by Devri Walls
A Winged man had been closer to the entrance than his comrades and came around the side, flying through the door. Before he could fire, Alcander threw a bolt of white-hot magic from his staff, breaking the man’s wing. The first line of the army, Taveans with black hair and red eyes, was almost at the door.
“There are too many of them. Retreat!” Alcander yelled. The words were like cotton in his mouth. Knowing it was a farce did not make it entirely easy to look so weak in front of his own. “Another exit!”
His group walked backwards while continuing to face the enemy. Their enthusiasm increased when they heard Alcander’s call of retreat. Magic began flying. Alcander pushed out a white disk of magic that filled the tunnel and rushed toward his enemy.
***
HEARING ALCANDER’S CALL OF retreat, Emane led the next group down the tunnel. They plunged through the water, trying to time it correctly—they needed to give the other group time to pass by the Shifters. But to the outside forces, it needed to look like some of the retreating forces from Alcander’s group had reached the next exit. If the door opened too soon, it wouldn’t be believed, and the incoming forces would realize what was happening and warn the others.
Wiping water from his face, Emane nodded to Einar, the Tavean leader, to open the door. Einar swept out his hand and the stone door slid to the side. Emane had imagined the same reaction from the army outside that Alcander had received, but this was a door the enemy didn’t know existed, and they were not expecting rebels to suddenly appear. With the city protecting their threads, the enemy could not sense them, and they were too preoccupied with the battle against Alcander’s forces to notice the band of rebels pausing hesitantly inside the tunnel.
Emane swore—this was not part of the plan. “Let’s go.”
Einar looked at him quickly. “Are you sure?”
No, he wasn’t sure—but what choice did he have? He gave Einar a curt nod before charging forward, leading his group much farther out into the open area than he would have liked. But stopping just outside the door would have been overly suspicious.
A hand grabbed Emane by his shirt collar. “Look out!” Einar jerked him back, throwing him to the ground as he put up a shield with the other hand.
A blast of green magic impacted Einar’s shield. They had finally been spotted.
“I didn’t see that one coming,” Emane grunted. He rolled to his feet, adjusting his shield.
“Clearly,” Einar said coldly in true Tavean fashion. He threw a crackling burst back at the two Winged men who were swooping toward them. Both rolled to the side to avoid it.
Emane quickly assessed the situation. The rest of his group joined Einar, putting up shields and firing magic at the incoming army. A Shifter morphed into Dragon form and Einar yelled out a warning. Emane stepped around Einar’s shield. Dropping to one knee, he pulled back an arrow and shot the Dragon through the eye.
“Retreat!” Emane yelled over the Shifter’s enraged roar. “We have to use the other exit. Go!” They pounded back down the tunnel, throwing magic over their shoulders with the enemy in full pursuit. Being so far outside the entrances, Emane wasn’t sure if the next group had heard their cue. “Retreat!” he repeated. “Retreat!”
***
KIORA AND DRUSTAN FLEW near the barrier, hiding beneath a bubble, watching the delicate dance they had choreographed unfold beneath them. The first four groups had made it past the Shifters and were moving down to the tenth exit. The Shifters were spread out across the path between tunnels, blowing fire and acid, swinging their stingers at the Taveans who dared attack. The rest of the enemy filtered down into the city’s center. The first bolt of magic rose, followed by more, aimed at the rebels fleeing around the raised perimeter.
The Tavean rebels dropped their bubbles and swooped in on their foxes, spraying acid at the attackers. Screams echoed around them as Taveans, Omelians, and Winged men dropped to their knees, clawing at their faces and arms. The rest of the enemy hunkered down, covering themselves with shields.
Not one of the enemy seemed to notice that the ceiling no longer poured water. The fact that they were trudging though and kneeling in water up to their waists was enough to complete the illusion Kiora had created.
The rebels continued to push their way around the perimeter toward the tenth exit while the Shifters kept the enemy at bay. Erina whipped her barbed tail forward and plunged it through an Omelian’s chest. The Omelian screamed as she flung him over the edge. He crashed down on top of two shielding Taveans and all three disappeared beneath the water.
