We arrived back at Kel'veth Village a day later, in a daze, the events of the day before having taken their toll on us.

Eliaria and Flint both headed to our room to rest and recover, leaving me alone with Cho'Maw. We had to report back to the captain, and tell him what happened in the cave, but I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that was hanging over me. Malachi had betrayed us, and now he was working with Patches. They were summoning demons and opening rifts, but why?

What is their endgame?

Cho'Maw limped over to me, his robes torn and bloody.

"You should rest," I said, the ven'thik's body was already mending, the process accelerated by Eliaria's healing.

"My duty is not yet done," Cho'Maw replied, his voice low and raspy. "The captain will want a report from his mage."

"Did you know Malachi?" I asked, the mage had been quiet on the trip back to the village.

Cho’Maw looked at me and shrugged, "Nightclaw arrived the night before the waves began. It was too convenient, but we were in need and I fear our desperation blinded us."

"He tricked me too," I said, "you're not alone in this."

"It does not take much to fool a ground-dweller," the ven'thik said, a smile forming beneath the mask.

"You have a sense of humor?" I said, unable to hide my surprise.

"I do," the ven'thik said, "it is my own ground-dweller blood that is the cause."

I wanted to ask him about his parents, but thought better of it. The fact that he wore a mask was proof enough that he wasn't comfortable with his appearance. I understood the need for hiding who you really were. I was part Earthling, part of the Tower but wholly nothing. For a long time, I didn't feel like I belonged anywhere. But my differences were in my head, not on my face for all to see.

I wondered about that, was there a taboo against ven’thik and humans having children, or did Cho’Maw have a more personal hatred of his human side. In the caves he had said something about humans always running away at the first sign of difficulty, had his human parent done that. Had they fled when faced with parenthood?

We walked in silence, the tunnel narrowing as we approached the captain's quarters. Just before we reached the command post, Cho'Maw paused, turning towards me.

"I had all but given up on your race, ground-dweller," he said, "you have proven me wrong. Your actions were foolish... but they were heroic too."

"Foolish hero is kind of my thing," I said with a smile.

Cho’Maw grinned and opened the door to the captain's quarters. The ven'thik strode in, with me following close behind.

***

We gave our report to Captain Zak'Sho, and I could tell that the captain was pained by the news of Malachi's betrayal. The card mage had fought with them, he had earned a name and a place among the tribe.

"The next wave will be upon us all too soon," the captain said. "They grow in strength with each wave. We will no longer be able to defeat them with brute force. We need a plan, a way to fight back."

"Shouldn't we focus on finding Malachi?" I asked, "If we stop him, we stop the waves."

"I fear that may be beyond us," the captain said. "The next wave will be upon us in a matter of days. We must prepare."

Cho'Maw looked up at me, "He is right, we must focus on surviving, ground-dweller. Malachi’s griffins could take him anywhere on the floor, we could spend weeks searching for him with no results."

"So what, we're just going to let him get away with it?" I said.

"No, we fight," the captain said. "We prepare ourselves for the next wave and when it comes, we will be ready. When it is over, we will track down Malachi and bring him to justice."

The captain's eyes burned with anger and determination. "The ven'thik will not stand idly by while our allies are slaughtered," he said.

"Nor will the ground-dwellers," the captain's eyes met mine, "right, Bastion?"

I nodded, my anger rising, "Yes, captain."

We would fight, and we would win.

***

I was placed under Sergeant Rhy’Lath's command. She didn't like the idea, but after my stunt in the cave, Captain Zak'Sho was interested in any other ideas I had for the upcoming wave. We had a day to prepare, and the camp was abuzz with activity.

We had gathered together as many of the tribes as we could, and the air was filled with the sound of hammering and shouting. The camp had been transformed into a small city, and I was proud to be a part of it.

The first idea I had was pretty straight forward, and it took up three hours of my time, but I was happy with the results. I'd repeatedly cast [Toxic Barrage] on cooldown into iron caskets until they were full of the deadly venom.

Sergeant Rhy'Lath took charge of dipping the ven'thik's arrows in the stuff and distributing it to the archers. The rest of the caskets went into Flint's [Arcane Vault] for the moment, they could be deployed as needed. Storing all the caskets pushed [Arcane Vaults] karmic debt up to [53%]. I didn't want to know what would happen when it reached one hundred, but that was a worry for another time.

