Irwin jolted upright, a hammer appearing in his hand as he tried to figure out what had awoken him. Had something just poked him?

A soft laughter made him look up, and he saw Greldo standing a few steps away. He blinked away the sleep from his eyes. It wasn't Greldo who was laughing, though he was grinning. The laughter came from Ambraz, who was sitting on Greldo's shoulder.

"Seriously? Couldn't you wait till morning?" Irwin snorted as he shook himself awake and rose on his elbows.

Greldo's grin faded, replaced by worry. "I found the Bablibon. It was looking for a portal which was hidden in the Sultur Crevice and-"

Irwin listened quietly as Greldo explained what had happened. Halfway through, he got up while Ambraz flew to his shoulder, metal lips pursed tight.

"Dammit," Ambraz snorted. "I have no idea what that Bablibon thinks the portal can do, but it's definitely not going to be good."

Irwin grunted in agreement as he looked up at Glint. "Glint, tell Bronwyn what you just heard if you haven't already," he said. "I'm heading to Lord Rhym to warn him."

The massive owl nestled near the ceiling gazed at him before it lowered its head.

Irwin looked at Greldo, who looked weary.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," Greldo said with a sigh. "It's just that teleporting that much, especially that last jump, takes a large chunk out of me."

There was a moment of silence as Irwin looked at his friend, then he nodded. "Take it easy, and try to regain some energy. There's no way of knowing what might happen, but as Ambraz said, it's probably not going to be good."

"Don't worry about me. Go and see Rhym. I'll head to the wall and warn the rangers," Greldo said, grinning wearily before vanishing into the shadows.

Irwin heard a rustle from above, likely Bronwyn, who was getting out of bed. He hesitated if he should wait, then shook his head and headed for the door. Bronwyn could warn the rangers, and he could head to Rhym.

He ran through the dark and empty city, wondering what would be coming from the portal.

I'm glad I went to those imps first, he thought as he thought about his significantly fuller soullake.

It had gone from under one percent filled to a knee-deep layer that covered the entire width and breadth of the lakebed. Almost ten percent filled, according to Ambraz, who'd been more than a little stunned and told him it meant he could use his abilities twice as long and with twice as much force.

I wonder if I can keep consuming imps to fill my soullake, Irwin thought. If he could, that meant he might be able to create his soulcard much faster than he'd ever thought possible.

He reached the castle's closed gates in record time, and his loud footsteps caused a group of guards to come walking out of the small door to the side.

"Irwin?" one of them asked as he looked confused.

"The scout that headed into Gloomforest returned with bad news," Irwin said. "I need to talk with Lord Rhym immediately. A portal appeared inside Sultur Crevice, and there's a chance we get a surge!"

The guards stared at him for a mere moment, then the one who'd spoken to him spun around.

"Wake the others, send extra men to the walls," he snapped orders before turning to Irwin.

"Follow me. I'm pretty sure Lord Rhym is still awake," he said before walking through the smaller door.

Irwin followed the guard inside a smaller hallway and through the winding paths of the castle.

When they reached the staircase that led to Lord Rhym's planning room, Irwin saw a soft glow of light from above. The guard stopped at the bottom, looking up.

"Jeffron! It's me, I'm bringing Irwin. There's news from the scout!"

"Let him up," Lord Rhym's voice boomed from above.

"I'll go back and prepare with the others," the guard said as he bowed his head before turning and heading back the way they came.

Irwin walked up the stairs, and as he reached the top, he saw six guards with weapons drawn near the entrance. Lord Rhym stood near the table that held the map of the region.

"I presume there is bad news, seeing as you made your way here in the dead of night?" Lord Rhym asked.

"The Bablibon found a portal inside Sultur Crevice," Irwin said, quickly sharing what Greldo had told him.

He was almost finished when a startling loud horn blew from the walls.

"Enemies," Lord Rhym said, turning to the guards. "Jeffron remain here. The rest of you, head to the nearest shelter and protect the people!"

All but a single guard bowed and ran down the stairs while Lord Rhym put his hands on the table.

"So, no idea what type of surge?"

"None," Irwin said as he looked out a nearby window. "I'm going to head to the wall."

