Chapter 56: The Battle for Kezamat
This was horrible. Krystal saw the destruction befalling her home. She could hear the chaos roaring both near and far. She could feel her people's terror and despair as their peril closed in. Their cries bombarded her from all sides, fracturing and tearing at Krystal to the point that she could no longer tell which direction she was needed most.
Their fear became hers. She shared in their helplessness. With the enemy able to roam the city freely, there was too little that Krystal felt she could do to save everyone. Her training warned her that battle was a gruesome ordeal; that it wrought horrors she could scarcely fathom; and that despite her best efforts, innocent lives might be lost in frightful ways. None of those teachings prepared Krystal for her first real experience. Despite being a fully-fledged lythan – a master, at that – the rude reality that she now faced struck her brutally. It stripped her down to a powerless girl struggling to maintain her courage.
Krystal admired how much better the others seemed to be hiding their own fear. Sabre and Hiumart guarded their flanks, tensing as they approached every fork and corner. Sheld kept pace in the group's centre. Her mind buzzed with so much thought traffic that Krystal could feel it. What Sheld sensed battered at her resolve. Occasionally, she reached for her mate's hand. Hiumart grasped it whenever he could spare his attention. Once he had, Sheld's emotions seemed to settle enough for her to press on.
By far, Fox handled this madness better than anyone. After all, this was the brand of conflict that he'd once made his living from. The enemy was unfamiliar to Fox, but he knew war. He had survived war. He challenged endless hordes promising his death and prevailed every time. Thus, Fox didn't let the screams and infernal buzzing distract him. He kept them on course. Steady. Stalwart. Just like how Krystal should be. How she now tried harder to be.
Maybe being deaf to others' thoughts helped him a little though…
"Help us! Please!"
Krystal's gaze followed the scream. The person calling sounded close. Perhaps no more than a few metres away. All the widespread panic made it hard for Krystal to sense their location with any precision.
"Fox, we've got to help them!" Sheld urged.
Fox growled low to himself. "I know," he said. "It's not too far out of our way. Let's go."
They hurried around the next corner. In the midst of a strip of houses, one of those metal insects loomed over 30 or so Cerinians packed in a tight circle. Why they weren't all scattering from one creature baffled Krystal until she noticed the foxes along the outside. They were facing towards the circle, holding the others in as though barring them from escaping.
"What are you doing?!" Krystal exclaimed. "Get away from there!"
Her voice beckoned the rogue foxes, as well as the insect. The captives looked as well, their bodies trembling terribly. "Please save us!" one cried. "They're bewitched! Bewitched, I tell you!"
Before anyone could act, the insect snatched one of the foxes with its forelegs and shoved the shrieking vixen to the ground. Another fox screamed her name as the insect stung the woman with a thick barb on its abdomen. Agony tore from her throat, chilling Krystal's blood.
Five of the Cerinians then ran towards her group. Violet patches and gleaming, cyan veins discoloured their bodies. Krystal saw into their eyes. They glowed an unnatural red. Fright overwhelmed Krystal, and she quickly conjured a barrier that covered herself and the others. The Cerinians outside crashed into the shell, pounding on it with their fists.
"Nice one, Krystal," Sabre sighed in relief. He knocked upon on the inner wall. "Wow! You got really good with this spell, didn't you?"
Krystal didn't answer. She reached for the Cerinians' minds, hoping to bring them back to their senses. However, she heard nothing but noise, as though something had taken their thoughts and scrambled them into a mess that she couldn't make sense of. Only one thing was clear. They were driven to get to the people right in front of them.
"Bewitched is right," Krystal quivered. "That insect… Whatever it is, it's turning people into mindless slaves. They're turning our own citizens against us!"
"Gods…" Hiumart gaped.
"So, what? We're now supposed to fight them too?" Sheld exclaimed.
"We're going to have to," Fox growled. To Krystal's shock, he aimed his rifle at one of the turned Cerinians, looking them straight in the eye.