The second idea was actually Eliaria's. We knew where the rift would appear in the sky, which meant we knew the exact spot where the demon's would land.

Using her [Hushfall] card, she was able to create a thick layer of mud across the ground in the designated area. Any demons that landed there would have a tough time getting out, giving the archers more time to thin the herd.

The third idea was more of a general strategy.

We had no idea how many demons we would be facing or what their next evolution would be. We had no choice but to be flexible.

Flint spent his morning moving boulders into strategic locations around the camp. He was hoping to fire them off using [Rift Bolt] like a cannon once the battle started.

Eliaria and the other healers were stockpiling healing balms, bandages, and anything else they could think of that might be needed during the fight.

For the most part, I was a glorified errand boy. My job was to run messages between the different leaders and make sure everyone had what they needed.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

As we worked, I couldn't help but think about Malachi. What he had done was unforgivable, but a part of me understood his motivations because they were the same as mine. We both wanted to save our people, we just had different ideas about how to do it.

The day flew by in a blur, and before I knew it, the sun had set. I found myself in the mess hall, surrounded by my friends and fellow soldiers. Flint was telling a story about our childhood in Misty Hollow. Eliaria laughed at the punchline, and even Rhy'Lath was smiling.

I looked around the room, taking in the sight of the gathered ven'thik. I'd known them for only a couple of days, but somehow protecting them and their village had become important to me.

"You are worried," Cho'Maw said, just before turning his back to me, raising his mask and ladling seed porridge into his mouth.

"How can you tell?" I asked, as the mage turned back to face me, his mask once again in place.

"Your face is a mask of concern," the ven'thik said.

I couldn't help but laugh. "That was a joke, right?"

"If you say so," Cho'Maw said, the faintest hint of amusement in his voice.

We spoke for some time about small things, anything to get our minds off of what was about to come. Nobody spoke about the battle, but it was clear that it was on everybody's mind. Many soldiers had been lost in the last wave, and many people sitting around us eating and laughing would be dead come the morning.

***

The time passed quickly and before long we were standing on the walls of the village, armed, nervous, and waiting.

Minutes became hours, and still, the sky remained clear.

"Where are they?" I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.

"I don't know," Flint said.

It was midnight and still no sign of the demons.

"Maybe they're not coming," Eliaria suggested.

"They'll come," Cho'Maw said. "They will not give up so easily."

Another hour passed and just when I was beginning to hope that the waves were finally over, a shadow passed over the moon.

"It's here," Captain Zak’Sho shouted.

A loud yawning sound echoed through the air as the sky tore open, revealing the gaping maw of a portal. Pink lightning flashed, striking an iron brazier on a nearby wall, sending sparks flying.

"Brace yourself," the captain said, "here they come."

I looked up at the portal, seeing the faint outlines of demons gathering in the rift.

Eliaria pressed her hands together in sign of prayer, "Maker protect us," she whispered.

"Ready," the captain called.

"Aim," the call echoed along the line of archers.

Demons dropped from the sky like hailstones, their claws raking the air. They landed in the mud, the impact sending up a spray of earth. They were larger than the previous wave, but they had no wings, instead they wore dull black armor and had four arms, each wielding a weapon.

"Fire!" the captain ordered.

Arrows whistled as they arced through the air, the tips coated in toxic venom. Most ricocheted off the demon's armor, but some found their mark, piercing the exposed flesh around the neck and eyes.

The demons howled in pain, but the battle had only just begun. More demons landed, their roars echoing across the battleground. These were short, wearing hide armor and wielding crossbows. They opened fire, and I felt a bolt whistle past my head.

"Get down!" I shouted, ducking behind a boulder.

The barrage of arrows and bolts continued, the venom slowing the demons down.

"Keep firing," the captain shouted.

A massive demon landed, its bulk crushing several of its smaller kin. It was covered in spikes and wielded a sword the size of a tree trunk. It roared, a sound that shook the air, and then charged towards the nearest wall.

Arrows littered its flesh, but still, it kept coming.

It crashed into the stone, the impact sending shockwaves through the air. Its massive sword cut through rock and archers like paper.

