Chapter 57: Arethan's Judgement

This was not what Sheld spent eight years of her life training for. Bandits? Yes. Wild animals? Occasionally. Murderers within her own city? Very rare, but she knew how to deal with them. Even a war against another territory was something that Sheld's training prepared her for. Giant, flying, mechanical insects killing and brainwashing the people whom she was sworn to protect? Certainly not!

Running around these dark, smelly sewers with a dozen scared civilians did not help Sheld's mood. Yet the hordes prowling above ground appealed to her even less. If any more Aparoids discovered them, all they had was Fox's blaster to defend themselves with. Sheld might as well be another evacuee for all the good her dinged-up sword would do them.

Instead, her only value right now was to escort them all to the palace without getting lost. All they had to follow were directions from someone Sheld hardly knew, shoved into her brain like eba stuffing. The whole situation pissed her off. So much so that she almost missed the next turn.

"Right, here."

Andross's workers followed close behind. Sheld could tell that they were getting tired. However, slowing down risked the enemy discovering them. The Aparoids might be too big to fit in these tunnels, but the Cerinians they controlled could make their way down here. With enough of them, they could spread across the entire sewer network until there was nowhere left to hide. So, Sheld kept everyone running and turned left at the fork ahead of them.

"Sheld…" Hiumart panted. "How much further?"

She had to stop. It was the only way Sheld could think straight enough to answer him. She closed her eyes and combed through the memories that Thene gave her. "Another few junctions, I believe. Maybe another 600… 800 metres?"

Several foxes groaned, including Hiumart. "It doesn't sound like much, but I don't think I can run anymore."

"We can't just take a break though!" she protested. "We're almost there!"

"I'm not saying we should. But this pace is killing us, love." Eyeing the civilians, Hiumart reached into her mind. "Let's just slow down until something starts chasing us. We haven't seen anything hostile once so far, and we'll have a chance to reach safety if that changes."

Sheld didn't like it, but she couldn't argue strongly enough. It felt as though her heart might burst inside her chest and her legs cave from under her. "Alright," she relented. "We can walk the rest of the way."

Hiumart sighed in relief. "Thank you." He turned to the others. "You hear that, everyone? Let's take it slow from here on."

Much of the tension fled the crowd at this welcome news. Now Sheld felt bad for driving them all so hard. "We don't have much further to go. So, let's keep moving."

Thus, they proceeded at a careful stroll. This reduced pace made Sheld nervous, yet her muscles yelled louder than her brain at the moment. It also became easier for Sheld to tell where they were. In fact, it was easier to think in general when she wasn't sprinting the whole time. That made her realise that she'd forgotten the importance of remaining calm in a crisis. All her training ended up wasted on her.

"I lost my head for a while there, didn't I?" she confided in Hiumart.

"Maybe a little. But I can't say I blame you. It's like the world's crashing down on us, and I can't really think straight either."

Sheld exhaled. "Are we going to be okay? Do you think Andross can save us?"

"I hope so. We just have to put our faith in him and the others."

Sheld nodded. Her throat constricted at the possibility that they'd fail, and everyone in Kezamat would fall to the Aparoids. It washed her skin cold and set her nerves jittering out of control. She didn't want that. She needed to believe that they would survive and leave this entire nightmare behind them.

Her thoughts lured her to eye Hiumart. She observed his gentle, violet pelt and remembered adoring it before they courted. She resented her own boring, woody hue for a long time, believing no man would ever take interest in her. Yet Hiumart did. He spent time with her, both on and off duty. He courted her. He told her that her hard work and bright mind enamoured him more than any pelt colour under Arethan's sky. No one had ever said such words to Sheld before. Then just like that, her heart became his and no one else's.

Now she stood to lose it all. These Aparoids wouldn't just take their minds and souls. They'd take away their futures as well. That angered Sheld. She refused to let them. Maybe there was nothing that she could do to stop the Aparoids on her own, though she could make damned sure they wouldn't take away her life with Hiumart without a bloody fight.

"If we both survive this, I want a family," she told him.

Hiumart seized for a second. She couldn't fault him after dropping such a thing out of nowhere. "If we survive this, I'll give you as many kits as you want," he then replied.

Sheld blushed. It was a promise then. They sealed it with hands joined together. It almost made her want to fight the Aparoids all at once.

Almost.

Before they knew it, they reached the end of the road that Thene mapped out for them. A large chamber full of water flushed waste from above down the canals for treatment and disposal. It looked no different to other chambers beneath major hubs in Kezamat. However, Sheld knew that the palace was right above them. She was happy to smell the last of this foul place.

At the foot of a manhole, Hiumart screened the surface for hostile minds. He shook his head to Sheld. She searched as well and sensed conflict. Palace guards held off a hundred corrupted Cerinians surrounding the building. No Aparoids supporting the attack, though that could change at any moment. Sheld quickly linked with Hiumart again.

"What do we do?! The palace is already under siege!" she exclaimed.

Hiumart tried to hide his apprehension from everyone else. "Should we try hiding out somewhere else?"

