Moral among the women of Ulustrah soared when the relic of the goddess was presented before them. It did much to dissipate the anger brewing in the camp and encourage them to go forward. Gersius was impressed at how Thayle used the weapon, saying it was proof Ulustrah wanted them to take up the sword and march on Calathen. She was also careful to weave the Doan into the message. Calathen was only the first step. The war wasn't over until the Doan were defeated.
Mingfe approached her after the speech, and the two had an animated conversation. He wasn't close enough to hear what was said, but it was obvious by the way Mingfe gestured it was important. Gersius felt a twinge of anger from Thayle, and the two women headed off to deal with whatever had come up.
Lilly spent the morning with the acolytes guiding them through prayers. When the task was done, she sent them to their chores, then ran after Sarah and Numidel. She was eager to learn all she could from the older dragons and dragged Shadros with her.
There was disappointment this morning when Lilly woke. Her heart was set on entering the dream at will, and once again, she failed. Thanks to Sarah's instruction from the day before, she was determined to share the dream.
Gersius wasn't sure what he expected from this dream. Lilly made it sound like it would be as real as this world; only it wasn't this world. He hoped that whatever world it was, it was free from the dream he often revisited of a dark room under the Whiteford.
It was with great regret he ordered the camp broken down and the army readied to move. There were many people in the camp in various stages of training. If he could stay put for a few days or a week, they could make significant progress.
He wanted to spend more time in sword practice with Lilly and Thayle. Lilly might be learning moves from the bind, but still wasn't using them from muscle memory. She thought out every step, lending a delay to all her actions. Practice was the only solution to that problem, but time was not something he had to give her.
As the camp came down, Sarah and Numidel arrived to inform him it was time to fly back and check on the saddle and other items. They believed the trip would take three days to get there and back and would follow the road south to find the camp.
Gersius bid them a safe trip while Lilly pouted that they were leaving. In contrast, Thayle was glad to be on the move, hinting that there was a new challenge among the women. He suspected it had something to do with the sword, but she shook her head when he asked. She told him something unexpected had come up, and she would explain it once they were on the road.
The three of them walked at the head of the column a good thirty paces before the lead horses. It was here Thayle finally began to speak, and Gersius could feel the pain in every word.
“I have two problems I need to speak to you about.”
“Of course,” Gersius said. “Lilly and I will help in any way we can.”
Thayle nodded and continued. “Some of my women are changing,” she said. “They are not the same people who started on this march. The battles and trials are causing them to harden in ways I wasn’t prepared to deal with.”
Gersius nodded; it was to be expected. Men put under terrible strain in battle often changed, filling with consuming anger for the cause of that change. Some would grow distant and cold; others would commit acts of brutality that days earlier would have horrified them.
“How bad is it?” he asked.
“As you know, some of them were enraged you wouldn't let them kill the prisoners,” Thayle said. “But now they see the logic of your decision. Still, they think you show too much mercy in your ways and could learn a thing or two from Sarah. They wonder if Sarah should be leading the armies.”
Gersius took all that in stride, not allowing the displeasure to show on his face.
“I know how it feels to want revenge,” he said. “And they are justified in seeking it, but they must place that anger where it belongs. I myself want to get my hands on Dellain and put an end to his treachery once and for all.”
“I want Dellain and the Father Abbot,” Lilly said. “I am surprised you don’t want that old man as well.”
“His sins are against the order itself,” Gersius said. “I have thought about this a great deal, and it is Sarah who should deal with him.”
“That makes sense. She is Astikar’s champion after all,” Thayle agreed.
“But what about all the terrible things he did to us?” Lilly asked.
“I believe Sarah should be the one to cut off the head of the snake,” Gersius said. “It will help restore honor to the order to have its champion be the one to cleanse it.” His wives agreed and went strangely silent. He turned to Thayle, remembering that she had two concerns. “What was the other issue you wanted to speak of?”
Thayle looked torn and felt conflicted over the bind. She glanced away for a brief moment as if embarrassed by what she was about to say.
“Some of the women in my camp wish to embrace this way of life,” she said.
“What way of life?” Gersius questioned.
“The way of war,” Thayle said. “They are unhappy with how few of Ulustrah's blessings are useful in combat. They no longer wish to walk the path of Ulustrah; they want a path more suited to combat.”
Gersius heard the pain in Thayle's voice, felt it over the bind, and saw it in her aura. He knew this was likely to happen, as it happened to many that faced such struggles. War changed everyone who experienced it, and the turmoil of battle, where friends and comrades died, only accelerated it. This was what worried him the most about Thayle that her heart would seek this path. It was only logical that some of her women would as well.
“So what do you want to do about it?” he asked.
Thayle felt even more nervous, and she looked to him and Lilly.
“I think they would be better suited to Balisha’s faith.”
“What?” Lilly interjected. “Why our faith?”
Thayle shook her head. “Truth be told, they would be better suited for the order of Astikar. I know Sarah made it clear women were allowed in the order, but they harbor too much resentment for Astikar. Vellis is even more pacifistic than my order. The only order that would suite them is yours.”
“They want to be priestesses of Balisha?” Lilly asked.
“The answer is no,” Gersius interrupted.
“Why not?” Lilly countered.
“What do you mean, why not? We can not take them into our order just because they are angry.”
“But what about the advantages they offer?” Lilly asked. “They have trained in faith and combat already. With just a little training in our blessings, we would have soldiers of our own.”
Gersius shook his head. “This isn't about soldiers. It is about the condition of the heart.”
