PART 1

Yvlana saw Kal engage Cassius and saw him drop Cara’s body. Xerath shouted in horror as she fell from the balcony. A glance up at Kaladin showed him disappearing into the room, no doubt continuing the fight. She couldn’t imagine Cassius, a human, holding his own against an Emarine for long. With or without supernatural strength.

“You got her?” Yvlana asked her brother.

An instant before Cara’s body hit the ground, Lamir leapt through the air in a blur and snatched her mid-air.

“Got her,” Lamir announced triumphantly.

“Please be alive.” Xerath cried.

Yvlana knew she was already dead but didn’t say so in front of her husband.

“Kal,” Yvlana spoke through her com. “Kaladin? What’s going on up there? Kal?” she repeated.

“I can’t reach him either,” Lamir said, his voice tense and worried. “His com’s must be down or he’s too focused on fighting. Which worries me. Something tells me we have no idea what we are dealing with here.”

“What would give you that idea? The giant storm that suddenly appeared over our heads or humans having supernatural strength?” she mocked while turning to Xerath. “What can you tell me about Cassius? No ordinary human could hang your wife over an edge like that.”

Kaladin’s theory of a being controlling humans didn’t seem like a joke anymore.

“I-I don’t know.” Xerath stuttered, his mind whirling. “He was our friend… h-he was my trusted advisor. He betrayed us.”

“Stay focused. Tell me what you know.” Yvlana nudged his shoulder to snap him out of his mumbling.

“We’ve all been deceived.”

“What is he talking about?” Lamir breathed heavily as he jumped from roof to roof. “Does he know that guy?”

Yvlana sighed. “I think he’s lost it.”

Xerath’s eyes darted to hers upon hearing that. The sorrow and pain on his face made Yvlana flinch.

“Is my wife alive?” he asked, his voice filled with panic.

She stared back at him and shook her head.

Xerath immediately burst into tears.

“I’m leaving the queen’s body in the physician’s building. Where are Trygve and Hazam?” Lamir asked. “We need someone to lead the humans if Xerath can’t.”

Yvlana mirrored Lamirs question but Xerath didn’t answer. He simply hunched over and continued to weep. It was both pathetic and sad to see. She thought the king to be strong and unbreaking but this was something else.

“He was right. He was right.” Xerath repeated under his breath. “You warned me. This is the end.”

“Trygve is with Felkuru.” a voice to her left said. “I’m here to help. What can I do?”

It was Rayman.

Yvlana noticed his eyes were red from crying as he had been cut off from his family and Erik’s loss was obviously still on his mind. For a moment, a stab of sympathy racked her body as Rayman forced himself to function rather than to lay down and die. He had mourned for several days, hidden away from the world as the Thrak drew closer but he had finally snapped out of it and Yvlana couldn’t help but feel sorry for the man. That very thing was happening to Xerath now.

Erik’s previous bodyguard, Durlan also came up the stairs and joined them on the wall. He remained silent, however.

“We need the Vog to circle the outer city and every man capable of wielding a weapon on the walls,” Yvlana ordered, her voice commanding. “The Vog can protect the archers on the roofs and take out the stragglers getting inside and chase them down if need be. The soldiers can form their shield walls and keep them at bay, while the archers can rain down hell upon them. Lamir I need you to go and check on Kal whenever you can. We don’t know what is happening up there and we will need him when they attack.”

“What of the storm?” Rayman asked. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“There isn’t anything we can do about that,” Yvlana said bluntly. “Whatever is causing it, let’s hope Kaladin is working on it. Rayman...” she paused for a moment. “Choose where you need to go. T east or the west side will be most vulnerable. Trygve may need your help.”

“Yes… ma’am.” Rayman hesitated with her title, unsure what to call her as she barked orders.

“I guess we don’t need anyone to lead them.” Lamir laughed. “I never thought I’d see the day. Yvlana Arthas, commanding a human army. This is rich.”

“Shut up,” Yvlana growled.

Xerath was still crouched on the ground in a heap, weeping. Again, a stab of sympathy touched her because she could feel his pain at the loss of a loved one. But there wasn’t time for mourning now, the Thrak could attack at any moment and they had to be prepared.

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Yvlana grabbed the king from under the arm and yanked him to his feet. “Get up. Your people need you. Mourn your wife once you're dead.”

Rayman and Durlan looked at her as if she was heartless but saw the necessity of her words.

Xerath looked up at her with a hopeless expression.

Suddenly multiple horn blasts bellowed over the city, signaling the men to form ranks. Yvlana didn’t know what each horn meant but the humans did. They quickly obeyed her orders and a massive shield wall atop the city walls began to form. The archers fell back from the wall and climbed atop the houses. Most of the soldiers were already in position but their shield wall wasn’t erected yet.

“We need Kal to organize the Vog,” Yvlana shouted in frustration. “Where is Fel-”

Her words cut short as Felkuru, with his massive paws, stuck his head over the wall and looked directly at her, his hind legs stretched out to their fullest length to stand up to meet her.

She felt a hint of emotion from the beast as if she too had a bond with him. She wondered for an instant if her connection with Kal had somehow transferred through him to her, forming a far weaker fusion with the alien.

His eyes glowed blue and she felt another wave of faint emotions again. “We need you to protect the archers when the Thrak get over the walls,” she said aloud, unsure if he would understand. “And your… daughters on the stairs in case the humans need help pushing them back. There simply isn’t enough room on the walls for everyone at once. So we’ll need to coordinate.”

To her surprise, he nodded his enormous head and growled deeply then pulled back as hundreds of Vog began to move around the city.