"If we just run wherever down here, we'll just get ourselves lost. And at this point, I don't think anywhere is any safer," Sheld shook her head. "Besides, they need help up there. We can't just turn our backs on them."

"Do you all sense that?" one of the civilians spoke up. "The battle's raging right above us!"

Sheld cursed the fox as the others began to fret and murmur. Were they going to be able to get into the palace? Had the palace already been compromised? Was there anywhere else for them to go? Would the enemy soon find them? Were they doomed?

She needed to rein them in before their fussing gave away their location. "Hey! Hey! Enough!" she cut in firmly. Everyone's frightened gaze fixed upon her. "We are going to be fine. The palace has not fallen yet, but we're going to need to find a way inside first."

"Are there any memories that Avrenim woman gave you that might help?" Hiumart asked.

Sheld closed her eyes. She furrowed her brow and pinched the bridge of her muzzle. Step by step, she combed through Thene's directions. As it happened, Sheld found more to them than she first paid mind. She pointed at the manhole above their heads. "This isn't the right place."

"It's not?" Hiumart frowned.

"No. It's a way to get to the palace, but it's not the way in that we're supposed to take. I think we're meant to go further down this path…"

Sheld led them deeper into the chamber. She understood what was happening no better than anyone else, yet she followed the route etched into her subconscious. Around the pool. Down the second passage. A left turn into what looked like a dead end. Yet Sheld knew in her gut that it wasn't.

She probed around the back wall. A single brick protruded out from all the rest. Sheld pressed it without thinking. Something clicked nearby. Dust fell rose from the floor as the wall swung open like a door. Sheld met Hiumart's surprised face. A hidden passage! Thene had anticipated that they'd need it to get around the enemy blockade.

Past the fake wall was another ladder. Sheld scaled it first, pushing open a trap door at the top. It led to a small, cramped room with no windows. If not for the crystal light that Hiumart brought as he climbed after her, Sheld would have missed the chain hanging on one side. Tugging it resulted in another secret door opening, leading to an empty hallway adorned with rich tapestries.

"This is it!" Sheld exclaimed. "We're in." The civilians cheered as the poured out behind her. Wincing at their volume, Sheld hoped that no guards heard them and would mistake them for a threat. She turned to Hiumart. "Did someone close the passage behind us?"

He shook his head. "Not that I know of."

"Go down and check then. If we snuck into the palace this easily, then the Aparoids could send foxes through the same way. We'd be handing them the chief's head on a silver platter if they find it. So, we need to seal it up."

Understanding dawned on Hiumart. "Right! I'll… go do that then." He wandered back into the hidden room. "This is why you're the smarter one of us."

Sheld smirked. "I know I am. Now go." She shooed him urgently. Hiumart then disappeared down the ladder.

Sheld decided to make their presence known before someone took it as a nasty surprise. She searched for the minds of anyone with authority who wasn't preoccupied with the situation outside. On the palace's top floor, she found four minds. Two of which she recognised immediately. She brushed against both.

"Guardswoman Sheld Xeris reporting, Captain."

Captain Forn and Vice-captain Sharrde both accepted the link. "Sheld. Good to hear from you." Thalse replied. "You seem close."

"Yes, sir. Hiumart and I just entered the palace through a hidden underground passage with one dozen civilians. No injuries, though they need safe shelter."

"A hidden passage?! In the palace!" Forn exclaimed, horrified. "Are you telling us that we have a hole in our security?!"

Sheld jumped. "Hiumart is sealing the entrance so that the enemy won't find it, sir!"

Forn's temper waned. "All well and good, I suppose," he grumbled. "Let's continue this discussion in person. Bring your group up to the throne room. We'll call someone to escort the civilians to where the others currently are."

"Yes, sir. Be right there." By that point, Hiumart had returned, successful in his task. Sheld filled him in, and together they marched upstairs. The palace was eerie without the guards and staff inside. With the former around the perimeter and the latter hiding somewhere, nobody crossed their path throughout the entire journey. It made Sheld realise how much free reign an intruder would gain if they were to slip inside now. Not to mention the amount of damage they could cause before anyone discovered them. Captain Forn had every right to be alarmed.

Sheld and Hiumart alone entered the throne room. Their superiors addressed them immediately, breaking away from the chief and lythan grandmaster. "Good to see you both unharmed," Forn said. "Fine work bringing those people here safely."

"Thank you, sir," Hiumart saluted.

Sadly, the captain's expression soured. "Now, what was this about a hidden passage into the palace? I'm not aware of any secret ways in or out. Where is it? And how did you come across it?"

Sheld tried not to crumple in front of him. "Sir, Doctor Andross's assistant gave us its location. There's a dead end in the sewers beneath us that connects to a hidden room on the first floor. It opens when you press a fake brick into the wall."

"Thene Avrenim knows of it?" Forn raised his brow.

"If I had to guess, Captain," Thalse interjected. "Andross might have built a new entrance when the sewers were first dug out."

