The situation didn’t look promising. Mila studied the five overseers from the blanket of darkness. She noticed a few other people who could pose a threat, but the five were the most problematic. Mila didn’t think they could win. Not without sacrifices.

 

Granted…

 

Perhaps they didn’t need to run in screaming and hacking at everything moving. Mila narrowed her eyes and tried to see the other side of the hall. There - the defenders were more numerous. It was as if they expected an assault coming from that direction.

 

Which they likely were. Mila watched the hubbub for a moment longer before turning around. It was time to return to her party. There was nothing more she could glean from just watching.

 

It didn’t take long for Mila to encounter Viola, who was leading the party’s advance. “What did you find?” The spy asked.

 

“A reservoir full of blood. One of several.” Mila invited the group to follow. She recounted her discoveries and revealed her worries.

 

“That tough?” Isabel had summoned her shield and was currently sticking to Mila’s side.

 

“Mhmm…” Mila nodded. She waited for Agata to join up with them. The woman had stayed back to trap the entrance and see if anyone else was coming through the same path.

 

Soon, Agata was with them, shaking her head. “I left some surprises, but at best, they will only warn us of someone approaching. But at least I didn’t detect anyone following right away.”

 

Mila nodded. “Then we wait.” She received looks of reproach. It was time to explain herself. “We can’t win without heavy sacrifices.”

 

Laura frowned while Isabel opened her mouth to remind Mila of the sacrifices somewhere in the tunnel system.

 

“I know.” Mila stopped her girl. “I know.” She repeated with gentleness. “But we are not the only ones attacking. If we go now, we will be softening the target for the Military. And they are going to arrive soon.”

 

“It’s a gamble,” Laura concluded while looking back from where they had come. “Whether they come from this direction or another. I don’t like gambles.”

Virr began violently wheezing until the word ‘bullshit’ was coughed out.

 

“You got anything to say?” Laura looked at her subordinate in annoyance.

“No, Sir!” Virr shook his head. “Just a little bit of sourness in my throat.”

 

Preparing herself for an argument to unfold, Mila breathed in. She didn’t think fighting right away was the correct choice. Even if the Military arrived and chased them into the enemy’s forces, they could probably move along the wall and make the two opposing forces fight that way. It would be much more dangerous, though.

 

But it proved to be unnecessary. Before Mila could speak, a sudden rush of noise, cracks, screaming and rumbling swept past them. She looked back to where the hall was. “The Military has arrived. We must see if they have enough forces to wipe out this pocket of enemies. If not, we will have to intervene.”

Mila led her group towards the hall. While they still tried to be stealthy, there wasn’t much need to.

 

As they arrived, Mila saw a pure pandamonium resolving in the hall. It hadn’t been just a single tunnel from where the Military was pouring in their forces. 

 

Four of the several tunnels were spewing out attacks and attackers one after another. The defenders failed to keep the attackers in check. But while the Military pushed forward - they were also paying by each inch in blood.

 

Mila heard Isabel gasp. She noticed Viola’s frown, Laura’s grim look, Amy’s nervousness and more. Her group were unsettled by the amount of brutality. Just in the few moments they had spent standing, more than forty people had been hacked into pieces.

 

As for Mila… She… She felt nostalgic. Her eyes parsed the information, seeking the best ways to jump into the skirmish. She noted how the commanding officers failed to give correct orders. Her eyes followed the deadly projectiles that shot from the overseers’ hands.

 

More people died. But not all. Some were injured. They screamed and dragged their limbs away from certain death. The noise of shouts and melee vibrated the air.

 

It was all so familiar to her… Almost nostalgic.

 

“Mila?”

 

“Hmm?” Mila blinked.

 

“You doing alright?” Isabel wrapped her hand around Mila’s shoulder.

 

“I think so, yes.” Mila wasn’t about to speak about her conflicting emotions in front of so many people.

 

Of course, it didn’t fool Isabel. She leaned closer to Mila, whispering in her ear. “You sounded unsure. That’s not like you.”

 

The frantic fighting in front of them continued. The desperate struggle of both sides struck a chord with Mila. The way the defenders tried their best to survive just a moment longer, despite knowing there would be no reinforcements - that their last moments were closer in front of the superior numbers.

 

But the defenders held. They always did. The overseers used powerful magic to strike at the attackers. The five mages used cold, air and fire. They hurled bolts of raw energy and insidious curses at the attackers.

 

And yet, the defenders were pushed back again and again. Mila knew she had to act, or the defenders would soon lose everyone but the strongest people. And then they would be hunted down…

 

Mila suddenly shook her head. This wasn’t right. She wasn’t part of the defending forces. There was no undefeatable army chasing them down. Not in the same way as in her dreams.

This time… This time, Mila wouldn’t die while stemming the tide.

