Page 104 of Twisted Bonds

“People of Valenfall, the souls of your ancestors fall from the Great River. Soon the Underworld will stir, lured by their scent. Surrender the Vessel, and I will stop the massacre and razing of this once-great city.”

The voice fades, leaving an echoing silence in its wake. I swallow hard against the surge of rage that sweeps through me. This ferocity inside me is nothing like I’ve felt before.

Beside me, Sunder snarls, his chestnut eyes flashing with pure rage. “That bastard!” he roars, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. “Move!”

He roars out a battle cry, racing down the hill as the rest of us follow. Emboldened by the threat to their families, the soldiers behind us charge at our backs. To save the city. To save their families. To save the world.

But all I can think of as we slaughter blindly to break apart the stragglers of Yurghen’s army is getting to Mira. Seeing her safe is the guiding strength of my sword. The strength of my Chroma, rolling across the landscape to rip apart earth and stone.

For Mira, I fight with this vile verdant magic I loathe. It pulses through me, a raw and destructive force filling every corner of my body with its power. As I lunge forward, the city’s gates loom larger, its damage now clearer. The once shimmering towers are now smoldering ruins; the once lively markets are now desolate and abandoned.

The deafening sounds of battle echo around us; the metallic cling of swords clashing, the animalistic cries of men and creatures alike. We forge our path, bodies falling around us in a grisly dance of violence. I can’t see her yet, but I can sense Mira’s presence, like a magnetic pull guiding me deeper through the city.

Every fiber of my being screams in protest as I reach for the repulsive Chroma. It goes against everything I stand for. But her safety is worth more than my own principles. I would sacrifice my broken soul for her. Even if it means becoming a monster myself.

fifty-three

Mira

Sprinting alongside the small group of scattered citizens and infantry soldiers, I place my trust in their intimate knowledge of the city as we weave through narrow alleyways. The sound of our boots pounding against the cobblestone streets echoes off the surrounding buildings, a frantic rhythm that matches the beating of my heart. In the distance, I catch a glimpse of another allied force, their chaotic movements mirroring those of Yurghen’s army scattered throughout the city. Each of his roving bands seems to have no regard for anything but pillaging and destruction.

As we run through the rubble and debris, we pass the scattered bodies of both soldiers and civilians alike. The acrid smell of cannon blasts lingers in the air, mixing with the scent of smoke and burning buildings. The ground trembles beneath me as I sprint down a narrow alley, my feet kicking up clouds of dust behind me. My hand grabs hold of a doorframe, and I swing myself inside a three-story home, clearly housing multiple families.

The bottom level is a communal kitchen, filled with overturned pots and pans and abandoned midday meals. We continue upwards, passing by rooms with hastily made beds and personal belongings strewn about. Finally, we reach the third level where we can see the main street below. It’s chaotic and destroyed, but that’s where our enemies will be waiting for us.

As we reach the top floor, we are greeted by a chilling sight. Huddled in a corner, a group of people cower in fear as two men brandish kitchen knives at our approaching herd of footsteps. The women and children, their faces contorted with terror, cling to the men’s backs. Their desperate pleas drift over the cacophony of noise.

Their expressions soften at the sight of the uniforms of Valenfall soldiers at my side, their tense shoulders relaxing and their furrowed brows smoothing out. Slowly, they lower their makeshift weapons as we run to the window for a better view of the street below, our next battleground.

I hear one of the women call out in a half desperate whisper. “What’s the Vessel? How do we give it over? Just tell me where it is. I’ll take it to them myself.”

When Yurghen’s voice rumbled through the city, we all stopped to listen. A few of the soldiers nearby turned sidelong glances to me, but none said anything. I bite my lip nervously before responding to the group. “Just look outside. Souls are pouring from above. Even if we give him what he wants, he’s not going to stop. We have to fight him.”

A murmur of agreement ripples through the room, and I turn my attention back to the window. The milky substances falling from the sky scream as they plummet past the window, a sound the shakes me to my core. The city looks dense with fog, but I can’t tell if it’s clouds of dust from destruction or the haze of dying souls.

“There!” I whisper.

Twenty ethereal creatures, with pointed ears and even some with wings, slink through the once-bustling main thoroughfare, their eyes darting warily to every window and door. They know they are being watched. Our previous attack caught them off guard, taking out nearly half of their numbers before they even knew what was happening. Now, tension and fear hang heavy in the air as they creep through the city.

I duck down, sliding my back against the wall.

“Ok. Wait until they’ve already walked past. Their backs to us. I’ll bring fire.” I nod at the two archers I’ve rounded up in the process. “Light your arrows from my Chroma before you shoot.”

“I can help. I have a bow.”

A young voice trembles from the back of the group, overshadowed by the soothing whispers of his parents who try to silence him. But the youth defiantly rises from the huddle, standing out among the rest like a solitary rose amidst a sea of grass.

“No, I can shoot. I’m going to help.”

The archers eagerly wave him over to the window while he hastily grabs his bow and quiver, clearly homemade and used for hunting by the looks of it.

“Mark.”

With a fierce determination, I propel myself upright, unleashing a torrent of fire that scorches the earth below and transforms the street into an inferno. The screams of the creatures trapped in the flames reverberate in my ears as they plummet to their demise. Arrows rain down around them, each one finding its mark with deadly precision. I watch the destruction unfold with an unnerving calm.

The enemy retaliates with a flurry of arrows, one whizzing past our heads and shattering a nearby window. Women behind us shriek in fear and scramble to their feet, cowering against the wall for safety. As the last creature falls, I take a steadying breath.

“Let’s move.” I gesture to the family cowering in the room, reaching tearfully for their son about to go off to fight an unwinnable war. “Get to the castle. I need anyone able to wield a weapon with me.”

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