Silent Approach

Devrim calmly watched the bleak darkness of the valley floor. It was nearly impossible to see anything, but lighting a torch would only give out his location and still not help him in his struggle.

So instead he sat at the top of one of the towers, straining all of his senses to tell him literally anything. The silence was overwhelming.

Blowing out his cheeks, he scanned the battlement of the wall below him. At least the dim torches there provided him with a point of reference. They hung lower than normal to cast some light on the stone, but patches of darkness loomed in between the beacons.

Because the flames were not in their proper places, those walking the battlement looked like wraiths in the night. One of the figures ghosting along caught his attention.

The Emperor had tried very hard to keep Duchess Ashleigh from putting herself in harm's way, but the woman would not accept his judgment.

When it came to stubbornness, Nanny, Aurora and the Duchess were at the top of his list, though he struggled to rank who was on the top.

"She's making another pass, I see," Junayd whispered from beside him. It seemed he was having the same thought.

"At least she is staying where I can see her…" Devrim sighed. His eyes flicked back to the darkness below.

Out in the valley, shadows began to move subtly. It was more a feeling than an actual perception, but the grey-eyed man could not shake the sensation that the creatures under Livie's command were on the move.

Devrim gripped the bow in his hand and now nocked an arrow. "They are coming," he breathed as he squinted trying to piece the veil.

"Sire!" Junayd yelped.

Below, the duchess was surrounded by three creatures—two wolves and a lizard. They had been so silent in their approach that no one had seen them coming.

"On the wall!"

Instinctively, Devrim let loose three arrows within a few seconds, careful not to hit the duchess or her two defenders.

One of the arrows missed, but the second and third both landed in the lizard's abdomen, which was unprotected.

Even with the monster's thick hide, the arrows bit deep and drew blood. The lizard wavered. Seizing the opportunity, Ashleigh pushed her shoulder into the vermilion beast. It toppled backward and plunged between the crenellations, leaving only the wolves behind in the fray.

The larger of the two wolves picked up one of the guards by the back of his armor and flung him against the wall. The guard went limp and moved no more.

In response, the wolf with the mismatched eyes felt an arrow graze across his shoulder while another whizzed over his head, but neither phased him in his bloodthirsty attack.

What finally woke him from his mad stupor was a bolt that lodged itself in his last ally. While trying to swipe at Ashleigh's head, the silver wolf let out a piercing yelp. An arrow, which had come from a different direction than the first few, lodged in the back of the creature's neck. The death was almost instant, but just long enough for the monster to release a cry.

At the death of his comrade, Collyn's vision cleared. A host of soldiers was now at the ready and blocking him from the Empress. No, it wasn't the Empress...she was a fake! He needed to escape.

Although the arrows from above had stopped, the swords cut at him, flicking in and out of his reach like serpents' tongues.

Fetid blood began to pour from the myriad of cuts, but the wolf did not slow down. The pain only brought back his rage.

Collyn's eyes narrowed. This would not be it for him. He let the power of the poison flow freely and roared in defiance.

With red blurring once again his vision, the angry monster swung his claws in every direction. He gripped the blade of a sword and ripped it from a soldier's hands.

Chunking the sword away like a piece of rotten food, Collyn brought back his arm with a mighty punch. The unarmed soldier could not move away fast enough.

The hit dented the soldier's breastplate, cracking both the man's ribs and the bones in Collyn's paw-like hand.

Yet the wolf was not done.

Warding off more shallow cuts, the creature grabbed another man by his helmet and smashed him into the two guards next to him.

The crashing sound could be heard even from Devrim's perch above them. The Emperor flinched as he watched the battle in the faint torchlight, trying to get a better shot.

The large wolf roared yet again, and dashed through the hole that the collapsed soldiers created. Those who tried to slow the powerful monster's escape were thrust aside. Collyn left only a path of destruction in his wake.

But the abomination was not heading back over the wall. He was heading into the city.

"No!" Devrim let loose an arrow as Collyn leapt into the darkness of the city. The bolt and the creature disappeared into the void.

"Surely he cannot survive that!" Junayd scoffed.

