"Thanks," the guard muttered with a pained grunt.

"Sorry, we just can't-" one of the two rangers muttered.

He was hesitating as he gazed between Irwin and the wounded guard he'd been trying to carry down the steep cliffside.

"It's alright! Run," Irwin snapped as he hoisted the wounded man on his shoulder, ignoring the pained outcries.

The two rangers shared a worried look, then turned and ran, slid, and climbed down the steep slope.

Irwin took a look up at the rapidly growing Frost Wyrms and shivered.

He followed after the two rangers as fast as he could without falling head over heels forward. The wounded guard barely weighed him down, which was why he had returned in the first place. Barely ten feet down, he and Daubutim had stopped when there were worried cries for help. Turning back, they had seen the rangers with the wounded, staring down with frightened eyes. None of them were capable of carrying the wounded down the hill safely. No. There were only three even remotely capable of carrying a fully armored, wounded man down.

Hutch, Daubutim, and him.

Which was why Daubutim was now struggling down a short distance ahead, a ranger draped across his shoulders, while Hutch was behind him somewhere, getting the other wounded.

It's a good thing there weren't any more heavily wounded, he thought as he leaned backward and slid down one of the steeper parts.

"Ugh, bloody… ribs- Gelwin's balls-" A pained grunt came from the guard he was carrying, followed by softly muttered curses.

"You alright?" Irwin asked as he attempted to continue down as fast as he could without the risk of an out-of-control slide that would likely cause him to break his neck.

The grinding of his boots against the rocks hidden below the sometimes deceptively thin layer of snow made him shiver. A stupid thought flashed through his mind. With his own increased weight and the guard atop the stress on his boots so immense, what if his soles grinded off? Would his Coperion Skin be tough enough to protect the soles of his feet?

"Gelwin's beard," he cursed as he felt his foot clip a rocky ridge.

"Don't… worry about me," the guard said, seeming to pick up something but making the wrong connection. His voice was barely more than a pained croak. "Go… faster."

Right, Irwin thought as he gritted his teeth. As if he'd been going slow just to spare the guard. Still, the guard wasn't wrong. If he didn't move faster, neither of them was going to make it.

Hoping both of them would be fine, Irwin scanned ahead for the quickest path down. Most of the others were more to the left, running along a rough, natural path that seemed to head almost to the bottom. Sadly it was so narrow that he had no illusions of trying to copy them.

Straight ahead was a steep drop, and the path the others were running along seemed to loop back that way, passing below the fall.

A few of the fastest rangers had been sprinting across it and now stood staring up, raising bows towards the incoming Frost Wyrms.

What are they going to do with those? Irwin thought as he looked at the giant Frost Wyrms.

The monstrous demons were so close that he could see their burning blue eyes staring at them hungrily.

"Keep bloody running, you idiots!"

Hutch's deafening roar came from close behind Irwin, and the rangers started, looked up, then continued running as they slung their bows on their back.

"Hutch… is… catching… up," the soldier on his shoulder groaned. "He- has… Gardner," the soldier muttered before sucking in a deep breath.

Irwin grunted a response, barely paying attention as he attempted to determine how long he had before Frost Wyrms would reach them. He quickly realized that he wasn't going to make it at his current pace.

I need a quicker way down.

A crazy idea turned into a snapshot decision, and without thinking about it more, he braced himself for what to do.

"Hold on," he shouted, hoping the wounded guard would survive.

He stopped holding back, and let his weight carry him toward the edge, his speed increasing.

There was a confused cry from the guard. Then they reached the edge. Without slowing down, Irwin stretched his legs, propelling him forward while his heart suddenly in his throat. There was a startled and frightened shout from the guard, which he ignored.

It's really far down, was the last thing thought as the snowy ground vanished from below him, and his mind went into a full-blown panic mode.

They sailed across the path a dozen feet down, over another ledge, then plummeted down further.

Everything moved like a blur, and Irwin thought he heard surprised and worried shouts. Below him, the steep snow-covered hill flashed, then his boots touched down, and he barely managed to brace himself as he grabbed the guard with two arms.

His legs buckled and barely held as he slammed into the thin layer of snow. A moment of relief was shortlived as his momentum threatened to carry him forward and onto his face. Leaning back again, he skidded and slipped forward, heading toward another drop a hundred feet away. He tried to grab for a handhold or dig his boots in the snow, but it was no use as he slid across the slippery slope.

With a final thought about the stupidity of his actions, he reached and toppled over the next ridge. This time he was truly out of control, as he flailed with his one free arm to try and keep his legs down.