"And we weren't informed about it?!"

"The passage was installed with my blessing, Captain," a voice behind Forn spoke. Chief Gylis approached them. "Its existence is only known to myself and my personal guard. Andross proposed it as a means to escape the palace in an emergency. In fact, I was considering whether we should use it in our current predicament."

Gylis then directed his gaze to Sheld. "If you've been in contact with Doctor Avrenim, then perhaps you know Doctor Andross's current location?"

Sheld completely froze up. This was the first time she'd ever met the chief face to face. Nerves clamped her mouth shut and silenced any thought inside her head. Thankfully, Hiumart came to her rescue just in time. "We ran into them in the sewers while we were evading the Aparoid forces," he answered. "The people we brought with us are actually Andross's workers."

"Aparoids?" Gylis cocked his brow.

"That's what Andross called those giant bug-things," Sheld said, finding her voice. "He went back to his laboratory with Fox, Sabre, and Krystal. He thinks he knows a way to defeat the Aparoids all at once."

"That's splendid news," Grandmaster Sythast remarked, joining them.

"Did Andross say anything about what his plan is exactly?" Forn asked. "Does he need any support from us?"

Sheld shrugged. "He said something about Arethan's tear and needing spellcasters. I don't really understand that 'science' stuff he does much."

Thalse touched his chin. "Arethan's Tear… That's the name of the giant gemstone that Krystal and the others brought back from Cabbot Valley. It's made of the same material as Arethan's Cloak; and it has unusual powers that keep Fox and Andross trapped on Cerinia."

"And if Andross needs spellcasters, he might be trying to harness those powers," Randorn theorised. "That's probably why he took Sabre and Krystal with him." He then turned to Sheld. "Are they well?"

"Yes, sir. They and Fox were still in one piece when we last saw them."

Both he and Thalse sighed in paternal relief. "Thank the gods," the latter murmured.

"Since our forces don't seem to be effective against the enemy right now, perhaps we should move our mages to support Andross's plan," Chief Gylis pondered. "Randorn, may I ask you to contact him? I'd like to know as much of the details as possible."

Randorn composed himself and bowed. "Of course. I'll take care of it immediately."

"If we move the mages, then we'll have to change our tactics regarding the soldiers," Forn spoke. "Otherwise, the enemy will slaughter them."

Gylis accepted his counsel with a nod. "We'll work on that together."

As the three returned to their efforts, Thalse remained with Sheld and Hiumart. "How are you both holding up?"

Hiumart gave a haggard sigh. "It's been rough, sir. We ran into people who the Aparoids turned to their side. They… They were just empty shells at that point."

"We had to kill some of them," Sheld shuddered. "And the ones we didn't…" She thought of the man they left trapped under Sabre's earth spell. Was he still fighting the corruption, or had he finally succumbed as well?

Thalse clasped their shoulders. Sympathy showed in his face. "I'm sorry that you had to confront that. You and everyone else have done so well to make it this far unscathed. I'm proud of you both."

Sheld hung her head, not wanting to reveal the tears burning behind her eyelids. "Thank you, sir."

"I hate to ask this. But can you still fight?" Both responded to Thalse by nodding. "Good. Grab some water. Catch your breaths. Then help the guards defend the palace. We can't allow a single enemy entry."

Those weren't orders that Sheld wanted to hear. Yet she expected little else. As a warrior, she was sworn to fight until one side of the battle could no longer. Thalse soon dismissed them, giving them directions to a nearby waiting room. There, they found a pitcher that was still cold and full. Sheld quenched her thirst at long last. She then glanced over to Hiumart and the blaster placed on the table beside him.

"Did you remember to switch that off?"

Hiumart looked at it with surprise. "I didn't." He quickly found the switch Fox told him about and flicked it to point the other way. Sheld didn't notice any obvious change, but nothing came out of the barrel when Hiumart pulled its trigger. "Thanks for reminding me. Fox wouldn't have been happy if I let this get damaged."

Sheld smiled. "No. No he wouldn't."

Her mate mirrored her expression, though Hiumart couldn't sustain it. "Here we go. Back into the fray, huh?"

Back to fighting their own people and facing an impossible enemy controlling their every move. Sheld wrapped her arms around herself. "Yeah…"

Hiumart pulled her close. "I promise you that we'll both make it through this. We just need to keep each other alive until Andross makes his move. Alright?"

Sheld nodded, relying on his confidence. "I'll keep you safe if you keep me safe."

"Exactly," he smiled. When he kissed her, Sheld committed the taste and sensation to memory. "I love you, Sheld. Never forget that."

"Never once," she whispered. "And always remember that I love you, Hiuma."

His grin grew at her pet-name. "Until the end of time."

With those vows, Sheld felt the strength needed to press on. Summon more Aparoids and raise as many twisted Cerinians. She would fight them all with fang and claw to protect the man embracing her. And if, despite her best efforts, Hiumart perished somewhere along the way, Sheld would then take as many enemies as she could to the Void with her before joining him there. That was her solemn promise to the gods.

