Chapter 5: Eye of the Storm
Most of the survivors didn't make it far inside before stopping to rest or tend to their wounded. It pained Derzina to see her fellow citizens so injured, and she was giving them what little aid she could offer when one of the few remaining Paladins approached her. They removed their dinted, much scarred helmet to reveal the familiar face of Yormis, a senior Paladin that Derzina had trained under.
"Derzina?" she asked. "What's happened to you? I heard that you were part of a ritual to revive our Lady, but I see little sign of her presence upon you."
Derzina looked at herself. Wisps of shadow, alongside the blood of herself and her foes, darkened her once white robes. "They couldn't bring back our Lady, instead they brought back Lady Atasimon who dwelt within her. It is the mark of her power you see upon me. She granted it to me, that I might fight alongside you."
"And I thank you for your aid, without you we may have been lost, but why did Lady Atasimon not join us herself?"
"She was wounded fighting the demon's leader and forced to rest in order to regain her strength. I had resigned myself to awaiting her return when Lady Atasimon saw fit to grant me a measure of her power. Without it, I would never have been able to join the battle."
Glancing at where the flesh of Derzina's leg met shadow, Yormis winced. "Well, even if we have only the goddess' mercy to thank, I'm most grateful for what you did. We all are." She smiled. "After I heard about the ritual, I feared we'd never get the chance to fight side-by-side, but it seems my concerns were ill-founded."
Derzina scarcely remembered anything of the battle, had they encountered each other in chaos? Despite wracking her memory, she hadn't the slightest idea. She decided it didn't matter, they'd still been together in spirit.
"It appears there was a modicum of good fortune to be found amidst the calamity that grips our city," Derzina said.
"Well said. Perhaps this is an omen that the tides are turning and our triumph is forthcoming." Yormis' lips twisted into a bitter smile. "Though somehow I doubt that. Do you mind if I speak frankly of our chances? I wouldn't want to break your spirit."
"No, go ahead. I've already resolved to do what I can to help, regardless of how bleak things look." Derzina spoke with courage, and she was surprised to find that she believed what she was saying.
"From what I can tell, we're one of the last pockets of real resistance left in the city. And no matter what we do, I fear it won't be enough. Were it an option, I'd have abandoned the city with anyone able enough to flee as soon as the walls fell. But I'd rather die fighting than wither away out there."
"Is it truly so bad? We turned them back once, what's to say we can't do it again?"
"Though we sent them running, too few of us remain. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a soul left in the city by morning."
Derzina's first impulse was to refute Yormis' grim prediction, but she couldn't deny that they were in dire straits. Having witnessed only a fraction of the slaughter Yormis must have experienced while fighting in the city, it was easy to imagine how one might fall to despair. "The day may be dark, but we must not lose hope. Lady Atasimon will return and she shall destroy them."
"You're right, it's too early to give up. Perhaps the goddess will still be able to save us."
She clasped Derzina's shoulder as she passed, and muttered, "Us lucky few."
Derzina watched her former mentor go, her heart growing heavier by the moment. "We'll get through this," Derzina said, quietly talking to herself, "we have to. We just have to hold until the goddess returns."
Shaking off her dark thoughts, she went to organise the surviving soldiers. It wasn't really her place to do so, but no one else was doing it and she doubted anyone would try to stop her.
"You there," she said, accosting a man around her own age who was staring at the wall with unfocused eyes.
He blinked, slowly turning his head toward her. "Me?"
Derzina stood up straight, suddenly feeling self-conscious about her soiled robe. "That's right. What's your name?"
"Bonth."
"And you're with the militia?"
He looked down at his white uniform and mail coat. "Yeah."
"Who's in charge around here?"
"That'd be Captain Norshe."
"And where can I find the captain?"
Bonth shrugged. "Somewhere in the street, he's dead." His eyes focused on her, and he seemed to truly see her for the first time. "Who are you, anyway?"
"I'm Derzina…" She paused, fumbling for how best to explain her position. "I'm the one who was sacrificed to bring back Lady Ortesia."
"You look pretty alive to me. And I don't see our Lady anywhere. Are you sure you didn't get hit on the head or something?"
"Stop with this nonsense, surely you heard about the ritual the speakers attempted."
"Oh, right. That was you?" He looked down at her leg, apparently noticing the shadowy limb for the first time.
