Out of the prison and headed to the outside-
"OOF!"
I ran into the chamberlain.
"Princess Weiss! Thank the gods your here! Why are all four of the warning bells going off?"
I shook my head. "I don't know."
"Princess Weiss!"
It was the head maid. "Head Maid Thora! What's going on?"
"Four bells are going off-it's to recall everyone from the town into the fortress! Everyone here is scrambling to prepare to house them from whatever's going on outside. We need to get you to safety!"
"Head Maid, I am still a soldier. Captain Hans and Lieutenant Gunter are gone-I need to muster what we have."
"It's dangerous, Princess Weiss!" the chamberlain objected.
"I know, Chamberlain Theo. So please, make sure everyone else is safe."
"Very well. Chamberlain Theo! You're with me!"
"Y-Yes, Head Maid!"
The two of them had their duties. Let's do mine.
...
Outside. The bells were still ringing.
"Let us in!" "Please!" "I don't want to die!" "It's an emergency!"
Our townspeople were at the gates, banging on them. One of the guard noticed me and ran to me. "Sergeant Weiss!"
I nodded at him.
"The townspeople are suddenly at the gates to the fortress! We've barricaded-!"
"Are you blind to what's going outside!? Let them in!" I shouted at the guards at the gate. "Let them in! That's an order!"
The guards started opening up the gates. People started pouring in.
"Help them up!" "Get them inside!" "Don't push!"
"Get them inside the fortress. They'll be safe there."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Princess Weiss! Princess Weiss!"
One of the kids that were in that crowd, he noticed me and ran to me passing the guards' grabbing hands.
"What's wrong?"
"Please rescue my Mom! She forced me to run up here without her!"
"She'll be fine. Just get inside with the others." I tapped his shoulder, and he started running with the group.
I looked at the crowd that was rushing through the gates. There was no way I could get through that. And it seemed like we had more of the townspeople that were trying to get inside.
Head up the stairs on the wall.
We'll confirm it there. Up the stairs.
...
Up the stairs.
The evacuation to the fortress was still underway. Iago's Staircase was being used, and some of the people were bypassing the switchback trying to climb the mountain slope. Beyond the town and beyond the walls, I could see the rest of out soldiers fighting whatever manner of darkness was coming from the forests. We were being attacked on three fronts.
"Sergeant!"
A guardsman.
"What do we do here? We ought to get down there and help them! My family hasn't made it back!"
I shook my head. "All of us stay here and make sure the townspeople are inside."
"But, Sergeant! Ma'am-!"
"I understand, guardsman! But it's the lives of everyone beyond who we know that are counting on us. We'll have to trust whoever's down the hill that they'll make it up."
It was an answer that need to be heard by him and the other guard that were within earshot of us.
You can't blame them. This is the first time we're all experiencing this.
"Look! Out there in the distance!"
Something was in the skies beyond. Wyvern riders, and there were a number of them! One of them was leading the flight as they swooped down to the ground and then up to maintain distance from the battle below.
"Camilla," I exhaled. "thank the Gods."
"It's Princess Camilla!" one of them shouted.
The guards cheered at the sight of reinforcements.
"LOOK OUT! ABOVE! GET CLEAR!"
Our elation was dashed when we suddenly looked up.
SMASH* *CRUMBLE* *SMASH* *SMASH* *CRUMBLE* *CRUMBLE* *SMASH* *CRUMBLE*
Rocks from above! "Everyone fall back inside!"
The guardsman spared no time wondering where and how rocks managed to get up to this fortress, but I did, and saw that there were monsters at the base of the hill, throwing rocks and other debris from the houses they destroyed. At least the last of the townsfolk that managed to get up here were close to the gate. Hope to the Gods, that whomever didn't was safe.
Camilla, please hurry.