Death

by Rosie Scott

  “Is Calder okay?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Cerin assured me. “He was here for your surgeries, but you two were still out. But back then, he was a danger to himself. Rampaged toward Comercio like he wanted to burn the place down. Only when I reached you did I realize you both were alive. I yelled after Calder to stop, and he only did when he heard there was hope.” He hesitated, trailing his fingertips down the length of my arm and back again. “But in those minutes between Calder snapping and until I reached you, I thought you and Azazel were dead.” His silver eyes met mine, glistening with tears that didn't yet fall. “Kept thinking about the wishes you told me you had in Celendar.” He stopped for a moment when his words choked up. “For a few minutes there, I started to believe in curses.”

  I reached up to Cerin's face, gliding my palm by his cheek before threading my fingers in his beautiful dark hair. When I pulled him toward me, he gave into my demands freely, leaning down to kiss me tenderly. One of his tears fell on my cheek, and he chuckled with embarrassment as he backed away from me, wiping the offender from my skin.

  “Sorry,” he murmured.

  I smiled and kept my hand in Cerin's hair, scratching my fingers slowly across his scalp as he leaned into the affection with pleasure. “It will take a lot more than some loud-mouthed goddess to take me out of the fight.”

  Cerin chuckled breathlessly at my quip. “One of our soldiers informed us that he saw you fight her. Said you couldn't see or walk very well, but you killed her nonetheless.” He shook his head in disbelief. “You are amazing, Kai. Even when you're up against such odds you refuse to quit. You give our men hope.”

  That felt lovely to hear, but it only reminded me of the odds we'd been against. “How many have we lost? Azazel won't give me a number.”

  Azazel huffed from my other side. “Because I don't have it, Kai.”

  Cerin grimaced. “Exactly. We don't know yet. Those plains are matted with the dead. Cyrus said earlier that he thinks the Battle of Comercio is already deadlier than the Battle of Highland Pass.”

  “And that had already beaten records for the largest land battle in all of history,” I mused softly. “We are in the midst of yet another battle that will be talked about and studied for millennia. It was bound to happen. There were nearly three hundred thousand men surrounding Comercio this morning between both sides.”

  Cerin nodded. “If it makes you feel better, Chairel was losing before they retreated. Their northern army was almost obliterated. We wiped their cavalry out. We were in the middle of surrounding their last unit when Melodi showed up and caused everyone to disperse. She killed many of our men and Calder's, but she also killed tons of Chairel soldiers who were left in the northern unit. If we rest and heal our soldiers, we'll take Comercio by storm when we attack again. Particularly now that we have tens of thousands of corpses we can use to swarm it.”

  “We need to make sure we patrol Comercio's north and western gates,” I told him. “We can't let them send messengers—”

  Cerin shook his head. “Don't worry about that. Hasani and Zephyr have already taken care of it. They guard all four gates from afar with both arbalests and griffons. Nobody's getting in or out of that city until we take it.”

  “And we will take it,” Azazel reassured me from my other side. “Setbacks or not, Comercio's already played every card it has. It's only a matter of time until it falls.”

  I glanced over at Azazel and smiled. “I love this optimism coming from you both.”

  “Well, now that we have all the bullshit out of the way, optimism is all that's left,” Cerin commented, and I chuckled.

  “I wouldn't really consider fighting the two deadliest goddesses we've ever come into contact with to be simple bullshit,” I argued lightly.

  “Really?” Cerin questioned, a charming half-smile brightening up his fatigued face. “Then what would you call it? Bullshit seemed like an appropriate word to me.”

  “You are quite the wordsmith,” Azazel replied facetiously. “Since Fremont rejected Cerin's name submission of Bob for their capital of Hallmar, perhaps you can consider the name to replace Comercio, Kai. After all, this will be the first city you ever take for yourself. You can do whatever you want with it.”

  I glared over at him and lifted a hand, holding my pointer finger and thumb just millimeters apart. “You are this close to being demoted again.”

  Azazel grinned, but he said, “How cruel. I'm already injured and now you're making me fear for my job.”

