“Are you managing all right?”
Senri glanced over her shoulder. Lanan approached. How she had recognized Senri even with the helm on showed just how much time they had spent in one another’s company. “I might throw up,” she replied. She had never been more scared in her life. This was her first real battle, and failure meant death...for everyone.
Lanan grimaced. “Better not. It would make a poor addition to the song.”
“Hush.” Senri slowed to let Lanan fall into place next to her. “These people all think I’m normal.”
“Oh, take that thing off. People could use a hero to rally behind right now.” Lanan moved to grab the helm, but Senri ducked away and clamped both hands down on it.
“Later. Later, I promise. Just let me enjoy a few hours of peace.” Lanan shot her a look of mock defeat, so Senri decided to redirect. “What about you? How are you managing?”
Lanan frowned. “And what do you mean by that?”
Senri shrugged and looked around. “You have to fight these people after…you know. Getting captured.” Lanan looked at her feet. “We never really talked about it.”
“I talked about it,” said Lanan, her voice soft.
“Not with any of us you didn’t. Just with Nin.”
“Senri.” Lanan gave her a hard look. “Just leave it, all right? Worry yourself about whether or not it will rain, instead.” Lanan pointed up at the cloudy sky and allowed herself to get lost in the marching soldiers. Senri looked around and saw no one but strangers, not even familiar young recruits stood out of the crowd. With a groan, Senri picked up her pace to move closer to the front of the line. She could not tolerate the self-imposed isolation any longer.
“Your Highness,” she called out when Alina came in sight. She walked next to Nin, who rode horseback due to her sustained injuries. Alina turned and smiled at her.
“Hail, savior,” she said.
Senri shook her head, cheeks burning. Other troops turned to look at her. She hurried to Alina’s side and removed her helmet. “Must you call me that?”
“If you insist on calling me ‘your Highness’.”
“I do,” said Senri. She wanted to say more to Alina, but she could not find the words.
Things felt odd now that society surrounded them again. At nights, when they were alone in their tent, their relationship seemed to be better, but Senri found it difficult to adjust her behavior to what would be appropriate in front of the other soldiers. Alina became furious when she pretended they did not know one another, but Senri felt uncomfortable being overly affectionate. They had called a truce on all petty arguments.
“Then I shall gladly continue to call you savior.” Alina slung an arm around her. “Besides, the soldiers really like that song. They like the promise of forbidden romance, of the lowly soldier stealing the heart of some noblewoman.”
“I did no stealing of any sort,” Senri protested. Alina laughed and removed her arm. They glanced at one another and looked away.
“We will be a day’s journey from the palace by nightfall.” Nin smiled. “Though we will need another day to organize the troops and issue orders.”
Senri nodded and looked ahead on the golden fields. Many things would be determined when they finally stopped for camp that night. The dragons would finally rejoin them along with Yahn, who had taken his horse and rode along the river in search of Warriors and soldiers hiding with the farmers. They would have the final tally of forces. No more preparations afterward. Just battle. The warmth of Alina’s fingers threading through her own pulled Senri from her sullen thoughts. She shook her head and sighed. No use dwelling on the approaching fight. Or on the sudden twist of her gut at the thought of battle.
Chapter Twenty-Five
ALINA SAT ATOP A horse, barely able to see the orderly ranks in the pre-dawn light. The sun would make it over the eastern ranges in another hour or so. They would have the city surrounded by then and hopefully take the enemy forces by surprise. The dragons had already left with the Vanguard. They would have to wait for the rest of the army before descending into the city, but if all went anywhere close to how they planned, the capital would be theirs by the end of the day. Alina had never been more terrified.
“Soldiers!” Alina said. Her speech was the last thing standing between them and battle. “Warriors and heroes of Osota.” Some of the ranks shouted in approval. She smiled. “A snake has managed to slither into our kingdom. Under the guise of friendship and alliance, these honorless creatures turned you out of your homes! But will we abide this?”
