Zeltara counted down in her head as she tried to fully calm down. Despite it being two hours since that dreadful meeting, she hadn’t been able to let it go. Just thinking about it made her want to scream. For them to act like that to her, it brought up feelings she tried to suppress. Doubt being the main one. She knew they were irrational, but the brain couldn’t tell the heart what to feel.
The worst part? They would probably have to meet with the mayor several times in the future. Meetings where, through no fault of her own, she had to endure being demeaned and ridiculed. By people who knew nothing about her besides the fact that her ears were a little longer than normal. It wasn’t something she looked forward to, but would have to put up with it. Complete bullshit, if you asked her.
She took a deep breath. The point was not to think about that. Kaztos and Saiya put in a lot of effort to make her feel better. Zeltara wouldn’t ruin it. Something needed to be done, but that could come later. For now, she would focus on saving Riverfront from the thin men invasion.
They reached the barricade without any hassle. Zeltara looked around to see several militiamen patrolling. She walked up to one, a pale redhead woman, and asked, “Excuse me? Could we talk to whoever’s in charge?”
The woman turned to face them. She looked to be in her mid-twenties. Her equipment looked better than the scraps most of the village defenders had scrounged up, but that wasn’t saying much. She examined them for a moment before answering. “That depends on who's asking. I haven’t seen you around here before.”
Zeltara gestured to her friends before putting a hand on her chest. “I’m Zeltara, and these are Kaztos and Saiya. We’re adventurers the mayor has contracted to help with your monster problem. Now, could we speak with the one in charge here?” The woman smiled.
“Here to help, huh? Well, you look to be young, but who am I to judge.” She then pointed a thumb at herself. “As for who’s in charge. That would be me. The captain put me in command while he’s in a meeting with the mayor. Though I bet you saw that already.” Zeltara nodded, unfortunately remembering the man.
“I’m glad to meet you,” Kaztos said with a shallow bow. “Now could you grace us with your name?” The woman slightly blushed.
“Oh, my apologies. I forgot about that. My name is Gwelen. I’m a lieutenant in the militia. Now, how can I help you?” Good. Now they didn’t have to look for who was in charge. Zeltara hoped that meant luck was on their side.
She asked, “So from our understanding, the thin men attack at night. When exactly do they? Is it a consistent time?”
Gwelen looked at the falling sun. “It’s always within an hour or two after sundown. They always attack every few days. We’re due for an encounter right about now. So we could have an attack soon.” She then turned to a militiaman looking over the barricade. “You see anything yet?”
The man called back. “Yeah. There’s a few of them roaming by the treeline. They’re just watching us at the moment.” Zeltara felt some concern at the news. The village was being watched right now? Did that mean an attack was going to happen?
“They’re looking at us right now?” Kaztos asked. “I thought they only came out at night. And don’t they lack eyes?” Gwelen shrugged.
“It’s more of a figure of speech. I’m sure they're listening in just fine. They attack only at night. But sometimes you can see some at dusk or dawn. It’s nothing out of the ordinary. Definitely nocturnal for sure.” So, their encounter back in the forest last night wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. They’d have to keep that in mind if they had to search the forest at all during the day. No use staying out too early or late.
“Can we go take a look?” Zeltara asked. She was curious to get another glimpse of these monsters. Maybe something would stand out to her. Gwelen nodded.
“Sure. Just go up to the barricade and look over.” Zeltara didn’t need to be told twice. She climbed on top of the barricade, followed by Saiya and Kaztos. The warm sun painted the farmland and distant forests. Zeltara looked for any thin men about.
Saiya pointed to their right. “There. I see one.” Zeltara turned her head. At first she didn’t see anything, but then it shifted in the treeline. Her eyes focused on the disturbance. There it was.
The thin man looked similar to the one from before. Although it was hard to tell from this distance, it looked to be at least seven feet tall. The monster had thin limbs and torso, appearing emaciated like before. Its skin looked dark, though whether that was because of the lighting remained to be seen.
The monster faced the town, hidden in the growing shade of the forest. Zeltara almost couldn’t see it. She wondered if it buzzed like the other one had. Or smelled like it. The thought made her want to cringe.
“It looks to be alone. Should we go take care of it?” Kaztos asked. Saiya gave him an exasperated look. But before she could answer, Gwelen cut in.
“I wouldn’t recommend it. You might see one, but that means there’s twenty more of them in there. We’ve lost half a dozen people like that. They can be sneaky when they want to be.” It was just as Minna said. They liked to hide in ambush.
