War for Maicreol

by Dawn Chapman

  There were some shocked murmurs around her, and then quiet. “Okay, we’re ready.”

  I waited for Steve to be by my side. “Do you want to feel this as it happens?”

  He seemed to move away, then panic. “Maddie,” Steve said. “The healers just informed me several mages have sneaked in around the seas. They’re incoming and deadly.”

  I, however, forced my breathing to stay steady. My pulse quickened, but I didn’t panic.

  “Fuck!” Steve said. I could hear something from behind me, but I couldn’t do anything about it.

  I spoke clearly to him. “You need to make sure nothing disrupts me. Don’t let them stop this. They know this is important.”

  I felt him lean in. “I’ve got your back.”

  Now I wished I hadn’t sent the others away, but I knew they were also not that far away.

  Steve’s presence by my side had me able to focus back on Lila.

  “Are you ready?” I said to her.

  “We’re as ready as we can be. I’ve got three winged demon commanders and several hands. We’re ready to just push when you ask.”

  “Good.” I reached out with my mind and waited with the pulses. I listened to them. “I’m going to watch and guide you from this side, push here if I must.”

  Steve’s voice echoed in my mind. “We’re under attack at the portal, anyone in the vicinity, send back up.”

  Loud explosions behind me weren’t what I wanted right now. I pushed the sounds to the back of my mind even when I was pelted with debris.

  I had to wait. I had to time this the right way. If I got it wrong, then it would be really bad. They’d never get another chance.

  “Ready,” I said. “On my mark.”

  I could hear the anticipation in her breathing.

  “Mark!”

  There was a slight something, a pull, and then a sound like a pebble falling into a pool of water. I looked at the centre of the portal’s horizon and saw energy growing. I stepped back. It was done.

  Then I turned to see what the hell had been coming our way. Behind me stood Steve and the other healers. They had a shield raised. The enemy was right here, at least fifteen of them. They were throwing everything they had at the shield.

  Dalfol! I need help!

  His voice came to me, Click your interface. Abilities. Tromoal Phase. You can save it later for ease. I will help then too.

  This was all okay, I was sure of it, but the portal didn’t have enough energy in it to work just yet. We had to hold. I didn’t think we could, and I looked at Steve. “I don’t want to do this, but they’re going to learn sooner than later. We’re not going to take this lying down, and the Lady of the Skies is here to defend her fucking eggs.”

  Steve grinned at me. “You’ve got this, and we’re right here with you. It’s a tough transition, but you’re getting the hang of it. Do it!”

  I could see the literal strain on his hand as I brought up my interface and scrolled to abilities quickly and thought tapped the button that said Tromoal Phase.

  I breathed in and out and waited for the crack in my spine. The way it creaked and popped and then feeling the energy flood through me was just exhilarating.

  I managed to get my jacket off before I ruined it, and although it seemed easier than before, I had to just let it come. Everything grew, my mind with it. And I felt the power. I could see every single person outside the shield in crystal clarity. They were high-level mages, but they didn’t stand a chance against a Tromoal. When the shield faltered slightly, I was ready to lunge at them, and no matter the attacks on me, it should have been nothing like fighting Xanou.

  I hadn’t expected it to actually fucking hurt. I guess I was okay against some things, but when it came to real magic, they had the upper hand in numbers. I still had to hold them off as best I could.

  As I lunged and managed to snag one with my jaws, I crunched down and felt his bones snap, blood filling my mouth, but I wasn’t disgusted. I felt the energy he had as it filled me. I pushed the energy toward the portal and noticed as it filled in quicker. If I killed a few more, we’d be almost there.

  I turned my attention to the next one, and the next. It was a blood bath of bodies beneath my feet, but then I heard a gaseous pop and a whooshing as energy pooled and settled. All of us looked to the portal’s horizon and then I saw something else. Winged demons flew out through it, and they went straight for those attacking us. The shield fell and Steve with it. I went for one more mage, and then relinquished my control over my form and returned to the panting naked woman who I always had been. Steve managed to throw me my ripped trousers and my jacket. Though the pants weren’t really saving any of my dignity.

  I laughed with him, and he turned to the portal horizon. There I saw a familiar face. Lila came out of it flanked by two total opposites. I moved to her.

  “What the fuck was that.” Lila said. “What are you?”

  I looked down at my tattered clothes. “Yeah, I’ve found I’ve a gift in doing the impossible.”

  She looked me up and down. “You got to show me. I need to know if any of us can learn to do it too!”

  I glanced at the two men. “They all with us over there.”

  “Yes,” they both said.

  I motioned back to the portal. “Then let’s get this army over here and spread out. These guys were part of the first wave, they’ve got others striking out right now.”

  Kyllan nodded, lowering his head, and I moved to look into the other young man’s eyes. He was deep in grief, and anger resonated with every breath. “Turn that inside. Let the enemy take the brunt of it.”

  With a growl, he looked back toward the portal, turned around, and walked away from us.

  Lila’s face flushed, and I just smiled at her. “I need to head out to the Clan, are you coming with us?”

