The city's defenders were not entirely incompetent. The translator could not believe it was entirely their fault the city was being overrun. They'd had at least some warning – some time after nightfall, a flare was shot up far outside the walls, a bright and golden light bursting in the air – a sign of battle, of an enemy. There were officers manning each of the cannons along the upper wall of the citadel now.

  It protected the western parts of the ancient city of stone. There was not much time to prepare, and each cannon had to be put in position. Most of the officers perished quickly when strange projectiles burst along the wall as it was struck. The explosions were not only stone and metal shrapnel, but released poisonous fumes, and new teams attempted to protect them. The translator was not even supposed to be in the city. He'd been waiting for an excuse to escape it. There was an officer beside him, called Rieth, who was the brother of the council head, but that mattered little – those under his command could not expect better odds because their leader was of a famous family.

  It gave Commander Rieth an idea, however – there were vessels at the citadel, full of a toxic substance, which was being studied by advanced healing teams. It had been collected from the western border of the marsh on the outskirts of Niriu's deadlands. Rieth summoned a few of his other officers, and the translator. He begged Lucan Ardehn to wait, and to help reassure the others defending the citadel. If they failed to, Rieth thought, the rest of the country would fall quickly after.

  Rieth fled south toward the wall, running on his weary legs.

  As Lucan began wondering if more competent men would arrive soon, the translator heard heavy stomping behind him – footsteps of newcomers approaching. His ears were bombarded with the sound of heavy cannon shot pelting the citadel walls, but he could still hear the sound of boots hitting the stone. Lucan picked up his white oak staff. It had been leaning against one of the keep's weathered stone walls for nearly the entire day. He turned around and brandished the bladed end of it at whoever was approaching. This usually deterred would-be assailants. Lucan's action was not entirely out of fear – he'd expected enemies to sneak onto the keep grounds through the tunnels.

  If they know about our cannons, what else do they know? Why? Why did I come back!

  Lucan assumed they did know about the cannons, for their exact positions were – not coincidentally, he thought – being hit steadily, as though targeted, and with a strange accuracy. It happened every single time new operators were sent to the cannons. He assumed then, the runners would likely be sent to the tunnels soon. At least the arena was being defended from below, in the storage areas full of weapons and armor supplies.

  Enemies were what Lucan expected – but these were not enemies. There was a disheveled sentry man behind him when he turned to look, holding two other men at bay, one of them in familiar blue armor.

  “Let them be, idiot.”

  The knight approached, and beside him keeping up despite a limp, was a man who seemed too jolly, too enthusiastic despite the chaos going on around them. Lucan assumed it was the effects of having to fight for so long. He bowed his head.

  “So, Master Raiya – a capable knight has come at last. I see you escorted one person with you, at least. A farmer, judging by his clothing.”

  Lucan beckoned the newcomers, and started walking toward the keep, avoiding eye contact with the others who were passing them, healers with army stretchers to extract the dead and wounded. They entered a wing of the keep used as a storage building; Hiro assumed they'd go into the main hall.

  “Through here. We need to talk, and you need supplies, young ones. Now, then. What do you want here? Why not leave while you had the chance?”

  His companion didn't answer at first, so Hiro took it as an opportunity to do so. “It's as though the enemy already knew what we'd do in advance. Had to come this way. Too many Runners.”

  “Indeed, I wondered if it was true – the strength of their new weapons is very unnerving also, something I have not seen before. But who are you, I wonder?”

  “Never mind,” answered the knight. “We've lost the advantage – the enemy must have destroyed Aurin Peak and disabled the warning drums there.”

  Hiro looked past the old man in front of him, and went over to a long table after spotting something he wanted very badly. There were many ration packs on it, and Hiro tore one open to eat its contents, setting the open pack next to him; he began storing several in his rucksack with his other hand, and discovered barrels, their brandings indicating they were full of water; these were some distance away. Glancing back once, Hiro motioned to Luran's belt, holding up his canteen. The knight tossed his own to him and Hiro went to the largest barrel to fill both of their respective containers, relieved at gaining some kind of small victory.

  “It has been a while since we last spoke, graybeard. No word from anyone else in the Company?”

  The old man shook his head slowly. “No one. I'll assume the caster is alive? He should be along soon, if he is. What happened to your armor?”

