"Petria!"

Petria looked up and smiled as Davies jogged up besides her. "If you're sore about being out-drunk by a woman I'm sorry but I'm not letting go of that coin."

He waved the comment away with his hand. "What, I can't come congratulate the victor?"

"You're not that generous."

"Hah! So I'm not." He grinned at her as they continued walking through the courtyard. "Seen anything strange?"

"You mean like ghosts in the sewers?" She laughed. "I think our ghosts are no more than rats grown over large from too much drinking."

Davies shrugged. "Being a drunkard myself I can say that it takes a good deal of liquor for a rat to turn into a dog let alone a ghost."

She shook her head. "And you're supposed to be a soldier."

"The proudest there is." He declared, puffing up his chest confidently. "I can out-drink any man in Traverse."

"Just not any woman," she smiled.

"Oh you wound me!"

Petria sighed and opened her mouth but the words never formed as the cobblestones beneath their feet rumbled violently, throwing them both to the ground. Petria covered her head as she sprawled on the ground, Davies put one big arm around her and pulled her partially beneath him, she could say what she wanted but he was a man she wanted on her side in a fight. The shaking subsided and she lifted her head up as Davies picked himself up, helping her to her feet.

"What was that?"

He shook his head, "our sewer ghosts?"

"You remember that notice in the barracks about strange creatures?"

"Who doesn't? The sub-commander pounds that crap into our heads every muster."

Petria looked at him seriously, his face darkened. "You don't actually think little shades are going to start crawling out of the woodwork and start slaughtering people do you?"

"Well then what wa—"

There was a scream and both turned to see a woman running towards them.

"My husband!" She sobbed, pointing behind her.

Davies caught her in his arms. "It's alright Miss, what happened?"

"A hole opened in the street and something grabbed him and dragged him into the hole, it was, he was, oh god help me!"

"Davies stay with her," Petria ran back the way the hysterical woman had come, turning the corner and stopping in her tracks. It wasn't a hole, it was a chasm, a furrow had been cleaved in the ground and it was at least ten feet long and four feet at its widest. She stepped around it and tried to peer inside of it, but there was nothing in the blackness. She frowned as she heard a pop overhead and looked up to see the street lamps going out around her. The hole must have severed the electrical line, she swore as she stumbled in the dark, making her way back towards the lighted courtyard. She hadn't even been able to tell if anyone had fallen into the hole.

Davies waved as she turned the corner; he was sitting by the fountain with the distressed woman.

"Find anything?"

"No, the lights went out."

"Well that's helpful, what should we do about her?"

"We need to get her home safely of course, and then we can report her husband missing."

Davies stood and began helping the woman to her feet, Petria's eyes widened as a man sized form rose up out of the water and raised what looked like a blade fused onto its arm to strike.

"Davies!"

He turned just in time to see the blade swing for him and he dropped to the ground, the woman was not so lucky. The sharpened metal cut her from her neck to her hip as it fell. Petria stood dumbstruck as her corpse fell to the ground trailing bright red blood all the way.

"Back, get back," Davies yelled scrambling backwards on the cobblestones as the creature advanced on him, he drew a hand caster and pulled the trigger repeatedly, the rounds hit and the magic went to work, freezing the water and the creature which let out a screeching hiss as it froze.

He picked himself up, blood covering his uniform. "What the hell wa—"

The ground began to shake again, much stronger this time; masonry began to fall from the surrounding buildings as lights flickered out of existence. People screamed some running from their houses, Petria nearly fell over but Davies grabbed her, his legs spread wide for balance as the street heaved. The fountain crackled the ice that had encased the creature shattering as it fell into the ground in a rumbling mass. The hole that opened up beneath it spewed forth more of the armored monsters, Davies shouted, pushing Petria back.

"Run!"

They both did just that, bolting in the darkness as more holes opened up around them and the creatures poured forth. Petria drew her sword and hacked at any that blocked her path, behind her she heard Davies' caster firing rapidly as he followed her, the flashes from the magic lighting their path. All around them people were screaming now, trying to escape the horde of armored shadows that were rushing through the streets. Petria felt something hard hit her back and she stumbled, turning in time to see Davies struggling with a four-legged creature as it tried to take his head off, more monsters leapt on him and he was pulled into a side alley, screaming.

Petria hated herself for running away, but she did, she ran as fast as she could from the horrors around her. Something big dropped in front of her and she skidded to a halt as an armored and clawed hand swung at her, she brought up her sword and parried the attack, only to have the other hand slash across her face. She felt her skin open and warm blood flow over her face, blurring her vision. She screamed, driving forwards and drawing her small dagger, shoving the tiny blade between the armor's joints. The creature howled, its golden eyes widening as it reeled away from her. A fine black mist poured from the wound as it chattered and dragged itself along the wall, disintegrating as it went.