Kiora could feel Shifter threads amongst the enemy, but the foxes were doing a good job preventing a shift. No sooner had she thought that than four Taveans stood, wrapping shields around both themselves and a Shifter who stood in the middle. They opened small holes in their shields, firing at the foxes as the Shifter began to change.
Kiora let her bubble go, switching to a shield. Her sudden appearance drew the attention of everyone already inside and magic began flying straight up, slamming into the bottom of the barrier. Kiora guessed it would withstand a few hits, but not as many as the enemy was unleashing.
Kiora pulled at the water below, pounding the enemy with small waves and currents. The magical attacks slowed considerably as the enemy disappeared beneath the water, only to emerge a moment later sputtering and dripping. The four Taveans and the Shifter they were protecting also went under. She didn’t put her all into it—she couldn’t risk the enemy calling a retreat before the rest of the army had entered the city
“We need to go lower,” Kiora said. “The barrier can’t handle a full attack.”
Drustan swooped lower. Bolts, spheres, and crackling balls of magic slammed into her shield, blurring it with color. The Taveans used smaller shields and Kiora was amazed again at the foxes’ unbelievable ability to avoid attacks. They swirled, dipped, and flipped, magic shooting by them on every side.
Several of the enemy Shifters tried to change again, but each time, the foxes would dip low, spraying acid and giving the Shifters something more important to worry about.
A long red bolt of magic, aimed for her, flew by her right side and continued upwards, spearing straight through the barrier. Water poured again into the city. She opened a hole in her shield, firing hard and fast at those below, forcing them to protect themselves.
“Drustan—”
“I know.” He flew her around the stream of water that was growing wider with each second as the pressure of the lake forced it open. The golden barrier stretched, then tore, opening wider, then wider again. She tried to reinforce it, but couldn’t manage it with her concentration split between her shield and the barrier. She turned and pushed out three expanding balls of orange, then dropped her shield. The barrier resisted her, but she managed to reseal it.
Kiora! Arturo thought. You’ve got a Shifter-Dragon at one of your exits.
Kiora reached out for threads, but only felt a mass of them. There were Shifter threads everywhere. She had no idea which exit was in danger, but by the tone in Arturo’s voice, her brief hope that it was one of the exits empty of rebels vanished.
Which one? she thought frantically.
“Kiora!” Drustan yelled. He dipped into a dive to avoid a shot she had been too distracted to notice. Kiora rolled to the side, clinging to his scaly back, dangerously close to being unseated.
Your rebels are opening the door now. There were only two more entrances to open, and both had rebels inside of them.
The rebel Shifters were stacked nearly twenty deep protecting the last exits and keeping the perimeter clear from the Taveans, who kept trying to climb on the upper pathway A Tavean leaped straight up from the water, flipping in the air, aiming for the upper edge. A rebel Shifter whipped his tail, catching the Tavean in the stomach and throwing him back down. Magic from the enemy bounced off their scales, and they blew out bursts of fire in response. Two foxes zipped past her, both fox and rider dropping acid and magic on an enemy Shifter who
was hunkered against the side, trying to shift into a Dragon.
The rebel Shifters were starting to struggle against the sheer numbers in the city. Calling wind, Kiora swept the line of the enemy standing around the upper lip of the city down into the center, dumping them on top of their comrades, allowing the rebel Shifters to focus their attacks on one area.
“Drustan, hurry. Over there.” She could feel a Shifter thread at the end of the hall that held Alcander’s thread. Although Alcander could defend himself, someone needed to shield all the rebels in that tunnel, and that was beyond his ability.
Drustan flew over the rebel Shifters and dove down behind them, turning into the tunnel entrance and barreling through. He grunted as his wings scraped against the wall. Drustan shifted beneath her as he rapidly shrank his wings to allow the clearance needed.