  Luran looked down. His chest plate was indeed dented, and there was black blood on it; it had eaten away part of the metal. “Runner's blood seems to damage our gear now. My saber is too damaged. Speaking of which – I hate to say it, but I need to replace it; find me another melee weapon, Master Faryn.”

  “Hm. Faryn? Might you be related to Lady Aurien?”

  Hiro looked up at this statement, and stopped putting throwing knives in the side pouch of his rucksack. “I am. Wait, are you – I have heard of you, maybe. She has mentioned a teacher of hers who visited these lands from time to time. Well, then. Well-met, teacher. But – and I mean no offense by this – why is there a scholar here?”

  Lucan laughed at the villa worker's last comment. “I asked myself the same question. Rieth made me stay behind. I am only a scholar – very good, very attentive. The Commander thought I might know some things about the Shroud's old tactics. Well – let us see.

  “Blue Company. . . Yes, they – wait, wait, we should go to the main hall, first. Might get news there.”

  Hiro tightened the draw string on his rucksack and slung it over his shoulder after buckling the outer flap back over the opening. Lucan went to the door with the knight and passed beyond into the hall. Hiro followed them, eating from a second ration pack as he went; there was some form of bread and dried rakan meat in it. He listened to the translator as they walked along the dark hallway.

  “Blue Company, you say! Ah, I don't travel very far usually, not enough for us to cross paths often. However, I have heard the East sector-company is gone; scouts brought news.”

  Luran responded suddenly. “The enemy is using those accursed beasts from the dead lands – and we encountered someone coming up here; he wore an iron helm of some kind, like a crown. Looked like someone took a hammer to it; I threw a flare at him. He won't be able to come this way, maybe. So, you haven't heard more news?”

  “No.” The translator shrugged and stopped walking. ”Beasts? Must have eviscerated them – I heard they were ripped to shreds. Blue Company! You lot are a sorry bunch of sell-swords. Or, at least some of you are. Need to be more strict in your recruiting, I'd say. As to the question, no, again. I only arrived this morning. I am not a soldier, which many here seem to have forgotten. News! I wish I had news to share.”

  The teacher went on, and eventually he and the two companions reached another part of the keep. The teacher knocked on a door toward the end of the dark passage; they all looked the same, and the lanterns were spaced rather far apart, so the doors could barely be seen. The teacher seemed to have reached the right one. A man opened it and bowed – the two seemed to know each other.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Lucan walked in, followed quickly by the other two. Or, so Hiro thought. They exited into a courtyard, rather than entering another room. There were many benches surrounding a fountain, and the grass here was well-maintained; on the other side was a short passage beneath the two main buildings of the keep, where there was an overlook; the building's upper floor was held up by many large pillars, and a concrete path was beneath it. Flashes of light appeared intermittently in the distance; Hiro guessed they were facing west. He tried to ignore the lights and pay attention as his companion talked to the old man, but he had little context, and missed most of the conversation. The knight only nodded to Hiro and pointed to the main building, before running off to it.

  Hiro didn't want to know what the lights were. He turned his gaze to the teacher; on the man's shoulder was a badge with some sigil Hiro could not recognize. “You're far from home, then, teacher?”

  Lucan sighed. “Very far.” He sat next to Hiro on one of the benches to wait.

  “Haven't been a teacher in years, young one. I finally retired. Do you know, I haven't seen Lady Aurien for quite some time – four years, if I'm not mistaken. I thought I would try to contact her of course, but there is a war in my country as well. Our struggle is unrelated to this one, believe it or not, but I am afraid I did not want to bother a Hero with a courier's job. Sending letters is too expensive at the moment, for obvious reasons.”

  Hiro was confused. He stared at the teacher for a second or two before asking what was on his mind. “How did you end up here, then?”

  “I was saved by a guard from some rather irritating little beasts – some kind of lizards, out beyond the hill, and I came here with him to offer my expertise once he found out about my career. Of course, this siege is beyond my wildest imaginings. I will tell you what little I have heard of enemy movements, before I go – if you want.”

  Hiro nodded. He took out another ration pack and opened it, offering it to the old man, who refused it, but took it anyway. Lucan gave it to another man who was passing. Astonishingly, Hiro saw it was the healer who had aided him weeks earlier. “Well, I never expected to see you again.”