Instinctively, Krystal read his mind. He didn't like it, but Fox was prepared to shoot them if her barrier failed. "Fox…" she gasped.
"Look over there," he pointed. Krystal turned back towards the insect. It cast the woman to one side and reached for another fox. The woman spasmed and staggered onto her feet, discoloured just like the others attacking them. "If we don't do something right now, that bug is going to infect everyone else over there."
"Can we save them?" Sabre asked.
Fox met him grimly. "I don't know. And I don't think they're going to give us the chance."
Everyone then turned to Krystal. She understood why. Conventionally, lythans outranked the city guard during wartime, so she could make the final say on their next move. Yet if Krystal were to be realistic, she didn't see a way to incapacitate the corrupted Cerinians and rescue the captives while that monster was present. They were too outnumbered. Right now, Krystal couldn't come up with any better solution.
"Fox is right," she said, feeling her heart break. "We don't have much time. So, we need to fight if we're going to save everyone who's not yet infected." Krystal thought about how that would play out and shuddered. "Even if it means we have to kill the ones who are."
Nobody wanted that as her answer. Still, Krystal watched the others make their peace and ready their weapons. "I'll make us an opening," she said. "You all do what you need to."
Fox nodded. "Leave the bug to me."
Wasting not a second longer, Krystal weakened the barrier. She then used Thene's technique and expanded it swiftly. Its wall crashed into the corrupted Cerinians, shoving them onto their backs. Next, Krystal released the spell.
Fox acted first. He took aim at the insect's head. "All of you! Duck!" he told the civilians. They quickly obeyed. With them out of his way, Fox opened fire. Metal bullets burst from his rifle's flaming muzzle. They punched into the near-dozen corrupted standing over the crowd. Many collapsed in a spray of blood. Blackish blood. Were those people even Cerinians anymore?
Krystal's attention returned to the ones she knocked down. Sabre waved his spear at two foxes. The white stone embedded beneath its head shone brightly as he froze the air's moisture. Ice formed around the Cerinians' legs. It grew until it overtook their arms and torsos, turning them into wailing statues. Meanwhile, Sheld and Hiumart confronted another Cerinian each with their battered weapons. That left one for Krystal to deal with. Something about him looked familiar though…
The maddened tod swiped at Krystal. She stepped away from the blow and struck her staff hard against his arm. She thought she'd break a bone maybe, but the tod attacked again, completely unfazed. Sidestepping again, Krystal targeted his leg instead. Her staff slammed into the shin. The tod staggered, yet again Krystal failed to inflict as much damage as she hoped. Had the insect's venom made these Cerinians stronger somehow?
Her eyes caught glimpses of the others' progress. Hiumart struggled as much as Krystal did with his foe. Sabre went to his aid once he made sure his ice spell would hold. Sheld, however, chose to meet her opponent with grim conviction. Her blade sliced through their throat, drawing a flood of tainted blood. The Cerinian dropped heavily to the ground, dead.
Tripping her foe as he lunged at her, Krystal turned to check on Fox. He shot at the monster itself. Bullets peppered its face as it tried to catch him in its claws. The civilians made their escape. Most ran past Krystal without wasting time. However, she noticed one person grab hold of a corrupted Cerinian who Fox had shot down. It was the woman who the insect had just infected, along with a man trying to drag her from the battle. Suddenly, she turned in his grip and tripped him to the ground. She then crawled over the man and sank her teeth into his shoulder. His scream bit into Krystal's ears.
"No!" she cried. Desperation taking hold, Krystal turned to the Cerinian rising in front of her. She channelled magic into her staff and smashed it into his spine. Something definitely cracked as he collapsed at her feet. Krystal then ran towards the other man. She empowered her staff and swung it again, this time at the vixen's head. In one blow, she lost her grip on the man, though part of his flesh tore off in her teeth.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Krystal cried to both of them. She knelt over the man and placed a magic stone over his wound. Blood ran through his fingers as he tried to staunch it, gasping and spasming from the shock of it all. Krystal tapped into the stone's mana. She channelled it into the tod, rejuvenating his body and driving his flesh to regenerate itself.
