29th Day of the Fifth Moon. Year 879.
Writing: Nick, Son of Unknown
I don't remember how long it took me to shake myself out of the shock. Over seventy thousand Humans stood on the doorstep of Romara, their spears extended to pierce the thick walls and their red capes a foretelling of the future. "We gotta go, now" I whispered and grabbed Tariq's paw, pulling her back. "No" She murmured, fixed on her place and her eyes still wandering down at the army. "No?! Tariq, we'll die if we don't leave!" I exclaimed, tugging on her paw, pulling her harder, but as if the very stones of this wall held her down, she didn't move.
"I know you don't care about this city, but it's MY city and I'll fight to save it... a Queen must fight for her people" She growled at me, her eyes barely moving, her lips curled and her teeth bared. I glanced at the chaos around us. Men, armed and not, ran around in their haste to load the cannons, signal their comrades and prepare themselves. My gaze soon returned back to the army, it being nothing but a crimson sea in the distance. Romara was deemed unreachable... yet who could have thought Humans would attack from their own borders.
"Fine, then I'll fight with you, but then we leave" I nodded, a warning in my voice. I might need her, but I wouldn't waste more than two weeks in this city, I've already stayed far longer than it was worth it and now I'll be trapped in here for a few more days... hopefully.
Now words left her mouth as she turned around and rushed through the rushing soldiers without a single emotion glowing in her face. But I knew that this was a lie, and as I followed her, with every step I grew more certain of it. She was burning inside, burning to kill every last of these furless beasts on her hometown's doorstep. That determination guided her, us, through the streets of Romara. In every alley and every street, there were the same faces... some would fight and others would flee, women would kill and men would slaughter and kits would struggle for their lives, but there was one thing to be certain of. The only thing that could prove an obstacle to the enemy at the gates was Abraxxos keep... the guardian of Romara.
I prayed it would suffice and halted at Tariq's signal. We were back at The Blood Coin inn, but the thief-den looked different, felt different. The windows had been closed shut, there were no songs or lights coming from the glass wall, these merry voices having been replaced by thundering whispers of conspiracy and doubt. "You have an army" I whispered, this wasn't a statement, but a realization. Around me, I started to feel it, the rhythm of Romara's beating heart. It had nothing to do with the merchants and the soldiers, no... "Took you long enough" A feral smirk spread across Tariq's face like wildfire, her whole body burning with the arrogance of a winner.
Speechless, I surveyed the world around me, and then I saw it. "Teach them to fear the shadows of the desert!" Tariq yelled, her summon like a wave that flooded every corner and alley of the city, calling her army of misfits to her aid. "Things are changing!" She yelled, louder, and looked at me. Her golden eyes chained me where I stood as she took a step towards me, then smiled. "Let's show them we are more than just their little fuck-toys" She murmured, her voice a whisper that was lost in the morning mist... but that was what she wanted, to be heard where no one would listen... and then hear a reply.
Shadowy figures began to appear in every corner, out of every door, window, rooftop and tent. Daggers and swords flashed out of their sheathes, claws and fangs that eagerly awaited the fight now stood ready. "How do you like my army?" She smirked. I glanced at the females around me, "I'm starting to feel it" I returned her smirk.
"Good, good. Now follow me, we have plans to make" She said and the smirk didn't fade as she spoke her last words, entering her base of operations. The inn had been turned upside down, every table had been stored away and now weapon stands, shields and supply crates had taken the place of the chairs and only a few torches lit the room, which was filled with armed females of various species. "I need any information you can give me" Tariq spoke, placing her paws on the single bed that stood in the middle of the room, acting as a war map.
A cheetah stepped in, her golden fur in perfect contrast with her skin-tight, black leather outfit. "They're about seventy thousand and certainly carrying artillery with them, though there has been no word of its numbers in the Eastern Section" She spoke and then stepped back as silently as she had appeared. "They have twenty-two cannons, spread across three fronts. Left, middle and right, with six on the two flanks and ten supporting the main force" Another one, the young female coyote I had fought a few days ago... so she was working for Tariq.
"There has been no word about where they came in the Western Section, but I know that they have enough supplies with them to keep a siege going for three weeks" A tall lioness was heard from the corner, her voice lost as another one rose, "They arrived from the Old Slave mines and raided three villages only days after the monthly patrol of the Border Guard".
Each of her 'shadows' knew a different part of the information, adding another piece to the puzzle and by the time the sun had begun shedding its last lights on the city-to-be-sieged, we had everything we needed to put the plan into action. "Here's what we are going to do" Tariq said, straightening her back, eyeing everyone in the room. Her eyes met mine and she said, "The walls must fall, we must let them enter as deep as possible and then, when their entire force has broken their formations, we will sweep the streets, clearing them out one by one. Otisha, you take your lionesses and guard the Gardens. Oldima, Ashya, you two will cooperate. I need you to cover the slums. Komeh, Raphim, you will be in charge of the Mansions... keep mine and every other family safe" She ordered and with every name spoken, a battalion of shadows and swords left the room until only me and Tariq stood over the table alone.