She didn't wait to watch it die, resuming her mad dash through the streets. She was standing in front of town hall before she realized that was where she was going, already the militia, or what was left of it had set up around and inside of the building and the adjoining barracks. People were flowing past her as they pushed their way towards the safety of the armed militia. The sub-commander turned when she spied Petria, waving her over.

"Report."

"Davies is…" she swallowed her mouth dry, the sub-commander handed her a canteen and she took a drink, wincing, it wasn't water. "Davies is dead."

The sub-commander swore. "That makes thirteen."

"Thirteen?" Petria asked, astonished, the militia only had one hundred members; they all knew each other by name.

"And those are the ones we know are dead." The sub-commander continued. "We still have twenty-six unaccounted for, well twenty-five now that you're here."

"Petria is that you?"

Both women turned to see the commander standing on the steps of town hall staring gravely down at them.

They saluted as he approached. "Not now! What the hell happened to your face?" She opened her mouth but he continued as if she hadn't. "Can you still ride?" She considered the gashes on her face, and then nodded solemnly. "Good, come with me, you're the best damned rider I've got and we need that right now."

She followed, leaving the sub-commander to continue watching the perimeter and ushering the terrified townsfolk into the hall. The commander led Petria into his office and sat down, taking out pen and paper and scribbling a note, finishing he placed it in a letter canister and handed the sealed case to her.

She took it, blinking in confusion, "sir?"

"Don't be daft girl, get your bird saddled and get out of here. Someone needs to know what the hell happened here."

She stiffened. "I'm not leaving."

He had looked away from her to consult a map of the city, now his eyes snapped back to her. "Don't test me Petria."

"They killed Davies sir, I was right there."

"And they're going to kill all of us if you don't get on that damned bird and ride."

She swallowed, her spine straightening. "Sir I am not leaving."

He roared to his feet. "Damn it to hell girl the phones and telegrams are cut! We have no way of warning anyone that Traverse is gone unless you get that message to Hollow Bastion! Do you want the doom of the kingdom on your hands because you're too damned stubborn?"

"There must be someone else."

"You've got the fastest bird and you're the lightest rider, besides you're already wounded, what good are you in a fight?"

Her face burned intensely, though whether from the half-insult or from the cuts on her face she wasn't sure. She wiped blood from her vision as she leaned forwards.

"I have just as much right to stay here and fight as you do."

He considered her for a moment, and then walked around his desk, grabbing her by the scruff of her uniform and dragging her in his wake. He was a bear of a man, she struggled but there wasn't much she could do as he dragged her through town hall, and into the barracks. Mali and Dace were sitting on their bunks when they entered.

"Get on your feet and saddle her bird!" The commander bellowed.

The pair jumped and scurried out the side door to the stable, the commander followed them, and as they put on saddle and bridle for her blue mount, which chirped nervously at all the activity, he released her and handed her a small potion.

"Drink that it'll give you energy enough to reach the King and stop the bleeding."

She did as she was told, worried that if she didn't he might shove it down her throat. Dace and Maili finished their task; the commander released them with a glance, turning to Petria expectantly.

"I can't do this sir."

He snorted. "Of course you can, and you will or so help me I'll tie you to your saddle."

She nodded and walked past him, Diva, her chocobo turned towards her, crooning uneasily. Petria soothed the bird with a gentle pet, lifting herself into her saddle before looking down at the commander.

"Sir if I may?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Screw you."

There was a moment of silence as they stared at each other, then he threw his head back and started laughing. "Get going Petria, the sooner you leave, the more time they'll have to prepare."

She turned Diva towards the open stable door and tapped her heels to the chocobo's flank, the bird jumped forwards and Petria leaned against her neck as they dashed through the city. There were no flames, strangely despite the fact that many of the lights were out there was a strange glow emanating from the town now, a sickly green. Petria paid it, and the thrashing forms that passed her by, clenching her eyes shut as Diva leapt over whatever was in their path. When they cleared the walls and were well outside the town she stopped to look back at her home.

She could hear screams, and from the center of town she saw flashes from caster fire and heard the clash of metal, she even swore she heard the commander's imperious voice bellowing orders. She looked down at the watch she wore beneath her gauntlet; the town had fallen in under thirty minutes. Tears stung her eyes and burned the cuts on her face; she wiped them away and turned Diva southwest and started the chocobo off again. She had no choice in the matter now, she had to make sure the King knew what had happened.