Revin woke, his head pounded. He tried to move but he was bound, a rag stuffed in his mouth. It was hard to breathe and impossible to speak.

Shifra lay next to him, gagged and bound in a similar manner. She didn’t move. His eyes focused on things further and further away. He was inside of a large control room, with a floor to ceiling window in the front. To his side, two huddled figures were chained to the floor. Revin’s heart sank.

His father lay on the ground, dressed in rags, his hair a mess, his beard scraggly. His mother sat at his side, hand resting on him, leaning against the wall. She looked at Revin, frowning. Her eyes were red from tears.

“Mom?” he thought to her. “Are you ok?”

She nodded.

“What about dad?”

Her frown deepened. “He’s the only one who didn’t give in,” she said. Her tears began anew.

She didn’t have to tell him. She had given in. He could see the bandages on her arms. His eyes widened in a questioning glance.

“Jebuthar has gotten worse,” she said.

“Why didn’t you call for help? Mindspoke when I was near?”

“We didn’t want you to get caught too,” she said.

Another voice interrupted their conversation. “Despite everything I do, no matter what threats I make, he still doesn’t give in.”

Revin tried to look. The movement was dizzying, his head swaying and his eyes slowly coming to focus.

Jebuthar stood in front of him, his long, curved sword in hand.

“He tests the limits to how much pain I will inflict,” Jebuthar said. “I do seek to be a good master.”

Jebuthar looked at the prophet and frowned. “I had to either push him harder or capture another who might be more willing. Perhaps one of his counselors will be more willing.”

“We don’t pick the weak of heart to be our prophets,” Revin mindspoke to Narazoth, hoping he relayed it to Jebuthar, “the next won’t give in either. Narazoth will never get the ability to ordain more monks.”

Jebuthar laughed. Apparently Narazoth was relaying his words. “Perhaps, but for now. None of that matters. You see, little monk, I’ve won,” Jebuthar’s grin widened. “Look out the window and behold your end.”

Revin looked. The mountains stood tall; the sun just touching their peeks.

Revin’s eyes widened in surprise and anxiety. My evening ritual!

“Let me go!” he thought out to Narazoth as he struggled, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not break from his restraints. No response came from Narazoth.

Jebuthar shook his head. “No, no, things are being done my way now. Why are you fighting this? Why do you deny the truth? I have a right to rule! Can you not see I am the greatest possible master?”

Revin sat up as best as he could, his knee screaming in pain as usual, and glared at Jebuthar as he continued to struggle.

Revin felt an overwhelming sense of fear. He reached out to his saurians. They had stayed close to Omrai and the army, as he had commanded them to do before he passed out, but Jebuthar’s army was now approaching.

His entire army. No more waves. They would come, and they would not stop until Omrai and his forces were overwhelmed.

“Yes, now you understand.” Jebuthar said, “Your evening ritual will be disrupted, you will lose control over your saurians. They will become disoriented, some will fight, attacking your men or mine. Some will flee, trampling your allies. My automatons will only have to clean up those left. Even with the giganoto spines, the Ateyan muskets and the Koyejian artillery won’t be enough. I’ll slaughter them too.”

Revin felt his saurians’ fear. It was happening again. It was all happening again! Only this time, it would be so much worse. Infinitely worse. Thousands of deaths filling his soul. The pain alone would kill him. Or he’d kill himself before feeling that again.

He desperately tried to speak the words through the gag, but it was impossible. He tried to think them, praying that the powers would accept his offering. Anything.

But nothing happened, the ritual wasn’t working.

And the battle would be lost.

“And when this battle is done, I will hunt down and kill every giganoto, even the young you rescued. With them out of the way, not even the saurians will be able to resist me.”

Jebuthar smiled.

“You are doomed.”

✦✦✦

“Omrai !” Revin’s voice echoed. Just as Omrai was about to speak back, Revin spoke again. “ Fall back! I can’t do my evening ritual, I’ll lose my connections, the saurians are going to run!”

Omrai looked to the saurians. All but the giganotos were terrified.

He looked back at the coming army. The Kerinku guns held them back, but the waves of metal warriors didn’t end. The dam had broken.

“My lord!” a soldier shouted above the tumult.

Omrai turned.

“Sendevalian and Fornarian armies are close! They’ll be here within the hour.”