“You heard what Thayle said. They no longer have the heart to worship Ulustrah. Why can't we take them into our order? All our powers are useful for combat; it might be just what they want.”
“It is what they want,” Thayle said. “They want a faith that will give them the edge in battle.”
Gersius ran a hand through his wild brown hair in frustration. If he didn't take the women, they would fester in a faith they no longer had a heart for. In time they would lose access to their power as their faith fell away. If he did take them, it would change the entire dynamic of the camp. Suddenly there would be full priestesses and soldiers of Balisha. He would have to change their armor and create a command structure. There was one important question that needed answering.
“How many?”
“Two hundred and eighty-nine,” Thayle said.
“You know exactly how many?”
Thayle nodded. “Mingfe saw the problem yesterday and went to the women in groups. She pulled aside all the women who felt the same and spoke with them. Then she made me aware of it this morning. I had a brief moment to address them myself before the camp came down. They were very respectful but made it clear; they no longer feel they belong to Ulustrah.”
“I’m sorry,” Gersius replied. “War changes the heart. We should have expected this to happen.”
“You have been warning me for days that the trials ahead would test me. I should have thought about those under me as well,” Thayle said. “It was arrogant to assume I was the only one being affected by the crimes of this war.”
Gersius nodded and put a hand on her shoulder. “If it eases the burden on you, I will take them, but you need to assure me you will not be hurt if I do.”
“I would rather see them worship a divine they had the heart for,” Thayle said.
“So, we're going to take them?” Lilly asked excitedly.
“Yes, Lilly,” Gersius sighed. “We will take them, but you have no idea how much responsibility this puts on you.”
“What do you mean?” Lilly asked innocently.
“Who is the high priestess of Balisha that leads the faithful in prayer every morning? Who is the dragon of Balisha that all the faithful clamor to see and speak with? You are going to be inundated with priestesses making demands of your time.”
“Oh,” Lilly said as the idea fully formed. “I didn’t think of that.”
“We will have to test them and find the most capable fighters to use as captains,” he said. “And we need to find the ones with the greatest focus in the divine connection, and focus on training them in the blessings first.”
“I could give them my dragon blessing,” Lilly said excitedly. “We could train them night and day!”
Gersius sighed as Thayle smirked and let out a little laugh.
“You think this is funny?” he asked. “You are the one who will not have Lilly to hold at night when she is busy training.”
“Oh, pooh,” Thayle cried.
“It won’t be every night,” Lilly countered. “Just until they make the connection and master the blessings.”
“And what about combat training?” he asked.
“They are already trained,” Lilly said.
“We can't field them in the same armor and weapons as the women of Ulustrah. Our blessings are better suited to heavy armor, with a long sword and shield. We will have to rearm and train them with equipment suited to our blessings.”
“This isn't going to be as easy as I thought,” Lilly sighed. “Sometimes, I feel like I am always wrong.”
“Oh, Sweetheart,” Thayle said as she put her arm around Lilly. “You're not wrong; you're hopeful. You saw the best outcome of the situation, and you jumped for it. If more people could see things like you, this world would change for the better.”
Gersius felt Lilly warm over the bind and lean over Thayle to hug her back.
“We will have to reorganize the camp,” Gersius said. “We have a significant number of extra tents from the raven guard. We will use these to set up a camp behind the meeting tent. We can also find weapons from those salvaged from the battle; maybe some armor as well.”
“Thank you for doing this,” Thayle said as she and Lilly walked wrapped in one another.
Gersius nodded in return and struggled not to dwell on his worries, lest both his wives read his thoughts. There would be time enough to worry about it when the camp was set up.
“We should speak to Mingfe and the camp organizers to make arrangements,” he suggested, beginning the preparations.
They spent the next two hours speaking with Mingfe, who had already organized the women into a unit. She was grateful to know they would be moving to a new camp, citing that their cries for aggression would only infect more.
Gersius was disturbed by it all but kept his feelings in check. If their hearts were changed to the point that they found the tenets of their faith too restricting, they had to go. It only made sense to accept them into Balisha's faith and put their eagerness to fight to use. Still, soldiers eager to shed blood were often reckless in battle, and on the road ahead, they could not afford to be reckless.
They made camp later in the night, and the changes confused many. Some of the high priestesses of Ulustrah objected to the women being taken away. There was a belief that these women needed to be properly rebuked and put back in their places. Gersius and Thayle spoke with the leaders and raised the question of what the women wanted for themselves. If their heart no longer yearned to serve Ulustrah, then punishing them would only make them bitter. In the end, the leaders gave up, but it tarnished the mood gained by Thayle's speech earlier.
Gersius spent most of that night talking to the woman and testing them. He wanted to make sure they understood that faith and discipline would be the order of the day. They were not free to kill at will, and needed to show proper restraint. There were be days ahead where they would be put to the test, and any found wanting would be removed.
Lilly took the acolytes and sat with the women. She taught them Balisha's song and led them through it a dozen times. She hoped the women would quickly make the connection and begin growing in Balisha's power. There was almost an eagerness on Lilly's part to grow their faith rapidly. He remembered he promised she could take more acolytes but had scarcely given her a chance to do so. He would have to find some time on the road ahead to let her find some more.
Thayle demonstrated the power of the sword, using it to speed the production of food. Women gathered to see the display and stood in awe as Thayle did alone what twenty women couldn't do. Afterward, they finally found some time to be alone.