They flew toward the retreating rebels. Drustan thudded to the ground to keep from colliding with the group. Kiora leaped off, pushing her way against the crowd as they flowed around Drustan.
Ahead of her, a rebel Shifter was trying to grow wings midstride to speed his retreat, but he tripped and fell. Alcander yelled, leaping over him to shield him from an incoming attack. Simultaneously, a Dragon snout buried its nose in the exit, exposing teeth and tongue and blocking any hope of escape for her people, or the army of the enemy stuck between them and it.
Kiora screamed Alcander’s name in warning, shoving past more rebels as the Dragon pulled in a great mouthful of air, preparing for the death shot. She reached her hand out, but there was no time, not for a shield or an attack—she wasn’t going to make it.
A blur of gold flew past her so fast, she barely noticed it, and probably wouldn’t have had it not been shouting her name. Amongst the chaos and horror, she recognized the voice—it was one that had pulled her out of some of her darkest moments—Malena. The little Guardian zipped past Alcander and several of the enemy in a second, throwing a shield of substantial size that ran from one side to the other, sealing the tunnel a moment before Dragon fire beat against it.
The Guardian trembled beneath the monstrous force, and Kiora ran toward her. The rebels had slowed to a stop, looking back at Malena. “Go!” Kiora said, grabbing an Omelian by the shoulder and shoving him toward the exit. “Go!”
Alcander stood, pulling up the Shifter he had been protecting and pushing him forward. The Shifter ran past Kiora, fleeing with the rest of the rebels.
Alcander turned, reaching out to add his magic to Malena’s shield and lessen her burden.
One of the Taveans with black hair had been on the rebels’ side of Malena’s shield. He rushed forward and grabbed the weakened Guardian, squeezing her in his fist. Malena’s shield dropped, her head thrown back in agony. Her wings twisted and broke, jutting out at awkward angles. His face tightened in bitter hate and he squeezed harder, pushing a violent flash of red magic though his hand. The magic disappeared inside Malena, then burst back out, tearing her tiny body to pieces.
Kiora screamed. The pain and grief was so intense, she thought her heart would break and her mind would shatter.
Alcander lunged and drove his staff through the Tavean’s heart. Two other dark Taveans ran toward Alcander. He jerked his staff free of the Tavean’s lifeless body, shooting magic at one, slamming him into the wall so hard he crumpled to the ground—unconscious. Then he swung the staff again, cracking it against the other Tavean’s skull.
The tunnel refilled with the enemy, and they charged toward them.
Kiora’s immense grief switched to anger. Heat rushed through her body and her ears rang. She ran forward, grabbing Alcander’s arm. “Run,” she said, her voice low and dangerous. “Get out.”
“Kiora—”
“Get out of here!”
Kiora used a burst of red-and-blue magic—weak, just enough to slow the enemy and allow her time to back up. She wanted them in the tunnel . . . all of them. Her veins had turned from flame to ice, and she felt nothing but anger bred of a loss so severe, she could no longer process it.
The Shifter who had launched the Dragon attack was the last to enter the tunnel, and Kiora pulled the stone door shut. She put her hand on the wall and yanked with everything she had. The walls cracked and rumbled. The enemy knew they were in trouble—she saw it in their eyes. The ceiling came down as the walls crushed in toward the center. Dust billowed around her. Kiora turned and strode out.
She leaped onto Drustan, swallowing her grief and trying to push back the rage. Alcander’s shield was up, protecting them from the flurry of shots flying overhead from the enemy in the city. Kiora wrapped a shield around them and offered Alcander her hand, pulling him up behind her.
Drustan rose to the air, and Kiora scanned the scene. The city was packed with the enemy. Most were trying to protect themselves from the fox spit and fire coming from the rebel Shifters.
Two of the rebel Taveans on foxes were engaged in a dangerous aerial battle with two Shifter-foxes. Kiora ground her teeth that a shift had been allowed at all. Magic flew everywhere and the barrier above them flickered dangerously. They had to get out. Now.
