Zalia found herself seated at a table in a long low dining hall with Tristan seated opposite her and Ember seated beside her. She could sense Boreal’s location and knew that she was making her way through town towards them.

On their way to the dining hall, Zalia had seen many sights such as what Boreal had sent to her. Starving people, disorder and absolute chaos reigned within the confines of the walls. Where the army camp was a symbol of order in the face of dark times, this town had become a cesspit. She had seen several younger people stealing from others and sprinting away, mothers in gutters with children barely alive next to them. She had even seen a man dead in an alley, a knife wound in his chest and blood pooling.

She wanted to stop and help each and every person in need and she knew that Ember felt the same. She could feel that emotion as bright as daylight shining from the midday sun. She also knew that they would be able to help better by working with the military force within the city walls. The dining hall they sat in might have originally been set for that purpose but now looked to be a barracks for the military force, one half of the space cleared and containing various bedrolls and low bunks.

Zalia leaned forward.

“What’s going on in this city Tristan?”

He shrugged.

“Same as what’s happening in most of the rest of Endaria I guess.”

“No, no this is not the same. Things seem really bad here.”

“If I were one of the people on the streets I’d rather leave than try live in this place,” Ember murmured, her eyes focused on the doorway.

“That’s easy to say with a class like yours. Many of these people are farmers, cooks, clothiers and all other types of non-combat classes. They wouldn’t last a day out there,” Tristan snapped.

Zalia raised her hands placatively.

“Hey, we aren’t trying to attack you in any way.”

Tristan took in a deep breath and sighed heavily.

“Sorry, it’s just that some of my soldiers actually did that. They got it into their heads that the others were holding them down and decided to leave on their own. I have no idea if they live or are dead but they left our defenses in shambles.”

Ember's gaze focused on Tristan.

“I’m sorry that happened.”

“As am I,” he agreed.

“You said your soldiers. Are you in charge?” Zalia asked.

“Sort of. I’m the only one in town with actual military experience. Everyone else who now fights is either a guard or some type of adventurer who has stood up to help. The shield dome is created by a Silver rank Enchanter with the Barrier mage specialisation. That in itself has saved us time and time again. Well, since I was the only one with military experience I kind of ended up in charge. Nothing official mind you but people do listen to me.”

Zalia leaned back, ideas flashing through her mind.

“A Silver rank Enchanter hey?”

“Yeah, they live centrally and are pretty reclusive. Part of the reason for the Barrier specialisation I’d guess.”

“Do you have any food stores left?”

“That… yeah, a bit but not much. While we have plenty of farmers we don’t have much farmable land and no conjurers of any sort. While we have been thinking of expanding the dome to get a little bit of farmland they can work, we were stretched thin before those idiots decided to leave. Enough about us though, I want to hear where you’ve been and what happened. You joined up with the Morning’s Shade right? You must have some kind of idea what the hell has caused all of this.”

Zalia turned to look at Ember.

“Yeah, we know a bit.”

She went on to explain the entire deal around the rituals, the king, Juniper and what had caused this entire mess. Then she described their final fight atop the tower at Endelbyrn and her further… adventures in Cormaine. She kept that all to a minimum, not seeing any reason he needed to know everything and while she found herself growing emotional when coming to her escape from Cormaine, she managed to get it out without breaking down entirely.

Ember took over and explained what had happened after the rituals had gone off on her side, about the army still fighting down to the south and what she had been up to in the meantime. Hearing that, Tristan started to look hopeful but as Ember noticed as well, she told him she had not run into his missing people.

Then they explained about the mountain to the north and Glemp’s people, how it was a safehaven. There were major issues in bringing such a large population there however. Mainly in that these people probably wouldn’t even fit within the mountain even if the Heat and Stone denizens weren’t also living there.

“Well, you two have certainly been around a lot. I can see how you have such freedom of movement with you being so strong now Zalia,” Tristan said.

She gestured to the doorway.

“And there is someone else for you to meet.”

“Oh?”

Tristan turned around as Boreal and Aylie walked in the door, the latter riding the former.

“Oh shit!”

Tristan stood up from his seat and summoned a large double-edged axe from out of nowhere.

“Wait!” Zalia exclaimed.

But recognition had already dawned in Tristan’s eyes as the blade vanished again.

“Is that Boreal?"

“Yeah she grew a little bit,” Zalia said nonchalantly.

“A little bit!?”

“Yeah.”

“World just smaller,” Boreal sent to them all.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“What do you mean the world is smaller?” Tristan asked, apparently too overcome with the size of Boreal to be shocked at the mental communication.

“And this,” Zalia said, interrupting, “is Aylie.”

Aylie waved from atop Boreal’s back.

“Aylie, this is Tristan. He is a friend of mine and a strong fighter,” Zalia introduced.

“Zalia?” Tristan asked.

“Yeah?”

“Who’s child is this?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” Zalia asked, frowning.

“Well, last I checked you didn’t have a child,” Tristan explained.

“Ah. It’s… complicated,” she said.

“Her family was killed, I managed to save her from a demon. She’s been with me ever since,” she explained mentally.

Tristan’s eyes widened just a little bit at the explanation but he seemed to finally begin to relax, taking his seat again.

“Tristan, I’d like to do what I can to help these people. Is there any way you can organise a small squad to give out food safely?” Ember asked.

Tristan looked up sharply.

“You have food?”

Ember explained her ability. It wouldn’t feed everyone in the city by a long shot but it would definitely help some people. At this explanation, his eyes seemed to light up.

“Oh, that’s excellent news!”

He called over an older boy, perhaps fourteen years old, and asked him to go collect a few people he named.

The boy ran off to do as instructed.