“I… didn’t think that would work,” Yvlana mumbled.

“They understand far more than you’d think,” Rayman said knowingly. “I believe they can understand us quite clearly, it is us, rather than them, who cannot understand their form of communication.”

“I think you are right, human.” Yvlana chuckled in surprise.

Rayman bent down next to Xerath and placed a hand on his shoulder. “King Xerath. I know your pain but please, we need you now. We all need you.”

Four horns sounded in unison, signaling the enemy was advancing, and both Yvlana and Rayman whipped their heads opposite of the city to see the never-ending Thrak army finally make their approach.

“Well…” Rayman chuckled sarcastically. “Whatever Kaladin is doing up there, I hope he hurries.”

PART 2

“He was the enemy.” Kal glanced at Lamir, who still stood frozen, unsure of what he had unintentionally done. “But not the enemy you think. I'll explain later.”

Kaladin closed Cassius’s eyes, still feeling sorry for the man. Everything was happening so fast and Lamir had acted in his defense. Kal had hoped to obtain more information from him but that ship had sailed. Though he was human, the power the demon possessed gave him overwhelming strength and regeneration. Eventually, Kal knew he would’ve had to kill him.

“Kal I-” Lamir trailed off and looked down at Amira who was convulsing. “What’s wrong with her?”

“That’s Amira. Long story.” Kal whispered. “I spoke to Mulguran through Cassius. He’s actually real, Lamir.”

“What?” Lamir looked confused. “Mulguran? Kaladin look-”

“Did you catch Cara?” Kal changed the subject.

Lamir nodded and tried to speak again.

“Good,” he said while moving over to Amira.

Reaching out a hand, Amira snatched it and held onto it for dear life. She had completely healed her face but she was still writhing around in pain. Not a scratch on her.

“What’s wrong with her?” Lamir asked.

“Mulguran is using her.” Kal tried to explain but stopped at the look Lamir gave him.

Lamir still didn’t believe him. Not even Yvlana believed him. Kal knew Felkuru was right about Mulguran. He’d been right all along and he had doubted the Vog. Now Kaladin experienced the glances of his worried friends. They thought he was insane, and he couldn’t blame them.

“I can still save her,” Kal whispered.

“We don’t have time for this. The Thrak will attack any minute now.” Lamir shifted a hand to his com. “Yvlana needs us.”

Amira opened her eyes. Her orange gaze flicked back and forth between them and she started to cry. “Why didn’t you kill me?”

“I’m not going to kill you,” Kal reassured her. “I know it wasn’t your fault. I know you didn’t want to kill Erik. But I need you to tell me how Mulguran is controlling you. We might have a chance to stop the Thrak.”

Lamir sighed but the pat on his shoulder told Kaladin he wasn’t waiting around. “I’ll see you on the wall.”

Frustration and anger built in him, there was no way out of this, and they all knew it. Amira was now their only hope of understanding how Mulguran manipulated the armies at their doorstep.

“Yvlana is organizing the humans for-” Lamir froze on the balcony, his words cut short as four loud horns blared across the city.

“Kaladin we need to go now.” Lamir waved him to leave her.

“Please, Amira.” Kaladin clasped her hand in his. “If not for our sake, then for Erik’s. Make this right. What can you tell me about Mulguran?”

She stared at him long and hard, never wavering from his gaze. “He manipulated us into serving him. He forces us to drink his blood. It gives us extraordinary power, but at the cost of our own free will. We can… resist him, but not for long.”

Kaladin looked at her expectantly for more information. “Do you know how we can stop the Thrak?”

“I’m sorry.” Amira let streams of tears flow down her cheeks. “I don’t know. The only person who could’ve told you that is dead.” she looked at Cassius’s body.

“I see.” Kaladin let out a heavy sigh of disappointment.

“Who gave you that dagger?” Amira asked, her eyes widening. “Mulguran fears it. He fears it greatly.”

Kaladin didn’t realize he still held it and quickly attached it to his hip again. The nano-gel from his suit formed around it instantly.

“Mulguran wants me to take it from you,” she admitted. “B-but I can’t resist him for long…” she trailed off. “He’s distracted again.”

“I-I don’t know where it came from.” Kaladin breathed.

Suddenly, Amira’s body began to convulse again. She screamed in agony and her arms and legs twisted in unnatural positions. He stepped back from her and her eyes started bleeding again, red blood. Not black.

“T-this is m-my punish-ment.” Amira sputtered through clenched teeth. “W-when we def-defy him.”

She screamed again, shrieking at the top of her lungs. Her entire body shifted and bulges beneath the skin crept up and down the length of her body. The blood within her was killing her, painfully.

“Kill me!” she wailed.

Kaladin hesitated but he refused to let her suffer. He knelt and activated his sword then shortend it into a dagger. Lifting her head gently he slid the blade into the back of her skull, killing her instantly.

“Let’s go!” Lamir barked.

Kaladin looked at her a moment longer then followed Lamir, leaping off the balcony. The revelation fractured his spirit. There was nothing he could do. No plan. No miraculous plot to outwit the enemy. He wracked his brain but each time he came away with the threat of death. There was no way out of this.

He had always found a way to survive. Always getting by by the skin of his teeth. But not this time.

As he looked out over the city, Kaladin saw the sheer magnitude of bodies they would be facing. The Thrak would defeat them this day. He knew it in his gut. And now, the last bit of hope in stopping it, had died with Cassius.

“You were wrong about me Fel. I wasn't chosen for this. I can't save them.” Kal whispered under his breath.