I looked on as the two forces slowly moved towards each other. For some reason I was expecting a mad rush, but there was none. Nobody seemed to be running forward screaming madly and swinging. Probably because everyone who'd done that was already dead.

Both sides here had at least some level of military training, that much was clear. I supposed that most of the rebels, because I had to believe these were such, were in the previous war. The kingdom's soldiers too seemed a bit hesitant, they weren't up against some wild mob, but men who knew how to form into ranks, slowly advance, and utilize all of the tactics that they knew.

Kala and I kept back. We were well and away from the front of the action, which looked like it would go down right in front of The Sky, and had a fair view of both sides. If either started to retreat we might find that some fled down the alley we were currently in, but because of the streets they'd entered by we weren't really in their midst.

She wouldn't get involved due to the rules of the various temples, that much I knew. It was a heavily enforced rule it would seem, that no priest could step in on either side. I knew that Kala would protect us if any of the soldiers attacked without provocation, but for now, she seemed content to watch.

For my part, I wasn't sure I really wanted any part of this either. While I had a number of friends who were nobles, I couldn't say that I liked the nobility as a whole. The same with the royals; I liked Prince Lief well enough, but their governance frankly kind of sucked. On the other hand, who knew what this 'Lord of Shadows' was like.

So we watched as the groups inched towards one another. The kingdom's men certainly had better, or at least more matching equipment. I was no expert on armor, but they seemed to have more, each man outfitted in a standard set of mail, a shirt-like piece with some arm guards. The rebels on the other hand had a smattering, some in cloth armor, some without, except the men at the front, who were clad in mail. Mostly they had spears or improvised weapons, staves, clubs, and a few crossbows.

The rebels though had the numbers advantage. Having perhaps thirty-five or forty men to what I would guess was twenty-five on the kingdom's side. I wasn't sure how much that would help, but they seemed quite confident. Many of their number were older, and held themselves like they knew well what they were doing.

The action seemed to drag on for a minute or two, neither side willing to engage, and then it exploded. Spears thrust forward and twisted, some went wildly up or to the side as their line of attack was blocked. Men screamed in pain and fell back, the whole exchange having taken only a few seconds.

As we looked on the scene repeated itself again and again. Men would move forward, attack for only a few seconds, then everyone would fall back. It was hard to tell, but I couldn't see that either side had an advantage as of yet.

I tried to think of what to do. There was no way into The Sky until their bout was over, since we were certainly not crossing those lines. If only I had a way to contact Lucien...

Feeling like a complete idiot I fumbled and pulled out my carrying case, slipping the earpiece in as I kept one eye on the fighting.

"Hello?" I questioned after turning it on.

"Hello, I'm glad to see you're using it now." The voice on the other end seemed young, male, and lightly calm.

"Um... who is this?" That was definitely not Lucien, nor Dras, and Kala was here with me.

"Charles. Lucien gave this to me while he prepped some things underground. Said it was a communicator of some sort. I'm quite surprised, it sounds like you're just beside me."

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I had to take a few moments to process. One, Lucien had recognized my radios for what they were, and two he'd handed it over to Charles. I supposed I couldn't really object to that, Charles did seem the dependable type, and was definitely on our side, whatever our side was.

"Okay Charles, where are you? We're near The Sky, but there's a lot of fighting outside right now and I'm not sure what to do here."

"I'm on the roof... ah, there you are. I can kind of see the distortion where you are. Um... are you alone?" That guy's eyes would never cease to surprise me. Then again he did seem to have most of his aura focused there.

"... No, Kala is with me. I don't suppose you have any plans on getting past this mess?"

"Honestly? I'd just wait it out, this isn't our fight and getting into it will only cause us more problems."

While I followed his advice I scanned the rooftop. There he was, sitting quietly in a shadow. I probably wouldn't have noticed him at all if not for the slight bit of aura surrounding the twin points as he looked down at us. It seemed he'd really been working on whatever his skill set now was, something involving stealth and spying if I had to guess.

