Emeryn wasn’t the only one screaming, but it was the only sound Goslin heard as he ran for the last spot where he’d seen her. Tomford lumbered after, obviously getting dangerously low on energy after coming back from the brink of death and healing Goslin on top of that.

On the way, Goslin reached down and grabbed his sword where he’d dropped it. It had withstood the flames but was still warm to the touch. He felt energized, ready to fight. He charged in the direction of Emeryn’s cries for help, but as he got closer, it became apparent that what he’d taken as anguish was closer to rage.

Her hair stood in all directions, all of her covered in dust and blood, but Emeryn’s back was straight as she spun to strike at a rhinn soldier with a huge arm made out of stone. The opponent’s head was crushed instantly, and he dropped without a sound. The heavy arm put her off balance, and she was pushed to the side. As she dropped, the arm crumpled, and she cried out in pain. Even from the ground she entangled the feet of the closest enemies. It allowed Goslin to cut through them with ease.

Together, they defeated another three attackers before several more rhinn soldiers descended on them. Their opponents could not withstand the might of Emeryn’s geomancy, falling to the side as she shook the ground beneath their feet. A blocked blow on Goslin’s shield flung the opponent’s weapon away with such force that the soldier’s arm broke with a sickening snap.

He thrust his blade into the chest of another rhinn, then sheathed it and yanked on Emeryn’s arm. “We have to go! Can’t beat them all!” There were almost no defenders around, they must have pulled back.

Emeryn’s eyes were wide, her nostrils flared, and she looked around them, crazed, before sagging into Goslin. “I’m so tired.”

Goslin wrapped his sword arm around her waist, propping her up against his shoulder. “Tom, can you follow?”

“Yep,” Tomford answered as he shambled up to them. Emeryn didn’t react to Tomford’s naked state, she only nodded at him as Goslin lead them out of the street and farther into the city. They’d needed to find some shelter where they could rest away from the fighting.

A few rhinn soldiers followed and Goslin passed Emeryn’s limp body to Tomford. He cut through them easily, and he wondered at how much his skill with his sword had improved since they left the academy. Back then, he was a dreamer that wanted nothing more than adventure. Well, he grimaced, he’d found adventure.

Goslin gritted his teeth as he shambled through the narrow streets of Tyralien, slipping past rhinn soldiers whenever they were able. Eventually, they found a nondescript two-story house with an unlocked door and pushed their way in. It was empty. The family must have fled, either before the siege or after the rhinn broke through. It didn’t matter. It would do for now.

Emeryn whimpered as Tomford gently set her down on the floor. “What are we going to do?” she asked, her eyes bleary.

Outside, in the distance, Goslin heard the raucous sounds of battle. It appeared the defenders were still standing somewhere in the city.

The house smelled faintly of herbs and cooked food. Goslin’s stomach grumbled in protest. He couldn’t remember when last he had a meal.

He pulled drapes closed over the windows, hoping it would be enough to discourage any rhinn from peeking in. Once the door was locked he collapsed on the ground beside Emeryn, his hand reaching for hers. Her fingers curled into his, their fingers interlacing, and Tomford raised an eyebrow at the gesture, but said nothing. He left, Goslin assumed, to look for some clothes.

“We’ll rest a little, then head for the keep. Once we get there, we can help in rallying defenders. It isn’t over yet.”

She gave him a weak smile. “I was worried when the pyromancers joined in the fray.”

“We’ll need to find a way to deal with them,” Goslin agreed. “I wish the others were here. Heylien and Lana could have ended them from a distance.” Goslin paused. “I can’t understand why the firemagi would betray their own people like this.”

“That’s because you’re too good to see it,” Emeryn said. Her tone was gentle, not mocking. “Power. They’re looking to get back what they lost when Eld perished.”

“I won’t allow it,” Goslin swore.

She grabbed the side of his face and pulled him closer, kissing him before pulling back. “I know you won’t.”

“Sorry to break up this touching scene, but I found these,” Tomford said, putting down wooden plates covered in bread, cheese, apples, and plums. He disappeared and came back with several pitchers of water. “Eat. You’ll both need the energy.” He’d found some clothes, thankfully. They didn’t fit quite right, but a brown wool tunic with short arms and matching leggings that only reached to his knees were better than nothing.

Tomford sat and started devouring the food before him, barely stopping to swill down a glass of water. Goslin and Emeryn joined in on the makeshift feast.

They cleared the plates, then went for seconds, each of them draining several pitchers of water. Goslin’s throat was sore from breathing in the smoke from the pyromancers’ attack. He then washed his hands and face of the sweat, soot, and blood, feeling better when he finished.

Goslin left enough gold on the table to pay for a month’s worth of food and a new set of clothes to replace Tomford’s clothes. He was in the middle of clearing off the plates when they heard sounds coming from right outside the door.

Both Tomford and Emeryn froze. “Do you think they’re looking for us?” Emeryn whispered.