  “You’ve got the Tromoal here?”

  I knew my grin widened. “There’s been quite an adventure for the both of us it seems. Yes, I’ve got the Tromoal Warriors with me.”

  “Fucking hell yeah!” Lila jumped in the air. “They don’t stand a chance.”

  I let out a breath. I wasn’t so sure. But she looked back to the horizon and said quietly, “There’s an army ready and on the march for the portal.”

  “Then, yeah, they don’t stand a chance.”

  Together, we walked toward the opposite end of the portal area. I found Steve in amongst the mages that were hanging about. I lowered my head to them. “I’m sorry I asked you to leave. Thank you for helping, though.”

  “We understood, my lady.”

  “Where did the horses go?”

  “They ran for it as soon as they saw the Tromoal.”

  “Figures. Looks like quite a walk back to the camp then.” Then the young demon landed deftly at Lila’s side.

  “We can get you there a little quicker if you’ll let them know they have incoming fliers. I don’t fancy being shot out the skies.”

  I have to admit being picked up and taken on the back of a winged demon was no way near as thrilling or fun as being on or being a Tromoal. But I was weak. I learned phasing had a cool down time, and for that, I was glad. No matter the power I felt as one, it was exhausting.

  It was bumpy, and it was cold with my clothes flapping about me.

  But from this aerial position, I could actually see a good amount of the lands as we approached, and where we could see the siege machine starting to come in and lay down fire.

  The demon holding me was almost about to come into land, I managed to reach forward and shout to him, “Over there!” and I pointed. It seemed he understood and managed to move off in that direction with a glare from Kyllan.

  Chapter 37

  It was clear from the view that it was going to take some time for deployment from our new army coming through the portal. I watched as the large machines started to bring in destruction to the outer walls. They stood out from this height, and I had no doubt it was due to their build strength on the
ground. Candice and the others had seemed to pull off something of a miracle. The way he landed, dipped, and fell around the forests and then into the deserts hadn’t left us with many options to funnel the enemy into places where we could concentrate getting their numbers down, but designing these walls and then building before and after them would work.

  I sent a quick message to Candice. Nice job on the defence!

  Just get your ass to Mavrovak’s lines ASAP. Abel and I will meet you there, Candice ordered.

  I’d been there once before, many years ago. So, finding it wouldn’t be hard. It was going to be better to manage this way from above than inside its actual grounds. I passed on the message, and the demons turned to follow my directions. It was a longer flight than back to the camp.

  A little while later, I tapped the demon carrying me and pointed back down to follow the others, though I was sure they’d have landed well before us, as I’d been studying the skies for quite some time.

  When we landed, he allowed me off, and I waited for the others to come to find me. The demon lord, Gestal, Diogella, Lila, and Kyllan were already talking with Rose, Mandy, and Noc. The others were standing around listening in and making sure they relayed all orders. They were semi-coordinating with things across the city’s walls.

  Lila and Kyllan turned to me as I approached.

  “It’s going to take a day or more to get things moving on a serious note through the portal. The lines here are holding so far, but the machines they are bringing in will win when they get in range. They will start with the walls then the inner structures.”

  I nodded. It looked like they were indeed going to target the city as soon as they were in range.

  “How long till they’re here?”

  “A day at most. They’ve been testing them randomly on our outer limits.”

  “And?” I had to ask.

  Rose was the one who looked the most devastated here. “They’re evil. Powerful and magical. If they get into our first circle, the city will fall.”

  I thought about it, and I knew if I brought the Tromoal in now, we’d not be able to get near enough for them to take out the machines without heavy damage. We had to wait. They had to get to a position where our closer defences could fight theirs and then try to take out the machines.

  It was seriously going to be touch and go where they would lie and how we would be able to fight them.

  Mandy indicated west. “They’re coming in more from the west due to the land being more open. We were able to make sure they were forced that way because the city is mostly cut off this time of year. The formations in the land and from there were easy to set up defence lines and keep pushing them back. They couldn’t get in, so they looked for better ways around. We are holding mostly in two key locations. But bringing in these extra weapons is what will break us there.”

  I nodded along with her, and we walked to a small covered space they’d obviously been using as their command. Once in there, I could clearly see the defence lines running east to west. There were some terrible weak spots, but they hadn’t been broken. It looked like they’d sent some around to try to get access through Port Elixton as well, but with the razor edges there, and it being rough seas, I could only presume they wanted the easiest way in, and that would mean straight through the city.

  “The weakest points where we can’t get more people first are going to be east. I’d suggest concentrating on everyone there as much as we can. They will hit hard because they can, and they’ll expect to break through. The plan is we let them think we’re making a stand. Then we crumble. It will hold their attention for a while, and maybe we can hold them up some while the rest of the reinforcements get to come in behind.”

  Lila pointed to the spot, and I nodded. “Exactly, and we need to use that.”

  Once this starts, it’s not going to be easy. I looked out into the distance. The lines of the wall could be seen stretching on, just like they had in the demon’s world. But here, now, there were breaks. Places where no one had protection. Where we hoped the others would stand.