She wished that she could have been gentler. Unfortunately, the tod's life came before the vixen's. There simply hadn't been time to pry her off him any other way. A part of Krystal doubted that she would have given her the chance anyhow.
"Krystal!"
At Sabre's shout, Krystal checked her surroundings. The insect approached her. From what little of its thoughts she could read, Krystal saw its intent. By attacking her while she was vulnerable, it would compel Fox to drop his assault and focus on defending her. He'd then become an easier target, allowing the insect to eliminate its most dangerous threat yet.
Rage rose through Krystal. She refused to let that happen. Pointing her staff, she blasted her magic at the insect's head. No form. No element. Just pure power. The mana slammed into the beast. Its face concaved. Eyes and plating cracked and splintered. Staggering on its six legs for a second, it then crashed into a lifeless heap.
Krystal gaped. She only expected to catch the bug off-guard. Before she could think much of it though, the vixen stirred beside her. Snarling, she turned to Krystal with dagger-like fangs and lunged. Two bullets ripped into her spine first, and the vixen dropped as Krystal rolled away.
"Oh my god! Krystal!" Fox charged over and hauled Krystal off the dirt. He quickly checked her over. "Are you alright?"
The world felt fuzzy. Krystal's head felt too light. Her vision swam as Fox continued to inspect her arms for injuries. "I'm fine," she replied breathlessly. That seemed true at least.
Fox pulled her into his arms. They crushed her, though Krystal took comfort in them. He became an anchor for her senses to return to. Her heartrate began to slow.
"How is she?" Sabre joined them with Sheld and Hiumart in tow. Their weapons were stained with blood. Behind them, the Cerinian who Krystal had been fighting earlier laid on his front. A wound gaped between his shoulder blades.
Krystal's heart broke a little more. "We killed them…"
Fox cupped her cheek. He guided her to his soft, sorrowful gaze. "It couldn't be helped," he told her gently. His thumb brushed away shed tears.
Silence overtook them. Krystal then noticed Hiumart reach for Sheld's shoulder. She stood over the fallen, her ears and tail limp. "Sheld…?" Hiumart worried.
"These were our own people…" she whispered. "We knew them…" Her hand trembled as she pointed. "Look… You see him? That's the baker we always bought from." Hiumart's aura paled as he recognised the tod's corpse.
"And him…" Fox pointed to another. "I remember him from the first tailor Krystal took me to."
Krystal followed his finger. The pit in her stomach grew deeper upon looking at the corpse's face. Beneath the purple blemishes and sickly veins, she recognised the old tod who had put together Fox's first wardrobe. Her tears formed anew. "Oh, gods…"
Laboured breathing soon broke their grief's spell. Krystal turned to the man she had fought to save. He gasped and writhed, whimpering as distress flared from him. Krystal scrambled to his side. When she checked on the bite wound, she found it enflamed with the same marks as the other Cerinians.
"Meya…" he panted. "Is my Meya…?"
Krystal glanced at the woman, who she presumed was Meya. She hadn't moved since Fox shot her. Krystal couldn't detect any sign of life. "I'm so sorry. She's gone."
The man wept. "Oh, Meya…" he choked. "That monster… It changed them. It changed her… I tried to save her but…"
"It's alright," Krystal tried to soothe. "You did everything you possibly could." Sadly, she knew that her words did little to help him. They surely didn't help her.
"I… I can feel it," the tod gasped. "Whatever they did to Meya… they're doing to me. Right now. Inside me. It's like there's thousands of fiery insects crawling through my veins!"
Krystal met Fox's eyes. Horror filled them both. Krystal checked the bite for anything she could do to stop the corruption, yet she didn't understand the first thing about it. She couldn't simply cure it with her magic. Nor did she believe that any of the methods she knew could counteract the infection.
"Please… Don't let them turn me," the man sobbed. "Kill me first…"
Krystal shook. "I can't."