Fox took his first breath of fresh air in what felt like hours. He climbed from the hole in Andross's floor, giving way for Krystal right behind him. A moment's respite. That's all that Fox needed to soothe the wear and aches in every fibre of his body. All this running around was going to kill him before the Aparoids ever got the chance.

"Damn it!" Andross snarled. "They might as well have taken the floorboards while they were at it!"

Fox looked up to learn his meaning. Massive holes filled the walls and ceiling. The rest of the laboratory had been ransacked. Tables laid on their sides amongst broken chairs and shattered glass. The building was also emptier than Fox remembered. He saw nothing of the numerous machines that Andross kept around his home. All that remained were clean patches in the dust where they once stood.

"What the hell happened in here?" he asked.

"The Aparoids assimilate everything to build their swarm," Andross fumed. "People; plants; animals; even raw minerals and machines! They gutted the place like they were dining at a buffet!"

"Simon!" Thene returned from a brief disappearance outside. "There's a cart still intact in the yard. No haret to pull it though."

Andross rubbed his face. "We will have to make do without." He turned to Fox, Krystal, and Sabre. "All of you start loading the arethanite into the cart. Quickly now."

"Hold up," Sabre raised his hand. "Didn't that giant stone weigh a tonne or something? How are we supposed to move it with only five people?"

"Fortunately, we won't have to carry the whole lot at once," Andross replied. "The original stone has been broken into smaller parts for our experiments. Each piece will be fairly easy to carry. Since we don't have a haret, we'll only be able to transport as much as we're able to push ourselves."

Sabre smiled. "Oh. That's a relief."

Fox, however, had more pressing questions to ask first. "Hey, Andross. What are those Aparoids exactly? How do you know them? And what do they want?"

Andross uncovered several crates containing arethanite stones, each the size of basketballs. "Start moving these to the cart, and I'll tell you as we go." A fair compromise and a better use of their time. Fox grabbed the first stone.

"The Aparoids are a race of artificial lifeforms. Nobody knows where they came from or who might have created them, but I have learned that the Aparoids invade planets to transform everything they can find into more of their own. The process appears to be called Aparoidetation."

"Apa-whazza?" Sabre frowned.

Andross shook his head. "It's not the name I'd have chosen, but that's not important. What is important is that each individual Aparoid is powerful and dangerous. Just one was able to wipe out an entire Cornerian fleet around 20 years ago."

Fox stopped. "Corneria knows about them?! Why is this the first time I'm hearing of it?"

"Would you expect the military to want something like the Aparoids to be made public knowledge? The whole Lylat System would panic if people knew."

"Fair enough. But how do you know about them? If it happened 20 years ago, then you should have been exiled at the time."

"I had my sources inside the Cornerian Army. Once I learned about the incident, I started my own investigations into the Aparoids. Unfortunately, information was scarce. Anyone who discovered anything valuable about them tended to have their home worlds wiped out before they could share it."

There was a lot in those words that bugged Fox. He chose to speak up about just one issue for now. "Why didn't the Aparoids finish off Corneria at the time if they had them so outmatched?"

Andross hummed in thorough consideration. They made a full trip to the cart and back before he finally answered. "If I were to guess, the Aparoids might have chosen to ignore Corneria after first contact. Since they defeated a Cornerian fleet so easily, they might not have considered the planet a threat. They could always finish the job at their leisure. The same may have been true for the rest of Lylat."

"Then why are they attacking Cerinia now?" Fox exclaimed. "Hell! How did the Aparoids even get here in the first place? They're part machine, aren't they? They should have fallen apart upon entry!"

Andross frowned. "I don't know. Perhaps they survived passing through the arethansphere by accident and can't get back out. Maybe this invasion was planned entirely. All I do know is that they are here, they are attacking, and we're all either going to die or become part of them if we don't move quickly."

At that, Fox remembered the urgency of their situation. He then saw Andross's attention waver for a moment, as though something unseen had snared it. "You okay?"

"The Lythan Grandmaster is calling to me," Andross said softly. "Keep loading the cart. I need to answer this." He then wandered off to a relatively quiet corner of the lab. Fox refocused his efforts on helping the others pile the cart high with arethanite crystals.

After a few minutes of hard work and Thene whipping them with multiple test pushes, they found the optimal number of stones they could take. Andross returned almost at the same time. A confident smile covered his face. "We've got good news. The Lythan Jad will join us on the way. Now we don't have to worry about our power not being enough."

Krystal beamed, however Fox pondered what that also meant for them. "What about the frontlines?"

"Most of the civilians who aren't turned have already evacuated. The city guard will try to distract the Aparoids for as long as possible, but their survival depends on whether my plan works."

Fox frowned. "So, what are our odds?"

"Enough for me to bet my life on," Andross replied.

"It's going to be yours and everyone else's anyway," Fox sighed. "We're ready to go when you are."

Andross nodded. "Then let's make haste."