As the world spun, he caught a few images of a gentle snowy slope, then he slammed into a thick layer of snow, somehow with his feet down and drilled down into the freezing mess before coming to a shocking halt. He was up to his waist in the snow, his feet pained from the collision, but his legs seemed unbroken.

Drawing in ragged breaths, he heard worried screams from behind but chose to ignore them for now.

"You… alive?" he asked.

There was a dull groan, followed by muted grunts and curses.

He gently placed the guard on the snow before him and instantly saw that the other's face was even paler than before while blood ran from his blue-tinted lips.

He needs a healer…

"We are close to the tower. I need to pick you up again," Irwin said.

The guard didn't respond, his pupils wide, eyelids drooping as he stared into the distance.

Irwin cursed and scrambled out of the snow before picking the guard up. Taking a quick look back, he saw Daubutim halfway down, somehow managing not to go into a crazy slide as he had. Lamia was together with the closest group of rangers, and the others were scrambling down all across the hill. Far in the back, Hutch was climbing out of a pit of snow below a ridge, showing he had taken the plunge too but had found a much safer spot to do so.

Safer, yes... but will he make it in time, Irwin thought.

There was a wet cough, and fluid splattered across his face. Looking down at the guard, he gritted his teeth and turned to the tower. Holding the guard against his chest, he began running forward, plowing through the snow and hoping there wasn't any deep gap. Absently he knew that most people wouldn't be able to run through the snow like this, but most of his attention was on not tripping over a rock he couldn't see.

There wasn't any other drop he had to jump, just a snow-covered path that led to the side of the wall that surrounded the town, surrounding the tower. A small gate sat on one side, and he began plodding towards it. At the same time, he looked up at the wall and saw dozens of guards. Some were looking at him, but most were pointing bows and weapons at the incoming Frost Wyrms.

Irwin drew a deep breath when he reached within shouting distance of the tower. "I need a carded healer!' he roared at the top of his lungs.

There was a muted, hard-to-understand reply that he hoped was positive.

A few moments later, the small gate opened up, and a dozen guards with raised shields ran out. He saw a vaguely familiar symbol on their shields, but he had no time to think about it as there was a dull shout from the lead guard.

What? he thought before shouting it back to show he hadn't understood.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"State your name and reason for coming here!" the guard shouted again.

Irwin's mind spun.

"Orwin Coulwater, here with Daubutim Coulwater. We bring news from Lord Bron of Degonda! We were ambushed by multiple Udugtaur surges on our way here and have gravely injured people!" he shouted, trying to replicate how Daubutim and Lord Bron spoke.

There was a moment of silence.

"Don't use any cards, and as soon as you are at the tower, drop any weapons you have," the guard yelled. "Are you carrying Lord Daubutim?"

Lord Daubutim? Irwin thought as he felt his skin crawl.

"No! He is amongst those still approaching!'

Another moment of silence, then a loud trumpet echoed from the wall. A moment later, a massive flash of light came from the top. There was a thunderous flap as an enormous black and brown bird propelled itself from the wall. Before Irwin could even gasp, another bird, smaller and mostly brown, followed. There was a tiny, robed figure on its back.

Irwin watched in awe as the massive avians rushed at the incoming Frost Wyrms.

Are they going to attack them with just two? Wait, that's not a sorcerer, is it?

Irwin felt his skin crawl as he saw the figure's familiar robe flutter behind.

His vision of the sky was blocked as he reached the wall, and he quickly turned his attention to the guards. One of them was beckoning and pointing at a cleared-out spot on the ground.

"Put him down there, then back up and keep your hands before your body," he snapped.

Irwin did as ordered, putting the barely breathing, pale-faced guard on the ground.

"Don't die," he muttered before he backed up.

A few of the guards had swords and crossbows pointed at him while the lead guard moved closer. A female guard without weapons rushed to the wounded guard, and Irwin was relieved when one of her cards flashed brightly, and a pale golden glow engulfed the guard.

"Tower Lord Indoutor Coulwater is on his way here. Until then, you are to stay here. Which one is Lord Daubutim?" the lead guard said with a dull, gritty voice.

A dull red glow came from one of his cards, showing he was probably doing something to detect if he was lying.

Trying to stop his suddenly growing worry, Irwin turned and looked at the others as they rushed down the hill. They were still minutes away, and he was surprised by how far his dangerous fall had gotten him. As he saw the two drops he'd made, he swallowed. If there hadn't been snow below the second one? Or a thin layer? He would have broken every bone in his body…

"That one, carrying the ranger," he said, pointing out Daubutim's massive frame.