"There was no doubt in their eyes" I said through the silence, all she did was nod. "How did you make a bunch of misfits follow you with such zealotry?" I leaned on the table, making her avert her eyes from the map. "This is where you're mistaken. They aren't misfits..." She smirked, folding the map and tugging it under her clothes. I remained silent, tilting my head. "I've pulled them out of situations that they were sure to die, multiple times, after a while they came to me... to pay their life debt, one by one" She smiled, maybe a memory.
She nudged her head at the direction of the door, signaling me to follow. "What happens when they've paid their life debts off?" I pushed off the table. "Oh, we wouldn't be able to, but nobody wants to leave either way" A cheerful, high-pitched voice sounded from the dark and the young coyote appeared. She had stayed behind, but nobody else did, maybe she was just a friend of Tariq's and not a soldier... hopefully. "And why that?" I smirked at her, following Tariq out of the building, which was now closed shut.
"We trust her, not that you'd know anything about that" The coyote snorted, but before I could rip that little smirk off her face, Tariq walked past me. Her back straightened and her head high, eyes to the sun. I shook my head and followed the Panther, who was silently being escorted by the coyote.
Silently, as if her thoughts had shut her mouth, Tariq unlocked the door of a tall, random, building and entered it, calmly walking up the stairs until we reached the rooftop where she made it to the edge and stopped to observe the city. Both she and I have claimed this to be her city, but the gleam in her eyes told me that there was something far more than just the underground she wanted to rule. "We'll need magic" She finally spoke.
"Don't look at me, I don't have that" I shrugged, standing right next to her, my shoulder touching her elbow. She eyed me, and then I noticed the difference. The coyote never stood at her height, nor besides her, only behind her... and she seemed surprised that I did, she had looked at me like that again, maybe. "I do, I have magic, but there's a problem" She said, pointing at the mansion of her family. "What about it?" I observed the building. "Remember the Jade floor and the Diamond chandelier?" She turned her look to the walls. The red sea of Humans was approaching.
"Please tell me it's not what I think it is" I sighed, rubbing my temples. "It's exactly that... and we need to shatter it" She nodded. I glanced at the coyote, she didn't seem to be bothered to know any of this. "If it's magic seal as you claim it to be, then it must hold the magic of the entire city!" I exclaimed, taking a step back, turning away from the edge of the roof. "No, it holds my magic".
I found myself lacking the words to reply. Jade and diamond made the perfect magical seal, especially if a binding spell was used. If her magic needed to be held by such a seal, then those Humans were up for a surprise. "Alright, how do we do it?" I finally said, resting my head against the wall. "No idea" She shook her head.
"I have one. We'll need a red flag and some armor, then the cannons will do the rest" I said, pushing off the wall and turning to her. "What are you planning?" The coyote spoke for her, disbelief in her voice. I ignored her, talking to Tariq, "You'll dress up in that armor and plant the flag on top of the mansion. Abraxxos keep will hopefully believe that the invaders have sneaked into the city and will bombard the life out of your house" I said, pointing at the keep up on the mountains. It was risky, but effective if everything went according to plan. "My brothers will be away from the house and I don't care if my father dies... It's a plan, let's do it. Nina" Tariq ordered, snapping at the coyote. She stood, awaiting commands. "Write a letter and deliver it to the Abraxxos head of defense, tell them that the Tariq Mansion has been overtaken and has to be bombarded. Effective immediately" She commanded.
The coyote nodded and darted back into the door, running down the stairs. "I'll dress up like soldier, what will you do?" She tilted her head, signaling me with her paw to move back downstairs. "You'll see" I smirked, winking. She smirked back silently and stopped when her feet touched the sand-covered ground of the alley. "Whatever it is you'll do, don't fail" She said, her voice cold enough to freeze over the heat of the desert.
I nodded and ran on the opposite direction she did. Neither of us turned around, I guess we somehow knew that we'd survive, or just hoped. The sound of the first cannon firing cracked through the air, booming louder than a thunder. It had begun and it was not going to end for a few days, no matter what plan we came up with.
The streets were empty of life, any one smart enough to value their life had fled to Abraxxos keep, the safest place to be right now. I silently whispered to whatever Gods guarded this land for that, it would make my plan easier... and with less casualties. The plan was simple, had little chances to succeed and I had no idea what's it effect would be.
There was only one building that had a clear view on Tariq's mansion main hall and that was a tiny balcony on the mansion adjacent it and it was only a few feet long which mean I didn't have any place to maneuver, if Tariq sat on the wrong place then it would fail. I kicked the door and ran straight through the colorful hallway. The orange and yellow curtains that hanged from the ceilings to cover the entrances to the rooms gave a luminous glow to the hallway, somehow fitting perfectly with the increasing sounds of cannon-fire.