  I sucked in a breath. If the city fell, then there was nothing stopping the enemy getting through to the caves.

  “It will be touch and go, getting everyone to their defence position in time.” Candice walked up behind me. “The winged demons have offered to help get Abel and the others in place. We need you and the Tromoal as the last defence, as you know.”

  I leaned on the table and watched as the hundreds of blips from both sides met. Tiny dots blinked in and out, and I knew it was lives being lost.

  “I don’t like some of this,” I admitted.

  Candice laid a hand on my back. “You’re not the only one, Maddie. Some of us see real people caught up in this and the crossfire’s bad.”

  “It’s easier seeing it all from up here than when you’re on the front lines.”

  Lila’s eyebrow raised at me. “I need to see it,” she said. “There’s a certain side of me and my followers that feeds on this.”

  I stared at her and saw the glint in her eye. She wasn’t quite the same person I’d met in Tridon. I didn’t know if this was due to what had happened, her sister’s illness, or just the need to deal death. It was hard for me to swallow, but that drive to see it was clearly there. A red tinge to the edges of her eyes confirmed.

  I moved in closer to her. “Lila, I see a lot going on in you, and I’m not sure the front line is the right place for you.”

  “Because of that, it’s exactly where I should be. There’s few of us that can take up the challenge and come back from it. You guys can’t. Well…” she stared at me with a raised eyebrow.

  “I don’t know if I can either.”

  I had no idea how many NPCs out there were capable of respawning. Tibex seemed oddly quiet in my head right about now.

  “Dahlia?”

  “We’re here for a reason. I’m not staying here just so I can see things. I’ll be with the medical teams and the healers, making sure there’s enough support when needed wherever it is needed.”

  Kyllan looked at her. “We have support ready who can help take you where you’re needed the most. They are well trained in defence, so should also be able to keep you alive if you get into trouble.”

  I knew Lila needed to hear that, so I was glad Kyllan added it in for her. “I agree. Take as many as you need with the healers. You’re in charge of keeping as many alive as you possibly can.”

  Dahlia turned and quickly shot off. We started to work through what ranks were going to be sent out from Tridon, both demons and guild. Every single person and their abilities mattered. Both Kyllan and Noc were focused here, and that showed in their skills to move people around.

  When they finally stopped for a breather, I waited for Lila to make her final move and allowed Rose and Mandy to coordinate with their teams at the front. She wanted to take the eastern side, and it made the most sense, but Noc and Kyllan didn’t want to leave her side, and Mandy was having a hell of a time trying to split these guys up.

  I stepped forward. “Feelings aside,” I said, “Noc needs to make sure the healers are all ready and can be dispatched in time. This means he doesn’t need to be right by her side, but they’re ready. Kyllan’s forces are going to be with Lila on the frontline. He needs to be there. Between the two of you, I promise you she will not be in any danger.”

  They both lowered their heads to me, and I waited for them to look up again. “Now go. You’ve both jobs to do. They involve making sure that everyone in your care stays alive.”

  They both looked to Lila. “I can agree to that,” Kyllan said.

  Noc held out his hand toward Kyllan. “I can too,” and they shook. A simple gesture, but it would hold up as it was honour bound on both sides.

  Kyllan looked to the demon who I’d come in on. But Gestal stepped in. “We’ll take you both to the frontlines if you would.”

  Gestal offered Lila a hand, and she took it, leaving Diogella to make her own way, her p
owers obvious as she ignored the others and shot into the air like a missile.

  I watched as the others rose into the air at the swift sweep of strong wings, along with many others they’d come in with. It would give them a great advantage at the lines, and I was hopeful despite the fact those machines were on their way in.

  Chapter 38

  Lila

  The fact I was now resting cradled against the one person I thought I would hate the most made me realise how much things had changed a lot. I didn’t hate him. In fact, he was helping me more probably because of how much we’d been through together.

  I wondered what would have happened here if I would have let Kamaal take his head? Would things have changed?

  I tried not to be in denial about what I was heading into, but as we approached, it was clear it was a warzone. I hoped the live streams were still going. This would be an amazing set of scenes for advertising.

  The magical energy wards and explosions were clearly loud enough to affect my hearing from the get-go. I winced when a strong energy blast headed our way, and Gestal had to evade it at the last moment. I almost slipped from his grasp, and if it hadn’t been for the fact I was gripping for life, I would have.

  Diogella hadn’t hesitated on starting to let rip her powers that were harnessed and letting rip before she even drew in close to where I thought she might land.

  Gestal noted where there were several creatures fighting and watched for just a moment before he spotted the one he wanted to target. Judging by the way he moved and pointed now and then, he was in command of the others

  I slipped my blades into my hands and waited to see how Gestal would cope against what was out there. I needed to know if I’d stand a chance against them. Were they easy to cut down or were they something I would struggle with? Kyllan was soon at my side, and his eyes trained on the enemy in front of us.