Mei listened to Maggie's plan.

"So." Maggie looked between her two friends. "Can we do it?"

Mei checked her status. Her ankle was tender, her rifle was bent, and bruises were blossoming up and down her right side, but Maggie's plans always worked, so long as she actually asked for help. Her answer was simple. "Yes."

Saundra's voice only shook a little. "Yes, milady."

Mei found herself embraced and held in a wince as Maggie squeezed her two friends tightly.

"Don't die, you two," said Maggie.

Mei squeezed back, wearing half a grimace and all of a smile. "I won't."

"Understood, milady." Saundra sniffled. "You'll get us through this."

After Maggie released them, Mei handed her the rifle. Maggie's mouth fell open.

Mei patted her hand. "Take care of it."

Eyes glistening, Maggie nodded and stepped back.

Saundra raised her sword in the air and faced the Sourans. "Ready?"

"Ready!"

Drawing her axe, Mei joined the corporal in the center of the forming line. On the other side of the clearing, both giants tried to swim through the waves of water that had been beating against them while Maggie had been talking. It was a feat of magic on a scale Mei had never seen before, but it wouldn't last. Maggie's mother was looking more and more ragged as if she'd been marching for hours.

Saundra pointed at the new giant, which was still wielding its makeshift club. "I've got that one."

Mei focused on the old giant with the scars and nodded. "Once I'm done, I'll come help," she said.

"Qeil!"

With that, Maggie's mother dropped her hands, and the waves of water ceased, releasing the giants.

Mei adjusted her grip on her axe. "Here they come."

Spitting out water and coughing, the two giants got to their feet and again took the same low crouching stance they'd taken before. As one, Mei, Saundra, and the Souran soldiers steeled themselves, spear, sword, and axe at the ready.

As if a signal had been given, both giants kicked off the ground at the same time and exploded into a low sprint.

Mei dashed to intercept the unarmed giant, her charge pulling four of the Souran soldiers forward into the monster's path, but before they collided, the giant planted its foot and raised its fist. Reading the giant's intent, Mei dropped onto her back and slid underneath the punch, which slammed into two of the soldiers. They flew back, hit the ground, and lay still. Gritting her teeth, Mei arched her back, jumped to her feet, and brought her axe down on the giant's arm, but it swung wide, trying to send Mei flying too. She held on, used the momentum to free her axe, and landed a few wir from the giant, which turned to the two remaining soldiers. Mei didn't let it ignore her though; she closed with it and chopped at its side, spilling red ichor onto the green clearing and giving the soldiers time to back away. Roaring in pain, the giant tried to grab for her, but she'd already freed her axe and darted out of range. Circling around the giant, she reached the two soldiers, whose mouths were wide with shock.

"How are you doing that?" said one soldier. He picked up his sword, which he'd dropped when the giant had first attacked.

The other gripped her spear, pointing its tip at the giant. "Instinct, I bet. Don't help us none. I knew we should have followed Swordbreaker. She would've given an order or warned us or or or something."

The hairs on Mei's arm raised, and she pushed Spear out of the way of a massive punch. Before the giant could recover from the miss, Mei kicked it in the jaw and flipped away, but the giant knew who were the easy targets. Letting Mei get clear, the giant squared off against the two soldiers. It planted its right foot.

Mei's stomach dropped as neither soldier tried to block or dodge the inevitable attack. "Duck!"

Sword just frowned, but Spear tackled him, pushing him out of the way of the giant's fist. Again, the giant had overcommitted and lost its balance, giving Mei a chance to duck low and cut at its ankles with her axe. As the giant tumbled to the ground behind her, Mei rejoined the two soldiers.

Frowning, she pulled Sword to his feet. "You can't read attacks?"

Sword shook his head. "He's so fast."

"No, we can't." Spear stood up on her own. "How are you doing that?"

Mei opened her mouth, failed to find an answer, then closed her mouth. After fighting Saundra, she'd expected all of Soura's soldiers to be good at reading attacks before they came, and the giant, unlike Tiger, definitely thought through each punch, kick, and guard. She could use these soldiers as distractions, but... She glanced at the giant and watched as green flame stitched together the cut tendons in its ankles. She couldn't keep up this level of assault by herself. There wasn't time for a lesson, and so she'd have to guide them. She pointed to her ears. "Listen, then act."

Spear blinked. "Sorry, what?"

The giant roared, cutting off Mei's chance for a reply. It took two giant steps and then squatted, still four wirs away from them.

"It's jumping!" shouted Mei.

