And Im telling you, well die if we congregate! The four-ard rebel slamd his fist on the table. Our best hope is to disperse. That way, the beasts will waste ti hunting us down. Several may survive!
Youd feed our own people to those monsters, then? Youre no better than the Chits!
How dare you! I am rely
The warehouse door slamd, and in strode the masked figure of Vir, his black robe flaring behind him. All eyes turned to him, and all conversations hushed.
You! Whereve you been? soone asked.
Planning for our future, Vir replied smoothly. For the future of this city, and the Gargans within. Now tell , how do you intend to survive this crisis?
Thats just what we were discussing, the four-ard rebel said. All our options are grim. I say we should spread out. It gives us the highest chance of surviving this.
At the expense of half our numbers or more, his opponent said.
What do you think, Warrior of Ash? soone who hadnt spoken before said.
I agree that, under normal conditions, concentrating our numbers would be a death sentence should the beasts ever find us.
See?
Except, Vir said, holding up a finger, these are not normal conditions. Not by any ans.
What do you an?
Shan, Vir commanded.
The Ash Wolf bounded silently into the room. His appearance shifted the mood within the room in an instant.
So rebels braced for combat while others muttered prayers. A few cried out in panic.
Theyre here already!? Adinat save our souls.
Relax, Vir ordered, raising a placating hand. He is an ally.
An ally? Are you out of your mind? Ive seen those things rip through an entire room in seconds! Were not safe.
I should ask you the sa, Vir replied calmly. Does he look as though hes about to rip your throats out?
Shan sat obediently next to Vir, gazing impassively at the terrified faces in the room as he licked his paw.
Vir sotis wondered if the beast could understand them. His intuition was otherworldly.
I dont understand, Janani said, her voice faltering as she spoke. You have tad an Ash Wolf? How? This is impossible.
Not so much tad, as befriended, but yes, Vir said.
Shan grunted in agreent.
So those reports they were factual? Greesha said, rising from her chair to get a better look at Shan. Sightings of a black beast, prowling the streets. Id passed it off as nothing more than fear-mongering, perhaps exaggerated sightings of a stray bandy. But this
Id appreciate it if you kept this quiet, Vir said, addressing the room. Vaaks image has aning precisely because anyone can don the mask. If it becos known that I travel with an Ash Wolf, that deception loses its value.
Aint none of us gonna go blab, if thats what youre worried about, another demon said. But an Ash Wolf, huh? Hell be an asset during the fight, thats for certain.
Their relief, however, was short-lived.
Oh, Shan isnt going to fight, Vir said.
Deathly silence fell on the room.
Hes not? soone asked at last.
Hes not, Vir confird. I want you all to gather in a defensible location. Find the largest structure that can fit everyone, wherever it is.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Aint no one building gonna fit us all, a rebel said.
Then a cluster of large buildings. The closer they are, the better.
Well, thatd be stores, in the Chit part of the city, the four-ard demon said. Backs up to the wall itself. Wouldnt call them defensible, though. Lots of ways beasts could get to us. Or Chits, for that matter.
Thats fine, Vir said. Shan, here, will keep you safe. And you wont need to worry about the Chitran. Theyll all be long gone by the ti you get there. Theyre retreating to the keep and the castle grounds that surround it.
The wolf? Alone? I an no disrespect. Your friend looks mighty strong, but I dont thinkGrakking Ash!
The demon speaking fell over as Shan allowed Ash prana to leak from his body, wreathing him with black flas.
Vir smirked under his mask. You should know that my friend is not only incredibly powerful, hes also highly intelligent.
He can understand us? Greesha asked, her eyes wide with wonder. Wonder, and a hint of fear.
To a degree, Vir said nonchalantly. Anyway, you have nothing to worry about. Shan here has ended the lives of hundreds of beasts in the Ash. Even a company of Chitran Warrior Callings couldnt take him down. Besides. There wont be many for him to deal with.
Shan whined unhappily at Virs words.
Its alright, friend, Vir said, petting him. Youll have your mont. I promise.
Certain rebels flinched when Virs hand ca into contact with Shans burning prana. Their concern turned into wondernt when he erged unscathed.
I wouldnt try petting him, Vir said with bemusent. For a variety of reasons.
