Chapter 454 (1/2)
Chapter 454
Chapter 452: As burned as I crested the long incline of the switchback on train stretching down the mountainside behindat asped for air “I don’t…understand…e’re…taking this old…h I kneas speaking rhetorically, I answered anyway “There isn’t anywhere for these people to go in northern Sapin Valden, Marlow, Elkshi+re—they can’t support theh, have rooh the dense, marshy forest between Marlow City and Xyrus”
“I…know…” he puffed, standing up straight and screwing up his face as he tried to control his breathing
A few of the adventurers acting as guards passed us, and then the first cart A little girl stared forlornly off the edge of the randfather controlled the reins of two large skitters that were pulling their s at the Wall
“hello, Kacheri,” I said, giving her a small wave
When she didn’t wave back, I slipped so and tossed it at her She watched it sail through the air and land on the seat next to her with a vacant expression, then jumped with excitement and hurried to re with excitement as she shoved the chewy caramel in her mouth
“Poor kid,” Jarrod said under his breath as the cart rolled past
There were over two hundred people in our caravan, people like Kacheri who had lost al, and the only hope they had was to escape the ser sustain themselves after the war Families had been ripped apart, people enslaved, their properties taken from them or destroyed, and when the war ended so suddenly, Sapin had lacked the leadershi+p and infrastructure to send help or rebuild
With countlessfrom the war, too many families just couldn’t survive so far away from the cities
Ironically, a few of those in the caravan were people we had helped escape the cities to begin ho hadn’t been able to riskthe return journey on their own and had instead waited months for assistance Some of them would return to Xyrus and Blackbend, but others had no homes, families, or lives to return to With no hope of their own, they needed soing a small rock with my toe, I watched as it bounced down the steep ainst stone quiet under the continuous crunch of wagon wheels and the rumble of so many voices, both human and mana beast
Jarrod was silent but kept up a brave face for the sake of those who rolled past in the caravans
Ahead, I heard the guards calling out and turneda rest,” Jarrod said, seeing et everyone up this incline, so we can take a breather ourselves, right?”
I nodded, hikingup the road, which leveled out as it curved around a broad valley in the et the last carts up here, but we should all fit coh a gap between a cart and the fae boulder that had fallen froe By the place tio, and now it made a convenience table for Jarrod to pull out a few containers of food
I followed, cos from my own dimension artifact, I laid them out to share, then took up an apple and bit into it with a crunch
A heavy-set woht-colored clothes whistled as she passed us by in her se bird al to ask me for a lunch date, Jarrod Redner?”
Jarrod’s cheeks flushed, and his led for a reply
“Maybe the day your very presence doesn’t redden his face and steal his tongue, Rose-Ellen,” I shot back, then laughed behindaround in her chariot and straightening her tight blouse, “I fear I am doomed to hear only the sound of silence frorin “Unlike you, Lady Helstea”
I waved my hand to shush her, then hida bite
Jarrod took his ti little bites off it, looking everywhere but at me After a minute, he cleared his throat and said, “Do you ever think about…before? Like, Xyrus Acadeht have been like if the Alacryans hadn’t attacked?”
“Sure,” I answered, absently turning the apple over in my hands “It’s hard not to, even when I know it doesn’t help anything” I hesitated, then met Jarrod’s eye “What’s on yourslowly “Everything that’s happened since the attack on the academy has been…awful, you know? But…” He shi+fted in his seat, his eyes darting around as he searched for the words, and I realized he looked…guilty “I don’t want to sound like I’ the horror that these people have faced—that everyone in Dicathen has faced, like the elves, like that girl, but…”
He let out a drah and finally looked at me “I just wanted to say, I like this I…like e’re doing Helping these people? Spending tiuess If it weren’t for the war—if you hadn’t saved my life when I literally tried to kill you, I just don’t knoho I’d have becouess, that I prefer who I a behind my eyes and quickly blinked them away “No, I don’t think that’s bad” I clearedthe aardness, Jarrod chuckled wryly “Speaking of saving e over there, see? Who’d have guessed I’d end up working alongside that blade wing rider again, huh? I swear I still have nightmares about Velkor…”
I snickered into my hand “You should show some more appreciation for the mana beast that helped you escape Xyrus”
“Easy for you to say,” Jarrod exclai his jerky at me “You didn’t have to ride the beast I swear, I’m still not sure Tanner even kne to control it, really”
“Well, he seeasp burst out of me unbidden, and I jumped to my feet asisting wildly, its flight quick and erratic just ht lanced across the sky and struck it from behind Velkor and Tanner spun out of control, and the blade wing’s distant silhouette vanished froht as it pluures, at first only specks, grew quickly larger as they approached, their killing intent expanding before theinto a sprint toward the front of the caravan Jarrod didn’t hesitate but followed right behind s
The adventurers had already begun to forees, others chanting and preparing offensive spells to launch a counter attack at whatever approached
But we could all sense the strength of their unconcealedexchanged between our guards and heard the quavering of their voices
Shouts went down the wagon train, bringing the carts to a halt one after another Most of the people ere escorting weren’t , nor had they seen Tanner shot fro cast, and that was enough to send theh We couldn’t turn around, run, or hide The distance fro had appeared ures bore down on us in what felt like seconds
Diane Whitehall, one of the adventurers as leading the protection of our caravan, chopped doith her arm and shouted, “Attack!”