The guard stared at him for a moment, then the glow of his card vanished, and his tension seemed to ease.

"Either this is true, or someone lied to you, and you believed it," he muttered, scanning Irwin's eyes again.

He must have seen something trustworthy because he turned to the guards waiting. "Alright. Glen, Maik, you saw who he pointed at! Get over there and assist Lord Daubutim! Glen, take the wounded, Maik, and move Lord Daubutim here immediately."

"Yes, Second!"

Second? That has to be a title…

Two of the guards stepped forward, and one dropped his shield and sword while the other gently put a round circle on the ground with the outside facing up before jabbing his spear in the ground next to it. Then they sprinted away.

What was that about? Irwin thought as he stared at the carefully placed shield before following the two guards as they ran along the deep path he had left behind.

"I've never heard of any Orwin Coulwater," the guard said softly as he looked at Irwin. His card glowed again, though much dimmer than before.

Instantly wary, Irwin shrugged. "Daubutim gave me the name because it had to start with an o. There is reason to believe I am the son of one of his uncles."

The guard stared at him, eyes narrowing slightly. For a moment, Irwin was afraid he would call him out on something, but then the guard simply nodded.

"Alright, well, let's see what happens."

The guard stepped away, focusing on how the two guards reached Daubutim and began talking with him, gesturing towards the tower.

A deafening roar caused everyone to jump, and Irwin looked up and to the side. The two massive birds had reached the Frost Wyrms, and the lead one had burst out in flame, fire roaring around it and warping the air. The Frost Wyrms flapped back, their blue eyes glowing brightly as a wave of cold seemed to ripple from them. The other bird hung behind the first with its beak open and within moments torrents of flame moved away from the other bird and were sucked into its golden beak.

What is hap-

Irwin's thoughts evaporated as the second bird began to glow. The tiny figure on its back stood up, both hands raised. A golden white light gathered on the figure's hands, quickly turning so bright that it rivaled the sun. If not for his special eyes, Irwin knew he'd be blinded if he watched straight into it. As it were, he watched in awe as the brightness increased before two beams of golden light burst away, striking one of the two Frost Wyrms. There was a dull, pained cry as one wing was ripped off, then the Frost Wyrm began circling down, trying to straighten itself. At the same time, the others turned and rushed back to the distant hillside.

One attack, and they fled, Irwin thought, barely believing what he'd seen. That had to be a special card, or perhaps… a legendary? Were both birds from the same carded?

A soft muttering drew his attention to the guards, and he saw they weren't watching the birds but staring at the hillside.

Irwin turned to see the two guards had reached Daubutim, and his friend was handing the wounded ranger to one of them before turning to the other. They seemed to talk for a moment, then there was a distant flash of light. At the same time, a startling howling whine came from next to him.

Irwin almost jumped out of his skin as he saw a greenish portal expand up from the shield placed on the ground, and a second later, Daubutim came through, looking around wide-eyed. The guard followed him a moment later and the portal shrank back into the shield. With a nod at the lead guard, the other guard picked it up as if nothing had happened before moving back in line with those still waiting with raised weapons.

By Gelwin's beard… is the shield his card skill, or did he use another somehow? Irwin thought. And did that guard seriously create a portal? He'd never heard of a card that did that!

Noticing Daubutim's worried looks, Irwin wanted to step next to him, but the lead guard to his side blocked him with a raised arm.

"Stay right there," the guard said before he focused on Daubutim. His hand began glowing the same dim red again.

"You are Daubutim Coulwater, son of Doldingen Coulwater of Caldangen?" he asked, staring at Daubutim.

"I am," Daubutim said, locking eyes with the guard.

Irwin saw the guard ease up slightly.

"Have you been in contact with the sorcerers during the last two weeks?"

"No, I have not. I've been staying at Degonda. Now, captain, state your name and then explain what is going on that makes you think you have the right to question me?" Daubutim said, his eyes cold as he scowled at the guard.

Irwin watched with bated breath, barely noticing that the others began arriving.

"Pardon me, Lord Coulwater," the guard said as the red glow vanished from his hand, and he bowed his head quickly.

Irwin saw Daubutim's eyes narrow as he turned slightly pale at being addressed as Lord Coulwater.

"My name is Jondir and I am the second in command to Tower Lord Indoutor Coulwater," the guard said as he took a deep breath.

"I see," Daubutim said slowly. "And what is going on?"

"I think it would be better for Lord Indou-"

"Answer me," Daubutim roared.