"Go, I'll join you soon," Lord Rhym said as he looked at the back of his hands with a weary resignation.

Irwin nodded and ran back out.

When he returned to the square beyond the castle, the horn was still blowing, and he heard shouts of worry and panic from inside the city. The pale light from the moons and stars was partially obscured by thin clouds that drifted through the sky, and he knew that anyone without night vision would have a hard time if it came to a clash now.

Mom, he thought, looking in the direction of their house.

"Irwin!"

Irwin jumped to the side as Greldo appeared a few steps beside him.

"What?" he snapped, lowering his hammer.

"There are Nyzir pouring out of the forest," Greldo said as he looked around. "They aren't as fast as me, but they will be here within minutes."

Nyzir, why does it have to be Nyzir, Irwin thought as he clenched his teeth.

"You can see them when they move through the shadows?" he asked.

"Yes, but they can see me through it, too," Greldo hissed. "I hate those slimy bastards!"

"Any sign of the Bablibon?" Irwin asked.

"None yet."

Irwin looked around, his mind running a million miles as he tried to determine what to do. The Nyzir would likely spread out, meaning he couldn't just-

A second horn joined the first, booming in a rapid warning pattern.

"What-" Irwin began, only to see Greldo vanish.

"-now…" he finished lamely. "Ambraz, any ideas on how to deal with all those Nyzir?"

"Kid, I'm not good with war," Ambraz muttered from his pocket. "But if they are going spread out because they are trying to kill people, perhaps bring everyone together so the Nyzir are bunched together?"

Irwin blinked as he spun to the castle. Although it had windows aplenty, the massive cavernous dungeons below had only a few access points! He'd run around them with Greldo the previous day, and perhaps he could fit everyone in there?

"There's something massive moving through the forest towards us," Greldo said, appearing beside him.

Irwin startled only slightly this time, and he spun to his friend. "What is it?"

"I don't know," Greldo said as he looked around wide-eyed. "But it was way bigger than the Bablibon."

Irwin stomped the ground in anger before looking at his friend. "There's nothing I can do against spread-out enemies. Ambraz suggested we bring everyone to one spot. What about the castle's dungeons?"

Greldo frowned, then looked around. "How do you suggest we get everyone there in time?"

Irwin licked his lips nervously before stopping, wondering when he'd started doing that again.

"I don't know. Perhaps you and Clarish can teleport them there?" he said. Then he shook his head, knowing how unlikely that was to work. "Go and tell Lord Rhym what is happening and find my brother and warn him too," he said. "Tell them of my idea. Perhaps they know of a way. I'll head to the gate."

Greldo took a deep breath, then nodded. Coal appeared beside him, looking at Greldo with narrow eyes before turning to Irwin.

"Coal will go with you," Greldo said through gnashed teeth. "If anything happens, I'll come and teleport to him and help."

They locked eyes for a moment, and Irwin forced a grin. "See you soon."

Greldo nodded and vanished.

Irwin turned to Coal, the hound's massive head roughly at chest level with him. "Let's go."

The hound nodded its massive head, then vanished.

Irwin looked around and then realized Coal was likely following him from the shadows.

"Alright, let's go," he muttered.

He turned and sprinted across the square, using Kinetic energy to propel himself forward. As he rushed through the city, he came across groups of people fleeing toward guard towers and larger buildings, carrying children and bags.

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When he reached the gate, he saw a line of guards behind it, weapons raised, and he stared at the gate as if expecting something to burst through at any moment. Seeing rangers at the top, Irwin ran to the nearest staircase and up. Dozens of rangers stood around, far fewer than he had expected.

"Irwin, glad you are here!"

Jort, silvery eyes radiating worry, came walking towards him.

Irwin headed to the edge, staring at the distant forest. The tips of the trees were shaking around, and he felt his skin crawl as he saw seven heat signatures lumbering toward them, moving in and out of view as they walked through the thinning tree line. Although they were far away, the way the trees swayed, he knew they had to be massive.

It will take them a few minutes to reach the open area, Irwin thought.

"There's something heading our way," Jort said.

"Seven things," Irwin said as he looked around. The rangers and everything else stood out like beacons as he searched for Nyzir heat signatures, finding none.

