Chapter 473

As soon as I looked west, a pillar of lighting fell, and as the crack of lighting echoed over Nievtra, Saharliard cheers filled the air. Percral raised his fists high where he stood on the walls, and though it took me a moment to see clearly, it was obvious that he’d sustained a few smaller wounds, but was largely unharmed. To the east, Took thrashed against a spawn that attempted to flee, and flashes of fire surrounded her as she dismembered the beast with a guttural roar. Thick hunks of flesh slapped to the ground, where they began to disintegrate into smoke.

Then, turning my attention to the inside of the walls, I could hear Arwa’s howls, the rest of her offspring and the other wolfstags evidently having been victorious in their part of the fight. Joral’s voice cut through the din, and the wolfstags grouped up into individual packs, each under the command of one of the Voltaic. They trotted off, and I slowly allowed myself to feel some measure of comfort, until I turned my attention to the northern walls.

The last remnants of battle there were only dying now, and it was obvious that the Misti Hawar had committed more of their fighting force to the northern wall than anywhere else. Dozens of dead, furry corpses lay everywhere, and at least 100 of my people’s bodies joined them. It was difficult to tell how many of the spawn had been a part of that fight, but it couldn’t have been a small number. Only at that moment did I realize that I had been so focused on eradicating the spawn that I hadn’t noticed any of the shadow wyrms around. Their bodies lay here and there, but not nearly so many as I’d seen approaching the walls.

“Nievtala burn the egg destroyers,” I cursed as I took note of several bodies obviously killed by the wyrms’ venom.

A faint sense of disappointment swelled inside of me as I saw so many of my own that had died, that they’d been a failure to have been defeated so easily, but I tamped down that unreasonable reaction. They were weaker than others, and these battles were becoming more and more decided by the Keel than anything else, but I wanted to see the Empire thrive, and its formation necessitated more than just Keel. Instead of continuing to think about the worthiness of those who’d died, I looked for any familiar corpses among the bodies. I couldn’t see any from a distance, but while I glanced dispassionately over them, I saw a surprisingly large body laying unmoving, I didn’t have to force myself to force myself from feeling scornful to real fear.

Which Keel had been on the north wall? Sybil was, of course, the first to come to mind. But she wouldn’t have been on the front lines, right? Despite the comfort it would have brought, I knew that she would have fought. Did I think that she would stand back and watch while her children huddled in danger behind her? Farahlia and Shemira both also fought there, making the main body of those who’d fought in the north who came from my elites, though another half dozen would have been nearby.

Looking around myself, I saw Ytte and commanded, “You’re in charge. Ensure no more of the furry bastards approach.”

I didn’t wait for a response before I bolted off towards my single minded goal. My people celebrated around me, and I forced myself to slow just enough to acknowledge their excitement as I continued on my path. Before I arrived, though, my nervousness was replaced with relief. The huddled body on the ground jolted and got up, revealing Shemira rolling her shoulders, flexing her scales, and grinning at those who surrounded her. Evidently, there was something I’d missed, and I slowed my approach while I pulled some of the sound to myself to hear what she said.

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“Was it not a wise plan to deceive our enemies and rest at the same time?” She laughed as my tension drained away. “Despite their strengths, they do not seem to be particularly wise. The wyrms ignored me until it was too late and I was among them.”

I listened to her continue to run her mouth, and each word she said seemed to solidify my own opinion of what she’s done, but I didn’t need to say anything as Sybil strode forward with stiff steps.

“If you desire to lounge about on the walls during a siege,” my mate said in a tone that nobody misunderstood as kindly or patient, “then you are free to do so. If you believe that giving up your feet and your mobility in an attempt to potentially surprise an enemy that is looking to eradicate every one of us, you may do so. I only request that you do so on a wall that does not protect incubating eggs and still tender hatchlings.”

The small bit of levity that had sprouted up around Shemira’s little show died. Instead of laughing at her antics, the Khatif and Kha quickly dispersed while the Zaaktifi turned on her heel and strode away from Shemira. The leader of my Empire’s militia rose to her feet, looking the slightest bit chagrined at the chastisement that’d come her way, but not too much. She quickly slipped into her more regular persona and strode around, giving commands on where to go and which bodies to collect as food.

“I apologize for her lack of seriousness,” Sybil said as she strode up to me. I hadn’t attempted to make my presence known, but she hadn’t hesitated to come straight for me.

“She’s nothing if not incorrigible,” I replied, holding myself tall. When she saw me, Shemira looked more embarrassed and reapplied herself twice as much in her duties on the wall as she realized I’d seen what she was doing. I paid her no mind as I spoke to Sybil.

“What happened here?”

“The wyrms appeared underfoot,” she explained, “as the spawn came. There were fourteen of the spawn, and the wyrms and Misti Hawar used the shadow created to harry the defenders. As blood slicked the walls, footing worsened even more, and it wasn’t long before casualties grew. I apologize, we didn’t hold the line well enough.”

I waved off her apology, instead turning my thoughts inward. It’d only been a few days, and already I was seeing how little I’d understood of warfare and sieges. How long could we hold up like this if we were losing so many more than our attackers every time? It didn’t make sense, and we needed to be able to better hold the line, or it’d be better for us to flee entirely.

No!

Nievtala’s protest struck me like a physical blow, but I managed to keep my feet. I turned my attention towards my goddess, and she snarled in my head, You would give up so easily?

“I’m not giving up,” I replied, my face a grimace, “but we need to change our defense to actually keep our enemies off the walls, or we’ll all die.”

I have an idea. Come to the temple.

Her command faded from my mind, and with nothing else to do but to obey, I left my people behind with a few encouraging words, Sybil understanding the distant look on my face as I went to see what my goddess had to offer to change things for us.