by Eric Vall
Her words were a harsh whisper that grated at my mind. “We shall see.”
And then the Shadowscape blinked away, and we were back in the smoking wreckage that was once Bedima Enclave.
Chapter 6
It was like no time had passed at all while we were in the Shadowscape. If not for the pouring rain that now drenched the Enclave, I wouldn’t have been able to tell. At least that would be good for containing the fires, even if, coupled with the bitter mountain air and the brisk winds, it was like thousands of needles raining down on us.
Nia and I shivered as we fell onto our butts, but our chills weren’t from the rain. A speaking monster… that alone was terrifying, but this one’s words themselves were a warning, a reckoning of our destruction. It led to so many hard and disturbing questions that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know the answers to, but I knew I would have to find them.
But those could wait as the closing of the portal heralded the end of the battle for the Enclave. Even though Nia and I were far too drained and tired to fight anymore, we didn’t need to. The sounds of battle were slowly lessening, as without the rift, the monsters would slowly weaken and die. Well, at least the weak ones would. Stronger monsters, like those mysterious flying worm creatures, could stay in our world near indefinitely.
I was sure nothing of that caliber was loose in the city. The angel thing was definitely trapped on the other side, and the winged worm we followed here was either dead or long gone since I couldn’t see it in the skyline.
We did eventually deem it wise to get out of the pouring rain. We shuffled to a storefront with a deep porch and hunkered beneath it. There, we huddled together as Nia burrowed into me, her head against my shoulder. She was warm, and I didn’t want to move. We both shivered, now from the cold and wet, and I knew for certain that we were both in pain. We needed to see a healer, but neither of us could move too much.
I wanted to close my eyes, but I was worried about what would happen if I fell asleep. I needed to push through this.
I wagered an hour or so went by in silence as we took simple comfort in being close to each other and having made it through to win the battle. Eventually, the rain stopped, though the sky stayed drearily gray as bells began to chime loudly over the city. I knew that settlements in the wilds often used bells to signal that things were safe or that they were under attack.
These were victory bells for certain.
I sighed and shifted my body so that I could lay my head in Nia’s lap. Her gas mask hung around her neck and obscured the bottom half of her face, but she grabbed it and tossed it aside so I could see her weary smile as she ran her regal fingers through my hair.
“It’s over,” I said.
Nia closed her eyes and let out a breath. “I certainly hope so.” She opened them back up and looked out over the ruined and blood-soaked square before us. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“Yeah, me neither.” I closed my eyes too and tried to get all the gristly thoughts out of my head, but it only brought up more memories. I thought of all the horrible attacks I’d witnessed, all the death I’d seen. Ralor’s Stead, Harrow’s Gullet, Helvetia, and of course the attack on my home all those years ago. So much death and gore, but nothing on the scale of what happened here.
“Humanity will pull through.” Nia’s gaze was defiant, and though she was tired, she still had the energy to be fierce with her declaration.
I nodded. “Damn straight. We’ll beat back the horde.”
She smiled at me. “Indeed, and we can beat that big blue bitch, whatever she is. You and I, we can lead humanity to victory.”
“That sounds about perfect to me,” I said with a smile as well.
Nia leaned down and planted a soft, gentle kiss on my lips. Just one, a promise for later, when we weren’t covered in blood and cold as a pair of corpses.
“Looks like you two made it out alright,” a familiar voice called through the rain.
We looked up to find Renuad carrying an unconscious Varleth on his back. I hoped he didn’t have a serious case of mana depletion, but Renuad didn’t seem all too bothered, so I assumed that meant that Varleth was simply exhausted. Banishers went through a lot to close rifts after all.
I sat forward, and my aching body protested the whole way. “It seems like you two managed to save the day.”
He smiled. “Only because you two took out that king fire-eye. If you hadn’t, it would have easily caught up to Varleth and me before the job had been finished and squished us flat.”
