Maiko could hear fighting inside the keep, even shooting, but it was coming from further up. Quickly he stuck his head around the corner then immediately pulled back. ‘Well shit,’ he thought to himself.

There were at least three of them in there, no knight in sight, just darklings. Must be the rear guard. And they were ready for him. Since they weren’t charging him already, they must have been told just to guard the room.

Luckily he had a solution for that. No one they cared about was particularly close, and while Rachuck might shed a tear at the damage done to any remaining equipment that hadn’t been moved, at the end of the day, if it had been left behind, then it was worthless junk. And it could still be used for scrap.

Fumbling about in his tailbag he extracted the one grenade that took up most of the space in there and clasped it firmly.

‘Right, please don’t start a fire, please don’t start a fire. How was it? Pull pin, count to three, then it explodes. Probably. Also maybe two, they were made in a hurry… Anything else?’ he racked his brain for an answer as he stared at the device that could end him in a heart beat. He felt like there was something more.

It really gave him an idea what it might have been like for his parents when they were asked to do their duty as lancers. 

‘Fuck it, for the bitches,’ he cursed to himself as he pulled the pin and threw the explosive device around the corner into the armory. He heard it bounce on the floor, once, then twice. And there was screeching inside. It felt like an awfully long time, those couple seconds. 

The last thing he needed was for the damn thing to come bouncing back at him from inside. Talons crossed, fingers in ears, he waited.

Then there was a mighty explosion. A brief burst of fire illuminating the night with a bright orange flash, then the echoes of the explosion off in the distance. He removed his fingers and peeked around the corner. There was nothing but dust and darkness to be seen. Any torches inside had been extinguished by the blast.

‘Huh… no fire I guess… Fucking hell.’

Then he heard screeching and approaching wing beats, including something big as his hearing started to come back properly. He looked to the sky and saw nothing, but he didn’t need to. Rashan was coming. And he needed to be anywhere but here. ‘Shit shit shit. Inside, now now now!’

He rushed into the darkness, acrid smoke filling his lungs. It sure smelled like a fire in here. Someone would be down to check, and soon. 

It didn’t take long to find some random junk and rubble to hide behind as he readied the rifle. He just needed a shot at the knight. That was all they needed, then they could at least hold this place without too much worry. ‘Come on you bastard, let’s play peekaboo.’

---

“Here, water, drink quickly. We don’t know if they will try again,” Fengi spoke as she and Lothal set down the wooden tub for the dragon.

Yldril did not say anything as she craned her head to heave down quick draughts. Soon the tub would be empty.

About them lay bodies strewn like acorns on a windy day, acid still hissing in the stone by the edge of the platform. The stench was horrendous, like sulfur and decomposing flesh. Behind them all you could hear was the wailing. Linkosta had received the news of her father, the old man had snapped like a worn rope.

She had killed her own father. And she had done it to save them. To save Yldril, and a coppered huntress. Would she blame them? Would she blame herself? Maybe even both. Yldril did not have the strength to give to the mage anyway. And Fengi did not think Linkosta could do any more magic now, not like this, lest she kill herself too.

“I am sorry, we don’t have enough to wash the wounds. How is your paw?” Fengi asked the wounded dragon, desperate to occupy her mind with anything else.

“It is ruined, the flesh is falling off it,” Yldril snarled as she raised her head from the empty trough. “It will need serious tending, or it will have to be cut off… So get an ax, would you?” 

“Should we not at least try to save it? It is still mostly there. It doesn’t seem to be bleeding that badly.”

“Because every wound is a burn,” she sneered back at Fengi’s false optimism. “It still burns. Like the inside of your hand was cut apart and dipped in salted water. Do you understand?” the dragon spoke condescendingly. 

Fengi was unfazed. She wasn’t really there right now. Just talking, not thinking. “Are you sure? I could fetch wood to make splints of, and we have cloth we could wrap it with.”

The dragon hesitated a moment, glancing towards her ruined paw, staring at it longingly. “I suppose we can wait a while. I might still die here anyway.”

“Or you could try to flee,” Fengi offered.