I held my breath as a volley of spells launched into the air
Not a single one found its target
Black ice crystalized around the feet of our frontline defenders The ice condensed into spikes and thrust upward, piercing mana, armor, and then flesh and bone with casual effortlessness
I heard chainmail rip and bones break Men and women screamed, then went silent as their fa the black ice
Behind the out, no barrage of return fire evident as the horror of the display stole the strength from even these hardened warriors
“Fall back!” Diane ordered, her co tone replaced by a o
Greenthe survivors I couldn’t turn away as their flesh began to run like candle wax down their bodies, their dying screa with bile and blood Diane’s freckled face and curly hair sloughed off to reveal the skull beneath, then she collapsed
The skitters pulling the lead cart scra out of their harnesses and clawing over the driver’s seat, ripping Kacheri’s grandfather to pieces Then the mist hit the cart, and I finally turned away, unable to watch what followed, unable to even feelmy mind and body
Suddenly Jarrod had a hold ofme back and away from the mist as it devoured the second and third carts in line as well Everything was screa upside down as if trying to throw us off into the sky…
I fell to my knees and was sick in the dirt
I’d been in the war, in ht, I’d killed…but I’d never seen such casual and horrific death Even in the worst days of the Alacryan occupation of Xyrus, I hadn’t experienced anything like this
“Cast another spell and die,” one of the figures said, a wo, I watched as she landed a around her She had jet black hair and red eyes…and horns
A Vritra, I thought, a word that only partially haduntil that moment
“Bare a weapon and die,” she continued, stepping toward the handful of adventurers still drawing breath “Run and die Irritateoveracross the front of the caravan I could hear her voice carrying down theso she could be heard even from the far end a half mile distant “Who speaks for you?”
“I—I do,” I said weakly, although it wasn’t true, strictly speaking “S-sort of, I guess” Struggling, I wiped my sick-splashed hands in the dirt and stood “This isn’t a…we’re just helping peopleanything of value…except human lives”
The woman smiled, a cruel expression on her blunt face “Convenient, because that is exactly e need right now” Over her shoulder, she said, “Raest, head to the rear of the caravan Ensure no one gets brave”
Raest was badly burned and n of pain as he nodded in understanding and flew off down the road
“Varg, give the venerable Sovereign over to Renczi and assistred eyes flicking toward the sky
A secondcurved chin, and short horns stabbed up from each te a prone form He stepped up close to the woman and spoke in a low tone that I could only barely make out “You sure this is the best idea, Perhata? We could—”
She bared her teeth at hin but no tempus warp, since ours went up with Cethin We need to send out a signal, and these Dicathian unads give us cover in case we have…co “Your pulse quickens at ated canines and leaned in close “Know that if you survive this, it will be because you did exactly as I said It will be because I spared you Seek no hope fro past a lump in my throat, I nodded When she extended a hand toward ers cla around my cheeks “Go, child Calm your people Explain what is needed of them Ensure that they understand their continued existence is firave me a soft shove as she released me, and I nearly tumbled over backwards
Jarrod took hold of my arm to steady me “Lilia, are you…” He trailed off, then used his sleeve to wipe away a spot of vo to do?”