"Seven?" Jort muttered. "Can you see what they are?"

"No, but I think they walk on four legs," Irwin said, glad he wasn't seeing any Nyzir yet.

I wonder if they are Charbulls, he thought, recalling the one he'd encountered at the start. Then he shoved the idea away. These things were way more massive than charbulls.

Some of the rangers began walking to him and Jort.

"Any sign of the Nyzir?" he asked.

Jort grunted and shook his head.

"No. They are probably close, but until they attack, nobody can see, smell or hear them."

"Great," Irwin said, turning back to the forest. "Does anyone know what those things could be?"

The rangers around him remained quiet.

"At least they are slow," Jort finally said.

Irwin grimaced. They might be slow, but that usually meant they were brutally strong, and he hadn't even seen the Bablibon yet!

"Irwin!"

He spun around to see Greldo stand behind him.

"Lord Rhym says he can't get everyone to the dungeons in time, but he is moving those he can there now," Greldo said as he joined him at the wall, nodding at Jort as he did. "The guards are going to block the three entrances, and Rhym will stay there to guard it. Bronwyn and the rangers are positioned around the safehouses holding most of the citizens."

"Did he say what we should do?" Jort asked, looking around at the other rangers.

Greldo nodded, staring at the distant tree line. "He said we are to wait here until we can see what is heading our way. If we can, we are to hold the gate."

"Great," one of the rangers muttered softly.

"I'm going to see what those things are," Greldo whispered, and before Irwin could even think of stopping him, he vanished.

Irwin glared at the empty spot, then spun to the forest.

What if that bloody Bablibon is there?! he thought angrily.

"He's a teleporter?" Jort asked.

"That too," Irwin said absently.

They waited silently, the air tense with anticipation.

A soft breeze was all the warning any of them got before all hell broke loose. Coal burst out of the shadows beside Irwin, biting at the air beside him, causing a sleek, serpentine shape to appear out of nowhere. It screeched in pain as startled screams came from all around and from the guards below.

One Nyzir appeared inches before Irwin's face, a dagger slashing at his eyes. Irwin jerked his head back, instinctively using some Kinetic energy, causing his movement to be so explosively fast that it started the Nyzir and propelled him two staggering steps back.

"Nyzir! Fight!" someone screamed from the wall.

Irwin reached out, grabbing at the Nyzir, but it vanished before his fingers could reach it. Spinning around, he saw Coal appear ten feet to the side, a flailing Nyzir in its jaws, which it hurled across the edge of the wall before vanishing. All across the wall, Rangers were dodging and slashing out with swords and daggers as Nyzir appeared in front and behind them. A few unmoving shapes were already on the ground.

Knowing he wasn't going to be fast enough, Irwin triggered his sweltering skill, pouring energy into it as tendrils of steam began appearing across the wall around him. Thinning it to a slight mist, he sensed the rangers move within. The Nyzir kept appearing and disappearing, jarring his senses.

Stepping forward, some appeared behind him, and he grabbed without looking, his fingers touching something leathery. Scrambling for a hold, he dug his fingers in while pouring his flame inside just as something stabbed at his back. A startled scream, loud enough to make his ears ring, came from behind him while he felt something pierce through his jerkin and an inch into his back before stopping.

He had no time even to turn as another Nyzir appeared to his side, and he jerked left, Kinetic energy causing him to stumble three steps sideways.

Stupid, annoying- Irwin thought, as a Nyzir appeared before him.

He reached out, but Greldo appeared behind the Nyzir, stabbing it through the neck in a single motion before disappearing. Irwin blinked as another Nyzir appeared a few feet away, followed by Greldo, who slashed at its throat, vanishing while his blade was still causing pale white blood to squirt out.

"You need-"

"-to stop-"

"-them-"

"-before they-"

"-exit the forest!"

Greldo shouted, a few jarring words at a time, as he appeared all across the wall, slashing through necks and jabbing his blade into eyes.

Irwin watched in awe as Nyzir after Nyzir slumped and thudded to the ground, Greldo seeming to be everywhere and nowhere as he dashed around the battle.

A dagger appeared inches from his face, and he jerked it to the side, feeling his neck crack from the effort only to see the Nyzir freeze, a dagger blooming into its eye as Greldo stood beside Irwin.

