The third Beith location was a bust. They were long gone by the time we arrived and so were any of the tails meant to be following them. We spent a week to search, but by then it was already falling far too close to our deadline.

It would have been great if we’d found a few more, but it can’t be helped. Spenne is strong enough that we probably won’t need to worry about any of the mermineae getting in our way. Preferably, we would have had more strength backing us in case Spenne proves Grímr’s warning true.

It’s hard to see, though. The áinfean seems like a rather jovial man, if brutal in a fight. Despite being overwhelmingly stronger than the creatures around, he is more than willing to go all out to obliterate from existence and tear the skies with lightning.

I’ve taken to muffling my hearing any time he runs off for a fight.

Thankfully, Spenne spends most his time talking to Remus about old times and recent battles, leaving me out of it.

We arrive back at the mermineae’s meeting point and, despite their usual reluctance to show themselves, Caavaa and Muuro approach us unhidden. I wonder where the two elderly ones are? I can’t feel their heat anywhere nearby.

“You succeeded in finding another,” Caavaa says. “There will be no issue fulfilling your upcoming task, I hope?”

“Yeah, rodent extermination is kiddie work. No issue.” Spenne then turns to me. “Oh! no offence.”

Really? I can’t help but stare at him. Was there really a need for that? We have hardly even spoken this whole time, and now he calls me a kid. I hold back the irritation from showing on my face.

Caavaa has no intention of doing the same. His eyes narrow at Spenne’s words. “Your task is to close the path. Nothing more. Clear the way to the tunnels, but kill no more. I don’t want you murdering the Clergy members hiding amongst them.”

“Oh right, of course.” Spenne pats his chest. “We’ll follow your orders to the letter.” He finishes with a wide grin, showing off the sparks that make up his teeth.

Of course, the áinfean’s words do nothing to assure Caavaa, so Remus steps forward to mediate. “Don’t worry, we plan to commit to our side. We have no reason to kill those of you trying to stop the invasion.”

Caavaa’s glare flicks between Spenne and Remus before he waves an arm at Muuro, who sprints off. “Good. The attack will happen soon. For now, rest.” He turns and crawls back into his burrow.

I’m assuming that Muuro has run off to tell the rest of their clergy that we are ready to move. We are within a day’s travel of the entrance, so it shouldn’t be long before we proceed with the attack. I’m concerned about the details of the siege. The Forvaal have been reluctantly cooperative at best, and have a nasty record of laying the entire risk on us. Will they do the same in the next few days?

Once Caavaa is out of sight, Remus turns to Spenne. “Just this once, hold back until we seal the path.”

The áinfean hums, acting oblivious.

“I’ve known you for well over a century,” Remus says. “Don’t think your plan isn’t abundantly clear. I won’t stop you. Just let us seal it off and get out of the way before you have your fun.”

Spenne remains frozen. Is he pissed? I glance around to see everyone as tense as I am. All eyes are on Spenne. We aren’t all about to be attacked, right?

The áinfean’s jaw drops. “Remus?” he turns away, gesturing to the dohrni. “This isn’t Remus, is it? I’m being fooled.”

I’m not sure why he’s having this reaction, but at least he’s not attacking.

Spenne snaps back to Remus. “You’re serious? What did they do to you?”

“Right now, the safety of my team is most important. I would rather you don’t go overboard, but I can’t stop you,” Remus says. “So I need to stress this; will you wait until they are safe?”

“Yeah, no problem,” Spenne agrees without delay. “It’s good to see you not so pacifistic, Remus. Do you want to join me?”

“No.”

“Ah, that’s too bad. It’s gonna be fun.” I swear the zapping grows louder as he grins.

❖❖❖

There are a lot of mermineae. By a lot, I don’t mean a couple hundred or thousand. No, there have to be tens of thousands moving along the slope ahead of us. Most still keep their camouflage up, but the sheer number of them remove any hope they might have had of remaining hidden.

We all sit on Grímr’s back and wait for the attack to begin. The Forvaal Clergy will make the first move. We just need to stay out of sight until then. You’d think that would be hard considering the size of Grímr’s alicanto body, but we aren’t the only ones to have noticed the immense mermineae presence.

Birds of prey swarm the skies. Each looking for an easy meal offering itself up to them.

For the first time since I’ve been to this side of the Alps, I can truly see the desperation the mermineae have to leave these plains. They continue to push toward the tunnel entrance, despite the birds diving from above.

One of the enantiorn eagles dive toward some unfortunate soul, but before it can reach its prey, it screeches and pulls back into the clouds.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

The Forvaal amongst the mermineae put a lot of effort into protecting their people, but for every bird they successfully turn away, two more take off with someone clutched in their talons.

Many die every minute, but the mermineae still march forward.

“This Kalma must be quite the character,” Spenne ponders. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen fear cause such solidarity before. Most creatures I’ve seen will stab their best friend to get away from what terrorises them.”

We watch as another merminea is plucked from the surface, screaming until the bird’s talons end its existence. The merminea’s neighbours move on with little more than a glance after their fallen brethren.

Spenne hums in curiosity. “Have they told you where one might find this Kalma?”

He’s not planning to meet her, is he? I’m sure he’s strong, but I struggle to believe it’s even close to what these people consider a god.

“No,” Remus says. “But if you go looking, please don’t give her any reason to cross the Alps. There are some creatures that should be left alone.”

We are supposed to wait for the signal before we attack. Once we hear it, we are to do whatever we can to get to the tunnel. As usual, the Forvaal don’t share their plans with us. All we know is that there should be enough of a distraction to allow us ease of passage.

Well, that’s what they claim. I don’t believe for a second that it’ll be that simple. There are so many of them clambering around the Titan’s path that I can’t help but doubt the mermineae we’re working with.