I matched his smile as I helped him ease Varleth off his shoulder and onto the porch. Then Renuad sat on the porch as well and gazed at the ruined city around him.
“I only wish we could have stopped this earlier,” Renuad said remorsefully, his voice hitched as he took in the devastation.
I clapped a hand on his shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. “I’m sorry. I wish we could have done something more to prevent this.”
“Oh, I wasn’t talking about you and your squad, Gryff,” he replied with a deep sigh. “We would have all been dead if not for you three.” He closed his eyes. “It was our fault, the soldiers and mages here. We were completely unprepared for something like this.” He dropped his head in his hands and ran his fingers through his hair.
“And yet you cannot blame yourself either,” Nia soothed. “Something like this is not supposed to happen.”
The augmenter nodded slowly as he seemed to take some comfort in her words as Nia laced her fingers with mine. Her gaze was distant as she looked at all the blood that coated the square. She chewed on her lip and looked as if she wanted to say something more, but she decided to let it be.
Varleth groaned beside me and stirred slightly. “Is there still fighting?” he asked, his eyes still closed tightly. Sweat dripped down his face.
“No,” Nia said in a gentle tone. “No, the fighting is done.”
Varleth blew out a breath. “Good.” He winced, eyes still closed. “We should find a healer.”
I nodded. “That’d be wise I reckon.”
While I worried for a moment whether we would have the strength to actually find one, approaching voices drew our attention to the far side of the square. A trio of soldiers picked their way through the rubble of one of the houses and came into the square. The soldier’s bodies were much like ours, hunched, tired, and sagging. Before they noticed us, they prodded and checked some of the corpses that littered the area.
Out of the alley next to them came a man in a horse-drawn carriage already loaded with wounded. The soldiers were dutifully recovering all those that could be saved, more than I would have expected from the rubble, and one of them spotted us as we sat on the porch. His eyes went wide as he pointed at us.
“Oi, you’re the lot that went into the rift last!” It wasn’t a question.
“We are,” I confirmed.
“And you closed it?”
Renuad nodded and smirked lightly. “It was a fight, but the banisher here pulled through for us,” he said as he patted Varleth’s shoulder, who scoffed in response. He didn’t like attention, but I was sure we were all going to get a lot of it soon enough.
“Then yer the ones who saved us all!” With that, the soldiers swept us up in a haze of gratitude and praise, handshakes and embraces, accompanied by a few cheers from the wounded. Some of them were teary-eyed. When it was all done, they offered us a ride to the Enclave center where all the wounded were being cared for. We agreed readily and hobbled over to the wagon to take our place with the other survivors.
The trip couldn’t have been all too long, but it felt like an eternity as we gazed upon the results of the battle. For every building that still stood, there was another that was a charred wreck. Bodies were everywhere, bloodied and mangled, and people stumbled about in a somber daze picking through the wreckage of their homes. I spied a water mage on the opposite street doing battle with one of the few remaining fires that stubbornly burnt on. I saw other wagons
shepherding the injured. There were many people still alive, which was a cause for celebration, and more so, the people here were already at work to recover and rebuild from the battle, even though it had just passed.
To witness such courage and strength in the face of loss only renewed my own resolve and brought joy to my heart.
We rode on until they brought us to the center of town where the compact buildings opened up to a wide-open circle larger than any in Varle. The space was occupied by several large and hastily constructed triage tents like the one at Harrow’s Gullet, only on a massive scale. They were clustered around the open entrance of the grand cathedral of Bedima.
Hundreds of people moved about the center, hard at work tending to the wounded and giving food and solace to the displaced. Under the tents were many injured, and both traditional doctors and mage healers did all they could to attend to them. I suddenly wished that Arwyn was here. I knew in my heart of hearts she was fine, but to have her here would be a great comfort.
It was by the triage tents that our carriage rolled up to. When we rolled to a stop, the driver dismounted and came to the back with us along with some other volunteers. We hopped off the bed and onto our feet, and then the men immediately started to ferry the injured who couldn’t walk under their own power to the beds.