Once inside their private space, Lilly was nervously excited. She liked the idea of having so many followers, saying how Balisha's faith was sure to be established now. Gersius wasn't so sure, and when she detected his doubts, she smothered him in kisses. They spent the remainder of the night in bed, sharing the love they so desperately needed. When sleep finally began to pass over them, Lilly whispered something about the dream and how maybe this would be the night.
The morning came all too soon, and Gersius felt a strange sadness in his heart. Lilly was in his left arm and Thayle his right. Both women slept on his chest, tucked in as close as they could get. He hated the fact that this had to end. Why couldn't he hold his wives until he was content? Why did duty always call him away? With great reluctance, he woke them, sharing a final hug before they moved from his arms.
The camp was broken down and packed early, so Lilly wasted no time in gathering her flock and leading them in song. The new women gave strength to the song so that all of the camp heard it. He spent some time in meditation, asking Balisha for guidance on this matter. Was taking in these women the right thing to do? Was Ulustrah upset that she lost them? He meant no offense to Ulustrah and offered a prayer to her as well. He thanked her for all she had done and offered an apology for the women.
No food was served, and the meeting was short and to the point. They were on the road, marching at a quick pace for nearly an hour before the sun was fully over the horizon. Once the sun was established, Gersius ordered the column into a walk to give them a rest. He then took his wives back to address matters of weapons and armor. He needed to return the gear that belonged to Ulustrah and find supplies for the new soldiers of Balisha.
As they spoke with Kilgian and some of the men put in charge of the armory wagons, there were calls of alarm.
“Call for Gersius!” Lengwin yelled from the front. The message was relayed down the line until it reached him. He quickly ran forward with Lilly and Thayle arriving at the front, where Lengwin worriedly pointed down the road.
A mile ahead of them was a distant town spread over several low hills. It looked to be a modest town with a small walled area in the east. From this distance, it would appear to be a place of beauty if not for the thick pillars of black smoke that rose from the streets.
“Why is it on fire?” Lilly asked.
“Could there have been a dragon attack?” Thayle asked.
“The fires are limited to three small areas,” Gersius said as he studied the town. “Lilly, can your human eyes see like the dragon can? Do you see anything around the fires?”
Lilly nodded and squinted into the distance. “I see bodies.”
“Are they burned?” he asked.
Lilly put a hand up over her eyes to shield out the sunlight. “They don't look like it from here, but honestly, I can't tell.”
“A battle, maybe?” Thayle asked.
“Who would be fighting in a small town?” Lengwin questioned.
“Could it be the raven guard who escaped the bridge?” Thayle asked.
“I hope not,” Lengwin interjected. “I sent scouts with letters to the surrounding temples days ago. They were supposed to be gathering here to meet us.”
“I need your cavalry,” Gersius said to Lengwin as he moved to a nearby horse.
“What for?” Lilly asked.
He turned with little time to explain and looked her firmly in the eyes.
“Lilly, I need you to get into your dragon form and bring Thayle to assist me.”
“You’re going in without us?” Lilly asked.
“Your saddle is in a wagon. It will take several minutes to get it down. I will take the cavalry and charge ahead to aid the town. You will arrive only a minute or two behind me.”
“Then, you can wait!” Lilly insisted.
“That battle is still raging. We do not have time to wait,” he said. “I have seen battles lost for twenty seconds of delay.”
Lilly stamped a foot in frustration, but Thayle led her away as Gersius mounted up.
“Bring the infantry up as quickly as you can,” he said to Lengwin and then turned his horse to the road. “Cavalry with me,” he cried and led the horsemen in a run down the road.
“Captain Brills, order the infantry forward,” Lengwin said as he watched Gersius race ahead.
“Why can’t he wait for us?” Lilly argued as a dozen men of the militia struggled to get her saddle down.
“People will die long before we reach them,” Thayle said.
“He could die before we reach him!” Lilly argued.
“Sweetheart, we have to trust him,” Thayle said soothingly. “I know you love him dearly, and you want to protect him, but you have to trust him.”
“He made me sit still while you were fighting; the feeling was terrible,” Lilly said.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Thayle smiled and took Lilly by the hand, leading her away from the wagons.
Lilly huffed as the saddle came down, and the men helped carry it into the field so Lilly could change safely away from the horses.
With a flash of light, she grabbed the saddle with a scaled hand and hastily buckled it on. Thayle climbed up, and a moment later, they took to the sky to pursue their husband.
Gersius led the cavalry straight down the road. As they got closer, they began to encounter people fleeing the city. Gersius stopped to question a man helping his wife along.
“What has happened?” Gersius asked.
The man looked at the priests with Gersius and shook his head, unwilling to speak. The woman, however, looked up with a badly bruised face.
“You vile priests of Astikar are tearing each other apart!” she spat. “You’re all a bunch of murderers!”
Gersius sat straight in his saddle and ordered his column forward. The town had a fortified keep, but no outer walls. Still, there were clear lanes and main roads, many of which were choked with people fleeing something from the within. Some of them hurled insults as they went by, a few even threw a rock. Gersius ignored the taunts, working on getting through them to the source of the problem. As the crowds thinned, he rounded a corner to a plaza where a wagon and market stall burned. Two dozen people lay motionless on the ground. Some wore the heavy armor of Astikar, but a few wore Ulustrah's armor, and some were civilians.
“Astikar be merciful, they are fighting the women of Ulustrah,” he heard one of the men with his gasp.
Gersius wasn't so sure that was true. The woman outside the city said the priests of Astikar were tearing each other apart. It was more likely the women of Ulustrah were caught in the crossfire.
