Always so disciplined and focused. Single-minded with tunnel vision. Fully committed to his desire for strength and growth. Always eager to be the first to step up to meet the danger ahead with little care for his own well-being. Never settling for less than perfect. Always looking forward to the next fight.

These were just a few traits Nuro had attached to Jake after meeting the boy. Even as he watched Jake march off toward the nest, vanishing into the dark, his understanding of the youth continued to change and develop. If nothing else, Nuro respected the boy. Jake was a surface walker who stumbled down to Ewana entirely by accident. Due to circumstances beyond his control, the boy was cut off and left to fend for himself. Even so, once he had the strength, he began putting in more work than most Oryx that Nuro had the pleasure of fighting beside. There was nothing joyful about the boy’s time spent within the Ravine. Even less when one considered how Jake ended up in the village in the first place. However, that baggage was nothing more than a hindrance that he gradually overcame. With fear and rage tugging him in either direction, he was still doing his best to fight.

Nuro first came across Jake outside Mur's Hall. A human with sun-kissed skin, sharp brown eyes, and a contemptuous expression on his face. Beneath Jake’s eyes, the boy carried a brewing, smoldering hatred. A kindling fire waiting to crackle into an uncontrolled blaze. The boy was a coiled spring, wound so tight that Nuro feared he might become a danger not only to himself, but to the entire village as well.

During his training under Mur’s guidance, that flame was only exacerbated as Mur taught the boy fighting techniques. The Hall’s intense pipeline was an absolute recipe for disaster that created a Maedra hunting machine. Fitting as it was designed to do so. However, an Oryx with such a burning hate for the creatures wasn’t a problem. Oryx were feeble creatures. Jake, on the other hand, radiated foul-smelling magic power that caused Nuro’s nose to twist.

The boy was not a normal human being. He had talent with the sword. An unwavering will to survive. A festering hatred for the Maedra. And a hidden magical talent Nuro could not comprehend. Together, such traits formed a walking disaster that Ewana’s system of power could not contain. Without direct supervision and direction to keep the boy from imploding or becoming a danger to himself and everyone around him, Jake was doomed to become a calamity within the Ravine. It would be a waste of talent to watch him die in such a place.

Thus, Nuro decided to put a leash on him. After having a discussion with Mur, Nuro learned that Jake’s propensity towards excessive aggression made him both an asset and a liability. Something Nuro should have expected. Mur himself admitted that training Jake could be problematic. Further, the two agreed that while Jake had the potential to become a catastrophe, the likelihood of such would be far lower so long as they found a way to nurture his mind as well.

Strangely enough, that solution had been to put the boy on a fast track to Pharos Squad and then give him access to the tunnels. Jake lacked experience. He needed to learn about the enemy he was fighting against and exposing him to the dangers would hopefully teach him to slow down and think. Under supervision at all times of course, Nuro, Mur, and even Darius all worked together in order to give Jake the most amount of controlled exposure to the Maedra as possible. Such a decision proved to be exactly what was needed to orient the boy. By pairing the need to train and control his blade with the reasons for why, the trio had been able to teach Jake to control his temper and protect his allies rather than abandon them or endanger them through reckless decisions.

Nuro never shared with Jake any of that, however. Letting the boy figure things out on his own and gently nudging him along from behind had proven to be far more beneficial than the more direct approach. Jake had already proven himself to be self-sufficient. He understood from the beginning that strength and calm were necessary to defeat the Maedra. He wasn’t a fool.

After fighting with the Maedra first hand prior to finding Ewana, Jake already knew what was required of him should he want to survive within the tunnels. Most of all, he never shied away from any of it. It was quite the opposite. He flourished in the challenge. Jake’s swordsmanship became more refined and his magic ability exploded. It was more than Nuro could have ever asked for.

There had been some hiccups and Jake still showed signs of immaturity every so often. However, he was still on the right path and accepted his mistakes without complaint. Nuro put faith in that steel mind of his and trusted that Jake would continue to grow into the expectations others had of him. So long as nothing drove him over the edge, Jake would do fine.

The only problem was that things had moved so quickly that Nuro couldn’t quite provide the perfect plan for the boy. The Maedra were changing. The tunnels were becoming increasingly dangerous. The Council grew desperate and the people of Ewana became more fearful. Nuro and Mur’s efforts had coincidentally turned Jake into the most suitable scapegoat for the Council and the boy was given far more attention than both would have liked. Still lacking that leadership experience, Jake was put in the spotlight.

The saving grace was that the Maedra moved before that spotlight turned into a burning stake. With the development of Operation Trident and Cinder, Jake was returned to his role as a frontline asset. The place where Nuro knew the boy truly belonged. He wasn’t fit to be in charge of people or organize teams. Jake didn’t have the tactical experience needed to lead an operation. He also didn't have the proper mindset to account for all of the problems associated with being in charge of people and logistics. On the field of battle, Jake hadn't proven himself capable of giving orders or standing back and watching as his underlings carried the weight of his mistakes.

Jake was just a boy who wanted to kill the Maedra. There was no problem with that on its own but it would certainly get people killed.

“Nuro.” Wyicks whispered from behind the Dark Elf. Nuro pulled his eyes away from the nest and turned to his ally. "The warriors are just around the bend. Three minutes.”

Three minutes was a long time. It would take them longer if they needed to get into a fighting formation. That would leave Jake on his own for quite a while. Nuro didn’t feel comfortable with that, regardless of the boy’s ability. Yet there wasn’t much his team could do. Not on their own. Even with the guards adding to their numbers, they may just become fodder and draw unnecessary attention to the tunnel. For now, sitting on their hands was the only thing they could do.

“Wyicks. Get your eyes on the nest and bring a flare. If Jake is in trouble, light it.” Not wanting to leave Jake on his own for too long, Nuro would at least keep an eye on his back. “The rest of you get ready. We’ll lead the assault force in.”

“Roger.” His team answered in unison, all except Wyicks who was already off to execute his task. The Daemon was always quick to perform.

The team dropped their packs, adjusted their gear, and then Nuro directed them into their battle formation. He then linked up with the guards. “We’re going to lead the attack.” It wasn’t received well by the Guard Captain but Nuro’s reputation was enough to handle that.

“Scouts aren’t meant to lead, Nuro.” The Captain peered through his helm’s visor towards the Elf while also shedding his excess equipment. “We will go with you. My men are tired of sitting and watching.”

Nuro smirked and patted the Captain on the shoulder. “Good. Link in with Mora. She’ll change our formation and fit you all in.”

The Captain nodded and then called for his men. Twenty strong. Ten heavily armored warriors, five lighter skirmishers, and five mages. Definitely better than the meager six of Pharos Squad and their make-shift formation. He wouldn’t say it but Nuro was grateful for the help.

Nuro placed a hand on the wall and followed it back into the tunnel, away from the team and the guards. Not too far off was the light of the approaching main force. Nuro could hear the rustling of equipment, the whispers of chatter, and he could feel the ground vibrating from the numerous steps. There were quite a few people present for the fight. Yet from how stressed Jake seemed when he presented his report, Nuro wondered if it would be enough. It never seemed to be no matter how much they prepared.

The Elf continued to follow the tunnel until he was far enough away from the entrance and close enough to the warriors to safely announce himself. He pulled out a mana stick from his pocket before twisting the bottom, connecting the light to the mana crystal at its base. The stick glowed to life and caught the attention of the approaching group.

