“You heard that, right?” I whispered to Nora as she caught me from behind.

“Heard what?”

“The shield! It made that 'i-tem a-cquir-ed' jingle!" I replied, mimicking the sound in a sing-song voice as she stood me up.

“No, nothing.”

I stared at the shield in consternation, and as if to mock me, it continued to hum an epic tune.

In my mind.

“Stop that!” I shouted at the shield.

It just got louder.

Where’s the off switch?

I fumbled with the shield, turning it over and over. “Please… just stop! People are going to think I’m crazy—see?” I pointed to the children watching, their mouths agape.

Relias pressed his palms together and leaned in slightly. “I believe it may be expressing its joy upon being reunited with its true owner,” he murmured. “It must have missed you nearly as much as we have. Give it a little time, and I’m certain it will settle down.”

Once again, the story had failed to mention something important, like the idea that the shield was sentient!

Of course… maybe that was a good secret to keep.

“So… it’s like a puppy?” As soon as I said ‘puppy,’ I heard a discordant crash of music like someone had slammed a grand piano lid mid-performance.

I winced. “Okay, okay, not a puppy! Definitely a holy shield and not a puppy…”

The soaring tune resumed, with vibrant strings and horns speaking of grand adventure.

“Can you hear my thoughts? If you had any idea what was going on, you’d know that’s a little inappropriate at the moment.”

The music continued, signaling that the shield was either ignoring me or genuinely unable to discern my mental inquiry. Despite feeling ridiculous, I tried talking to it out loud.

“You can change shape, right? You’re a little unwieldy in this form. If you could maybe shrink into something—”

Immediately, it turned itself into a buckler, and I attached it to my left forearm. “Okay… I admit, this is pretty convenient. Thanks.”

Praising it just made the music louder. Aware I was distracted by the shield’s enthusiasm and the children's awed faces, Relias turned back to Mother Selima.

“With your blessing, I wish to assign this valiant youth a Purpose.”

“Being an archivist would likely keep him out of trouble,” she agreed with a tired smile. “You’ll take them all to the Holy Temple, then?”

“And you as well,” Relias replied with a bow. “It would be safer there.”

Mother Selima began to object, listing several flimsy reasons why she should stay. I didn’t catch all of them because of the concert in my head, but the general gist was that this was her home, and she would live and die there. While I agree there’s nothing quite like home…

“Won’t the children miss you if you stay here?” I asked. “And is it really home without them?”

She gave me a troubled look, full of self-suffering and irritation—a face I had often seen in the mirror myself. After a long sigh, she relented. “There’s no reasoning with you.”

You’re the one being stubborn!

“Probably not,” I agreed instead, turning away to signal that the discussion was over.

Relias proceeded to assign the Purpose of Archivist to the young boy, changing his name to Talib. I watched as Relias joined his glowing hands with the child’s, noting he did not use any orbs like the other priests. Talib radiated a golden light, and I once again heard the melodic, slightly robotic voice from earlier.

“Confirmation. Speranza Subject ID H-M-CH-3516-10-18-1435 updated. Current.Name=Talib. Purpose=Archivist.”

A single glance at Nora confirmed she had heard it, too. Before I could ask anyone else, Relias sighed. “At least I am still able to do this much…” He shook his head. “Let us all return to safety, for night is quickly approaching.”

----------------------------------------

With the help of some nearby knights, we prepared to return to the High Temple. The children tried to climb into the saddles of mounted soldiers, laughing as they were lifted into place. Surprisingly, Aurum even knelt without request, allowing Mother Selima to settle in comfortably as I prepared to lead him.

Lights further out in the Periphery caught my attention, distracting me from the shield’s now quieter, more reflective hum.

“There are still a lot of people out there,” I noted sadly. “I suppose I should try to…”

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Do what, exactly? Preach? Cajole? Command?

“Those are your estates,” Relias said. “And the hybrids who declined to move inward. Many said they felt more comfortable fortifying their current premises.”

“Oh…” I nodded. It was simple enough to tell Mother Selima her reasoning for staying only to die was flawed, but the sense of safety isn’t easily argued, especially since I knew they would face other dangers in the Sanctum.

Relias smiled slightly. “Lieutenant Fianna and her squad are working on defenses with Roderick. They won’t be able to create crystal barriers, but they can temporarily disrupt a wave of demons.”

“Like Captain Corwin’s Signal of the Silver?” I asked, recalling the loud alarm spell the day we had approached Chairo. “That would buy us time to respond should they fall under attack. We could—”

Suddenly, the buckler on my arm glowed, and a steady drumbeat filled my head. Trumpets and horns joined the fray moments later.

“What… what are you trying to say? Are we under attack?”

The melody’s tempo quickened, and I rubbed my temples to block out the noise. When I closed my eyes, I saw pinpricks of white light.

The Order of White was approaching the city!

But something was off—they weren’t in a formation I recognized. Small squads were heading toward all four gates.

“I think… the Order of White is trying to surround us,” I said slowly. “But… there doesn’t seem enough of them to manage it.”

Relias frowned, his gaze locked on the buckler. “Can you tell how far away they are?”

I shut my eyes again. “Umm… They’re at least seven times the length of Chairo away from the nearest gate and don’t seem to be moving very fast.” A giant ball of white hovered in the distance in my mind’s eye. “I think the Captain is out there too, far to the east!”