“We divide in two!” Gersius ordered to keep them focused on the task at hand and not on the slaughter in the plaza. “Captain Arnug will lead the first column down the left street. I will go down the right. We are to aid and assist the people of the city and our forces that were gathering here.”
A Captain with a golden line on his helm pulled his line aside and formed it up to take it down the left lane while Gersius went right. This street had more bodies, and unfortunately, most were civilians. As he led the forces to an intersection, he finally found what he was looking for.
“It is the raven guard,” he growled as he saw the armor and banners.”
Ahead of him were fifty men in heavy armor. The plates were a dark gray color with a red ravens head on the right shoulder. He could tell that most of the men were infantry and not true priests, but mixed among them were men hurling hammers of Astikar and shouting words of power. They were fighting with a mixed formation of city guards, priestesses of Ulustrah, and other priests of Astikar.
“This is infantry,” one of his men said. “I thought none of the infantry escaped.”
Gersius shook his head as the truth dawned on him. The raven guard was raising formations and sending them north to block his path. They were probably meant to gather in one place and meet him in force. He shattered that plan by increasing the march, reaching the forming lines before they had a chance to solidify. When the first battle line broke, they retreated to the bridge, picking up any units along the way. That was why there were so many when Thayle attacked. Now the fleeing cavalry was linking up with even more men marching up the road. There would be a dozen skirmishes all the way to the southern mountains, and likely a dozen more beyond.
“Line!” Gersius called, forming his column into rows three men deep. “Spears forward, swords to follow behind!”
The men readied weapons and waited at the ready as Gersius drew the silver sword of the dragon knight.
He took one last deep breath and nodded his head. “Let none of them escape!” he yelled before kicking his horse into a charge. Behind him, the line followed as they thundered down the lane. The rear of the raven guard looked back just before Gersius killed his first man.
Lilly flew almost in a panic as she and Thayle felt Gersius’s spike in anxiety over the bind.
“He’s in trouble!” Lilly cried.
“Lilly, calm down!” Thayle insisted. “He has been through several major wars and always comes out safe.”
“This isn't the same!” she insisted. “I never realized I was going to fear for you two!”
“That is perfectly natural,” Thayle said as she leaned over to rub Lilly’s neck. “We will be there in seconds, just please relax.”
Lilly swept down over the city and quickly spotted fighting.
“Sweet Ulustrah, no!” Thayle cried to see the scale of it. “This is more than some scattered cavalry.”
“Where do we help?” Lilly asked, feeling lost. “Gersius always tells us where to go!”
Thayle leaned over the side, trying to get a clear view of what was going on in the streets. She spotted a woman in green mixed with men in silver and red. They had a line of civilians armed with farm tools and improvised weapons standing behind them.
“Land behind that line,” Thayle said as she pointed.
Lilly nodded and dived, throwing her wings wide just before the ground, beating the air in tremendous bursts to arrest her speed. She touched down to the panicked and shocked faces of the people on the street.
Thayle stood in the saddle immediately and used the dual voice to call to the people.
“Do not be alarmed, I am Thayle, champion of Ulustrah, we are here to assist you.”
If her words changed anything, it wasn't registered on the faces of the people. One of the men of Astikar approached to a safe distance and made a slight bow.
“You are the dragon knight, wife of Gersius?”
Thayle climbed down and quickly made her way to the man who addressed her.
“I am, this is Lilly, the high Priestess of Balisha.”
The man made a strange expression, and Lilly bellowed.
“They still don’t know I can talk,” she said irritably.
Thayle wanted to smile and explain it, but there were bodies in the street, and time was of the essence.
“What is happening here?” Thayle demanded.
“The bloody raven guard is what's happening. They arrived this morning with horsemen and entered the city. They came to our temple and demanded we join their ranks, but we could not.”
“You refused them out of faith,” Thayle said with a nod.
The man shook his head. “Sadly, no, but we still couldn't join them.”
“If not for faith, then why?”
“Because they were hiding us,” a woman said.
Thayle looked up to see a slender woman with short curly hair. She wore the armor of Ulustrah and bowed her head in greeting.
“The high priest of Astikar here is a good man. He refused to arrest us when the orders came and hid us instead. When your letters arrived, he sent men to move us to join your army, but the raven guard arrived and discovered his plan.”
“And then they attacked,” Thayle surmised.
“The battle has been going on all morning,” the man replied. “We had them contained in a small section of the city, but then a unit of infantry arrived to reinforce them.”
“Their leader is a big man on horseback they address as Tull,” the priestess said. “He has a small unit of cavalry with him. He ordered the city guard to assist him when the noble priests would not. When the guard refused to aid him, he declared them all traitors and started attacking the people.”
“Where are they now?” Thayle asked.
“Most are in the market streets fighting the city guard. We were forming up a scratch unit to reinforce them,” the man said.
Thayle nodded and pointed to the north.
“Our army is ten minutes away, approaching from the north. I need you to help people get out of the fighting so our army can get in. Clear the main streets, and then direct them to where the fighting is. Have any wounded moved just outside the gates, we have priests of Vellis with us, they will take care of them.”
The man saluted and made haste, calling to the forces gathered with new instructions. The woman stared at Thayle as if not believing what she was seeing.
“You’re really a dragon knight?”
“I am,” Thayle said as she tightened her shield strap on her arm.
“And a priestess of Ulustrah?”
Thayle smiled and stepped ahead of Lilly.
“Child, I don’t have time to explain it to you. Please, help the people get to safety, we can talk when the city is secure.”
