PART IX

"Beastmen are attacking the city!"

"Defend! Defend!"

"Incoming!"

"Open fire!"

"They're beyond the walls!"

"RUN!"

"It's too late!"

"Stand and fight! Protect the children!"

"RUN! GET ZINKATA THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

Zinkata bolted awake in his bed. He really hoped that wasn't a premonition of some kind. He certainly didn't remember being in a city overrun by monsters when he was a child, but it was very possible it did happen before he arrived alone in Bastok. After all, many cities fell to the beastmen back in the war, and he couldn't remember much of his early childhood. He shook his head. It was much more likely it was his brain trying to process the thought of what was coming next. He was very doubtful Signot would let them go, and that was why they had to leave San D'Oria as soon as it was physically possible. They had stayed the night, but any longer and he knew Signot would come.

He rose from his bed and slipped into his armour. He casually threw his sword on his back and decided to go and wake the others.

Signot was angry. He was in bad shape. His eye was gone, replaced by a bloody mess. His long black robe was ripped and torn. His hood had a tear running right across it. He had multiple stab wounds and cuts, and was alive purely through the miracle of magic. He turned to the new war chief of the orcs.

"They will pay for their crimes." He stated. He didn't need to confront his master for this. He was too angry for that. "Attack. Bring me the girl no matter what. Do not retreat. Do not turn away. Unless you have her, do not return."

Zinkata wondered the street to the mog houses the others had rented. Voldos was completely silent, probably still sleeping. He generally missed anything claiming to be a 'morning' by sleeping some more. Bootus was arguing with his moogle by the sounds of it. Vivli was sobbing quietly in her room. He pondered the three options. He decided somebody had better check on Vivli, it was better to make sure she was over any problems she had than her locking up in battle. At least, that's what he told himself to hide the possibility he was developing a conscience since he had put his thieving ways behind him.

"So then, what's wrong?" He asked, leaning in the doorway.

"What do you mean 'what's wrong'?" Vivli sobbed. "Fiorel is dead! And it's all my fault!" She burst into tears, sat on the edge of her bed. Zinkata sighed, preparing himself to be as comforting as possible. It wasn't something he was used to doing. He sat on the bed next to Vivli.

"Hey, none of this is your fault." He put an arm around her, which felt very strange, but at least he felt it helped her feel comforted. "Hell, none of us even know what 'this' is."

"That's what's so scary." Vivli murmured.

"Well, you're safe now." Zinkata pointed out.

"TO ARMS!" Came a scream from outside. "ORCS ARE IN THE CITY!"

"Aw nuts." The ex-thief muttered.

The two adventurers quickly burst out of the mog house, Zinkata drawing his weapon. Bootus and Voldos quickly joined them.

"What's going on?" Asked the elf.
"Sounds like orcs are inside the city walls." Zinkata answered.

"Well then," Bootus said with a smile, "It's clobberin' time!"

San D'Oria had been fairly peaceful, as it often was in the mornings. The guards were lazily slouched against the wall, they never had to be concerned with anything this early. Of course, they almost jumped out of their skins when a squad of orcs rushed into the city. They quickly drew their weapons and a battle began.

The party ran down the street, out of the residential area. They could here the growl of orcs coming from the entrance of the city. They noticed four orcs staring down at them from the wall above.
"How'd they get up there?" Bootus asked. The orcs jumped down, landing by the party.

"We can sort that out later!" Zinkata replied as they leapt into battle. They were surrounded, two orcs on both sides. Zinkata quickly drove upwards with his sword, slicing one away. The second drove its spear at him, and the human dodged the thrust, parrying and being driven against a gigantic stone wall. Bootus grabbed it from behind and hurled it over his head. It slammed down hard, just before the galka made sure it wouldn't be getting back up.

Vivli heroically backed away from one orc while Voldos duelled the other. While Voldos could quickly take care of an orc (and proceeded to do so) Vivli didn't stand a chance. Luckily for her, it didn't try to kill her, but instead she found it grabbing her and dragging her away.

"HELP!" She bellowed. Voldos shrugged and drew a bow, aiming at her. She squeezed her eyes tight in fear. The arrow flew at her, and lodged into the orc's head. It dropped down, on top of her. "Dammmit!" She groaned. "Orcs are heavy!"

Bootus threw the orc corpse off of Vivli and helped her to her feet.

"Sparky!" She screamed, remembering her old nickname for Voldos. "Can you please not aim that bow at me!"

"Hey, I had to shoot the orc. Not my fault you were close to it." Voldos said with a shrug.