With Andross and Thene taking the front of the cart, Fox, Krystal, and Sabre all pushed it down the hill from behind. They took it slow at first so they wouldn't lose control. But when they reached level ground and their pace didn't go much faster, Fox began to appreciate just how much distance they had to cross. He considered Kezamat's roads from a tactical standpoint and found much left to be desired.

"So, I just realised that we're going to be out in the open for a while," Fox grunted. "What's the plan if the Aparoids attack us first?"

Andross growled as he hauled with all his might. "We'll then test whether my theory with the stones is right. If not, then there's not really anything else we can do."

Fox glowered from more than just sheer effort. "Fantastic. That's really comforting to hear."

Krystal drove her shoulder into the cargo tray from his right. "What about the Cerinians they've taken control of?"

"Based on what you told me about the brainwashing process, I'd assume it's the same method that Aparoids turn their victims into other Aparoids. If that's true, then the infected Cerinians will develop mechanical parts of their own, and the arethanite will have the same effect on them," Andross replied. "Whether they'll change back into their old selves or not afterwards, I can't say."

Fox kept his thoughts unspoken and close to his chest. They were staking their lives on a lot of assumptions right now, and he didn't want the others to lose hope this far in. The main reason keeping him going was Krystal. He'd protect her as best as he possibly could. But realistically, Fox knew he wasn't some invincible guardian. He couldn't use a magic shield to save her from any harm. It scared him to bring her with them. Yet it would have scared he more to leave Krystal behind, all alone. Fox began to fear that if he let his guard slip once, she might die in that brief instance.

'If you keep worrying about her, the enemy might sneak up on you instead,' the soldier in Fox's mind snarled at him. He wanted that voice to shut the hell up, but he was kind of relying on it to keep his own head under his control. So, he turned his thoughts to something more productive, like keeping his eyes and ears peeled for anything that might threaten them all.

The Aparoids continued to infest the skies. They seemed more interested in parts of the city elsewhere. A single cart moving slowly through a fringe street wasn't worth their notice. Andross urged them to hurry before that changed. Fox's arms and shoulders burned enough as it was. Yet somehow, he found a little extra strength to harness.

Twenty minutes in, Kezamat looked deserted. Signs of fighting and people fleeing laid all around. Lost sandals; broken fences; baskets dropped on the side of the road, spilling fruits for the ants to scavenge. Fox accidentally trod upon a child's doll on their way through. The pit dug ever deeper inside his chest as he wondered whether its owner would ever return for it.

'Got to hurry,' he heaved. 'Every second we waste, they lose.'

Krystal and Sabre soon jolted both at once. "They're coming," Krystal said.

"Aparoids?" Andross asked.

"Lythans?" Fox said more hopefully. Krystal shook her head twice.

"Turned Cerinians," Sabre answered through a hard grimace.

Terse silence gripped at their hearts. "Which direction?" Andross then asked.

Krystal and Sabre looked to each other before answering. "All of them. There are groups closing in from all around us."

Andross cursed. "Looks like we'll be testing my theory sooner than I hoped. Alright, stop here. Thene, I want you and Krystal ready to use the arethanite at any moment. Show Mister Sythast how to do it as quickly as you can."

As the others scrambled to prepare, Fox pulled up his rifle and scanned the area. Everything about this situation was bad. The street was too open. As soon as the infected Cerinians arrived, they'd soon be boxed in. Fox realised that his weapon wouldn't be enough to stop all of them if Andross was wrong. He looked for any avenue to escape if that was the case. There wasn't one. Not unless they charged through one of the enemy lines. Fox didn't like their chances.

"They're almost here," Sabre called. He and the vixens stood around the cart. Staffs and spear in one hand each, they all held an arethanite shard in the other. Fox watched them channel power through both items. The stones began to glow a radiant pink. He climbed onto the cart and swept his rifle across the many intersections around them.

Their footfalls were like a flash mob's. No coordinated march of any army, just dozens or hundreds of feet scraping across the dirt roads. The first foes arrived from the east. Cerinians with partial plating and electric eyes shambled into view. The zombie-like sway in their slow gate raised a fresh chill throughout Fox. He resisted a primal urge to shoot.

"Let them get closer," Andross raised his arm. "On my mark…"

Closer, the Cerinians did get. Several yowled at them. A beastly, scratchy sound, as though they screamed through cheap loudspeakers. Claws and fangs glistened at dagger-sharp points. Some foxes bore open wounds from past clashes. Something darker than blood matted their fur.

"Ready…" Andross murmured. The Aparoid-Cerinians formed a circle around the cart, trapping everyone inside. "Now!"

Three pulses of pink surged outward. It washed over the Cerinians, halting them in their tracks. Some collapsed immediately. Some convulsed before falling. A small few howled in agony, clutching at their heads. Krystal and the rest kept it up until all the Cerinians laid still on the ground. When no more showed themselves, Krystal lowered her stone and sighed heavily.

"Did we get them?" Sabre asked, his eyelids screwed tightly shut,

"Every single one," Fox smirked. His expression then sobered. He looked around the mass of people surrounding them. There had to be at least 40 in total. "So… Are they…?"