“No!” The air rang with the force of the reply, every soldier yelling.
“We will hunt them down,” said Alina. “We will march into our homes and turn them out. We will march on the city, on our streets. We will show them the true might of Osota!” Another yell of approval rang from the troops. They raised their swords, their bows, their shields. Alina’s chest swelled. Was this what it meant to lead? To stand in front of her people and unite them in a cause?
While the armies still roared, she turned and pointed toward the capital. They marched onward, and for a moment, Alina forgot the fact she led many to their deaths, that they sacrificed all to stand at her side. In that moment, they were one cause, one purpose. She never felt so empowered.
She eventually fell into ranks with the front line, right in between Nin and Yahn. Senri lingered close behind her along with Nat and Lanan. They had decided to keep their original group together, considering all they had gone through already. Besides, they had possibly the most dangerous task to accomplish, retaking the palace.
As they marched, the approaching sun lightened the skyline, turning it pink and revealing the distant outline of the capital. From so far away, Alina could not tell the difference between it and the city they had left behind. The wear and tear of battle slowly revealed itself as they drew closer. Buildings had been half-burned. The walls had crumbled in places only to be hastily rebuilt.
The army stopped just outside of the range of arrow fire. They waited several minutes at the city’s edge. Slowly, Alina and her comrades backed out of the normal ranks and moved along to the edge of the formation. Grythumak would give the signal to charge the main walls with the other dragons. Hopefully, the shock of a hundred dragons flying in with the Vanguard charging in would be enough to throw the enemy off balance.
A roar rang out from behind her followed by the deafening beat of a hundred pairs of wings. The dragons took off. The army picked up the pace of their march. Alina and her five companions would have to skirt the breadth of the city and make it into the bordering tree line. From there, they would travel to the wall bordering the Warrior’s training field, the weaker point of observation for the enemy, according to Nin. The soldiers had been targeted first, so no one remained to be wary of in the barracks. She glanced behind as they ran to make sure the others kept up. Nin remained at her heel with Nat and Lanan close behind. Senri and Yahn brought up the rear.
They reached the forest. The entry point would be near the large tree that grew on the training field. Already, Alina could see leaves peeking over the wall.
Nin stopped them a safe distance away. “Once we are over the wall, there will be enemy troops to fight through. I doubt we would be lucky enough to find the area completely unguarded, even with most of the enemy dealing with the army.”
Yahn nodded. “Just tell us when and we can lift you over the wall.”
They all exchanged quick glances. Alina held Senri’s gaze first, then looked to Nin. When no one showed signs of hesitation, Nin nodded. “Let’s move out, then.” They ran for the wall, hoping to avoid catching the eye of a patrolling archer. It only took one soldier to ruin everything. The wall itself looked more massive and impenetrable with every step Alina took, but as soon as they reached the base, Yahn and Nat dug deep into the earth and lifted them high upon a column of stone. The earth cracked beneath them as it bent to the Warrior’s will. They reached the top of the wall and tumbled over
. They landed hard on another column of rock, but Alina recovered and brushed herself off. The field seemed deserted for the moment.
“Which way do we enter, then?” Yahn asked. “It appears the soldiers will be at the city gates.”
“Let’s try getting in through my rooms,” said Alina. “It’s the fastest.”
Alina surged forward, leading her friends off the field. As they neared the palace walls, Alina spotted a sentry walking toward them. She pulled an arrow back, releasing the shot and embedding it within the soldier’s neck.
Nat muttered, “Better stay in her favor, Senri.”
Alina rolled her eyes. “Come on, we have to move the body.” They ran up, but Alina hesitated when she saw the face under the helm. The man’s features seemed somewhat deformed. Veins stood out clearly under the papery skin.
“There’s evil magic at work with these soldiers,” Lanan muttered. “Healthy people don’t look half-starved and plague-ridden.”
“We’ll worry about it later,” said Yahn. He shouldered the corpse with some difficulty and they made it to the sewer entrance. Alina had them inside the dark tunnel in a moment and Yahn dumped the body into the sludge. They entered the dark pathway.
