Shifra and Revin walked near the juvenile giganotos, Revin still with a walking stick. His limp had improved a little. He and Shifra discussed caring for so many saurians. How to manage so much waste, and how to improve their sleeping conditions. Despite being able to read animals’ and saurians’ minds, there was still so much to learn about how to care for them. The creatures rarely yielded details to him, just instincts and feelings.

The juvenile giganotos munched on an old shield-head who had a fatally broken a leg. The soldiers had shot it to put it out of its misery, and the baby giganotos were eating their fill.

“How can you watch that?” Shifra said, frowning and looking away.

“It’s the way of nature, everything feeds something else.”

“Giganotos don’t feed anything,” Shifra said.

“Well, when they die, their bodies decompose into the earth. The earth feeds the plants, and the plants feed the saurians, and the saurians go back to feeding the giganotos.”

Shifra chuckled. “Well, I guess that’s true.”

Revin looked again at the dead ceratop. The sight of the giganotos eating didn’t disturb him, but the blood… the body… the vacant look in its dead eyes.

“How can anyone go to war without going mad?” Revin said, remembering all the saurians he had commanded who were now dead.

Shifra didn’t answer. After a while, Revin turned to look at her. Her eyes looked deeper, moist. Her lips were pressed into a line of control.

“What is it?” Revin said, furrowing his brow.

Shifra looked up at him, coming out of some sort of stupor. “It’s nothing.” She extended a hand and rubbed her eyes and nose. “I’m just tired.”

Revin shook his head. “Shifra, I don’t have your gift. I can’t just guess what your problem is.”

Shifra let out a slow breath and then turned to Revin. “You know, I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“Ask me what?”

“How aren’t you crippled by grief? How can you keep going? I mean, you’ve lost more saurians than most trainers lose in their life.”

Slowly, it clicked. Shifra’s best friend, Qadi. She had been injured in that first battle. Kaiato had clued Revin in during one of their late conversations into the night.

“I…” Spear. Blood. Death. “Can’t say I’m not crippled, and I don’t even mean my stupid knee. I try to focus on who I can save next.”

He looked at the giganotos, two of them snapped at each other and growled playfully.

“I let the burden of my failures push me on to do better.”

“It’s just… hard when our failures take so much away.”

Revin nodded. “That said, I don’t know how I’d handle losing another one,” Revin said. He heard a loud chirp. Birdy flew in and landed on his shoulder. Revin scratched his feathers.

“I thought losing Blackfire was hard, but these giganotos… I’ve seen into their souls , Shifra. Losing any of these would be like losing Blackfire and more all over again.”

“Blackfire? That was your, wolf , you said it was?”

Revin nodded.

Shifra turned to look at the baby giganotos as Revin, in turn, looked at her.

“We just have to believe it’s going to turn out alright,” Shifra said. “If we don’t, what are we fighting for?”

Revin paused, watching her.

“You’re staring, Revin,” Shifra said.

Revin blushed. “Shifra… I…” He scratched his head. “There are things I wish I could talk to you about.”

Shifra looked at him. “Yes?”

“What do you feel about me?”

Shifra looked at him, she started to get very uncomfortable. “I… I don’t know... I like you Revin… But…”

“Yes?” Revin said encouragingly.

“My feelings are a little complicated right now,” Shifra said quickly, “Look...”

She was quiet again.

“I think I’ve been pretty obvious,” Revin said, “Of course, I haven’t gotten to the point of dropping marriage proposals in your lap or anything.”

“In my lap? ” she said with a laugh. “Is that how you do it where you’re from?”

“No, no, no,” Revin said. He took a deep breath. “I just want to know, if you feel the same way.”

Shifra sighed. “Revin, I don’t want to hurt you. I care about you. But… you’re not the only man who’s ever expressed interest in me.”

Revin shrugged. That didn’t surprise him. “Of course not.”

“You’re not the only man who’s expressed interest in me recently ,” Shifra said.

Revin searched through his thoughts, picking up little cues and memories. Suddenly it clicked, “Oh… Kaiato.”

Shifra’s eyes widened, “How’d you guess that?”

“I’ve seen you guys talking,” Revin said, frowning, “he definitely likes you .”

Shifra looked even more nervous. “My father would be angry if he found out,” she said, “and my uncle wouldn’t allow it.”

She opened her mouth to speak again but said nothing. Her eyes widened as she looked over Revin’s shoulder.

Revin heard a low humming as he turned around. Beyond the cliff was a small, hovering ship. It would only be big enough to fit a couple of stegos. It hovered at the level of the cliff and a ramp popped open from of the back of the ship, hitting the edge. A dozen automatons stepped out with nets, lassos, and pistols. They weren’t bulky like the others; they were lithe and nimble. Revin gasped, recognizing them. These were like Densal, automatons with human souls.

They headed straight for Revin and Shifra.

✦✦✦

Revin was back on those blooded plains. Explosions sounded around him. Dirt and blood showered him. He tripped on something. He looked down. It was Ismander. Her eyes wide in terror. Blood covering her body. A spear through her gut.

