We hadn't been attacked again by the demons, but it was whispered that some of the villagers had thrown in their lot with the monsters in order to save their lives. I just shook my head—you didn't throw in your lot with something that would likely eat or turn you before everything was done. I remembered, too, walking past piles of dark dust after the night of our attack in the desert. Some of those piles were deeper than others, as if many of the creatures had died in the same place after we'd shot them with our ranos rifles. No humanoid bodies were found among them.
* * *
The outpost underwent a concentrated campaign of cleaning—we barely had three days before the High Commander was supposed to come. The kitchens were in fine shape but the pink wing and the barracks had to meet the Commander's expectations. I didn't have any part of that, but Stef and Nedis were right in the middle of it. Widnal grinned at their moaning whenever they weren't looking. All was made ready, having passed the Commander's inspection on the day the High Commander was to arrive. We all waited. The kitchen had produced a good meal for our visitors but the time for their arrival came and went. Darkness was falling and we held our breath. Commander Aris, Bel and two captains walked into the kitchen as I was putting uneaten food away.
"Reah, come with us," Bel said. Struggling to hide my concern, I removed my apron and followed them to Aris' office. "This should fit," Bel handed a uniform to me. The shirt and pants were in the regulation colors of the desert—just as theirs was. The uniform had been tailored to fit me. It looked as if they'd planned this.
"We have to search for the High Commander and his officers," Commander Aris said after I'd returned from his private bath wearing the uniform and boots they'd given me. "Reah, it didn't get past us that you didn't miss when you fired your rifle while we were under attack in the desert. We won't ask questions, we're just happy to have someone so accurate with her shots. We'll take two of our armored transports—Hish is fresh and can provide shields for a while. I expect you to help watch on our way to retrieve the High Commander. You'll let us know if you see anything."
That was a command, so I nodded at his words. I followed the others from Commander Aris' office and we picked up charged ranos rifles, a backpack filled with foodpacks and water before climbing into the armored transports. The Rangers were split between both vehicles; I saw that right away. I rode with Commander Aris while Hish, Bel and Delvin climbed into the other transport.
The window through which I kept watch was bullet and fireproof. Wondering how strong a blast it could sustain without shattering, I kept careful watch as we drove along, the second transport right behind us and in continuous communication. Commander Aris repeatedly attempted to get the High Commander and his convoy to reply to his communications. Only silence met his queries.
"Commander," I hissed—I'd seen movement from my window. Aris heard and was beside me quickly.
"They're out there," he agreed, peering through my window. I'd seen tiny lights, just as before. It must have been the reflection of the moonlight in their eyes—I was afraid to assign any other explanation to it. "Reah," Aris whispered, "only the wizards and I can see what you see. I am still attempting to puzzle that out. In the meantime, don't discuss this with anyone other than the Rangers or me." His breath stirred the hair at my temple—I had it braided tightly otherwise. I nodded at his instructions. How could I see what only the wizards saw? I didn't have a drop of talent—nobody on Tulgalan did.
We drove on for a while, though the lights seemed to be following us. We came upon the transports that had been hauling the High Commander and his escort. Most were dead; we discovered that quickly after climbing out of our vehicles. The High Commander was severely wounded and what was left of his troops formed a ring around him, all equipped with ranos rifles. Altogether, seven of what had once been fifty-six were alive, while no working communication remained.
"Reah, do what you can," Bel and Delvin hauled the High Commander into our transport so I pulled out the medkit. The High Commander had a concussion and the heat of the day hadn't done him any good. I convinced him to take some of the painkill and then gave him as much water as he would willingly drink.
"Just rest, we'll take care of this," I patted his shoulder. Delvin had stepped inside the transport, motioning me outside. It looked as if we were going to be attacked again.