The woman nodded and hurried to help the others as Thayle took a deep breath.
“Come, Lilly, let's follow the pull of our husband and put our worries to rest.”
Together they hurried off in the direction they felt him in, hoping the fighting would be over soon.
The men of the raven guard were taken entirely by surprise as Gersius crashed through them. A cheer went out from the other city guards, and militia as the cavalry tore the infantry apart.
In less than a minute, the formation broke, squeezed between the two lines. As much as he wanted to see mercy done, there was no time, and angry civilians armed with improvised weapons hacked the wounded apart. He reformed his line and made his way to the guard captain and his battered force.
“How many more are there?” Gersius asked in a rush.
“At least a hundred and fifty,” the man panted. “And a strong detachment of priests as heavy cavalry.”
“Where?” Gersius asked and got a pointed finger deeper into the city. He stared down the nearest street and nodded his head. “My army is approaching your gates. Gather your wounded and meet them at the north wall. They will assist you with healing.”
“I’m not leaving my city until every last one of these cursed fools is dead,” the captain replied.
Gersius smiled at the brave remarks and nodded his head. “Then I ask you to assign the civilians to carry the wounded out. They have no place in a battle like this.”
The man nodded, and Gerisus wasted no more time, pressing on to hunt the ravens. He caught sight of Captain Arnug's forces storming down a distant street with swords raised. He was obviously having some luck on the hunt and pressing the enemy back.
Gersius found another detachment setting fire to an inn and made quick work of them. There were more bodies in the street; men and women cut down as they fled. He worked to keep his anger in check as they arrived at another plaza to find yet more slaughter. Someplace to his left came the cries of a charge followed by the sounds of battle.
“Captain Arnug must have found the main force,” Gersius said, turning his horse. If the Ravens had a single large force, he would rather recombine his cavalry to maximize their strength. He turned the column and led them toward the sound of battle.
It wasn't long before he found the other column heavily engaged in a battle sprawled over a series of narrow lanes and alleys. The ravens were using the buildings and narrow lanes to choke the cavalry, preventing them from making use of their mobility.
Gersius ordered his men to dismount and advance on foot, meeting the enemy on more even ground. The infantry were in heavy armor and well-entrenched, but his men were full priests. As hammers of Astikar began to thin the lines, the ravens retreated deeper into the narrow streets.
He took a moment to take stock of the situation. The ravens were contained, and his forces were superior. If all went as well, he wouldn't even need the rest of the army to finish this fight. However, he was aware that thus far, there had only been infantry. Someplace in the city were the cavalry and the far deadlier priests. As he pondered this thought, some movement caught his eye. He turned in time to see a man in raven armor duck behind a building behind him. He caught a glint of gold on the armor, signifying a man of rank.
“Captain Arnug,” Gersius called. “I am taking five men with me, take command of the rest, and pursue the ravens.”
“Aye, sir,” the man replied with a salute.
Gersius quickly picked five men and led them in pursuit, storming down the street on foot.
“Be alert; I saw an officer of the ravens. This may be an attempt to ambush us,” he warned.
They rounded the corner and found a deserted street. Gersius slowed to a walk, searching the doorways with his gaze for hidden enemies. As he neared the middle of the long lane, he reached out over the bind, calling to his wives.
“Lilly, Thayle, how close are you?”
“Can’t you feel us?” Lilly asked.
He was so focused on his surroundings; he hadn't detected their presence. He allowed his mind to feel for them and realized they were maybe two streets over.
“Are you safe?” he asked.
“We have encountered two small packs of raven guards,” Thayle said. “Lilly killed them all before I could reach a single one.”
He smiled in silence as his gaze searched his surroundings again.
“I believe there is a raven officer in the city. I saw him run down a street, but now I can't find him. I suspect he is luring me into an ambush.”
“Then stop following him!” Thayle cried loudly in his mind.
“I cannot let such a man getaway. I need you two at my side to spoil the ambush.”
“You’re aggravating,” Thayle said. “You caution me on taking risks and then take them yourself. Please be careful until we get to you.”
He smiled broadly as he crept down the lane sword in hand. The men behind him followed cautiously, checking every shadow and open doorway. He heard the neighing of a horse that was answered by another, causing all the men to freeze. Then a terrible surge of worry hit him from his wives.
“Gersius!” Thayle cried in his mind. “The ambush is here!”
Gersius whirled around, facing a row of houses with no gaps between them. Someplace beyond his wives were in danger, and no quick path presented itself. Heart racing, he ran into the doorway of a house, using his shield as a ram and tore it from the frame. Dashing down a narrow hall, he blasted through the back door, spilling out into an alley. Someplace behind, he could hear the heavy footsteps of his men trying to follow his reckless change of direction. Over the bind, he felt Lilly and Thayle in a rising panic.
“Lilly, use your breath!” Thayle cried as a dozen heavy cavalry charged down the street. Long lances with metal caps leveled their direction. Behind them were eight infantry and a tall man in decorated armor.
Lilly let loose with a cone of freezing white that was answered by orange flashes. When the blast ended, they were shocked to see the horses still coming. The men were leaning forward with an arm before the horse's neck, an orange light like a shield blocking the blast.
“It didn’t work,” Lilly said in alarm.
“These are veterans,” Thayle said as she drew her sword. “We can’t hope to fight so many, quickly get us to the sky!”
