The camp of fighters were gathered in the courtyard, lined up and ready for battle. Each person who decided to fight to the death was emanating an honest, nervous resolve. The crafters, and those guarding them, had gathered inside the Goliath building—or building A as Leo dubbed it. It had caught on.

The wall that had been initially destroyed by the Goliath during the blood moon had long been repaired and turned into an emergency exit of sorts. Not that there weren’t many exits, just this one didn’t look like one.

The enemies were just outside the barrier, taking it down in small percentages every few minutes. Ashley had been pouring everything she had into it to keep it stable, but it was on the way out.

Barrier Durability: 7%

It was full on mana thanks to the crafters depositing it before they prepared to leave, but it was heavily weakened.

They maybe had thirty minutes of sporadic barrages, or ten of a continuous one. Ashley had relayed this information to Cecelia and she’d put people into action.

“Do you think we can beat them?” Bjorn asked no one in particular. His wife was forced to go with the crafters under his orders. She had tried to argue but he was adamant.

Cecelia glanced his way, giving him a confident smile. “We will try. I’m at least taking two of them with me.”

“I have my emergency barrier that will hold out for a small duration once this one goes down,” Ashley said. “But after that it’s an all out shitfest.”

Bjorn chuckled. “I do and don't like the sound of 'shitfest.'”

“I–”

Ashley was interrupted by a barrage of purple missiles, they crashed like a rain, tearing through the barriers mana with incredible speed.

“It’s not going to hold!” Ashley yelled in panic.

Cecelia began giving commands. “Prepare yourselves! Use the cover, but don’t sit stationary, we already know they have a powerful mage.”

The barrier took another barrage of attacks, all the sounds coming from the direction of the center city.

“They’re all grouped up here!” Someone shouted from the small makeshift wall. They couldn’t fire back at them as the barrier didn’t allow for such a thing at this level.

“To the wall! If they are all grouped then it will give us a chance,” Cecelia ordered, charging up to the wall.

She vaulted, wind passing through her hair. Landing softly, she looked out.

A group of at least ten people were gathered outside the barrier, all in various class attire or holding different weapons. She frowned.

Why are they all gathering here? At the most defensible location?

Her mind raced, quickly trying to figure out the goals. She tried to recall where the purple magic came from and realised it was not from this direction.

There are at least two full groups…

“Listen up! We will most likely be attacked from the rear, but before they do, we need to make our stand. Take out as many as we can here so we can allow the crafters to escape.”

The barrier quaked, small shards of light began falling like volcanic ash.

It was breaking.

A glowing hammer from one of the melee fighters swung hard, hitting the barrier and causing it all to crumble.

The man seemed surprised by his own actions, staring at his hammer and then the group of fighters gathered on the small wall and below it. His mouth opened to speak and was filled with a blazing arrow.

It went straight through, burning a hole in the back of the man’s head. He collapsed to the ground, flailing in pain, apparently it wasn’t enough to kill him.

“Form the Meridian!” Cecelia bellowed, silvery lights flowing down her skin and into the ground beneath. Each person lined up was infused with defensive power and positioning.

The enemies charged without word, attacks raining down as the group tried to defend.

The battle had begun.

~

Leo was racing across the rooftops, dust being kicked up in his wake. He had such a distance to cross and not enough time. His eyes were locked on the barrier of his camp, each flash from a spell or attack had caused it to visibly quake. His breath caught each time, praying it would hold for just a moment longer.

An antling below screeched out as he passed, but he paid it no mind. Some started to climb to the rooftops to follow but they were left behind with ease. His speed far eclipsed a random level 30 ant.

Suddenly, the barrier collapsed, and he was still too far. He tried to push himself even harder but it wasn’t possible, already giving it all he had.

“Fuck this giant city!” he roared.

Being unable to see what was happening was driving him mad with worry. His mana and stamina were holding up, and he still had Second Wind if he needed a boost as he got to the fighting.

If Cain’s men had hurt his friends, then the truce they had created would be null and void, even if his men didn’t know about it.

He’d kill them all.

Rage started filling his heart, the storm was waking up.

Minutes passed, the distance shortened.

Almost there, please hold on.

~

“Fall back!” Cecelia commanded, pulling a young warrior from Gareth’s camp back from the frontline. He’d lost a leg in a brutal attack from a higher level warrior.

A flash of light drew her attention from the side. Pulling her sword up, she moved to deflect the magic attack. It curved at the last moment, hitting the warrior and finishing him off.

Cecelia stared at him, unable to form words. This fight was a disaster.

