I couldn't believe what we were seeing. The walls of Greytree were still far into the distance but a red haze spread into the sky clearly lighting up the black smoke rising from the town. It couldn't be what I thought it was. There must have been a festival… right? Just a peaceful festival where they lit their houses on fire. Who the hell was I kidding?
"Ardent…," I turned to him with wide eyes.
"I see it Rain," he frowned. "Those banners outside the wall, they carry the mark of the Demon Lord. It seems he has made his move before ours." I couldn't tell from the distance but using magic Ardent could easily see that far away. "Their invasion force must already be within the walls, I cannot see them. We must hurry. They will need our help."
I felt my hands tighten around the Pina's reins. Slowly I checked my pocket watch. It was 11.30. Half an hour left before my time of death could reset after the Monster. Should I run away? It was only half an hour… I'd come back once it was over. No, Ardent and Earnest would keep going and if I was alone the denizens would appear and rip me to shreds. Then should I go to Greytree? It would take us less than fifteen minutes to reach the gate, plenty of time left for me to die.
"Rain don't be afraid," Ardent's hand gently rested on my shoulder. "I'll protect you. Inside that town are others like you who need someone to guide them to safety. We cannot leave them idle."
"I- I understand," I urged Pina to go on and shook the thoughts from my head. The only reason I was hesitating was because of my ability to repeat. I didn't consider myself a Hero but there were people inside that I cared about and I'd do my best to get them to safety. I could only pray that if I did die at least it wouldn't be too soon. On that note I was beginning to think that my perspective worth of my life was decreasing.
"Head towards the West wall, there is a small side gate we can pass through hopefully undetected. It looks like their invasion force attacked from the North and East." Ardent pointed the way. "For now I'll cast some magic to keep us hidden. As long as do not draw their attention we should be fine."
"As fine as we were with the denizens?" I couldn't help but say.
There was a pause, "Rain, this time I'm serious." I swallowed involuntarily. His usual aloofness was gone entirely and a seeping anger built beneath his voice. "Our goal in defeating the Demon Lord was to stop events like this. To stop the war before it began. Though perhaps there was not much we could have done, we failed. From here however I will by all costs save as many lives as possible."
"But how?"
"The fortress is not without its defences. Even surprised they should hold. If we can support them reinforcements will hopefully arrive before it's too late."
I gulped, "And what is too late?"
"For now that is something we should consider later."
Earnest nodded solemnly, "While I do enjoy battle, war is different. Ready your bow Rain, we do not know when you may need it."
As we neared the walls I had Pina slow down till she was barely walking. It looked like a complete surprise attack. There were barely any signs of a siege and the gate was thrown wide open. It was there that I saw them. Demons. Their shapes and sizes differed with their armour bent to fit their strange bodies. Horns, fur, tall, short, four arms, two arms, one eye, three eyes, a mixture of races I had never seen. They stood together on guard however their eyes passed us over as we moved around the wall.
Earnest sat at the back of the cart ready with his hands on his sword. In case the spell failed he would react at a moment's notice. Ardent was silent in concentration as he gazed towards the town. The worst was the noise. When we had faced the bandits it was the sound of fighting. Now it was the sound of destruction and the desperate screams of people clinging to life. What it was like inside I didn't want to imagine.
We reached the gate Ardent had spoken of. It was a small entrance and even our cart wouldn't fit. Two demons stood beside the door. I stopped the carriage and settled Pina against the wall.
"What now?" I asked apprehensively.
Ardent answered, "From what I can sense this is the best place to enter. Most the fighting has been pushed down the main street and towards the fortress proper. We'll cut through here and attack the enemy from behind."
"And me?" my hands shook. I was no fighter.
"It would be safest for you to come with us." Ardent looked at me downcast, "I'm sorry I cannot offer you more."
"It's… it's fine." Running away here would be the worst. Without Ardent I'd be picked off in seconds.
He nodded, "Earnest the guards." With those words Earnest launched himself from the cart and his sword swung free of its sheath. A second passed and two corpses hit the ground. "Let's go."