  “Oh, shut it,” Cerin jested. “You'd keep doing your job whether or not you were paid for it.”

  “I won't argue there,” Azazel admitted, and Cerin chuckled.

  Despite our losses and the stress of the unknown, I fell asleep easily that night, surrounded by my closest friends. We would take time to heal and rest our men, but we would not relent. Much like the corpses our necromancers could raise from the bloody field to fight repeatedly, it didn't matter how many times Chairel knocked me down or pushed back against my advance. I would never stop coming until I realized my goals.

  The only thing that could stop me cold in my tracks was death. And even if Chairel succeeded at killing me, I'd already ensured that my legacy would live on through my rebellion with my closest companions as its leaders. The game had been set a long time ago, and I'd placed all of its pieces in advance. Whether I lived to see the end of this war of mine or not, I already considered it won.

  Twenty-one

  77th of Red Moon, 430

  Comercio was so surrounded by our armies and the dead that it appeared lost in its own landscape. Along the city's four walls were thousands of defenders, many equipped with longbows while others wore the jewelry of mages. Their remaining armies were within Comercio's walls or lying dead on the fields surrounding it, ready to be raised to fight against former friends.

  The skies overhead were moody and gray with thick layers of storm clouds that rolled west, warning the city of the threat from the east. Chilly breezes blew so hard over the field that they howled in protest of the sounds of our preparing armies. The low hum of thunder rippled out of the heavens before charcoal clouds north of Comercio brightened with flashes of natural lightning that refused to leave their foggy embrace.

  My strategy for today was a simple one: focus on opening the gates and then swarm the city with its own corpses. The Naharan arbalests were split into four groups that would focus on eliminating as many defenders from the wall as possible before our men reached it. The flying beastmen would fight alongside Zephyr and Fremont's griffons to swarm the wall and get access to its gate controls. When the gates opened, our necromancers would be the first to breach the city. The casualties from the Battle of Comercio numbered over one hundred and ten thousand men, which included nearly fifty thousand of our own. They were daunting numbers, but even more so to those in Comercio who now faced having to fight an enemy army that was even larger with the resulting corpses from a fortnight ago. Thus, my idea to swarm Comercio with the dead was made to be an intimidation tactic first and foremost. The capital city had started out this battle with just over one hundred thousand men; the settlement couldn't contain them all when they lived, nor could it hold them when dead. I planned to fill the city with so many corpses that they'd be impossible to miss. I foresaw having to accept Comercio's surrender. Even if Queen Edrys held out until the end, her men would be more easily swayed.

  “Today is the day Comercio falls,” I announced, watching closely as my allies positioned their armies on the field ahead.

  “Then what a good day it is,” Cerin commented beside me, his silver eyes giving the city an even stare. “The last time we were here, we were fleeing from Sirius's men. Today?” A satisfied smile slowly lifted his lips. “They fear us.”

  “Feels good,” Nyx agreed, subconsciously fingering the dagger handles on her belt. Glancing over at me, she added, “Are you the one I need to ask permission from if I want to throw a huge party tonight?”

  I chu
ckled. “Yes, but let's focus on throwing the party later. Even if this battle goes smoothly, our men will need rest. Some of them haven't had warm beds in nearly a year, and Dark Star approaches.”

  “But you wouldn't be opposed to a big celebration?” Nyx questioned. “Out of all the land we've taken over the years, Kai, this'll be the first piece of it that will belong to you. I want to have a party so loud that Sirius hears it and weeps.”

  I laughed. “I won't stop you. But the best parties take planning, Nyx.”

  “Then I'll get Azazel to help me,” she said happily.

  “I don't deal in that sort of planning,” Azazel replied.

  “You will now,” Nyx retorted lightly, and Azazel shrugged with a smile. “Speaking of partying, Kai, Hasani is looking beautiful as ever. Haven't talked to him yet since he's been dealing with guarding the gates, but dear gods.” She shivered dramatically.

  “Ya keep your hands off 'im,” Maggie blurted playfully.

  “Ah, yes,” Nyx replied. “Sorry. Forgot.” She lifted both dark hands in playful surrender.