She pushed Spear away and jumped in the opposite direction with Sword barely following her lead. The giant landed in the midst of them, its impact sending up dirt, sticks, and grass but not crushed human remains. Undeterred, it dropped its left hand to the ground.

"Right kick!" shouted Mei.

Finally understanding, Spear dropped under the giant's double kick, and Mei rushed in and hacked at its left hand. The giant fell to the ground, red ichor dripping out of its wrist, and the Sourans darted in and stabbed it with sword and spear.

Then the giant arched its back.

"Get back!" shouted Mei, but Sword didn't hear her and kept hacking away at the giant, which flipped to its feet and pulled back an open hand. Mei rushed forward and knocked Sword out of the way of the giant's backhand, which smashed through the wooden handle of Mei's axe and knocked her into Spear, whose body slowed her down as they both tumbled to the ground.

Mei blinked, trying to get the dark and bright spots out of her vision.

Beneath her, Spear groaned. "Oh, damn." She helped Mei to her feet as Sword joined them.

Mei spat out blood, dropped her broken axe, and drew her knife. "Look, then attack. That's all I am doing."

Sword shook his head. "But it's so fast!"

"Then listen." Mei straightened up. Her sides hurt, and her arms ached like a dozen tree trunks had landed on them, but she faced the giant, knife at the ready.

The giant faced the three of them, its beady eyes focused on Mei. She grinned. Good.

The giant leaned forward.

"Charge."

Sword and Spear split up and the giant closed with Mei. She ducked under its outstretched arm and it spun to follow, but Sword shoulder-tackled the monster and it fell onto its back. Both Sword and Spear attacked the giant again.

The giant's back arched.

"Stand."

This time both Sword and Spear got clear of the giant, which flipped to its feet and swiped at them, leaving its back open. Mei jumped, caught the collar of the giant's armor and sank her knife into the base of its skull. The giant screamed and bucked, throwing her off.

"Me!"

Green flame spilling out of the back of its head, the giant spun and charged Mei again, its eyes screwed up with pain and rage. It got within a wir of her then choked as a spear pushed itself through the back of its throat and out its mouth.

"Got you!" Spear pumped her fist.

Mei's eyes widened. "Back!"

Spear jumped off the giant right before it flipped onto its back, a motion that should have crushed her, but instead gave Sword a chance to sink his weapon into the giant's chest. For a moment, the giant lay still. Then its head and chest erupted in green flame. After Mei and Spear pulled Sword away from the giant, they watched it pull the sword out of its chest, the spear out of its throat, and the knife out of its neck. It stood up, flames knitting its wounds.

Spear pulled back. "How do we kill this thing?"

Maggie's voice cut through the sounds of combat. "Mei, Saundra!"

Mei glanced back, grinned, and pulled both of the Sourans to the ground. Above them, a wave of water slammed into the giant and pushed it all the way back across the clearing.

Spear swallowed and marveled at the magic. "Oh."

Mei pointed to the two soldiers who'd fallen. "Get them. We're going back."

Both Sword and Spear grinned. "Yes, sir!"

***

While Mei and Saundra held off the giants, Dwayne struggled to keep multiple spells in his mind. "Ri-"

A giant's roar broke his concentration, and the spell writhed out of Dwayne's control, its disintegration blowing him off his feet.

Lady Gallus released a slow breath. "This isn't going anywhere."

Magdala opened her eyes. She'd been constructing a spell too. "Mother, be patient."

Lady Gallus gave her daughter a cool look. "I am not hanging our survival on an impossible plan. We should just freeze them in place and escape. He just learned this spell and-"

"Mother!"

Dwayne closed his eyes. If only Ri magic just required clarity of thought like Qe magic or, barring that, if only this spell just required the repetition of the same idea like the double fireballs he'd cast before, but no, they needed more for Magdala's plan. He had to combine the feeling of standing his ground, the heat of his fury, and his desire to take for himself. For the first part, he had the memory of confronting the dragon and refusing to let it take his friends; for fury, he had the memory of failing Lord Kalan and Magdala in the underground city, but the last feeling eluded him, and without it he couldn't cast the new spell, and without the new spell, his attack would be too weak to make a difference.

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"Dwayne, I know you can do this," said Magdala.

Dwayne flashed a smile and then focused. First, he summoned his desire for the position of Guardian of the Wall. "Ri'iki'." Second, his anger at failing to overcome the metal swordwoman mantis "Ri'mwe". Finally, facing the dragon, its flame bearing down on him. "Ri-"

The spell twisted, bucked, and burst in his face, leaving him with singed hair, bruises, and a massive headache. Gritting his teeth, he stood back up, got into position, and closed his eyes.