Someone called his name. He looked up.

✦✦✦

He was brought back to the present moment. Shifra was calling his name and pointing. He turned back to the approaching automatons. Part of him wanted to flee in terror. But another part, an angrier part. Turned that terror into something more useful.

Rage.

Revin drew his sword and got into a half-fighting stance. “Shifra, run!” he yelled.

“Get them!” one automaton shouted. Its voice similar in its metallic quality to Densal.

Revin swung his blade up from the ground, severing the leading automaton’s arm. Its scream was eerily metallic. It shoved Revin with its free arm, knocking him down and causing him to drop his blade. Automatons swarmed past him, but they ignored him. They fired on one of the baby giganotos. But instead of the blast of a gun, a small dart stuck into the giganoto, and Revin felt its mind lose hold on consciousness as it collapsed. They threw nets over the giganoto babies, who honked in terror.

As Revin tried to get up an automaton turned and kicked him back down, stepping on his chest.

It smiled and drew its sword.

Revin looked to the side and tried to grab his own blade, but he couldn’t reach, and all his saurians were too far to help. Birdy jumped at the automaton’s eyes, but he simply was batted away. The metal man backhanded Birdy hard enough to send him to the ground, squirming in pain.

The automaton raised its sword, about to swing down. A shot rang out and the automaton’s head exploded in a shower of metal and sparks. A puff of smoke appeared.

Revin turned. Shifra stood there with a pistol. She nodded at him.

Automatons approached her from behind and Revin stumbled to his feet.

“Shifra, look out!”

She drew a short sword, swinging it right for the automaton’s neck. But the blade caught, and the automaton brought its forearm down, shattering the blade.

Revin could only watch as several grabbed her, taking her weapons and holding her arms.

He grabbed his sword from the ground and jumped forward. Several automatons with blades turned to him. One swung for his head, but he managed to block it.

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“Revin!” Shifra shouted as she was dragged onto the ship.

“No!” He swung his blade around and thrust at the automaton, it dodged out of the way, then ran to join the others. The other automatons dragged the screeching giganoto babies back toward the ship.

Revin ran forward as Shifra was pulled in first. Revin swung for the automatons, but they had gone on the defensive. He couldn’t land a strike, and none attacked him directly. The baby giganotos tried to fight back, but too many automatons held them.

He charged another automaton, and it turned to face him. It put its hand out and struck Revin’s sword-arm, knocking the blade aside to the dirt.

It used Revin’s momentum against him and shoved him to the ground.

Another flash of the past. Digging frozen earth with his fingernails. One the run. He was breathing too fast. He clawed at the earth until his hands formed dirty fists. He screamed, and pushed up, looking around. The first of the baby giganotos was loaded onto the ship.

“Revin!” he heard Shifra shout again.

He growled angrily and rolled over. A metal foot stomped where he had just been. He grabbed a rock and stood, mostly on his good leg. He held it up menacingly. Eyes wide with a wild fury.

He charged the automaton, swinging the stone at its head. It ducked then grabbed him under the arms, picking him right up into the air.

Then it tossed him.

He tumbled across the dirt from the powerful toss. He finally stopped, groaning in pain. He spit blood and dirt, glaring at the automaton. This isn’t over. He stood.

The automaton smiled.

His confusion was cut short when the ground crumbed beneath him.

He shouted and fell. Tumbling down off the edge of the cliff. The dirt and stone struck him more than once as he fell, the whole world a spinning vortex of cliff and sky. An inner contortion of fear struck him. He was going to die. And the pain would not be mild.

He hit something soft and rolled into a small recess in the cliff side. He lay still, shocked. He should have fallen so much farther. With a wince, he looked around. He’d fallen on a small lip which led into a horizontal crack in the cliffside, just big enough to fit him. It was covered in a soft moss.

His back ached from new bruises. And his face reverberated with pain. He touched it. There was a new gash, and half of his stitches had been pulled free. He took a deep breath to keep back the nausea at feeling such a wound in his flesh.

“You idiot!” he heard a voice shout from above. It was one of the automatons. “Where is he?”

“Jebuthar wanted him dead… He’s dead.”

“Are you sure? Do you see his body?”

“It’s a long way down that cliffside.”

“I’ve got half a mind to make you climb down there yourself to find his body.”

There was silence.

“We don’t have time for this,” the automaton said, “Take the girl and the giganotos. We’ll tell Jebuthar the monk fell off a cliff, but we didn’t have time to get his body. I’m not getting punished for promising a dead monk only to have him turn up later. Do you want to miss attacking Ateya’s capital?”

“I don’t mind missing that,” the other automaton said, “but I want to see the Hiriv island. I hear the animals are strange.”

“Then you better pray he’s dead,” the leader said. “I don’t want to be stuck here searching for a corpse.”

“I don’t know why he’s so obsessed with this one if we’re just gonna sail over to the Hiriv to get more.”

“Because this one mastered giganotos ,” the leader said. “Now move it.”