Gwelen continued. “Besides, it’s only an hour until sunset. You want to be in Riverfront when that happens. They may not move fast, but those things can sneak up on you.” Zeltara stared at the empty sockets of the thin man. The monster almost seemed to look back.
“They don’t look that strong. How could one overpower someone so easily?” It was hard to imagine for Zeltara. Sure, they were tall, but the physique left much to be desired.
“Sure, one isn’t much of a problem,” Gwelen said. “It’s when several grab onto you. Strength doesn’t mean much when you're restrained and dragged away.” Sounded like a horrible experience. They would need to keep an eye out encase the thin men got too close.
“Sounds awful, but don’t worry. We’ll be here to help this time,” Kaztos said.
“So you’ll be here to help with the attack?” Zeltara nodded.
“Yep. It’s our mission to take care of those monsters for Riverfront. Seeing them in action would be a good first step.” How would they fight? Did they just shamble towards you, or was there something more to it? Would they bunch up together or be spaced out? There was a lot they didn’t know yet. Things Zeltara needed to learn to formulate a strategy.
Gwelen gave them a skeptical look. “I’m guessing you're adventurers then?” Zeltara would be offended if she didn’t get it. They looked too young to be doing this.
She gave a reassuring smile. “That’s right. We’re Team Outsiders of the New Horizon’s Expedition. I know we look new, but I promise this isn’t our first adventure.” It was arguably their second, but Gwelen didn’t need to know that.
Her words had the effect of uplifting the spirits of the surrounding militiamen on the wall. Zeltara hadn’t noticed at first, but they had been increasingly despondent when the news of the thin men watching arrived. They likely knew that an attack was coming too. Fighting another battle that resulted in more lost lives must be demoralizing.
“Well, I guess we’re in your capable hands then.” Gwelen looked a little more relieved. Zeltara guessed that the title of adventurer still held weight in a rural place like this. She would make sure not to let them down.
“Perhaps we should think of a plan. The sun is going down soon,” Saiya said. Zeltara knew she was right. The sun was reaching the horizon. They needed to think fast.
She just needed a little more information. “Could you tell me anything about fighting these monsters? How do they attack? What are their weaknesses?”
“Well, when the tin men first arrive, they tend to be spread out. They like to cover a wide area of the wall and probe for any weaknesses. Once they find one, they’ll all converge to exploit it. The worst is when they attack from multiple directions. We never have enough men to cover everything then.” Gwelen seemed to grimace at the thought. Zeltara could only sympathize.
Gwelen continued. “That’s when it gets difficult. Swords and blunt objects don’t work too well. The monsters just seem to shrug off the blows. Any spells work wonders on them though.”
From the corner of her eye, Zeltara noticed Kaztos pout as Saiya gave him a teasing look. She ignored them and asked, “You’ve used spells against them?” She didn’t think a village this remote would have battle mediums. Urada was several times larger than Riverfront and had only a few.
“It’s mostly the captain. He has a few wands to use. We also had someone who had a talent with a medium that cast water spells.” Gwelen sighed. “Unfortunately, they’re not around anymore.” Zeltara could read between the lines. Hopefully, it was painless.
It also lent credence to the intelligence of these creatures. They might have targeted the enemy that had a method of hurting them. Zeltara would have to account for that. They needed to properly protect Saiya because she would be their ace for this battle. Not that she and Kaztos couldn’t do their share, though.
“How have you been able to fight them off without spellcasters?” Kaztos asked. At this, Gwelen raised her sword and smirked.
“While normal weapons don’t kill them too well, they at least slow them down. You can knock them back easily with their weak strength. If you keep it up, they’ll eventually turn tail and run.” She lowered her weapon. “Though it is tiring.”
Something about that didn’t sit right with Zeltara. “How long does it take for them to retreat? Is it consistent?”
“Not exactly. It can take twenty minutes, or up to an hour. It depends.”
“And do you always lose people during attacks?” The question made Gwelen scowl.
“Yeah, but we’re doing our best. We’ll stop them one of these nights.” Zeltara considered the answers. Was the reason the thin men were running because they already had what they came for? Could the main force be a distraction? She didn’t know enough to know for sure.
Still, she decided to share her findings. Gwelen looked surprised as she listened. “Interesting. It would make sense with what we’re seeing. The problem is we don’t have enough people to guard everything. If not enough people defend the main attack, then that risks a breach in the wall.”