The moment she’d formed the line, the enemies from behind had somehow gotten in much quicker than she’d expected. They had barely attacked anyone before they were forced to defend a pincer.

She’d made a foolish move and they were paying dearly for it.

Shields, spells, arrows, screams. It was all a blur of magical, brutal combat.

They should have just defended a building, it would have been safer, but they all looked to her and believed her leadership. Followed her into battle.

This wasn’t the kind of leadership she was used to. She wasn’t a battlefield commander, she was a corporate leader who sat at a desk commanding finances and meetings.

Bodies already littered the ground, both enemy and friend.

They managed to form up a defensive line once again and make it back to Building A. The crafters had long escaped, now they’d either do the same or hold as long as they could.

A set of earthen walls went up when the last fighter made it through the door, which was instantly bombarded by spells, small cracks forming immediately.

Cecelia quickly glanced at who made it and who was left behind.

Several people from Gareth's group were missing, as was Jonah, Jules, and Gordon.

“What happened to Gordon and Jules? Did anyone see?” Nolan asked quickly.

“Jules is gone…” Morgan said quietly, a tear forming. “Gordon probably is too.”

“Fuck!!” Nolan shouted, kicking the wall nearby hard enough to cause it to shake.

Cecelia took this moment to inspect their defenses, forcing her hands to stop trembling. The windows had been completely stoned up, leaving no entrance on the bottom floor. Attacks rained down on the stone, the caster who had created it warned them it wouldn’t hold for long.

Suddenly, the attacks stopped. A voice followed.

“Listen up you cowering rats!” She recognised the voice, It was the mage, likely the leader of this attack.

“If you all surrender now, we will only kill as many as you have. Then the rest of you can survive.”

“We will not surrender our lives to a bunch of animals!” Cecelia called.

“Even to save the lives of your people?” he said, voice taunting. “One of the people watching for stragglers found her. The spear user here I couldn’t care less about, he’s given us enough trouble trying to capture him.”

“Gordon,” Nolan whispered, eyes wide. “Take down the wall, now!”

“Wai–” Cecelia tried to say but the caster dropped the wall.

Everyone’s eyes locked on the small area past the doorway. In the middle of the courtyard, a bloodied and battered Gordon was on his knees, staring blankly ahead, one eye almost shut with how damaged his face was.

The person next to him had Cecelia rethink her plans entirely.

Amy was kneeling, not bloodied nor beaten, but captured all the same.

Amy was with the crafters, going with her sister Lena. So if she was captured…

The captured healer met Cecelia’s gaze and smiled. That was enough to know they were still safe. Still, how did Amy get captured then?

“So, you’ve made the choice to surrender?” the mage asked, exhaling in what seemed like relief. “You’ve given us quite the trouble, you know? You should probably be asking for forgiveness for all the hassle. If it was up to me, I’d just kill you all, but Cain should be the one to decide, I’m sure he’ll be here soon. Yeah. I’m sure.”

If Cain was coming, then it was definitely over. Cecelia’s mind raced, unsure on what to do. Nothing had prepared her for seeing people she knew, people she cared for in some way be captured and held hostage. Panic started to rise.

“You promise to not kill any of us until Cain arrives?” Cecelia asked, eyes low to fake submission.

The mage smiled warmly, his shoulders relaxing. “That’s right. Cain would kill me if I decided something like that, and you people aren’t worth my own life.”

Cecelia looked to her group, those of Nolan’s and those who just wanted to survive. The fight was lost. Her will was fading.

“We…surr–”

The air suddenly tightened. The courtyard was bathed in pressure, like being in the wake of an oncoming storm. Cain’s people all looked around in panic, unable to speak, unable to breathe.

The ground exploded nearby, dust, stone and broken wood being kicked up. Stepping from the cloud was a young man in a red leather gi, laced with bone white markings. His rainbow eyes glistened with barely contained hatred.

All those in the courtyard stared at him incredulously. Those in the building did the same.

“Step the fuck back,” Leo said, snarling.

“Who–” The mage tried to speak but Leo’s aura came down like a steel hammer on the man, forcing him to step back without realising.

Leo glanced around at the remnants of the battle, the dead people he recognised, others he didn’t. Rage was already starting to mount as he approached. When he saw his captured friends, people he cared for possibly killed….

It hit a breaking point.

“Leo!” Gordon coughed, blood spilling from his mouth.

He looked at the man, softening his look for a moment. “It’s going to be okay, man. Hang in there.”

Lightning raced through his veins, still speeding him up. Leo rushed through the air in blinding speed, arriving in front of the mage before anyone could react.

