The Shedun had struck at the heart of Skywatcher's Point, the town we'd all believed was the safest in Elucia because of its proximity to the Citadel. If they could reach us here, they could get us anywhere.
But Chicha had known.
Somehow, she had sensed that something was wrong even though none of the other dogs had sniffed out anything suspicious. Maybe Alar was right, and she should join the Dragon Force because she had a special gift of her own.
18
ALAR
"To save lives, all differences should be set aside, all hands join, and egos yield to a single enterprise."
—Elurian Teaching
"We need to go back," I said as soon as we were all safely down from the roof. "There will be wounded who need help."
Codric nodded, his stomachache forgotten as adrenaline burned through him. "We can circle around through that alley and come in from the north side."
"I'm coming too," Kailin said.
I wanted to argue and tell her to go home, but given the look of determination in her eyes, I knew that I would be wasting my breath.
Shovia didn't even bother to announce her intentions as she sprinted ahead.
The three of us followed through the narrow alley, with Codric catching up to Shovia in seconds, but I had to slow down to keep pace with Kailin, who was doing her best but couldn't run as fast.
As we emerged onto a side street that led back to the square, we could see the smoke still billowing up from the blast sites, and as we rounded the corner, we were faced with the full extent of the devastation.
Several of the large, square planters had been destroyed, leaving gaping craters in the ground. Debris was scattered everywhere, and people lay wounded and dazed across the plaza. Some were no doubt dead. The Town Guard was already organizing rescue efforts, their loud voices cutting through the chaos.
"Over here!" a guard shouted, waving us toward a section where several people were trapped under fallen debris. "We need strong backs!"
I rushed forward with Codric.
Assessing the situation, I debated how best to approach the debris to avoid causing further injury to those trapped beneath it. It didn't look too heavy, but we needed to be careful how we moved it.
"Kailin!" a man's voice called out.
I turned to look and recognized her father, who was pushing through the crowd, his face streaked with dust but otherwise unharmed.
"I'm fine!" she called back. "What about Mom and Gran?"
We'd seen them from the rooftop, but they had been too far away for us to know whether they were injured.
"They are okay. They're heading to the apothecary to get supplies for the wounded."
Relief flashed across Kailin's face, but she didn't stop what she was doing, keeping pressure on a woman's head wound. "Good. We need bandages and antiseptic here."
"The medics are on their way," one of the guards announced. "Until then, do what you can. If someone's bleeding, apply pressure."
Kailin's father joined another group of men working to clear debris, and I continued working alongside Codric and several Elucian men. Together, we helped clear rocks and large cement pieces and carried the injured to a makeshift triage area being set up at the edge of the square. The guards were efficient in their organization, directing those of us who could help where we were needed most.
"Careful with this one," I called out as we lifted a young man whose leg was broken. "Keep the leg as stable as possible."
Sweat ran down my back as we worked. The physical effort, combined with the emotional toll of seeing so much suffering, was a drain to both body and soul, but there was no time to dwell on it. As soon as we moved one victim, there was another in need of help.
I kept an eye on Kailin and Shovia as they moved from victim to victim, doing what they could with the limited resources at their disposal.
"Over here!" Codric called. He was helping an older man who was pinned under a section of the stage that had partially collapsed. "We need more hands!"