Nia wrapped her arm around my shoulder and mine over hers so we could support each other as we made our way to the triage tent to get treated. Varleth tried to stand and walk but immediately stumbled, his knees wobbly.
“Nope, I can’t.” He shook his head with a grimace.
“No worries,” Renuad replied. He bent down and scooped up Varleth over his shoulder. The pale man was slight and not very built like me or many others, but I’d heard that banishers always were frail from the strain on their body because of their magic. So it wasn’t much for Renuad to carry him.
“Mrrrufff,” Varleth groaned with displeasure, but he didn’t tell the other man to put him down.
We didn’t get far before the soldier who initially greeted us made a scene. “Hey, everyone!” he called, his voice rang out over the heavy sullenness of the circle. “These mages closed the rift. They saved the enclave!”
It was like a tidal wave of relief washed over the crowd. Even if it would be temporary, their somber and devastated moods were replaced by a flourish of joy and gratitude. They swarmed us and swallowed us in a sea of thankful faces. Everyone wanted to thank us personally, and we received handshake after handshake, hug after hug. Children hugged me around the waist and around my legs, and all of it brought tears to my eyes. I found Nia with glistening eyes as well. I was sure her family had dealt with this before, and we had too in smaller doses, but this was a mass of humanity.
This was the gratitude of an entire Enclave.
Eventually, we managed to pry ourselves free of the masses. We needed to be treated, and the people needed to get back to recovering. I felt like I would pass out at any second, but somehow Nia and I supported each other enough to make it to the closest medical tent.
There were rows and rows of beds, cots, and bedrolls, collected and assembled quickly without any order to it. Almost all of them were occupied. Doctors, healers, nurses, assistants ran back and forth. There were cries of pain all over, and it was a stark and sobering contrast to the sheer joy of the last few minutes. This was the reality though. We had ended the attack, but it had left its mark.
Nia and I were directed to a pair of bedrolls in the far back corner near the cathedral while Renuad and Varleth were led to other open beds. I laid down beside Nia, our hands together. The ground was stiff beneath me, and the bedroll was torn and smelled musty, but at that moment, it felt like the most comfortable bed in the entire world.
Almost as soon as my head hit the elevated stuffing of the bedroll that acted as a pillow and Nia’s head rested on my chest, I closed my eyes and was asleep.
It was dark when I woke up.
The tent was lit by gas lamps that cast the area in a pale green glow. I sat up with a groan, my body still sore all over. I found that I was shirtless as my armor had been stripped away as well as my cloak and my uniform top. My arm was stitched, bandaged, and completely numb, probably from medicine. Still, I didn’t feel drained anymore, so I supposed I was given a mana potion. That was a blessing, even as the brisk wind blew down from the mountain and made me shiver.
My armor and uniform were in a neatly stacked pile next to me, as well as my bandolier and other gear, and the crystal pouch I’d appropriated from the downed summoner in the Shadowscape. I pulled on my uniform top though it was near impossible to button with my numb right arm. I was warmer, but the cool mountain air was a killer. I was used to humid nights and hotter days.
Next to me, Nia still slept. Like me, her armor and uniform had been stripped away, though she had a shirt on. Her broken arm was in a sling, and the few cuts she had were cleaned, bandaged, and stitched where needed. She looked peaceful as she slept, so I didn’t wish to disturb her.
The tent was quieter than before, but there was still a constant undercurrent of activity. The occasional cry of pain rang out as someone was operated on when healing magic couldn’t do enough. The fact that my arm had been stitched and Nia’s was in a sling told me that either they didn’t have a skilled healer or they were more preoccupied with far greater wounds.
An older woman in a blood-stained white gown walked by me, a nurse if I had to guess. I waved at her.
“Excuse me,” I said to her.
She jerked to a stop, her eyes wide and questioning with a hint of agitation. I understood that completely. It was hectic in here.
“Pardon?” she said.