She wasn’t sure why, at no point in their strategy meetings had Yldril retreating from the keep been considered. Without her they would be cut in half, with dire results. But in her state, what good would she be? She was tired, and badly wounded. Even a night terror might get the better of her now.

“I have been stabbed in the back and plundered like an orchard… I wouldn’t make it to the horizon,” the dragon grumbled, her voice defeated. But not malicious for once. Just sad, as if she were trying and failing to make peace with her likely fate.

“Then we figure something out. Not gonna give you up that easy. Wait here.”

“Ahr yes, cause I was planning on going somewhere,” the dragon retorted sarcastically as Fengi went to find whoever might be in charge now.

She supposed that would be Linkosta, unfortunately.

What she found as she entered the greeting hall was most unwelcome. Paulin, giving out orders to what few ears were left to heed them. She had just sent Junior running off downstairs. The mage sat at a table, head hidden beneath her arms, bawling her soul away, Unkai at her back trying his best to soothe her.  

It was a sorry sight. Could Fengi help?  They couldn’t let the healer spend his time like that. He was needed, and so was Lin. 

Fengi marched over briskly to stand at Linkosta’s side, leaning in for a whisper to Unkai.

“Go, people need you. I will be here for her.”

She gently bumped her snout against the side of his neck, and she saw the barest glimmer of a smile.

“I will see if they need help up above. Dakota may not have the time. Maybe things have gone well, we need more people down here,” he replied before stepping back and making to leave, Paulin ensuring he did not go without further instruction. 

“Inform her we are dangerously exposed. Jarix reports Rashan wounded but still in the fight and dangerous, he flies with a witch. If they can spare any, send them back!”

“Yes, Archivist!” he replied diligently. Fengi cursed under her breath. It may be true, but who was to say upstairs was any better.

Fengi leaned over Linkosta and draped her arms and wings about her in a hug. “I’m sorry, Lin. I’m so sorry.”

“I didn’t think it would do that. I-I thought you could just cut the flow,” she bawled. “Like you normally do. I forgot.”

Fengi wouldn’t pretend to know the intricacies of what happened. She just held the hug, nuzzling in tight. “We knew it would be dangerous; it isn’t your fault. You were just trying your best. You couldn’t have known.”

“Of course I could. It said so in the book. I was in control—he was helping. He couldn’t do anything.” She cried and she cried, howling like a wolf with dead pups. “I killed my father. How could I? I killed my father,” she repeated. 

Fengi could feel the stares from about the room. They were not condemnation, they were pity. Fengi did not even want to shush her. This was something to cry about, a heartache that could never be denied. But they needed her. 

“Shhhsss, you didn’t kill him Lin. They did. You were trying to help, both of you were trying to help. And you did… I would be dead, Lin. You saved my life. Apuma saved my life. Maybe Yldril’s too. Without her we might all be lost. He did a noble thing.”

Truly it had been Lin who saved them, but that was perhaps not what she needed to hear.

“I didn’t think it would do that, I’m so sorry Fengi,” she replied amidst her weeping. “I wouldn’t have done it if I knew.” Her crying redoubled at the confession. Fengi could not blame her. She would not knowingly sacrifice anyone to save another. It was wrong, it wasn’t a choice you could make… yet it was one she might need to make with Yldril.

Vile though she was, it didn’t make it any easier.

She patted Linkosta on what bit of her head was not covered beneath her arms. “I don’t blame you, Lin, I wouldn’t have either. But we have to keep fighting. If we lose now, then it was all for nothing.”

There was no response as Linkosta kept crying, then sniffled for a bit, then back to crying. It appeared nothing would soothe her. No one could blame her for it. Then a sudden shout broke the air.

“WING BEATS, LOTS! SOMEONE IS COMING! IT’S BIG!”

---

“Paulin requests anyone who is able to please come to the greeting hall,” Junior shouted out with ragged breath the moment he made it down the stairs into the kitchen.

Quin was busy tending the various minor bumps and scrapes people had acquired. She’d had a look at Tom, but the human “being weird” and “feeling tired” was not worth her damn time. He got sugar and something hot to eat. It tasted like a hot porridge with something sweet in it too. It did help, but a moment to sit down was likely doing the heavy lifting. The others likewise got something to wolf down in a hurry as the sounds of battle reminded them things were far from over.