Kiora pushed out an orange ball of magic that bloomed, then sprayed out yellow glittering magic—the signal for the final retreat.
The foxes dove toward the exit, pushing themselves back through the crowd to get in as far as they could. Kiora took out the Shifter-foxes that were in pursuit, shooting two bolts of magic that punctured their sides. These Shifters were not nearly as skilled at avoiding attacks as true foxes. Their limp bodies careened into the masses below.
“There are too many threads outside our exit,” Alcander said in her ear. “Drop me off.”
“I am not going to lose you!” Kiora yelled before she had time to think through her response logically.
“You are not going to lose me,” Alcander said, squeezing her arm as she put up another shield to field the attacks that had now refocused on her. “Enzo is still holding an army in front of the exit he knows we haven’t opened yet.”
It was unfortunate that she had to reserve an exit the enemy knew about for their final escape, but she didn’t have much choice. The door they had originally entered from, the one that had once been protected by Jasmine’s Illusionist, was the only door that could be opened from the outside. If anything went wrong, they needed to have a retreat available once the magic she planned on unleashing had done its job.
“Drustan,” Alcander said. “Set me down over there.”
The enemy had climbed the stairs, filling the walkway between the tunnels, and was advancing on the Shifters protecting the exit packed full of rebels. The exit Alcander was asking for was between the Shifters and the advancing army.
“Killian,” Drustan bellowed down. “Move forward.”
Killian had chosen a creature with the body of a Dragon that was covered with heavy, scaled plates. His head was double the normal size, as was his barreled chest. He looked up, anticipating Drustan’s course, and understood what he was asking.
Killian leaped forward. He thrashed his head from side to side, knocking all in his way from the edge and down into the center. The Taveans backed up, firing attacks that bounced harmlessly off Killian’s scales.
Two Winged men rose from the mayhem, green orbs flying from their fingertips. They splattered against the outside of Kiora’s shield. She turned, opened a hole, and broke the first man’s wing in one shot. The second retreated, dropping into a dive before she could deal with him.
Killian puffed up his chest, blowing a swath of fire the size of which Kiora had never seen before. It rolled forward, engulfing the Taveans along the upper perimeter. Drustan landed, sandwiched between Killian and the rest of the Shifters.
Alcander slid off Drustan. “I am going to be coming in fast. Push the rebels back as far as you can—we’re going to need some room.”
“Coming in fast? On what?” Kiora asked.
“Marlocks. Trust me.”
Emane was anxiously looking at them from within the
last tunnel, his metal shield
up. Alcander motioned for him.
Kiora’s two greatest concerns went running by themselves down an empty tunnel to play bait to the remaining forces outside.
“What’s a Marlock?” Kiora asked.
“Fast.” Drustan flipped his body around in order to face the battle. “We’d better keep the path clear.”
They also needed to make sure that all of Enzo’s forces that were already inside stayed inside. She directed all the tunnels to close, sending rocks sliding back into place over each exit except the one tunnel Alcander and Emane were in.
Her palms were sweating at the thought of what came next. She pulled at nature, dreading it. The second it began to loop, Kiora replaced the protections over the exits. The moment it was done, she released the magic, wiping blood from her nose.
Even if the enemy did manage to open the doors she had magically reinforced, they would have to walk through the magic of Nestor to get out. Considering it was a death sentence, none of them would be inclined to do so.
***
“WHAT ARE WE DOING?” Emane asked, splashing down the hall next to Alcander.
“Enzo is still holding a small portion of his army in front of our only exit. We have to pull them away and into the city through here. As soon as they feel my thread, they should come for us.”
“Then what?”
“Then we have to get back into the city and through the tunnel before they do.” Alcander glanced over at Emane as they ran. “We are going to call in a little help.”
“From where?”
They burst out into the light. Alcander put his fingers to his lips, sounding an ear-piercing whistle. “The Marlocks. Hopefully they are not too far—let’s go.”
Emane groaned before sprinting after Alcander, who was running away from the lake and out into the open.