“Pharos is here, huh?” The lead warrior halted his formation before stepping up to meet Nuro. He was accompanied by another Guard Captain, a Scout leader, and two other Warrior Captains.

“One of my members is currently fighting the Beasts. There’s a lot. It’ll be an even fight. Pharos and our Guard team will lead out of the tunnel. This will give your units a buffer to get into position before you pile in.” Nuro explained the step forward but it wasn’t well received. The warrior captains scowled and grumbled.

The one who seemed to be in charge of the formation scoffed the loudest. “Your place is not at the tip of the formation, Scout. Our teams will lead. Step aside and let us handle the beasts."

In normal circumstances, Nuro wouldn’t have argued back or even offered to put his underlings in harm's way. If it were up to him, he would gladly drag the corpses of the prideful warriors back after saving them. Today was an exception as Nuro had someone to impress on the field. “No. Pharos will lead. Get your men in order as we walk.”

With that Nuro turned and began walking back towards his team.

“Hey!” The Warrior leader barked, only for the Guard Captain to hold up his hand.

“Nuro. You mentioned someone was already fighting?” The Guard Captain sounded concerned. He gripped the scabbard of his sword and narrowed his eyes.

Nuro nodded. “Yes. We don’t have time to bicker.”

“Understood. We’ll move with you.” The Guard Captain turned towards the formation and whistled, the noise breaking the general silence of the tunnel. From within the formation, three squads of guards began pushing their way to the front. "The warriors will support my men. Take up positions along the flanks and in the rear. Let us hurry.”

With that, the Warrior Captains were left with no room to retort. The Guards replaced them at the front of the formation, their heavier and more reliable armor replacing the piecemeal equipment of the Warriors. In mere moments, the formation shifted from looking disorganized and hungry for blood to disciplined and cold. Faces shielded by darkened visors stared into the tunnel, ready to meet the Maedra with metal and iron.

The Guardsmen were the most experienced and well-trained individuals that Ewana had to offer. Oryx with years of experience fighting and killing Maedra. All with battle records to support their recruitment decisions. They weren’t just on par with the Red Teams. They were better than them. Truly the best of the best and every single one of them had earned their right to stand at the gates of Ewana.

Nuro returned to his team hastily as the assault force adjusted to the change in strategy. He motioned for them all to stand. Once he had their attention, Nuro cut off the light in his hand and tossed it over on top of his pack. At a quick glance, Nuro noticed that the team had been organized already and the platoon-sized force in front of him was ready to go at any moment.

In mere moments, it seemed Mora and the Guard Captain had settled on a formation. With the Guards far better equipped to deal with the Maedra, she had placed the heavier fighters at the front. Then, Tua, Wyicks, and herself were mixed in the second line with the skirmishing units. Fien and Pari were placed to the rear. Wyicks would be positioned in the middle of the second line with Tua and Mora on the flanks. This gave the Guards the task of dealing with the bulk of the fighting. The Guard Captain was placed in between the two lines with Nuro positioned at the rear to serve as the field commander.

“Good.” After being informed of the formation, Nuro turned to the Guard Captain. “What’s your name? Can’t be shouting ‘Guard’ out here or your entire unit will turn to look at me.” He extended a hand and gave a smile.

The Guard Captain chuckled, gripping Nuro’s hand firmly. “Tyk. My vice captain is Lir. Sergeant Foa is the leader of our heavy guardsmen. Kil is the Sergeant of my skirmishers. Eri is the Sergeant for my mages.” Tyk introduced his chain of command to Nuro and Pharos. The individuals exchanged hands, names, and the circle of leadership grew a few members larger. The other lower rank and file stood just outside the circle as Nuro began to address them.

A brief moment to provide one last bit of motivation.

“There are a lot of Beasts in that hole and my young Battle Mage is doing what he can to lower their numbers.” Nuro paused and jerked his head towards the nest. The sounds of magic and explosions echoed from the entrance. Brief flashes illuminated Wyick’s silhouette as the Daemon enjoyed a front seat. Nuro was a tad jealous.

“As you can hear, he’s doing his best but it won’t be enough to make things as easy as we all hope. With that being said, it’s on us to support him.” Nuro placed his hands on his hip and then jerked his head in the opposite direction towards the noise of the approaching formation. They were coming. “The other units will be right behind us. Our task is to punch through the Beast lines to wherever my Battle Mage is and support him. First, we’ll rush in and form a small pocket to give the main force something to latch onto. Then, we’ll push forward to my mage. Once we link with him, we’ll retreat to the main line and reinforce it.”

Nuro reached for his hip and drew the short sword attached to him. One by one, the members of his platoon did the same, pulling free whatever tools they would be using to slaughter the Maedra. Those carrying shields yanked their straps a little tighter. “Whatever happens, don’t get isolated. Don’t hesitate. Pair up in threes if you have to and hold your ground.”

He took a breath. “Don’t die.”

Nuro didn’t give anyone a chance to retort or even quip. With his speech done, he turned and sprinted towards the exit of the tunnel and the entrance to the nest. Not twenty meters away, flashes of magic brought light to his path. Explosions rocked the walls and caused the floor to quake beneath his feet. Screams of Maedra scratched at his eardrums. Sweat tickled the back of his neck. His palms slickened with fear. His jaw tightened as it cramped. The muscles clenched so tight he thought he might crush his teeth.

“On me, Wyicks.” Nuro barked just as he passed the Daemon.

Wyicks grabbed the four blade hilts around his frame and drew them, waiting for his turn to move as the platoon reached him.

“Father Sylvar, give me strength. May my blades be sharp and my feet light.” As Nuro stepped into the nest, he let himself have one final prayer. All for that prayer to immediately be replaced with terror as the sheer number of Maedra filled his eyes. On the far side of the tunnel and just down the short ramp into the belly of the nest itself, he watched Jake scrap with a black knight clad in dark armor. Everywhere else, Maedra obscured the view.

As the rest of Pharos Squad reached the same point and stopped beside him, each taking in the same pitiful view, Nuro grasped onto the last strand of courage within him. “KILL THEM ALL!” He bellowed just as he lunged forward over the final lip between himself and the Maedra horde. Though he was to be at the rear of his formation, Nuro knew just what it would take to get his allies through in the face of such overwhelming odds.

It would neither be orders nor an energizing speech. No, it would be a very reckless decision that he knew he would immediately regret.

Squeezing his blade with enough force to bring pain to his fingers, Nuro raced across the brief gap from ledge to foe. Just as the first Maedra turned to face the new threat, Nuro sliced through the first of many enemies. He carved open its body and then pierced its exposed Mana Crystal with a quick stab. The Maedra howled in his face as it died, its corpse melting to the floor. The surrounding beasts echoed the scream as they bore down on the dark elf, only for their sides to be cut into as the rest of Nuro’s platoon rushed forward.

“Heavy armor to the front!” Nuro shouted, stepping back as he watched the two sides meet. Pharos Squad slammed in first, the very tip of the spear as they always were. Yet after the initial merger, the Guardsmen swiftly replaced them. Mora and Wyicks peeled away, stepping back after slaying several Maedra and wetting their blades. Tua held firm, acting as the unyielding center piece of the formation.

