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Once we returned to street level, we had a clearer picture of the chaos in progress. As expected, many people rushed toward the Sanctum, while others raided empty storefronts, grabbing anything they could. Sooty fires burned fitfully as a fine drizzle fell, irritating the flames and scattering the dark smoke they sputtered out. The bells near the High Temple rang slowly, each clang fading completely before another filled the air.

“The priests managed to topple the crystals outward,” one of the knights reported with a weary salute. “They took some of the walls with them, but at least they didn’t collapse inside the Periphery.”

There will still be casualties, though—nothing that big falls without causing injury.

“Has anyone been in contact with Captain Corwin?” I asked, gesturing to Relias. “We’re only picking up static from his communication orb.”

The knight cleared his throat and held out two small chunks of broken crystal. “The Captain wishes me to emphasize that, while he is in good health at Central Command, an external, unseen force displaced the orb from his grasp the moment the crystals came down, causing it to split.”

I tensed. “He was attacked by something?”

The knight stared at the ground, rain dripping from his hair. “…No.”

Tetora stifled a coarse, humorless laugh. “I think he’s saying he dropped it by accident.”

“I’m not here to interpret his words…” the knight murmured. “Prudence be my guide.”

Master Landon took Nora aside, and they created another orb for the knight from materials Master Landon had on his person.

“Any visual on our enemy?” I asked.

The knight shook his head. “Excluding your fight, we haven’t seen any others. Although with demons…”

They’ll already be on top of you by the time you see them.

I shivered, wiping the cool rain from my face. “How many hybrids remain in the encampment to the south?”

“We don’t think there’s any left. Quite a few came to the gates after the fall, but many fled east. I don’t think they’ll get far, though, even without an enemy chasing them. Captain Corwin’s orders have focused on moving people from the Periphery into the Sanctum.”

If his orb broke when the barrier fell, Corwin most likely didn’t know about the General’s request.

“No one’s turned in my Shield yet, have they?”

Once again, the knight shook his head. “Only replicas.”

Replicas? What… was someone selling them as merchandise?

Forget it. I have more important problems to deal with.

“There’s… something I need to do at the South Gate. Please inform Captain Corwin that I intend to return shortly. I'll report any findings if I can get a better visual on the encampment.”

But if I don’t… carry on.

“Are you planning on going outside?!” the knight balked. “Captain—”

“Dismissed,” I said with a sharp salute, hoping to end the conversation permanently.

“At least take your horse with you,” Lieutenant Fianna called from behind us. “Foul thing’s not good for anything else!”

Aurum!

The golden stallion practically dragged Fianna across the cobblestones, his bit between his teeth as she clung to his reins.

“I didn’t forget about our walks,” I said softly as he stared me down. “It’s just that a few things have come up recently, and I had to postpone.” I gestured helplessly all around. “But Relias made sure you were taken care of. I even got daily reports!”

He broke free and stormed over. With an angry whinny, he bashed me with his muzzle a few times, though it was a gentle nudge for him. Had he been truly mad, I’d have been on the ground.

I waited until he calmed down. “Anyway, you have to go back, okay? It’s dangerous.” I tried to lead him back into Fianna’s grip, but he tensed and pulled back against me.

“Don’t be so stubborn. Who’s going to protect the other horses? I know you’ve been eyeing Nora's black mare. You’d be upset if something happened to her!”

Fianna crossed her arms. “I know you’re about to do something dangerous. Just keep him as a quick means of escape, if nothing else.” She rubbed her cheek. “The others are on their way shortly.”

“Who’s—”

Aleph and Vernie appeared in the dreary distance, holding the reins of the rest of our horses.

What are the odds… Private Belgaldi told me to report to the South Gate, not anyone else!

Lieutenant Fianna patted my shoulder as I tried to think of ways to dismiss most of my party for their safety. “Having Aurum will make it easier to get through the outer city. All magical transport is down.”

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

Master Landon frowned. “If it’s not too much of an imposition, Captain, I will accompany you to the South Gate.” He turned to give Nora a meaningful look. “My student shall give me a ride.”

“I’m not sure this is a good idea. My business at the South Gate is exactly that. I should—”

“Accept help from your companions,” Relias interjected. “We don’t know what we’ll encounter there, but we’ll surely handle it better together.”

I glanced at Nora, secretly hoping she’d back me up, but her heavy-lidded eyes and stern stare put me in my place. Right. I was doing that thing again.

I mounted Aurum, swearing under my breath. “Fine. Let’s go. But if I say retreat, you best do so!”

Otherwise, I’ll never forgive myself for getting you all involved.

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Sentinel’s Spire was a little taller than its counterpart on the right side of the South Gate, giving us a better view. Still, it wasn’t much, as the gray clouds overhead refused to move, blocking precious light needed to see into the distance. Several knights were stationed here, and despite their vigilance, they had nothing suspicious to report.

“See anything?” Nora asked as I peered through one of the spyholes in the gate tower.

“Only the fractured pieces of a giant crystal scattered across the landscape. Clean up’s going to take weeks for sure.” I sighed, closing my eyes. “Let me try another way.”

How many demons are out there? Where’s the General?

Private Belgaldi… seemed different. Stronger. More confident.

Should I try to locate him with the spell?

Sergeant Bodhil was probably with him, along with countless others. Though they expected me, I didn’t want to reveal I had arrived early at their trap. What I desperately needed was reconnaissance.