  The healer laughed, and sat on the ground beside them scratching his head. “Indeed. But – I think you should take this back. Rakan meat! They are such slimy things, I cannot possibly eat this.”

  Hiro took it back and ate it quickly, picking the meat out of the sauce it was in. It made a mess of his hands. “Suit yourself, then, but it's not bad. So – you're leaving, then, Master? What do you mean by 'before you go'?”

  The translator sighed. “Indeed I am – there is part of the supply train leaving, and I have secured passage. My student here is going with me. If he doesn't die first. Go on and get prepared.”

  The healer stood and bowed, before rushing away, without giving his name, yet again.

  “I intend to go,” said the teacher, “when there is a lull in the fighting – the siege has not been broken yet. I am no coward, lad, but I am far past my prime. A bit of work in the garden, or reading a good book with a pipe in hand, by a cozy fire – that is all I want now. . . .”

  “That doesn't sound so bad.”

  “No. All I think about, in my free time. Well, how odd. Very odd, indeed.”

  Hiro watched the commotion across from him. Luran was walking back over to them; he was arguing with someone, a man in black armor. The other man entered a door on the other side of the courtyard after walking off; he even shoved a few conscripts out of his way as he went. Hiro waited a while for Luran Raiya to approach him. “Who was he, teacher?” he asked.

  “The commander of the city's forces,” said Lucan. “He leads all of the guilds when he's here. Be considerate – have to excuse him, really; he goes into the Forest a lot.”

  Hiro was surprised. He'd never heard of this man. He hoped the teacher didn't mean the forest he was thinking of, but the dark forest was nowhere near the capital, so he most likely wasn't.

  A rumbling sound got their attention as Hiro's companion got back to the fountain; he almost tripped, over, apparently, nothing – Hiro would usually have found it comical, but the rumbling which caused it was affecting Hiro, too. They looked at the building they traveled through to reach the courtyard. Part of the keep's wall came crumbling down and sent many men scattering across the grass. A wide crack formed in the ground, breaking the flagstone path; the vibrations ceased, but the damage spread, and a terrible fume came out of it. Even Hiro was affected by it. Luran Raiya followed him as best he could, helping him stay up right, but even the villa worker was dizzy. He ran carelessly and almost tripped himself on debris in the courtyard, but Luran pulled him up and away. The quake was caused by a spell, he realized.

  The knight managed to avoid succumbing to the spell's nastier effects but he was trembling. When Hiro tried to look back, Luran shoved him on; the small glimpse he got of the aftermath was enough to terrify Hiro. The teacher was following them, using the blade end of his staff, shoving it into the dirt with each step, trying not to fall, and a black sludge was shooting forth from the ground that had broken up behind them. The three men went through a door and passed many knights in their lodgings, who were preparing for something, gathering weapons and rucksacks and helmets. Some did not even have their black armor on yet, but left without it. Rieth was there, ordering them around.

  Luran shoved him onward again. He picked up a saber off of a table, and continued running. The old sheath was rather worn. “Go, Hiro. We need to go, now. Out the other door, get to the arena. That was not a normal quake.”

  A bizarre thought came to Hiro, considering the situation. He realized Luran had gotten a new chest plate, too – but he shook his head and listened to the knight's words. It was none too soon. As they reached the exterior again, a shockwave almost knocked him off his feet. There were stone projectiles raining down over them – seemingly, a spell had gone off and the user had lost control over it. Part of the keep's structure came down, blocking the path. Hiro tripped again a few seconds later, and scraped his already wounded arm on the stonework path when he tried to catch himself. He got up and ran more, narrowly avoiding the falling bricks and shattering glass.

  There were many explosions happening around them as well – Hiro had no idea what to do. The teacher had overtaken him somehow despite the man's advanced age – he was arguing with Rieth, but the irate commander was yelling louder; Hiro heard his words and was afraid of what he'd said.

  “We're down by over 5,000 soldiers – we only had six as of last night, not all our people stayed, but went up north with the evacuees! They know our plans, and they're being led by a damn native! I need to do this, damn it. Do not argue.”

  Rieth had reminded Hiro of his family's lore – Hiro himself had native ancestry – he knew of their resilience to spells – but this trait made it nearly impossible for them to use spells. Their enemy couldn't have been one of his race, but solid intel was hard to come by in the middle of battles.

