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Breath of Air

A Long March

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“They don’t look like an army,” Alyssa said, lowering her binoculars and handing them off to Brakkt.

They were a few hours away from the city now. Still well away from the Plains of the Dead, but close enough that the greenery wasn’t quite as omnipresent as it was around the city and the river that ran next to it. They had stopped at an old ruin of sorts. Some watchtower, perhaps. It once sat upon a hill, but now was only rubble save for a single flat wall that looked like a stiff breeze might send it down into the valley.

The valley that the monsters were currently marching through.

Brakkt took the binoculars, raised them to his eyes, and tried looking through them only to realize that he had them backwards. A quick flip had them the right way around, affording him a view of what Alyssa had already seen.

Forty might actually have been a rather conservative estimation. Fifty to sixty monsters seemed more accurate, though she hadn’t tried counting them individually. Like the monsters working in the whorehouse or the those at the oasis, they were a mishmash of species. Tall ones, small ones, big ones, thin ones, humanoids and… those more classically monstrous. There was such a wide variety of colors as well, from things with greenish scales to blue fur.

A few of them, Alyssa recognized. She was fairly sure that there was a group of honey bees down there, but their features were a bit sharper, so they might be some distinct variation. A lizard man, much like Rizk except with green scales instead of red, trailed behind the others, walking like he hadn’t had water in days. In fact, most of the monsters looked to be in poor shape. Many monsters didn’t wear clothes at all, either relying on their fur and scales to protect their modesty or simply because they didn’t have human normative values of modesty in the first place. But those that did had worn and torn clothes. Hair and fur was matted, scraggly, and unkempt. Some monsters looked a lot thinner than it felt like they should have looked.

“They seem more like refugees,” Brakkt mumbled as he handed the binoculars over to Kasita. “Definitely not an army.”

“Why would they be heading toward Illuna? Do they not know that they’re heading for a human settlement? Not just a settlement, but a city. Surely they don’t think they can fight in this state and hope to win?”

“They might not be trying to fight,” Kasita said, voice soft and somewhat sorrowful as she accepted the binoculars from Brakkt. “I’ve never seen it happen with a group this large, but I have known some monsters that run out of hope and options to submit themselves willingly to human control, assuming the life of a slave might be better than no life at all. But… I would have thought that a group this large would try to form into a community. Rather like those monsters at the oasis or the mysterious farm Volta mentioned that’s been facing a famine.”

“Could they be from that farm? Did they run out of supplies sooner than Volta expected?”

Brakkt shook his head. “They look more like they’ve been through a battle. They’ve got wounded with them.”

“Wounded?” Alyssa said, taking the binoculars back from Kasita. It took a moment, but sure enough, Brakkt was right. A group at the back, not far from the green-scaled lizard man, had a number of monsters covered in bandages. The bandages were soiled with blood and bile and were clearly in need of changing. And that wasn’t even taking into consideration the amount of dirt covering all of them, wounded and uninjured alike.

“Perhaps they are from that farm,” Brakkt continued, “but they aren’t here because they ran out of food. It seems likely that they were driven out. Probably by a local city’s guardsmen. And probably in an ambush at that. Assaulting a group of monsters this large would otherwise take far too many men. I’d even go so far as to say that their community wound up razed to the ground. If they had any arcanists capable of some inferno and flame spells, they might not have needed to get too close.”

“So we should help them then, right?”

“They might still be being followed. And if they are… it puts me, at least, in a complicated situation.”

“Can’t openly show support for monsters?”

“It isn’t quite that. My father is trying to change things, open the people up to monsters a little more. The real problem is, if they are being chased, I’m expected to side with the humans. Failure to do so and I doubt I’ll be the Second Prince for much longer.”

“I don’t see any humans. They would presumably be mounted, right?”

“Depends entirely on who is driving these monsters out and what their overall strategy is.”

“Still, none in sight. We could go meet with the monsters and find out exactly what is going on. It might be possible to help them out a bit and get them out of here before any humans arrive.”