Lilly grabbed Thayle with a hand and threw out her wings, beating the air and lifting up. A hail of orange hammers batterer her stomach and neck, blasting the wind from her lungs and causing her to falter. She hit the ground as the horses charged only seconds away. Lilly knew she wouldn't be able to right herself in time, so she turned in a ball around Thayle to shield her. She tried again to use her breath, and again the shields came up. Only this time, Lilly aimed for the street before the riders, turning it into a sheet of ice. Horses slipped, and men tumbled, but a few pressed on, lances striking scales. Two of them splintered, one cut a grazing line across her flank, but three buried deep into her hide.
“Lilly!” Thayle cried as she felt the pain over the bind.
“Skewer the beast!” a coarse voice called out as Lilly howled in pain.
Thayle stumbled out of Lilly's protective wall to try and help as two men on horseback bore down on her. She got her shield up in time to block a sword surging with divine strength. The sound of metal on metal rang out like a gong echoing from the buildings. The vibration ran up her arm and through her shoulder; the arm dropped, going numb.
The second rider clipped her wounded shoulder, throwing her aside as her armor rent. She scrambled to try and get to her feet as the pain from Lilly coursed through her. Some of the men were trying to stand and use the dropped lances as spears. Lilly thrashed like a savage beast, snapping and clawing at everything in her path. One man was pinned under her clawed hand, and another cast aside by flailing tail. Still, there were too many for her to keep track of, and the city street hindered her movement. Worse, the lances in her side were causing her to limp and flinch in pain. Thayle could feel it over the bind, the wounds worsening as Lilly fought. Men resorted to using hammers of Astikar, pelting Lilly mercilessly, each hammer taking its toll.
Thayle didn't have time to think; there were four men coming at her now. Two on horseback and two on foot. She regretted not drawing on Lilly's strength right from the beginning, and she struggled to use her shield arm. Though she drew on it now, the damage was already done, and her arm near useless. She tried to use the power of the sword, but planting the tip left her open and exposed. With no options, she used a standard blessing to tangle the horses, leaving only the two men on foot. The men pressed her, forcing her to use the sword to parry, and leaving her no openings.
She was forced to step back, again and again, to keep them at range, dragging her lifeless arm with her. A sword got inside her guard, scraping a path across her breastplate. Another clipped her leg, causing her to stumble. Lilly let out a gout of ice in another great roar, and a man cried out in pain as he froze to death.
Thayle parried a blow turning her back to tangle the man's sword when a hammer of Astikar struck her back. The impact threw her down, causing her to roll in the street, thankfully losing her shield. She attempted to use the moment to sing a healing song and restore her arm, but the priests knew better. They were on her in a second, forcing her to swipe one blade away, but a straight blade rushed in. It caught the fine scales that protected her stomach and punched through. She felt the blade slide into her belly, rupturing out the other side.
“My Thayle!” Lilly roared and barreled into the men taking hammers and cuts in return. She bit the man who impaled Thayle and carried him high, thrashing her head back and forth as she bit through his armor.
Thayle looked up to see Lilly surrounded by men as she fought like a wild animal. She lay in the street, her insides on fire, and the sword still buried in her stomach. With trembling hands, she grabbed hold of the blade, desperate to pull it out. A shadow passed over her face, and she looked up to see the tall man in decorated black armor with silver highlights. He had a red ravens head on his shoulder with two golden stars above it. His helm was hooked to mimic the beak of a bird and adorned with two golden stars. He carried a large two-handed weapon that ended in a spiked ball as large as her head.
“So ends one of the false dragon knights,” he said in a voice of gravel as he raised the weapon high with two hands.
Thayle went wide-eyed as the arms began to swing down, and a silver dragons claw wrapped around his chest. The man was yanked off his feet and thrown back a dozen paces as Gersius burst from a doorway behind him.
“It's Gersius!” one of the men shouted, alerting the others.
Gersius could feel Thayle over the bind and knew she was severely injured. His heart raced, and his blood boiled in rage when he saw the sword sticking out of her stomach. He wasted no time in calling on divine power, drawing on the strength of Balisha, and then piling Lilly's strength on top.
A man ran at him, determined to stop his advance. Gersius's opening sword blow caused the man to fall to a knee from the impact. He used his momentum, kicking the man in the face with divine might, causing his helmet to fly in a spray of blood. A horseman wheeled around, shouting taunts and charged. Gersius used another dragon's claw, catching the horse by the neck to pull it aside. His sword followed startling the rider who cried in alarm as it slipped under his breastplate.
Three more attacked, and Gersius dived into them, slashing with all his might. His eyes began to glow with blue fire, and his cries of rage echoed in the dual voice. Behind him, the other priests of Astikar rushed out the doorway, joining the battle.
He knocked one man aside, and Lilly promptly stomped him even as she lashed out at another with her deadly jaws. This created an opening that he used to rush to Thayle, falling to one knee and grabbing the sword.
“Thayle?” he said in shock.
“I’m fine, just pull it out so I can heal it,” she groaned.
He nodded and took a firm grip then yanked the sword free, causing Thayle to cry out.
“Go,” she yelled. “I will be on my feet in a minute.”
He nodded and turned about barely ducking in time to avoid the two-handed mace that swung at him. He quickly got to his feet, bringing his shield and sword up as he glared into the eyes of the man before him.
“I knew I would be the one to kill you,” a grave voice said as the man advanced.
Gersius knew the voice that haunted his memories of Whiteford. The very man who broke his ribs and burned his flesh until he was mad with suffering. Tull, one of Dellain's captains, a man with no scruples and a love for inflicting pain. Just seeing Tull caused Gersius's heart to freeze and a weakness to course through him. Memories of that day flooding his mind as the pain came back renewed. He struggled to clear his thoughts, but the pain would not go away.