“Pillar Squad! Secure the right! Slate Squad, hold the left!” Nuro stood tall in the midst of the chaos. His voice was a commanding roar as he pointed and directed. He didn’t retreat, instead marching forward as his men took ground. “Fien! Fire magic to the left! Support Slate Squad!” He barked.

Of the two squads of five Heavy Guardsmen, Slate stumbled first. The platoon formed a wedge and pierced the line of Maedra. They used their initial surprise to push a few meters onto the flat and solid floor of the nest. In the center of that wedge, the Skirmishers took positions in order to cut and slash through the gaps, keeping the Maedra from spilling inwards. Along the edges, just off the sides of both flanks, Mora and Wyicks took their spots to ensure they wouldn’t be surrounded. Nuro stood at the rear and in the center. Fien and Pari stood by his hip, the Guard captain Tyk stood just behind the tip of their formation with the mages filling in the space between.

They were few in number compared to the overwhelming force of the Maedra. Yet the shields at the front were solid and immobile. Whenever the Maedra tried to get a push or reach through a hole, they were punished immediately.

Reacting to the command, Fien turned with a shout, her hands raising as she sidestepped and cast her magic. Nuro’s eyes snapped from left to right, scanning the line as he watched the guards interlock their shields. Yet, it wasn’t quite enough. Slate was still struggling. Pillar lived up to its name and the men were like boulders, set in place and not giving an inch. “Mora!” Nuro shouted.

“Here!” Mora stepped out of the frenzy, emerging to his right.

“To the left!” Nuro had little to give in support, but the weakness in the left squad needed to be shored up. The Maedra had already caused the men to falter. To his dismay, Nuro watched as one Shield Guard was slashed across the arm and wounded enough to have to be pulled from the fight. He could still be useful but he would be unable to hold his shield.

Or so Nuro thought. After taking a moment to recover, the Guard simply switched hands, cinched down the straps to ensure the shield wouldn’t move again, and immediately rushed back to his position.

“Yes, Sir!” Mora moved before she answered, her blades twirling as she cleaned them briefly. She raced to the designated spot and dived into the new fight. She joined the skirmishers in the center of the line, adding to their killing power.

Good. Nuro was by no means relaxed nor was he satisfied with their position. Using Jake as a distraction, they had been able to establish a tenuous foothold. But with barely thirty members, they didn’t have the numbers to truly push the Maedra back or make any kind of significant impact. Yet, they had created a defensive position. One that could be reinforced and easily replaced.

“Fien!” Nuro shouted for his mage again and called her back to his side. In mere breaths, she had made an impact on the fight to the left. After Jake appeared to give her competition, she had practiced endlessly in hopes of bettering herself and becoming even a fraction more reliable. Nuro was thankful for that. “Stand here. Just in front of me. I want you to clear as far forward as you can.”

“Yes, Sir!” Without hesitation, Fien moved to Nuro’s direct front and pointed her hands forward. Fire appeared at her fingertips, spells forming in the air just in front of her as her voice sang. The fire spears she conjured and launched over the heads of the Guards blasted into the Maedra lines, creating several gaps in the beast’s ranks. Though the injured Maedra were quickly replaced, Nuro encouraged his mage to continue her work and turned his attention elsewhere.

The left line finally stabilized after some encouragement from Mora. The right hunkered down as they created a small buffer zone between themselves and the Maedra. Wyicks was dancing on the right flank, cutting down any brave Maedra who decided to test their flanks, which seemed to give the men a morale boost. Recognizing Mora hadn’t been replaced, Nuro ordered Pari to the left side to fill the same role. She did so with ease, solidifying their position further and relieving the stress of Slate Squad, if only a little.

Good! Nuro nodded and scanned the line from left to right. Over and over. He moved a few steps in each direction to take in as much information as possible. Yet with the line established, all he could do was wait.

Come on! A brief glance over his shoulder was all he could muster. Where were they?!

“Forward!” A familiar voice echoed from behind and Nuro turned to watch his reinforcements appear on the ridge above. Nuro’s anxiety vanished as the sight of the other Guardsmen filled his vision. As the captain of the main force led them down the stone, shields rushed to turn the tide. It seemed the other warriors were eager to earn their keep.

“Pharos! Pillar! Slate! Condense the line!” As the new forces spread out and stampeded down the slope into the fight, Nuro worked to keep those he directly commanded close together. He needed to maintain direct control of his forces. While he had allies at his side, losing his precious numbers would limit his own ability to fight. Plus, he needed to get his platoon moving forward. Now.

Beyond the wall of the Maedra, Nuro could see Jake’s cross swords with the Black Knight on ground that looked shattered. Nuro refused to wait on his heels and let the boy fight alone.

“Captain Nuro! We don’t have much space!” Tyk shouted from the rear of his men, bringing Nuro back to his own fight.

“Collapse into two lines! Foa! Move your men to the center! Lir, Kil! Split your skirmishers into two groups. One to the left, one to the right! Pharos, to me!”

“Yes, Captain!” The Guardsmen bellowed their response as they set to work maneuvering into the reorganized formation. With the fresh replacements moving in from the rear, the forward guards carefully peeled back to form a second line. Those already in the middle of the line stacked together, wedging their bodies side by side to form an even stiffer wall of metal to keep the Maedra out. Skirmishers already in position to support the new wall began stabbing and cutting through the gaps.

With the lines reformed, the men began utilizing a sort of baiting technique. The shield bearers would push then step back, drawing the Maedra in. Only for the shields to move, open a gap, and allow the Skirmishers to advance forward to clear the line. Kill by kill, the men began to move into the Maedra ranks, stepping over the melting corpses.

As the men focused on grinding through the meat, the mages quickly gave up their positions to their relief. They relocated to a position directly behind Nuro, giving him more accurate control over their spell casting. However, he didn’t have time to point and shout at them. Instead, Nuro grabbed Fien's shoulder and squeezed.

She flinched as she cut off a spell she had been preparing, dispersing the mana safely into the air. When she looked over her shoulder, Nuro met her gaze. “Fien. Take command of the mages with Eri.”

“S-Sir?” She stammered. Her eye widened to its limit.

Nuro smiled and patted her shoulder. “Give our line as much cover as you can. We need to push forward. Strike deep into the beast numbers and thin them out to lighten the load.” Nuro gave her no chance to backtalk. Once she had her orders, Nuro strode forward and set his eyes on the next task.

Fien froze for a moment, staring at Nuro’s back. Though she trusted his decisions, she felt unsure of herself. Eri appeared next to her. But there was no fear on her face. It was just the expression Fien needed to summon her own courage to perform the task asked of her. The two women exchanged looks, their mouths forming tight lines. After a mutual nod, their voices became a chorus as they organized the mage force into a solid square of artillery power.

With his platoon now working in unison, Nuro steered them towards their encumbered ally.

“Push forward!” Nuro yelled, moving closer to the backs of his men. Tyk stood by his side. The first true step forward was made by Tua who stepped across the invisible line in the stone. With him, the guardsmen advanced. Two more squads formed up at their sides as they started to step over the first few rows of dead Maedra. A sharp U-shape was formed almost naturally.

“Do not falter, men!” Tyk shouted, his long blade raising as he stepped forward into a gap. With a powerful swing, he slashed a Maedra nearly in two. “Show them what it truly means to be afraid!”

