Reinforcements

It was the place where they belonged. Zuline and the group of Jessadians had this feeling of coming back home, even if the world was completely changed. It was their place to be. People living on it, fighting for it, they were all the ones they swore to protect. 

Jäwell embraced Zuline so suddenly that she couldn't breathe, she couldn't control her emotions, and she was trembling. She didn't expect such behavior and none of the Jessadians near her were ready for this. They were distant people and embraces were limited to their kin. Only Zuline was making an exception for Zarkhaïm, and now, Jäwell. She regained her composure to answer him properly after they were finally reunited.

"Some of us deserted our clan to come with me for reinforcement. We can help," she tried to explain. 

Jäwell took her hand and squeezed it, he had an overjoyed expression and excitement on his face. Somehow, he didn't care about what they had done and the consequences of their actions. The situation was not good and seeing new allies was exactly what he needed to regain hope. He didn't understand exactly what desertion she was mentioning. Jäwell knew there was a neutrality pact but he didn't know much about it and what would happen to them after they break it. 

"Jessadians are good healers, right?" He asked with hope. 

Zuline nodded, her kin was famous for being great healers, using plants and shadows. They were able to repair the souls and bodies with their skills, but to Jäwell, it always has been a kind of black magic. 

He led them quickly into the ballroom, there, she discovered that they had built a sort of infirmary and she was surprised by the sudden change of atmosphere. Jäwell made a move for them to enter and he showed them the wounded fighters on their bed camps. There was a terrible ambiance of people rushing to provide first aid and others screaming in agony.

"Do you think you can help them to go back to fighting? Nobody knows how to treat wounds except by adding drugs to their bodies to keep them moving. We are lacking soldiers," asked Jäwell directly.

Zuline was horrified by the solution they had found. She frowned at the mention of the drugs.

"Are you being serious?! What have you done to these fighters?"

"We did what we could," Jäwell answered, shrugging his shoulders. Then he added with a burst of laughter, "You know I am unreasonable, you should have never left me." 

Zuline blushed at this comment, she knew Jäwell was just being playful as usual, but there was a piece of truth in what he said. She should have never left him, she should have never left this world. The truth was that the guilt ate her.

She did the turn of the room to note the situation. It was beyond words, they were losing the war. Zuline turned to Jäwell with a horrified look.

"These fighters crossed their limit a long time ago. What happened?"

Jäwell tightened his fist in anger, then he took a deep breath to try to calm himself.

"We have been taken by surprise. After you left, a hundred gods went down from the sky, all simultaneously. The light blinded us and the canon could not stop them. We could do nothing, the sky was looking like fire, and before we realized it, it was too late. They were in the city, hidden in the buildings and ready to strike us."

Zuline started to understand the situation. It was not an organized battle as Jäwell was used to leading, no, it was something vicious. The angels used the light to not be seen the time they would hide in the city. 

"I am not even surprised Archanium would use such a cowardly move," Zuline stated with anger in her voice. 

She walked to a wounded demon, the poor one had lost a leg and was suffering atrociously. After she pressed her hands on his chest, she injected him with shadows. Jäwell dropped his jaw as he saw her doing, she truly was something else. Zuline could do everything, she probably could have fought Archanium herself if she had taken this path, however, she remained sage and a voice of reason. 

Jäwell whispered to himself, "What a waste of talent," while watching her. In the blink of an eye, the demon stopped to suffer and his missing limb was repaired. The demon fell asleep peacefully once she finished. Zuline didn't even look tired but there were at least three hundred persons in this room waiting for help, some of them were almost dead, or so drugged they would not even be able to recognize their mothers. 

Zuline turned to the group of Jessadians who had followed her here.

"I want you to focus on the ones who can be helped quickly. I will manage by myself the most wounded."

Then she turned to Jäwell and she laughed, "This includes you. You didn't think you could hide it from me, right?"

Jäwell laughed, amused, he removed his chest armor and followed her to a bed. She sighed angrily as she observed the hole in his abdomen. The prince has been pierced with a spear and didn't even take the time to remove the metal inside him. She gave a gentle slap behind his head, "How do you expect to lead us to victory if you die miserably like this?"

"I would die as a hero, and people are safe now. You came back," he chuckled, proud of himself.

While she used her powers to repair his damaged body, she felt adrenaline running through her, and her hands were slowly shaking. Zuline was scared but she was happy to help. She turned her head toward the other jessadians who had joined her. They were in the same state. Never, they would have imagined being involved in a conflict once again, especially against the same enemy as they already fought in the past.

They retrieved a lost sensation, the feeling of doing something meaningful. They were defending something. The Jessadians mattered.