A LEGACY OF LIGHT

TILLA

TILLA

She flew, the wounded princess of Requiem in her claws

Her eyes burned and her belly roiled.

I saved her. Oh stars, I saved her. I could have let her die. But I stopped Rune. I chose Shari over him. Oh stars.

She flew through smoke and fire, tears in her eyes. She looked down at Shari; the princess was writhing, and her eyes rolled back, and her lips mumbled. Blood poured from her shoulder blade. The forests streamed below them; half the trees were blazing and raising smoke that nearly blinded Tilla.

"I'm taking you to safety, Commander," Tilla said.

The fortress of Castra Luna rose ahead from the inferno. Cannons were firing from its walls. Smoke unfurled and the fortress shook. Dragons flew above it in defense; the Resistance had not yet broken through to the walls themselves. There would be safety inside those stone halls.

Why did I save her? Tilla thought as she flew over the walls. Stars, she could have let Shari fall! She could have tried to escape with Rune. She...

She was a soldier of Requiem.

Tilla nodded and blinked tears from her eyes.

She had sworn a vow when receiving her rank. She has sworn to fight for Requiem, to defend her lands, to protect her commanders.

I will keep an eye on you, Tilla the ropemaker, Shari had said that first day in Cadport. Tilla had sworn to prove her worth to the princess. She would prove it now.

She shot over the walls. The cannons fired beneath her, shaking the fort. Tilla dived toward the grand hall; its doors stood closed. Corpses of resistors, those brazen enough to have flown this far, lay strewn outside the gates.

Tilla hovered above the courtyard, her wings scattering dust, bits of armor, and a severed leg. She placed Shari down upon the cobblestones, then shifted into human form too.

"Princess Shari," Tilla whispered, kneeling above her. "You're safe."

Shari moaned and her eyes fluttered open. Blood filled her mouth.

"Tilla Roper," the princess whispered, voice hoarse, and spat out blood. "Tilla of Cadport."

She remembers me!

Despite the blood, terror, and pain, Tilla felt pride well up inside her. Hundreds of thousands served in the Legions--and Princess Shari remembered her.

If I save her life, Tilla thought, she will reward me. I can rise above the Black Roses. She will promote me. She will grant me power.

Tilla tightened her lips. She had sworn to survive in the Legions; this was the greatest thing she could do now.

"I'm going to save you, my princess," she said. "Can you stand? I'll get you inside. There is safety behind the walls. The enemy still fights above the forest."

She helped the princess to her feet. Shari slung her arms across Tilla's shoulders, and the two began to limp toward the doors. Tilla was the tallest woman in her phalanx, possibly the entire fort, yet Shari stood even taller, her body lithe but heavy with muscle and steel. Tilla struggled to support her; her knees ached and nearly buckled.

When she reached the doors, Tilla pounded against them.

"Shari Cadigus is here! Open the doors!"

Arrowslits lined the walls and turrets. Behind them, shadows stirred and men called out.

"Shari Cadigus!" The cry echoed behind the doors. "Open the gates!"

The doors creaked open, and Tilla entered, supporting Shari. The princess limped, most of her weight pressed against Tilla's shoulders. Once they were inside, the doors slammed shut again.

Axehands stood in the hall, arranged in battle formations, their namesake blades raised. The low, vaulted ceiling and crowded columns left no room for dragons; if the battle reached these halls, it would be a battle of blades.

Prince Leresy stood behind the Axehand formations. His eyes widened and he gasped.

"Shari!" he said. He ran between the axehands, shoving them aside. "Move. Move! Let me through." He reached Shari and stared at her, eyes narrowed. "You're wounded."

Still leaning on Tilla, the princess snarled. "Go back and hide behind your thugs, brother. The battle still rages."

Confirming her words, howls sounded outside. The archers at the walls cried out and began firing through the arrowslits. Thuds shook the doors, and fire burst around their frames.

"Break down the doors!" howled a voice outside. "Kill the prince and princess. Kill them all! Break inside!"

Tilla laid her princess on the floor, drew her sword, and stood above her.

She bared her teeth, sucked in her breath, and watched as the doors cracked.