The nearby Oryx released a resounding shout in response, screaming a war cry in unison as they pushed forward. Slowly, Nuro, Pharos, and the Guardsman Platoon pierced the Maedra line. One step at a time, they drove forward into the screeching claws of their enemy.

With fear in their hearts but their brothers to their left and right, the bodies of the Maedra began to outnumber those who remained alive.

Little by little, they advanced.

Mere moments later, Jake started to move through the rear of the Maedra force. After having won his battle against the Black Knight, suddenly the Maedra found themselves in a dangerous situation. The beasts were stuck between the roaring Oryx with no option to retreat and a raging Battle Mage with an unquenchable thirst for Maedra blood.

Desperation set in almost immediately once the beasts found themselves in a precarious situation. They began throwing themselves at the shield men and screeching as they desperately sought escape from death. At first, the line held. The men, full of vigor, were more than an even match for the raging monsters. But Nuro’s force had something worse to deal with that the Maedra never seemed to be bothered by: fatigue.

The men had advanced barely fifty meters and the other platoons had made similar progress before their advance stagnated. Even as Jake, at the rear of the Maedra force, blasted through the enemy and filled the air with sounds of slaughter, Nuro’s men finally crashed into the wall that they would now struggle to overcome. The initial foes were all standard Maedra. But beyond those first dozen or so ranks, they would now need to contend with Guardian-class foes, Maudraga, and even the Arachkin-class enemies loitering in the area.

“Fien!” Nuro shouted as four bright blue balls screeched towards them.

“TYR!” She and six other mages shouted in unison, their chants ending just in time. Massive fireballs careened overhead, crashing into the Maudraga spells mere yards above the men below. Fire and heat washed over them, causing a few to flinch and duck slightly to avoid being scalded. “I’m sorry!” Fien shouted.

“It’s fine!” He tried to reassure her, ever thankful for her presence. “Continue to cast! Foa, Guardian! Draw it in!”

Marching towards them from their left, the three-meter tall foe pushed through the Maedra line. Foa whistled for his men and while the head and rear of the formation remained in place, the left side adjusted. The Skirmishers moved away from the other lines and reformed to act as the true attackers as the shield men pushed the Maedra back. A space was opened and the Guardian rushed into it. The Heavy Guardsmen met it head on, using their own shields to stop its momentum. Then, just before it stopped, they split open and allowed it to stumble through.

Three skirmishers raced forward, dodging around the tall shield before it could be moved. The first two struck the Guardian's heavy, clubbed arm before it could swing. Their strikes swiftly tore through the joints and immobilized the arm. The third Skirmisher attacked the core, his thick blade cutting open the Guardian’s torso and exposing the mana crystal beneath. Once the crystal was visible, the trio stepped aside in unison as a Shield Guardsman lunged into the gap with his short sword. He pierced the crystal, shattering it. The Guardian immediately tilted forward, falling to the floor.

A simple attack pattern performed expertly. Before the Guardian even hit the floor, the Heavy Guardsmen returned to their line and the Skirmishers returned to their previous positions. A machine trained to fight the exact enemy they were facing. Nuro marveled at their precision.

“Your orders, Captain!” Tyk spoke clearly over his shoulder, doing so to snap Nuro from his momentary trance.

“Right!” Nuro exhaled and then looked at Fien. “Fire on those Beast Mag-” Just as he turned to point towards his targets in the distance, he watched as a barrage of Fire Spears from Jake’s direction blasted the Maudraga to pieces. “...Shit.” The destruction was immense. In the wake of the inferno, the ground hadn’t just cratered. It was molten.

Having seen it himself, Tyk let out a brief laugh. “Your battle mage is impressive!”

Others had witnessed the explosion as well, and it was followed by several more as Jake systematically evaporated the remaining Maudraga still slinging spells around the nest.

“Very impressive.” From how Tyk paused to watch the flames rage throughout the nest, Nuro could tell this was his first time watching Jake work. It was the same for Nuro, as he hadn’t directly experienced what Jake was capable of. He had been given a brief taste during their prior operation. This was on an entirely different scale.

“Scary, isn’t it?” Nuro asked, stepping up to Tyk’s side. The fighting continued around them, the Oryk Warriors struggling not to be distracted.

Tyk let out a low rumble as he allowed himself a few extra moments to admire the display. “Aye… I’m glad he is with us and not them.”

Yea, so am I. Nuro admitted his agreement only to himself before he pulled his eyes back down to the fight in front of him. “Stay focused! Keep pushing towards him!” At his call, Nuro’s men lowered their eyes and continued to press on.

Yet the further they pushed into the nest, the wider their line began to stretch. The shields could no longer interlock. They simply didn’t have enough men. Fatigue also began to settle in and with no way to rotate through a second line, the men started to stutter. It was then that the threat of defeat reared its unsightly head. During their initial push with shields interlocked, injuries were kept to a minimum. Cuts, scratches, and minor scrapes could be ignored. With their advances and the stretching of the line came an increased burden on the individual warrior as the line strained. Once minor errors became fatal mistakes with immediate consequences. Along the line, men screamed as meat and armor were torn apart as the platoon teetered on the verge of collapse. Eighty meters was their limit of advance. Any further and the already weakened line would break. They didn’t have the numbers for such a movement.

Jake was still so far off but Nuro couldn’t afford another step. “Hold here!” Nuro belted. “This is as far as we’ll go!” Until the rest of the force caught up with them, they were stuck.

At his shout, Tua, Mora, and even Wyicks looked back at him.

“What about Jake?!” Tua hollered from the front. He was soaked in sweat and blood leaked down the right side of his face. He had taken a shot to the head at some point it looked like.

“He’s fine!” As if to echo his shout, another explosion shook the nest as Jake threw out another flurry of spells. “Fien, fire off a signal flare to help him find us!”

“Roger!” Fien stretched her hand above her head and shut her eyes. A bright ball of blue flame coiled around her fingers as she collected heat in her palm. After a few seconds of chanting, the blue flame soared skyward. It blasted apart in a brilliant flash, bright enough to illuminate much of the nest.

“Ah!” A man on the left shouted out of fright as his footing slipped.

“Yin!” A Skirmisher moved to help his friend but he was too slow. The Maedra who had caused the Guardsman to fall slammed his clubbed arm down onto the Oryx’s legs. Metal, bone, and limb were all crushed together. The man screamed as the friendly force around him moved to push the Maedra away and plug the gap. The injured man was pulled to safety and dragged by two Skirmishers to the rear of the force, behind the Mages. Several runners traded off and carried the man out of the fight and towards the support area that had been formed at the entrance of the tunnel.

That was the third Heavy Guardsman to be lost and replaced by a skirmisher. Though the casualty rate wasn't very high, Nuro could already see the problem coming his way.

Oh how he dreaded his next words. “Fall back! Slowly! We need to close these gaps!” At his command, several men glanced his way. Uncertainty was written all over their faces. Retreat wasn't exactly a typical request. Yet, while they felt fine in the face of their enemy, Nuro knew just what would happen if they stayed put.

Now that the Maedra were in a frenzy, the allied lines weren’t progressing forward. The Oryx force was getting tired, injuries were mounting, and the wave of meat seemed endless. Even as Jake began to tear into the rear lines, the Maedra were relentless. Having lost their own momentum, Nuro’s platoon wouldn't be able to go any further on their own.