Goslin shook his head. “They have bigger worries than finding us three.” A shadow passed the window, then moved to the door. It rattled as whoever was on the other side tried to open it.

“Let’s just go,” Tomford said. “We can’t stay here forever.”

Goslin agreed. “Let’s get to the keep.”

Goslin inched toward the door, his hand on his sword. He heard voices but couldn’t make out the words. They could be rhinn, Tyriu soldiers, or even the homeowners returning.

He waited a moment longer, then carefully unlocked the door. Then he stood and flung the door open. Three rhinn soldiers spun at the sound of Goslin charging out. The first went down from a thrust into his back, and the second took a deep cut on his arm before he could even raise his spear. Tomford barreled into the third and tossed him to the ground. The one with the injured arm ran off screaming. Neither of the other two moved.

Tomford felt for a pulse on the rhinn he’d hurt, then nodded. “Not dead.”

“Your refusal to kill will have serious repercussions one day,” Emeryn said. “Perhaps today.”

“We’ll see,” Tomford muttered.

Alarmed shouts came from the direction where the injured rhinn disappeared.

“Let’s go,” Goslin said. The three of them started running toward the keep. The din of fighting had died away and he hoped that meant that the Tyriu soldiers had withdrawn to more defensible positions.

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Goslin and the others wove through the city streets, doing their best to sneak past the rhinn soldiers whenever they were able. It was best not to draw attention. They had recovered some at the house, but not enough to fight their way to the keep.

Goslin rounded a corner and stopped abruptly. A group of rhinn soldiers were walking through the street, but it was the woman with them that caught Goslin’s eye. A pyromancer.

The pyromancer wasn’t one of the two men that had laid waste to the west gate and its inner defenses. This one was a young woman with light brown hair and expressive eyes. She was surprised and immediately held out her hand and blasted fire toward them without a care for her rhinn bodyguards, who burst into flames before her.

Goslin flew in front of Emeryn and Tomford, holding up his shield. The flames burst around the edges, but they were protected. When the pyromancer stopped, Goslin quickly closed the distance and thrusted his sword through her heart. She blinked up at him in surprise, her mouth opening and closing as if speaking before the light faded from her eyes.

He pulled the sword back with some effort, ripping it from her chest to face the remaining rhinn soldiers. The young pyromancer’s eyes were still full of surprise.

The rhinn stared wide-eyed for a brief moment, then dropped their weapons and ran.

“She’s so young,” Emeryn whispered, coming up to stand next to Goslin. “Our age.”

“Maybe younger,” Goslin said. A pit formed in his stomach when he looked at what he’d done. Just a young woman. He swallowed hard. No, not just a young woman. A murderous traitor to humankind. She deserved no mercy, no tears.

Goslin cleared his throat. “Let’s go.”

Tomford pointed up the street. “We’re not far from the keep now. Do we press on or hide and wait for dark?”

“We can’t wait,” Goslin said. “We have to know what’s going on in the city and find the others.”

Tyralien had changed in the last few hundred years with the poorer districts overflowing to outside the main walls of the city and the inner city crowding with new residents. With decades of peace, those in charge of planning the city hadn’t thought to keep the area before the keep clear. Houses were constructed so close to the keep that many shared one of their sides with the wall.

Rhinn patrols grew more frequent as they approached the final stretch of road before the keep. Goslin and the others kept to the narrow side streets, which were often blessedly empty.

Goslin realized that the rhinn didn’t have complete control of the city yet. If they did, there would have been an active assault on the keep itself. When they arrived at the main gate into the keep, Goslin was not surprised to find it shut tight. There were several other smaller entry doors and Goslin found one and convinced the guard to let them within the keep’s walls.

The guard stared blatantly at each of their eyes, before saying, “Can’t be too careful.”

“What’s happening here?” Goslin asked.

The guard shrugged. “I’ve been instructed to guard this door and not leave my post unless it is under attack.”

“What of Syster? Or the king?”

“Nobody tells me nothing,” the guard said. He followed them through a narrow tunnel, then knocked on an identical door on the other side of the wall. “Hey, open up!”

“Your shift isn’t over!” someone barked on the other side.

“We’ve got guests!”

The door was unlocked in a hurry. A sweaty face appeared in the doorway. “Are the devils coming?” the second guard asked.

“Goslin of House Steerian,” Goslin said. “Would you please take us to Syster?”

The two guards exchanged a look, then the second nodded. “Sure, I guess. Just don’t try anything funny, ya hear?”

They followed the guard across a wide lawn where groups of weary soldiers huddled together for warmth and the injured were treated.

Goslin shook his head at the sight. What if they needed to defend the walls? The injured would be right in the middle of combat.

Somewhere in the distance, the rhythmic hammer blows of a smith sounded. They entered through another door and walked up a flight of stairs, then another. Goslin followed blindly until the guard brought them to a spiral staircase. “She’s up there,” he said, before leaving from where they came.

“Peculiar fellow,” Tomford said.