Omrai clenched his fists in frustration.

They would not be able to survive an assault on all sides like that.

He thought of what to do. Retreat further? That would mean abandoning the guns held Jebuthar’s army at bay. But if they stayed here, Sendeval and Fornaria would attack one or both of their flanks.

And the saurians… when they ran, they would trample half of his army.

He was trapped, and there was nothing he could do.

“Omrai!” Prince Siroki shouted. Omrai turned to him.

The automatons were closing the distance.

“My guns are about to become useless!” he shouted. “Ready your men!”

Omrai turned to his soldiers, “Prepare the charge!”

Prince Siroki shouted an order in his own tongue, and Ateyan and Koyejian soldiers alike assembled around the Kerinku guns.

The saurians still obeyed the command to move forward, although tentatively.

Omrai stood next to a deafening Kerinku gun, looking down the small hill.

The automatons were at its base, just thirty yards from the guns themselves.

The Kerinku guns stopped firing, creating a void of sound where there had once been a deafening roar. Omrai heard only one overpowering sound now. The marching of metal feel on dirt and torn grass.

Scarback stood next to Omrai, looking down at the coming army. Scarback let out a growl which quickly evolved into a thunderous bellow. It filled the air, it echoed, it overpowered every other noise.

Scarback looked down at Omrai. Waiting.

Omrai nodded. Firm.

“Charge!” Omrai shouted.

Scarback and the giganotos were the first down the hill, with Omrai, his army, and the Koyejians following close behind. The saurians smashed and his soldiers fired, breaking a few.

Omrai approached the closest automaton, one that had managed to survive the saurian onslaught, and ran it through with his spear.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

✦✦✦

Revin could tell Omrai wasn’t retreating. The saurians still fought, but only because Revin still encouraged them and reminded them why they fought. Some of the saurians may have been smart, but they were still animals. The giganotos might stay to fight if Revin lost his connection, but the others would certainly flee, crushing half of Omrai’s army on their way out.

Revin glared at Jebuthar, who still smiled. Revin looked directly above him, through the massive upper windows, and thought a prayer towards the sky, what do I do?

There was no answer.

He heard a sound and looked over at Shifra. She blinked and looked around, swaying as if coming out of a daze. She first glared at Jebuthar, then looked at Revin. Her eyes went wide with fear. She could sense Revin’s panic. Feel his emotions as if they were her own.

Revin tried to halt the whirlwind of his thoughts and pondered on that.

She can feel my emotions as if they were her own… Feel my thoughts…

An idea came to his mind like a splash of icy water. He reached out to Omrai.

“Omrai, I need your help! Do what I tell you to!”

✦✦✦

Omrai stabbed another automaton in the face and then heard Revin’s voice in his mind.

“Omrai, I need your help!”

Omrai retreated a pace from the battle, letting his own soldiers fill in to fight.

Scarback stood between Omrai and the army in a protective stance. She smashed any automatons who got too close.

“Speak the words I tell you.”

Omrai listened in his mind. Revin communicated his version of the evening ritual.

“But I am no monk,” Omrai thought back.

“Trust me.”

Omrai took a deep breath. It sounded crazy.

He looked to the mountains, to the sun touching their tips in the distance, any minute now Revin would lose control of the saurians and they would run. His men would be killed.

He had to trust Revin. Besides, what would trying hurt?

Omrai nodded and turned to one of his generals.

“General Arbolt,” Omrai said, “I need someone to bring me Revin’s bag immediately!”

“Where is it?”

“It’s with my personal pack ceratop.”

General Arbolt turned to one of his captains, speaking quickly. He pointed up the hill. The ceratop which stored Omrai’s backup supplies, along with Revin’s pack, stood far back behind the line.

“Revin, I need your help, it’s on a ceratop carrying my things on the hill.”

✦✦✦

Revin reached out to the ceratop Omrai referred to, feeling the bags on its back. It was much too crowded to charge it all the way to Omrai.

A gallimai that bore a messenger stood nearby, it would be quick and agile enough.

The messenger let out a yelp as his gallimai leaped forward, mouth swooping down and grabbing Revin’s bag, and headed for Omrai.

In the command ship, Jebuthar’s eyes narrowed. “What are you trying to do?”