"Come Pina," I caressed her feathers and guided her through the door. She was nervous from all the noise and flames but I couldn't stand her being left outside. She could be mistaken for a messenger bird and shot. Like me her safest option was with Ardent and Earnest.
Earnest held out his hand to stop us and whispered, "Six more in the next room." We were now beneath the wall.
"And two more beyond that," Ardent replied. "I'll take the six. Carry on through and kill the ones outside. Ready?"
"Go!" Earnest kicked down the next door and as he did so Ardent threw a ball of light inside. It exploded and a painful screams echoed towards us. A split second later Earnest dashed through into the passage beyond.
Ardent stepped through first as I followed with Pina. The bodies of demons were thrown about the room as were the tables and chairs. Blood flowed down their ears and eyes. In the corner, the bodies of two human guards were crumpled together with knives in their chests.
"We must keep moving Rain," Ardent spoke devoid of emotion.
I nodded and forced down the urge to throw up. As we followed the passage all I could see was more death. Some the work of Earnest as he moved through and some the work of others. Human and demon. Finally we broke through to the town. If I hadn't been holding Pina I would have fallen to my knees.
"Why?" my mouth opened and closed as the words inside fell to pieces. The peaceful town was gone. Men, women and children, their bodies laid across the streets, their blood staining the paved stone and dirt. It was a massacre. Buildings broken and on fire. The signs of struggle clear with no mercy to be found. Was this what demons were? That they'd slaughter all these innocent people!
Then I saw them and the rage that had been building in my chest was thrown to shock as a cold despair clung to my heart. Against the wall just ahead of us, in her dead hands she cradled the body of her brother. An arrow pierced his chest as a pool of dried blood sat beneath them. Michael and his sister Lily. I hadn't known them long or even at all but seeing their lifeless faces… a spike drove itself inside me more so than all I had seen so far.
"We need to move," Earnest appeared beside me. "Hold fast to your emotions Rain." He gripped my shoulder.
"Right," I shook myself and felt Pina's head rub into my neck trying to comfort me through the pain.
"I can feel traces of life hiding nearby," Ardent gestured across the road. "We'll gather who we can and try lead them to safety."
"Is that wise?" Earnest replied coldly. "Let them hide. If we try protect them and fight we'll only be risking our lives more."
"Do you expect me to leave them?" Ardent glared seriously.
"Yes," it was a blunt answer.
"I refuse," it was a blunt reply.
"Then go," Earnest dismissed him. "I shall assault the demon's backline. The sooner we end this, the more lives we can save."
"That's if we can end this at all," Ardent frowned. "I can feel the size of their army and we are far outnumbered. Saving who we can now is the most I can do."
"Just where will you lead them!?" Earnest yelled. "Where is safety here?" It was the first time I had seen him argue.
Still Ardent refused to back down, "I will not forsake them!"
"Then go! Do what you will and I will do the same but I will not be brought down with you."
"Earnest I have misjudged you," Ardent stood tall and glared.
"And I believed you smarter."
I stared at the two of them unable to do anything. I understood were they were both coming from. Yes protecting someone was a risk to yourself. In a situation like this even people as strong as them had to make a choice. To be honest as much as I wanted to save a life, I thought Earnest was right however I couldn't just let them go so easily.
"Stop," my voice came out hollow. "Earnest go ahead and find the others. Find somewhere safe. Ardent and I will follow once we can."
"Rain-," Ardent looked at me as if just realising I was still here.
"We don't have the time to argue," I shook my head.
"Agreed," Earnest nodded. "I hope to see you two soon…. Stay well." He dashed towards the town centre and where the fortress stood. Who knew maybe he really could turn the tides.
"Let's go," I pulled Pina towards the building Ardent had pointed to. Silently Ardent followed and we pulled the rubble apart to reveal a family hiding together in a cluster.
Ardent reached out his hand, "Come, we will keep you safe."
They nodded with shaking hands as we moved to the next group. The buildings were fragile and Ardent had to use magic to free the people trapped inside. With each passing minute I felt my nerves stretch as I looked out for demons. Soon we had more than twenty others between us. Even more so than I they weren't fighters and unlike when we were two we could be easily seen from anywhere.
