Meladee couldn’t believe that Rooks’ army of one-hundred men attracted no attention from thralls. They marched quick and silent, but still, they were one hundred people! Meladee worried that Ul’thetos had a special trap planned for them.

In the meantime, she helped decode Benham’s travel directions. They couldn’t make contact with the other team’s tracker, due to its underground location, so they relied on something akin to a childhood treasure map.

Benham instructed them to find the path like a wide river. Meladee insisted the path dotted with fleshy lumps was the river. Cernunnos and Rooks argued for a curvy, mostly clear walkway, its edges strung with flesh. Meladee was happy to see Cernunnos and Rooks agree, but she really thought a river ought to have stepping stones or icebergs or something.

Rooks ended the discussion and took her crew in her chosen direction. She won Meladee’s confidence when they found the pedestrian mall. So, the beautiful clear path was the river.

Meladee would have to explore Benham’s mind further, get to know him, until she got all of his weird treasure map references right. At least, everyone agreed on the definition of pedestrian mall.

Rooks paused at the entrance and gestured for a halt. “Meladee. Inez. Eder.”

Meladee and the Ferrans came to Rooks’ side.

Quietly, the Commander continued, “This avenue is the site of our comrades’ ambush.” She pointed to the far-off signs of battle.

No ice remained, but Meladee could just glimpse blackened bodies in the distance.

“Now, I’m willing to bet our friend Ul’thetos has patrols in this area. It knows Camellia is safe, and she’s its favorite. So, there’s no reason it won’t try to pick us up for thralls. Or, kill us.” Rooks stared at her mage’s faces.

All three remained attentive. Meladee knew she wore some of her panic, and she bet Eder did too. Inez probably looked raring to go. Meladee didn’t bother to look over.

Rooks took a breath. “We need to use this avenue, so I want some kind of distraction or barrier along the buildings to allow us to get through and over the greenhouse at the back. I want this stroll to be just us.”

“What if a converter waits behind the greenhouse?” Meladee pictured herself safe and sound atop the glass structure only to fall into the reaching hands of automatons.

Rooks nodded once. “It’s a good point. When we reach the end, conjure your dragon and basan. They can lead us through. Any other ice creatures will be greatly welcome.” Rooks straightened and paused to look at the avenue. “What about your bell? I realize that we won’t get great warriors out of it, but we could use some additional targets that aren’t us.”

Meladee shook her head. She pointed behind them. “Too much flesh over there. We’d get maybe a handful.”

Rooks’ gestured ahead at the open mall.

Again, Meladee shook her head. “Man made. It has to be natural ground.”

Rooks’ hopeful mood fell off her face, and she stared at the tile. “Here, I thought you had an amazing weapon. Now, I find its use is rather limited.”

“Yeah, in places like Lurren and Girandola,” Meladee said. “Totally useless. I’ve thought about updating the enchantment to include man-made surfaces, but it’s out of my league.”

Rooks looked at the Ferrans.

Eder shrugged. “We might be able to...”

Inez shook her head. “Not here. Not now. I’m too tired.”

“Right. Save energy for something more useful.” Meladee put her hands in her pockets. She felt her bell. She always had it ready even if she couldn’t use it. “I’m not even sure we could update the enchantment. My bell is the kind of thing made by a five-hundred-year-old mage, who’s cheated death by turning into a wizened, staff-wielding, bearded weirdo.”

“Alright. Cast a different distraction,” Rooks ordered.

“Sure. I’ve got a great idea, but it’s a three-person spell.”

Rooks crossed her arms. “It’s good we kept our three mages together.”

Meladee nodded. They did indeed have three mages. Bad magical tactics worked out in the end.

She felt herself growing tired, but she turned to the Ferrans, pulled a paper from her spellbook, and showed the siblings.

“I’ll do the two outer rings,” Meladee said. “You guys divy up the five inner rings.”

Meladee, Inez, and Eder began their spell. A complex configuration of seven rings appeared, with Meladee and Eder responsible for two rings. Inez got the three. They resized their conjuring until the rings fit perfectly. The circle shone blue and burst, sending rippling waves of light down the avenue. A waving forcefield shimmered on both sides of the street. It was blue, green, and purple all at once. Cold wafted from the magic walls, and their light cast the metal tiles in rippling color.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Rooks gave the three mages an appreciative nod. Then, she took the first step into the street.

A strange pop sounded.

Rooks stopped and looked at Meladee. Everyone who crossed the tiled threshold produced the same pop.

Meladee kicked some debris off the dirt line and saw fading runes. “Uh…that was a trap spell, designed against invisibility.” Meladee looked at the Ferrans.

“Who cast that?” Rooks asked.

All of the mages shook their heads.

“Ah’nee’thit was learning magic,” Inez worried aloud. “Maybe, Ul’thetos learns by watching us too.”

Meladee’s eyes widened. “That’s a big fucking problem. So, Ul’thetos didn’t attack our huge army because it thought we’d be invisible. It set the trap here...There must be thousands of automatons – just waiting!” Meladee looked around the avenue, but she heard it first.

The screech of thralls rose around them. Rooks led her force forward. They traveled down the wide avenue, ten abreast, moving in a quick tight formation. On the outskirts of the avenue, shadowy thralls clawed and banged at the magical light.

Meladee looked at the thralls and needed no more prompting. She summoned aid. Ahead, Meladee’s ice dragon and basan materialized. The basan ran for the greenhouse, toddling to keep its pace slow enough for the people at its back. The dragon flew into the air and circled, also making its way to the greenhouse in lazy rings.