Zeltara said, “Now that you mention it, why don’t they just overrun the village? No offense, but it sounds like you’re struggling to fend them off. If they didn’t back off, you’d eventually get worn down.”
“It might be obvious,” Saiya responded. “If the people taken are being used as food, then they wouldn’t grab too many people at once. Otherwise, they’d lose people to dehydration and the elements before they could be eaten. It would be wasteful, like buying too much at the market and then throwing it out.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
The metaphor made the situation uncomfortable to think about, but Zeltara could admit that it fit. It didn’t matter, as they were getting off track. They still needed to think of a plan. She looked at the barricade.
It was a quickly hobbled together mess. Wood boards were nailed onto posts driven into the ground. Wagons acted as additional support and provided an elevated position for long-range defenders. The wall’s height reached just over her head, but had laid down boards to stand on.
No wonder so many thin men were breaking in. Some parts of it were so poorly built you could probably lean on it and fall through. Just defending the wall wouldn’t be enough. This needed something more. Zeltara recalled what Gwelen had said as an idea was taking shape.
She turned back to the group. “I have a plan. Are you willing to work with us, Gwelen?”
“Sure, it couldn’t hurt. Besides, you’re here with the mayor’s blessing. We probably couldn’t go against you if we wanted.” The mayor probably wouldn’t think of it that way, but Zeltara would not dissuade her from that notion.
Kaztos asked, “What’s the plan?” He looked excited. Good, he had the most important part to play here.
“The problem is that the thin men attack a wide part of the wall, right? They then converge on any weaknesses that present themselves. Well, what if we created a weakness for them to use?” Saiya gave her a knowing look. Trust her to understand where this was heading.
Gwelen seemed confused. “But why would we do that? The point is to stop them from getting inside.” Zeltara nodded.
“Exactly. This will help. We’re setting a trap here.” Kaztos’ eyes lit up in realization.
“I see where you’re going with this. It’s risky, but brilliant if you pull it off.”
Zeltara pointed to a part of the wall between two wagons. “The plan is this. We disassemble that part of the barricade. That way, when the thin men discover it, they’ll concentrate on the area. That’s where you come in, Kaztos. You’ll lead the defense at the choke point, keeping them from entering the village. Meanwhile, Saiya and I will sit on top of those wagons and attack from the sides. Our attacks should be effective in killing some of them. Then, once they're all bunched up, we take them out in one blow.”
Gwelen finally seemed to understand. “I see, so we can concentrate all our forces in one area. That way, none of them will get through.” She then looked at Zeltara. “But how will you help? Your friend has a staff, but I see nothing on you.” Zeltara pulled out a black marble.
“I have some firepower of my own that will help.” She threw it into an open area where it lightly detonated. The surrounding militia looked upon the charred area with awe.
“What an interesting spell. I haven’t seen anything like it before.” Zeltara glowed at the compliment. Who needed stupid mana and spells when she could invent something similar?
Saiya elbowed her in the arm, bringing her back on track. “Thank you. Anyway, have people defending other parts of the wall at the start as normal. We don’t want any stragglers sneaking in and ruining everything. Once they move into the trap, then maybe we can pull people from other areas to help.”
Gwelen nodded. “Understood. We’ll get started immediately.” She walked over to two militiamen. “Help me take the barricade apart. We need to get this done before the thin men arrive.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The village defenders sprang to life, carefully taking down a section of the wall. The situation hit Zeltara for the first time.
“It’s amazing. They don’t even know us, and they’re doing what we say.” It was a level of influence Zeltara had never experienced before.
Kaztos said, “It’s because we’re adventurers. That carries weight and prestige with it.” That didn’t sit right with her.
“That can’t be all there is to it. How do they know that we’re not faking it?” They don’t look the part of adventurers. Their gear still looked awful, and they were very young. Zeltara didn’t think she’d believe them in their shoes.
“True, but you underestimate yourself,” Kaztos said. Zeltara tilted her head, wondering what he meant. “There were three important things you did that convinced them. You were confident, you were passionate, and you were honest. Gwelen could tell you were legitimate just by talking with you.”
“So you’re saying she was testing me?” Zeltara asked. Kaztos shook his head.