If Hish hadn't saved some of his strength, I don't think we would have made it out of there alive. As it was, I ran my ranos rifle out of power and Aris slapped another weapon in my hands quickly. The non-wizard officers the High Commander had brought with him were firing blind—I discovered that quickly. They couldn't see what the rest of us were seeing. They were spaced out so they'd be near a wizard. Explosives burst all around us for at least the first click. I think Hish was exhausted when the explosives finally stopped coming and we began to shoot at the approaching enemy. I have no idea how many we killed. Dawn was breaking when Commander Aris ordered us to stand down.
"They emptied both our other outposts," Aris grumbled angrily as we piled into the two transports. I was just as exhausted as the rest of them and hoping that we wouldn't be attacked on the way home—Hish didn't have anything left to give and none of the other Wizards seemed to have the shielding talent.
"Reah, are you all right?" I was wedged into my seat, making room for two others on a bench built to hold only two. Bel had leaned over the seat in front of me to ask.
"I'm good," I mumbled, half asleep.
Close your eyes and sleep, love. Those words felt like the softest of touches against my mind and I did close my eyes. I didn't remember another thing until the transport stopped and someone unbuckled my harness.
* * *
"How much food do we have left?" That was Commander Aris' first question to me as I stood in front of him and the High Commander two days later. The physicians had only let the High Commander up that morning, and he was grumpy as a bear wakened in winter.
"Perhaps two eight-days, if we stretch it. Another eight-day with the foodpacks." I'd gone looking at exactly that the day after we'd rescued the High Commander. Three eight-days we could survive, feeding the entire outpost. The supplies the High Commander brought with him were destroyed in the attack; there wasn't room for it inside the two transports we'd taken even if there'd been anything to bring back.
"Then we leave in two days. I don't care if we're attacked on the ride to Crown City—we'll be attacked anyway. I'd rather die trying to get back to civilization." The High Commander's words made me realize that he didn't like where he was. Not even a little.
I watched Aris' face. I think that he'd made the suggestion—perhaps long ago, to move the troops. With this blusterer for a High Commander, I think Aris' words had fallen on uncaring ears until now.
"Reah, have your staff pull out all the foodpacks and divide them evenly between all the transports," Commander Aris told me. "We have thirty vehicles and we'll have to use all of them to move everyone out. Have Widnal go to the pink wing and inform the women that they can only take what they're wearing the day we leave. I suggest it be something serviceable with appropriate shoes in case we end up walking through the desert again."
"I will, Commander Aris." I nodded to him before stepping out of his office.
* * *
"They're not going to like it, but orders are orders," Widnal told me later when I passed the Commander's words along to him. He dried his hands on a towel and went to inform the women.
The next day and a half bore witness to a great deal of activity. Transports were checked and then checked again to make sure they would survive the trek to Crown City. It hadn't escaped my notice either that all attacks on our transports had occurred near the halfway point between Crown City and the outpost.
"Bel, how many do you think we killed—out in the desert, I mean," I asked him quietly during our midday meal the day before we were to leave. He'd wandered into the kitchen and sat down to eat with the other kitchen workers.
"Ar
is thinks we killed a thousand, perhaps more," Bel cut into the fish we'd served for the midday meal. The precious stream-trout had been in the freezer, and I'd hoped to serve it for a special occasion. Now it was lunch—I couldn't bear to let it go to waste when we left.
"How many were in the other outposts?" I was nearly afraid to hear the answer.
"You're asking the question that has been the main topic of discussion inside the Commander's office of late," Bel answered. "This fish is exceptional, Reah. Someday, you'll have to tell me how you learned to cook as you do."
"That will be a tale for a day long in coming," I muttered. At times, I still wondered if it were his voice that I occasionally heard inside my head. Yes, I liked Bel, but more and more I hoped that the voice was real and not his.
"Reah," Bel reached over and patted my hand, "we'll either make it or we won't. They think to starve us and then attack. They won't expect us to leave this quickly. I'm hoping we get past them."
"Then I'll hope, too." Turning back to my fish, I didn't tell Bel that my hope was far outweighed by my fear.
