Chapter 90: We’ll Figure it Out

Chapter 90: We’ll Figure it Out

The gigantic monster climbed over the city wall. Xerxes groaned. Not again.

Further ahead, Dasi stood with Ningsummunus still form on her back. At the head of the line, Gandy also craned his neck to look up.

Around them all, Unsighted soldiers muttered curses and hefted their weapons.

As the Abhorrent lurched over the wall like a giant, four-legged spider, Gandash shouted over his shoulder, Well use the same strategy as last time, except

The Abhorrent crawled along, crushing rooftops and shaking everything as it moved toward the middle of the city.

Its going to the keep, Katayoun said.

The creature made the ground tremble as it walked past Black Jackal Company on the north side.

Xerxes exhaled slowly. Except then the thing stopped. It stood stock still, its closest hand planted a short city block away from them. From this distance, it was easy to make out the countless swaying hands that covered its disgusting surface.

Whats it doing? Xerxes muttered.

Stratos, who was only a few cubits away, growled, And why dont these fuckers have eyes?

For a long moment, Black Jackal Company watched the monstrous creature. Then it moved. The ground trembled as it continued toward the inner parts of the city.

It must have sensed us, Katyoun said.

Theyre obviously focused on the keep, Xerxes said. Either theres something there they want or they think there is.

She looked at him. The Key?

Maybe. Simeon was a cultist, but he didnt even know he had the Key under his nose the entire time.

Lets go, Gandash shouted.

The company started moving again. The crowds got heavier the closer they got to the gates. People fled the city. Meteors smashed buildings around them. Fires burned and smoke filled the streets.

At the gate, everything slowed to a crawl. Gandash sent soldiers from Unit One and Unit Two into the vanguard position to clear the way.

Ten minutes later, Black Jackal Company struggled through the gate and into the open like a butterfly escaping a cocoon. They were out of Puabi city.

Into more chaos.

Abhorrent were everywhere. Puabi soldiers fought them while citizens scrambled to flee the flaming city.

Black Jackal Company formed up and started moving. Nearby Abhorrent were attracted to the mages, but none were beyond the spawn level. Now that they were on open ground, they destroyed any Abhorrent that came their way and moved as quickly as possible away from the city. By the time they were a few hundred cubits away, they were past the point where the Abhorrent were a problem.

They started running as fast as they could while keeping the mages grouped together with the Unsighted. About a thousand cubits from the city, they jogged to the top of a hill, where they stopped briefly to catch their breath.

Gandash took her words stoically. I see.

Ningsummunu made an exasperated growl. We cant just walk like Unsighted all the way back home. Well get picked off one by one. Eaten.

Xerxes chose not to point out that Ningsummunu only had one leg now. Following his logic, it would make sense to leave him behind with the Unsighted.

Gandash simply sat there thinking for a long time. Finally he said, Military conventions be damned. I called for a vote before, and Im going to do the same here. Im personally obligated to keep the Unsighted safe. But I wont force the rest of you. Ningsummunu is right in some ways. If we left them behind, we could travel much faster. I just cant make myself abandon them. What do the rest of you think?

Xerxes thought back to the vote in the cave, and how little good it had done him to side with Jad. That said, if the High Seers had gone with Gandash to Puabi, perhaps they would have fallen into the trap as well, and all of them would have been locked away. In fact, they would likely have been stuck in a prison cell when the Abhorrent struck.

But that was neither here nor there. His stance had resulted in the schism between him and Gandash. Maybe this was his chance to make things right. Besides, he liked Stratos and the other soldiers. He didnt want to abandon them.

Im on your side, Gandy, he said. Maybe it will take longer, but we cant abandon the Unsighted.

The other mages took longer to weigh in.

Dasi raised her hand. Im in. Whats the point of being mages if we screw the Unsighted?

Kashtiliash was next. Practically speaking, I think we should leave them behind. Sorry. But it makes sense.

Next in line was Kishar. Everyone looked at her. It took about a minute for her to compose her words. When she spoke, her voice was soft and apologetic. I vote to leave. We can move faster without them. Besides, the Abhorrent want melam from us, not them. Theyll probably stand a better chance of surviving on their own.

Xerxes didnt fault Kishar for her line of reasoning. However, based on what he knew, though the trace amounts of melam in Unsighted humans wasnt ideal for Abhorrent, it was still melam.

After Kishar was Kat.

During this entire time, my Unit is the only group thats still whole. Not a single casualty. I think I owe it to them to get them home. I vote to stick with the Unsighted.

Ningsummunu grimaced. Id rather live as a scoundrel than die pointlessly with noble ideals. I say we leave them.

Ningsummunu was staring at the ground, so he didnt notice the expressions on the faces of the other mages. Kishar looked confused. Kashtiliash sneered, though only for a fraction of a second. Teucer looked incredulous.

Did Ningsummunu assume that one of the other mages would carry him? Xerxes opened his mouth to remind Ningsummunu that he had no leg. But then he closed his mouth. What was the point?

Teucer had the last vote. The current lineup was four to three, which meant that if he agreed with Gandash, the final tally would be five to three, and they would stay with the Unsighted. If he voted against Gandash, the vote would be split evenly, and would require a tiebreaker of some sort.

Teucer took even longer than Kishar. When he finally spoke, he said, My parents back home on Harmu are Unsighted. Most of my friends too. Theyre people, just like we are. We shouldnt leave people behind. I vote with the captain.

Neither Kashtiliash nor Kishar seemed upset about how the vote turned out. Ningsummunu, on the other hand, glowered at the dirt in front of him.

Gandash looked around at the group. The votes been cast. We stick together. Well rest here until sunrise. Then well continue west.

Later, when Katayoun and Xerxes were alone in their tent, wrapped in each others arms, she said, It took us a month to get here. How the hell are we going to make it back across all that land?

He ran his hand down her cheek and toward her shoulder. Well figure it out.