“Peel back! Hurry up! Mages, fire right over their heads to suppress the beasts!” Nuro quickly moved forward and began to tug on his men. Using his hands more than his voice, he helped them begin their retreat towards safer positioning. The men were still reluctant but as another Guardsman was smashed and yanked into the Maedra ranks to die, they recognized the danger.

Spells immediately bombarded the Maedra beyond the front line. The spells arced barely over the Guardsmen's heads as the men stepped backwards. Nuro shouted and directed traffic while ordering his men to keep their eyes forward. He, Tyk, Lin, and Foa guided the platoon slowly to friendly space. Seeing the Oryx retreating, the Maedra took it as an opportunity to surge forward. However, the Mages performed their task brilliantly. With Fien’s sharp eye, their spells smashed into the excited Maedra, blowing them apart and causing their advance to stagger long enough for the Guardsmen to reposition to a safer spot.

The eighty meters of friendly territory were reduced to seventy five, then to seventy, then to sixty five. Slowly, Nuro inched his men further and further away from Jake. Nuro could see the boy carving a path forward, the weapons in his hands decimating the Maedra that dared to challenge him. More importantly, he could see the calm on Jake’s face.

The boy didn’t miss a step as he fought through the horde towards his allies. Even as Nuro retreated, Jake didn’t stop. In spite of his disadvantageous position, the boy forged ahead, destroying anything standing between him and his teammates, and worked tirelessly to support the entire Oryx front. Whenever Jake had an opportunity, he targeted the Guardian-types and had been able to kill off the last of the Arachkin-types. A few Maudragas were hidden within the Maedra ranks but overall, the boy had done his part to keep them suppressed.

Nuro was grateful for it.

The platoon retreated until the men were able to lock their shields again. Only then did Nuro call for a halt. He reorganized their line and shouted for aid from the other platoons. A few spare skirmishers moved to join their fight but it wasn’t much. A sign that it wasn’t just their platoon that was stretched to its limits.

“Captain!” A distant voice echoed over the sounds around Nuro, drawing his attention to his left. There, he watched as several warriors from another platoon were isolated, lost behind a dozen Maedra piling over their shields.

Nuro’s jaw tensed. Tearing his eyes away from the painful sight, he focused his eyes on the backs of his own men. Hoping to prevent the same scene from happening to those in front of him. The tide was turning, wasn’t it?

“Nuro!” Jake’s voice reached the Elf’s ears.

Nuro looked towards him, his eyes locking with the boy’s just as the line to his left faltered. The men were exhausted. Their heavy armor was draining their strength and the constant struggle against a stronger foe had pushed them to their limits. The Guardsmen were strong, the Oryx were brave and they had the ability to fight against the Maedra. Yet, those three-to-one odds weren’t because it took three men to kill one Maedra. It was because one Maedra could outlast all three of them in a prolonged fight. This was their weakness. The Oryx couldn’t kill enough of the Maedra when their numbers were fair. The Maedra just kept coming, kept rushing forward. An incessant river of rage and terror that never seemed to run dry.

In every fight, the Oryx were on a time limit.

“Pull back!" If Nuro wanted to prevent being overrun, he had to rearrange his men. He needed two lines that he could switch in and out of. Jake was beyond their reach and he would need to get to them rather than the other way around. Nuro had overestimated their chances.

Please don’t cost me too much. His plea was answered right away as a man to his left was shoved backwards onto a knee. A moment later, the two men beside him were overwhelmed and tackled to the ground.

Nuro gritted his teeth and stepped forward, only for Tyk to beat him to the spot. The Guard Captain beheaded one Maedra while three skirmishers dealt with the others. Even with their quick response, the first man was missing his face and his torso was crushed. The other two had damage to their armor but thankfully they could still stand. Tyk ordered them to the rear anyways and plugged the hole himself with his skirmishers.

“Back! Fall back!” Nuro’s order boomed outwards. However, as much as his men wanted to follow his direction, gridlock remained.

A nightmare scenario had happened that Nuro noticed far too late.

If they retreated, the men would be forced to unlink their shields and retreat. They would need to open gaps of their own accord and with the Maedra so close, there wouldn’t be enough time to seal them. To work, the men who would pull off needed to move all at once. Those left at the front would be forced to immediately stack back together. It could be done quickly, Nuro was sure of it. However, it would need to be done perfectly.

Taking a breath, Nuro stepped up to the rear of his line. “You’re number one. Number two. Number one. Number two.” Moving quick, Nuro gave each and every man on his line a number. He made sure they heard it and gave him confirmation before he moved to the next man. No matter whether they were a Heavy Guardsman or a Skirmisher, if they were on the line, Nuro identified them.

“Listen to me! On my order, rank two will take three steps to the rear! The first rank will close and seal the line! Understood?!” Nuro resorted to one of the simplest methods he could think of. A standard training technique they were all taught during their tactics classes. And once they learned the why, the men answered with a resounding answer.

“Mages! I need a wall of fire in front of the men! Drop it right in front of them!” Nuro turned to shout over his shoulder to Fien and Eri, both of whom were only ten paces away.

“Aye, Sir!” Eri answered. The mages raised their hands in unison. Nuro watched them, waiting for their casting to finish. Just as the flames shot outwards, he exhaled and screamed.

“MOVE!”

Metal met flesh. The men shoved forward together before each took a deep step back. Those identified as twos retreated further, while the others shifted to the middle and slammed their shoulders together. Over their heads, the wave of inferno washed over the Maedra, scorching flesh and meat and melting those hit directly. The men synchronized their steps to the order, closing ranks and sealing the gaps.

“Back! Back!” Nuro grabbed the man closest to him and tugged at his armor. They moved to the rear, slinking away from the burning beasts as the Maedra lunged forward. “Again! Mages!” Nuro barked and grabbed the neck of Tua’s armor. Tua didn’t take his eyes off the enemy ahead, peering over his shield as he was pulled backwards.

It had worked, but there were gaps on the flanks. Though Nuro’s formation change had resulted in fewer men up front, the length of the line was now cut in half and their retreat pace wasn’t what Nuro needed.

“Fuck-” Nuro turned to yell for Mora, only to watch as she was pushed away from the line. “Mora!” He shouted, watching as she was separated. Two heavy guardsmen rushed to her aid as well as one skirmisher who had reacted in time. All four of them were immediately cut off and surrounded.

Nuro jerked his eyes away and yelled for the second line to reform behind them. He yanked Tua's armor, not wanting to lose another one of his precious team members.

“Ah…” Nuro stopped in his tracks, his grip on Tua’s armor going slack.

The line of Oryx he thought had been so stoic and strong suddenly collapsed. In the center, the Guardsmen had provided an anchor. They were stiff and held their own against the Maedra. But between them and along the edges, only standard Warriors and Red Scouts could be placed. Nuro couldn’t see them, not from where he had advanced up to. Now that he was further back and closer to the main line…

He could see that it wasn’t the Maedra who were desperate. It was the Oryx. Those holes in the line had been smashed to pieces. The guardsmen were barely holding their own squares together. Mages and desperate healers stood at the top of the hill, providing cover as those who could escape fled down the tunnel. An order for a mass retreat had been issued by the leader of the assault force. However, Nuro had been so focused on his own platoon that he failed to hear it.

