There were many things in the world that Eric did not want to face without the years of wisdom and incredible strength of Samuel to guide him. In fact, there were too many to number. But of course, as with everything else in life, what actually came about was the worst possible thing because it was one of those few things that he couldn’t expect, even in his wildest dreams.

He’d decided for one of the Kabe warriors to lift Samuel, carrying him with them as they retreated from the palace. In Eric’s mind, the mission of investigating the palace was moot now. There was no point in checking for survivors. If Samuel himself couldn’t make it through that devastating explosion, then nobody else would either.

We’ll carry him down to the South Gate,” Eric said. “Or at least until we can find a safe place to put him, then continue on to the gate. There will be more Masters along the way, and we can spread you out effectively.”

The Captain of the Kabe Warriors looked at the young-faced Master of Issho-Ni with silent respect, impressed by how quickly he’d overcome his grief and settled on an action plan. He had no way of knowing that, at that moment, Eric was doubting everything intensely. His order about moving south and finding other Masters was, in fact, nothing more than a way to shirk the responsibility he was carrying to someone more capable.

They remained quiet as they made their way down the slope away from the remains of the palace, almost as if in honor and respect of the dead Archmage in their midst. Each and every one of them knew enough about Samuel’s exploits and legendary feats that they couldn’t help but be in awe. Some of them had even been lucky enough to brush shoulders with the living legend. If he’d fallen, it spelled dark times for the city of Milagre and the country that it led.

Eric appreciated the silence, knowing that it afforded him the opportunity to stay focused on the only goal he could keep in mind. If there had been a conversation, he might have been distracted and made some mistake that only hurt their chances more. On the other hand, the silence left him to his own thoughts, which just then weren’t a safe place for him to be. He thought of Samuel, of what he’d learned from the man. He thought of his wife and child, the unexpected gifts of joy and light in what had been the most mysterious event in his life.

He wanted nothing more than to let the world freeze. Let it all stop, he thought, and let me sort through what I’ve seen. This kind of news needed time to settle in, to allow the bearers to reconcile with it, and come to accept it. But the world would not afford him such time. He was needed now, and he had a duty to fulfill. There was no time to sit with the thought. If he stopped, it would bowl him over, and then he’d be useless. And he couldn’t afford that just now.

It was the Captain, yet again, that noticed the first sign of a disturbance in the air. Or, more accurately, the absolute lack of anything that could seem out of the ordinary. It was enough of a shock to him and only him that he stopped in his tracks, his body tensed. Several of his compatriots, not prepared for the sudden halt, walked into him from behind, then hastily muttered apologies. Others turned in some confusion, seeing what the commotion was about, including Eric.

“What is it, Captain?” He asked. The man’s face was screwed up in a look of intense concentration. It was almost as if he were straining all his senses to try and catch something that he knew was there but couldn’t perceive. “Is something wrong?”

Then, he was hit by the sensation as well. Something… strange. There was something in the air around them that felt off. It wasn’t something that could be quantified by the physical senses. Not even his arcane senses, limited as they were, could detect that something was out of place. No, it was something deep inside him that reacted, and it did so in a bizarre way. He almost felt afraid.

“Shields!” He barked the order. And a split-second later, he was glad for the instinctual reaction. Each man moved at the command, stepping closer to their comrades and lifting their shields. The front four men in each unit presented their straight, while the two men on either side of the middle ranks put their shields to the side. Those in the rear turned one-eighty to form a perfect square of protection, and the four middlemost men lifted theirs high. In less than two seconds, they were completely hidden behind the white enchanted shields.

Something, or more accurately, many somethings, struck off the shields at all angles. The impact of metal on metal rang out at once, an eerie screeching tone that set Eric’s ears to ringing. Then there was a pause, and another unit was struck. Red lines of energy appeared out of thin air around them and hurled themselves at the Kabe Warriors. But they glanced harmlessly off the shields, as each man was so thoroughly protected by metal and magic. Another attack on the same unit produced the same results.

In the air around them, they heard a growl of frustration. It was a bone-chilling sound, a mix of ancient and evil. Something had tried to destroy them then, and was displeased that they had failed. Then, before they could properly react to the presence of the voice, it spoke. “Fine then. If I cannot touch you, we shall see how well you fare against us in person.”

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Eric drew his swords, ready to strike back at the first sign of attack. If the being, whoever or whatever it was, couldn’t harm the Kabe Warriors, it was only natural that they’d target him next. Even Hunter, sensing his heightened nerves, appeared, taking a protective stance against his back. The wolf’s long teeth were visible as it snarled at the open air, wanting something to strike.