“Not exactly. It’s more of an unconscious thing. I was taught this back at the academy. People can instinctively know when something doesn’t add up. That can make them distrustful of you despite not knowing for sure what you say is a lie. That doesn’t mean you always tell the truth, but you need to be able to avoid it if necessary. Your demeanor can also sway people as well. You acted in control the entire time and showed that you cared. That makes people take you seriously.”
That caused Zeltara to think back to earlier in the day. “So, the meeting was a disaster because I tried to be dishonest with them and then lost my composure?” Kaztos looked flustered by the mention of what had happened earlier.
“Yes, but don’t be hard on yourself over that. Even if you did everything correctly, you weren’t likely to get anywhere with them. They seemed too set in their ways. But it might help in the future.” Zeltara smiled at Kaztos.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you. Now, how about we help them out? We don’t want to get attacked before we’re ready.” Zeltara would keep his words in mind. She wouldn’t be caught out like that again.
The three of them helped prepare the defense of the village. Zeltara had helped to drag the removed barricade material away from the area. More of the militia started to show up, swelling their total number to twenty. The sun had fallen, leaving them with only mana lanterns for their light. Saiya climbed up onto a perch on one side of the hole. She kept her gaze out on the pitch-black field.
Before Zeltara went up on her own perch, she turned to Gwelen. “Will the captain be joining us?” She hoped not. The last thing they needed was for Zeltara to be undermined at the last moment.
Thankfully, Gwelen shook her head. “Unfortunately not. His old injuries and age leave him unable to battle. Don’t worry. Everyone here has received training from him.” Zeltara nodded. That was a load off her mind.
“They’re coming!” One militiaman said from atop the barricade. Kaztos and the defenders prepared themselves. Meanwhile, Zeltara and Gwelen climbed up to look. Due to how dark it was, she could hear them before they came into sight. Dozens of shambling gaits reached her ears. There were a lot of them out there. Enough to outnumber them.
That’s when they started coming into view. Dozens of gaunt corpses filled the field as they slowly approached the village. Zeltara took a deep breath, preparing herself for the battle ahead. She checked to make sure that her gauntlet was ready one more time.
“I should get down to help with the defense,” Gwelen said. She left before Zeltara could respond.
Instead, she turned her attention over to Saiya. “Hey!” The blond girl looked over. “Wait until they're a little closer to attack. Focus on any not going for the breach.” Saiya nodded and turned back towards the coming attack.
Zeltara took aim at one of the closest thin men. This was the moment of truth. Would her inventions act as an alternative to spells? If they didn’t, she would be practically worthless in this fight. Her white marbles would probably be useless, seeing as the thin men didn’t have eyes. Though maybe the loud bang they made could still disorient them.
Hesitation filled her as the monsters grew closer. When should she launch the opening attack? Her gauntleted hand shook minutely under the pressure. She needed to keep steady. Just a little closer.
The moment came as the first thin men came within forty feet of the wall. Some veered off in different directions. Zeltara took aim at one of the stragglers and fired a black marble.
It connected, knocking the thin man over with the force. It let out a wheezing screech that sounded like the last breath leaving a dying man. Zeltara doubted she would have heard it if not for her enhanced hearing.
The damage was decent. The skin around the impact looked burnt. It did more damage than when a normal person was hit by one. In fact, the thin man initially struggled to get up. Zeltara would have celebrated if that hadn’t kicked off the battle.
Her attack was the catalyst for arrows and fireballs to start flying. Saiya kept her spells contained, targeting only one at a time. Smart, considering there were farms scattered out there. An overzealous fireball could burn one down. Meanwhile, four militiamen were carrying bows. The arrows did little besides slow down the monsters, but she appreciated the help.
Zeltara continued to fire at the thin men, hoping to at least herd them into the trap. She wasn’t killing any of them, but was at least slowing them down. The same couldn’t be said for Saiya as she seemed to kill one with each casting of her staff. The air became filled with the smell of charred corpses. Zeltara wanted to retch. As if their smell wasn’t bad enough already.
Fighting began in the hole as the first thin man attacked. Upon the melee starting, the thin men changed course towards the choke point. Everything seemed to go their way.
Zeltara continued to fire into the crowd. The group needed to be thinned before they reached Kaztos’ group in force. Otherwise, they risked being overwhelmed. Unfortunately, her marbles weren’t enough. She reached into her satchel and pulled out a hand bomb.
She didn’t have much time to make these, so there were only so many. Six in total. Zeltara lit the fuse and found a group of three approaching. After a few moments, she threw the bomb. It landed at their feet and detonated, exploding the group across the field. Meanwhile, another group of two was lit on fire and incinerated.