Those below had clearly fallen back further, and soon enough Sapphire and the others had taken their stations at the window slits, but barely a shot was fired. It was a light duty most certainly. It made for a stark comparison, as it was pretty clear he’d been amongst the lucky ones today.

They had all heard the news about Apuma. Even had they not, Rachuck’s screams and wails made it pretty clear what had happened. The captain had not screamed like that even when Nunuk had gotten out the knives for his arm. The pair of them was alone in the infirmary alongside a still unconscious Esmeralda, but Nunuk had confirmed she was at least still alive.

At Junior’s request, everyone sans Quin turned to look at one another.

“Paulin? Please?” Raulf and Wiperna echoed each other with confusion and apprehension. The archivist was not supposed to be in charge, and she definitely didn’t say please lightly.

“She didn’t say ‘please,’ I did. Please, Yldril is badly hurt-”

“Did something happen to Lin?” Sapphire was quick to ask, cutting off the young kid, already reaching for her bow.

“She is a sobbing mess, and unless you want Kulinger to hold the line, they need help,” Junior carried on, the pair of farmers nodding to each other, understanding what had happened.

“We’ll go. Tom, Jacky will kill us all if you come. Go down and help Maiko if you’re feeling alright,” Raulf said, reaching for the rifle. “I can still club someone to death I suppose.”

“They have spears up top, move it people!” Sapphire ordered, leading the way with the pair of farmers in tow. It wasn’t as if they were doing much good here anyway.

“Please! Don’t leave us! They keep coming!” Rekui shouted out, the voice of the huntress coming from the stairs leading down from whence they came. 

“We won’t! Don’t worry!” Tom shouted back in assurance. They should have things in hand, but he didn’t like the tone of her voice much. He best get off his ass as well. This was no time for a picnic. Then the door to the infirmary was flung open with force, loud protestations emerging from inside.

“You cannot go! Your arm!”

“THEY KILLED MY FATHER. I WILL HAVE VENGEANCE!” a truly unhinged sounding Rachuck screamed as he charged out, blade in his right hand and a bloody stump wrapped in bandages for a left.

“RACHUCK!” The stern voice of Nunuk followed, the healer stepping out after him. She was clad in robes, not armor, arms bloody and stance hunched. She looked tired. Very tired. Raising her voice was likely all that she could manage. 

It was a half-hearted attempt: she likely knew she could not stop the captain. Perhaps she didn’t even really want to. She had just lost her husband, likely on the table.

“You’ll need to change the rags on that arm in a bit,” Quin said dryly.

Nunuk didn’t seem to give a shit for the other healer’s sentiments, Tom sighing to himself as he walked over to Nunuk. ‘I had almost forgotten what you were like.’ “Are you alright, Nunuk?”

“OF COURSE NOT!” she snapped at him. The old lady still had some vigor left apparently, looking at him with a snarl on her face. “And why are you standing there?!”

“I uh uhm. I- I just got here.”

“Why?”

“Seeing things again, left the armor on,” he tried to explain himself, tapping the side of his new helmet.

“Then go where they are and you won’t have to imagine it!” Nunuk snapped back at him, clearly not impressed.

Then there was another explosion from down below, this one definitely not planned. Tom felt the pressure wave roll past, popping his ears a moment later. The pair of them froze for a moment to stare at each other.

“Right, I’ll just,” Tom tried, Nunuk simply pointing at the door leading down into the keep and shouting at him.

“GO!”

Tom wasn’t gonna argue. He grabbed the rifle off the table and made for the stairs. If Jacky was gonna face down another knight, he was gonna be there, not feeling tired and sorry for himself.

“Hold up down there, I’m coming!”

---

‘They still have reinforcements to draw on… but not many,’ Nalkech observed as the large female warrior in ornate armor joined the lines. She was hard to miss, that was for certain. A priority target, since without her the line would falter.

But she seemed formidable, and rested. She fought ferociously and with energy. Much too dangerous to engage in a fair fight. She required softening up. 