Unfortunately, the buzzard Titan didn’t wipe out these mermineae when it went on its hunt. While the Titan’s resting place is still an immense distance away, near the top of the Alps, I thought the damage here would be far more intense considering how strong it was hundreds of leagues away.

Though, looking around, I see that there isn’t much to damage. The slope is already as flat as can be. Any greater detail is hidden beneath snow. Is that why this side of the Alps looks like this? The winds of Euroclydon have worn away the mountains that were once here?

“Are we too late?” I ask. Considering the number of mermineae swarming as far as I can see, there can’t be any more coming, right?

“We shouldn’t be,” Imiha says. “But these numbers are concerning. If there’s more…”

“How do they feed this many?” Grímr asks. “For them to travel together like this, it can’t be sustainable.”

“It probably isn’t,” Bunny says. “They’ll have to split and hunt within the tunnels. The deaths they accrue against the birds up here will be nothing to the losses they expect to take down there.”

The mermineae must treat the death of their own kind like an assured thing to go through with this. What is their life like for them to feel this is their best option? It’s not like the tunnels will be the only difficulty they will face.

I almost feel sympathetic towards them.

Almost. They’re still threatening my friends’ home.

A low, droning bellow rolls over the slopes. The mermineae freeze at the out-of-place noise. It’s a strange sight. One moment they are easily visible due to the sheer number of them moving. The next, they have all disappeared.

Then, chaos erupts.

Amongst the thousands, many throw themselves on their neighbours. Claws tear through chests and teeth rip out throats. In moments, the white landscape drowns in crimson.

The coordinated assassinations devolve into frenzied brawls as the ambushers leap from their first kills into the crowd. Most don’t survive, immediately retaliated upon by the surrounding mermineae, but they have achieved the chaos that was promised us.

Mermineae lash out, not knowing who is friend or foe.

“Well, that’s one way to start a fight,” Spenne says as he tugs at the bindings around his arms. “What are you waiting for? Let’s get down there.”

Grímr tilts his wings and we fall into a dive. We can’t attack the tunnel entrance directly. It would put us in a direct sight line of the Forvaal defenders. If we don’t want Grímr to be torn apart before we make it to the crevice, we need to approach from the ground.

Some opportunistic birds have taken to diving alongside us, so our approach couldn’t be any better hidden. Our choice to not attack the tunnel directly is proven to be for the best. The birds diving near the path die in moments, each one decaying to dust before they have a chance to pull away.

They must have the strongest of the Forvaal defending that position. It’s going to be hard to break through if they move their attention to us. The clergy should deal with them soon, but relying on them for anything leaves a foul taste in my mouth.

I wait until Grímr scrapes along the surface at full speed before I let free my flames. They spread to engulf everything, but struggle to keep up with the pace of this metal bird. Grímr glides barely a metre above the ground. His heavy wings crush heads of any unaware mermineae.

We tear through hundreds before one throws itself at Grímr’s beak, angling his body just enough for Grímr to face-plant into the earth at speed.

We are all flung off his back. Thankfully, Bunny grabs me in mid-air, so I don’t have to worry about a face full of frozen water. She sets me down, and I send a nervous glance down at my boots, buried in snow. It’s fine, it will not leak through.

The mermineae that pulled us to the ground didn’t survive the crash, squashed between Grímr and the earth.

The earth ripples, rises and propels the snow away from us. The wall of stone now circling us also blocks the sight of any Forvaal. I give Imiha a nod of gratitude now that I have environmental conditions that I don’t have to tiptoe around. She grins back before turning to the mermineae now flooding over her wall.

I don’t give them any time to attack, igniting everything in the area. The fur burns off their backs before they can even scream. They don’t last long enough for my flames to burn much further. A booming crack of thunder accompanies a flash of light and every mermineae in my flames drop dead.

The energy of the áinfean’s lightning felt… oddly good. It didn’t impede my flames. Instead, for a brief instant, I felt heat and intensity I couldn’t hope to replicate. Despite the power behind it, it didn’t hurt or hinder my flames. In fact, I’d say it enhanced them.

I turn back to Spenne and we lock eyes. A toothy grin grows along his face, arcs of electricity zapping around him almost seeming to grasp at my flames. “Oh kid, I was wrong about you. This really is gonna be fun.”

I’m not sure what he means, but I can’t help but agree.

A bolt of lightning snaps out, covering an incredible distance past the walls that surround us. I’m surprised to find out my flames follow with it, letting me control fire far further than I normally could. The intense bolt cuts through several mermineae, killing them instantly. My flames burst out from the path of lightning and engulf many of those surrounding.

“Hey kid, can you make as much smoke as possible?”

Smoke? I nod in agreement, even though I’m unsure why he wants that. If I want to make a lot of smoke, that means I can’t use my flames to eat the energy out of things, nor can I add mass to my flames from the surrounding material. I need to let things burn naturally.

He better have a good reason for this. It’s a waste to throw away resources.

I notice Spenne’s wraps around his hands have loosened, leaving his electricity to arc out into my flames with little control. He no longer sends bolts beyond the sphere of my fire, so I don’t have that easy method to spread my flames, but fire is nothing if not insistent.

It is a fire’s nature to burn and grow. Extinguishing a flame is far more difficult than nudging it into an inferno, even for my own flames. Just the tiniest influence has the fire beyond Imiha’s walls spreading between mermineae. I don’t even need to mix my inner flame amongst the fire and risk touching the snow. With how many mermineae surround us, it’s actually quite worrying how fast it spreads with only the tiniest of nudges.

Grímr finally digs himself out of the earth and we move forward. Imiha’s walls follow along, keeping us surrounded. The seven of us push forward, slicing through any mermineae between us and the tunnel.

The real challenge still lies ahead.