“I should have known Dellain's chief butcher was responsible for this. Only a man like you would butcher civilians and break women's legs. You should have been cast from the order and hung,” Gersius replied as the two closed.
“Unlike you and the rest of the order, I get the job done,” Tull mocked. “Your mercy makes you weak.”
“Do not worry,” Gersius replied. “I have no mercy to spare you.”
Tull raised the great weapon and brought it down, causing Gersius to dash to the side. He countered with a slash of his own, only to strike an orange shield of power over Tull's arm. The man jerked the weapon around, swinging in a great arc once again, causing Gersius to dash away.
Gersius was familiar with this combat style. It used a heavy two-handed weapon to maximize strength while relying on Astikars shield blessing for defense. A well-trained priest could surprise a foe with powerful crushing strikes that would crumple an ordinary man. Gersius knew the trick of it, though. The entire fighting style would usually be defeated by stepping inside the reach of the great weapon. Quick strikes that forced him to keep stepping backward or risk injury. However, in Tull's hands, this was folly. Divine strength would make the heavy weapon unusually agile, and he would step into any charge, using his armor like a ram. There were even pointed spikes on Tull's knee plates that would be used to puncture anyone he could kick.
No, Gersius needed to keep him at range, but this maximized the use of Tull's heavy weapon. He tried a technique to slice into Tull's swing and batter the weapon wide, but the method was matched with Tull following his momentum and turning in his swing. This brought the weapon back to ready before Gersius could close on him.
“You can't trick me, Gersius,” Tull laughed as he swung the weapon low.
Gersius stepped back, but Tull intentionally scraped the ground, flinging dirt and small stones into the air. Gersius had to turn his head to protect his eyes and dived away, knowing Tull would strike. Even as he recovered his feet, the war mace cracked the stone where he had been standing a moment ago.
As Gersius rolled away a second time, he felt a sudden warming sensation as Thayle's injuries began to heal. He was grateful she was safe but was reminded how close to dying she had come. This rekindled his rage as he got to his feet, his hand tightening on the sword.
“I wish we had more time together in Whiteford,” Tull mocked. “I enjoyed breaking you.”
The words stung him, renewing the pain of that memory. Gersius refused to show it though, and swallowed it in, infusing himself with anger.
“And yet, I have only grown stronger,” Gersius replied. “While you face the final moments of your life.”
“Ha!” Tull laughed and stepped closer, bringing the weapon to bear in a high arc. Gersius reached out with his shield hand, a silver claw forming in the air. He caught the head of the weapon before Tull could build up his momentum and stopped it dead. Tull cried out in alarm as his swing ground to a halt. He went into a chant of strength to call on the might to break the hold as Gersius's blue eyes fell on him.
Gersius roared, using the guttural tone Lilly taught him. From his mouth came a gout of cold, staggering Tull back. The man raised his arm using the shield of power to deflect the blast but was to slow. Gersius's sword swung high, coming down in a precise arc, catching the shield as his rage poured through the weapon. Something unexpected happened here, as cracklings of energy coursed up his arms and raced along the blade. There was a sound like breaking glass as the orange shield shattered, and Gersius removed Tull's arm.
“No!!!” Tull cried as he fell back, landing on his side, clutching the few inches of arm he had left.
Gersius seethed with rage as he stalked the man who now looked up with fearful eyes.
“I surrender!” Tull cried. “You are honor-bound to spare me!”
Gersius shook his head. “You were right; the mercy of Astikar opened the door to men like you and made us too weak to cast you out.” He took a moment to take a deep breath and continues. “But I am no longer a priest of Astikar, and as I said before, I have no mercy to give you.”
Tull tried to shield his face as the sword came down, tearing through his chest plate and impaling the man to the street.
“Unlike Thayle, you will not survive that,” Gersius said as the man's head rolled back lifelessly. Gersius stepped back and surveyed the dead man; his sword still buried in his chest.
“Behind you!” Lilly cried as a foolish knight of the raven guard tried to rush in.
He turned about and caught the man's wrist, turning it aside with divine strength. The sound of bones breaking and the man's cry of alarm preceded the dropping of his sword. Gersius grabbed him by the throat and lifted him, armor and all, into the air with one hand.
“Your kind is beyond mercy,” he said as the man struggled to break free. “There is only one form of redemption for men such as you.” With that, he squeezed, crushing the knight's throat until his flailing arm went limp. He cast the body aside and recovered his sword before finally turning to see Thayle and Lilly watching in silence. His eyes moved to where Lilly still had a broken lance buried in her side
“I will help you get that out,” he said, walking to aid them.
“Thayle can get it out,” Lilly said, her eyes watching Gersius as he stalked toward them.
The priests of Astikar easily beat the last few men as Gersius grabbed hold of the shaft and pulled.
“Ow!” Lilly cried as the weapon pulled free. “Why do you humans make such terrible weapons?”
Gersius cast the bloody shaft aside and looked at the wounds. As usual, Lilly was covered in broken and cut scales, and riddled with punctures. None but the lances seemed to be very deep, and he quickly fell into a healing chant.
“I can heal myself,” Lilly said.
Gersius didn't care and pressed on his eyes, filling with tears as golden light spread over Lilly's wounds. In moments she was healed, but he stood there, his hands firmly planted to her side.
“Gersius?” Thayle called as she approached him and put a hand on his shoulder.
Gersius threw his head back, and they saw the tears as he struggled to breathe normally.