“Scouting parties?” he murmured, urging his horse forward as Talib held on tightly. “We must speak with Captain Corwin at once.”

----------------------------------------

Captain Corwin stared at the duplicated reports from the Order of the White. “They could be compromised. We shouldn’t assume they’re our allies at this point.”

Nora, who had thrown herself into a nearby chair, tapped her fingers along the edge of his desk. “Shouldn’t you try to make contact regardless? You’re not just going to attack, right?”

Whoa, Nora! Look at you, thinking before acting!

…Don’t let her read this part, OK?

“I don’t think we should acknowledge their presence yet,” he countered. “I don’t know their motivations.”

“Would that spell you used to signal us during your approach work on any demons who might be possessing the soldiers?” I asked. “It might give us the answers we’re looking for.”

“I’m not entirely sure what the outcome would be,” he admitted. “But it would also give away the idea that we know they’re out there.” He squinted at his map of Chairo. “How many did you see?”

“I counted thirty groups, six to ten people each. It’s certainly not the majority of the Order, is it?”

“Hardly… Such paltry numbers… Strange formations… Certainly not an infantry.” He spoke in half-sentences, his face growing more concerned. “We’re missing something. It doesn’t make sense!”

“What do you mean?”

He rubbed his face. “Either they’re our allies or enemies out there, correct?”

“Right. I don’t think they’re just here for the view.”

“And either way, they would need a sizeable force to attack or rescue us. Not just a few scattered squads.” He sighed. “The Order of the White has an elite force of mounted marksmen, but they wouldn’t be terribly useful for a siege. Sure, they could cut off supply lines, maybe harass those operating the gates, but…” He set the reports down on the table. “Are you absolutely sure you don’t see any other legions out there?”

For good measure, I checked again. “I swear I’d mention them if I saw them.”

“They’re still in the same positions as before?”

I nodded slowly. “They don’t seem to be doing much at all. And the Captain’s still way back.”

“I’ll alert all the gates,” he decided. “We’ll just watch for now yet pretend we don’t see them. Get some sleep, Captain. I have a feeling tomorrow will be no easier than today.”

----------------------------------------

The sky crackled with opposing energies as the auras of the two combatants vied for dominance. General Ragnerus emanated waves of black miasma while the tall Heroine of Might held the Will of Euphridia aloft, the sword summoning golden bolts of lightning that crashed and tore at the ground. The horde of demons surrounding them watched in unholy anticipation, their hissing whispers intensifying. On the sidelines, Relias and four other humans stood frozen in shock, a protective barrier shimmering around them as His Holiness’s trembling hands upheld it.

“You will not prevail, demon!” the Holy Captain shouted, reading herself for battle with sword and shield.

The surrounding demons jeered and booed for a moment, but they fell silent as the General stepped forward and raised a hand, snarling his acknowledgment of the challenge. His massive, bat-like wings unfurled, revealing his spiked, black armor. In his grip, a jagged greatsword pulsed with dark, malevolent energy.

"Captain Raeanne!" he bellowed. "You will venture no further into the Lands of Epiales! I will claim your head in the name of my father!" With a dreadful roar, he charged forward, his sword cutting through the air with deadly force.

Raeanne raised her shield, the Faith of Euphridia, and braced herself. Thunder erupted from their clash as dark steel struck holy metal, but her shield held firm. Sparks of gold light scattered around them from the impact, driving the shadows that accompanied the General back. The Holy Captain gritted her teeth, the muscles in her neck and face tensing as her eyes burned with fervor.

“I will be the one to send you back from whence you came!” she declared, pushing him back and off-balance with a fierce shove. Seizing the opportunity, she launched a swift, relentless series of slashes. Her blade cut through the air repeatedly in blinding arcs of golden light. Though the General blocked most of her strikes, a few cut through his blackened armor, drawing small trickles of black ichor that sizzled as they hit the ground.

The demons roared and screamed with each exchange, their frenzied excitement rising as the duel intensified. None, however, dared cross the boundary that marked their General’s battle, knowing the price for interference would be instant death.

The fight raged on, and the two seemed evenly matched for a time. Raeanne, every exposed muscle outlined in sweat, met each strike with one of her own, lashing out at perceived weak points in his defenses. General Ragnerus tested her own by switching stances, alternating his aim with every shift to break through her guard. Both had suffered minor wounds, and their armor was chipped and scorched by the other’s blows. As the minutes passed, the Holy Captain's aura flared brighter, and her attacks came faster, eliciting more and more of the demon’s ichor with every successful swing. Her blade eventually struck true, cutting deep into his chest plate, and black blood spilled freely from the wound beyond.

“Curse you, Captain!” Ragnerus roared, staggering backward though his sword still sought its target fitfully.

Just as Raeanne was about to press her advantage, a sudden, agonized howl pierced the air from the sidelines. Distracted by the noise, the Chosen One turned her head. Relias had fallen to the ground, the protective barrier around her companions shattered by a swirling black cloud of smoke.

“Relias!” was her final, panicked cry as the General’s sword stabbed through her neck, its withdrawal punctuated by spurting blood.

As she fell to the earth, the other demons began to descend on the party, yet one incredulous demon cried out, "Did the General just cheat to defeat a mere mortal?"