"More to the point, they're still trying to capture you, Vivli." Zinkata pointed out. "They must be raiding the city because of you." A whimper alerted him that this wasn't the best thing to say. "I mean, to get you. This means if we can get you out of the city, this attack will stop."

"How will that help?" Asked Bootus. "The orcs'll just cause more damage looking for her."

"We need to get out of the city, let them know we got out of the city, and not be caught. Easy." Voldos said with a shrug. "What?" He added as he got many sceptical stares.

Foolish elves, Signot thought, they are utterly unprepared for my power. The elves couldn't believe their city was being invaded. Never had this happened. Not even the greatest armies in the beastmen wars had broken in, and now there were squads of orcs running about as if they were residences. They never lasted long, guards picking them off as they tried to explore, but that didn't matter. It was the principle. Beastmen in San D'Oria. It was unheard of. Signot laughed at the chaos, levitating more orcs over the walls. They didn't have enough orcs to launch a full on offensive, but he knew all they had to do was find the mithra and bring her to him. It didn't matter how many died, and it didn't matter how long it took.

"We need a way out!" Declared Bootus as he punched another orc they had run into. It was causing a surprising amount of concern, the citizens were totally perplexed at awaking to the signs of battle in the streets.

"The gates have been sealed." A passing guard that had joined the fray told them. "They can't get in." Four orcs flew haphazardly over the wall. "What the hell?" The guard bellowed.

"We don't have time to explain." Zinkata began. "The orcs are looking for her." He gestured to Vivli. "If we can get her out of the city, they'll stop."

"We can handle a few orcs." The guard remarked.

"They'll keep coming, no matter how few." Zinkata replied. "Isn't it safer to solve the problem quickly?"

"You could get to the docks." The guard suggested as he drove one of the orcs back. "Get out that way."

"Thanks!" Zinkata replied.

The party bolted through the streets, passing orcish corpses as they ran. Vivli stopped, panting, and turned back. She noticed the orcs had stopped.

"Hey guys, it's over!" She managed to get out between breaths. Signot had clearly stopped his assault. The orcs were no longer coming.

"Either way, I think it may be better to get out of the city." Voldos voiced his opinion. "And this way we get a free airship ride."

"Come on!" Bootus gestured, dragging the still panting Vivli along.

They walked into the docks, which were mostly deserted. Bootus walked up to the guard stood at the airship entrance.

"Let us on." He stated.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, unless you have an airship ticket." Came the response.

"Listen. Orcs just invaded the city. They will do again, unless this little girl gets out." Vivli went to say something as she realised she was being called 'little girl' but Zinkata restrained her. "So, you can either serve your kingdom and let us on, or you can let us stay and the city will be attacked again." The guard pondered this for entirely too long, as orcs pounced from behind the crates scattered around the dock.

"Dammit!" The galka cried. "They must have been hiding." A quick count revealed a dozen orcs, and Bootus knew this meant the party was in trouble. Vivli found herself being helplessly carried off as an orc grabbed her. Bootus jumped between the beastmen, pulling her back. The two turned, facing the orcs.

"Where'd the others go?" Exclaimed the mage.

"I don't know!" Bootus replied, hitting an orc away. "But I don't think that matters right now!"

"We're going to die, aren't we?" Vivli whimpered, desperately trying to cast spells, but completely unable to due to the constant attacks.

"Pretty much." Bootus answered. Vivli let out an inaudible whimper as finally the orcs got a hold of her and began to pull her away again. She struggled helplessly as Bootus fought back against the others. She kicked desperately to get away, and let out a sigh giving up. It was over.

Until she saw a rope dangling in front of her. She took hold of it, with little other choice. Suddenly she found herself raising into the air. The orc let go in shock as she found herself flying above them. She looked up to see the San D'Orian airship departing. The rope suddenly went taught, and she looked down to see a beaten Bootus clinging to it.

"We got 'em!" Shouted Voldos from the deck.

"Great!" Came Zinkata's response. "Now to figure out how to fly this thing!" He pulled on a lever, and quickly put it back as he heard an uneasy creaking.

"I thought you knew!" Cried Voldos. Vivli couldn't hear anymore, her arms had turned to a dull ache, and she couldn't hold herself on the rope anymore. She fell.

Bootus grabbed her.

"Can't you do anything yourself?" He snapped. She laughed in relief. "HEY SIGNOT!" He bellowed as they soared over the city. "COME AND GET US!"

Signot saw it, but didn't quite believe it.

"Clever." He remarked. "But not quite clever enough." A bolt of black energy began to glow in his hands.

Bootus clambered onto deck, throwing Vivli up with force.

"Ow." She whimpered.