  “Did you even see Hasani?” I asked Maggie, trying to remember any time on the battlefield when they'd come across each other.

  “Aye,” Maggie replied. “Threw that javelin all sexy-like. Nearly thought it would hit me before it made friends with the inside of Amora's head. It covered my metal leg in the bloody aftermath, but I didn't mind. The view was worth it.” As I chuckled, Maggie glanced over at Azazel and asked, “Do ya know the origins of Hasani's name?”

  “Sure do,” Azazel replied.

  “What's it mean, love?”

  “Hasani means handsome,” Azazel answered.

  “Ah, that's it then, aye?” Maggie snapped her large fingers. “He was preordained.” After we laughed at her jest, she asked, “Hey, Kai?”

  “Yes, Maggie?”

  “I have to say, I'm disappointed in your country's capital,” Maggie admitted, wrinkling her nose up as she viewed it from afar. “It ain't so pretty. We'll be here for a while, right? If ya give me some ideas, I'll work on sprucing it up.”

  I couldn't help but grin at her enthusiasm. “Don't you ever rest?”

  “Nah, love,” the engineer replied, stomping her prosthetic foot into the ground with the sound of rattling steel. “I'm made of metal now.”

  “Gives a whole new meaning to the term metalhugger,” Nyx quipped.

  Maggie snorted a laugh. “Aye. Now ya know why I don't take much offense to it.”

  The scent of ferris surrounded me before I felt the weight of someone's head on my right shoulder. “Heeey, love,” came Calder's gravelly voice at my ear. “Guess who?”

  “Well, it certainly can't be Calder because he doesn't carry a sword in his pocket,” I mused dryly, before turning and raising an eyebrow at him. “Oh, wait.”

  Calder burst into raspy laughter and stood up straight. He grinned at Cerin and said, “You can't blame me for that one.”

  Cerin lightly punched his palm with a closed fist. “Your face is safe for now.”

  “Thank the gods,” Calder jested. “It's my best asset.”

  “No,” I argued. “That's the aforementioned sword in your pocket.” As Calder laughed again, I said, “Surely you didn't come over here just to brag about your goods.”

  “Nah, love.” Calder shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded toward Holter. “I came to steal Mr. Scout.” When Holter raised his eyebrows, Calder went on, “Zephyr's looking for you. All my flying beastmen are preparing to go with her and the griffons, and you were a special request.”

  Holter dragged his satchel off of his arm and handed it to Nyx, who gave him a playful exasperated look. Directing his attention to me, he asked, “You don't mind if I go with Zephyr?”

  “I think you'll be an asset to Zephyr,” I replied, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder. “Let her aid you if you need it. If you're as helpful here as you have been thus far, Comercio will be ours by sundown.”

  Holter smiled at me before following Calder's directions to where Zephyr and the others prepared closer to the eastern gate. When the scout was finally out of earshot, Nyx informed me, “He's worried sick thinking he disappointed you, Kai.”

  “Holter is?” I asked, surprised.

  “Yep.” Nyx dug both thumbs in her pockets as she stared after him. “It's been a fortnight since you left your army in his hands, and he's heard nothing about a promotion.”

  “Impatient lil' shit, isn't he?” Calder mused.

  I chuckled. “Holter cares greatly about my opinion, Cal.”

  “Oh, trust me, love, I know,” Calder replied. “Every little gift you give him, I have to hear about. Every compliment, I hear about. It's made even worse because you keep giving him responsibilities.”

  “He keeps proving that he can handle them,” I said.

  Calder nodded. “Yeah, and to be honest, he did a damn good job leading your men. Somehow gave orders and kept refreshing shields even when that bitch was screaming. Only knew you and Azazel went north because Holter ordered your army to move south and my beastmen were in the way. He was so insistent that it got me to move my men.” He glanced over and raised his eyebrows. “Holter saved at least a few hundred soldiers just by pulling them from the area.”

  “So I've heard from the others,” I informed him. “Don't worry, I'll be talking to Holter. I wanted to wait until things settled down.” I tilted my head toward Comercio. As if in direct response, thousands of flying beastmen transformed for battle following Zephyr's direction.