"It's possible." The Emperor could not rule out the option.

Thinking about what would happen if the wolf got loose in the city made his stomach churn. The men on the ground were citizens who had not been allowed to leave with their families. They were not fighters, but had pledged their help to keep the siege from being successful.

If the abomination had ripped through seasoned troops with such ease, he would have no trouble decimating ordinary men. Devrim needed to confirm that he was indeed dead.

"Light the pyres!" the Emperor yelled from the top of the towers. He had already given his position away, so he saw no reason to be subtle.

The first pile of oil soaked wood lit almost immediately, followed by many more bonfires through the city. The civilians may not have been able to fight, but they were quick to follow instructions.

An orange glow filled the city streets. The special oil placed on the wood would keep the fires burning with minimal heat and maximum glow until the early morning hours. Devrim had wanted to wait until the last possible moment to light them, but the deranged wolf had ruined his plan.

With one of the spy glasses which Renat had invented, Devrim scoured the base of the wall. Beside him, Junayd looked down with his naked eye.

Both of them came up with the same terrifying results. Collyn was missing.

"Find him," Devrim ordered Junayd.

The advisor's eyes widened. "Sire? I need to stay here to protect..."

"Find him or I will go myself." Devrim knew the burly man wanted to stay and fight by his side, but the people of Oblivion right now were more important.

Junayd understood. The Emperor trusted him to solve the problem and return swiftly.

"Right away, Your Majesty." The advisor exited through a the small hatch and climbed down the ladder toward the main wall.

Alone on the rooftop, Devrim turned back to where the soldiers and Ashleigh were recovering.

"How is everyone?" he called down. For a moment he debated saying anything in case another attack was impending, but the enemy seemed content to remain quiet for now.

"We lost one. He broke his neck," Ashleigh answered back, her voice grim. "Everyone else will be fine."

"Any scratches or open wounds?" The Emperor tried to keep his voice even.

He had made it quite clear to everyone that they were under no circumstance to be cut or bitten by the creatures' claws during battle.

Each fighting man had been required to wear a suit of armor and protect every visible part of their skin, though he hadn't explained why. Even those on the ground, who had no metal with which to shield themselves, were provided with thick coats or leather with which to cover themselves.

"I don't think so," Ashleigh examined as best she could in the low light, but everyone seemed to agree that none of their blood had been spilled.

"I do have a massive headache," one soldier complained with his hand pressed up beneath his helmet. When he pulled away his hand, it was crimson.

"Your Majesty!" Ashleigh alerted the grey-eyed man. "We may have a situation."

Devrim dropped through the rooftop opening, climbed down to the level of the battlement and ran to examine the soldier. There was a gash across the man's nose where one of the creatures must have nicked him.

Already the scrape was turning a sickly purple and beginning to spider. Devrim fought the urge to cover his own nose as the familiar fetid stench reached his nostrils.

"What's wrong?" The soldier could see that both the duchess and Emperor were worried.

"You are about to turn into a wolf...or maybe a lizard..." Devrim was not happy to have to share the news. He only hoped no one would ask him how he knew.

"I'd rather die first!" the young man cried in despair.

"Not today. Today you will do your best not to lose control. We will battle and then work on finding a cure. Don't lose heart!" Devrim gripped the terrified man's shoulder.

He looked at Ashleigh. "Tie him down somewhere secure until you are sure he is in his right mind. I do not think you have too much time."

The duchess motioned for another soldier to help her as they escorted the infected man to the ground.

Devrim shuddered to think how different the man would look soon. He only hoped his promise of a cure was real. With the strength and ability to spread their disease, this enemy was possibly the most formidable he had ever faced.

He balled his fist and addressed the soldiers left behind with grim resolve.

"You have seen their strength and might. From now on, we cannot let them breach the wall. We must stop them, or perish."

"But Sire, there are so many of them. We cannot withstand so many." The young warrior could not hide the fear in his eyes.

"We just need to hold on a little while. I have sent a messenger bird to the nearest fort. Reinforcements will arrive soon enough." The Emperor nodded decisively. "Keep calm and stay strong."

Help should come soon enough.