"They are some sort of big Nyzir, Charbull hybrid, and they are bleeding that purple mist you talked about!" Greldo shouted before disappearing and reappearing next to cut down a Nyzir about to backstab a ranger who was stumbling forward. "They look fast, and the trees are slowing them, but not for long!"

The purple mist? Irwin thought, drawing in a startled breath as he pictured seven infected monstrous running rampant in the city. They could infect everyone!

He spun to the forest, staring at the seven heat signatures, now mere dozens of feet away from the edge of the forest. With how sparse the trees were, their bulky bodies glistened in the distance, almost as if they were wet.

"They seem to be breathing," Greldo shouted. "Go, I'll send Coal with you in case that bird shows up!"

Irwin nodded and swallowed as he looked at the ground below. This was the highest he'd ever jumped from, but if he hit the ground with that much force, he'd generate a lot of Kinetic energy, and he knew his legs would be fine.

"Jort, listen to Greldo!" he shouted as he climbed up the wall, staring down. "If one gets past me, you have to kill it, or it will infect everyone without a heartcard!"

"Got it!" Jort shouted, and Irwin took a quick glance at him.

The ranger was dodging around more nimble than the others and fighting off two of the Nyzir with surprising skill. Sadly, the same couldn't be said for the others, and Irwin felt his heart clench at the sight of a third of the rangers, unmoving shapes on the ground.

Can't help, he thought as he turned. Greldo was more useful here, and if those things came here.

He gritted his teeth, then jumped before he could think about it. His stomach lurched as he fell down, and for a few moments, he wondered if he shouldn't have just used the stairs. Then he slammed into the ground with a dull boom, a massive amount of Kinetic energy flooding his body. Cobblestones cracked and splintered below his feet, and he felt his legs buckle and hold.

Feeling no pain, he stepped out of the cracked ground and began running forward, using Kinetic energy to increase his speed.

No longer on the wall, the heat signatures were harder to see in the distance. Irwin probed his heartcard, but the energy was full.

"Do you have any idea what those things Greldo said can be?" Irwin shouted.

"Kid, you still think I know everything! It's flattering, really, but come on!"

Ambraz's muffled shout from his pocket made Irwin grunt.

Fantastic, then let's hope I can generate enough flames and fire to wipe out the purple grass, he thought as he continued running forward.

At full speed, he thundered across the compressed sandy ground and was two-thirds to the forest when one of the heat signatures burst out of a bush. A massive Charbull-like shape with hulking shoulders and legs ending in talons snorted as it looked around. Its flanks were covered in the same deep red scratch marks as Irwin had seen on the Charbull, and although he couldn't see it from here, he feared purple mist was leaking up from it. The thing lowered its head, four curved dark horns half as long as Irwin's arms sticking out as its gleaming blood-red red eyes glared at Irwin.

Irwin instinctively slowed as he stared at he saw the triangular pupils narrow as they focused on him. They radiated a malevolent hatred. Its mouth split open sideways and down, its jaw split across its length, revealing teeth around all the edges, and a thick split tongue.

A piercing screech came out, more befitting a bird than something of its size, and it held a tinge of rage. Then it began barrelling forward, rapidly picking up speed.

Why do I get the feeling that thing hates me? Irwin thought as he swallowed back a slight building fear. Was it somehow the same thing as the one he'd killed before?

The nyzir-bull, or whatever it was, was now running as fast as a Cindermare, and Irwin cursed.

I've got to lure it back into the forest, or one of them will reach the city in a few minutes!

Irwin increased his own speed again, turning in such a way that he'd not cross the thing's path.

As he closed in, he saw that the demon's skin was covered in the same dark scales as the Nyzir's, but that was the only similarity. Where the Nyzir were shadow-stalking, agile, and dextrous creatures of death, this thing was a lumbering hulk of muscle.

Sixty feet away from the first, the other behemoths had barrelled out of the forest, and all of them were staring straight at him.

Well, at least I don't need to draw their attention, Irwin thought, swallowing as he finally saw the ominous purple mist leak out of the still-bleeding wounds.