Despite all my efforts, I couldn’t see them in my mind’s eye. That would have made things too easy. Connecting with a demon core to understand its motivations was risky, and I’d have to visualize its physical form first.

After opening my eyes again, I let my gaze linger over the remnants of the encampment. Most of the tents had been torn down, and an ugly scar of trampled wet clay carved through the camp like a fatal wound. While many of its previous inhabitants were now behind me, I couldn’t help but feel I should have done better. Don’t heroes in stories always devise miraculous ways to convince people to listen? I had tried my best, even leaning into theatrics, but I couldn’t get everyone to follow me. At the end of the day, people will do what they think is best, and seeing how our defenses had already been compromised, I couldn’t help but wonder if there ever was a right choice.

A few soft rumbles rolled in from the east, threatening to turn the drizzle into something more dangerous.

“What if they’re hiding up there in the storm clouds?” I asked, stepping back from the spyhole. “That’s how those two… heralds… appeared the first time.”

“Demons cannot fly so high,” Relias said, shaking his head. “At best, they can crest the canopy of a forest, but the weight of their sins ties them close to the earth.”

Gravity doesn’t care about your intentions. But telling him he was wrong about something he should be an expert on wasn’t a good idea. “I see…”

Master Landon took a turn at another spyhole. “No, you don’t. That’s the problem. It would be better to listen.” He turned. “Lady Nora?”

“You got a plan?”

“I wouldn’t have interrupted otherwise.” He pulled out a dull gray orb from his robes. “I salvaged this from the cistern to preserve my invention’s memory, but we could repurpose it instead—with your help.”

“What do we do?”

Master Landon hefted the orb. “Do you understand the principle behind Captain Corwin’s communication orb?”

“Nope,” she answered, almost cheerfully. “But you’re going to tell me, right?”

“Communication orbs are bound to each other, enchanted to pick up sounds at the origin orb and relay them to the destination orb. There’s a built-in switch and delay that—well, let’s skip that for now. This orb has already been connected to the crystals lying in pieces outside the city. With a little modification—”

“Magical eavesdropping!” Nora bounced.

“I suppose that’s a term for it,” he agreed.

Without asking for details, Nora snatched the orb. “Ausculte Vocem!”

How does she know this? Did her intro Latin class cover this much?

The orb pulsed with a dim, smoky light, transmitting only static. Nora frowned. “Maybe if I adjust the frequency… Shortwave… Just imagine a tuner…”

I glanced at Master Landon, but he looked as clueless as I felt. Still, he smiled, clearly fonder of his student than he let on.

“It’s her, alright. You should’ve seen her face when I swallowed him!” Private Belgaldi laughed loudly as if he was standing next to me.

“You’re not going to absorb him, are you?” Sergeant Bodhil asked in disgust.

“Not if I can help it. I’m not into insects, and I don’t want to accidentally incorporate them into my form.”

“Any memories we can use?”

“Nothing yet. He’s still screaming obscenities. He has quite the vocabulary. Lots of words I don’t know.”

“Don’t be fooled by his weird hobbies. He’s older than us—fourth generation.”

She says he's older, but he called him his little brother. I guess it's hard to tell by looks alone.

“Explains why he’s so stubborn. Probably thinks he’s above us, what with the caste system back then.”

There was a long pause followed by the distant sound of explosions, culminating in a loud screech from Bodhil. “I thought we were going to burn and pillage! Do you know how hard it is to control myself?”

“Your patience is admirable, Sergeant. I’m sure you’ll be well rewarded for your restraint.”

“It’s not fair! ‘Go to Chairo, Sergeant. It’s time to make our move!’ I was certain we’d be razing the city! But no, I’m here playing Messenger. It’s humiliating!”

General Ragnerus isn’t with them?

There were more booms, and I caught a tiny trail of smoke far off to the west.

Thank the goddess they weren’t pursuing the fleeing hybrids!

“…Did I mention your favorite Tiger was there, too?”

“Oh? So, he’s still alive.” Her tone suggested she was mollified by the thought.

“Healthy, even. I’m sure you’ll get to play with him again someday.”

“I hope so. His fur was so… fluffy! Look at the charm I made from the hairs that got stuck on my fan.”

Tetora snarled silently, his face twisted in revulsion.

“I could be fluffy too, you know…” Private Belgaldi said with a petulant whine. "See?"

“Ugh!” Nora shuddered.

“Did you hear something, Private?”

Master Landon knocked the orb out of her hands. It tumbled to the ground, its light fading. “No need to pinpoint our location, Lady Nora.”

“I swear I wasn’t trying to transmit anything!”

Master Landon shook his head. “Your thoughts wandered, and the spell evolved in response. You must focus carefully when casting dark magic." He picked up the orb and handed it back to her. "It’s not that you lack power—quite the opposite. This is why I’ve assigned you exercises that require concentrated effort.”

While Nora wrestled with his observations, I turned to the rest of the party. “Excluding the end of that conversation, I feel better about meeting them. Still, I’m open to alternatives.”

“We go with you,” Aleph rumbled. “Strength in numbers.”

Vernie kicked at the ground. “I hate walking out in the open like this.”

I nodded. “They want to speak to me, but that doesn’t mean they won’t mess with us. One last time: are you sure you want to come?”

“Yes,” they answered in unison.

Between you and me, I still felt like a fool for considering leaving the city to speak with them. But it would buy Silver some time to move people into the Sanctum, where the priests were setting up a manual barrier.

I mounted Aurum and gave him a reassuring pat. “Let’s proceed through the South Gate.”

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