 

Isabel pulled Mila even closer and held the smaller girl tightly. “I am here…”

 

Mila sighed. “How could you tell? It’s dark, and I have a mask.”

 

“Woman’s intuition.” Isabel rubbed herself against Mila.

“That is not a thing.” Mila let her girl have her way. She closed her eyes and then opened them again. This time, her mind wasn’t muddled by the memories she had experienced.

 

“Then how did I know?” Isabel sounded smug. “Checkmate, Mila.”

 

Not deigning to reply, Mila judged the situation. “Everyone but the five overseers are going to die on the side of defenders. Unless the Military brings in someone impressive.” She watched eight people begin to counter the spells. They would not be enough. “To claim victory for ourselves, we must wait longer.”

 

“We are here to destroy that blood dispenser.” Laura cooly reminded.

 

“Right.” Mila immediately agreed. She hadn’t forgotten about it, but her main priority had been getting rid of all the threats. 

 

Perhaps that was the wrong approach. Stopping the ritual should come first, above everything else. There was no need to kill the five overseers. But…

 

Mila watched the Military try to destroy the system, feeding the blood downward. They sent probing spells at the pipes and the reservoir. Each attack was stopped, but she saw how one of the troops had sacrificed himself to stop a particularly nasty-looking bolt. 

 

And with that, the overseers began defending more than attacking. The five mages raised barriers - physical and otherwise. But with the effort, the tides of battle shifted to favour the attackers.

 

What drove these defenders to go to such lengths? Mila watched another fall with his chest caved in by a war hammer. In his place, another man stood, ready to defend their vile contraption.

 

As the fight raged on, both sides began to run out of the fighters. One of the eight stronger fighters on the Military’s side collapsed, his left side torn off by a large icicle thrown by one of the five Overseers.

 

The seven remaining elite fighters barked order after order, trying to rally their troops and give them directions. They were running out of fighters - both sides were.

 

Another five fighters died. Two had their guts chopped up by a large sword while three fell to throwing weapons launched from the backlines. Then, three more people were killed. Smashed and cut and torn asunder by superior force.

 

It would be soon when only the most elite fighters remained. Mila counted the remaining opponents. The Military had lost enough to not be a threat or be able to stop Mila’s group. The seven remaining elites were too busy with the five mages - correction, six now. The seventh was swallowed by a huge fireball.

 

“We have to go now. The five overseers are our main opponents. Ignore the military if possible.” Mila began giving orders, falling into the memory of a squad leader she had once lived through. It had been someone fierce and loyal, someone who had earned trust by always being in the front. Mila couldn’t replicate his gravitas - the precision with which he had given orders she could.

 

“Do we listen to her?” Ugum’s quiet voice reached Mila despite the man meaning those words to reach only Laura.

 

Another whisper followed. Laura’s words were clear. They would listen. They would do it even without Viola’s orders.

 

Which was quite a good sign. Perhaps, when Mila and Isabel were out of this mess, the Iron Swords wouldn’t chase them down in revenge. A girl could hope. 

 

“Agata, Raran, Virr, Viola - you four have to disrupt the long-distance fighters - if necessary.” Mila pointed at the few throwing weapon specialists the Military had brought. There weren’t many as they had prepared to fight in confined areas - these being tunnels. “It is possible the Military won’t engage us when we start cutting down the defenders, but there is no need to risk, and they won’t let us leave either. Otherwise, harras the overseers from a distance.” 

 

“Verte, try to speak with the Military forces, claim we are on their side. Tell them whatever is necessary to keep them off our necks.” Mila had noticed the right-hand man of Laura was good at speaking to others.

 

More orders followed. Ugum stayed behind with Mortimer and the Messanger, who would look over them. Isabel and Amy had the task of serving as the centrepieces in their advance. With their defences, they could afford to take a glancing blow or two without being injured. Not that they should. Nor did they have to head straight for the most dangerous opponents. All Isabel and Amy had to do is to be annoying.

 

“Got it.” Isabel finished speaking and looked at Laura. “You are the only one who can do it reliably.”

 

“I can do it.” Laura nodded. “But-”

“No buts.” Mila stopped the woman. “You are the only one of us who can reliably damage their reservoir and pipes.”

 

“I prefer a fight myself.” Laura didn’t exactly argue back. She just didn’t like the role Mila had picked for her.”

 

“There are plenty of fighters here. No. Your task is to interrupt them feeding the ritual. Didn’t you say it’s the most important part?”

 

That was enough reasoning for Laura to willingly take the task. 

 

Mila had no doubts in her mind Laura would succeed.

 

As for her? Mila played with her few scavenged throwing knives. She would try to claim a life or two to her name. The six elite fighters were doing a good job.

It was time for Mila to see if she could profit from their work.