“Could I get a coat, or perhaps a blanket for her and me, please?” I asked.
The nurse smiled despite the exhaustion I could clearly see in her eyes. “I’ll see what I can dig up.” Then she strode off.
“Thank you,” I called after her, but I don’t think she heard me.
As I waited those few moments, I noticed that outside of the tent, at the center of the circle, a large fire blazed. Light and warmth radiated out from it and bathed the circle in a bright orange glow. The nurse came back then. She gave me a wool coat that was a bit small on me but would do fine for warmth, and then she gave me a thick blanket that was rather scratchy, but again, beggars couldn’t be choosers. I thanked her, and she went on her way in a hurry to help someone else.
I draped the blanket over Nia and tucked her in for maximum warmth. She squirmed in her sleep slightly, her brow furrowed. Perhaps a bad dream. I ran my fingers gently through her hair before I leaned over and kissed her forehead. She was safe, I was safe, and though the city was badly damaged, it was safe. That was a win.
Despite my soreness, I stood and stretched my legs. I wouldn’t be going back to bed anytime soon. My mind was far too awake now, so I clutched my coat closed over my chest since my stubbornly numb fingers were still unfeeling and too clumsy to try to button it up too.
The warmth and glow of the large fire were very inviting, so I exited the tent and strode toward it. My legs protested all the way, both were sore and still heavy with fatigue, but less so than earlier, so I managed. The circle had plenty of people milling about. Even at this late hour, with the moon fresh in the sky, families were still reuniting, lost ones found and brought here as well as wounded people finding each other. Though not everyone was so fortunate, I thought that the sounds of tearful and heartfelt reunions outweighed the cries of grief.
The fire was immensely warm, and I felt like I could stand there forever, content to be wrapped comfortably in this heat. More sharp winds whisked down from the mountain, but I barely felt them next to the fire. After a quick scan of the people around the flame, I spotted Renuad standing alone across from me as he nursed a bottle in his left hand. His arms and face were covered in small bandages, and his thick cotton coat was long enough to cover the rest of him. He stared into the fire, his gaze distant.
I made my wa
y over to him. His eyes focused when he caught the movement of my approach, and he offered me a smile.
“Good to see you alive and about,” Renaud said.
“Same to you,” I replied with a nod.
He offered me his bottle, and I took it readily. It was already uncorked, so I took a long swig and winced slightly at the immediate burn. Spiced rum, and damn good at that. I coughed and grinned at it.
“Maker,” I wheezed.
Renuad chuckled. “That’s some good swill, is it not?”
“I’d say so, yeah,” I said with a short laugh.
We passed the bottle silently between us for the next few minutes. The warmth of the rum and the fire left me in a state of gentle ease despite the horrors of the day. I needed this. I thought everyone needed it.
As the silence grew heavy over us, I noticed Renuad’s expression as he again stared at the fire. His gaze was sullen, and a slight frown marred his features.
“Of all the missions I’ve gone on,” he began, “I’ve never experienced anything like this.” He sighed, his breath hitched ever so slightly, and took a long gulp of the rum. “I went to my family’s home earlier, and it was burnt down. I didn’t find any bodies but… I don’t know. They might be dead, or maybe they got out.”
My heart broke for him. I could understand that type of anxiety, the not knowing.
“I’m so sorry, Renuad.” I patted him on the back. “I know how hard it must be.”
He didn’t look at me. “Do you, Gryff of Varle?”
I nodded and pulled back my coat and uniform to reveal the burnt flesh of my right side. The augmenter’s eyes widened sharply at the sight.
“I only came to Varle recently to join the Academy there. I was born and raised in the wilds.” I paused and looked at the fire, the memory of the fire that burnt me coming back with a searing heat that felt all too real. “The little hamlet I lived in had a rift open in the middle of it. The whole place burned. My parents were killed, and I nearly died as well.” I shrugged my coat and uniform back on properly. “So yes, I do know the pain.”
