"Nisa, that was amazing!" Pix gushed. We exited the Cathedral, rain gently falling onto the city. We must have been down there for hours, as night had set on Tomaleya.
"Really?" I asked, adrenaline still buzzing through my body. "I don't remember much of it." Which was true, I really didn't remember most of what had happened with Sanus and the Winoan Guardsmen. I knew that Pix was better with a sword than I originally thought. I knew I could barely even pick up a sword. And I knew that a dagger was my weapon of choice, because Sanus let me keep it. But I don't really remember how I came to find all of this out.
"Being in combat does that to you," Pix explained. "I have a lot of gaps from street scuffles where I don't remember what happened, other than that I won. The surge of energy in the moment causes gaps during the aftermath."
"Pix, you beat Sanus over thirty times," I replied wistfully. "You bested the general of the Winoan Guardsmen, that's amazing."
Pix smiled modestly as she opened the door to the house. "Honestly, I'm just as surprised as you are. But Sanus was right, it was a little unfair, I'm younger and don't use the proper technique."
I playfully bumped her with my shoulder. "Give yourself some credit. I wonder the last time Sanus was beat by two girls with no practice."
Pix laughed, lighting one of the lanterns on the table.
"Gavie?" I called up the stairs.
No reply.
"I think he went to speak with the traders at the docks today," Pix said. "But he should be back."
Before I could call again, a bell tolled. I glanced at Pix, both of us frozen.
Another toll. I held my breath.
Another.
"Oh goddess, no," Pix breathed, her hand dropping to her sword.
I grabbed the lantern and rushed out of the house, Pix right behind me. We burst through the door to find the piazza bustling with Guardsmen and families. People opened their doors only to be pushed back inside by a Guardsmen. One came over to us, standing in the doorway, a young man.
"Charl?" I asked. It was hard to recognize him under all that armor, but it was definitely the same boy from today.
"Nisa," he said, bowing slightly.
"Save the formalities, what's wrong?" I asked.
"You and Pix need to get to the cellar and lock the doors. Only come out when the bells ring twice," Charl said.
"Are you joking?" Pix asked, gripping her sword. "Move, we're coming to help." Pix tried to slip past Charl, but he blocked her.
"Charl, you need her out there. Besides, I need to protect Shae," I stated.
Charl shook his head. "Strict orders from Sanus, you're not ready. I can't disobey direct orders."
"Then don't," Pix said, tucking her head down and rolling out the door under Charl's arm.
Charl spun around, his back now to me. "Stop!" He called to her but Pix was already lost in the sea of soldiers and civilians.
"Sorry Charl," I said as I slipped out the door while his back was turned.
"Nisa!" He yelled, but I was already plowing towards the Cathedral.
I weaved my way through the masses, Guardsmen running to their posts or directing people into the Cathedral, families being separated, it was chaos. I forced myself into the stream of people flowing into the Cathedral, in hopes of finding Shae in the back room. What I found instead was Shae at the front doors, directing the flow into the Guardsmen training space downstairs.
"Shae!" I called over the crowd.
She looked up. If she was surprised, happy, or angry, she didn't show it. I pushed forward until I was at her side.
"I was wondering when you were going to show up," she said, directing a mother and her baby to the door downstairs.
"Well, Sanus wasn't particularly eager to let me out of the house," I replied. "But the leader of the Winoan Council needs her personal guard, right?"
"Of course," she answered.
"Shouldn't you be out of harm's way?" I asked, dodging a panicked man.
"My duty is to my city," she responded. "It always has been, always will be."
"But you're their leader," I said.
"And leading I am. They need to know that their leader puts her people first and does not run from danger."
The bells continued to toll in threes, smoke now rising from the outer stretches of the city. Suddenly, a man on a horse approached the front doors.
"Shae, please," Sanus called. "Get out of trouble, will you?"
"Sanus, calm down. I'll go downstairs when I know my people are safe," Shae said.
Sanus sighed, then noticed me. "Why are you here?"
"I'm Shae's guard, it's kind of what I do," I answered. "How many Beasts are there?"
"Hard to tell so far, but at least five, more than usual," Sanus replied.
"Do we know why?" I asked.
"I have a theory," Sanus said through his teeth, staring at me.
I racked my brain, trying to figure out what he meant. Then it dawned on me. I smacked my forehead.
"This is my fault," I mumbled. "The blood on the hill, when I hit my head on the rock. Goddess, I'm an idiot."
"We'll worry about that later. For now, please try to convince Shae to find shelter. I don't want her getting hurt," Sanus said, before riding off.
I raised an eyebrow at Shae. "He really cares for you, riding here personally to make sure you were safe."
"Well of course he does," Shae said. "We're bethrothed."
I nearly choked. "What?"
Shae stared at me, confused by my reaction.
"He's so much older than you though," I stammered.
"Not really," she replied. "Only by about fifteen years or so."
"That's a lot where I'm from. Why isn't he already married?"
"He was once, but that's not important. The stream of civilians is slowing down," She said, changing the subject.
"OK, well then let's get you down st-"
I was cut off by a fireball landing in the center of the piazza. People screamed and pushed into the Cathedral. The remaining Guardsmen in the area readied their weapons. Shae backed up behind me.
Silence.
Then an ear-splitting screech. Just across the clearing, a Beast emerged from behind the roof of a building, hissing loudly. Before anyone could move, another barreled out from one of the side street. They screeched in unison, crawling forward on their spidery limbs, skirting around the fire blazing in the center of the piazza.
In total, there were about a dozen Guardsmen, myself and Shae, and the last of the civilians, running for their lives into homes, down streets, and into the Cathedral. Directly across from the Cathedral, a handful of Guardsmen appeared, running towards the piazza. They slowed at the sight of the two Beasts circling the fire and scanning the crowd. I squinted and realized it was Charl leading the Guardsmen across the way.
"Don't move," Shae whispered over my shoulder. "They're blind and rely on sound and smell. They already smell you. If they hear you, we'll both be dead."
My hand tightened around the hilt of my dagger. I tried to slow my breathing, but panic had washed over me.
One of the Beasts approached the Cathedral, its claws scraping against the cobblestone. Shae grabbed my arm tightly. I could hear both of our heartbeats. And apparently so could the Beast.
It hissed and charged straight for the front doors. The Guardsmen outside fired arrows into its chest, but it was no use. The Beast barreled forward, batting aside two Guardsmen like they were nothing.
"Hey!" A voice called from across the piazza.
The Beast stopped and spun around. Charl was standing next to the fireball, holding a torch in one hand and his sword in the other. The other Beast crept closer to the fire, but still kept a good distance way, pacing back and forth. For better or worse, Charl now had the attention of both Beasts.
I lunged forward, but Shae tighten her grip on my arm and pulled me back. She shook her head, her eyes both afraid and full of tears. I stared helplessly as Charl struggled to keep their attention. I caught his eyes, his face so full of fear. I shook my head, a silent plea for him to stop. He sent me a small smile as he stepped forward. I bit my lip, trying not to scream.
As soon as he was far enough from the fire, the Beasts lunged forward. Charl, scrambled back to the fire. The Beasts were too slow to turn around, and they, with Charl were consumed by the fire right before my eyes.