I pushed one of the curtains aside, revealing a tiny room, a bath. Two large bathtubs sat on the left and right corners of the room while crates of supplies had filled the other two. "W-who are you?" A young female voice stuttered from the left. "Don't worry, girl. I am here to help" I said calmly, not even trying to look at the naked female leopard that was staring at me with terrified eyes. She couldn't be older than ten, her fangs had barely grown enough to change color on the edge. "Are we safe?" She asked, the terror in her eyes still apparent. "Yeah and I'm doing my best to keep it like that" I said calmly, tearing down the curtain of the balcony. In front of me, a few hundred feet away, stood a window large enough to provide me a clear view to the Tariq's mansion.
"Sir? You are a fox, you are not supposed to be here. Daddy will kill you if he sees you here" The girl mumbled, finding her courage. I glanced at her, realizing that she had wrapped herself in a towel as she approached me. "I know, so I would prefer you told him that you had a nice bath and that you are hungry" I said, setting up my rifle on the balcony's handrail. "Are you going to kill someone?" She asked, taking a step to me, her breathing shortened. She was not as scared as she was ready to pounce. "No, I am helping a friend save her city" I adjusted the scope and aimed at the hall of Tariq's mansion. "I don't trust you" She narrowed her eyes, baring her little claws. "Neither do I, but somebody has to help" I said, trying to focus on my plan. The kid had to leave the room or she'd see it.
"I will keep him away for only an hour" Was all she said before the sound of her footsteps disappeared. I smiled, she would make a good hit if she decided to go into business.
Tariq wouldn't appear for two days or so, I needed more time than just an hour. I turned around, scanning the room for a hiding spot. There was a closet, a locked on at that, maybe I could hide in there when the father or anyone else entered the room. "Perfect" I whispered to myself and turned back to the mansion. I needed to gather as much information I could on my surroundings before I took the shot, at least now that I had so much time. If I was right, then Tariq would need one day to kill one of the attackers in secret and steal his armor and another one to bring it back into the city, wear it and enter the mansion.
An hour later, just as the girl had promised, the heavy footsteps of an adult leopard approaching. I hastily packed the rifle and ran into the closet, picking the lock as I had practiced within that hour and then locked it again from the inside where I hid. The door burst open and I felt the breathing of the male lighten up. He turned around and closed the door, scolding at his daughter who was making up things. I smirked and exited the closet, locking it again before I returned to my post.
That was the routine for the two days that came after, I would scan the area around the mansion and would hide when anyone would want to take a bath or resupply, which thankfully was something uncommon. The cannon-fire becoming common to the point where my ears didn't twitch and I could sleep easily without waking up when one would land near the mansion. The third day, Tariq appeared in her mansion out of nowhere, waving the flag of the Humans sieging the city. A golden crown with a sword on a red background.
I shook my head and placed my rifle on the handrail, aiming. Tariq waved the flag high enough to warn the entire district, but the cannon fire was still to come. I dragged the fire-pin back, showing the empty canister. I swallowed and took the magitech core out of the box and held it on my paw. Its otherworldly glow blinded for a second before I placed it into the rifle's chamber and pushed the fire-pin forward, loading the rifle with the core. I knew that it could amplify magic, so if I could time it correctly, at the time of the release of Tariq's magic, then it would all be unleashed without it being held back. That was the plan at least. Then it came, a flash of fire from the Keep up above and then silence.
Three.
Two.
One.
I pulled the trigger and the core was launched from the rifle's barrel, traveling towards the mansion. Just as it struck the Jade floor, the cannon ball did so too, shattering it to million of pieces.
My plan worked and....
"... and then you know the rest of the story" I finished, leaning onto the tiny window of the room, looking out at the burning sands. "It really was your fault then" She sighed, her face planted in her paws. I nodded silently, not caring if she could see it or not. She fell silent, processing everything I just told her.
I didn't know how long it took for her to speak, "Did that girl survive?".
I took a deep breath, pushed off the window and walked to the door.
"I'll be waiting for you at the gate, be ready in ten minutes" I replied and then I was lost behind the door. I had no idea what she expected when she asked that question, maybe she was just foolish enough to think that I would answer... but that wasn't the case, no, she wanted to see if I regretted anything.
I shook my head, trying to shake the memory, but I couldn't.
The world around me burned, the melting walls burnt enough to scorch the sun, but I hadn't been touched in the slightest. The building had melted in an instant, the tree was on fire and only two things remained intact. Me and Tariq... but then, a scream. A scream of realization, not of pain, because it had happened to fast to even hurt.
I turned my head and through the flames I watched the leopard's flesh melt until the bones were one with the molten glass.
Tariq and I had survived. The female I cared for had survived. So, No. I regretted nothing.
Fire Burns.