They should’ve returned by now. The retrieval expedition sent by Pūshkinskaya was meant to be a round, quick trip; but so far, there hasn’t been a peep from them. It’s left the city in a bad mood to say the least. Especially with word being spread about the real identity of Alavier and Ferris Euwald.

In the meantime, me and the gang have been busy. We confiscated Alisson’s horses and their assorted cargo. We rummaged through it, to find really nothing of note. It’ll all be sent back to the homeland for further analysis, but it doesn’t seem that we’ve depraved Alisson of anything especially useful other than his transportation. Without his mount, his only option is to return to the city for it and his stuff. Of course, the plan is to hit him hard right then and there. Preferably outside of the city, as the Guild doesn’t exactly want a Sidonian-Summoner skirmish within their walls. One glance at Arciel’s artillery spells and I understood why. But it’s not like a couple explosions here or there would really stand out in this shit hole of a city.

For the time being, we’ve also contracted those two members of Team Salthith. They weren’t originally planning to be here for long, but an Andestinian price tag made them happy to prolong their stay so that they could join us just in case Alisson shows up before our reinforcements do.

Arciel has been in contact with Freudlin via couriers, they should be here before long. Apparently, they’ve got a whole extra battalion of knights with them, complete with battlemages. I don’t know how useful more magic will be against someone who reflected spells, but the more the merrier. That combined with the adventurers, who have a bone to pick with Alisson for his deceit, and I think I can reasonably say that there’s no way he’ll win in frontal confrontation. The hope is to meet his return, and surround him, and demand his surrender. Of course, we know he won’t agree. We’ll have to beat it into him.

If Alisson waltzes back into Pūshkinskaya, he’s done. This plan hinges on him not knowing about our movements. Because of that, I’ve taken precautions just in case he does know – This is Alisson we’re dealing with.

I’ve ‘borrowed’ some of Arciel’s personal finances and contracted some lower ranking adventurers to patrol the outside of the Freigat Jungle – Namely the west, east, and north sides of it. If Alisson is returning, he’ll be coming from the south – But for whatever reason, if he decides to just ditch his horses, and go on foot to avoid us, the adventurers should be able to tip us off to his movements. Obviously they’re not going to fight him, but rather look for any traces, like campfires or beast bodies, or signs of battle.

It’s not much, but it’s the least I can do to make sure we at least have some fallback plans to be able to react to Alisson. I would go after him, but like Kana said, there’s no way any of us will be able to enter the Jungle and track him down. So for now, I’m stuck in the city – I need to be here – With my armor and my strength, I’m the only one who can approach Alisson, grapple with him, and live.

Also, according to Arciel, the brass is sending for allies from the Principality to join us in the coming months. Apparently whoever is directing our operation anticipates a need for a long lasting presence. I still don’t know who’s calling the shots in Andestine; But I’ll probably get to know real quick when I drag Alisson before them. To do that…

…I’ll have to get rid of that damned little girl that was protecting him.

I’ve already beaten their asses once. I can do it again. Especially with this.

I lifted my blade over my shoulders.

“You’re getting good with that weapon, Shepard.” Kana retorted, having just been forced back.

I shrugged in response.

Turns out my weapon really is special. It has its own name and everything. Firéfürt, it’s called. I just wish I knew about my weapon earlier. Apparently, as my summoner, Arciel was supposed to tell me about my weapon, and teach me how to use it, but being the idiot she is, she didn’t. Something about not caring about sticks and stones. Damn magician brat.

On that thought, I heard the ring of a bell. Then another, then soon a full crescendo. It was a like church’s funeral bells. I knew very well what those distant bells meant – The garrison was being called to the walls for an emergency. There were three bells in total around the city, and all three of them were blaring loudly.

There wasn’t an inch of blue sky above, just a thick blanket of gray clouds. Despite being the afternoon, it was dark, and the sun wasn’t visible at all. Amidst the light drizzle of rain, it really did feel like I was at the funeral with the distant bells.

Me and Kana looked to each other. This could be it. This emergency could be Alisson’s doing. It’s been six days since we last used the tracking spell – he was still in Freigat, but a lot can change in a week.

Me and Kana dashed out of the muddy training field. Pat, who had been laying lazily off to the side, now sprung up, following me and Kana. Kana turned midstep when she realized this, and pointed her finger down.

“Sit!”

The hound froze, and whined, but obediently sat nonetheless.