✦✦✦

Omrai watched the gallimai dodge through his men, rapidly approaching.

“Quick! Get me a torch!”

His men quickly complied as the gallimai burst into the group, lowering the bag and dropping it in front of Omrai.

Revin gave him hurried instructions on how to set it up, and Omrai lit the flame in a hurry. His men looked at him as if he were insane, but that didn’t matter.

He just hoped that Revin’s idea wasn’t insane.

A small fire, some water, some tea powder, and a few moments later, the tea began to steam.

“Kneel down,” Revin said.

Omrai did so.

“Now repeat the words I give you.”

Omrai listened and repeated the words aloud.

“Oh, Father God, bless this evening tea that it may clear my mind to understand your will…”

✦✦✦

“What is happening?” Jebuthar said, looking at Revin with widening eyes. Revin continued to feed Omrai the words.

✦✦✦

As Omrai spoke the words, the enemy force changed its tactics. Instead of one consistent line, the automatons surged in his direction, frantic and distressed. Men and saurians alike lined up to surround Omrai, realizing something important was happening.

“…that it purify my heart to desire your will…”

The sun was now partially hidden by the mountain’s face, but he continued.

“Bless this night that it may strengthen my body to do your will,”

The automatons were closer, fighting furiously, throwing themselves desperately at Omrai’s men and saurians with no regard for themselves. Fighting to get to Omrai.

✦✦✦

“Stop this!” Jebuthar shouted, panicking. He ran and kicked Revin in the side. Revin fell, grunting as renewed pain sprouted in his ribs. He had to finish. He had to tell Omrai the final words.

He saw Shifra, she had tears in her eyes, still fighting her restraints.

“Stop it now!” Jebuthar said, growing desperate. He stopped kicking and followed Revin’s gaze to Shifra. He smiled. “You really think saving her will win her for you? You’ve already lost! While you were gathering your pathetic excuse for an army, she was with Kaiato!”

Revin stopped. He looked into her eyes, his own widening. She frowned.

The realization came crashing down. What she’d said… she didn’t just feel that way about Kaiato, Kaiato felt the same about her.

Once he’d told her about her powers, she must have figured it out… figured out how she truly felt.

Revin looked up at Jebuthar.

Jebuthar smiled.

✦✦✦

Omrai waited for the final words. They didn’t come. Something must have happened. The automatons were ever closer, the sun closer to dropping.

“Revin, come on!”

✦✦✦

“Revin, come on!” Omrai’s voice echoed in Revin’s mind.

Revin looked at Shifra, she looked, uncomfortable, but more worried about their current predicament. The words of his father came to mind.

There are some things you can change by your will, and others that you can’t. Whatever will be will be, fighting won’t change it. Learn to bend with the wind.

Learn to bend with the wind…

If she never truly felt that way for him, then nothing was lost. She wasn’t his, and he wasn’t hers.

And that was ok.

Revin let out a slow breath through his nose.

He shot Jebuthar a glare of defiance.

Jebuthar frowned and drew a sword. He raised it in the air, about to swing it down on top of Revin. There was murder in his eyes.

He heard a high grunt as Shifra kicked Jebuthar with her bound legs, causing him to stumble backward.

She looked at Revin, eyes pleading for him to finish.

Revin closed his eyes, his chest and ribs pounding from the pain, and forced the final words of the ritual through his mind and into Omrai’s.

✦✦✦

“…and that I may have faith to grant me peace in trials,” Omrai said, finishing the prayer.

The sun fell into the mountains. The light still shone from behind it. Casting reds and pinks as it went down. In front of him, the automaton army had changed into a sea of blue eyes. His men lit torches further up the hill.

At first, Omrai thought he had failed. Nothing happened.

But he felt something… a dissolving in his mind. A wall or a barrier. With a rush it burst. He had to close his eyes; he fell to the ground. A wave of sensations overwhelmed him. His head throbbed. His Empathy compounded; its power increased. He saw not only in the minds of his men, but of the saurians too.

Not just their emotions, however, but their thoughts also. They reacted to his mind, excited at their connection with him. They felt his strength, his courage, and were enlivened by it. Filled with new vigor.

And… he could sense the minds of the automatons before him. A vast sea of twisted minds. It was what Revin felt, sensing even beasts he hadn’t mastered.

He could feel them all!