This seemed like an excellent opportunity to try one of his little tricks. His hand dove into the small box on his belt and withdrew the enchanted dazzle rod. Twisting the collar, he set the strength of the burst and readied himself. With the push of a button, and at considerable cost to himself, a bright flash of light would emit to blind her temporarily. That would give him his opening to deal with her.

He emerged from the room he hid in, standing close to the wall as he brandished the enchanted weapon. “Woman! I seek a duel!” he lied, though it earned her attention, her head popping up from behind the shield wall to see. He pushed the small gilded button and white brilliance shone from the end for but a moment, a cone of brightness illuminating the corridor as if through divine light.

It was most amusing to see the tools of the church turned against their faithful. All the more sign that the gods had no such strong feelings of how their precious magics were employed. The woman shrieked and covered her face as she hunched low. Now was his chance. 

Then a deafening explosion punched out from behind him, dust and detritus flung into the room all around. Only the wall against which he was pressed prevented him from falling to the ground as he glanced around to see what may have happened. Nothing stood immediately obvious, but the blast had come from behind. 

His rearguard may have been attacked. Glancing to the front both sides were dazed, but it would not last. He cursed the ill fated timing of the stupid gods that perhaps took greater exception to a rude comment than the suffering of their peoples. The front was a stalemate, and he could not draw many away to secure his rear. 

Holstering the artifact, he drew his blade once again. He would have to deal with it himself, though hopefully the trick would work on the woman a second time. He ordered his last decent archer to stick with him closely as he descended the stairs, shield raised. 

---

“You show up and then he just fucks off. Come on bitches that’s all you got?!” Jacky shouted out as they braced for the next attempt to push past them. They had fallen back to the stairs leading up to the kitchen floor. With the incline of the stairs they could once again shoot down onto the darklings.

That is to say Rekui and Ethera could, and they were just not as good as their own folk. Jacky would trade them both for Sapphire that was for damn sure. They’d even gotten a few chances on that damn knight as he peeked at them to see what they were up to, but they’d not even managed a glancing hit to the armor. 

It really was a stalemate. They had no guns left, Rekui having handed hers to Maiko resorting to her bow, and they hadn’t even heard, let alone seen what he might be up to on his little field trip. Either way it hadn’t stopped the darklings from coming at them.

But they were holding firm on the stairs, despite the darklings throwing random shit at them, mostly junk from the store rooms. Not many arrows were coming their way either. Perhaps the enemy was running out of actual archers. Or ammunition perhaps? Either was fine by her. The less she got shot at the more she could wreck shit with her poleaxe. 

She had grown so fucking tired of training with Rachuck and Dakota and the others. They were all fucking good, and they had great armor. Most of this lot had no more armor than the guards from Deriva, and they didn’t seem great at fighting either. She’d gotten three already, and two more badly wounded. She felt like she was THE shit for once. The guys best get her a present or something for saving their asses.

Kalix and Kokashi were doing their best. Koko in particular was good at what he did. Poor Kalix took a fair few nicks and cuts as they struggled, but he would live. She thought. Jacky was feeling in the groove when suddenly the knight called out to her, challenging her to a duel.

‘Well that’s definitely a trap.’ She chuckled and took a breath to give a fiery rebuttal involving his mother as she drew her revolver. Then a sharp light flashed from down the hallway. Her whole world turned white for a moment, her eyes burning like she had stared into the sun after spending a day in total darkness. She stepped back and shielded her face, cursing. 

Then a shockwave rolled over her, popping her ears and dazing her further.

“The fuck was that!” Kalix shouted, sounding distraught.

‘Ears work, that’s good. Fuck me,’ she cursed, shaking her head and daring a peek from under her arm at what the fuck was going on. 

She couldn’t see shit in the gloom, her night vision burned away in an instant. It would take time to come back, but it was clear that there was a lot of dust and other bullshit in the air. She tried to wave it away to no avail. 

“Something blew up,” Kokashi relayed, coughing.

“You don’t say!” Jacky snapped at him before coughing in the dusty air. “The fuck was that bright light?”