Thene prodded one body with the end of her staff. No response. She tried several others until one groaned softly. "That blast killed most of the infected here. However, it looks like maybe six or seven survived."

Krystal kneeled beside another Cerinian. Despite Fox's warning, she took hold of their arm. It no longer glowed with Aparoid taint through its veins. "Their minds are quiet. I can't tell if they've returned to normal, but it seems like their connection to the Aparoids has been severed."

"As much as I would like to assess their condition further, we don't have time," Andross intruded. "We need to keep going."

Fox observed the fallen. If there were survivors, he'd have liked to move them to a safer location. Yet there was no telling whether any who lived were still a threat. Fox sighed. Besides… "Andross is right." Regretfully, Krystal pulled away from the Cerinian. She returned to her post behind the cart, where Fox placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"We'll come back for them as soon as we can," he promised. She only nodded silently.

They made a few blocks worth of progress before Thene warned them again. More Cerinians. This time, Fox saw them straight ahead. Their lurching gait gave Krystal more than sufficient time to line up front with Thene and Sabre.

"Concentrate your output straight ahead," she declared, pointing her staff at the horde. "We'll take them out from long-range."

"Don't give me orders, McCloud," Thene growled. Nonetheless, she aimed her own staff in the same pose.

From them, rays of pink light shoot forward. Columns of Cerinians fell with each blast. All the while, Fox and Andross surveyed their rear and flanks for other dangers. Within a minute, Krystal and the others took care of every last enemy. Unfortunately, there arose a new problem.

"Well, that's helpful!" Fox complained. "Now all the bodies are blocking the road."

"Should we find a way around?" Sabre suggested.

"It'd be faster if we just move them," Thene huffed.

"I'm not going anywhere near those guys! What if one of them is faking it and bites me? I don't want to be an Aparoid!"

Thene only looked to Sabre coldly. "I'd wager that the Aparoids would find you detrimental to their species."

Before he could respond though, Krystal cried out. "Aparoid! Above us!"

Fox snapped his rifle skyward. A single Aparoid hovered high overhead. Sabre shot at it with an arethanite blast, but his magic fizzled shy from it. Neither Krystal nor Thene got any closer.

"It's no good! It's too high up," Thene exclaimed.

The Aparoid spread its wings wide. Orbs of burning red energy formed around it. Fox's stomach dropped.

"Barrier! Now!" Andross shouted.

Crimson beams rained down. They crashed into a hastily made barrier spell. The ground beneath them trembled. The air inside the barrier hummed violently. Krystal and Thene yelled as they fought to hold it. Cracks splintered across the shell. Heart in his throat, Fox reached forward.

"Krystal!"

The spell broke. Fox's world exploded. Heat and pain wiped his senses in an instant. Then he felt nothing. He saw nothing. Only dark silence and a feeling of weightlessness…

Then it all came back to him at once.

Fox gasped. Everything burned like he'd been bathing in live grenades. Chest heaving, Fox coughed up dust and smoke. His ears rang, and his vision swam through a murky ocean of dull colours. Every bone; every muscle; protested as Fox struggled to push himself up. The fur on his frail arms was wet with blood. Was it his or…?

"Krystal…!"

"I'm here…" a weak voice groaned. Fox followed it until he found Krystal propping herself up with her staff. Her armour was scratched and scorched in places. Blood dripped from cuts in her exposed flesh. It ran freely from her left ear.

Inch by agonising inch, Fox crawled to her side. Her wild, unfocused eyes settled on him. A moan rose behind them as Andross came to as well. Dirt fell from his body as he heaved himself onto his knees.

"Who's still alive…?" he groaned.

"I am…" Thene hissed as she got up.

"I'm not," croaked Sabre. He rolled across the ground. "Why is the world screaming…? I thought the Void was supposed to be nice and quiet…"

"You're not there yet, pal," Fox replied. "Krystal and I are okay too."

Not for long though. Fox finally remembered the Aparoid and looked back to the sky. "Shit!" There were five now. The rest must have gathered while they were still reeling from the blast. How had he and the others survived it though? Dumb luck was Fox's guess.

The Aparoids all charged another attack. Fox froze. Even if he could force himself to move, his battered body would never be able to act in time. The best he could do was shift it so that his body shielded Krystal's. She moved in his embrace though. Her mind latched onto Fox's. Krystal didn't even realise she had linked them.

Lifting one arm, she tried to form another barrier with the last of her strength. It flickered dimly into being. She didn't give up. Krystal tried to make the spell stronger, to any extent that would hold. She refused to let anyone else die.

Fox couldn't muster the same hope though. He held Krystal tighter to his chest. His life flashed through his mind. A million regrets did as well. A million apologies he didn't have time to say. His mother; Peppy; Slippy; Falco; Katt; Lucy; Nomar; Thalse; Sabre; Randorn; Sheld; Hiumart; Bill; Miyu; Fay; Fara; Pepper. Worst of all: Krystal. In the end, he couldn't do anything to protect her. Tears ran freely down his face.

