Frowning, she asked Max, “They wouldn’t leave us like cowards, would they?”  

Max shook his head, “No, they have to be here somewhere. Let’s see where they went.” 

Moments later, Britt and Max heard groans from the next street over. They rushed to the intersection and down to the next block. Britt skidded to a halt as they came on the scene. Her men were scattered; those who were less injured were trying to help the more seriously injured. A demon lay motionless on the ground next to a pile of dead warriors. Britt wondered for a moment how this could be the same one she and Max had slain, but when she saw its intact wings, she knew Max was right, there was more than one in the city.  

Britt dove toward a warrior who’d managed to drag himself up against a wall. His legs appeared useless though Britt didn’t see any external injuries. She hesitated while assessing the chaos and thought, This is why the city is devoid of life. Monsters are freely roaming the streets.  

Chapter 92

Tensions Build

“Injury report!?” Britt shouted to a warrior, who looked dazed but unharmed. He came to help the man with useless legs.  

“Six dead, four badly injured, five of them left,” the warrior said.  

Britt cursed, “What do you mean ‘five left?’”  

The warrior looked up from the man they were helping, “When that thing carried Noel up and over the house and dropped him into the street, we all came running. I saw three continue running past us toward the river. Shortly after that two more started tossing people like rag dolls.”  

“He’s paralyzed,” Britt said, looking at the warrior named Noel.  

“I need to get the injured back to the ships. They’ll die if they don’t get patched up,” the other warrior said. 

Britt looked around at all who’d managed to avoid a deadly blow from a demon. She nodded and gave the warrior the go-ahead to try to save those he could from Red’s crew.  

When they regrouped after sending four more warriors to carry the four badly injured back to the ships, Britt’s scouting party of twenty-five had dropped to six. Adding herself and Max, they had eight people in their scouting party.  

“What do you want to do, Britt?” Max asked.  

Britt looked toward the smoke on the opposite end of the city. We’ve hardly made it to the city’s center, she thought.  

“There could be more of these menaces roaming the city,” Max said.  

“Or that could have been the last one,” Britt argued. If they retreated now, she might appear a failure to her people and that’s exactly what Red wanted.  

“Think about what this means for the rest of the armies to come,” Max said.  

Britt frowned. She knew what he was saying, that if they didn’t clear every nook and cranny in the city, some demon or other hellish creature could be holed up somewhere waiting to attack the next group to travel through. Something clearly drove Aquina’s entire population away from their homes in a hurry. She had a strong feeling that five demons weren’t the only cause. Somehow Max had managed to see the picture as a whole. “When did you get so wise?” she asked. 

“I made a big mistake that nearly cost us our lives back in Brookside. Let’s not make the same mistake here. I think we should go back to warn the others that the city’s been compromised,” he said. 

Britt looked to the others on her crew, they were eyeing the decapitated demon as though it might jump up and attack them again. “Six dead,” she whispered to herself. “If we go back now, I may look weak. The warriors might think me a coward to tuck tail and run. They’ll never accept me as Chief if I can’t prove myself,” she told Max. 

“Britt, this is bigger than all that. We’re about to fight a war that will decide the fate of Kartania for hundreds of years to come. No one will get to be chief if we lose the fight because we lead others to believe that the city is safe?” 

Britt thought about it. The Rollo Islanders wouldn’t get to select any Chief if their side lost the war to Merglan. She had to put her personal desires aside and do what was best for their cause. “Max,” she said after several deep breaths, “we’re going back to the other warriors. Whatever happened here was big enough to scare an entire city away and keep our two dragonriders from meeting us. If they left and didn’t return, someone should ride out to look for them.” 

“The only ones fast enough are the elves,” Max said.  

“If that’s the case, I hope they don’t try to take the lead on this while Red’s the only one in charge.” 

“He wouldn’t be dumb enough to fight with the elves right now, would he?” Max asked. 

“We need to go,” Britt said. 

It didn’t take long for them to catch up with the warriors who were carrying the wounded back. With eight extra sets of hands to help haul the four injured men, the group could move swiftly through the streets of Aquina. Britt and the others kept to the exact route they had traveled, knowing that those streets had been safe just hours before.  

Britt was tired and knew the others were as well when they exited the dirt streets and emerged onto the grassy flats leading back to the ships. The ships remained banked along the river, but the Army was not where they’d left them. She began to panic thinking they might have infiltrated the city under Red’s order. They don’t know what’s in there, she thought. 

“Why are they all in formation over there?” Max asked, pointing to their right. 

Britt followed his finger to the west. She saw that the clans had marched around the perimeter of the city leaving behind their best chance for a quick escape, if needed. As far as she could tell, their ships had been left alone and unguarded. “That nimrod led them into a prime location to be surrounded,” she said under her breath. Britt turned to address the warrior who’d initially led the wounded warriors back and said, “Take the crew back to the ships and begin treatment on the wounded. Max and I will see what Red is doing and why he’s abandoned the ships.” 

Britt motioned for Max to join her. The two set out at a jog in the direction of the sizable formation of warriors on the plains. I hope they’re not setting up to defend from an attack, Britt thought as she watched them remain in a formation similar to what they would use during a battle.   

*** 

Natalia slowed to a jog. The elves in front of her stopped at Nadir’s command. She hoped that they weren’t looking down onto a city overrun by Merglan’s forces. She caught up with the six hundred-plus elves as they stood on the grass-covered hill. Aquina’s northern edge still smoldered from the fires that had burned the day before and the Rollo Islanders’ ships lined the southern riverbank.  

Merglan’s army hasn’t made it yet, she realized. The Rolloans were moving in a group around the southwestern edge of the city on the plains.  

“It’s as we hoped,” Nadir said, coming alongside her.  

“I don’t see or sense Anders and Maija,” Natalia replied. 

“Look,” Nadir said pointing across the plains. 

Natalia strained her eyes to see what he was looking at. Along the golden horizon of waving grass, she saw a dark line stretching wide. “Their army,” she said. 

“They’ll reach the city today,” Nadir said. 

“So will we,” Natalia said, looking back. Their army wasn’t in view, but she knew they’d reach Aquina by nightfall.  

“Let's see what they know,” Nadir said. “They might’ve had contact with Anders or your sister.” 

“And if they haven’t?” she asked. 

“Then the dragonriders who came last night are against us and took them with the others. If they hadn’t left so quickly after contacting the humans, I might’ve been able to get answers.” 

“You said they trusted them,” Natalia said. 

Nadir looked to Natalia, “You may have been the wisest to stay hidden from them.” 

“If I had kept going and reached you sooner,” Natalia started to say, but Nadir cut her off. 

“No, Natalia. You did what you believed was best. You couldn’t have known whether the riders were Merglan’s or not. Hiding from them while you were alone was the right choice.”  

“It cost us the opportunity to get here last night. I misjudged the distance, but we still could’ve arrived before the Rollo Islanders.”