There was a sudden and stunned silence as some guards mechanically raised their weapons. The captain waved them to lower them, a look of surprise and worry on his face.

Irwin couldn't blame him. He looked in stunned silence at his friend. From all he had seen of Daubutim, he had never acted like this. He had always been cordial and correct. A fierce fighter, yes, but not one to shout.

Jondir took a deep breath, and a look of weary resolve came to his face.

"Very well, my lord," he said softly. "It brings me no pleasure to inform you that Caldangen has fallen."

Daubutim's face turned pale. "And what of my family?" he said.

Irwin was surprised he didn't ask how and why but said nothing as he quietly watched on.

"Details are scarce, but all intel we have managed to gather seemed to indicate that none but a few commoners and lucky rangers managed to flee in time," the guard said sadly.

"One ranger with a particularly powerful stealth card managed to escape from the inner city, and he said that your father and brothers entered a portal and never returned."

Daubutim stumbled before managing to catch himself, and Irwin stepped forward, shoving Jondir's arm aside with ease, standing beside his friend. Daubutim looked at him, a deep pain in his eyes, before looking at Jondir and the surrounding guards, who seemed on edge.

"Stand down," Daubutim said, his voice suddenly as cold as ice. "Jondir, explain what happened in Caldangen."

How come Lord Bron didn't know about this? Irwin thought as he looked at the guard captain. He saw that Hutch and the others were quietly standing behind them, the wounded being looked after by the same female guard.

"Yes, my Lord, "Jondir said, seemingly ignoring Irwin's presence beside his new Lord.

"Roughly two weeks ago, a very-rare portal spawned in the city's outskirts. Before anyone could attempt to close it, before the army could even gather, a demon surge burst out. It quickly overwhelmed the still small garrison before spreading through the rest of the city. Multiple common and uncommon portals were reported to have spawned alongside it, and in less than a few hours most of the populations of Caldangen were killed or…"

Jondir frowned before continuing. "There is unconfirmed intel that a large portion of the commoners was brought back through the portals."

There was a moment of quiet as Irwin tried to come to grips with what had been said. After a few moments, he saw that Daubutim's eyes had dulled, and he was staring at the ground. Jondir was looking at him with worry and sympathy.

Loud footsteps came from the open gate, and Irwin looked up to find a heavily armored man with a gray stubble beard and a look of relief approaching. There was a very faint resemblance to Daubutim.

"Cousin!"

The man's voice boomed out as he burst through the gate and towards Daubutim. Before the taller, younger man could react, the armored man wrapped him in a bear hug.

"I am so glad you are here! I am so sorry for what happened," he said as he thudded Daubutim's shoulder before pushing him back to examine his face.

Irwin noticed the man's smile and hesitated a moment before returning.

"Have my cousin's entourage settled and provide them with food and care," the man boomed as he looked at Jondir.

“Yes, Lord Indoutor.”

The man, Lord Indoutor and thus Daubutim's cousin, nodded as he pulled Daubutim along. "Come, cousin. You need a drink, food, and rest."

Daubutim finally seemed to jog out of his stunned silence as he took a step back and broke free of the other's grasp.

"One moment, cousin," he said, his voice still cold but no longer as freezing as before. "Orwin and Lamia will accompany me, and before we have any food or rest, I need you to inform me of everything that has happened. Including all details."

Lord Indoutor blinked in surprise before frowning and looking at Irwin, seemingly only now really noticing him.

"And who are they then, cousin?" he asked, a cool tone to his voice.

"Orwin is very likely one of our cousins and comes from the line of Ondrist," Daubutim said.

"What? Another of his ba-" Indoutor coughed to mask what he was saying and then turned to Orwin. "My apologies. If you are really another of our house, it saddens me to welcome you during a time of such terrible upheaval."

Irwin forced a smile and shrugged. "Times are changing, and it seems we will have to change with them. I'm merely glad to have reached here alive."

There was a surprised flash in Indoutor's eyes before he laughed loudly. "Indeed. And this Lamia? Is she another of our cousins, then?"

Daubutim shook his head. "No. She is a friend to both Orwin and myself."

"Very well! A friend to the new Lord Coulwater is a friend to me," Indoutor said boisterously. "Then, follow me if you will, cousins. I'll inform you of what has happened both far and near. But I must warn you, there is no good news."

Irwin looked at Daubutim and saw the other stare coldly at Indoutor. Something about the way he looked seemed almost… murderous.

He took a quick look at Hutch, who just nodded before turning to Jondir.

As Lamia moved next to him, staring at him with slightly worried eyes, Irwin wondered what was going to happen now.