Iris and Leya washed up separately from the others. Gore and grime had reached places they shouldn't reach. This was nothing new, however. With their fighting style, things tended to get incredibly messy.

"I wish at least some parts of goblins were edible. Even if it was just their ears, we could stock up for winters easily."

Leya was complaining as she picked a torn goblin ear out of her back.

"They are edible. As long as you don't mind being constipated for the next few days."

Iris grimaced as she felt something squishy between her toes.

"I mean, if we could cook them somehow, we would be set for life. But do you really want to eat goblins?"

Leya was washing her horns. Always the worst part to wash.

"Nah. My grandfather said they only ever used to eat grass and veggies back in his time. We only adopted eating meat relatively recently. Most veggies give me indigestion..."

Iris looked at the muscle that covered Leya from head to toe. It was amazing how her people grew so large on a vegetarian diet. Leya is the most muscular Black she had ever seen. It likely wouldn't have been possible without eating meat.

Iris herself didn't like eating too much meat. Some meat was tasty when cooked a certain way, but it usually didn't sit well. Sweet or sour berries with the occasional morsel of meat were enough.

Looking down at herself, the muscles on her didn't bulge like Leya's. Veins didn't stick out like rivers. It was lean and compact.

Iris smiled, liking this better.

Finishing up, they both left to regroup with the guys.

=

"Did you find any more groups, Polm?"

"No. I caught some stragglers, but there were no groups or strong ones left. Not within a few miles anyway."

Yule nodded, relaxing his grip on his spear.

Noticing Iris and Leya walking up, the group rejoined and departed from the battlefield.

Iris nodded and followed in a much more casual manner than the trek out here. Polm occasionally scouted ahead, and everyone kept an ear open. An unrelated beast or group may choose to attack, or something unexpected might pop up.

Examining her companions, no one was seriously injured. Iris' shield arm was bruised from taking the ogre's hit. Leya wasn't even injured from taking a mace to the gut.

Those muscles really are amazing.

Polm was always careful and big enough to shrug off most blows. Yule kept his enemy at a distance, so he didn't even have any scratches. Riah was scratched, more so than Iris, but he was built thick. His shoulders and back were particularly impressive. It gave the illusion that his head was tucked into his torso, erasing his neck.

Each of them was walking through the brush and between towering trees when Yule filled the absence of conversation.

"Since the snow is gone, we should start seeing more Kobolds coming out of their caves. Wyverns might come out of hibernation, so we should try fixing that ballista when we get back."

"I could take two Wyverns with my bare hands. I've been doing more jumping jacks so I can reach them."

"Leya, that's not how-"

"I'll grab their tails and spin them in circles until they get so dizzy they can't fly straight."

"Leya, seriously..."

"I'll put them in chokeholds and wring their necks using my feet!"

"LEYA, calm down."

"Hah! Sorry. I got excited."

Leya scratched her horn in embarrassment.

"There's only the possibility. I know you didn't get to fight during the last attack, so I understand your excitement. If they do come out, we'll let you have at it."

"Really? Thanks! I will make sure to share the meat with you guys."

Iris responded first, patting Leya's shoulder.

"I'm good, Leya; you can have my portion."

"Great! I can build up even more muscle."

Posing ridiculously, she actually grew a couple of inches in size. Or maybe it was Iris's imagination.

Yule decided to pick up where he left off.

"I only mentioned Wyverns because we were low on foodstuffs last winter. Kobolds are edible, but they need to be cleaned and cooked a certain way that makes it a hassle. Wyverns have plenty of meat, their claws make good daggers, and their wings make good shade covering. They are near ideal in terms of materials."

"True, but they don't come out often."

"I want to get Eric a claw or two..."

Riah was daydreaming about Eric's reaction when he brought him a dagger made from a Wyvern's fang.

"Even if they come out, the last one broke the ballistae, and Old Grib passed away during the winter. No one else knows how he built the damn thing. Getting them to land is nearly impossible without it. We are lucky they don't breathe fire as dragons do."

"Have you ever seen one Yule?"

"Of course not. I've always been with you guys, haven't I?"

Polm was abashed.

"We can ask Paula."

Yule pointed towards the mountain pass that just came into view.

=

Iris' group rounded the curved slope that led into the pass. At the top of the ramp, a thirty-foot wall panned into view. The walls were made of granite rocks packed on top of each other, packed several feet thick and without gaps. The gate was an enormous boulder that could be dragged into place to block the entrance.

