Warrior of the Moon

4

From his perch in the high reaches of an oak tree, he could see everything.

The castle in ruins, only a few of its turrets still intact. A cloud of dust still hovered overhead. Part of him wondered how long it would take for it all to descend. The other part of him wondered how many people it had suffocated.

The bands of Infernals pouring through the streets, though they seemed to be moving from the castle outward, as if they had been in there all along. So Iliss had not been lying about the tunnels, then. How there could be tunnels right under his feet that he was unaware of, he had no idea. And why would they not have used them to transport Serena each night they took her from the castle, if they were indeed so traversable? Answers he would find in time.

The white-armored men and women being forced to kneel in the castle's courtyard. Swords were pointed at their throats. They were herded like cattle. If they were not using their magic to fight back, they must be significantly outnumbered. Either that, or the Infernals had convinced more magic wielders than Tarin had first assumed to turn against their kind. His warriors could easily defeat the host that he was observing. So why were they holding back?

The worst of it was the town. He watched as men and women were chased down, beaten, threatened, and in some cases, killed faster than Tarin could draw a breath. Children were wailing, people were screaming, and Infernals were laughing.

They had taken his city.

He closed his eyes and sent a prayer up to the heavens, asking them to accept the souls of all who had been lost without cause into their hands. He prayed that the rest do whatever they needed to do to preserve their lives. And he prayed that he would soon be able to take Azure back.

Then he dropped to the ground and faced what remained of his forces.

Birches had fallen unconscious, and Iliss had been gagged with a sleeve Vice had ripped from her shirt. Dallin looked younger than he ever had before, his gaze constantly flicking back to Birches as if afraid the man might die at any moment. The twins were standing together, their hair in disarray, blood coating their clothes, but ready to face whatever news he brought. Or at least, they seemed to think they were.

"The city has fallen," he declared. His voice was soft enough to be carried on a light wind. Fortunately, he knew that the nymphs around him now were on his side.

Dallin slowly lowered himself to the ground, tilting his head back against the trunk of the tree next to where Birches' lay. He closed his eyes, and if Tarin did not know the boy better, he would think he was giving up. As it was, he knew Dallin just needed a moment to absorb the information and prepare for whatever the next plan would be. He would follow through with it, no matter what. His loyalties had never been in doubt before, and Tarin was not worried about him now.

Vice clenched her fists, and her nostrils flared dangerously, but that was all the reaction that he got out of either of the twins. He marveled at their restraint, but then again, he had trained them to be this way. Over eleven years was a long time for a group of people to hunt people down together. They had faced bad circumstances before. That did not mean they would not come out victorious this time.

Iliss began to thrash slightly, and when Tarin glanced at her, she made muffled sounds through her gag, clearly aching to have it removed. Figuring he had nothing to lose by allowing her to speak, Tarin gestured swiftly for Vex to tug it out of her mouth.

Iliss stretched her jaw for a moment, then stated, "I told you there was nothing you could do for them tonight. They've been instructed to imprison the warriors, take the town, and kill any citizens who resist. It would be more strategic to wait out the initial stages and see what's left in the morning."