“I don’t know, maybe they have a flashlight?” Kokashi replied as she started to make out the sounds of the darklings starting to move again.

“Fuck, I can’t see a damn thing! Guys?”

“I uh, I got it. I think,” a very worried sounding Kalix retorted and before long there was the sound of clashing steel, though it sounded rather half-hearted.

“They seem a bit dazed, too.” 

“Well thank fuck for that.” Jacky sneered as she squinted into the darkness, starting to make out shapes. But slowly. She brought up the revolver. That should at least do some good if she could see roughly where they were. “Someone got another torch?”

“Don’t light it, one moment!” the voice of Tom spoke from behind her, then there was another crack, this time of gunfire. She side-stepped to give him room, as did the others though still keeping their guard up, and the human commenced firing into the corridor. His rifle would make quick work of the dazed darklings. Jacky covered her ears and let him work. 

He took some time between the shots, and with each a scream or screech was heard from down the corridor. A lovely sound after having battled the bastards for so long, but it was deafening. It felt as if the whole keep was trembling. Perhaps the explosion below had wrought something terrible.

Then a brief moment of silence. “Out, light the torch,” Tom said. He would reload, they would push forward.

Jacky waited for the light, but before the torch caught they heard a roar from above. A dragon’s roar, female, and in pain.

Glances were exchanged amongst them as the torch flickered into life, Tom clearing his throat and speaking loudly for the benefit of their tortured ears.

“Paulin called for aid. Things aren’t good upstairs either. The rest went to help her.”

“Will that be enough?” Jacky questioned, her meaning clear.

“I hope so, but we might wanna wrap up quick if we can. But we can’t leave that knight alive.”

The torch was thrown down the hallway, revealing what remained as they returned their attention forward. Most had been laid low, but some still moved. She aimed and fired as she started to slowly move forward, Kalix and Kokashi moving with her, stabbing the corpses as they went. 

“Where did the bastard go?” Kokashi questioned as they advanced slowly and carefully, Jacky firing off a shot whenever something moved.

“No clue, side rooms maybe?” Kalix offered nervously. He was right, that guy was definitely dangerous and they needed him dead.

“Probably, coward is hiding. One at a time. Tom, need you.”

“I’m coming, gun ready.”

---

As Nalkech descended the stairs, what greeted him was darkness and stillness, though a flicker of light was seen from the end of the corridor. The door to the armory had been blown in, leaving a gaping hole to the outside, where a torch flickered dimly.

He advanced steadily, hoping his magic may still let him hear any danger approaching despite his ringing ears. Nothing arose as he hurried to the broken door. Peeking inside what met him was a scene of devastation. The explosion had clearly originated from here, perhaps the same sort of charge that had been used against them during their advance to the keep. The room was entirely destroyed. 

He advanced warily. If such a blast went off whilst he was in the room, it would undoubtedly be his demise. “Search for white skins, shoot them if seen,” he ordered the archer as he surveyed the room, braced behind his shield. He saw naught but rubble till he heard a crack of thunder, then he felt as if being struck with a mace to the back of his neck, despite his armored enchantments. 

The ringing in his ears intensified, drowning out all sound. A sharp burning sensation followed as he wheeled about, coming face to face with his attacker. A lone dragonette was sitting hunched in the rubble covered in dust and dirt, a smoking metal pole aimed at himself. He remembered that one, they had called him Maiko, the one who had shot at him when they first breached the keep.

He opened his mouth to speak, but naught resulted as a pressure built in his neck and blood gurgled its way into his mouth. He had been dealt a terrible wound. 

He retreated, putting the darkling between himself and the foe. He trusted the archer to buy him a moment as he reached for his potions, withdrawing the elixir of life with his shield arm. It may still save him. He may flee the keep or he may face down the dragonette. It was alone, and it seemed ill prepared for a close quarters fight. He must seize this opportunity if he could.

He made to drink the potion, forcing it down as best he could, feeling as if he were drowning. He coughed and spluttered, much of the precious liquid spattering on the floor. With the bottle empty and as drunk as he could manage, he turned to face his adversary, ready to throw himself with whatever strength he had.

