Chapter 497

The first warning that this night’s battle was going to be different, that Nievtala’s warning about the Great Hunter shouldn’t have been taken lightly, were the sounds that came out of the forest just as the suns set over the mountain pass. The skies were still bright with light, but as shadow encompassed the surroundings, our enemies started to hiss and growl, the sounds somehow otherworldly and breaking the resolve of the weakest-willed members of my empire.

Fortunately, the Unbroken Blade had been zealous in the continued use of the strengthening ritual. I very specifically commanded Shraal to only allow the least impressive members of my people to subject themselves to the ritual, and he hadn’t attempted to voice any disagreement.

With dozens of Misti Hawar that had fallen but not died over the past nights, there had been plenty of sacrifices to make in pursuit of the completion of the ritual. The furred beasts had abandoned the fallen, and I saw no reason to weaken my back lines by attempting to keep prisoners as slippery as the shadow-walking aggressors. We had only a single prisoner, Maksulah, who’d been more than compliant with every demand we’ve had of her, even when her companions had attempted escape. One had succeeded, but the rest had all died, and even then, she never tried anything, only trusting in the leadership of her people.

A stupid trust, if you asked me.

Regardless, I had no complaints about the ritual occurring most mornings as the first light of the suns crested over the shining horizon of the ocean. And because of the continued use of this ritual, though many of the Kha and Khatif shivered and started to retreat, even more didn’t. Of course, no Keel was weak enough to be driven back by such a paltry showing, and I stood in the center of my city, watching the walls.

The darkness grew deeper, and in contrast, the fires along the walls of my city grew bright. My soldiers were gathered tightly there, the walls crawling with my people. One of the best ways to keep the Misti Hawar from being able to gain a foothold on the walls was to literally keep them from being able to find a space to stand. Of course, we lacked the combat-ready population to populate every square foot of the walls, but where they could, my people held together in firm groups that would shred anything that came close.

However, even as true night fell and the last remnants of light overhead were replaced by the faint glitter of the stars, the assault didn’t begin. Instead, the shrieking of the shadow wyrms filled the air, making a chorus of the spawn and the wyrms together replace the usual peaceful sounds of night. As the wyrms screeched and called, the uncomfortable squelching sounds of Illan’Klli’s spawn grew louder and louder.

A deep sense of foreboding settled over me, and I glared at the horizon, specifically at the dark shadows that seemed somehow blacker than night out there. I wanted to ask Nievtala about it, but a thought crossed my mind, something that I’d been told before: when there was an Administrator on both sides of any conflict, the ability of one Administrator, or god, as I’d learned, to communicate with their side was reduced until the conflict was over.

“Nievtala, bless us,” I breathed. “Bless us with victory, bless us with strength. Through the flaming crucible of war are we refined, and through the quenching in the blood of our foes are we strengthened.”

A pulse of power coursed through me as I recited the first Phrase of Nievtala’s Words of Power, and I could see the impact that it had on the people around me. Somehow, subconsciously, I had drawn on Overwhelming Address, even without using any of the reserves from my sonilphon.

“They’ve changed, somehow,” I said to Sybil by way of explanation of my sudden reverence. She stood beside me, as I momentarily dismissed the apparent change in my capability. Instead, I justified my paranoia further, “I don’t think there’s more of them. Just that they are somehow stronger.”

“The walls are as defended as we can make them,” Sybil replied. “If there is anything else that we can do to fortify ourselves, tell me.”

“I know,” I snapped. Then, taking a calming breath, I repeated, “I know. However, tonight will be different. This is going to be a slaughter. On both sides.”

“If you say so,” Sybil bobbed her head, seeming to feel the divine presence that pushed through me. “What would you have us do?”

“There’s nothing to do right now,” I growled. “However, when they show their approach, wherever they come from, I will respond. Nievtala said that the Great Hunter is simple-minded. I’ll count on that, on his attack being focused on a single side.”

“And if it is not, after you’ve committed to the battle?” Sybil asked, not questioning me, but instead simply asking for information that she might have to act on.

“If not, then hold on, and I will take care of the rest,” I said, gritting my teeth.

Not just Sybil, but the rest of the people beside me made their agreement with my will known, and the next few minutes passed in tense silence. Then, a cry from not far away went up, a voice that I recognized as Foire’s: “The stars! They’re disappearing!”

When I glanced up, I could see that he was correct, that the skies themselves were being covered by the approach of a deep black. The trees around the city too were disappearing, and the wyrms began their approach. I stretched my awareness out as best as I could, feeling the creatures’ presences through the density of magic that resisted the influence of my sonilphon.

Dozens of the massive lizards writhed out of the darkness, only a cursory number coming from the north, east, and west. There, a few mating pairs came forward, their shadows slithering along the ground the only warning of their approach. However, to the south, just as many wyrms approached as the other three directions combined. Shadow pulsed out from them, and the darkness was a physical thing that flowed towards my brave defenders. Then, behind them, a suspiciously small number of Misti Hawar provided deeper shadow for the monsters to hide in, only maybe 100 of the creatures that’d begun this war coming to end it.

The greatest threat, however, rolled implacably behind the Misti Hawar. The spawn of Illan’Klli had changed overnight. Or, overday, I supposed.

Instead of vague forms and insubstantial tentacles of shadow, each of the spawn had doubled in size, and their shadows now tore the ground up beneath them as they approached. My magic, though I’d put only a minute effort into it, was shoved away from them, as obviously, they’d gained more than just substance. Then, as soon as I saw the spawn on the back lines, the shadow wyrm front lines charged forward, hissing a war cry and challenge to my people.

“To arms!” I shouted, my voice carrying through the night through the influence of my magic. “The enemy is here, and it’s time to prove that, while they can use shadow, we are the peak that casts the long shadow!”

I felt magic flood out of me as I strengthened my people, and, with adrenaline pumping through me, the battle began with screams and shouts.