“That is fair,” Hatan said. “And again, we could provide silver weapons in exchange for helping reinforce the walls or preparing potions that may be helpful for our soldiers should a true threat arrive.”
“We will consider it,” Mashe said sharply, grabbing Manahae by the arm. The two of them hurried off. The other shamanfolk delegates followed behind them.
“Will that work?” Shanon said.
“It will work,” Hatan said, turning now toward the gathering of officers and nobles. He’d make this quick. He raised his voice so everyone could hear. “We need to be on full alert, weapons at the ready. There’s the potential for city invasion from a greater threat than anything we’ve seen before. The shamanfolk tribes will be entering the city to take refuge along with us and provide assistance in the defense. We will set up a warning system of bells throughout the city. These must be dispersed and manned constantly so that everyone can be warned immediately. We will set up plans for different divisions within the city, but it is suspected that the threat will approach from the Frozen Waste. I will need to divvy out assignments according to each location in the city. Are we ready?”
He shouted his question, and they all responded with enthusiastic affirmation. “Gather up, then. Let’s get everything divided out.” The group came closer, and Hatan assigned each person their role. It took quite a while to ensure everything was covered, and Captain Falshon even pulled out a rudimentary map for reference points. Hatan only hoped that it would work properly. It had been too long since they’d had a true response system set up.
Once all the assignments were made, Hatan finally went outside and sat back along the bench that lined the exterior of the large, oval room. Puffy white clouds spotted the sky, extending all the way over into the Scorched Waste. It was something he had never seen before. He heaved a long sigh. Migo said that he’d have a way to provide quick assistance, but how could he send any meaningful aid fast enough for it to matter?
“Regent,” Rivar said, striding over to Hatan from across the courtyard, his face turned down in a frown.
“What is it, Rivar?”
Rivar scratched the back of his head. “I was wondering about the outlying villages. If there’s an army coming, wouldn’t we want to warn them?”
“Sands, you’re right,” Hatan said, shooting to his feet. “Can we send word via rangola to get to them faster?”
“It’s probably our best option.”
“We have four rangolas. Send two riders out north to warn the citizens. We need one rider near a temporary outpost that we need to place in the Frozen Waste, and we’ll keep mine here just in case I need to get around faster.”
Rivar nodded. “On it. I’ll get scouts assigned immediately.”
A muted screeching sound echoed out over the city, slowly growing. Hatan instinctively withdrew the shortsword he now carried with him everywhere, but his eyes were on the sky. The sound seemed to be coming from above. He made his way toward the wall of the courtyard, Rivar going with him. A few other people shuffled outside as well.
“I’m sure sick of surprises,” Hatan said as they reached the stairs. They never even reached the top before the source of the sound came into view. A massive swarm of creatures came flitting through the air frantically.
“Scailas,” Rivar said, voice laced with surprise.
Hatan squinted. They were indeed scailas. Hundreds of them, gliding over the city from the north. The sound they made was terrible, something that should have been reserved perhaps for dying and dying alone.
“Perhaps they’re spooked by something,” Rivar said. “They seem to be panicking.”
“Agreed,” Hatan said, then grabbed Rivar by the shoulder. “Get those riders out. Now!”
Rivar didn’t hesitate. He jumped down from the wall and sprinted toward the bestiary.
Hatan could only hope that they weren’t already too late.
Chapter thirty
Army
Elder Kaiteran Hashivir squinted into the bright blue sky. It had been so long since he’d seen a blue sky. Hundreds of years. He paused to sit on a cold, gray rock. Earthmelding had shaken the ice from its surface, but so much ice and snow was already melting. The planet would be restored to its former beauty once again.
A small decline stretched down below him where he could gaze upon a meager wall that spread out of sight in either direction, like a pathetic shield separating the Frozen Waste from the Ring.
The Ring itself was beautiful. It burst with life, just like the tropical jungles of old. What intrigued him most was that the vegetation seemed to change from one side to the other. He could scarcely wait to get a closer look.
After all, it was soon to be his Ring. All that life—it was his. Just like all the life that had followed him here.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it,” Kaiteran said.
Beside him stood Murawi, her black hair styled neatly. She wore her finest clothes, complete with bewitched leather armor. She was a warrior first and foremost, of course, before their great hibernation.
“I can’t wait to seize it,” Murawi said.
Indeed, there was hunger in her eyes. He felt it too, of course. Part of it was quite literally a hunger—a need—not only for food, but a desire for blood. Fresh blood. To feel it on his skin. To taste it on his tongue. It was a lust he’d long since discarded, but the memory was still there. Many of his followers had gone mad with it. Their appreciation for life had dwindled.
He would restrain them this time, of course. Once he had control of the world, he’d be able to moderate things for them more efficiently so that they didn’t kill too many or turn too many of them into waheshi.
Speaking of. He looked over his shoulder, sending out a pulse of energy, connecting with the life behind him.
Stretching out across the valley were waheshi. Legions of them. Perhaps a hundred thousand. Maybe more. And to think that, just before the tidal locking, his army had been the third or fourth largest force on the planet. They’d been thawed from their frozen slumber by the passing sun, awaiting his command. The largest forces now were long since dead. All except his.
This was the day he’d dreamed of for so long.
The only sad thing was that, from here, things would be too easy. As was reported, Migo Rikaydian was too trusting and easily fooled. Kaiteran’s informant had told him everything. Ashjagar had gotten married in a vain attempt to unite all the ringdwellers, and he was already revealing his entire defensive strategy, something that would be easily circumvented. The stormcaller was unable to control her power and had nearly burned herself to death trying to defend another city from a small force of Reyganins. But even against them, they’d both failed, and that was against an army of only a few dozen waheshi and shamans.
The world had gotten weak under Ranaz’s rule.
“You hesitate?” Murawi said.
“There is no shame in hesitating to destroy something beautiful,” Kaiteran said. “What do they call this place?”
“This region is part of a city-state called Jehubal.”