The darkling archer was lying crumpled on the floor, the white skinned dragonette sporting an arrow in the thigh as he fumbled with his weapon. Nalkech advanced with what vigor he had, though it was fading swiftly. He still could not breathe. The dragonette threw himself to the side, rolling away as Nalkech stumbled into the wreckage. His ears heard still nothing but a buzz, like a giant bee had descended upon the room. He pushed himself up once more, blackened blood spattering the ground, leaving him to stare for a moment. Of all the ways to die. 

Had Nilisa still been with him, none of this would have happened. They would have made mincemeat of the defenders. He pushed himself to stand and face his foe once more. He was determined that if this was the end, he would have his vengeance on those who abandoned them, just one last time.

Then the tube spat fire once more. And the world faded away.

---

“Well shit… I better get a promotion for that one. One that sticks this time,” Maiko cursed as he stared at the fallen corpse of the dark knight. “You are one nasty piece of work, you know that? Not nasty enough though, what a thing.” He chuckled looking down at the weapon in his hands. Wood and steel. It wasn’t even pretty, yet he’d just put a hole clean through lichplate. ‘I am definitely taking one of these with me if I even get out of this place.’

He pushed himself back up against the rubble to sit upright, looking down to his leg. A good shot, past the plates and through the padding into his thigh. It looked quite close to the important veins in there, but blood wasn’t going everywhere, so he might just be lucky. Probably shouldn’t move too much though.

He opened the rifle and loaded another round as he looked around. Nothing moved, but he didn’t know if something might be coming. He glanced towards the doorway leading inside nervously, then to the one going outside. He was probably surrounded right now. And with the knight dead, who knew what the darklings might do.

For now, he’d just stay put. If more came, he still had a few chances to deal with them. They might even just come one at a time.

‘Really could do with a smoke right now. And Sapphire later… I wonder if I could bribe Quin to have a look at this… I really should have worked out what she likes. Always get to know the healer, first damn rule you numpty.’ 

He sat, and he waited. Nothing much happened. He could hear the sounds of battle. Some were faint. Some were closer. Then there was quite a bit of gunfire. Tom or Jacky got into a tight spot he supposed. Or maybe they were cleaning up house.

It did seem a touch strange the knight had only brought the one archer with him. Perhaps he hadn’t realized what had happened to his rearguard. Or maybe they really were running out of darklings completely. Not like he had any idea how many they had killed, but there had been a LOT of shooting.

He waited. And he waited. Nothing came. Then finally he heard footsteps advancing, the light of a torch shining into the room from further in the keep. Maiko tensed as he aimed the rifle, crossing his fingers. Whoever it was, they were moving quietly, but he heard doors opening as they went. As if they were searching. Perhaps they were searching for him? The dark knight had clearly been looking around for him.

He kept waiting, his heart creeping up into his throat. There were many footsteps, if it was the darklings he’d definitely be done for. He couldn’t even run. He couldn’t hide forever. But he couldn’t hear any fighting.

“Nothing here,” he heard the voice of Kokashi call out, and he felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

‘Oh thank the gods.’

Through the open doorway stepped Jacky, halberd held at the ready as she looked around, illuminated from behind by the torches, armor dented and scratched but whole.

“Sup,” Maiko spoke up, just as she spotted the corpse of the dead dark knight amidst the myriad of other debris and body parts that scattered the room.

With a start she turned to face him, leveling the polearm at him as he held up his hands, palms showing as he still held his rifle. “Whoa there, friendly friendly.” He chuckled before lowering his hands again. “They are very dead by the way. You’re welcome.”

“Well the fuck you sitting there for, get up you lazy fuck!” she replied with a snort.

“It truly is a thankless world we live in. Any of you got a cure for an arrow in the leg?”

“No, we only got one for the knee, sorry,” Jacky replied as more people moved inside, fanning out into the large room.

“The hell happened here?” Kalix questioned, looking about in awe.

“I happened, now will someone help me up or something?” Maiko chuckled, feeling quite pleased with himself. “This ain’t a comfortable chair I got here.” 

“Yeah sure sure. Man it’s gonna suck to scrub the ceilings.”