At Riley's behest, Roland had stepped out of his office to look upon the state of the city. He dared not stray too far from the City Hall lest someone need him for something and be searching for him.
His bodyguard was gone, having lost his desire to serve the king. It was a blow to Roland's morale, but likely the least of his problems.
No one was likely to succeed in attacking him while Judah walked at his side.
Riley was correct; the city was worse than Roland had known. He was an impotent leader. No one listened or obeyed, they all did for themselves and no one else. It was such a stark departure from the initial days of the Cetoan refugees that if gave Roland emotional whiplash.
He'd been so proud of his people then.
He felt nothing but heartbreak for the city now.
It was all a waste, wasn't it? The effort, the blood and sweat and tears that had fallen for this great nation.
He stopped by a man huddling in the shade of a building begging for a few morsels of food. The ration system had been tossed aside in favor of everyone getting whatever they could and hoarding it. Many were left without enough.
"Will you follow me, if I leave the city behind and seek somewhere better and safer?" Roland knelt and asked the man, offering him the last bit of stale bread he had wrapped up in his pocket.
The beggar snatched it away and stuffed it into his mouth as if someone else might appear and take it if he did not.
"Your leadership got us here, Your Majesty," He sneered around the food, "And you expect me to follow you further?"
He swallowed the morsel and then spat on Roland's shoes. At least it wasn't his face.
Judah hissed, but Roland stood and walked away without a word. It wasn't the hatred that bothered him, but the accusation. The man wasn't the first to express this sentiment. It was pervasive in those left within the city. He was shocked there wasn't already a full-blown rebellion in progress, but there seemed to be an unspoken agreement to wait for Beast's arrival.
Shayn had related Kyler's warning that Beast and his followers would be there 'soon'. What was keeping them? He didn't dare send any scouts to find out. There were many potential reasons, most of which scared the life out of him.
Was Beast anticipating a portal opening that would bring him more minions? Perhaps the goblins? Something worse?
It was clear that things would get far darker before they ever got better. Roland had faith that they would, but not for everyone.
He was beginning to lose hope for much of humanity's survival. The dreams with the Sorcerer didn't promise that more than a handful of humans would see the new, complete world.
Roland wanted desperately to save everyone from the doom and turmoil that accompanied the pains of bringing it all together.
That was a silly dream. He was powerless, useless. He closed his eyes and sighed. Judah lowered his great head and nudged Roland's shoulder, prompting the man to lay a hand on the creature's mane.
"I'm all right. As much as I can be, anyway. This waiting is–"
His words cut off when Judah stiffened, his ears swiveling towards the front of the city with a low sound in the back of his throat.
"What is it?" The king stepped forward, his eyes trained on the distant wall.
Judah lowered his giant shoulder, and Roland climbed onto his back.
"I should have had a saddle made for you to keep us both more comfortable," He said idly, knowing that even if he'd thought of it, he probably wouldn't have found the time or a willing artisan.
Judah chirped and took off in a loping pace that was slow, for him, so that he could navigate around the people of the streets without disturbing them. Within moments, Roland noticed a change amongst the people.
Those who were sitting stood, and moving towards the city wall as he was, as if responding to some silent call. A chill ran down his spine. Where these people empty of all they had once been? Gone were his vibrant, varied subjects. These were all strangers.
Judah's pace slowed as the crowd thickened. The sound of arguing ahead drew Roland's attention away from the expressionless faces of the throngs of people.
"MOVE!" Riley was shouting, his war horse neighing and urging the crowds to part. He spotted Roland high on Judah's back and his face radiated momentary relief before his struggle resumed. "We need to go! Now! They're here!"
A shout rang up from the crowd, rippling from the walls. A crash of destruction followed the roar, indicating the city's defenses, the gates too small for either Beast or giants, had been destroyed.
"Come on!" Roland urged, holding his arm out to pull Riley aboard Judah's back. Riley got his horse as close as he could, the stirring and pushing crowd pressing forward to see their new master, giving shouts and accolades.
"Save us!"
"Feed us!"
"Come rule us and give us water!"
The cries were as dismaying as they were bewildering. The blind devotion was nothing short of stomach-wrenching. Finally, the two men came close enough for Riley to leap from his horse's back and climb up behind Roland.
"Go, fast, before we're seen. There's no one we can take along." He said over he noise.
Roland sent a last longing glance over his people. The ones who had entrusted themselves to his care for so long, now eagerly throwing themselves at the feet of a monster.
"Let's go, Judah," He decided.
The cat did not need to be asked twice. He leapt above the heads of the nearest in the crowd and picked his steps carefully without sacrificing speed. Riley heaved a sigh of relief as they left the people behind and came to the emptier parts of the city before reaching the far side of the wall. Judah scrambled up and over the side and continued running.
It was a matter of moments before they reached the top of a hill, and Roland pulled lightly on Judah's mane.
The trio turned for a look back at the city, roaring and screaming in celebration of their new master. Most of humankind seemed to be crying out in praise. Countless Cetoans had followed it from the sea. Much of Klain had somehow produced wreaths to toss at Beast. Even some nomadic Rhone had been gathered somewhere along the way and celebrated alongside the others.
The two enormous giants laughed at the ridiculous humans, while Beast's many faces smiled.
Were those gargoyles or some other winged beast flying around his heads? In the shadows of the giants, something sinister crouched, some unnamed creature of the dark. Swarms of insects in the air, ebbing and flowing around an enormous flock of crows. The people were unbothered by the strangeness of Beast's entourage, so desperate were they to worship him.
"HUMANS, BOW BEFORE BEAST!" Awarnach commanded in a voice that shook the earth.
They readily obeyed, screaming and crying out at the beauty of their new master. Stormclouds overhead roiled toward the city, and lightning punctuated Beast's ready grinning.
"Disgusting," Riley spat. "It's disgusting."
Roland agreed, but his heart was broken. He wished there were something, anything, he could do for the people, but he had neither the forces nor the ability to force them to see what they could not, or would not. He wanted to vomit.
The people threw themselves into this metaphorical fire not knowing it would burn them, or not caring, and to watch it was ripping him apart. Men, women, and children, all at the mercy of such a great evil. How could the Sorcerer allow the Beast this level of dominion in a world that was not his own?
How much worse would it be when the master that Beast served showed up to complete the transfer of loyalty to himself? When the Void finally came?
One of Beast's large, menacing heads turned towards them, and Judah slipped down the hill and out of sight. The imposing, alarming, calculating gaze of Beast was not something to linger under. Both men knew this, and both knew now that it was better to abandon everything, to leave it.
Leaving. Fleeing like children afraid of a storm and thinking they could outrun it.
Little legs, no matter how stubborn, were nothing compared to the fury of the sky. Even on Judah, they would eventually be caught up in the evil spreading in their world.
"He'll find us, wherever we go," Roland said. "We can't hide forever."
"I know," Riley said, "but next time, we'll have loyal forces. And if it's not too much trouble, could you convince the Sorcerer and the Fae to help? We might actually stand a ghost of a chance with magical reinforcements."
"I hope so," The king of a fallen kingdom replied. "I hope so."