"By the cup, open your eyes," said Lady Gallus.

Dwayne complied, frowning. "Why?"

"That isn't working."

Magdala stepped forward. "Mother-"

Lady Gallus's raised hand cut her daughter off. She peered at Dwayne. "Have you been reading Yonder?"

Dwayne blinked. "Yes?"

Lady Gallus scoffed. "Of course. So you're trying to imagine each spell in turn and then string them together? That works for people like my daughter, who think in terms of what needs to be done, but it's never worked for me. Thinking of each step just makes it feel more complicated. Forget the process; Focus on the result."

Dwayne's eyes widened. "The result."

"That doesn't make any sense," said Magdala.

The corners of Lady Gallus's mouth quirked up. "It does to him." She glanced at the battle and frowned. "Your Tuquese friend needs help."

Magdala whirled. "What?" On the other side of the clearing, the scarred giant was advancing on an unarmed Mei and her tiny squad.

Lady Gallus shook out her shoulders. "Well, enough rest then." She raised her hands.

Magdala's eyes widened. "Mei, Saundra!"

"Qeyit!" Lady Gallus's magic sucked moisture out of the air, spun it together, and sent it rushing across the clearing. While Mei pulled her people down and out of the way, Corporal Saundra and her squad were too busy with their giant.

"Saundra, duck!"

Just in time, the soldier noticed the oncoming wave, barked out an order, and dropped to the ground. With her magic pinning the giants in place, Lady Gallus glared at Dwayne. Her meaning was clear. It was now or never.

Dwayne nodded. This time he didn't close his eyes. He pointed his fist at the two giants and thought through what he wanted. He wanted more power, to hit the giants with fire and fury, and to protect his friends. "Ri iki'oora mwe'ut mun'po!" The spell curled and writhed for a moment then snapped taut.

Dwayne grinned. "Got it."

"Good." Magdala's toothy grin nearly made Dwayne lose control of his spell. "My turn."

***

Magdala took a deep breath. So far, things had gone according to plan. Saundra and Mei had held off the giants long enough for the mages to prepare three spells: a wave spell to pin them in place, a fire spell to end this, and Magdala's contribution, an alchemical spell to catalyze everything. Mei, Saundra and the soldiers just needed to get back.

"Hurry!"

Mei's squad picked up the pace, but Saundra's squad had had a much harder time with their target. Three of them had gone down to a single swing of the new giant's club, and Saundra and the remaining soldier were having trouble dragging their unconscious comrades back to safety. Beside Magdala, her mother faltered, the waves trembling with her. Magdala bit her lip. Could she make it to Saundra and back, all while keeping her spell prepped? It was a much lighter burden than the spell she'd used to create the firebombs, but it still weighed on her mind and sapped strength from her limbs.

She stood up straight. "Mother, don't drop the spell yet." Her mother's eyes narrowed. "Please." Magdala ran forward.

"Wait!"

Ignoring both Dwayne and her mother, Magdala ducked under the ethereal waves of water and sprinted to Saundra.

Saundra's eyes widened. "No, go back, milady!"

"No." Magdala draped an unconscious soldier's arm over her shoulders and headed back to her mother and Dwayne. Between the soldier's limp body and heavy armor, Magdala felt four times as heavy. Her boots sank into the clearing's damp grass, and she stumbled when the soldier's boots caught on divots and rocks in the ground.

Saundra trudged alongside her. "You... should have... left us... milady."

Magdala blinked sweat out of her eyes. "Would you leave me?"

Saundra's face, red from the heat and exertion, somehow grew redder still. "No, never."

"There's your answer."

Ahead, Mei's squad had reached Magdala's mother and Dwayne. Hoping to catch up, Magdala picked up the pace, bringing her speed up to a slow, painful jog. Saundra and the other soldier kept up with her. Not much further now. She'd- Magdala's foot found a hole, and she fell to the ground with the unconscious soldier on top of her.

"Milady!"

Magdala's grasp on her prepped spell slipped, but she tightened her hold and wrestled it back into place. Spitting out grass and dirt, she got back to her feet. "Keep going!" Now, every other step was agony, but she'd be damned if she didn't get this soldier back to the garrison, back to Soura.

"Even star wolves need help."

Magdala's load lightened as Mei, having sprinted back to them, took half the weight. When Magdala opened her mouth to say thanks, Mei said, "Less talk, more run."

