The Everburning City

Act 1, Part 4, Chapter 15

Emily

This time, the ranger followed, catching up in barely a dozen steps. "Take one shot out. Close it, and drop the pouch there," the woman said, and pointed just ahead.

Emily did as she was told, pulling a shot out, and dropping the rest as she ran. The ranger took the last shot, sheathed her sword, and a dozen steps further, stopped. She waved over at the wall of brush, pointing away. "Keep screening on that side," she shouted. Emily had to blink to see that there was someone on the other side of the fire. "Third squad and the captain are almost here."

Help. More help was just across the fire, and this lieutenant had waved it off. A mob of Gloamtaken, a hundred or more, and she was waving help off.

The ranger's salamander snapped shut, and as the Gloamtaken drew close, she trained the weapon on them. But the tilt was wrong, too low.

But then she fired, the ground erupted beneath the creatures' feet and an explosion hit Emily so hard it nearly knocked her over. Gloamtaken were blown into the air, torn into pieces. Others thrown to the sides, knocking others over.

"It has its places, but it's an inefficient use of ammo," the lieutenant said. She tapped Emily on the shoulder, pointed ahead, and lead them both into a run. "It fits into this hour, since we're not planning on picking our rations while we're here."

Discussing tactics. Emily gaped, the woman was talking shop in the middle of a fight.

"So, across the trench, take a quick breather. We should be able to cut this crowd down in a few minutes, so we can make our way back without them breathing down our necks," the ranger said. She paused, frowned, and asked, "do they breathe?"

Emily shook her head, her mouth moving without making a sound, as she tried and failed to come up with something to express the numbing torrent of confusing emotions. They slid down, crossed, and climbed up the next irrigation trench, where Sarina was already waiting with a bottle of water.

Emily drank greedily, between heaving breaths, but the ranger only looked a little flushed, like she was just warming up to spar. "By the way, are you Corporal Emily Varnell?"

Despite herself, Emily snapped to attention, saluting. The ranger frowned, laughed, and quickly tapped her chest twice. "As you were. I'm asking because I've been told by at least a dozen different people that you're in charge of this operation. And all things considered, what you've accomplished is a burning miracle."

"I..."

"I'm Lieutenant Nineveah Volenski, commander of first platoon of the Cadavalan Rangers. And Corporal, I am in awe of your success."

There was nothing Emily could have said, if she had been given a century to come up with an answer. This soldier, ranger, leader among the City's best, who had just saved them from a mob already clinging to her heels...

The ranger glanced back one, and rubbed her chin with her left hand. "You and I will keep near the fire wall. Keep to my left, close to the fire."

Raeth and Sarina were about ten yards away, further down the trench, already firing into the ranks of the Gloamtaken.

"Good," the lieutenant murmured, as she watched the mob approach. "Your soldiers will encourage the mob to funnel between us, to wrap around and either drive us into the Gloam or surround us. Which means they'll be climbing up that trench and bogged down just as the others hit them."

"The others?" Emily asked, as she glanced back.

Emily could see more rangers running towards them. Five of them, in a single line. "Just nine of us?" she asked. "I mean, your skill with a sword, that can't be common, even for you rangers."