Leya strutted up, thrust her thick knuckles into the boulder, lifted, and moved it aside.

It was entirely too easy for her.

Walking inside, they met up with Quell. He was sitting beside the gate and picking his nails with a sharp bone. He looked up with an uninterested expression but then jumped when he saw who it was.

"Oh, I thought you were Paula. She was supposed to be-"

*BOOM*

An explosion sent them all sprawling.

The scorched earth flew in all directions.

"STATUS!"

"Here!

"Here."

"I'm alright..."

"Quell is dead!"

Quell was lying on his back, burned and unmoving.

"Dammit, where did that come from!?"

Another explosion shook the rocky foundations.

Screams echoed.

They all looked up to see flaming balls of fire raining down towards them.

"SCATTER!"

They split up.

Dodging. Rolling. Leaping out of the way.

Several explosions went off simultaneously.

Iris's ears rang. Dirt pelted her face.

She heard a faint warble.

"ERic! emeLIA! Lis-"

Iris vaguely made out the words. Noticing Riah run off.

She tried to steady herself using her sword. Humans were running in through the still open gate. Yule was there with Leya, fighting them off.

Iris felt a hand on her shoulder, steadying her. Polm picked her shield off the ground.

"Thanks."

Grabbing her shield, sobering, she charged to the battle with Polm.

"RAAAH!"

Leya let out a battle cry, crushing human skulls with her fists, tearing them apart and pummeling them into mush.

Iris joined, bowling three humans over that weren't looking. Yule swept his spear, decimating enemies.

It took 10 seconds to get rid of them all.

"Bandits?"

"With Mages? Not a chance."

"Grunts."

"Mage Fire came from the bottom of the ramp!"

Polm called out.

Leya looked around.

"Where's Riah?"

"Leave him; he has a family. We need to take out those mages!"

"They are probably strong if they can cast like that."

Polm kicked the bodies at his feet.

"If they can waste grunts like this, their numbers are nothing to sneeze at."

"No choice. We can't let them bombard the fort. Leya, take the lead."

"With pleasure."

Leya gave a toothy grin, picked up a stray rock, and started stampeding down the ramp. Each of them followed. Polm took the rear.

=

"That should have softened them up. They should be charging out any moment now."

One of the leaders called out.

They stirred the hornets' nest.

"I think I see them!"

A man up front called out.

The leader squinted, seeing four blurs speeding towards them.

"Only four of them? Do they think us-"

His head exploded.

=

"That's one."

Leya swore solemnly.

Iris ran to her right, looking at the numbers.

There were maybe a thousand humans. There couldn't be more than a dozen or two mages. The rest were lined up at the bottom of the ramp, shifting from foot to foot.

"Fodder."

"Polm, mages. Leya, open a path. Iris with me!"

Yule called out.

Polm disappeared.

Leya reached the first line of humans. Trying to use spears to skewer her, they were disappointed when the weapons bounced off Leya's tough skin. She crushed them in two's and threes—her hammer obliterating entire torsos.

Iris supported her back, giving her room to move.

Yule sowed disorder, taking any that tried to shout orders.

=

Riah rushed past burning craters, aiming for his home.

Pained screams filled the air.

Bodies lay in pieces.

All Riah could think about was his family.

Rounding a small bend, he saw his home, already on fire.

"EMELIA!"

Riah ran, breaking apart debris to get inside.

He could see Emelia huddled in a corner.

"Emelia!"

Riah lifted a fallen rock, tossing it to the side.

Reaching Emelia, he noticed she wasn't moving.

"Emelia."

He touched her shoulder, but it was hot, burnt to a crisp.

Moving to the other side, he could see Emelia sheltering Eric and Lisa.

Eric was holding his shield, trying to protect his little sister.

Riah howled.

Both burnt beyond recognition. Their little chests unmoving.

His wife. His son. His little girl. Dead. All dead. Gone.

Riah collapsed, a broken man.

=

The group was still fighting, a few strong opponents appearing here and there. Yule managed to take out most of them. They were stupid enough to approach one at a time.

He was unable to reach the commander in the back.

"Mages! Continue firing!"

Cries came from the backlines as two mages fell in quick succession.

"Aaaah!"

"How'd it get back here!"

Many were panicking, but there were still leaders shouting orders.