"I don't want this! Please… Let me be with my Meya again."
It felt like the weight of the world pressed over her shoulders. Krystal saw and felt the man's sense of self slipping away from him. It agonised him, both his body and heart. Krystal wanted to save him, but she didn't know how. What should she do then? Hold onto hope and take the risk of him hurting someone else as another of those insects' slaves? Or should she end his suffering now and slay an innocent life with her own two hands? The choice horrified her.
Yet before she could make it, the earth heaved underneath Krystal. Claws of stone intertwined over the man's torso, holding him to the ground. No matter how much he squirmed, the dirt wouldn't budge. Sabre then knelt beside Krystal. At his touch, she faced him.
"We might have to kill sometimes, but that doesn't make us murderers," he said softly. "That spell should hold him until we figure out how to fix whatever this is."
The weight melted from Krystal. She freed her breath from her chest. "Thank you." Sabre smiled.
Their heads spun towards a distant whine closing in. It seemed to come from multiple directions. Fox grabbed Krystal's arm. "We should move. Now." Krystal didn't want to leave the wounded tod alone, but she could hear the thoughts of more insects converging on their location. She had to accept they had done all they could for him.
No sooner had Fox led them into a narrow alleyway, four more metal insects landed around their kin's husk. Krystal covered their escape. She kept her power tight inside her core in case she needed to create a barrier at any moment. No one dared to stop running.
"I can't tell who or what might be nearby," Fox said over his shoulder. "If any of you sense those bugs, let me know straight away. Same goes with any people they've infected."
"Glad you mentioned it then," Sabre replied. "Because I can sense a few dozen heading our way from the right."
Krystal extended her telepathy in that direction. Sabre was right. A mob of Cerinians moved westward. Their lack of emotions suggested they were already corrupted. They'd probably cross paths in a matter of minutes. "What should we do?"
"There'll be too many to fight," Fox growled. "And as soon as we start, those bugs we just ditched will follow the commotion."
He stopped at the corner to peak around. Krystal recognised the area. In front of them was a main road many metres wide. If they tried to cross here, the approaching Cerinians would spot them easily. Fox realised that. "It's no good. We should hide somewhere and wait for them to pass."
"We won't have much luck with that if they can still use their telepathy," Sabre grumbled. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I doubt I can hide my presence with the way things are right now. They'll track us down in a heartbeat."
Fox cursed. "Well, we can't just double back. There's got to be some other way to get through…" He glanced around the alleyway. His eyes settled upon something on the ground. "Aha! I think we're in luck."
Everyone gathered in interest as Fox knelt beside a large, iron circle at their feet. "A manhole cover?" Hiumart furrowed his brow.
"Just need to pry this open," Fox grunted. His claws dug around the rim, yet they failed to gain any purchase. The strain eventually became too much. Fox gave up and shook his hands. "Damn it! Maybe there's something we can use as a crowbar…?"
Sheld stepped forward. "Back up a little, Fox." He did so, and she held her hand over the manhole. Her face screwed tightly in concentration. The cover shifted and rattled. Gradually, it lifted from the ground. Fox grabbed it in his hands and moved it out of the way. Sheld staggered as she released her control.
"I didn't know you could use telekinesis," Fox marvelled.
Hiumart held Sheld steady as she rubbed between her eyes. "It gives me a bloody headache, so I don't use it a lot."
"Well, thanks for doing that, Sheld," Sabre said. "Now if you all don't mind, I don't plan on sticking around here much longer." He threw his feet into the dark pit uncovered. Sheld followed him next, with Hiumart and Sabre both helping her down the ladder safely.
Fox pointed his gun towards the main road. "I'll be right behind you," he told Krystal. She'd rather guard their rear instead, but there wasn't time to argue. So, Krystal scurried down the hole quickly.