Mei hadn't rescued them alone. The two soldiers that had been with her had followed her back, and together the nine of them got back across the clearing and behind Dwayne. Magdala let Mei take the soldier away and limped up to the Wesen mage. "Okay." Her mother's body was curling in on herself. There wasn't time. "On three," said Magdala. "One. Two. Three!"

Magdala's mother brought her hands together. "Qeem!"

The waves vaporized into mist, which Magdala shoved her hands into. "nQem!"

Dwayne pushed mother and daughter behind him and punched the air. "Ri't!"

The world went white.

***

Tiger rolled to his feet, sword held high, right foot forward, but the wraith had evaporated, leaving behind the scents of dirt, magic, and death. Oblivious to the drama in the little clearing, the jungle seethed with bird calls, insect chirps, and the occasional whoop from some unknown animal, all conspiring to hide Liraya's presence from Tiger.

He stalked the edge of the clearing, slashing at the undergrowth. "Come on out! You want to avenge your maker, right? Come on out and fight!"

Something thunked into the ground behind him, and Tiger whirled around, brought his sword up, and blocked Liraya's knife before it stabbed him. Zeya leaned into him, trying to push him off his feet, her normally impassive face contorted with rage and covered in tears.

The thief marveled. They feel.

Tiger bared his teeth. Good.

He kicked Zeya back and followed up with a horizontal slash across her stomach, but Zeya leapt forward over the attack and tackled him to the ground. She pulled a black handled knife out of her belt and brought it down, but Tiger blocked it with his left arm, then bucked her off of him. Scrambling to his feet, Tiger brought his sword up for Zeya's follow up attack, but she dived for the red handled knife still stuck point first in the ground. After pulling it out, she slipped it into her belt and squared off against Tiger.

What's with that?

Who cares? Tiger hadn't gotten a single good hit in, and, while his wound wasn't life threatening, it forced him to use just one arm to swing his sword. That wasn't going to be enough to destroy the wraith.

When Zeya's eyes slid to her maker, her shoulders shaking, Tiger thrust his sword at her stomach, but she parried the blow, stepped into his reach, and elbowed him in the stomach. Gasping for air, Tiger barely parried a thrown knife and received a kick to the chin that knocked him into a tree, where he sprawled among its roots. Something thunked into the tree above him. He looked up. Zeya, anchored to the tree by the red handled knife, kicked his sword out of his hand, wrapped her arm around his neck, and squeezed. Tiger punched and scratched at her, but his attacks met only cold, wet, and unyielding flesh.

His vision darkened. No, I can't die! I don't want to die!

A shockwave rocked the entire jungle, dislodging both Tiger and Zeya and sending them tumbling back into the clearing. Coughing, Tiger scrambled to Sir Marcus's body and grabbed the knight's broadsword. Rising to his feet, he managed to point the heavy weapon at Zeya, but with one arm shaking and bleeding, his chances of getting in a good attack were slim. Zeya strode over to the tree and pulled the red handled knife out of the wood.

Again with that knife.

Tiger circled around her, his breaths slow. The scratches he'd inflicted on Zeya's face and arm were healing but slowly. If he drew this out and actually landed an incapacitating blow, it was his victory. He pulled the point of Sir Marcus's sword up. The damn thing was too heavy. He had no idea how the knight was able to swing this around with any skill with just one arm.

Leaning forward, Zeya drew two knives, her eyes still streaming tears.

Weak. Tiger wouldn't cry. He wouldn't look at the body of the man who had just wanted to help, who had reached out to him, who had already sacrificed himself to save Huan and others. Tiger didn't need tears. He put weight on the balls of his feet and leaned forward. "One last attack."

The wraith leaned forward too, her knives ready.

They charged at each other, Zeya ducking low with her knives out, Tiger holding Marcus's sword aloft, then, in a flash of red and white, a person in full armor dashed between them and decapitated Zeya with one slash. When the headless wraith caught her own head, the newcomer slapped it away and then sank his sword into her chest. There was a crunch, and the green flame licking at her wounds died. After wrenching his sword out, the newcomer let Zeya's body fall to the ground, and turned to Tiger.

The mask! Tiger grabbed for it but found only Huan's face. His heart racing, he searched the ground for where it had fallen.

"What are you looking for?"

Tiger schooled his face into a calm expression. "Nothing."

The newcomer looked Tiger over through his helmet visor. "You must be Huan." He walked over to Sir Marcus and knelt. "Damn. I was too late. He was a good fighter and a better man."

Guilt cut at Tiger. "Yes, he was."

More Souran soldiers, dressed in the more familiar mottled reds and browns of the Southern Line garrison, flooded into the little clearing.