* * *
"Reah, you'll come with me and Bel this time," Delvin hustled me onto the transport with him. He handed me a rifle once we were inside—I noticed that none of the High Commander's troops were on the transport with us. Bel told me earlier that he had my uniform and boots and asked me to dress in light-colored trousers and a tunic with the sturdiest shoes I had. I did as he asked. Somehow, although the High Commander and his men had seen me the night we'd rescued them, Bel and Aris didn't want me to come to their notice again. I did my best to stay away from all of them.
Our transport jerked as we began to move a half click later. "Keep your hopes alive," Delvin whispered as we jostled in our seats while going through the gate and leaving the outpost behind.
"Where will we stay—in Crown City?" I asked, quelling the uneasiness settling in my stomach.
"At the military station. It's quite large and we'll have our own section, most like," Delvin answered. That made me nod. What was I going to do, though? Were the women going to have their own wing, as they did at the outpost, or would they be scattered throughout Crown City, as they probably were before? Would we have our own kitchen or would there be a centralized mess where all the troops ate? Not only were we facing death, driving through a desert that had been taken over by the enemy, but my place upon this world had grown increasingly perilous. Too many questions and I'd be waiting for judgment in the Prince Royal's prison.
"Re, stop worrying," Delvin bumped my shoulder with his. I just shook my head. Telling me to stop worrying was like telling a baby not to ever be hungry. It was something that came, whether you wanted it or not.
We passed the point where the High Commander had been attacked. My fear rose several notches higher—this was the section where the attack was likely to come. We passed the spot where we'd first been attacked. My mouth was dry and remained so for another click. An attack hadn't come. I was attempting to loosen the knots forming in my neck and shoulders. Then, when the high walls of Crown City appeared in the distance, I did my best to breathe deeply for the first time since we'd departed. Some of the others, too, had been holding their breath. Did we think to arrive unscathed? If any of us did, those hopes were dashed ten ticks before we reached the gates of Crown City.
The last six transports in our convoy were hit, exploding into debris that rained around us. The vehicle in which I rode was near the center and every driver who still lived hit the accelerator, rushing toward Crown City. What do you do when an enemy you cannot see tosses explosive blasts at you from far away? We had no cannon and apparently no way to fire it at a hidden target anyway. Is that what they did? Hide, somehow, so we couldn't hit them back? More transports exploded behind us. The gates were closer but still not close enough. Terrified, I was tempted to fling off my harness and leap out the door of the transport. I have no idea what good that might do—if anything was hit nearby, I'd still be just as dead.
Crown City was sending out answering fire, but surely they were firing blind, just as the non-wizard troops did during the attacks at night. An explosion occurred to our left, sending fountains of sand flying into the sky. Clumps of sand and desert rock slammed against the windows of our transport, causing all of us to duck. Two women were on board the transport with us, and they were crying. Our driver pushed the vehicle to its highest speed. We were running evenly with two other transports, all racing toward the gate and the perception of safety.
"The Prince has his own wizards," Delvin shouted next to me as another explosion came and we ducked instinctively. "They protect what's inside the walls. If we make it, we'll be safe." By that time, I was so frightened I had no idea if I might conjure faith in any wizard to fight this. I'd never seen explosions such as these, before. Someone was quite determined to kill all of us.
"The first transports are through the gate," Bel stood at the front of our vehicle and made the announcement. He'd been in contact with Commander Aris and the High Commander—their transport had been second in line and most likely they were inside the gates and safe, now. The transport in front of us was hit, causing our driver to swerve and our transport to lurch dangerously to avoid the hole in the ground. We were hit by debris anyway and Bel almost lost his footing, holding onto the metal pole at the front directly behind the driver.
The gate was closer now, but still a lifetime away. I couldn't even spare a thought for the lives lost already—I wanted to weep for them and perhaps for myself, too—I and the ones seated around me might be next. Two more transports were hit before we reached the gate; some of our passengers cheered when we drove inside, steering out of the way immediately to allow any behind us to come inside as swiftly as possible. Delvin had me unbuckled and hauled out of the transport in very little time; he was following Bel, who obviously had some destination in mind.