"Ardent this is too much," I said to him quietly.
"I- I know… but I cannot abandon them," he shook his head sadly. His eyes flicked down the street. "Reserves?"
"What?" I looked down but could see nothing.
"They are coming," he clicked his tongue. "Rain lead these people out and into the forest. I will distract them."
I gripped my fist and pulled Ardent back, "No you lead them. Without you they're done for. I'll go." If I tried alone we'd all just be spotted and peppered with arrows before making it even a quarter way to the forest.
"Rain-." It was too late. I jumped on to Pina's back and rode down the street. Earnest had been right, we had just trapped ourselves. Maybe that was why the demons had left them alive but regardless if the fires had continued to spread they'd have been burnt alive.
As soon as I turned the corner I met them face to face. Row upon row of armoured demons. The shine of the fire reflected across their armour and as I came into sight the hunkering man leading them yelled. A row of spears pointed towards me but I could not turn back.
"Pina wall!" I gripped her neck and directed her. The demons scattered towards me but Pina managed to avoid them as she jumped above them and launched herself from the nearby wall and over them entirely. "Good girl." I rubbed her as we landed only to turn and see them in pursuit. They'd never catch us with how fast Pina was. The problem however were the ones in front of us. The closer we moved towards the centre the more there were. A bow trained towards us.
I pulled Pina to the side as the arrow narrowly missed. I fumbled with my own bow only to drop it. Without a proper saddle I could barely stay on even while gripping her body. More arrows flew towards us as we were forced forwards. The fortress came into sight. The second set of walls blocking the mass of demons below. There had to be thousands. Like a flood they attacked the walls relentlessly. There was no way we could break through.
A sudden thunk and Pina squealed in pain crashing into the ground. Her body rolled over mine as we were flung down the street. She skidded to a halt away from me, a large black spear stuck from her chest. Our eyes met as she stared at me weakly unable to move.
"I'm sorry," the words barely left my mouth. I should have left her outside.
"Kill the human!" a gravelly command spat towards me. I looked up to see the demons approach, swords ready.
Was this it? Was I going to die again? I refused to die for nothing. Even if I did, I wanted it to be on my terms with enough information to make it worthwhile. Kill me. Come at me with all you have but in return I'll take everything!
I ran towards them screaming. They didn't flinch. Already used to the act of desperation. My mana flared and I felt my chest tighten threatening to burst. The demons ready to kill me stopped unable to understand their eyes. I pushed through them. Some reacted on instincts trying to swing at me vaguely. A sword cut my side but I grit my teeth through the pain and kept running. The fortress walls came back into sight.
A light flashed amongst the waves of soldiers and for a moment I saw the shine of pure white hair float across the mass of bodies. I forced myself to keep running. I could see it. I could see her. Lara, the Hero, the one beacon of hope we had. If it was her she could do something, all I needed to do was reach her. The pain I had gone through, the people who needed to be saved, she could make it right. That's why we called her Hero.
Then it all came crashing down. Somehow I made it towards them, past the demons and dead bodies, past the arrows streaming through the air. Her armour stained with blood, scratched from countless blows, her hair a mess, her sword at her feet and her hands bound. I couldn't believe my eyes. Why? Why was she just kneeling before them? Then I saw it, the dozens of women and children they carried all around her. Knives at their necks all they could do was cry. Of course she'd give in. What else could she do? That's who she was, a naïve Hero who wanted to save not just the world but everyone.
"No…," my mouth gaped open. All the pain in my body was gone before the scene in front of me.
"Let them go," Lara spoke, the will in her voice still strong.
There was a snigger, a laugh and finally a demon replied. His words were so simple said as if staring down at nothing more than a single ant.
"Kill her."
My heart stopped and I ran forwards, "No!" How I made it through them I didn't know but as the sword descended towards her head, her eyes closed finally showing the fragile fear in her heart, I was there. My body covered hers and the blade split across me.
"Rain?" her eyes opened as mine closed. I died.