"Yes."
"So, the ritual was a failure then, or what?"
"Partially. The speakers revived her sister instead, Lady Atasimon."
"Huh. Where's she then?"
"She dwells within me, though she's been asleep since we sortied out to strike at the demons."
Bonth scratched his head. "Damn funny time to be sleeping."
"It's not like she has a choice in the matter, she was gravely wounded in battle against the Demon Lord who leads their army."
"Oh. That's a pity, we could certainly use the help." His voice was cold and dull, as if this was all someone else's problem.
"Lady Atasimon will be among us again soon." She felt like she'd been saying that a lot as of late. "Until then, we just have to hold. Can you do that?"
He mumbled something, and Derzina asked again, louder this time. "Can you do it?"
"Yes, ma'am." His face showed little emotion, but there was a measure of steel in his words that was absent before.
"Good. We can still hold; everyone just has to do their part. Now then, let's see about getting things in order around here. Go and see if you can find any surviving officers."
"Me?" Bonth asked, shrinking back.
"Of course. Now get to it, time is running out."
Head low, he climbed slowly to his feet and moved off into the crowd. Derzina wondered if he was actually going to do as he was told, or if he was just trying to get away from her.
She'd like to believe the former, surely spirits weren't so low around here that soldiers would shirk their duty when they were on the brink of defeat. But she couldn't be certain, not after the hell they'd been through. The hell the demons had put them through.
Sitting down in Bonth's place, Derzina's eyelids grew leaden as she waited. If she'd had nothing to worry about, she'd have drifted off then and there. But as it was, her concerns for the future kept her awake until Bonth returned with a bandaged soldier by his side.
"I checked everywhere, but this was the only captain I could find."
"Captain Fornon, at your service," the older, moustachioed man said. "I understand you're trying to organise what's left of us."
"That's right, I'm-"
Fornon raised his hand to interrupt her. "Derzina. Yes, Bonth already told me your story."
"Story? Are you saying you don't believe me?"
"Oh no, I meant no such thing. I was there when you broke the demons' formation, I'd be a fool not to believe you."
"Good. Then you'll help?"
"As much as I can," he said, hand held protectively over his injured side.
Noticing his deathly pale skin, it occurred to Derzina that he might be more seriously wounded than she first thought. "I'd greatly appreciate your help, assuming you can manage it."
"No need to worry on my account, I won't slow you down." He began to turn, stopping short to wince. "So long as it doesn't require me to run anywhere, at least. I can certainly get this rabble in order."
"Excellent, then let's get to it." She wasn't sure how much she'd be able to help the captain, but she'd sat around long enough; it was time to get moving again. Following the injured officer, she watched as he spoke a few words to each person or group and they immediately moved to obey. At some point Bonth went off with some other militiamen he recognized, but there was so much going on that Derzina barely even noticed.
He issued them one of several different tasks; find out what supplies they had, count how many could still fight, relay to others that they were assembling in the central chamber, and a number of other straightforward assignments. There was nothing particularly remarkable about the process, and Derzina felt sure she could have come up with the same ideas, but as a result a palpable change swept across the gathered survivors.
They held their heads a little higher and where they had listlessly drifted around the temple's grand entrance, they now moved with purpose.
"Thank you," Derzina said, once most of the people around them were abuzz with activity. "We can probably take it from here, if you'd like to rest." She assumed he must be exhausted after all the energy he'd imparted to the soldiers.
"I appreciate your concern," Fornon said, "but I'm fine. I'll rest once we're finished here."
She considered insisting that he must at least take a short reprieve given his injuries, but he spoke with such vigoro that she was convinced he could continue all night if need be.
"Very well, I suppose we need all the help we can get. What's next?"
"Waiting, mostly. Things have been set in motion, all that's left is for everyone to get themselves in order. Once that's done, then we await the demons' next move."
"You want us to wait for them to attack again? Wouldn't it be better to strike while they're still trying to take control of the city?" It would only get harder, the more entrenched their position within the walls became.
He shook his head. "Too risky. If the attack went poorly, we'd likely be wiped out. Or near enough for it not to matter. Besides, unless your newfound goddess has some tricks to offer us then there's not much chance of us surprising them."
"I still haven't heard from her," Derzina said, frowning. "It's probably best to assume that we're on our own for the time being."
"Then we wait."
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