The Ondwinian soldiers on the island were surrounded. Around twenty of them had made it over alive. Twenty or so Vallorians defended positions further along the island, backed up by the three mages protecting the kingdom core.

  Laryn had two hundred or so blood-lusted goblins at his back. The situation looked grim for the surrounded Ondwins.

  The ranking soldier among them quickly recognized the situation and threw down his weapons, waving a white cloth in the air.

  Laryn didn’t know if he could stop the goblins from tearing them to shreds.

  He glanced behind him, and was astonished to find that the goblins were working on dismantling the bridge, to prevent more Ondwins from crossing.

  The bridge crashed down into the water. It was not swept away, but was precarious enough to prevent anything more than a slow passage.

  Lobix shouted orders in his strange, low-goblin speech. “Cutta rope, Grok! Heave, ugly gobs, throw an pusha log!”

  These were the more intelligent, more capable goblins of Zaremba’s horde. Laryn realized that all of the lowest goblins had totally succumbed to their rage and bloodlust, and Lobix had been unable to rally them.

  He turned his attention back to the surrendering Ondwins. He sheathed his sword, and advanced. The remaining soldiers threw their weapons to the ground and raised their hands.

  Behind them, the kingdom core sparkled in the sunlight. It was still partially submerged in the floodwaters, and a few low barricades had been constructed on the dry beach nearby.

  Gall appeared from behind a barricade and jogged across the sand.

  “Thank Ishtoran!” he exclaimed. “It is good to see you!”

  He beamed and clapped Laryn on the shoulder. Laryn couldn’t help but smile in return.

  “Good to see you too, Gall. Do we have the capacity to tie these men up somehow?”

  “I’ll figure it out,” Gall said, waving Gaten and Widan over. They started collecting weapons, and other Vallorians began appearing to help. They eyed the goblins uncomfortably as they did.

  Laryn turned his attention back to the north shore of the beach. Harrat appeared to have given up on the attack of Vallor, and had turned his attention to fighting the bulk of the goblin horde.

  “I need to get a better view of things,” Laryn said. “Someone mentioned a tower?”

  Adi appeared beside him. “It’s partially collapsed, but it might help. It’s at the center of the island.

  “Lobix, keep your men ready, we might have to push back across the river somehow; I’m going to scope things out.”

  The tower had been a simple platform atop a scaffolding of poles, just high enough to see out over the tallest trees on the island. A magical attack had damaged one of the poles, so the platform at the top leaned precariously.

  “Nothing wrong with a three-legged stool,” Laryn said as he examined the structure. He climbed up on the stable side, and decided not to try standing on the platform. From here he could see the north bank well enough.

  Many of the trees had been cleared on the north bank, between the river and the ridge. Harrat’s entourage and the soldiers remaining with him gathered away from the river, forming up with one flank protected by the ridge.

  The soldiers who’d been guarding the northwest gap had gathered together in two clumps; one of which was this side of the gap, the other on the north side. They were surrounded by goblins, and holding strong formations.

  Goblins swarmed everywhere, but their potency was reduced by the effective formations of the humans. Furthermore, the entirety of Harrat’s force now equaled the numbers of the goblins. Laryn had no doubt that if Harrat chose to do so, he could kill off all of Zaremba’s horde, and remain camped beside the river.

  He’d take heavy losses doing that, though, and Laryn would be in an excellent position to drive the prince off. His reinforcements would be busy fighting the void overrunning the Townshold Pass. Laryn knew that Harrat had no choice but to retreat.

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  And that was what he appeared to be doing. As Laryn watched, the prince’s men charged toward the gap, and linked up with one of the groups of soldiers cornered there. They began adjusting their formation, preparing to make a break for it.

  They were going to run into Zaremba and Kenna in the woods. Laryn had no way of knowing how that interaction might go, but he doubted it would be good.

  He scrambled down from the tower.

  Laryn ran past the goblins milling about on the beach and climbed onto the partially collapsed bridge. He edged along a wobbly plank until he reached a more stable portion, then jogged over. Once on the far shore, he made his way to the place where he’d climbed the ridge before. In the daylight, he found the ropes easily and pulled himself up and over.

  He wondered if this was how Harrat’s mages had climbed up here.

  There was no trace of them, so he quickly slid down the other side of the ridge, dropping carefully in places, sliding in others.

  A short run through the woods and he reached Zaremba’s position.

  “Zaremba!” he exclaimed, pushing through her advisors and reaching the palanquin. “We’ve won! They’re retreating!”

