As he crossed the grassy flat land, he couldn’t see people bustling about, nor could he hear any more music or laughter. He ran through the streets toward the main road leading out of town. The entire town seemed gathered around the entrance. They all seemed worried and trying to shove their way through to the front of the crowd.

A few of the older women formed a group and rushed back towards where Demetri stood.

“Marta. Hey, what’s going on?”

“There’s been an attack. People from Kesh are coming down the road. Poor dears had to have walked for about a week. Most look bloody and broken. Some are being carried in by hover carts.” Marta started walking quickly away. “We’re gathering supplies. You help direct people to the school.”

“Kesh?” Demetri’s heart plummeted to his stomach and twisted into knots. “Wait! Attacked by who?”

Marta was already long gone. Demetri’s heart pounded. Cale ushered folks back away from the road so the injured could hobble through. A centaur mother cradling a baby in her bruised arms limped by Demetri. A family of fairies seemed fine other than looking exhausted from walking. It didn’t strike him as odd that they were walking at all, until he saw the broken wings on some of their backs.

Tommy flew next to him. “There’s so many. What happened to them?”

The words snapped Demetri out of his stupefied stare. “I don’t know, but help me get them all to the school gym. Marta said they are setting up a care center there.

Tommy nodded and flew towards the people who stood around being gawked at by the other terrified townspeople, and pointed the way. Demetri stood at the end of the road, where they needed to turn, and waited for the people Tommy sent his way. He tried counting the number of newcomers as they passed by. Nearly two hundred, ranging from slightly exhausted to missing limbs, made their way into the school.

“Demetri!” Allanah yelled over to him as she half carried an elderly rabbit hybrid. “Get your ass over to my restaurant, put anything edible in a solar wagon, and send it our way. These people need food.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” Tommy asked.

“No. You go find all the older children and tell them to gather durian apples. They stink something fierce, but they speed up healing. And then find out how many will let people stay with them.”

Tommy nodded and flew off. Demetri tried to issue a different set of orders to every useful adult he found on the way to Allanah’s. People can usually handle a crisis much better if they have something active to do.

Melanie, or Mel as she preferred, seemed to have already had the same idea, so he helped her load the last of the crates of vegetables into the wagon and walked with her back to the school.

“Have you heard what who attacked them yet?” Demetri whispered, not wanting to break the silence between them, but desperate to learn any information.

Mel shook her head. She was a silent little mouse-hybrid that also worked as a guard, but they never had shifts together.

Cale ran up in front of them both. Blood covered his shirt and ran down his arms. “Guys, Nico is calling for a meeting for just the guards in the castle library three days from now at sunset.” He wiped sweat from his forehead, smearing a mixture of red and black colors along it. “Are you guys alright?”

Mel squeaked as she nodded to him and she continued walking on with the wagon. They let some space grow between them and her before following.

Cale put a hand on Demetri’s shoulder. “They’re from Kesh.”

“I know.” Demetri couldn’t believe his own selfishness, but couldn’t stop the question from leaving his lips. “Have...have you seen him?”

“No.” He shook his head solemnly. “But, that doesn’t mean he’s dead.” He grabbed Demetri’s arm to stop their walking. “I know you’re worried, but try to concentrate on the people we can help. We will get answers soon.”

Horrible smells invaded Demetri’s nostrils as the door slid away. Marta had managed to get everyone settled down for the most part. The less hurt helped hand out food and bandage others. He remembered seeing similar images in books from Earth time, of the aftermath from old wars. He never thought he’d see such a horror with his own eyes.

Laura, Cale’s wife, ran past them, out the door, and turned the corner of the building. Both Demetri and Cale ran after her to see what had happened. He heard her retching her stomach up into a bush. When she finished she sat back against the wall and cried into her knees.

“What caused this?” Cale asked as he slid down to sit beside her.

“Some of them have been hurt so badly. Wounds heal quickly, most will walk away without so much as a scar in a day or two, but…. there are others. Wings torn nearly in half, a little girl with an arm ripped from her body, there was even a man with a huge claw stuck through his stomach. Things that can’t be fixed.”

She straightened herself and looked over to him. “They were trampled.” The coldness in her voice sent shivers through his spine.

“Trampled by what?”

“The Verndari.”

Demetri face paled and his stomach churned again. “No. That’s not possible. The Verndari don’t just attack cities without being provoked.”

Laura stood and threw her arms towards the school. “Go in there Demetri. Listen to their stories.” Her voice squeaked and she tried to keep from crying more. “They all said a group of hunters went out, just like always, and the Verndari just freaked out and stampeded the entire city.”

Cale pulled her in for a hug. “I’m sorry. We don’t understand yet. But, we’ll figure this out.”

She sighed into his chest. “What if they attack here?”

Cale stroked the back of her head. “They won’t, but just to be cautious we’ll tell everyone to stay out of the trees and tell people to sound an alarm if they see anything out of sorts.”

She nodded, satisfied with his answer and looked to Demetri. “I heard someone say that there was a group that stayed behind to search for survivors.” Laura took a step back and wiped her tears. “I don’t know who you have been searching the crowd for, but maybe they are still on the way.”