—☾—

“No one is here yet. Run to the other side; we’ll reach the ports in no time,” Tabira and the other priests guided the mass of people over the massive stone bridges. 

The port was just underneath them with all the ships still docked in place. 

They miraculously avoided all the fighting hotspots and haven’t encountered a single Reiszer. 

But a question was nagging in the back of Kiur’s mind.

“Why were the bridges unguarded?” 

They were one of the most important constructions in Nippur, connecting two sides over an artificial stream. Without it, they wouldn’t be able to access many of the living areas.

Yet the bridge remained shrouded in darkness, with no foreign soldiers stationed to guard it. 

“It’s too dark; someone cast a flame to light up the bridges.” 

“Already on it.” 

The situation didn’t sit right with Kiur. He was missing a crucial piece of information. Then he remembered a lecture from his brother about the times they walked over the bridges.

“In times of war, armies take bridges to capture fleeing troops and seize the city entirely. It’s a vital strategic point.” 

Kiur watched the first flames ignite and inadvertently reveal their position to their enemies. 

“Stop, put out the lights!” A therianthrope warned before Kiur could. “It’s a trap!” 

But the warning came far too late. 

Arrows and bolts rain down on the fire users the moment they lit the lights.

 The Reiszer took them out without killing them.

It was all too clear how potent and prepared the Reiszer were. Just like hunters here for the big hunt, knowing full well where their prey would be and when to strike. 

“Like rabbits running into a snare.” one of the Reiszer stood out from the rest with his onyx-coloured mantle and a raven tattoo on his neck. He laughed haughtily and drew his double-edged short sword. 

“The name is Third Elite Macnaught, and I’ll make you never forget the suffering you will receive.” He whipped back his short blond hair to the side, revealing the clean-shaven other side. “Catch them!” 

“Fight back!” Responded Tabira and stomped with her foot to erect a wall between them and the attackers. Despite the Reiszer’s fierce attacks, they couldn’t reach the walls protected by the fire and wind of the priests. 

“Seriously? I’ll do it on my own.” Macnaught pulled his ornate and rune-lined sword back. 

Swinging it from left to right, it was the crudest display of swordsmanship anyone had ever seen in their life. He clasped it with both hands and swung it in a wide arc, unleashing a crescent silver light that cut through the earth.

Pulling the sword to the side and back, the crescent light curved. It destroyed the wall and cut into their lines and whoever was nearby, like Kiur. 

Just a single brush shook Kiur to his very core. He almost buckled over from the pain, his feet unstable and shaky. It was worse than when Hessian nicked him.

Several times worse.

“Ha, that showed them!” Macnaught fixed the strand of hair on his face when he had tripped during the attack. It was not obvious whether he was terrible at fighting or plain clumsy, but he was undeniably and terrifyingly strong in taking out groups of people. 

Treated as nothing more than spoils of war, stripped from their accessories or other expensive possessions. 

Kiur lost his jewellery but not the lion emblem that he hid underneath the shawl his mother gave him. It stung losing them, though it wasn’t worth risking his life over it.

“Third Elite Macnaught,” called a soldier. “We’ve rounded them up and did a preliminary inspection. However, no one fits the description so far.”  

“Tch,” Macnaught clicked his tongue. “Guess this one was a small game, then. Regardless, get everyone ready to leave this city before they send the army—”

“Let go, you brat!” 

“Stop pulling his arm!” 

Kiur watched wide-eyed as Macnaught approached the commotion. A soldier trying to separate two siblings from one another. 

Ninda protested desperately from letting her brother go and being taken away by the Reiszer. 

“What’s going on over there?” 

“This boy fits the description. He’s close to his awakened state, but this girl is persistent and won’t let go. What should I do?” 

“And you call yourself a soldier? Just cut off her damn arm!” Pushing away the soldier, Macnaught grabbed Ninda’s arm. “Stay still, or there won’t be much more left of your arm.”

The sound of an unsheathing blade whirred in Kiur’s ears. He imagined the sight of blood spilling on the ground. 

His head went haywire. 

His vision blurred from the inability to move. The shadow of his delusions formed next to Ninda. 

She was yelling at Kiur, inaudibly crying out to Kiur with gurgling words. Her hands went for the man’s neck in a futile attempt to stop him. She couldn’t touch him, but it didn’t stop her to keep trying. 

It paralysed Kiur from fear, and he would have no one to blame but himself for what was about to happen.

The delusion disappeared and reappeared right before Kiur. 

Her hands cupped his face, squeezing his cheeks tightly to bring some sense to him, but no matter how hard she tried, he couldn’t understand a single word.

“Save that girl!” Kiur and the delusion found themselves in a stupor. It was the cry of the people who freed themselves and created tremors with their earth magic to push back the enemy. 

But it wasn’t enough to stop Macnaught to swing down with his sword. 

Kiur knew he couldn’t do much, but he forced himself up. With hands tied to his back, he shot forward like a runner who failed the head start and crashed into the Reiszer’s side.

His next desperate move was to whirl up the sand with his foot and throw it straight at Macnaught’s face.

“Pah, I can’t see!” Macnaught cried out, rubbing the sand further into his eyes.

“Run, we will get out of here and—” An explosion tore through Kiur’s eardrums. Disorientated, he turned to watch the bridges crumble into the deep river below. 

Their only escape way just disappeared. Hopelessness now truly seeped into their bones.

Call it adrenaline, boldness, foolishness or trying to face his fears, but Kiur refused to sink into despair. He shouted so loudly from the top of his lungs that the Reiszer shuddered backwards.

“Everyone, scatter! Escape to the passages to the lower city!”