“Where to from your room?” Yahn asked.
Alina blinked against the darkness, feeling her way along the passage. “Wherever Demek may be hiding.”
They reached the entrance and Alina held her breath as she pried the door open and pushed out the false wall panel. The room beyond was dark, almost as dark as the tunnels. The curtains had been drawn. Someone touched her on the shoulder.
“I don’t like this,” whispered Senri.
Alina hesitated. Everything about the room suggested a trap lay in wait. Alina glanced back at the others. “Draw your weapons.” They emerged into the room, but when enemies didn’t attack, they gathered in the center and huddled together. “We need to decide where to go.”
“Demek could be anywhere,” said Nin. “We need to find him and any other leaders of the Shedol armies. As soon as the enemy leadership is crippled, the lower ranking soldiers will have no more organization. They’re...not the brightest.”
Alina shuddered. Of all the horror stories that other soldiers had returned with from the heartland, the hive-mind behavior of the enemy fighters had been one of the most chilling. Alina shook her head. “Let’s start with the innermost chambers and spread out from there.” If anyone hid in the palace, it would make sense to be located as far within as possible.
Yahn slowly opened the door leading out to the hallway. The interior lacked any of the usual lighting, so Alina turned to Senri. “Do you sense anything?”
“It’s...hard to say,” Senri said, wiping her brow. “The dragons make it difficult. There’s so much heat everywhere, including here. I’m sure there are people down the hall, but I have no idea if they are waiting to attack us or are just within the palace for their own reasons.”
“Ready your weapons anyway,” said Yahn. Alina felt particularly vulnerable without the range necessary to be effective with her bow. She drew a dagger and stuck to the center of the group as they walked out into the hall.
“I don’t feel anything approaching,” said Senri. They walked down the corridor. Alina’s heart hammered. Never before had she been so aware of her own mortality. The palace shook from an impact and they froze.
“Probably a dragon,” said Lanan.
They continued down the hall, but another impact reverberated through the stone walls. “Wait!” said Senri, drawing her sword up.
Alina heard doors bang open farther down the hall and light flooded the hall as enemy soldiers came charging at them. Senri positioned herself in front of Alina and the rest readied their weapons. When the two groups clashed, Alina hardly could track what happened. She only heard the clash of metal and the grunts of soldiers fighting. She watched for any stray assailant that might slip past. One did, but before Alina could attack, Nin had slit his throat.
“Sorry,” Nin said, pulling the blade away.
A loud bang from the other end of the hall drew Alina’s attention. She turned. Several more soldiers rushed at them. “More coming from this end!”
Alina raised her dagger and lashed out at the first soldier to approach. She sliced through his neck. Blood pooled and the man died with a scream. She wanted to feel horror for what she had just done, but another soldier took his place and raised a fist. The fist connected with her face and stars flashed before her eyes. Hands grabbed her and tugged her away.
“Alina!” Senri’s voice sounded far away, but Alina struggled against her captors. “Let her go!”
Senri came charging at them, hacking and slashing. She cut through the enemy with a fury that Alina had not seen. She would have freed her, too, but a man with a sword and shield blocked her blow with the sword. Senri snarled and tried to strike again. He parried and pushed her weapon toward the wall with his shield, pinning it there. He kicked Senri away. She charged at him with a raised fist and tried to grab hold of him, to destroy him like she had the assassin, but the man carefully moved out of Senri’s range before kicking her firmly in the stomach. The fighter had to be Demek, considering he did not wear Shedol armor, but the full helm he wore concealed his face.
“Move!” the man yelled. He pointed at Alina. “I need her alive.” They dragged her off. She tried to escape, but her head still pounded. Senri got to her feet with the help of Nin, but the soldiers dragged her around a corner and into a narrow hall. Her head ached with every step.
