook his head. “It’s…”

The wailing behind had become little more than a whimper, those that looked older moved between those crying and tried to calm them despite trembling themselves. The smaller beasts, Lucon presumed they were children, were in a far better condition, mentally at least, but they probably didn’t understand that this was reality and not a wild dream.

“But…”

“Bring everyone out,” Lucon said. “They must not stay inside. We need to…Take numbers. Our surgeons will do their best to treat wounds-”

“Why did this happen to us?” A turtle beast asked. Lucon immediately thought it was a female, given its softer features compared to the others. “What did we do to deserve this?!”

“I don’t know!” Lucon shouted. The nearby beasts recoiled from his shout. “I don’t know! But screaming won’t fix any of this! Now, I am the most superior officer of the United Empire in Eidfell now and you will listen to what I have to say!”

Some of the beasts, a seemingly random assortment, almost snapped to attention. Lucon did not know if they were former city guards or soldiers stationed here, even if they were part of his old squad, but it did not matter. Right now the most important thing was to maintain order and not let things devolve any further. His thoughts were confirmed as more buildings began to open with more and more beasts flowing into the streets.

“Now!” Lucon pointed to the large cow beasts. “I need all the help we can get. Do you understand what I am saying?”

“Yes, sir.” The cows saluted. Lucon held his face, being acknowledge by bestial creatures capable of perfect speech, was not an experience he thought he would ever have. “Medical supplies-”

“Everything. Anything and everything.” Lucon waved his soldiers forward. “Bandages, alcohol to clean wounds, food and…Everything you can think of.”

The cows, and the other braver beasts, roughly saluted and pushed their way through the terrified crowds.

“How long do you expect we can keep this up?” Lucon’s subordinate asked. “There are thousands-”

“We will do everything we can until we receive orders,” Lucon said. “What else can we do?”

“Find out what caused this?” The man shrugged as he looked deeper into the city. “Stop if it’s going to happen again.”

“Yes…” Lucon readied his weapon. “And I have a very good idea who’s to blame.”

Lucon pointed to the most experienced soldiers under his command. “You are to come with me. We’re going to find that cat bitch. She has some explaining to do.”