As Fox finally followed them, he dragged the cover over his head, cutting out the daylight. Hiumart pulled out a light crystal to help them see. They were inside the sewers now. The smell was worse than rotting meat and made it hard for Krystal to breathe, but she'd admit it was preferrable to the wandering threat passing above them now. She realised how brilliant Fox's idea was. Even if the corrupted Cerinians detected their thoughts, they might not be able to get the manhole open to chase them.
"Okay. Good work so far, everyone," Fox began. "Now, I can't say I know exactly where we need to go from here. But if we keep heading the way we were, we should find somewhere safe to get our bearings sooner or later."
"I'd prefer sooner," Sabre choked. "This place stinks like a dead haret's backside."
"Better get used to it. We could be down here a while," Fox replied.
Sabre shook his head. "If we catch the nuhmryg from this, Fox, I'll kick your ass."
"If the monsters find us, that'll be the least of our worries," Krystal told him. Reminded of the stakes, they hurried down the tunnel.
Krystal tried to suppress her anxiety. The sewers were unfamiliar, and the twists and turns in their path brought forward a risk of them getting lost. She tried to keep her thoughts occupied by scanning their surroundings above and below ground. Sadly, that made her focus on the battle raging. People nearby needed help, yet there was too little that Krystal could do for them. It felt like a waking nightmare.
Reprieving herself of the chaos, Krystal turned her telepathy away from the surface. If anyone or anything was down in these tunnels with them, they'd become the most immediate concern. Honestly, Krystal didn't expect to find anyone. Yet when she pushed her senses forward, someone else's scan overlapped hers.
"Fox! Someone's up ahead!"
Everyone stopped. Fox wore a stern frown. "Are they friendly?"
Krystal focused on the presence. She recognised it. "It's Thene!"
"I'll take that as a 'no,' then," Sabre grumbled.
Fox, at least, relaxed a little. "Where exactly? Is Andross with her? Or anyone else?"
Before Krystal could respond though, Thene's voice entered her thoughts. "Of all the creatures I expected to find down here, this is a genuine surprise."
"I'll say," Krystal replied. "As it happens, we were actually looking for you. Or more specifically, we were trying to find Doctor Andross."
"He's here, along with our work crew. Who are you with?"
"Fox; my cousin, Sabre; and two friends from the guard."
Thene conversed with someone on her end for a moment. Andross, most likely. "Stay where you are. We'll come to you."
"Thene is on her way with Andross and a few other people," Krystal told Fox. "She says to wait here for them."
Fox nodded. "Alright. Let's find a place to rest nearby. If anything else finds us down here, I'd rather it be somewhere easier to defend."
It took a couple of minutes, but they came across a utility room just off from a junction. The place was small and damp. Several pipes and machines took up most of the space. However, it did shelter them from the outside view. Most of the group found a somewhat dry patch to sit down and catch their breaths. Alas, Krystal couldn't bring herself to rest. Neither could Fox apparently. They both ended up standing at the door, keeping watch of the tunnel.
"How are you holding up?" he asked softly.
Krystal sighed. "Why is all of this happening? How did such a normal day turn out like this?"
"I wish I knew," Fox sighed as well.
Memories of the Cerinians who had been killed or turned thus far rushed back to Krystal. Walls of despair loomed over her. They looked as though they might topple on her at any moment. "Is this how wars usually are?" she asked aloud.
Fox hung his head. His thoughts churned like storm clouds. "In the general sense, yes. But there's a few things that are new for me this time. For one, I've never faced an enemy who can turn people into zombie foot soldiers. It's like something out of a horror movie."
Krystal's throat tightened. At least, she figured, it was nice to not be the only one who felt in over their head. "I'm scared, Fox," she said telepathically.
"So am I, Krystal." She reached for his hand. His fingers intertwined with hers. Neither of them had strength to spare for the other, so they joined what little they both had and shared it instead. "I don't know how we'll make it through this," Fox said, "but I promise you that we will. We'll figure something out. Somehow…"
Krystal smiled. Just a little. As if by his own magic, Fox made her more hopeful. Their challenge seemed insurmountable, and neither of them knew how they could possibly face it. Yet this wasn't the first time they'd confronted such odds. Krystal found herself comparing their present situation to their goal of getting Fox home. In itself, the goal seemed impossible. But they chased it anyway. And bit by bit, their goal became a little more achievable.