“Still,” Eric said, every muscle tensed. He didn’t know if he was talking to Hunter or himself. Probably both. “Do not move until they attack.”

But it seemed that no attack would come. Instead, he heard the sound of yelling and shouting voices from several blocks away. Without the bustle of everyday citizens to deaden distant sounds, the voices rang out clearly. What rang even more clearly was the sound of metal striking metal and the battle cries of warriors getting into a fight.

“An attack!” Eric growled. In an instant, he forgot his order not to move. “Break shield and follow!”

The shields came down, and the men charged after him, still maintaining perfect order and discipline. He just hoped that however bad the fight ahead was bound to be, they could get there in time to make a difference. They turned a sharp corner to the right where the sounds were coming from, and Eric could make out the battle clearly. Though to call it a battle was severely stretching the word. It was nowhere close to evenly matched. It was a slaughter.

What appeared to be nothing more than ordinary citizens of Milagre were armed and swarming the guards and members of Maravino that had been clumped together. Eric could make out no more than two members of Issho-Ni, both apprentices. The guards and Issho-Ni were outnumbered two to one, but they fought grimly despite their losses, only gradually giving ground.

“We need to reinforce them!” The Captain of the Kabe Warriors called. But he didn’t give the order because he couldn’t. His call was to remind Eric of his duty in this moment. Like he needed to be reminded. In an instant, he charged forward, one sword raised.

“Issho-Ni!” He shouted the time-honored warcry and heard it echoed by the Kabe Warriors behind him. Loud as the cry was, it was muffled and drowned out by the thunder of footsteps from the forty-eight heavily armored figures. In the heat of the moment, he couldn’t recall the precise orders that the men behind him were trained to respond to, so he merely shouted, “Smash them!”

And they did precisely that. The call of ‘Issho-Ni’, quite apart from being the name of their organization and their rallying cry, served as a trigger word for another of their enchantments, sharply increasing their strength and stamina. They caught up to Eric in a second and were soon passing him effortlessly, splitting like a smooth river only to reform and continue their charge. They glowed with a harsh white light, and their weapons were coated in the life force of their god.

They hit the battle line at the perfect moment, just when the attackers had managed to punch a hole through the line of defenders. When they struck, there was virtually no check to their power or speed, and they threw their enemies back a dozen feet. They were quickly followed by more of their compatriots, as now a large hole was being punched in their line. The Kabe Warriors broke through their force with almost contemptuous ease, fueled by divine power.

The attackers attempted to hit the Kabe flanks to cut them down while they were surrounded, but they were given no time. As soon as the original rush had ended, the three units turned to the sides, splitting and reforming seamlessly into two oppressive lines of double men. They trapped the attackers between their lines and the buildings behind them and went to work. It was a quick, decisive effort. In a matter of minutes, the last of the attackers had fallen, and the Kabe Warriors retreated several steps, weapons still raised to strike.

“Men and women of Milagre!” Eric called, his voice a little unsteady at the display. He’d heard stories of how effective the Kabe Warriors were, but it was his first time seeing them in effect. “Those of you who are injured, move to the south gates. For those who can still fight, follow me, and we will rid the city of any other attackers who may be causing problems.”

There was a loud grumble of assent from the warriors still standing. Then, after a delay, as the reality of their survival came to them, the grumble turned into a roar of agreement. They’d been spared and lived to fight again. It was almost like a divine blessing in their eyes.

“Where shall we go, lord?” One of them asked.

“I am not a lord,” Eric corrected. “You may address me as Master Breeden if you insist. Stick to highly mobile groups, and spread out as much as you can. Spread the word of our efforts to all that you see. Tell all that I am leading the Kabe Warriors to the south gate and that Grandmaster Tokugawa should join me there, if anyone sees him.”

“As you command, Master Breeden,” the same warrior said, then began issuing orders. In minutes, the warriors were scattering in different directions, all taking long, winding routes that would inevitably lead them to the south gate. As they went, he could hear them shouting their own warcry, “For Milagre!”

And again, without quite expecting it, silence had fallen around them once more. He directed the Kabe warriors to rest for ten minutes, and they complied gratefully. Even that short encounter had drained them, and they took the chance to recover eagerly. Eric himself continued to pace back and forth, wondering what he was going to do now.

With Samuel dead, his wife and daughter somewhere he didn’t know of, great sections of the city destroyed, and random civilians now attacking, the present situation seemed rather bleak. It was all he could do to keep his emotions in check. He couldn’t fall to pieces, at least not yet. The ten minutes passed quickly, and he got the Kabe Warriors back to their feet, ready to move on once more.

“Let’s go,” he told them. “See if we can’t pull something good out of this catastrophe.”