  Far ahead in the shadowed southern plains of Comercio, Hasani's booming voice echoed over his men. Though I couldn't ascertain his words, the Naharan arbalests moved toward the city gate, spreading out to form a line almost as wide as the wall itself. I glimpsed Hasani on his dark hyena, rushing toward the western side of the city to repeat the call. As the arbalests got into their positions, the flying beastmen's agonized cries pierced the air during their transformations. The Chairel soldiers defending Comercio's wall appeared intimidated by the beastmen even though many had faced them on the battlefield a fortnight ago. Perhaps watching the bodies of men and women burst and break surrounded by skin flecks and mists of blood was scarier than meeting the resulting beasts in battle.

  When the cries of the beastmen finally died down, the fields surrounding Comercio glistened red from their trauma. Thousands of bird, wyvern, and ba'al-kin breathed heavily with fresh pain as they waited for orders. Zephyr noted their numbers before she turned her attention to her favored griffon. The pure white beast was still and obedient as the Sentinel shoved her left boot in a stirrup and swung up into the saddle. Just to the left of Zephyr was Holter in his blood-kin form, already surrounded by a life magic shield and ward.

  Hasani came galloping back to the south after spreading his orders to the other arbalest units. As soon as he was in view of Zephyr, the Sentinel grabbed the war horn from her belt and blew its warning into the darkening skies.

  HUUURRRNNNNN!

  Four regiments of Naharan arbalests closed in on Comercio like a pack of scavenger animals. The last echoes of orders within the city's walls reached out to our ears with desperate fingers, and then the Chairel defenders loosed their arrows. As if in direct response, the arbalests released their bolts.

  Two smears of silver merged into one beneath the tumultuous skies as arrows and bolts passed each other mid-flight. Some clashed and fell to the ground uselessly. The rest finished their arcs, racing toward unguarded flesh. In the frontlines of the arbalests, dozens were hit. Some Naharans fell dead from arrows to the eyes while others dropped their weapons due to hits on the most tender parts of their arms. A few backed away from the frontlines to seek healing.

  On the walls of the city, defenders dropped and disappeared from over the battlement when hit, leaving gaps that new archers quickly filled.

  One volley at a time, Chairel's archers slowly depleted. They sent their mages forward next. All at once, the clouds over Comercio thic
kened further and lit up with flashes of light. Whistling came from the western wall as red-hot meteors fell over the plains. Someone cast a lightning storm in the north, and purple-white bolts etched through the chilly skies just before I glimpsed a smoking Naharan flying through the air.

  Bright life magic surrounded Zephyr and her griffon, and then she blew through her war horn once more. On all four sides of Comercio, the Naharan arbalests pulled back from the wall, leaving many of the enemy spells to hit open earth before fizzling out. Zephyr's bright, robust voice reverberated through the skies in the form of orders muffled by distance, and then her griffon lifted into the air on two beautiful, glistening wings.

  The eastern field fell into deep shadow as beastmen followed the Sentinel's movement, hovering in the skies like a collective foreboding cloud of flesh and bone. Zephyr gave a hoarse battle cry, and thousands of flying beasts descended on Comercio like a plague.

  A Chairel mage forced her way to the edge of the eastern wall and held both her arms out to the heavens. Over the plains where the beastmen flew, the already dense clouds pulled together into a funnel. Zephyr ordered the beasts to spread into two arms to avoid the developing tornado, but its roar soon drowned out her voice.

  The demoniac twister touched down in the midst of the overlapped and decomposing corpses we'd situated on the field to prepare for our necromancy. Though the mage who summoned the storm was human, the rabid energies of the natural weather fueled the spell, and the result was an intimidating funnel that blocked most of our view of Comercio's wall. Angry gray winds spotted with the corpses of ally and foe alike tore through the grasslands toward the beasts. Our allies split to avoid the storm, but it pulled some of them into its deadly embrace regardless. It was as if the heavens looked upon the populated plains with envy and used the twister as their messenger to summon soldiers into their grasp.