"I love you," Fox whispered.

Something flashed in Krystal's vision. An Aparoid smashed into ear-splitting pieces before hurtling to the ground. The other Aparoids ceased their attacks to turn to the new threat. Giant boulders crashed into two more, pulverising them in one blow each. Something massive roared over the noise. Krystal pried out of Fox's grip.

"Fox! Look!" she pointed. When he turned his head, Fox's jaw dropped.

A pair of mountains stomped over the city's houses. No… Not mountains. Earth spirits! Ginormous ones! They each dug another mass from the ground beneath their feet and lifted them over their scowling, craggy peaks. Like softballs, they threw the boulders at the remaining Aparoids. One struck, but the second Aparoid fluttered out of the way. The boulder kept going until the earth shook with its impact. Dust clouds rose to blot out the sky.

The dust suddenly parted in three places. As many lightning bolts struck the final Aparoid, causing it to seize and tremble. The lightning continued to assault the creature, giving one of the earth spirits the chance to lumber over and crush the Aparoid in its fists. The balls of lightning began to dance, then scattered to pursue their next targets. The giants wandered after them.

"Air spirits… And earth spirits too!" Krystal awed. "The Jad must have summoned them to help us."

A crazy grin stretched Fox's lips. "And they're kicking ass!"

"Master Krystal!"

Lythans bearing silver and bronze staffs emerged from the other end of the street. Three in total, they knelt beside Krystal and Fox, wearing shock and worry on their faces. "My lady, are you alright?" a silver-staff asked.

Krystal cracked them a weary smile. "Better now."

One on the bronze-bearers gawped off towards the distance. "Amazing! Those spirits pulverised those bugs like they were nothing."

"It'd be a lot more impressive if the battle wasn't still going," Andross crudely remarked. He helped Thene onto her feet. Her fur was singed in several bloody places, and her lab coat was in tatters. The top half of her staff also hung in her weak grasp. But overall, she and Andross looked like they avoided serious injury. Another lythan tended to Sabre, who managed to stand on wobbling legs.

Fox turned his full attention to Krystal. There was a large cut along her muzzle, as well as a bad one through her ear. One side of her head was as red as the other was blue, though Krystal's eyes showed no sign of a concussion incoming. She sat perfectly still as the silver-wielding lythan bandaged her worst wounds.

Everyone was safe. Fox felt relief. Now he could return his focus to the mission. "How's the cart? Are the stones still okay?"

Andross inspected both. "Looks like everything's still intact. Thene and Krystal did an extraordinary job protecting us." Breaking out in a grin, Fox began to scratch Krystal behind her uninjured ear. She enjoyed the sensation far more than words of praise.

More voices called out as a dozen more lythans arrived onto the scene in small groups. All were relieved to see Krystal still alive. However, Andross quickly put them to work clearing the corpses. Made exempt from helping, Fox rested alongside Krystal. All the while, his thoughts took a dour turn.

"Fox?" Krystal asked. "What's bothering you?"

He chuckled without humour. "It's a long list."

"What's bothering you most right now then?"

The moment he thought he gave his final words to her. The moment that now kept replaying itself on loop. "Am I just in the way?" Fox asked.

Krystal gaped. "Why would you think that?"

"When those Aparoids had us marked… I couldn't do anything. I just accepted our fates." Fox hung his head. "But you… You kept fighting, Krystal. I felt it. You didn't even think about how hopeless things looked."

Krystal touched her brow to his. "All I thought about was saving you."

"That's the other thing," Fox sighed. "I had this… idea in my head… that I had to protect you; that I had to keep you safe. But you were the one who protected me. You protected all of us. This whole time, we've been counting on you to stop the Aparoids and save the day."

He couldn't bear to face her any longer. "Meanwhile, I can't do anything that matters. You don't need me."

Fox expected the silence. He expected Krystal to cup his cheek and lift his head to face her. He expected the sorrow he found in her eyes. What he did not expect was what she said afterwards.

"Fox… I do need you." Krystal's thumb stroked him. "Ever since this battle started, I should have been leading the fight for our people. But instead, I felt scared and out of my depth. So, I relied on you. Even though you felt the same way, you still fought without hesitating. You confronted the Aparoids. You led us. And you saved lives already. I only made it this far because you were here to guide me."

"Krys…" Alas, she shushed him.

"Now, I don't want to hesitate. I want to fight. But I can't make it the rest of the way without you." Krystal gestured to her leg, which had debris pierced into some shallow but painful places. "So, please. Will you help me save our home?"

Their home. Their people. It had always been about theirs. His and Krystal's. Fox realised he never should have worried so much about him protecting her or her protecting him. This was their fight together. Sure, he didn't have Krystal's magic or spirits. That was fine. He didn't need them so long as she had the power, herself. All he had to do was provide what was within his abilities. He fought for her just as she fought for him. That was what being mates was about. How dumb was he not to have seen that sooner?