Delvin carried me under his arm, like a bag of vegetables. Aris was standing next to a building as the High Commander climbed into a waiting vehicle and drove away. Delvin skidded to a halt beside Aris. If I'd ever though it before, it was confirmed now. Aris jerked me away from Delvin and held me so tightly against him I could barely breathe. He was murmuring words into my hair that I didn't understand. My face was buried against his shoulder and I shuddered before wrapping my arms around his neck and holding on as if my life depended on it.
* * *
"Reah, walk with me and hold your head up," Aris pulled me along beside him. We didn't touch while we walked—other transports were waiting to take us to the military station. Again, I rode beside Delvin; it was perhaps one of the longest journeys of my life—sitting with him—wondering how my life had made yet another turn. What did this mean? I trembled again—delayed shock, I'm sure.
"Delvin, how many are gone?" I wanted to cry and couldn't. Not here—it was a sign of weakness.
"Reah, the numbers will be given to us," Delvin pulled my head against his shoulder and kissed my temple. "Don't fret, we'll be there soon."
What was I supposed to do when we arrived? I suddenly had no purpose. There I was, trapped on an alien world, cut off from everything I'd ever known in my short life after nearly being killed on at least three occasions. The trembling became worse.
"Aris, we'll need a physician," Delvin said quietly. Aris and Bel sat in the seat in front of us, directly behind the driver.
"No," Aris said flatly. "Bring her. I'll take care of this."
Delvin held me up most of the way to our new quarters; Aris and Bel strode determinedly ahead of us while we walked a lengthy corridor. I couldn't stop shaking; it was getting worse. Physicians had met some of the others, but Aris had waved them off, settling for asking an officer who met us to take us to our assigned barracks. My head hurt, my vision blurred and I was having trouble keeping myself upright and walking. I couldn't have told you until later what that corridor or the room we were led to looked like; I was lost in a narrowing world of fear and misery.
"
This is your new office, Commander Aris," the officer told him, his voice sounding muffled. "Your suite is next door. The officers' quarters are farther down this corridor."
Aris said something to him and the man left. "Reah," Aris said. Bel and Delvin left—I have no idea where they went. Aris shut the door of his office behind him and took my arm. "There is no need to be frightened," Aris told me, sitting me down at the chair behind his new desk. If he hadn't set me down, I would have fallen when the blue giant appeared from nowhere. Strange, I know, that the name of the blue giant's race came to me while I sat there staring up at him. Most people lived their entire lives without ever seeing one of the benign, blue Larentii. He knelt before me.
"Little one," the Larentii said, "you are experiencing shock. I will place a healing sleep and you will wake later in much better circumstances. You will not speak of me with anyone except the Commander, here." Large blue fingers reached out to touch my forehead, sending me into darkness.
* * *
I woke alone later, with no clock or window to tell me what time it was. The room was small, much like the one I'd had when we'd visited Crown City before. That short trip now seemed a lifetime ago. I was dressed in a rather large nightshirt to sleep, wondered how that had happened and stretched lazily in the narrow bed I'd been left on to rest.
Had a Larentii truly been here? What had he done to make me sleep like that? Precious little information was available on that race; all were tall and blue-skinned, with some variation of blond hair and blue eyes. Rumor had it that they fed directly from an energy source but I didn't know whether to believe that or not.
I slid out of bed and got a bath in the connecting bathroom—I wasn't supposed to have that—only the officers got separate bathing facilities. Nevertheless, I made use of it, finding soap and other toiletries already in the bathroom. I dressed, too, after finding three outfits of suitable clothing inside the small closet. A knock came on the door just as I was putting my shoes on. Those were the same shoes I'd worn away from the outpost; they were the only ones I had at the moment.
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