Eder summoned a phoenix of ice, which earned him a strange look from Meladee and Inez. He also conjured an icey cyclops, a beautiful, giant specimen of a man, with one sky blue eye.

Inez conjured a trio of frosty centaurs and her own strange contribution, a snowclad sphinx.

All of the creatures ran ahead.

At the end of the avenue, the dragon spewed ice onto the broken gazebo, trapping some thralls within its breath. Eder and Inez each conjured a wall of ice, layered over one another to block that route of attack. Now, the thralls would have to get them from the greenhouse.

Meladee cast a spell for enemy detection. She dreaded to see little lights in the glass house, but her basan crashed through the hothouse, obscuring her view. A moment later little blue lights shone from their path ahead.

“Automatons in the greenhouse!” Meladee shouted.

Before the dust cleared, Rooks called, “Halt!”

The centaurs and dragon didn’t obey. They followed the basan. The sound of tearing flesh echoed.

Rooks’ men opened fire. Some thralls entered the alley from the back, but the sphinx, cyclops and phoenix waded into that group.

If Meladee thought she heard flesh tear ahead, she was certain the sphinx’s prey telephoned their demise with squelches, pops, and wet rends.

“God,” Meladee said.

Rooks called, “Go!”

Meladee was the first to spring forward. Everyone ran for the greenhouse, now a pile of rubble. Those with clear shots fired ahead. They fled towards subway station 23, and their caravan of mythical ice creatures followed.

Meladee found that she remembered Benham’s directions perfectly. Right at the broken-down factory with the wrench symbol. Left at the dangling streetlight, and straight on to the station.

A few times her terrified steps carried her ahead of Rooks, and the Commander told her to slow down and cast something. Along the path, Inez and Eder set spells: rudimentary walls, icicle pikes, and slippery puddles. Meladee’s spells brought a smattering of new creatures. The first, a well-dressed cat, swiped blue claws across a thrall’s chest.

“Who summoned the bear?” Eder gasped, but he received no answer.

The enormous cuddly teddy destroyed every thrall that threatened the force’s peaceful bedtime.

Meladee wanted to tell Eder that he had created it and simply forgot, but she knew she’d done it.

What was I thinking? The pizza might have been a bit much too.

Meladee thought the frozen pizza warrior was her secret, but Rooks spotted the triangular, spindly legged thing as it cut thralls with its sharp edges.

Confident in their direction, Rooks and her caravan burst through the greenhouse remains. They pulled ahead of the automatons. The thralls waited to see what path Rooks would take. It worked to Rooks’ advantage.

They ran a long time. The directions proved simple, but the journey continued for blocks.

Finally, Meladee recognized the wide roofless station, and when she saw one of Camellia’s team, she picked up speed. If they had been in a race to safety, Meladee would have won as she crossed the finish line first.

Soon, everyone cleared the station walls and executed an orderly retreat into the tunnels.

“We need a way to seal this!” Rooks shouted.

Meladee obliged. “I’ll just use my no entry spell. It’ll be easy on such a small space. And, the big bad won’t copy it.” Meladee envisioned the four-ringed circle and held it in her mind.

All of Rooks’ men and some of their magical beasts retreated below. When everyone was safe, Meladee let her spell go.

The circle glowed into place, barring entrance to the subway as well as blocking off most of the ceiling. Thralls fell onto the magic, trampled by their comrades.

“Into the tunnels, now!” Rooks ordered.

Benham beckoned and led them northwest. Meladee ran to his side.

Eva no longer heard the sound of screaming thralls.

Rooks motioned for a halt in the quiet tunnels.

Eva stopped and waited.

“Can they enter through other stations?” Rooks asked.

Benham answered, “Possibly, but the nearest three are caved in.”

Eva stepped forward and aimed her flashlight up to avoid others’ eyes. “I don’t think Ul’thetos will send them down. I think the automatons will guard the best exits.”

Rooks nodded. “Yes, or possibly set magical traps.”

“Yeah, Ul’thetos – mage in training.” Meladee crossed her arms. “We need to hide our magic from those things. Do complicated spells. Anything to keep that monster from learning from us.”

“Indeed,” Eva agreed darkly. She held her crystal staff, and it glowed faintly in the flashlight.

“For now, are we safe enough?” Rooks asked.

“We’ve checked the tunnels in several directions and haven’t found a way up,” Eva said.

Rooks took a deep breath. “I do hope we find other stations clear.”

“We can always use explosives to clear them,” Sten promised.

“Well, you have your target, lead on.” Rooks waved them ahead.

Benham smiled and strolled into the shadows. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to scout a bit ahead. Can I take a mage with me?” His eyes darted to Meladee.

“Go ahead, Meladee. You earned it. And, you’re faster than I ever dreamed.” Rooks gave Meladee a gentle shove on the shoulder.

“Only when I’m scared!” Meladee called back.

She and Benham trotted into the tunnels.

Everyone else marched in silence, until one man called out. Rooks came to his side and found a lit terminal. She beckoned Eva and Camellia over.

Eva recognized the computer as a service terminal. The screen glowed green and text scrolled across it. Eva and Camellia exchanged a glance.

“What’s it say?” Rooks’ brow knit.

Eva sent a sidelong glance at Camellia.

Camellia sighed. “Magnificent. Ul’thetos is pleased with our performance.”

The text changed.

“Ah, now it says…” Camellia struggled to translate.

“Where will you surface.” Eva read it not as a question but as a statement.

Camellia clutched the handkerchief that protected her mind and made this game possible. Eva worried that Camellia needed it more than the rest of them.