He passed the nearest nyzir-bull barely twenty feet, and this close, he could hear its ragged, wet breath. Then he was past it, and he slowed a bit, taking a look over its shoulder. Four of the things were following him, but three had merely slowed before continuing toward the city.

Seriously? Irwin thought. He very much didn't want to fight these things on the open plains. Looking ahead, then back, he knew it would take him longer to lure them to the forest, find a way to kill them, and run back than it would take the nazir-bulls to reach the city.

"Coal, can you lure them after me?" he shouted, hoping the hound was nearby.

There was no response, and he kept looking back worriedly, trying to ignore the four monstrous things, snarling as they chased him. A sudden, startling screech made him turn back around to see Coal snap at the back of one of the nyzir-bulls not chasing him.

"Great!" Irwin shouted.

He continued running, and soon Coal had annoyed the three remaining nyzir-bulls to follow him.

Irwin returned his focus to the forest, which was closing in rapidly, searching for any signs of the Bablibon.

"Ambraz, I'm starting to think that thing is luring us forward! Can you sense it if it gets close?" he shouted.

"Only when it's very close! It doesn't bleed a lot of soulforce," Ambraz shouted back.

Irwin grunted as he gazed at the dark treeline, and slowly, an idea began forming in his mind.

"Ambraz, can you become big enough to pin that thing?"

"If you want me to do it fast, I'll need a card for energy!"

Irwin began fumbling in his pocket until he got one card out, which he slipped into the pocket with Ambraz.

"Get ready!"

"What are you planning to do? It's not like that bloody bird will remain still," Ambraz shouted.

"You will see," Irwin shouted as he focused on his flame.

Let's see how much fire I can make this time, he thought.

--

Greldo shot through the shadows, chasing the odd trail that signaled a Nyzir until it appeared beside a guard. Before it could stab the unsuspecting man, Greldo slid out behind the Nyzir and slashed it through its throat.

Ignoring the body as it slumped down, he returned to the shadows, moving sideways as fast as he could. Dozens of ripples were moving towards and around him, chasing him.

Ain't catching me this time, Greldo thought as he felt enormous gratitude for his increased abilities. Without his heartcard the Nyzir would have easily caught him by now.

A ripple to the side made him teleport a few feet sideways, out of the path of a Nyzir.

Nice try, he thought as he shot up into the air, swirling high up in the air above the city, thankful that there was no moonlight to shatter the shadows for a moment. As he glanced at the city below him, he saw Guards and Rangers standing in front of certain towers, buildings, and the square before the castle. Bonfires were lit up everywhere, and Greldo shook his head.

I hope none went into the castle, he suddenly thought, recalling Irwin's plan to draw the Nyzir to the dungeons.

With a sickening sensation, he reappeared in the real world as the moon slid out from behind the clouds. Startled screams of panic made him look around while falling, seeing a dozen Nyzir flailing about.

"Yeah, sucks, doesn't it," he shouted as he spun around, noting a band of shadow just before he hit the ground.

Stepping inside the shadowy world, he rushed sideways, positioning himself below where one of the Nyzir was toppling down. Just before it reached the shadows, he jabbed up and stepped out of the shadows, his shortsword piercing the Nyzir's falling shape. Before the blood could pour over him, he stepped back into the shadows and dashed towards the city.

He was about to help a group of rangers that were running through the city, besieged by Nyzir, when he sensed Coal's surprise.

What? he sent back.

Getting a jumbled response about fire and chasing things, Greldo teleported back to the wall, which was now empty except for the dozens of corpses, human and Nyzir alike.

Far off in the distance, smoke was rising from the forest while a red glow was growing.

Greldo felt a slight grin come to his face as he stepped back into the shadows, teleporting a few steps to the side while a half dozen Nyzir dashed through the space he'd just been at.

"He seriously did it," he muttered, looking at the Nyzir just as they vanished into the shadows. "You know what? Why don't you guys come along and play a bit? I think Irwin got the fire going, so it will be nice and warm!"

He stepped into the shadows and raced forward, down the wall, then low across the ground, moving from shadow to shadow. Flames were licking up from the forest in the distance, and a sudden column of flames ripped through the canopy, the distant roaring like a monster.

Sure, why don't we just burn the whole thing down, he thought. It would make moving through much easier!