“If they’re open to help,” Kasita mumbled. “A big group like this is probably going to try to rely on their own strength. Though I’m still curious as to why they’re heading toward a human city. I guess we just have to ask.”

“Should we send you in first?”

“I think they’ve already spotted us. While looking through the binoculars, I noticed a few pointing toward us.”

“They’re still marching forward?”

“They might be confused about the draken and Fela, if they could see that clearly. Then again, we might just be silhouettes on the horizon to them. They’ve already been spotted by scouts, so might figure that there is nothing to gain by panicking over us. And if we attack… well, there are only a few of us compared to how many they number. They won’t know that you can Annihilator them all in one blast if necessary.”

Alyssa frowned, shoulders slumping slightly. “I hope it isn’t necessary. They look like they’ve been beaten down enough already.”

“Let’s go,” Brakkt said. “All together. We’ll keep slow so as to not startle them into attacking, but I don’t want to split us up just in case they aren’t going to be friendly toward monsters in the company of humans.”

Alyssa slipped her binoculars back into her satchel just in time to grab onto the prickly scales of Musca’s neck. Riding Musca was… an experience. Given that they were both draken, it was quite amazing just how different Izsha was from the more volatile Musca. The ride wasn’t nearly as smooth and, at times, Alyssa almost felt like Musca was trying to throw her off. It wasn’t anything overt like a bucking horse, but Musca would take a turn just a bit sharper than Alyssa would have expected from Izsha or maybe Musca would angle down a bit more during a long sprint. Little things that just threw off what Alyssa expected, leading to her almost losing her balance on occasion. Given that Irulon found Musca’s movements smooth enough to turn the saddle into a makeshift writing desk, Alyssa could only imagine that the dumb draken was doing it on purpose.

Musca’s scales weren’t as pleasant to grab either. Where the sides of Izsha’s neck were smooth, Musca’s scales jutted out just a bit more, presenting their sharp tips to Alyssa’s palms. Even with gloves on, it felt like grasping a bag of razor blades.

At least they weren’t rushing down to the group of monsters. At a more sedate pace, Alyssa didn’t have to hold on tight. But she was not looking forward to the ride back to the city.

While the group of monsters had continued moving forward despite being watched, the moment Alyssa and company started their approach, they started readying themselves. More vulnerable-looking monsters moved to the back while the larger and beefier of the group stepped out in front. With Unseen Sight activated, Alyssa could tell that there weren’t any Shadow Assassins or the like. Nothing setting up an ambush.

Musca, at a motion from Brakkt’s arms, slowed down even more. Dasca and Fela did as well.

“They’re wary,” Kasita said from over Alyssa’s shoulder, pointing out the obvious. “It’s strange. I would have expected them to act a lot more aggressively. Either in an attempt to frighten us off or even just to give some confidence to the smaller members of their group. And the children.”

From their vantage point, they had spotted children right in the center. While the group as a whole looked pitiful with their torn clothes, ragged appearances, and wounds, the children had it the worst. One of the smallest, something bunny-like, was being carried on what Alyssa assumed to be its mother’s shoulders. The rest had to walk. Some walked next to older monsters. Some… walked alone.

They all looked like they had been walking for far too long. Every step was more like a stagger. They only kept going because those around them kept going. If one collapsed, Alyssa had to wonder whether someone would pick them up or simply leave them behind.

“I wonder when they last ate,” Kasita said in such a soft tone of voice that Alyssa wasn’t sure whether or not she was supposed to have heard it.

“Illuna, despite the troubles with their demonic neighbors, has full stocks of fruit, grain, vegetables, and even meat. If we can convince everyone to get along, we could get them food before nightfall.”

“Fela and the draken, vouched for by the Second Prince, are one thing. Even a city as ignorant to monsters as Illuna might not be so welcoming to others. Especially not this large a group. It’s… scary for humans.”

They drew to a stop at fifty paces away with another motion from Brakkt. Hardly any distance for a draken or a hellhound, probably not much distance for most of their group either. But it was enough to give Alyssa time to cast spells if necessary. She didn’t have nearly enough Spectral Chains to tie up the entire group, but the ones most likely to attack them could be taken out easily enough.