He was suddenly surrounded by enemies, all refraining from attacking him. Whether it was due to fear of the man, or fear of what he’d done to be the one to get here first, Leo didn’t care.

He helped Amy to her feet. “Mind healing Gordon and taking him inside?” Leo asked kindly, voice steady, but blank faced.

Amy looked at him with a shocked expression, unmoving. “Amy,” he said, louder and more commanding. She rushed to Gordon and helped him up, glowing green light filling his body as they moved.

“What the fuck?!” The mage called, looking around. “Why are none of you moving?” He raised his hand.

“Kill—”

Leo’s hand grasped the mage’s head in a rapid motion. He slammed it into the ground over and over until there was no head left. The only sounds filling the courtyard were the mage’s bloody head hitting the ground in wet, grisly squelches.

Leo stood, exhaling as rage coursed through him. The storm was rampaging through his mind. He wanted to kill every single one of these people. And would.

It was justified.

Leo moved to the next one.

The closest man who was wielding an axe dropped it at his feet, then dropped to the floor on his knees, pleading. “I surrender! Please!” he managed to squeak out. “Ken, he–he made us do it. Said we’d die if we didn’t!”

Leo’s hand grasped his head and started to squeeze, drawing blood from his skin as the man screamed in pain.

“Leo!” Cecelia’s voice cut through the courtyard. “Stop!”

He met her eyes. His own were blank of anything but rage and killing intent. Cecelia sucked in a breath but forced herself towards him.

“Is Cain dead?” she asked, surprising him with the question.

He shook his head. “Alive. We… made a truce.”

But he cared not for such a truce right now. These men deserved death. Worse than death.

“This isn’t all of Cain’s men. They have many more back at their camp according to Alex—someone we captured and later joined us. If you keep killing them then it’s going to be a war and more will die. Look around.”

Leo watched everyone who had been attacking drop their weapons, storing them, or begin backing away, ready to run. Looking closer, these people weren’t top-tier fighters, the mage was likely the best they had. They just had numbers.

“Do you really want to execute all these people? That’s not who you are.”

Ellie’s presence made itself known within him, bringing him from the brink just enough to look at the man before him. He was still clutching on to Leo’s hand, desperately trying to pull it free with tears streaming down his bloodied face. He was too weak to make him budge.

Leo released the man, breathing deeply as he regained sanity. Then his storm raged within, angry at being pushed back. Emotions started cascading against each other. His mind threatened to break under the strain as Storm’s Guidance did its best to control it.

Pressure started growing once again. Light started to penetrate his skin as his bloodline roared into being. His vision narrowed, sound was barely more than muffled noise.

“Leave!” Leo’s voice boomed out, causing people to wince and gasp, scrambling back and running.

Ellie popped out from his soul-space as Leo fell on his knees. A blonde missile rocketed into them both, pinning Leo to the ground.

She held on to him for dear life, sobbing. Leo wanted to force her away, wanted to chase down the murderous dogs that had attacked his camp. She held him tighter.

“Stay,” she asked, voice strained. “Please.”

His mind started to calm a little, his control started to come back, piece by piece. The bloodline storm within was forced back over the mountains. Restrained.

By the time everyone had left the camp, Leo was sitting up, unmoving and shaken.

Ashley was still clinging to him, holding Ellie with her other hand as the dragon nestled into them both.

No one approached him. But they all watched.

Leo couldn’t even blame them.

He could still feel the remnants of the storm lurking beneath the surface. The rage was gone, but the memory remained. He remembered the feeling of wanting them dead. Not just the attackers. All of them. Anyone who stood in his way.

The thought made him sick.

Around him, the camp remained frozen in a strange limbo. The battle was over, but nobody seemed to know what came next.

Someone eventually moved first.

A body was dragged across the stone, the sound scraping through the silence like a knife.

Leo’s eyes followed it.

One of theirs? One of his?

Another person who had woken up in this nightmare expecting to go home one day.

Now they never would.

More people slowly began moving after that. Some gathered weapons scattered across the courtyard. Others checked on the wounded. A few simply stood there, staring blankly at the destruction around them as if they still couldn't quite believe it had happened.

Nolan crossed the courtyard and dropped beside Gordon. Even as Gordon spoke to him, Nolan continued checking him over, searching for wounds, making sure he was really alive.

“We need help with the wounded,” someone said.

The words released the hold on some of the stationary people.

They got to work. A distraction.

The injured were carried away. The dead were gathered together.

Life continued because it had to.

Leo remained where he was, staring at blood drying across his hands.

Ashley never loosened her grip.

Neither did Ellie.