Krystal decided that was how they would save their home now. One step at a time. One enemy after another. They'd already killed a few of those damned insects already. They just needed to take out the rest before too many Cerinians were twisted to the invaders' side. Hopefully, Andross could devise a means to accomplish just that. Krystal thus reached out to check his and Thene's progress.
"They're close," she told Fox. With a final squeeze, Fox released her hand to rouse the others.
Footsteps echoed off the walls. Fast and many. Concealing most of her body, Krystal spied a light spilling from around a corner. Soon after, about a dozen people emerged into view. Their fear and uncertainty told Krystal that their minds were still their own. She found Andross amongst them as they came closer. Krystal stepped out of hiding and hailed them.
Andross's workers nearly collapsed once they stopped. They gasped for breath as though they had been running for a long while. Andross, himself, was barely any better. He steadied himself with hands upon knees.
"Glad to see you still kicking," Fox remarked.
"Not as glad as we are," Andross panted. He stood tall and surveyed their group of five. "Pray tell, what drove you all to hide in a place like this."
"I assume you've seen the giant bugs attacking?" Fox replied. "They're turning folks crazy all over. We just avoided a whole mob on our way to you."
Andross's brow raised. "Turning people crazy, you say? Did they show any physical disfigurations after being afflicted?"
"Yeah! Their bodies turned purple all over. Started showing these weird markings in the same place they were stung too."
Andross frowned, nodding. "I figured as much. The Aparoids appear to be infecting the townsfolk and assimilating them into their own forces."
"Wait! You know what those creatures are?!" Sabre exclaimed.
"To an extent, yes. Sadly, there's not enough time to explain it all right now. If we don't come up with a counterattack soon, every living thing on this planet will be turned into an Aparoid."
"Still don't know what that is, but it doesn't sound good."
"Sabre, shut up for a minute, would you?" Krystal chided. She looked back to Andross. "Do you have any ideas?"
Grumbling, Andross combed through his hair. "Even my old army would have been hard-pressed against this enemy. That's the kind of threat we're dealing with."
"The Aparoids look kind of like robots on the inside," Fox remarked. "Does knowing that help?"
"They run on circuits?" Andross asked. Fox nodded. "If they run on cybernetic parts, it might be possible to damage them with an electromagnetic pulse… But we don't have the materials to make anything that powerful in such a short amount of time."
"Which makes me wonder," Fox went on. "How did something with tech that advanced find its way onto Cerinia? I thought the arethanite dust breaks any system that flies through it!"
Andross's eyes grew wide. He clasped a hand over his mouth, and Krystal felt his mind surge with activity. "We don't have an EMP… But we do have arethanite! Almost a tonne of it!"
Those few who understood looked to him in shock. "Do you think we can use Arethan's Tear to wipe out all the Aparoids at once?" Thene asked.
"Would that even work?" Fox added.
"It's possible," Andross mulled. "If you break arethanite down chemically, it releases the mana inside just like how an EMP works." He then growled harshly. "But if we do that, we'll only get one chance to clear the Aparoids out. It won't help us if there's a second wave waiting."
He began pacing. "What to do…?" Everyone gave Andross space to move. This was now well beyond what Krystal understood, so she hung onto the suspense, praying that more ideas would strike Andross soon.
"To make an EMP, you pump an electric charge through a coil…" he muttered. "But if it's a magic crystal…." Andross suddenly spun on his heel. "Thene! Spellcasters use crystals to amplify their power all the time. That means they can release the crystal's mana at their will, correct?"
Thene pondered for a few seconds. "That's the general idea. But even with a gemstone as rich and large as the Tear, I still don't think anyone can cast a spell that will save us in one fell swoop."
"They won't have to. The Tear's energy already has the effect we need. We just have to manipulate the crystal's output so that it covers all of Kezamat."