Revin gasped and tried to get up, wincing, his shoulder was at the very least bruised. He forced himself to sit up as he heard the tromping of metal feet and the honking of baby giganotos. Something metallic slid up above, clanking to a close.

“No!” He flinched as a handful of rocks tumbled down from above.

Omrai! Revin mindspoke. He felt like an idiot for not doing it earlier.

The ship above moved.

“No!” he shouted looking out.

It was too late. Revin had to sit and watch as the ship flew away.

Omrai! Omrai, they’ve taken her! And the baby giganotos!

What? He felt Omrai in his mind, Who, where?

Revin reached out to Scarback. By the cliffs, follow Scarback, and bring some rope.

✦✦✦

Revin tried to climb, but it did little good. He reached out to Birdy to have him follow the ship, but Birdy never responded. Birdy must have been unconscious.

A rope dropped down from above with loops for his hands and feet.

“Grab on!” Omrai yelled.

Revin did.

He came up over the top of the cliff. Omrai, Scarback, and a dozen soldiers waited there. Omrai set the rope aside and grabbed Revin’s arms, helping him get up.

He grabbed Revin’s shoulders, eyes wide with fear. “Where’s Shifra?”

Scarback was worried too.

“Human automatons showed up, I tried to fight them, but they were too fast. They grabbed the baby giganotos and Shifra. They were so fast, Omrai, I couldn’t stop them… I tried.”

Scarback let out an anguish-filled roar.

Omrai looked furious and terrified. “Why would he want my daughter?”

“I don’t know, but they said they came here specifically for the baby giganotos and to kill me.”

“Jebuthar knows how important you are to this attack working,” Omrai looked up at Scarback, “The giganotos wouldn’t stay with us without you.”

Omrai looked around. “Which way did they go?”

Revin pointed out over the cliff.

Omrai frowned.

“They took a small transport… I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

Omrai frowned, trembling, “I knew she never should have come along, but she wouldn’t listen.”

Omrai looked at Revin, who found himself gripping his shirt in rage.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Omrai said, “You’re no warrior, the fact you managed to stay alive is a miracle.”

Revin nodded, but he still felt like a failure.

Revin inhaled sharply as he remembered something. “Omrai! I overheard them talking. Jebuthar’s on his way to your capital. Sendevalians and uh…” Revin tried to remember the name. “Fornarians. They’re going to attack too.”

“Where are they now?” Omrai said.

“I don’t know,” Revin said, “Heading north.”

Omrai thought for a second. “The great river, we can take that. Pull the boats behind the behemoth ship.”

“And then, he plans on heading back to the island. If my father won’t give in, he’s hoping someone else will.”

Omrai frowned. “We can’t let that happen. Reach out to the baby giganotos, you might still have a connection with them.”

Revin nodded, feeling stupid for not thinking of that himself. He took a deep breath and reached out.

It was a strain to sense it, but their connection still existed. The first impression he got was fear. He saw through their eyes.

Almerian guards took Shifra away. A voice spoke.

It was Jebuthar.

“You will obey me now,” Jebuthar said. “Guards, bind them, I don’t want Narazoth getting bit.”

Soldiers appeared and tied the baby giganotos with ropes, they fought and rolled. Once done, the soldiers left.

Revin heard another familiar voice.

“Calm down, this will only take a moment.”

Narazoth.

Revin smiled, Narazoth would fail. Beadoróf said Narazoth had already failed to master giganotos before. They were a unique challenge, one only Revin had figured out.

His connection with one of the juvenile giganotos shattered. He gasped in pain. One by one, his connection was lost. He tried to get them to see the man who mastered them. But their bonds were too strong. They couldn’t budge.

Their minds were weak, and despite their desire to keep the connection with Revin, one by one, until the last, he lost them all.

Revin yelled angrily.

“What is it? Is she alive?”

Revin nodded, “Yes. But Narazoth took the baby giganotos from me, I don’t know how, but he did.”

“Maybe it’s because they’re young,” Omrai said. “Where were they?”

“With Jebuthar and Narazoth, so maybe the command ship? The automatons mentioned they were going to the capital.”

Omrai glared to the western sky. “Then we must move in.”

“Can we catch up to him?”

Omrai frowned. “We’ll do our best. But if we can take the command ship, it’ll be worth it.” He closed his eyes and frowned. “If it doesn’t, I’m ordering a full retreat.”

“But we can beat him!” Revin said.

“At what cost?” Omrai said, “We might beat this army. But we only have enough giganotos and men for one gamble, how many saurians do you want to lose?”

Revin heard a growl of distress from Scarback. He sent her a wave of reassurance. Revin shook his head. “Alright. But there’s something else, he’s planning on returning to the Hiriv next.”

“When?”

“Very soon, right after the capital,” Revin said, “I think.”

Omrai nodded. “The time of preparation is over, we leave tonight.”

Revin felt a buzz in his thoughts from Birdy, he looked around. He ran to where Birdy lay. Birdy breathed hard. Revin knelt and picked him up. He reached out with his mind. Birdy would be alright. He would have to sit this next battle out, but he’d be fine.

Revin didn’t know about the rest of their forces.