  “About a thousand left?” cried Lucan. “Nearly the entire garrison is dead? What do you expect of me Commander, what happened to the reserve forces?”

  “I do not know. Few came from the city. And two, not one – we had a thousand, or so, already here. Forget it. There may be more, I do not know enough, but the man I saw. . . a giant. He is over large for their kind, I hope. Never mind the numbers, elder. Get going. Where are those stupid, useless Watchers my brother was supposed to deploy? I need them here, too.”

  Hiro had no idea what the Watchers were doing; he did not want to – but he did recall Saiya Aurien's latest instructor; she was one of the secretive order of Watchers, and had visited the estate a few times during the mid-year festivals.

  If she has been called up – there's no other way to break the siege. Not if the Watchers have been called to fight.

  Hiro looked after his own. His wound was superficial. He'd gotten used to effects of the Fog, and he was not coughing any longer, but Hiro did not know the Watchers had already arrived, and were only waiting for something important. Sacrifices had to be prepared for. Rieth saw him, then. The commander strode up, but Hiro realized immediately he was wrong – the commander didn't want him, but Luran.

  His companion was still alive, but gasping desperately for air. “A company man?” asked Rieth. “I need your help to take part in a sortie. You're no use to me here.”

  Hiro spoke up; he was tired of being ignored or dismissed. He bowed, remembering to honor the man's rank, despite his gruff demeanor. “I can go as well, Commander. I have family to seek out up north.”

  Rieth elbowed him away from them. “Not a chance; and so do others, no one else is going to leave until the giant is dead. Stay here, whelp, you might help your family get away, maybe with your sacrifice. Anyway, I need a soldier.”

  The commander turned his back on him and saluted Luran. “Captain! You're needed up north. That's a field promotion. Congratulations. Now, listen. They can't be allowed to flank us, and if they've overrun the passage through the Sun Mountains out west – no, I don't doubt they could have, but our forces should still be there. The Raiiya have a contingent force working on the wall up there, and we've got plenty of men who could use support. . . .”

  Hiro couldn't believe he was getting shunted to the side. The teacher was nowhere to be seen, as though he'd vanished entirely. But the so-called 'farmer' was ready – and willing – to leave anyway. He waited for the right time, and ignored the Commander's words. There was probably no one in the city he cared about anymore, and Shiden could look after himself. They were losing. He would not stay, if it could be avoided.

  Rieth was not watching him, but he whistled, drawing Hiro's attention. A few knights came up; Hiro scoffed, thinking he'd changed his mind at first. They brought two extra horses with them, and Rieth got on one, Luran on the other. He had his helmet off. The knight looked worried, and he yelled an apology. The commander drew a sword, and ordered Luran to follow. Hiro watched them go, racing down the ramp leading north towards the city's outer wall. He stared over the edge of the cliffs, despite not being able to see beyond a few meters out.

  To be Continued in Vol. 1, Part Two . . .

  Thank you for reading!

  Civilian's attire

  Idieramai - Gray

  atare dovfar nan Etirii* - brown

  *untranslatable, roughly means 'usual custom among the commoners of Etirran'

  Green - House of Green Oaks* - Ramai nan Irenarra -

  Tera-ramai [The Northern House], spoken as rannai, an 'm' in place names is usually a doubled 'n')

  Dovfarohai, 'the common words', lingua franca of the continent Niriu - 'Niriu' being short for a compound of the words Niru+inorin+annad+enno: Forsaken, Moutain[ous], Country, Vessel

  [??? why 'vessel' - why did the Ancients add glyph for 'a potter's vessel'?, glyph clearly added post-Cataclysm

  . . .further study warranted. . .

  - end marginal note, S. M., to S. A., 3rd month, year 1]

  Blue - Soaring Halls - Ramai nan Ataira / Sirra Ramai [Southern House]

  'Raven': odai-ataira-kan, 'void'/'darkness'/'emptiness' + 'sky'/'wind '+ 'beast'/'animal'

  Royal Purple - Eirra Ramai [Western House] -

  Red - House of the Wastes/House of the Red Viper, Ramai nan Kiushora / Kiuramai / Bera Ramai [Eastern House]