They were about to be isolated and surrounded.

“Nuro!” Tua shouted as he stepped back into the Elf. “What do you want us to do?"

For the first time, Nuro didn’t have an answer. What he had thought was progressing so well and could possibly turn into a stalemate as Jake returned to their line wasn’t even close to reality.

With no choice, Nuro met Tua’s harsh expression. “Box formation!” Nuro shouted. As if recognizing what that meant, Tua’s eye widened.

“...Fuck.” Without another word, Tua turned his head to the front and dug his heels into the rock floor.

“Box formation!” Nuro repeated himself and grabbed the men one by one, moving them into position around him. They formed stiff straight lines and closed themselves off from the Maedra force. He spread out their available shields and placed Skirmishers throughout the lines to try and establish a mix of solid metal and bleeding steel. In the center of it, the mages were oriented in a wheel so that they could cast freely in every direction.

“It won’t hold, Nuro!” Tua balked.

“It has to! We aren’t running!” Nuro looked in Jake’s direction, only to see nothing but Maedra. “We hold here!”

A skirmisher crossed his blades with the heavy club of a Maedra. His blade shattered in front of his very eyes and the club smashed into the side of his helmet. The helmet cratered as the man stumbled into a Heavy Guardsman on his left. The heavy guardsman flinched and turned his gaze for a moment. A moment that proved too long as the Maedra in front of him grabbed the edge of his shield and pulled him forward. The two men fell, both of them being devoured by the horde as the Maedra yanked them into their hungry clutches.

A hole opened and Nuro’s jaw clenched.

Why was Tua always right?

“HEADS DOWN!” The voice of power thundered over their heads as the dark nest lit up around them. Nuro looked towards the voice to see Jake in the air, arms extended as a dozen Fire Spears rained down around them. Several rows of Maedra ahead of the guardsmen disintegrated. Those too close to be targeted were trapped by rock magic at their feet and became easy targets to be slain.

Jake landed in the center of the box and placed his hand on the floor. Around all four sides, a brightly colored wall of flame blasted toward the ceiling. A moat of molten heat separated the Oryx from the Maedra, giving the men a moment of reprieve as Jake finally reached them.

“Nuro!” Jake quickly got to his feet and scanned the inside of the box for his captain. When Jake saw the Elf, a knot formed in his throat. “Well, that’s not the normal face of my proud leader,” he spat. The boy stepped towards Nuro and stopped a few paces away.

Nuro’s hands curled into fists as his eyes shook. The boy in front of him was dirty, covered in a mix of his own blood and the blood of the Maedra. His skin was slick with sweat, his hair was a mess and his blades were coated in the fat of the enemies he had slain. He looked tired, exhausted, just like everyone else. But in those brown eyes of his, Nuro only saw absolute victory. Jake wasn’t thinking about losing. There wasn't the slightest trace of that on his mind.

Nuro also noticed something odd coating the boy. It looked like a veil of mana was covering him from head to toe. So you’ve grown again, haven’t you? Nuro didn’t know what it was. Whether it was a spell of some kind or not. Whatever it was, the air around Jake felt different than before the raid.

“Hey. Snap out of it. “ Jake clapped his hands to break Nuro from his trance and a wide grin crossed his face. “We’ve got work to do.”

Nuro frowned. “We’re tired, Jake. My men can’t fight for much longer.” Nuro motioned towards the surrounding Oryx. All of them were kneeling, heaving for oxygen, or struggling to support themselves. They had held out this long simply on adrenaline and a feeble desire to survive whatever hell they were stuck in. What was supposed to be a break in the fighting to give them a second to recover turned out to be the breaking point.

Once those flames were put out, they would fold.

“Good thing I’m here then, huh?" Jake reached into his pocket and pulled out three pieces of paper. The magic circles drawn onto them all glowed brightly and shimmered a brilliant green. “Ewana is in trouble, Nuro. I need your men in fighting shape. We’re going to punch through and help.”

Nuro opened his mouth, a plea for them to be given time to rest dangling on the tip of his tongue. His men were exhausted. There was no way they could kill the horde in front of them and fight again. With the rest of the assault group retreating, they would have zero support going forward. On their own, it would be an impossible feat… And yet, he couldn’t say those words. The light in Jake’s eyes forced those words to remain unspoken.

“We’re with you, battle mage.” From Nuro’s right, Captain Tyk stepped forward from the line. “If Ewana is in danger, it is our duty to protect her. Right, Nuro?” The Guard Captain, his armor damaged and his blade chipped, remained unbroken.

Nuro took a deep breath. “...Right.”

Captain Tyk reached over and grabbed his shoulder. “Your orders, Captain Nuro?”

Nuro felt his fists tighten and the fog over his mind began to clear. He looked around at the men to see them all staring back at him. They were on their last but still stared at him, awaiting the order to step through the fire again.

“Jake, do you have any tricks?” While he felt terrible for leaning on his battle mage, Nuro had little else he could rely on.

Jake’s lips curled into a smirk as he nodded. “I learned some new magic. Recovery focused. It’s not a lot but it helps with fatigue and minor injuries. It should give your men a bit of an extra push. I can’t heal deep wounds, though. I’m not that proficient yet.” As he spoke, Jake walked over to the closest Heavy Guardsman who was kneeling and using his shield to support himself. Jake planted his hand firmly on the Oryx’s shoulder, establishing a connection with the man's mana flow. His hands began to glow as the boy funneled Light-based mana into the flow, accelerating the man's natural recovery processes. Shortly after, he checked for open wounds and assisted with stopping the loss of blood. Jake couldn't repair the heavier injuries but he was able to stabilize them. Slowly, energy returned to the guardman's face.

“Oh…” The Guardsman let out a low rumble in awe as he felt a cool wave of relief wash through his body. His weary muscles pulsed as strength returned to them. The fog over his mind receded and though he still felt pain in some portions of his body, he largely felt restored. “This is… incredible.” He muttered as Jake finished. The man stood up, briefly testing his arms and legs. Satisfied, he looked up at a few of those staring at him. “Sarge, I’m good now.” He called out to Foa, who was standing nearby.

“Captain.” Foa spoke the single word as he looked over towards Captain Tyk and Nuro.

“Well, that's our answer.” Tyk smirked and he also looked at Nuro.

“I think it is.” Nuro huffed and turned to address the platoon. “Everyone, form a line! Hurry up!”

Leaving the flames to protect them, the platoon moved to form a single file in front of Jake. One by one, the boy channeled his mana into each of them. Jake said that he wasn’t completely proficient with the spell just yet but from what Nuro could see, he was skilled enough to be effective with it. Each guardsman that was touched recovered not just their energy, but their will to fight. As they returned to their positions, Nuro could see the restored vigor on each of their faces.

Of the thirty or so they had started with. They now numbered fifteen strong. Mora was one of those losses. While it hurt not seeing her face, Nuro’s grief needed to wait. He needed to get the rest of these men home.

“Mora is missing, Cap.” Tua must have been on a similar wavelength. After having his body tended to, he made sure to brush by Nuro on his way back to the tip of the formation.