"Incredible guys!" Bootus sounded overjoyed. "I never thought you'd come through!"

"We're not out of it yet! I don't know how to fly one of these things!" Zinkata screamed as the airship swayed. Vivli had just finished casting cure spells to make sure the party were in good shape.

"I think I'm going to be sick." She muttered as it lurched awkwardly. She looked below, making her feel even sicker.

"Then won't you let me fly! Please!" Screamed the pilot of the airship, who was slumped at the back.

"Why aren't you letting him fly?" Bootus bellowed.

"He wouldn't let us take the airship!" Zinkata replied.

"Fly it! Fly it!" The galka screamed at the pilot as he ran to the wheel, pushing Zinkata side. The ship jerked back into smooth motion from its rumblings, and Vivli threw up.

Some disgusting yellow liquid plummeted from the sky, splashing down by Signot. He smirked.

"Goodbye." He commented smugly, blasting a beam of black energy directly up at the airship. The back of it exploded.

"HOLY HELL!" Zinkata bellowed as the airship spiralled out of control.

"I'm going to be sick again!" Vivli whimpered as the entire thing spiralled down.

"We're dead!" Bootus cried. "Again!" He promptly added.

"I've still got some control!" The pilot yelled. "I'm heading for the sea. That should soften our landing!"

"I can't swim!" Protested Vivli.

"You've got about twenty seconds to learn!" Zinkata yelled back.

"We're over the dunes!" The pilot announced as the greenery of the San D'Orian lands faded behind them. The pilot glanced back at the flaming airship. "Who did you guys piss off?"

"But I can't swim." Vivli whimpered again as the dunes turned to water.

"BRACE YOURSELVES!"

I can't swim. I hate water. Vivli's thoughts were surprisingly simplistic as she felt the ocean wash around her. She splashed desperately, swallowing galleons of the salty water and sinking beneath the waves.

Vivli let out a feeble cough. Water splashed out of her mouth and onto the sand. I'm alive. It's a miracle. She was on a beach somewhere. She tried to get up, but her arms just shook feebly and she collapsed. She was so drained she didn't even have the strength to get up anymore. She instead lay sprawled on the sand, wherever she was, waiting.

Time became timeless. She didn't know how long she lay there, or even if she was conscious or not. She just waited, as time slowly floated by. She could here the waves lapping around her, a rhythmic tune that let her drop into a deep sleep.

She awoke slumped against a cliff, still feebly weak from exhaustion and pain. She looked around to see a sheep chewing on something bloody. It seemed she was the next meal. Of course, she didn't know Zinkata had been in a similar situation just before they all met.

This time she managed to struggle to her feet, swaying uneasily. She was alone. That wasn't good. The sheep let out a snort and turned towards her. She weakly reached for her weapon, but it was gone. She swayed again struggling to stay conscious. The sheep snorted again, advancing on her. She backed away, frightened. She fell to the ground, unable to stay up. Her first instinct in such a situation was to curl into a ball and wait for death. Luckily, logic overcame this, and she tried to cast a spell. This was too draining and she couldn't. Something attacked the sheep. A blur of movement. And then she passed out.

Her eyes fluttered open again, and once again she had changed location. She was in a small room on a basic bed.

"Help!" Was her first instinctive word, spoken with panic. A caring looking girl peered over her.

"Don't worry. Calm down." She said soothingly. "You're alright."

"Alright?" She murmured wearingly.

"Don't worry." The stranger dabbed Vivli's brow with a cold sponge. That helped her come to her senses. "Somebody found you out in the dunes. You're lucky to be alive."

"Alive?" Vivli wasn't speaking in a very coherent form.

"Don't worry. You're alright. You're at a recovery centre in Seblina. We deal with wounded adventurers all the time." The stranger turned away. She turned back again, holding a glass of water. "I'm Alex, by the way. Drink this." She offered Vivli the drink and the mithra didn't hesitate to take it.

"Where are the others?" She muttered.

"Others? You mean you lost your party?" Alex asked.

"Yes." Vivli shook her head, her mind beginning to mend itself into coherent thoughts. "We were on an airship. It crashed into the sea."

"You were on that thing?" Alex cried in surprise, a little too loudly for Vivli's liking. "Wow, you really are lucky."

"Lucky." Laughed Vivli. "I bet their dead. Everybody I know dies." She began to cry.

"Why don't you rest. I'll ask around. I'm sure somebody has seen your friends."

"Yar, they be walking the plank soon." Snarled the captain from outside the hold of the pirate ship.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Muttered Bootus, struggling with the chains that bound him. Zinkata and Voldos shared a silent glance.