That was when a hand grabbed the top of the barricade in front of Zeltara. Another hand joined it as a head popped up. She swore to herself. One of the thin men was climbing up. This needed to be taken care of fast.
The monster’s mouth opened as a near-silent groan expanded its mouth. A dozen insects flew out of the open maw. Zeltara didn’t have time to be disgusted as she kicked the monster in the head. It grabbed her, and she almost tripped. Zeltara felt a yank as it tried to pull her over the wall.
She remained calm and punched it with her gauntlet. The grip loosened on her foot, so she punched again. And a third time. It let go of her and fell backward after the next blow. Zeltara then fired several marbles down below. Good riddance.
The sound of battle inside the breach picked up. Zeltara could hear Kaztos still fighting, which calmed her down. At least he was all right.
“Damn it!” Saiya exclaimed. Zeltara looked over at her in a panic. What was wrong? Fortunately, the blond girl appeared fine as she fired another spell.
“What is it?” Zeltara asked as she targeted another thin man.
“They’re starting to spread out as they approach. There are no large groups of them anymore.” Zeltara saw she was correct. Before, the thin men would unintentionally bunch up as they approached the breach. Now, they were waiting until the last moment to do so. Smart.
At this point, Zeltara and Saiya had killed well over a dozen thin men. Several more seemed unable to move from the ground. But the monsters still kept coming from the dark. Another thin man tried to climb the barricade, but an archer nearby shot it in the head. Zeltara gave him a quick thanks before pulling out another hand bomb.
She moved closer to the breach and checked on the defense. To no surprise, Kaztos was leading the charge, fighting at the front of the line. Beside him, Gwelen was also fighting, but made sure Kaztos wouldn’t be overwhelmed. Zeltara would have to thank her later. Other militiamen fought at their sides, making sure no thin men got through the gap. Unfortunately, their weapons proved as ineffective as previously mentioned, meaning they were only keeping the monsters at bay.
The number of thin men numbered over two dozen. Unlike the defenders, they almost seemed to use their body weight to push through rather than try any sort of actual fighting. Outside of the occasional swing or grab, the thin men seemed almost disinterested in the melee. It was probably for this reason that they hadn’t seemed to take any major casualties yet.
But it wasn’t time to enact the last part of the plan. More thin men were still moving towards the barricade. If she started it too early, then the attack would just continue. Kaztos would have to hold out a little longer.
She heard Saiya scream. Looking over, Zeltara saw that one of the thin men had climbed the barricade and grabbed her by the arm. The monster was trying to pull her over the side. Saiya couldn’t reach for a knife, as her free hand was being used to hold on to the barricade. She needed help.
Zeltara aimed her gauntlet and fired her grapple gun. Her aim was off, and it punctured the thin man through the torso. The uncontrolled pull made her scream as she launched toward Saiya and the thin man. Zeltara slammed into the monster, making it release its grip and tumble over the edge.
She would have joined it if Saiya hadn’t grabbed her. The weight of the thin man almost dislocated her shoulder before Zeltara could press the detach button. Her grapple line released and disappeared over the edge as they heard a loud thud. That was too close.
Zeltara checked over Saiya. “Are you alright?” The blond girl nodded, holding her bleeding wrist. Zeltara rushed to check it, only to see thin cuts and bruising. “Can you move it okay?”
Saiya spun her wrist around in a full range of motion. She winced. “It hurts, but I don’t think it’s anything serious.” She reached down and grabbed her staff. “Let’s just finish this already.” Zeltara nodded. This was getting too dangerous.
“Zeltara! Saiya!” Kaztos called out. The two girls moved to the edge. They saw the defenders almost pushed past the whole into the village proper. As if they could sense their impending victory, the thin men seemed to charge with renewed aggression. “We can’t hold them much longer. Whatever you have planned, do it now!”
Zeltara looked over at Saiya. “Remember the cave with the goblins?” She nodded. “It’ll be like that. Just cast your spell when you see me throw.” Zeltara then turned toward the melee. “Kaztos! In twenty seconds, use your boots! Then have everyone back off.”
“Affirmative!” Kaztos’ winded voice sounded over the fighting. She needed to hurry. Zeltara reached into her satchel and pulled out a bottle of black powder. This was her last one, so she needed to be careful with how many marbles and bombs she used. There would be no refilling after this. She took aim, ready to throw.