"Then we might still have enough charge for a second release if we need it," Thene surmised.
"Exactly," Andross nodded. "But we'll need to position the Tear right in the city's centre to achieve the best range."
"Where is it now?" Fox asked.
"Back at the lab. Unfortunately, we'll have to transport it above ground. The good news, however, is that the arethanite might also protect us from any Aparoids that target us."
"We just got away from that place with our lives, and you seriously want us to go back there?!" one of the worker foxes complained. Andross regarded them coldly.
"No. We'll move more quickly with fewer people. However, you do bring me to another important matter." Andross turned to Fox. "These people need to seek shelter. I was originally planning to take them to the palace, but frankly it doesn't matter where they go."
"We can take care of them from here," Fox offered.
"I'd rather take you with me. That rifle of yours could be useful. Thene will need help channelling the arethanite's energy, so I'll also take Lady Krystal. Mister Sythast, you as well."
"Me?" Sabre yipped. "What for?"
"I understand that you, yourself, have a talent for magic," Andross answered. "I would say that having three spellcasters along would be better than just two."
"But…" Sabre looked desperately to Krystal and Fox.
Alas, Fox disappointed him. "That makes sense," he scratched his chin. "But that would only leave Hiumart and Sheld to escort all these people."
"We can manage," Sheld spoke up. "We haven't seen any Aparoids in these tunnels so far. If we stick to them, we can probably make it to the palace without running into any trouble."
"I agree that will be their best course to take," Andross said. "Do you know the way from here?" Reluctantly, Sheld shook her head. "Thene will give you the directions you'll need."
Thene stepped in front of Sheld. "It will be faster if I imprint them into your mind," she said. "Will that be a problem?"
Sheld's hesitance grew. She looked to Hiumart for his counsel. "Up to you," he said.
Grimacing, Sheld slowly made her choice. "Go ahead," she braced.
Their exchange was silent, only visible due to Sheld wincing as Thene grafted her memories into the other vixen's mind. Thene withdrew after a minute's passing. "Do you know the way now?"
Sheld clutched at her head. "I… I think so…"
"Good. I suggest you get moving before the Aparoids wise up to where we are."
As Sheld backed away, Hiumart reached out to check her wellbeing. She assured him with a weak smile. Fox then stepped forward. "Be safe out there," he told them. "Make sure you both come back to us."
"Same to you," Hiumart nodded.
Krystal brushed past Fox and pulled both friends into her arms. She embraced them tightly. "Gods give you luck," she whispered.
Sheld's return hug felt warmer. "Thank you."
As soon as they parted, Sabre clapped both Sheld and Hiumart on the shoulder. "If we all make it by nightfall, drinks are on me." He raised a few chuckles.
"Sure thing," Hiumart grinned. At last, he turned to the civilians. "Alright! Let's get you all someplace safe. Stay close and keep moving. Got that?" The foxes gathered in a line behind him. Sheld took the lead. Both gave Krystal and Fox parting smiles before beginning their march.
"Hiumart!" Fox called. The man glanced over his shoulder. "Make sure you turn that blaster off before we take out the Aparoids. I don't want the circuits frying. Just flick the switch on the left side of the handgrip."
Hiumart held the weapon up. "You mean this one?"
Fox nodded. "That's it. Flick it as soon as you get to the palace." Hiumart gave him a thumbs-up; a gesture that Fox taught many in their circle. He caught up with Sheld at the front of the procession. Their footsteps fell further away as Krystal turned her attention to Andross and Fox.
"Now that they're taken care of, let's focus on our part," he said.
"Lead the way," Fox replied.
On their route in the opposite direction, Krystal took position between Fox and Sabre. Everything was moving so quickly that it dizzied her. However, she felt like they had a true chance at victory now. Andross had come through for them once again, and Krystal's fears dissolved under the light of this new plan. With the gods as her witnesses, Krystal swore that she would fight tooth and nail to save her people. And by Arethan's blessing, they would succeed.