The caravan traversed the city at ever increasing pace. The fighting was only getting thicker around, often they stumbled upon sites of finished skirmishes. Bodies of militiamen and monsters laid there. Ymdaton got a better look at the invaders now.

They indeed had four arms each, the lower pair carried weapons as a man would do, the upper pair ended with massive claws as long as a palm. Their skin was pale as a snow upon which they slept, their faces bore features smaller than a normal human should have: tiny noses, tiny mouths, small eyes surrounded by skin folds which almost obscured them.

The breach in the wall could be seen already. They were to pass but few rows of houses before reaching it. It was immense, easily twenty steps wide. Crewslayer wondered, what could have made it.

Loud mewling growls caught everyone’s attention. Ymdaton turned his head and saw the protector of Velmytop standing upon the roof of a building half a league behind them. Its back was arched, its tail pointed up, its fur standing, everything made its silhouette look even more massive. With ears flattened backwards it growled in a low resonating voice at something just outside Crewslayer’s sight. A moment later a house not far from it fell apart spectacularly.

Bakhmats panicked, some tried to shake of their burden, some tried to run off. It took great effort of serfs to calm them down. Ymdaton continued glancing back. From the dust and snow cloud that was raised by the destruction, a creature emerged. It was breathtakingly massive, taller than any house in the city.

Its body was like that of an ape, yet covered in feathers, it dragged behind itself a tail as if that of a peacock. Feathers were multicolored . However, they did not have a motley feeling to them, they looked dirty and unpleasant, like the rainbow that spilled oil makes upon the water. Its head was beaked, crowned with a bony crest. Its eyes were small, black as a coal, emotionless. Along its spine grew several tubes of bone, twice the man’s height.

“Faster! Faster!” yelled Lulaton, “We should reach the wall before we are caught in their fight!”

Serfs urged the animals to quicken pace, everyone almost ran now. The giant thing stood before the growling protector. It hesitated to attack several moments but then jumped at the guardian and they rolled through the city, pummeling each other, leaving great destruction in their wake. Scouts returned yet again.

“The path ahead is barred by enemy troops, old man,” said one of them.

“How many?” Lulaton furrowed his brows.

“About twenty five, that what we have seen with our own eyes. There can be more.”

“We can not advance,” shook his head the false merchant, “We will make a detour, approach the wall a little more to the east.”

“There is not enough time,” said Ymdaton.

“What do you propose? We will not fight our way through, there are too many of them.”

“I killed more alone,” shrugged Crewslayer.

“You had the advantage and those were humans.”

“I killed inhumans as well. And we have the advantage of a surprise.”

“It is too risky, if fe do not make it through, the intelligence on the coming war dies with us.”

“Does it look any less risky staying in the city,” Ymdaton made a step towards the old one and leaned forward menacingly, “We will either get caught it this,” he pointed at the battling giants, “or face even more troops from the forest, or have to explain to militia why we are trying to leave the city at times like these.”

“We should wait till everything settles down and escape then,” said Lulaton stubbornly.

“Nothing will settle down,” Crewslayer raised his voice, “You are not a warrior, you should not be making decisions like that,” he turned to crewmen, “there are no captains here, and lord of the house is certainly not present…”

Someone laughed nervously.

“I am the only one of High Crew here,” he continued, “According to the codes, I have the right to assume command in the battle. Follow me and we will break out of this accursed place in no time.”

“There are still over twenty five enemies ahead, we are not numerous enough,” said one of bodyguards.

“Trust me,” Ymdaton circled everyone with his gaze, “You know my deeds, I was in much worse situations and still here I am. I will lead you to victory. There are no twenty five warriors, or thirty, or forty. There are a score or two of the forest spawn. Do you think we would not defeat two scores of wolves while fighting together?”

“This is a great load of gullshit, you will be the death of us all!” spat Lulaton.

It was the first time that Ymdaton heard him talking in an informal manner, let alone swear dirtily like a serf. The warrior grinned for no one to see under his aventail. He ignored the whining and continued.

“Now listen what we are going to do,” said he.

Things of the forest were scavenging the corpses of militia. Their intent was probably not to leave anything that could be carried. Armour, weapons, precious trinkets worn around necks or wrists, all of that was taken. Perhaps because they were that much involved in stripping the dead, they noticed the attack too late.

First fallen monster never even saw Ymdaton, it got an axe diving in its skull and died instantly. Crewslayer put a foot at thing’s shoulder and pushed, pulling his weapon free. Seven more kinani warriors followed him, cutting, slashing, laying foes low. When invaders finally understood what was happening, crewmen already stepped back and gathered into the formation, their shields locked tightly.