Me and Kana, already in our gear, dashed through the muddy streets. The bells had calmed, and now only one belfry tower rang, in the north. We made our way to the northern gate. All the while the town quickly scrambled to shut town into hibernation. People dropped what they were carrying, and ran for cover. Wagons stopped rolling and doors slammed loudly, windows were shut and barricaded. But, not a single person said anything. Not even the cries of any children were heard.

We reached the northern gate only a few minutes after the first alarm bells went off. By now, the city had shut down, and was completely silent save the ringing bell in the north. Even the guardsmen atop the walls were silent, clenching their spears, looking out past the city perimeter. I squinted my eyes, trying to find anything that would warrant being the cause of all the commotion.

I asked guards what was going on, but they all seemed to know as little as I did. The entire city’s standby reserve was now at the ready, and we all waited in a tense silence.

Arciel arrived not long after me and Kana, flying of course, and only touching down when she was on the solid stone of the wall; Probably not wanting to dirty her shoes.

“I was buried in a book all wrapped up in sheets and something of course has to happen on a day like this.”

Arciel remarked sourly. With her hood up over her head, I could barely make out her face. The next to arrive were the adventurers. They weren’t getting paid to defend the city, but they were still here. Unlike these adventurers though, Team Salthith showed up, and immediately took our sides.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Have any idea what’s going on?”

I asked Rafael, the large prince-like adventurer in heavy armor.

He shook his head. “The Guild is being quiet. They either don’t want to alarm anybody or they don’t know what’s going on either.”

I frowned bitterly, and set my gaze back toward the outside of the wall. A minute later, a cavalcade of horsemen came thundering from the center of the city, their horses’ hooves flinging up large chunks of mud with their gait.

“…The rapid response team.” Kana muttered. “Something is going on outside the perimeter.”

“Tch…”

I clicked my tongue, about to make a bitter quip when I saw movement in the forest outside the city. A lone horseman dashed toward the walls of Pūshkinskaya at a breakneck pace. Wearing a heavy poncho, I couldn’t make out who it was. My mind immediately took Alisson to be the rider, but on further thought, there’s no way he’d have a horse, and if he did, there’s no point in charging the walls of the city like an idiot.

I decided for a split second whether or not to vault the wall and intercept the rider. It might be a trap of some sort, but at the same time, I don’t wanna just sit here and do nothing. I vaulted the wall in a deft action, landing with a heavy thump into the soft ground below. I quickly blocked the horseman’s path.

“Stop right there!”

I called. The horse slowed quickly, the rider physically fumbling with the reins. I breathed a sigh of relief. I thought for sure he was just going to charge into the walls and explode, like a terrorist or something.

“S-Shepard-! Hero!”

They took off their hood. I squinted my eyes at the rider. I immediately recognized the rider as one of adventurers that had been contracted to patrol Freigat for any traces of Alisson.

“What is it? Why aren’t you with your team? Why weren’t you using the road?” I spit out my questions in a crescendo. The adventurer opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. “Never mind – Get inside the city first.”

I looked back to the walls to see the rows of guardsmen anxiously glancing at me. Arciel was hovering above them, eyeing me, her staff glowing blue. As me and the horseman approached the city, I hollered,

“He’s an adventurer! Open the gates!”

The gates immediately started to rumble open, and I knew it wasn’t in response to me and the adventurer: The cavalcade of a couple dozen horsemen surged out of the city, heading down the single road that headed north.

I only gave a glance at them before I ran to the open gate with the adventurer. Because of my powerful hero-enhanced legs, I could keep up with a horse’s trot quiet easily. As soon as me and adventurer passed into the city, the gate crashed down to a close, bits of mud flying through the air. That damned bell finally had shut up, but now with that gone, the only sound I heard was the thunderous hooves of the cavalcade, dashing away from the city over the walls. The city itself though, was completely silent.

The adventurer dismounted quickly, a hand on his heart. Kana and Arciel were quick to take my side. The adventurer looked to the three of us, and tripped on his words.

“W-we saw the smoke of a fire-! A-and there was fighting and-”

“Slow down, slow down. Start from the beginning.”

I said calmly, laying a hand on the young man’s shoulder.

The adventurer took a few deep breaths before continuing, “I-I’m from Team Tursis! We were patrolling the western side of Freigat when we saw a smokestack – In this rain we knew it wasn’t natural.”

“And?” I tilted my head.

“The team lead decided to investigate, and sent me back to report it in the meantime.”

I clicked my tongue. “Didn’t I order you to avoid doing that? Reporting back was the highest priority if you saw anything.”

“I-I know! I told them! But they wouldn’t listen!”

The adventurer shook his head.

“How long ago was this?” Kana tilted her head.