You said few beasts will enter the walls, Janani said. Where will you be?
Vir turned, his robe fluttering behind him. Driving off a stampede, Vir said, just before he Blinked out of the room.
Greesha looked to Janani. Is he always so fond of dramatic exits?
Janani smiled wryly. It would seem so. I do wonder if hes planning on fighting them alone?
Greesha grunted. Just like his father, she whispered.
Sorry? Janani asked. Did you say sothing?
Oh, nothing. Nothing at all, Greesha replied, cracking a sly grin. I believe that this will be a night to rember.
Vir felt hed done a good job with the rebels, confident that his bravado had betrayed none of the anxiety that roiled in his stomach.
The rebels needed an infallible symbol. Not a fretting, lone demon. Yet it was with a grim expression that Vir surveyed Samar Patags surroundings. Surroundings that would soon beco a bloody battlefield.
While the city mightve been constructed in a defensible position, it was built with the assumption that the city would be defended by a full regint of warriors manning the walls. Not a lone individual.
The issue lay both in geography and the nature of their opponents. To the west lay the inland Gargan Seait was safe to say that the city was shielded from that direction, at least from ground-based enemies. As for aerial foes, the runner hadnt reported any Shrike sightings, nor did Vir think theyd survive in this prana climate.
Even with only ground forces to worry about, however, Vir was at a crippling disadvantage.
The city was no doubt intended to dissuade invaders from attacking from the north. Directly to the north of the Gargan Sea spanned the Western Teetha north-south mountain range that crossed into Panav lands.
Only a tiny sliver of coastline lay between the mountains and the sea, and no army would be stupid enough to march through that soft, marshy soil. The path was boggy and circuitous. Even if they did cross, they would then face the Glades of Aksalathe dense forest that surrounded Samar Patag to the north.
A nightmare for any army, but his enemies were no army. They were Ash Beasts, guided not by commanding officers, but instead driven by primal instinct.
They could very well attack from the north.
And yet, the nature of the sea ant that most beasts would fork to the south, entering Iksana lands. Vir had initially hoped they would disperse there, but Janani said that while so of the previous hordes veered further south to Jalak KallolIksanas underground strongholdmany ca straight for Samar Patag. Whether attracted by the denser prana of a demon-inhabited city or for so other reason, nobody knew.
Imdiately to the south of Samar Patag lay the natural barrier of the Garga River, which originated from its nasake inland sea. A single stone bridge crossed itone that Vir was now rushing to destroy.
Yet even without that passage, Vir feared the river wouldnt stop the horde. Years of careless trash dumping into the seaanother Chitran legacyhad led to debris gumming up the river, and its flow was pitifully low.
While an army might not attempt to ford it, Ash Beasts would have no such reservations. Destroying the bridge made senseanything to slow them downthough Vir regretted being unable to do any more.
Maybe its for the better, Vir thought as he cut through the bridges supports with his katars Blade Projection. Itll be easier to guard the city with an enemy right at the walls. Less distance to travel.
It was a dangerous gambit, and Vir knew it. One slip-up and the monsters would charge through Samar Patags decrepit walls, flooding into the city.
It wouldnt take many before Shan was overwheld. It wasnt a question of numbersShan held a full reserve of prana within him. Vir fully believed his friend could down dozens of the weakened horde.
The issue was that there were many paths enemies could take once inside the city. Buildings in which they could hide. He couldnt find them all before they found the hiding Gargans.
Vir cut the last support and observed as the bridge crumbled in on itself. Most of the debris was swept down the river. The ones that didnt budge, Vir cut up further to dislodge them. Minutes later, all traces of the bridge had ceased to be.
The Chitrans would have their work cut out restoring it, but that was a problem for a different day. For now, Vir focused on the present. His ans were limitednot only could he not use Dance of the Shadow Demon, hed be forced to fight efficiently, conserving every last drop of his bodys prana.
A difficult trial lay ahead. Perhaps the hardest of any hed ever faced.
For this ti, it wasnt his own life that was at stake, but an entire citys. People were depending on him to keep them safe. n, won, and children.
Am I truly ready for this?
Vir didnt feel like he was. Unfortunately, Fate wasnt one to pay feelings any mind.
Vir glimpsed movent on the horizon to the south. Ti had run out.
The horde had arrived.
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