  As he said this, Harrat’s force charged through the gap, bulldozing through goblins. The reunited with the final portion of Harrat’s army. The well organized humans began marching toward Zaremba’s position.

  Kenna raised her arms over her head in triumph.

  “Sound the horns of victory!” Zaremba ordered from within her palanquin.

  The horns sounded, and many of the goblins backed away from the marching humans. The lowest goblins, too bloodlusted to hear the horns, continued their attacking and were cut down.

  As Harrat’s soldiers marched this way, Zaremba’s entourage moved west, getting out of the path of retreat.

  Kenna stood with Laryn, watching the Ondwins come. She spotted Harrat, riding his horse, surrounded by mages, and her brow creased.

  “Come on,” Laryn said, pulling Kenna to follow the goblins.

  “Wait,” she said. “Just let me get a little closer.”

  She moved through the trees, going toward the retreating column, and Laryn followed her. He felt a disturbance in the air, and grabbed her arm.

  “Don’t do it!” he shouted, but it was too late.

  Kenna fired an elemental [Dart].

  It ripped through the foliage of the trees and across the clearing beyond. Laryn was surprised at how well aimed it was. He was not surprised when Harrat’s mages cast [Shields], totally protecting their leader.

  He prepared his own, knowing retaliation was coming.

  Reset time? Or allow Kenna to learn from this?

  He decided to wait and see.

  “Shield!” he exclaimed, and Kenna cast her [Shield] as a barrage of magic exploded around them. Laryn grabbed Kenna’s arm and dragged her away, casting his own [Shield] as the attack continued.

  Kenna tripped and someone shouted behind them.

  Harrat, riding toward them, his mages riding after him.

  “Anadakenna!” Harrat shouted, and Kenna stood, dusting herself off. She turned to face the prince.

  “Come on,” Laryn urged. “Don’t antagonize him, not with your shield on cooldown.”

  But she stood firm, defiantly facing the prince. She stood just at the edge of the tree line. Harrat stopped his horse, looking suspiciously into the darkness beyond as his soldiers marched forward into the trees.

  “I knew you were out here somewhere!” Harrat shouted.

  “Boil your brain, limp-dick!” Kenna spat.

  Her former husband reddened.

  “See here,” he hissed. “You had better tell me where you hid—”

  “I’d rather die!”

  “Well! I can make that happen!”

  He gestured to his mages. Laryn used his superior strength and literally dragged Kenna away. Trees exploded around him, and wood splinters showered down like rain.

  Laryn hauled Kenna deep into the woods, watching for signs of pursuit. But Harrat was too wary of trap or ambush, and did not pursue them.

  “What in Horel’s underrealm were you thinking!” Laryn snapped.

  Kenna sat on the ground, breathing heavily. “I should have killed him in his sleep. I could have prevented all of this if I had just stabbed him in his frail little chest.”

  “Stop it,” Laryn said. “You can’t go back. You can’t change what’s done—” He cut off in midsentence as he realized what he was saying. Kenna didn’t comment, but slowed her breathing.

  After a few minutes, she rose and nodded.

  “I’m ready.”

  They continued on through the woods, and linked up with Zaremba. Her captains gathered around her Palanquin, delivering reports through the screens, and receiving orders. She was sending them out to round up all the goblins, who’d taken to looting bodies.

  The force moved in through the northwest Gap, replacing Harrat’s army.

  Bodies remained strewn across the battle field. At a rough glance, Laryn estimated as many as two hundred human casualties; more goblins. It remained to be seen how many of them were dead.

  For now, the important task was shoring up their position against another possible attack. They had perhaps two days before another army of Ondwins might be marching against them, and Laryn was determined to be ready.

  He stood on Vallorian land on the north shore of the Ebil.

  This was where Zaremba would rule over her goblins in his kingdom. He’d promised them space, and it made sense for them to be here. If there were going to be problems between the humans and the goblins, it would be better to have the Ebil between them.

  They could expand the kingdom. Rebuild fortifications at the northwest gap. Set up rotating watches to the east and west along the river.

  Harrat knew for certain that Kenna was here, now. He wanted Laryn’s core. He wanted Kenna’s core module. He’d definitely be coming back.

  Laryn noticed Kenna standing a ways off, looking uncertain.

  He walked over to where she stood, and found her on unclaimed tiles.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “I’m afraid,” she said. “I disobeyed a direct order of yours, and now I’m afraid of facing the punishment.”