While they gasped at Sir Marcus and scowled at Zeya and Liraya's bodies, Tiger marched up to the newcomer. "Who are you?"

All of the soldiers froze in place, and Tiger felt each pair of eyes on him. The newcomer turned to him, chuckled, and removed his helmet, allowing auburn hair to fall to his ears. When his steel blue eyes met Tiger's, Tiger's protestations died in his throat. Despite the chuckle, those eyes were not amused.

"I am Lord Gerald Gallus." Magdala's father held out a gauntleted hand. "My brother in law put in a good word for you, and I see that you live up to your reputation. Good job fighting off a Revenant alone."

Tiger took Lord Gallus's hand. "You took her down in one strike." He held in a wince. The man's grip was crushing.

Lord Gallus released him and jabbed a thumb at Zeya's corpse. "Just cut off their heads and smash their hearts. That's what they say in training, but I couldn't have done it if you weren't distracting it. Good show." He glanced up. "Oh, here's my aide. I wonder where's she's been."

A young woman in strange light blue leathers dropped out of the sky and landed next to Lord Gallus. She saluted. "Situation at point A has been resolved, sir."

Gallus's shoulders dropped. "Good, good. That explosion... that was Iona and Maggie, wasn't it?"

Tiger glanced upwards. Did she fly in?

The aide nodded. "I'd try to explain what they did, but it was like nothing I'd ever seen before. The power behind that blast is just impossible, sir."

"Well," Lord Gallus waggled his eyebrows at Tiger. "I know of someone who could put out that kind of firepower."

Tiger raised an eyebrow.

The aide frowned. "Sorry, sir?"

"Nothing. Just an inside joke. I'll take that, son." Lord Gallus took Sir Marcus's sword from Tiger. "You look like you're about to drop where you stand, but there's still work to do. Let's see if we can find anything out about this partisan attack." He led Tiger and the aide to Zeya's body.

The other soldiers were staying well clear of it. Even headless and heartless, Zeya looked ready to fight.

Lord Gallus knelt and plucked Zeya's knives off her body. "These are... Ah." He rose and showed the blades of the knives to Tiger and the aide. Up close, there were dozens of tiny symbols etched into the metal.

Huan had seen them before on a massive stone monument in a dead city.

Lord Gallus held them up. "These are Knives of Sojourn and Return. Throw the black knives while holding the red one, and they'll return to you. If you throw the red knife while holding the black ones, you go to the red knife. This agent must have been pretty high ranking if she had these."

The aide sighed. "Too bad we have to give them back."

Tiger stifled a growl. "Why? These are spoils of war."

Lord Gallus sighed. "The local countess got in touch?"

His aide nodded. "She explicitly asked for these to be returned along with this agent and her Revenants."

Lord Gallus scoffed. "Of course she did. How'd she even... Nevermind. How's Barty? Where is he?"

"Here, sir."

As the aide led Lord Gallus to Liraya's tent, Tiger kept his eyes on Zeya, blood pounding in his ears. He kicked the body. He'd been robbed of vengeance, victory, and title. Was blood and pain his only reward? He grabbed his sword and glared at it.

Lord Gallus entered Liraya's tent. "Bart! Bart, wake up!"

The aide stuck her head in. "He may be drugged, sir."

"He'd better wake up soon. If Iona sees him-"

Someone coughed. "No, sister, I... Wh-where am I?"

So the noble mage was finally awake, and it was his fault Huan was even here miles away from civilized country. Lord Gallus exited the tent with Lord Kalan's arm around his shoulder.

Gripping his sword, Tiger advanced on them. I just have to get rid of him.

Lord Gallus's eyes caught Tiger's. "What are you doing?" Again, the lord's light tone of voice belied the steel in his eyes.

Tiger hid the sword. "Nothing."

Lord Gallus let him sweat for a moment then nodded. "Then sheath that blade and prepare to return to Soura." He patted Lord Kalan's chest. "Lieutenent Hill and I can deal with him."

Tiger pointed at Lord Kalan with his sword. "He's my responsibility..." He quailed at the rage edging into Lord Gallus's eyes.

The lord kept his voice low and calm. "You do not want to have that conversation right now, and if you point your weapon at your sponsor again, I will remove the arm that holds it."

A shiver sped up Tiger's spine. Hiding the blade behind his back, he bowed. "I... I'm sorry." His cheeks were hot, and he wanted nothing more than to test Lord Gallus's threat, but even if he weren't pricked, bleeding, and bruised, he couldn't fight off a half dozen soldiers and a Qe mage. I'll get what I'm owed later.