The ground shook violently. Everyone stumbled from the vibration. Knowing that it was coming, Zeltara stayed on her feet. Instead, she threw the bottle into the crowd of thin men. A black cloud covered the area. Beside her, Saiya lifted her staff and launched a fireball into the crowd.
The resulting explosion knocked both of them off their feet. Burnt wood chips rained down around the area as the edges of the barricade got damaged. From the corner of her eye, Zeltara noticed the defenders had gotten just far enough away, but were still knocked to the ground. But she fixed her attention on the large plume of fire in front of her. It was glorious.
The flames dissipated, and everyone stood to see the results. Only a few charred remains were left. Nothing within the blast radius survived. Zeltara turned her attention outside the barricade. The remaining thin men paused in their approach. They then turned and shambled back towards the northern forest.
She faced the crowd. “They’re retreating!” The militia all cheer at the announcement. They began to celebrate as Kaztos and Gwelen climbed up to join them.
“So, it’s done then,” Gwelen asked. Zeltara had to keep her excitement in check. She needed to maintain a professional look.
“It is. The remaining thin men have turned tail and run. We’ve also put quite a dent into their forces.” Gwelen seemed to relax. She had dirt on her, and fatigue drooped her shoulders. That couldn’t have been easy for her.
Kaztos said, “I knew we could do it. Now, to take the fight back to them. Should we head off now?”
“Why don’t we wait until morning?” Saiya said. Her rate of breathing was elevated. Sweat dripped down her brow. “We saw them going north. The search can wait until tomorrow.”
“But what about those captured?” Gwelen asked. “We need to help them as soon as possible. There are still a few men in good enough condition to accompany you. I can go as well.”
Zeltara nodded in agreement. “It makes the most sense. They couldn’t have gotten far. If we go now, we’ll catch up quickly. Otherwise, we’ll be waiting until the next attack to get a lead on them.” She didn’t like their chances of randomly searching the forest. If it took too long, another attack would happen. Zeltara wasn’t confident they would do as well next time.
Saiya held her gaze for a moment before sighing. “Fine, just give me a minute and we’ll head out.” The blond girl sat down on the ground.
“Are you alright?” Kaztos asked.
“I’m fine. It’s just that casting that many spells took a lot out of me. I’m not used to using that much mana.” It was something Zeltara hadn’t thought of either.
“How much mana do you have left?” If she were out, then going out would be foolish.
Saiya gave a so-so gesture. “Around half, maybe. I’m not sure. It’s been a long time since I’ve used a significant amount of mana.” Zeltara felt unsure about continuing then. If Saiya ran out of mana, then they’d be in a tough spot. She reconsidered their options.
“Amazing. You cast that many spells and still have half of your mana,” Gwelen said. “Our few spellcasters used all their mana in just a few spells. Even the captain would be hard-pressed to match you.”
“Makes sense. Your mana reserves diminish as you age if you're not practicing,” Kaztos said.
Zeltara gazed out into the darkness outside the village. They were running out of time to pursue the thin men. She needed to make a decision. The risky option or the safe one? Both sides fought for supremacy in her head.
Before she could decide, a militiaman came running from the village. “lieutenant! lieutenant!” Gwelen jumped down from the barricade and ran towards him.
“What is it, Bakin? Did something happen?” Bakin nodded as he reached Gwelen.
“It’s terrible. Thin men attacked an under-defended part of the wall. They got through and are in the village.”
“What?” Gwelen shouted. Everyone stopped and turned to her. “We must defend Riverfront. Everyone who can still fight, follow me.” She turned to Zeltara and the others. “Are you coming?”
Zeltara nodded as Kaztos helped Saiya stand. “We will. The pursuit will have to wait another time.” It looked like the decision was taken out of her hands. The three climbed down from the barricade and joined Gwelen.
She gave them a nod before turning back to Bakin. “Lead the way.” He nodded before running back into Riverfront. Everyone followed him.
As she checked her gauntlet, Zeltara considered their options. This would be a much more difficult battle. Everyone was tired, and they would be fighting amongst the villagers and buildings. It meant she and Saiya would have to be careful with their attacks. One wrong move would cause an accidental death or an out-of-control fire. There wasn’t any time to make a plan either. But she had faith that they would pull through. Zeltara would make sure of it.
Now that we're through fifty chapters, which ten were your favorite?