“...I know.” It was all Nuro could offer. For now, all he could do was wish for some kind of miracle that she had survived somehow and retreated with the assault group. An unlikely outcome, however.

Captain Tyk and Nuro both waited until the entire line was cleared before they too stepped up to be helped. The sensation of ice pouring over his body was both intense and invigorating. The feeling spread from Jake’s hands to every corner of Nuro’s body. With it, the tension in his muscles, the fear in his heart, and the woes clouding his judgment were squeezed away.

“How should we go about this?” Tyk placed his hands on his hips as he spoke loudly and clearly for everyone to hear. All eyes were on the three men in the middle of the formation. Most of all, they were waiting for Nuro to speak.

“First I’m going to activate these cleansing sigils. They’ll weaken the beasts and make pushing through easier.” Jake showed his three pieces of paper again. The sigils on them continued to glow. The lights eventually solidified, showing that they were primed and ready to be used. “It’ll be faster to punch through than it will be to retreat. On the other side, once we hit the tunnel, it’s a straight shot to Ewana. We’ll need to catch the beasts that have gotten ahead though so I hope everyone is ready to run.”

“What about this nest?” Nuro asked, raising an eyebrow. While he had no qualms with Jake’s plan to get to the other side and eventually to Ewana, there would still be the issue of the nest.

Jake jerked a thumb over his shoulder towards the tunnel they had used to enter the nest. “The assault party ran with tails between their legs, but once I cast these spells the remaining Maedra here will be child’s play. They might even die on their own. I used two when I first came inside but the Maedra got smart and moved away from them. This nest is too big so one or two aren’t big enough to cover the entire nest. But these three will finish it off.”

Nuro grabbed his chin and looked up at the top of the hill. He could see the Maedra rushing towards it, chasing the retreating assault force. An odd sight to witness from behind but one that Nuro didn’t exactly brood over. The assault force had just abandoned them so there wasn’t any lingering sadness in Nuro’s mind for what may be happening in that hole. His worries were centered on his own men right in front of him.

Nevertheless, he did not want the remaining Maedra to run down the tunnels and spread beyond their control. Only the gods knew what would happen if they allowed that. If Jake’s spells did the trick, then cleaning up wouldn’t be a difficult task. The assault force would figure it out at some point.

“We’ll proceed with that then. Two files, back to back. Tua, Foa, and one heavy guard to the front to form a wall. Mages in the middle. We’ll punch straight forward. Can you clear a path, Jake?”

“If you can protect yourselves, I can do that.” Jake nodded and took a slight step back.

“That’s our plan then. Everyone, form two lines! Tua, Foa, and one heavy guard to the front. You three will be our spearhead. The rest of you are on their sides in a line. Shield the mages in the middle and keep running forward. If you fall or stop, we can't help you! Stick together and stay tight!" As soon as he shouted their next move, the Guardsmen began moving into their positions. They understood what was being asked of them and were aware of the risks. Though they did not have much of a choice in the matter due to their predicament, none of the men complained. This would be their ticket home.

“I’ll support you up front.” Wyicks emerged from the moving bodies and stood next to Jake. Pari was with him.

"Me too." Pari replied with a look that Nuro had never seen before. Her usual doll-like face burned with such eagerness that Nuro couldn't help but chuckle. Was she smiling?

Jake paused, his eyes drifting towards Nuro for confirmation. When Nuro gave him the subtle nod of approval, Jake echoed the nod. “Makes my life easier. Head to the front.” The trio split, with Wyicks and Pari nudging their way ahead of Tua.

As the platoon gathered in formation, Jake used wind magic to scatter his papers across the nest. Massive green sigils emerged from them, the magic circles spreading off the pages and illuminating the dimly lit room. Beyond the walls of fire, as the spells took effect, the screams of dying Maedra filled their ears. Jake paused for a moment and then jumped upwards. Wind blew at his feet and the boy launched himself towards the ceiling. The entire platoon looked up, watching as the boy dangled from the stone above them. If it weren’t for the glow of the sigils, they would have lost him in the dark.

From his position, Jake tossed two more of his Cleansing Sigils into the room, further adding to the chorus of agony beyond the walls of flame. With it, he also cast several Fire Spears. Nuro couldn’t see their effects but he could hear the explosions and the silencing of dozens of screams. Jake targeted the area directly beyond the Fire Walls first. Then, Nuro watched the boy lob a few in what Nuro assumed would be their direction of travel. The boy then returned to the floor and hopped to the front of the formation.

As the boy passed by, Nuro watched him draw two elven blades free of their scabbards. A pair of elegant weapons that were missing quite a bit of length. Elven Mithril. It was metal from Nuro's distant homeland, metal he had not seen for many years. Delmuth was the last Highborn within the tunnels to wield the majestic weapons. Seeing them glow in Jake’s hands somehow felt… right.

Even they chose you, I see… As the glowing weapons reflected in his eyes, a little smile appeared on his face.

“Everyone ready?" Jake shouted to the platoon behind him. Weapons were gripped tightly. Shields were held high. Visors were lowered. Muscles tensed.

“To war!” Tyk shouted, his voice earning a resounding howl in response from the Guardsmen.

Answering their call, Jake cut off the fire walls from the mana pool he’d created beneath the floor. With no fuel to maintain their height, the walls slowly lowered back to stone. As each inch of protection was lowered, the men grew more tense. More afraid. Nerves racked their brains and caused a number to shiver.

Beyond the walls, Maedra shrieked with a mixture of delight and agony. The Cleansing Spells were working just fine but the stubborn few with enough strength to resist the effects were frothing at the mouth to repay the pain they felt.

Yet, of them all. One couldn’t wait.

Jake surged forward, bursting through the fire wall at the very moment his eyes locked with the eyes of the first Maedra on the other side. His blades flared to life and the Maedra was cut into three pieces.

“GO!” Nuro’s voice thundered and the formation charged after their battle mage. Wyicks, hot on the boy’s heels, crossed the flames next with Pari just off to their left.

The Maedra surrounding the platoon collapsed inwards, only to meet steel and fire. The Oryx didn’t stop fighting and the Mages worked relentlessly to cast as many defensive spells as they could. Tua led the formation forward, his eyes glued to Jake’s back as his vanguard danced a few paces beyond his shield. Truly, the most dangerous position but it was just as inspiring for the men who were told to follow behind. Unlike their initial push, the only Maedra the lead shield-bearers had to deal with were dead ones.

Between the two files, Nuro and Tyk guided the men. They called out only the attacks they deemed necessary and regularly urged the men to keep moving. Nuro took the front half with Tyk performing the same task behind their mages.

And as they drove like a nail through the nest, Nuro felt a tear fall from his eye.

If only you could see him now, Delmuth. The way the boy moved was exactly like the Highborn. He did not fight crudely like the Oryx. It was refined. Disciplined. Elegant. A dance of death reminiscent of the sword singers of his homeland. Jake’s eyes were always forward and he trusted his back to the Daemon to his right and the Oryx to his left. There was no hesitation in his movements. Jake moved fluidly from one Maedra to the next. Several strikes exposed the crystal hidden in their bodies and a powerful swing shattered it.

“It’s beautiful…” An Oryx to Nuro’s left mumbled, his voice barely loud enough for Nuro to hear.

With those words, Nuro felt something well up inside of him. An emotion he thought had long been smothered many hundreds of years ago after he had been thrown out of his homeland… Elven Pride.