Goslin nodded. “Let’s hope he brought us to the right place.” He turned to the guards. They stood at attention by either side of the opening to the stairs. “We’re here to see Syster. Is she here?”

Both of them nodded. “What is your business with the commander?”

“We’ve come to report that the west gate has fallen. She’ll be expecting us.”

The guards’ faces dropped. “Go right up. She’s at the top.”

Goslin emerged in what appeared to be a lookout tower without a roof. Light rain began to fall on their heads.

The height of the tower would have made it impossible to see many details in the haze. Dusk had fallen, obscuring much of the city below.

“I knew about the gate but not about you three surviving,” Syster said after Goslin made his report. “Pyromancers on the side of those devils attacking Tyralien. What is the world coming to?”

Goslin wiped his face. His clothes were drenched, but he welcomed the rain. “What’s the plan now?” Have all gates fallen?”

“The south gate fell to a similar attack as your own, even with an aeromancer helping. The eastern wall couldn’t stand against attacks from inside Tyralien and from the outside at the same time, even if they didn’t attack with fire.” She narrowed her eyes. “I need your word Eldsprak has nothing to do with this.”

Anger rose in Goslin’s chest. “We would never! The firemagi are rebelling!”

She sighed. “I believe you. The devils attacking definitely aren’t Eldians.”

“What do we do now?” Emeryn asked.

Syster shook her head. “I truly don’t know. The city is overrun. From the reports I’ve received, the invaders aren’t killing civilians, only soldiers. We can’t fight them, not with such few numbers compared to theirs. And the way they use to those gates to magically appear out of thin air.” Syster shook her head. “Impossible.”

“Have they made any demands of the king?” Goslin asked.

“None. We’ve had no word from the enemy. Most of our defenders made it back to the keep. Our only saving grace is that the attackers are completely inept at fighting.”

Goslin had made the same observations several times before. The rhinn army seemed to be composed of laymen, farmers, and the young who had no experience with fighting. What would convince them to invade another world? Who held sway over them?

“So, we can fight back,” Tomford said, interrupting Goslin’s thoughts.

“They’d smother us with sheer numbers eventually, and that’s not accounting for the bastard fireslingers,” Syster spat. “Each one we’ve encountered was surrounded by devils shielding them from arrows and literally throw themselves at us to protect their precious pyromancer. We might be able to reclaim the city, but it would be a very short victory.”

“Any word on help from the other kingdoms?” Goslin asked, troubled.

“No word at all. If it wasn’t for the rain, you wouldn’t even be able to see light from torches in the distance over there,” Syster said, pointing west. “Kleotram should have come.”

Goslin thought back to how Kleotram stood silent when they approached his uncle’s city days before. Something had happened there, and he wondered if it had to do with the rhinn. “Then we’re on our own.”

“You should leave while you can. There’s no reason for you to stay here. Once your friends get back from the tunnels, or even if they don’t return, you should go. You’ve done more than we could have expected.”

“No,” Goslin said. He wouldn’t give in so easily. There must be a way to defeat the rhinn and the pyromancers and save the Tyralien.

In the distance, he saw a glimmering of light, strong enough to be visible through the rain, appear in the dark. It was blue, too cold to be a light from a torch.

He pointed south, beyond the city wall. “What’s that?”

“A gate? Something is coming out of it,” Tomford said, leaning over the railing. A great flow of water gushed out of the opening in the air.

Emeryn nodded. “You don’t think it could be—”

“Sarien!” Goslin yelled. The words carried far in the otherwise silent night. He set off for the stairs.

Tomford grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?”

“What do you mean?” Goslin asked. “If Sarien and the others are in the middle of that, they’re going to need our help! We have to mount a counterattack.”

Emeryn put her hand on Goslin’s shoulder. “It’s the middle of the rhinn camp. Even if we can get past the wall, there’s no way we can get to them in time to make any difference, if we could even get there at all. Besides, Sarien can’t open gateways between two points in our world, can he?”

“Of course he can. He just hasn’t figured out how yet,” Goslin said. He had full confidence in their friend. “We can’t just wait here and sit on our hands.”

“You’re right,” Syster said. Her gaze hadn’t left the spot where the gate still poured out massive amounts of water. “Whatever is happening out there, that amount of water is enough to create a small lake on its own. The rhinn will be in disarray. They’re already poorly organized.”

“Right,” Goslin agreed. “The time to strike is now.”

She shook her head. “At first light. You’ve seen their eyes. They’ll have the advantage in the dark.”

“What do you mean?” Tomford asked.

Syster looked back at them. “Bigger eyes mean better vision, no? We prepare now and strike at dawn. You should get some rest.”

Goslin gritted his teeth. “Fine. Dawn.”

He turned on his heel and started down the stairs, unsure what to think about the commander’s reasoning and what was happening out in the middle of the rhinn army. Questions spun around in his head, so many that needed answers. One of them he did know the answer to, though.

What would he do the entire night? It sure as scorching fire wasn’t huddling in fear behind the keep walls.