“Hold, monsters,” Brakkt said, deep voice loud and commanding without really being shouting, “before your caravansary proceeds to spark an attack from the human city of Illuna. We’ve come to ascertain your intentions and, if need be, deliver a warning that further invasion into human lands will not go unanswered. Who will speak for your group?”

Alyssa winced a little at Brakkt’s words. They were a bit more volatile than she thought a group like this deserved. He hadn’t said much back at the oasis. Hearing him now, that was probably for the best. Then again, he had probably done things like this before while not having barged into a monster sanctuary. They were related, but still different situations. The sanctuary monsters may have fought to the death. The oasis was their home and, judging by the presence of the former Waterhole monsters, some kind of resting point for those traveling through human lands. If it was compromised, it would be trouble for a great many people. These monsters were different. They weren’t in a home. If told to leave, they might just do that if it meant leaving without conflict.

At Brakkt’s command, a murmur of conversation started up among the monsters. Their discussion, or perhaps argument, went on for several minutes. Voices raised. Some of them started pointing at others. Even within their own group, some monsters started backing away, like they didn’t want to be a part of the strife.

“This is bad,” Kasita said. “Every group of monsters that I’ve ever been a part of has had a leader. Whether someone deliberately took charge or whether everyone else just looked toward one person—usually the oldest or one who had been at a particular location the longest—someone would wind up at the forefront of a group like this. I…”

Amid the arguing, Kasita hopped off Musca’s back.

It wasn’t until Kasita took a few steps forward that they hushed down again. They didn’t instantly quiet down, but one person noticed Kasita’s approach and alerted their neighbors, who nudged the monsters next to them, and so on until there were only a few of the most heated monsters left talking.

And that was not a pun on the one monster that looked like a walking cross-section of a volcano. It was actually toward the back of the group, staying quiet even during the loudest parts of their argument. Given its physiology, Alyssa wasn’t even sure that it could talk.

“Who is the oldest among you?” Kasita said loud enough to address the group. As she moved forward, she shifted her form. A ripple ran over her body and, after a moment or two, a far more monstrous version of Kasita was standing in her place. She still looked superficially like the sisterly form that Kasita usually wore around. It was clearly inspired by Rizk, having red-orange scales running up and down her sides and back with a little tail poking out from under a longer shirt.

Given that she had pulled this trick before, Alyssa well knew what she was doing. She was putting the group of monsters at ease. Or trying to, anyway. With Fela and the draken, one human turning into a monster might even plant an idea in their minds that both Alyssa and Brakkt were monsters as well, just in disguise.

Kasita walked right up to the largest monster, a sort of minotaur-like hulk of a man, with the confidence that only someone without fear of physical attacks could muster. Even though she only came up to his waist, he immediately ceased arguing with the one-eyed giant that was the only one of the group that could match his size. Both looked down to the approaching mimic.

“What happened to your group?” she asked, voice a little softer but still loud enough for everyone to hear. “Why take the risk of marching through human lands in such a large group? You had to have known where you were heading…”

“We’ve been on the run for weeks,” a cyclops said. Being roughly the same height as the minotaur, he had to squat down a bit to be more on the level of Kasita. But he was still at least two heads taller than she was. “Every time we stop, thinking we’re safe or that we’ve run far enough, we get ambushed in the night. Humans. A whole group of them that never stops chasing us. Stragglers get picked off, disappearing without a word or cry for help.”

“You have no leaders?”

The cyclops didn’t answer right away. His hand clenched into a tight fist as his knuckles ground into the dirt at his feet. “We woke up to find Xefawks’ head sitting in the center of our camp one morning weeks ago. As well as the heads of his family.”

“I…” Kasita actually stepped back, grimace plain on her face. Her tail drooped ever so slightly as her shoulders shuddered. “My condolences,” she said through grit teeth. “But… You can’t fight them off? With a group like yours…”

“They rarely show themselves. When they do, they always run away. Can’t fight what we can’t catch.”