“We’re through!” Jake’s voice boomed over the air as he and the vanguard sliced through the final lines of the Maedra. Not missing a step, Jake jumped forward and turned around to face them. His arms extended and dozens of fire spears screeched past them, crashing into the Maedra behind the platoon in order to give them a safe buffer. “Run straight into the tunnel! I’ll catch up!” As he spoke, Jake moved aside.

Behind him, the path was clear. The exit was mere meters away. “Roger! Everyone inside!” With renewed vigor, Nuro shouted to his men and carefully nudged his way out of the rectangle formation and off to the side. Tua led the unit through into the dark while Nuro and Captain Tyk herded them from behind. Nuro stopped at the exit to wait. Tyk stopped as well, the two of them staring at their final member.

With his task complete and the room clear of allies, Jake launched a barrage of fire and wind into the remaining numbers of Maedra. He still couldn’t kill them all but if Nuro had to say, the remaining horde was a shell compared to what they first had to deal with.

“Jake!” Nuro barked. They didn’t have forever. Nuro had no doubt Jake could clean up the mess but they had another task to worry about.

Sending off one final barrage, Jake kicked the floor and summoned a massive wall of fire. His back protected, Jake turned and raced towards the tunnel. “Moving!”

The trio ran through the arch and into the maw of their escape route. To protect them from a rear attack, Jake collapsed the entrance to the tunnel and sealed it closed. Then, he created a few balls of light that illuminated the platoon and the space around them.

As expected, the men were once more exhausted from all of the running. Their gear was heavy and the Maedra hadn’t relented. Even weakened, the Maedra remained a dangerous enemy to deal with. They had survived their first encounter of the day. A day that was far from over.

“Are you sure this is the tunnel?” Nuro asked, wanting confirmation to know that they hadn’t just run into some random hole in the wall and were now lost.

Jake nodded confidently as he moved to the front of the formation. “This is the only tunnel I saw the beasts entering during my fight with the Knight. The other tunnels were empty. Plus, this one is pointed straight at Ewana. It must connect with another tunnel that leads to the village, just like the one they used to ambush the caravan.”

As he spoke, Nuro could not just hear the confidence in Jake’s observation but he could feel it. Jake had matured into a fine warrior.

“Lead the way.” Nuro relinquished the reins to the boy, taking a moment to give himself a break from the leadership role.

“Roger. Take this time to prepare! I don’t know how many we’re about to face but we have to hurry.”

“Roger!” the platoon exclaimed in unison, their steps heavy as they raced against the clock to Ewana’s aid.

---

Eight warriors sat quietly in a circle, their shields and swords leaning against their stone seats. Their eyes stared down at a small, smoldering fire stone at their feet. They were silent, having talked their heads off already and run out of conversation ideas to share. But that was fine. While it was mind-numbingly quiet, they preferred it that way. Quiet meant an easy shift. Quiet meant no fighting, no stress, and no pain. Their twelve hour shift at the tunnel was four hours from being over and only two more sentry swaps needed to be made before they would be relieved. Then, they would have a day to do nothing but drink and sleep.

It sucked not being picked for the operation. However, the eight of them all agreed that they would rather be sitting on their asses than having to face the Beasts. Sure, they were cowards for believing that, but that was a much safer duty. Much safer. Hell, they could see the village for their entire shift! If that wasn’t risk-free, then what was? Safe was boring, that was true. But safe meant that each of them could go home after their shift ended.

“I should’ve tried out to be a Guardsman earlier in my life,” Lin muttered all of a sudden.

Fit scoffed and tossed a small pebble at Lin. “Yer fat ass wouldn’t pass the physical exam.”

Lin shot his fellow warrior a scowl and kicked some dust towards him. “I’d’ve a better chance than an idiot like you!”

The two chuckled and bickered with one another, bringing some life to the air as the others watched on. The sudden outburst caused a few others to add their own opinions and thoughts. Some agreed that they wished they had tried out. One most definitely never intended to attempt it in his life while another had already given the selection process a shot, only to come up short.

Indeed, the process of becoming a Guardsman was rigorous and significantly more dangerous. It required regular direct combat with the Maedra in far smaller groups than what Warriors typically ventured out in. Candidates traveled frequently between large villages to train in various combat styles. They learned different formations that they would potentially use, and they were given frequent direct action tasks that put them face to face with the Maedra. Even though the general task for the Guardsmen was to protect the village, they were also the village’s premier Maedra fighting force. It was why each member was so highly valued. Each member was given full armor, brand new weapons, and was fed the highest quality food that could be procured.

Yet, the Guardsmen never thought highly of themselves. They took pride in their duties but every member was humble. They understood their tasks and were willing to answer any call given to them by their village. A few of the warriors scoffed and talked down on the Guardsmen, calling them snobs for how they looked down on the rest of them. However, one warrior who hadn’t joined the conversation took that very moment to speak.

“...I feel sorry for them,” he muttered. He was one of two sentries standing at the entrance of the tunnel, his eyes staring into the dark. The sound of his voice caught the attention of the eight sitting in the circle and the other standing to his right. “We get to go home after work, right? They aren’t allowed to have families and live separate from everyone else… I think that’s kind of sad.”

A few of the warriors traded looks. One shrugged.

“Yea, I guess.”

“When you put it that way…”

“Damn, Dax. Why do you always spit out smart shit?”

The groans of his fellow warriors caused Dax to roll his eyes a little. He looked to his right at his sentry partner. The Oryx, Kik, shook his head. “You feel sad for them? Really?” He muttered.

“What? I do.” Dax stuck to his answer while Kik let out a short laugh and shook his head again.

“Dax, if we left you with them long enough you’d probably even feel sorry for the beasts.” Kik leaned on his spear a bit, his stance relaxing as he looked down the tunnel.

Someone behind them tossed a pebble. It missed but it was aimed at Dax. “He probably already does!” Laughter erupted and Dax groaned.

“Now they’re the one thing I’d never understand,” Dax sighed and he too leaned on his spear. When he did, he swore he felt the ground shake. The subtle wobble in the ground caught his attention.

Dax and Kik exchanged looks. Kik must have felt it too.

“Oh? So you’ve already tried, huh? You wanna be their friend?” The laughter continued.

Dax focused on his spear and pressed it to the floor. The vibrations… They were strengthening. “Shush.” He turned to his allies to get them to shut up, but they ignored him and continued to throw jabs. When they didn’t answer right away, “SHUT UP!” Dax’s voice boomed and the noise stopped. “...I think I heard something.”

The men’s bodies stiffened as blood drained from their faces. The jubilant emotions were instantly replaced with ice in their veins as they stared into the black veil. Dax held his breath and his chest tightened. All he could hear was the thumping of his heart in his chest…

…and the distant shrill of doom.

“They’re coming…” Dax muttered the words at first. Then his brain caught up with his ears. “They’re coming!” He repeated, shouting the words over his shoulders.

The circle jumped to life, rising to their feet and grabbing their equipment. One of them ran to the edge of the overlook, lifting a horn to his mouth. The deep bellow of the sound it produced thundered through the village. Three times the noise was repeated, but just one was enough to bring Ewana to its knees.

Every eye in the village turned towards the source. Every individual froze.

The beasts were coming.