“About two hours ago. A couple dozen klicks north by north west from here. B-but about ten minutes ago, all hell broke loose. I-I was just going along the roads when I felt like I was being followed – And I sped up because I was scared – But only a few minutes later, I heard fighting, and growls, and roars behind me, off in the distance!”

Kana’s brow furrowed. “Beasts? That sounds like a patrol was fighting then.”

“B-but it was so much and so fierce! There was no way it was just some skirmish!”

I looked to the adventurer. I gave his shoulder a shake.

“Man the fuck up.” I let go of him and turned to Kana and Arciel. “It sounds like a beast problem to me – But there’s still the problem about that smokestack he saw. What if that’s Alisson?”

Kana shook her head. “We’ll know when the rest of Team Tursis comes to report.”

I frowned. “Or doesn’t.”

On those words, a bell started ringing again. This time, it was one that was on the western side of the city. Off in the distance, now that I was focusing, I could hear fighting. Growls, roars, tearing flesh, but no clashes of steel. Beasts.

A second later, a guard came running across the walls, and short of breath, informed the officer of the northern garrison,

“The west gate is being attacked!”

All three of us looked to each other. We doubled timed it up to the wall. From the elevation, I could see it for myself, the beasts leaping over the walls, bearing down on guardsmen, ripping their throats out. There were barely any soldiers over there, since they’d all been called to the north gate. It was showing; The defense was already broken.

Rafael and his companion were quick to approach us. “We’re going to head to the west to aid the garrison. This is not a problem you Andestinians need bother yourselves with.”

I nodded and the two renowned adventurers ran along the wall to the west. In their wake, a large portion of the guards who had been defending the north sprinted to the west’s aid.

“Just a daytime raid. That’s all it seems.”

Arciel said, murmuring conclusively, but with a tone of hesitation.

Kana shook her head in response. “This is wrong. Roamers aren’t smart enough to use a feint and then attack at another angle.”

That’s means there’s a good chance that this is an organized attack by a more intelligent beast.

“Arciel, you should get over there and lend the city a hand with your spells.” I put in. She pouted at me in response, so I added, “It’ll make them trust us more, just do it. I’m sure nothing is going to attack you while you’re in the sky.”

I noticed that Arciel wasn’t standing, her heels were up off the stone, clearly still under the effects of flight. She sighed, but then growled,

“Fine.”

With that she flew off to the west. Kana looked to me. “Why are you so eager on staying here?”

I closed my eyes. “That smokestack the adventurer saw.”

Kana sighed. “It sounds like you want them to be the cause of this.”

I tightened my fist. “Maybe I do.”

Kana squinted at me for a moment, but she then suddenly gasped. I opened my eyes, and I saw what had surprised her. There was smoke rising from above the tree line in the north, a lot of it. Like a small village was burning to the ground.

“That’s-!” Kana stared with wide eyes. “The last outpost of Pūshkinskaya’s northern boundary-! That’s what the fighting the adventurer heard was - There’s nothing standing in the way of the town from beasts if it’s destroyed!!”

My face steeled. My gut never lies. Amen. The scarce couple guards still at the northern gate were pointing, panicked, already sending word to the rest of the city.

“Shepard.” Kana looked to me sternly. “I can count the number of beasts that have the ability to set fires on one hand – And none of them should be in this region.”

That means someone started that fire. There were only three possibilities then. The rapid response cavalcade could be suspect here, it could be some other outside force, or it could be Alisson. I heard the fighting and the screaming from the western gate, but my mind only thought about Alisson. I tightened the grip on my weapon, about vault the walls again. Then, I saw movement down the road, and my entire body tensed in readiness. It was a single horseman, from the rapid response team. Realizing this, I was expecting to see the rest of the cavalcade come running up into vision as well, but instead, I saw something different.

A yellow lance of energy flew up, and slammed into the fleeing horsemen. He was disemboweled immediately, and fell lopsided from his horses, blood and entrails leaking along the side of the road as his horse kept running toward the city. A second horseman came up the hill, and this would be the last living member of the rapid response team as I would learn. He was fleeing, panic on his face, when a blur suddenly lunged at him, tackling him off his horse and onto the ground. A cloaked figure who was much smaller than the soldier was pinning him down. They quickly dug a shiny object into the man’s throat, and cut, sending blood flying through the air and across the ground.

The figure stood up off the now corpse, and turned toward the city, blood falling from under their cloak from their bloodied blade. They started toward the city. Such a small presence they were. Much like the snow that now fell from the dark skies, their existence seemed imaginary.

***