Fallon raised his sword and roared. His Trateri answered him, their cries that of warriors who had fought death and won.
“Look to your left and right. These are your brothers and sisters. We would not have won if not for the bravery of each one of us. Look out there.” Fallon pointed at the dead below. “That is your enemy, not the people inside these walls. Our fate hangs by a thread. If we cannot come together as one, all of us will perish. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but eventually our children or their children will have no future anywhere. Is that what you want?”
“No,” several voices roared their denial.
“Then we fight,” Fallon challenged. “Follow my lead or perish. All who resist will die. I promise you that.”
Those assembled erupted, some in wordless agreement, others voicing their denial.
Fallon watched his people with determined eyes before stepping back and letting his men swallow his form from view. His mercy for his telroi’s people was at an end. That was the last warning he would give these pathfinders. It was up to them whether they would listen. Those that didn’t, would die. Simple as that.
*
Shea panted as she stood, sword upraised next to Gawain. Somehow, she’d managed to beat off several of those bat creatures. She didn’t know how long the battle had gone on for, but it felt like it’d taken a week.
Her back and legs ached. Her arms screamed for mercy. It felt like heavy weights had been attached to each. It turned into an exercise in sheer willpower to continue lifting them to fend off the bats attacking Gawain. He’d ignored the threat to his personal safety, continuing to bring down those over the Keep.
She didn’t know how Trenton had fared below but assumed he’d somehow managed to survive given the fact both Koa were still going.
Gawain’s weapon fell silent.
Shea turned to look at him, exhaustion pulling at her. She’d gone on some pretty brutal missions, scaled vertical surfaces only a mountain goat would attempt, but somehow using a sword to fight off winged attackers had tested her endurance in a way those previous tasks never had.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as she sucked down air.
She looked out at the night, surprised at the sight of the sun just beginning to peak over the horizon. They’d fought through the night. Dawn was coming, its bright rays already beginning to lighten the night sky.
“I think they’re pulling back,” he responded.
Thank all the gods, Shea thought. She didn’t relax. Her training with Trenton had drilled the pitfalls of such of an act into her.
She came to stand beside him and looked down at the Keep. Sure enough, he was right. She saw the backs of the beasts as they raced across the bridge and into the mist.
“It’s over,” he said.
A large body landed on the rock above them.
Shea whirled, her posture defensive as her eyes found the bat perched just above her, too far to attack.
Gawain tried to turn the Koa but only made it a third of the way before it refused to budge.
The bat’s chuckle was dark as it watched them. Sensing it didn’t plan to attack, at least not yet, Shea studied it.
Her earlier assessment of bat wasn’t quite right. Oh, it had several features in common with one— leathery wings, large ears on the side of its head and the dark color of its form which helped it blend into the night—but it also had distinctly human features.
The shape of its face was humanoid with slightly larger eyes than a human’s. He had no iris, his entire eye black. He also had fangs that protruded from the bottom of his mouth, giving him a distinct underbite. Shea saw he had muscular arms and legs and wore a loin cloth.
She suspected he was intelligent, given the way he crouched right out of reach, watching them as they watched him.
“Why do you attack us?” Shea asked. She didn’t know if he understood human speech but figured she might as well try.
He watched her with dark, enigmatic eyes, his head cocked as his ears rotated, picking up sound much as a bat would.
“Is it because you were told to?” Shea asked not giving up. She needed to understand, and some instinct told her this creature was smarter than your average beast.
“You won’t win this fight,” she said, her voice sure.
That seemed to get through to him.