“Alina!” Senri still gave chase. Alina wanted to tell Senri that these people would kill her. Alina was safe as a political prisoner, but not Senri.
“Turn around,” she said. “Forget me.” But the words escaped as mumbles. The passage they dragged her through would lead to the palace library. The man stepped aside to let the grunts sweep past him.
“I’ll see you soon, your Highness,” he said.
Yes, it is Demek. Alina struggled again, writhing against the strength, clawing at their fingers, but they just hit her again, harder. In a burst of pain, she dropped her dagger. If it had been one man, maybe she would have succeeded, but numbers had overwhelmed her. The enemy had overwhelmed all of them. Her friends, her soldiers, and her allies would all die because of her. Senri would die and it would be her fault.
***
Senri ran after Alina and the other guards as fast as she could. The rest of the group held off the soldiers swarming into the hallway, allowing only Senri to give chase. The man in the suit of armor turned around to face her. She raced at him, ready to suck the life out of him. She reached for his neck. He ducked, slamming a fist into her side, where a gap in the plate armor left her vulnerable. Senri wheezed, but raised her fist to slam down over his head. The man caught her by the wrist. She yelled and projected as much heat as she could into her wrist. She would melt him into nothing if she had to.
The man swung her to the side, letting go and kicking her in the chest. She flew backwards, knocking a door open and stumbling into a room. She staggered to her feet. He would come at her again, and she wanted to be ready. Too late. The man charged at her again and shoved, head and shoulder first, pushing her farther back so that she slammed against a wall. Pain spiked in her right shoulder. She fell to the floor. The assailant grabbed her by the shoulders and hoisted her up. She heard glass shatter and felt a breeze on her cheek. He had kicked open a window. Before Senri could react, he chucked her over the side and she plummeted, landing hard on her back on the ledge below. She stared up at the broken window. She wanted to get up and save Alina, but couldn’t move.
After what felt like several minutes, Senri managed to sit up. She tried to raise her arms, but her right refused to work. It had to be broken even if it did not hurt. She looked up. The palace walls, carved from stone, formed natural hand and foot holds. Breathing caused pain in her chest where her armor had pinched down against her ribs.
Slowly, Senri stood. Her armor presse
d even harder into her chest. “Damn it.” She undid the laces with one hand, tearing off the plate and letting it clatter to the ground. Once the chest plate was off, she could breathe normally. She gritted her teeth and looked up again. She couldn’t see her comrades. If Senri did not get up there soon, Alina could be lost.
Taking a deep breath, Senri tried lifting her arms. Her left hand reached for a higher grip, and she forced her right to hold on clumsily to a lower hold. As she climbed, the wind pushed at her even harder and smoke lingered on the breeze. The fight drew close. After what felt like hours, she hauled herself over the edge of the window and collapsed on the cool floor, panting for breath.
Senri rested for a few seconds, gathering her strength. But every second counted if she wanted to find Alina. She got to her feet and staggered out of the room, turning down the hall and following the direction she had seen them take Alina. She kicked something on the floor. It went clattering down the hallway. Senri bent over and grabbed the handle of Alina’s dagger.
Senri held onto it, determined to find Alina before the soldiers could get her any farther away. With the palace under siege, their enemy had to stay put until the battle ended. Senri hoped it would grant her enough time to find Alina. As she wandered down passages, her fear climbed, tightening her chest. Clutching the dagger, she jumped at every noise. The palace shook with explosions. Senri sensed fire approaching. Her legs trembled as adrenaline coursed through her veins. Will it be dragons? Or the enemy? She stumbled down a new hallway littered with corpses and had to swallow a scream when one of them reached out for her.
“Wait!” It was a man, severely wounded with a gash stretching from his shoulder to across his chest. His legs stuck out at odd angles, but he definitely moved, pushing himself up to rest against a wall. He coughed and beckoned Senri over. “You, wait.” She ran over to him and crouched down, searching for anything that could help stop his bleeding. At the same time, she fought rising panic over Alina’s absence.
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