"We need to stop that thing," I said.

"Leave it to me," Flint said, a grim expression on his face.

He raised his hand and a beam of purple energy shot from his fingertips, hitting a boulder and teleporting it straight at the demon's head.

The demon, sensing the attack, spun, its sword catching the boulder and cutting it in two.

Archers fired arrows at point-blank into the demon's twisted face, but still, it advanced.

"Bastion, you have a plan B, right?" Flint said, backing away from the approaching behemoth.

"Of course," I said, my brow furrowing.

"Now would be a good time to use it," Eliaria said, her tone urgent.

"On it," I said, reaching into my pocket and drawing out the oracle glass.

I held it to my eye and scanned the demon, its stats appearing over its head.

[Gorgaroth]

[Rank: Infernal Marquess]

[Class: Berserker]

[Attunement: Fury]

It was so similar to one of us, but different. It had a name, for some reason I had thought of it as a mindless monster, but clearly it wasn't. I wasn't sure what attunement meant, I assumed it was something similar to our affinities, in which case there was a chance it could use magic.

"What is it?" Flint asked, his voice filled with panic.

"Hell if I know," I said, "It's powerful, I think it grows stronger the angrier it gets."

"You want me to tell it jokes while we fight?" he said.

"Focus," Eliaria shouted.

The demon began climbing the wall, its claws digging into the stone.

"Bastion, hurry!" Eliaria yelled.

I fired off [Toxic Barrage] to buy me some time as I planned my next move. The spell slammed into the demon. It staggered it for a second, before it continued its climb.

"That did nothing," Flint shouted.

Stretching out my hand, I summoned [Rootbound Bison]. It appeared next to me and I leapt onto its back, commanding it forward.

"What are you doing?" Flint asked.

"What does it look like?" I said, grinning.

The beast charged forward, its hooves pounding as it ran atop the wall. Archers jumped out of the way, cursing as they rolled across the ground.

I leaned forward, and the bison lowered its head, its horns gleaming in the moonlight. The demon spotted us, its gaze fixed on the bison.

"Hold on," I said, as the bison leapt.

With a thunderous crash, we collided. The impact sent a shockwave through the air. Vines shot out of the bison's fur, wrapping around the demon's limbs.

The demon howled, its sword lashing out, slicing through the vines. It reached down, its massive clawed hand grabbing the bison by the throat. With a sickening crunch, the creature's neck snapped. The bison vanished in a puff of smoke and I tumbled across the ground, my ribs cracking as I landed.

"Bastion," Eliaria shouted, running to my side.

"I'm fine," I gasped, as she healed my wounds.

The demon's eyes fastened on Eliaria, its teeth bared in a savage snarl.

It lifted the sword above its head and with a roar it launched it, spinning directly at the healer.

Eliaria reacted instantly, erecting a shield of air. The sword slammed into the barrier, shattering the spell and continuing its flight.

The demon's eyes widened, a look of surprise on its face, as the blade entered Flint's portal and vanished.

With a pop, Flint used [Warp Strike] and teleported behind the demon, a look of concentration on his face. The giant sword appeared in his hands, and he swung with all his strength.

The demon was fast, but not fast enough. The blade cleaved into its back, biting deep. It roared in pain, its massive clawed fist lashing out, catching Flint in the chest and sending him tumbling across the ground.

I shot forward, my feet carrying me at a dead run. I launched myself through the air, my dagger leading the way. I hit the demon, the impact driving the blade deep into the wound Flint had already made. I felt the dagger pierce its organs and looked into its eyes as the life faded from its body. For an instant I saw a flicker of something in their depths, a flash of regret.

And then it was gone.

I stood, my legs shaking as the demon fell to the ground.

"Bastion!" Eliaria shouted.

I turned, and for a moment, I could only stare as I took in the battle. The wall was littered with corpses, both ven'thik and demon alike. Arrows and bolts littered the battlefield, the poison doing its work. It looked like the battle was over.

"We did it," I whispered, unable to believe it.

"Not yet," Flint said, his voice strained.

"What do you mean?"

"Look," Flint said, his gaze turning skyward.

I watched in horror as a giant shadow appeared within the portal. A single tentacle, long and sinuous, emerged. Then another and another.