“Gersius, what is wrong?” Thayle asked. “Lilly and I are fine, and the battle is over.”
He turned around and swept her into his arms, crushing her to his chest.
“I thought I lost you again,” he said with tears in his eyes. “You and Lilly are a part of me, and I can't lose either of you. Seeing you like that made me die inside.”
“Gersius, look at me,” Thayle said, pushing him away.
He took a breath and gazed into her exotic, angled eyes.
“I am here; the injury was terrible but nowhere near fatal. I would have taken hours to die, and Lilly would have killed them all before then.”
His chest heaved as the pain and frustration wracked his body.
“Gersius, something more is wrong. When you started to fight that man, you felt like you were being torn apart inside,” Thayle pressed.
Gersius looked back to the man he impaled out of revenge for Thayle. All the memories of Whiteford came back as Tull’s face filled his thoughts.”
Thayle cupped her hands over her mouth and looked up at Lilly as they both realized who that man was. They had seen his face several times when Gersius dreamed of the nightmare he endured.
“We need to rally our forces and clear the city,” he said in broken gasps.
“You are in no condition emotionally to do anything,” Thayle countered. “Lengwin and the army are sure to be entering the city by now. Let them do the mopping up. You need time for yourself.”
Gersius wiped at his eyes and went to recover his sword as Thayle pulled at his arm.
“Gersius, please, You can't keep swallowing this pain and carrying it inside. You told me how much it meant to you that I did not harden my heart. Please, your wives need you to do the same. You need time to yourself, and you need to let this pain out.”
He tried to press on, but a larger hand came down before him, followed by Lilly's great blue head. She reached up, plucking off his helmet, and looked into his glowing blue eyes.
“Let’s go to the sky,” Lilly said. “We can be alone to share this pain with you.”
“I have a responsibility to lead this army,” he argued.
“You have spent countless hours building a command structure so the army could operate without you,” Lilly argued. “There isn’t a man in the army that doesn’t know exactly what they are to do for the next two weeks. They will survive without you for a couple of hours.”
Thayle pulled at his arm again and begged him to go. With a sigh, he lowered his head and nodded, turning to climb to Lilly's saddle. Thayle gathered his sword and her shield before giving the men present instructions to link up with the others. She then joined him in the saddle sitting behind him for a change.
Lilly flapped her wings and took them up, carrying them into the sky to be alone. Thayle pulled her gauntlet off and tucked it away before clutching at his shoulders. She used her fingers to caress his neck just below the base of his skull, peaking into his thoughts and the pain that swam there.
“I warned you about your women seeking revenge, and moments later, I am doing just that,” he said. “I will not let them kill prisoners, and then I butcher a defeated man.”
“Gersius, my women are angry about temples burning and legs being broken. What that man did to you was horrific and can't be compared.”
“And you feel responsible for what happened to me,” Lilly added. “Of course, you took your revenge.”
Gersius wiped at his eyes as the pain of Whiteford replayed in his mind. He remembered the smell of his skin burning away and the indescribable pain. It sent his mind into a madness where he came very close to screaming Lilly's true name, if only they would kill him and make the pain stop.
“Shhh,” Thayle whispered in his ear. “You told me I would have doubts when the times of testing came. You said it doesn't matter what we thought, only what we did. In the end, your heart stood strong, and you saved Lilly from a terrible fate.”
He lowered his head, his breath coming in short gasps as the terrible memories persisted. Thayle suddenly moved, carefully sliding around until she sat facing him to look in his eyes.
“I know what I am about to say goes against who you think you are,” she began. “But there is only one way you can heal a wound like this.”
He looked up, meeting her eyes to see tears wetting her cheek.
“How?”
She reached up with a single finger and wiped a tear from her cheek, then reached over and added it to his.
“You have to cry,” she said. “You keep struggling to hold this terrible event inside your heart. You have to let it out. You will never be free of this pain until you do.”
He looked into her eyes as she reached up to put her arms around his neck. Carefully she pulled him to herself and buried his face in her shoulder. A moment later, his tears ran down her neck, soaking the shirt under her armor as he broke down. She pressed her fingers to his neck and allowed herself to feel the pain as if it was her own. Her eyes filled with tears and joined his as they shared the pain of that terrible day.
For nearly two hours, Lilly flew until he had nothing more to give, and his eyes dried. Thayle held him the entire time, caressing his neck and occasionally kissing the side of his head. He was grateful for her touch, and the isolation of the sky as the pain of that terrible day finally slipped away. He knew the dream would come back, but it wouldn't haunt him as it did before. It would only be a memory, something long passed and quickly forgotten.
When he had the strength, he lifted his head, and Thayle quickly took hold of his face, smiling at him.
“We are one,” she said softly. “Any pain we keep in our heart is shared with the others. From now on, we cry together.”
He tried to protest, but she put a finger to his lips.
You may be the master of armies and combat, but I am the master of the heart. In matters of war, I follow you unquestioningly, in matters of the heart, I need you to follow me.
He smiled and nodded in return as Lilly circled the city from above. The battle was won, and Tull was dead. The city paid a heavy price, but it would only turn more people against the Father Abbot. As his mind tried to think of a way to address the city and explain what had happened, Thayle leaned forward and kissed him.
“That can wait,” she whispered. “There is only one thought I want you to keep in that mind.”
“And what is that?”
Thayle smiled and ran her fingers down his cheek.
“You in a warm bed, while Lilly and I make love to you.”
He reached up and put a hand behind her head, staring into her eyes.
“For that, I would relive that day a thousand times,”