Brakkt, with Alyssa next to him and Fela trailing slightly behind, rode forward. They closed the distance from a good fifty feet to only about ten, stopping just behind Kasita. “Have you seen any colors or emblems on their outfits, armor, or gear? Anything to distinguish them?” Brakkt said, voice slightly softer than it had been when he first addressed the monsters.

The cyclops shook his head, large eye in the center of his face swinging over to the minotaur as soon as he finished.

But the minotaur was shaking his bull-like head as well. “I’ve seen them more than others,” he said in a voice even deeper than Brakkt’s. “Never seen any branding on their hides.”

“Hmm,” Brakkt hummed, drawing a gauntlet-covered hand to the chin of his helmet.

“What is it?”

“Very possibly a roaming squad of assassins,” Brakkt said quietly so that only Alyssa would hear. “At least judging by the prolonged harassment and hit and run tactics. The royal family doesn’t use them—not openly anyway—as we usually only march armies to meet armies. But some of the great houses do use such forces to keep their lands clear of monsters. It’s psychological warfare as much as it is physical. They probably don’t even intend to kill this group to the last, leaving several alive to warn other groups of monsters away from the lands they’ve been driven out from. Or possibly to find out where they are heading to reveal other hives of monster activity.”

“So even if they would all fit inside the oasis, something I doubt, sending them there would wind up hurting everyone.”

Brakkt nodded twice before looking back to the cyclops. “Regardless of my sympathy for your troubles, I still need to know your intentions in heading this direction. Attacking the city will not stop your pursuers. You’ll likely be throwing away your lives on their walls, which might be their intention if they’ve been herding you this way.”

“We’re not stupid. But we’re out of options. And food. We’ve been out of food for a while now.” He turned, large eye sweeping over the group of monsters. “Some of us haven’t eaten in days. Maybe longer. And we don’t know where to go. Without Xefawks, we don’t know somewhere else that could support us and wouldn’t just meet the same fate that we have. You humans have driven us out, but the human city here is the only place that might be able to feed, shelter, and possibly protect us. Even if we have to… submit ourselves.”

Getting off his knees, the cyclops drew himself up to his full height. Even with Musca taking several steps backwards, Alyssa still had to crane her neck just to keep him in view. As he stood, Alyssa noticed the thing at his side. A… club? It looked more like a chunk of a paved road that he had torn from the ground and hooked to his waist, but it had to be some kind of stone. One hand, about as big as Alyssa was, reached down for the hilt.

“But if the human city is going to attack us too, we may as well fall upon our swords here and now.”

“Wait,” Alyssa said, trying to sit upright even with Musca feeling like it was getting ready to sprint away from any chance of that weapon swinging in their way. “That might not be necessary. Knowing your intentions, I think we might be able to help—”

“Alyssa,” Brakkt said, slight warning tone in his voice.

“What? You don’t have to do anything. I’ll just have a few words with Martin. I’m sure his court arcanist will be willing to see things my way. And if they don’t listen…” Alyssa trailed off, not sure what she intended to do if they didn’t listen. She hadn’t been able to help Izsha. Not as much as she wanted, anyway. But these monsters didn’t need to be brought back from the dead. The ones that were dead, like their leaders, had likely already had their souls ferried off by angels. There was nothing she could do for them even if she was willing to try what she had done with Izsha a second time.

But, glancing toward the sky, Alyssa decided that she wasn’t just going to sit by and let this group die. There were children here. Starving children at that. She doubted that even everyone in this group was completely blameless. Several of their number had probably fought and killed humans in the past. But letting them get hunted down when there was nothing they could do to defend themselves just wasn’t right.

As long as the monsters weren’t going to cause trouble for the people of Illuna, there was no reason to turn them away.

The moon wasn’t visible at the moment, but, if Martin and the rest of Illuna had some problems with sheltering a few monsters who might even agree to help defend the city should the demons and infected return to assaulting their walls…

She might just have to disagree with their policies.

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