Fox took Krystal's hand in his. "I'm with you all the way." Her smile and a swift kiss were her response.

When the path was finally clear, Fox helped Krystal to stand. She leaned heavily against his shoulder, favouring her injured leg. He would bear her weight and more without complaint. Sabre steadied himself with one arm along the cart's side. Thene's ailments were worse beneath the surface though, requiring her to ride inside with the arethanite. Andross ordered everyone else to form a perimeter around the cart and help push.

With more people involved, they made faster progress. Krystal's limp slowed them down the most. Somehow though, she kept up enough to just match their pace. Fox knew she suffered for it, yet Krystal refused to stop. Nor did she accept offers to ride with Thene and burden the others further.

Meanwhile, the Aparoids congregated to try and thwart them. The spirits held them back though. They stunned and smashed any that flew too close. The earth spirits also proved resilient to the Aparoids' energy weapons. Any segments that broke off their bodies regenerated shortly after. Spirits truly were as powerful as people claimed.

On the ground, infected Cerinians ambushed the convoy. Lythans wielded their arethanite cargo, slaying their fallen brethren with divine magic. Further along, they came across more lythans to join them. Though as their might grew, the lythans began to find foes already broken and burned to crisps. Fox briefly caught sight of one flame spirit hissing atop its prey before slithering off. He felt glad the creatures were on their side.

At last, they arrived. The Temple of Cerinia stood at the very heart of Kezamat. Its walls were damaged from a siege, but Krystal confirmed that there were fortunately survivors inside. The infected Cerinians who guarded the temple fell swiftly to Arethan's light. A poetic end, Krystal morosely called it.

Andross ordered for all to halt. "Here will do. Spellcasters! Gather around the arethanite and channel its power. Spread it out as wide as you can. Do not allow a single Aparoid to escape unscathed."

Fox carried Krystal to the ring of lythans forming. He ended up lending his other shoulder to Sabre. Anything to feel useful, Fox supposed. His ire faded away as the lythans began to converge their power. The arethanite hummed and shone. Krystal chanted aloud, prompting the others to follow her suit. It brought them all onto the same wavelength, allowing them to harmonise their magic and resonate it through the arethanite crystals.

"Arethan! Guardian of our skies! Purge the invaders from your sister's realm!" Krystal cried. "Grant us the strength to smite them for our fallen brethren!"

"Great Lord, defend us!" the rest chorused. "Great Lord, avenge us!"

The crystals shone their brightest. Fox could no longer look directly at them. Then there was a whoosh, and a pearl-hued force threw Fox backwards. Krystal and Sabre fell with him. Several others yelped as they lost their footing as well.

The power surged like a tempest through Kezamat, washing over towers and ruins. Fox looked to the sky in time to watch Aparoids drop dead from afar. The earth shook with each that fell. A deep silence reigned over the city. No screams. No howling. No mechanical noises of any kind. Only stillness.

"Is it over?" Fox asked. Krystal and the other lythans scanned about for many minutes. Hope and worry etched each and every one of their faces.

"I can't sense anymore Aparoids," Krystal answered. "Even the people they turned… I can't hear their garbled thoughts anymore."

Fox turned quickly to Andross. "Does that mean…?"

Andross broke into a manic grin. "It might be a bit early to say for certain, but it looks like we won!"

Dozens of voices cheered with deafening vigour. Fox met Krystal's gaze. First, she cheered and laughed. As did he. Then the realisation of what they both survived hit them. Fox's soul went numb. The light faded in Krystal's eyes, soon replaced by tears. He pulled her into his arms, which crushed Fox's chest with a pressure he didn't want relief from. He kissed her cheek; her brow; her lips; every part of Krystal he could reach before pulling her close to his heart and refusing to let go.

Elsewhere, the people of Kezamat lowered their weapons and emerged from their hiding places. In the palace, Sheld and Hiumart embraced before a pack of dead Cerinians who breached the broken gates. Within the throne room, Randorn and Forn collapsed to their seats next to Gylis; all three feeling their fear and age deep in their bones. Near them, Thalse cradled his head in his hands, fully submerged in his ehn with Nomar. Both souls needed to bathe in the others' presence, celebrating that they were still alive, before the bodies could then rise to seek each other out as well.

For those who were still left, the horror was finally over. Yet many who remained would soon find new pain and despair in its wake. That time would come later though. For the moment, they each cherished the fact that they survived that terrible day.

"Scan complete. One hundred percent of attack force is offline. This includes 82 percent of the total swarm.

"Battle footage received and archived. Analysis required to revise harvest strategy and tactics. Reassessment of target threat levels and capabilities required. Interim threat rating: extreme.

"New objective prioritised. Replenish depleted swarm and resume core functions. Low profile for operations deemed necessary until combat analysis is complete and adjustments are implemented.

"Victory will belong to Aparoid."

End note:

Hi, all. I'm going to take a short hiatus for a month or two while I focus on some personal stuff. Once that's taken care of, I will be back to finish the story. Good thing there was time to finish the battle first.