"I can start today if you'd like?"

“Absolutely. Is there anything you need to get started?”

“No, just a minute or two to cast the ability,” Ember said.

“I actually might be able to help as well. Do you have any type of park or place inside the walls that could be farmed?” Zalia asked.

The excited light in Tristan's eyes dimmed just a little.

“Some farmers did actually try to take a central park and start growing food and were successful, until a group of thieves came and stole it all, killed one of the men too.”

It was horrible, that people could do such a thing to the only ones in the city capable of growing food for everyone yet it was not unexpected. Zalia was actually surprised she hadn’t seen more of that in the time since the rituals.

“Well, I can cause plants to grow at extremely increased speeds. Perhaps I can help?” Zalia suggested.

“I’m sure some people would be willing to try again with your help,” Tristan agreed, “especially with how strong you’ve grown. Not a lot of people, if anyone, in this city that could contest you in a one on one fight.”

That brought a little shock to Zalia’s system. She was a lot stronger than she had been, but surely in a city this large there were many powerful people. The Silver ranked Enchanter for one but… well, their powers would probably be more keyed around utility and enchanting items, rather than instant and powerful attacks.

She tapped her chin in thought.

“Good, I’d love to give it a go. I have some tricks up my sleeve that may help us out here. Some things that the Enchanter might be interested in working on as well.”

A group of people made their way through the barracks towards their table and settled in next to them.

“Trist, we already ran a food tent today, what’s this I’m hearing about you wanting to run another?” one of the men asked.

“We’ve got some good news. These are the people that took out the demons so quickly. One of them has an ability to conjure food on a daily basis! We can do more now,” Tristan explained excitedly.

That set the whole table to murmuring and some of the other nearby guards turned to listen in.

Tristan stood up from the table.

“Well, what are we waiting for!”

The guards ran off and started gathering some items each. One of them actually pulled out a large fold out cover attached to four posts, others yet grabbed weapons and tables.

They all moved out of the barracks and into the city and Zalia, Ember, Aylie and Boreal quickly followed.

The group walked a little ways away, down a main street to what Zalia remembered as the city square where Tristan had made a call to arms speech so long ago. That had been the start of a lot of current events, for Zalia at least. It was the time she had seen her first corrupted man, made her first kill on a person and helped stop the raids on Ostoss and the nearby farmers. It only occurred to her then that the town probably hadn’t recovered from those raids when this entire invasion had started. It seemed like a bad time for these people all around as of late.

The few guards quickly set up the cover, tables and some nearby hungry-looking people started lining up. Some ran off to presumably get friends and family so that they could be fed too.

“Gather around, gather around! We have some good news!” one of the guards yelled out.

Tristan gestured to Ember.

“From now until this woman decides to leave town, there will be an extra hand out of food every day! She is able to conjure some each day!”

Murmurs spread like wildfire through the people gathering about and Zalia saw on their faces the dawning light of hope. These people had suffered a lot in recent times and she was glad that they could give something to these people other than more blood and pain.

Ember started focusing and unlike how her ability had worked last time, a huge table behind the tent started shimmering into existence, a bounty of food outlined in the glowing visage.

Zalia heard someone murmur, “Saint Ember.”

She wondered how word of Ember's deeds had reached even here yet she also knew that some people did manage to make it across parts of the land unharmed. By the looks of it, there were definitely more people in Ostoss than there previously had been when she had come through on her way to Endelbyrn.

The whispered words spread through the crowd even as more people pressed in from the nearby streets. They were obviously used to this kind of thing happening each day and managed not to attack each other in their fervor to get food.

Ember finished casting the spell and stumbled a bit. Zalia quickly caught her as the table apparated behind them.

It wasn’t anything fancy, only very basic stews and bread, filling yet bland food. Zalia could tell that much by the smell and the appearance of it all.

She didn't doubt that Ember could make something fancier with her ability but the sheer volume of food she had summoned took away from the quality.

People pressed forward and were quickly sent away with bowls of steaming stew and toasted bread. Zalia held onto Ember as the team of guards moved with practiced motion, smoothly and quickly handing out what they could.

Despite the huge volume of food, there were still people lined up when it ran out, their disappointed and downtrodden faces bringing pangs of pain to Zalia’s heart as they slowly walked or stumbled away.

She had tried to push her healing through the people as they lined up and did notice that some people looked better for it. She hoped to be able to eliminate any disease or wounds that existed in the town, knowing that doing so would reduce the food and water requirement of the people. Being injured or sick was hungry work.

Once it was all done, the table summoned by Ember vanished into a golden glowing dust that quickly disappeared as well. The guards solemnly packed up their things and began the walk back to the barracks. Zalia could see in their posture and expression that they wished they could do more, yet there wasn’t anything to be done. At least the people would be able to eat better from now on and, hopefully, that would reduce the chances of people trying to raid whatever Zalia managed to set up in terms of a farm.

“Want to show me the way to the central park?” Zalia asked Tristan.

“Sure, yeah. Let’s go now."

He waved at the other guards.

"See you back at the barracks.”

He led them back through the town square and to the left, moving past some straggling refugees towards the east. The road led to what had probably once been a beautiful park but was now somewhat dead and devoid of life. The trees looked sad and wilted, the grass yellowed.

“Everything's soul is so… pained here,” whispered Aylie.

Zalia hadn’t been paying attention to Aylie, too deep in her own wandering thoughts and the things she was seeing. She wished Aylie didn’t have to see any of this, the horrors happening to her people.

She let her Healing presence flow out over the park and grass began to lift back up, looking lively and green again. The leaves on the trees unfolded and took on a glossy sheen, the boughs of the trees seeming to shake less in the wind.