I hadn't really noticed the sky getting lighter and lighter as we moved, but now that I was looking up it was obvious. There were pinks, and a few streaks of the palest blue now beginning to stretch where there'd been only deep night before. As the skirmish nearby continued slowly a golden ray peaked over one of the nearby buildings.

As the sun rose, pouring its brilliance onto the bloodied street a voice sounded. It was an older man's tone, calm, confident, strong. It was the voice of a leader.

"My brothers hear me. I am Durin, The Lord of Shadows."

The fighting stopped, all of the men looking around for the source, but his voice seemed to come from the air itself. It wasn't painfully loud or overpowering, like from a speaker, but rather like he was standing nearby and giving a speech. Magic was certainly involved.

"I know that many of you are afraid, afraid for your families, afraid for your lives, but know this, my armies are no barbarians. We do not seek to raid, rape, pillage, and destroy. No my friends, we have come to liberate, to lead you to a brighter future.

I desire that none of you men, regardless of if you have supported me or not, to perish. No, no, I bid you to put down your arms, to let me, and my men free you from the oppression of those nobles who sent you here to die. Those who cared not for your lives, only that they could buy a bit more time, those that left you here.

So I implore you all to lay down your weapons. Those who surrender will not suffer any harm from me. Those who try to avoid the fighting will come to no harm by my hand, nor the hand of my men. For my men were drawn from those like you, those who were beaten down, ground under those who thought themselves your betters.

This as well to those who support me within the city walls. I would ask you brave men to fall back for the time being, to allow your enemies this chance to do what is right and put down their spears. Let them for now have a brief time to consider, and to see reason, to end this pointless fighting.

For my armies have already breached your wards. We shall fell the gates in short order, and we shall take this city. I do not desire to harm any of you, but no resistance to us shall be tolerated. Surrender now, return to your homes, your shops, or seek shelter in the temple district, and I shall show you mercy, fail to, and you shall have none. Consider, and make your choice."

When it ended the silence was deafening. All across the city it would seem that men and women had stopped all they were doing to listen, and now they took a second to think.

An older man stepped forth from the group of rebels. He was well built, and had a thick beard and hair of pale gray. He raised a hand forward to show he'd put down his weapon as he spoke to the opposing side.

"Allow us to gather our wounded and leave in peace and we will cease fighting for now." He stared at the soldiers opposite him, eyes hard.

The man who spoke from the ranks of the kingdom's soldiers was younger, but no less resolved. "I'm not authorized to make a truce, but... it seems we have our own wounded to tend to. So if you're happy to ignore us as well..."

With that their fighting ceased. Injured men were carried, a few had to have improvised stretchers made for them, but they all began to back away. It was weird, this lot had been going at each other viciously just a few moments ago, but now all they had were cautious looks towards one another as they retrieved their friends and backed away.

I wondered if the whole city was going through this now. How many of the men of the kingdom would leave the walls and just go home? Could their commanders even stop them at this point, and what would happen if they did? Would The Lord of Shadows keep his word?

Did it even really matter though? If he had enough magical talent on his side to broadcast his voice over the whole of the city he might well just be able to destroy it. We were already losing, everyone knew that, and him offering peace like that... He didn't need to, he could have just kept on grinding us down, but he did offer, and I thought that many would accept.

I barely heard it when Charles landed beside us. The only sound was a light rattling from the chainmail bernie he was wearing over what had to be the most boring brown and gray outfit I'd ever seen. A few things stuck out as I looked him over though. There were pockets all over the clothes, and what looked like the outlines of a few knife sheaths here and there.

"Come on then girls. I'd wager Lucien will be thrilled to see us all."

I sighed as I dropped the invisibility spell and followed him across the road. There were a few puddles of blood here and there, some crossbow quarrels left behind, a broken spear. As we opened the door I turned and heard it. The sounds of fighting, at least in this part of the city, had ceased. They were replaced now by a deep rumble from far away. It was the sound of an army readying itself to end this siege.