Polm cut down three more casters before making a hasty retreat for the group.

Iris skewered three humans on her longsword.

A faint blur...

"POLM!"

Polm turned. Not fast enough.

Polm's head fell from his shoulders.

A woman appeared in his place with a sword wreathed in flames.

"NOO!"

Iris shrilled.

"POLM!"

"YOU BASTARDS!"

Polm's body fell back, lifelessly, crushing an unlucky man underneath him.

Leya stomped towards the woman who killed Polm, taking several unnecessary wounds.

"Leya, wait!"

Yule tried to call out, but she had already separated from the group.

"Iris, we need to bring her back."

"I know."

Leya had made her way over to the assassin.

The woman in question swung her flaming sword at Leya.

Instead of dodging it, Leya took the swing on her arm. It stopped a few inches in, charring the surrounding flesh.

The woman looked astonished, trying to pull the sword out.

Leya gripped the bitch's head in her other hand and squeezed.

It popped.

Yule and Iris were making their way towards her but were blocked by several tough foes.

A few dozen moved towards Leya as well.

Mages started casting again. Sending Fire to the sky.

"No..."

They watched helplessly as more meteors rained down on the fort.

Leya was fighting several humans as strong as the woman had been while Yule fought with an enemy commander. Iris trusted them. They were Blacks. But, the people inside the fort were mostly noncombatants. That was why she decapitated grunts and reaped the filth in front of her, attempting to reach those mages. She needed to stop that fire!

Then, Iris too was blocked. A young handsome man with white hair approached her. He had a calm attitude as if nothing around him mattered. There was a sword in his hand.

"MOVE!"

"I refuse."

Iris charged toward him, desperate to get past and stop the casters.

She swung her longsword down. Blocked with little effort.

The man countered.

Iris moved her shield into place.

The sword sliced through the shield, tearing it like paper.

It continued, cutting her across the chest.

Iris reeled, coughing up blood.

"IRIS!"

She could hear Yule call her name.

Iris turned to see Yule distracted, taking several swords to the back.

The enemy commander didn't miss the moment and pierced Yule's heart.

Iris felt despair take over as Yule fell.

Her wound throbbed. Iris tried to focus on the man in front of her through teary eyes.

The shield on her arm was practically useless, and the grip on her sword was weak. Slippery. Bloody.

Panting hard, she countered the man's attacks, her sword holding for now.

Iris saw Leya in her peripheral, bleeding from several wounds and three swords needled in her.

Dozens of bodies piled up around her. A god of death.

A few of the mages turned to her, casting.

Leya!

Iris couldn't breathe, the words not forming.

She watched helplessly as fire rained onto Leya.

Screaming in pain and indignity, ablaze, Leya turned to the mages, nostrils flaring.

A blaring beacon of fire and death barreling through the humans. They either got trampled underfoot or parted willingly as Leya stormed the mages, slaughtering them all mercilessly before reaching the enemy commander. Leya took a spear through the gut but beamed, grabbing hold. She impaled herself further, hugging the commander in an embrace of death before finally falling silent, still alight...

The stench of burnt flesh filled her nostrils. Iris had several wounds, small and large. The one across her chest was particularly gruesome. The enemy still had almost half their numbers. Their mages lay dead, along with most of their officers and commander. Yet there were still so many.

The man in front of her looked calm as ever. As if the death around him didn't matter in the slightest. Indifferent to it all.

Iris roared, swinging her sword.

The man parried and cut her arm. Dropping her sword. She took another wound across the chest.

Falling to her knees, she was helpless as the final strike came toward her head.

Then the man disappeared, thrown aside like a ragdoll.

Riah appeared in his place.

"Little Iree..."

Riah looked down at her worriedly. Apparently, she didn't look too good right now.

"They are dead. All dead. Emelia. Eric. Lisa..."

Riah's eyes were swollen even as he fought off more humans, keeping Iris safe.

"You need to go. Run!"

He brought Iris to her feet. Locking eyes for a brief moment.

"Live!"

Iris trembled.

"You are Iris Black."

Riah turned, swatting a soldier that got too close.

"RUN!"

Iris ran.

The mages were dead. The backlines in disorder. She could hear Riah bellow.

"DON'T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON ME!"

Iris fled. No one giving chase.

=

Iris was always proud of her legs. She was the fastest of her people. When they went out hunting, she would leave the others in the dust. The others were built large and stocky while she was lean. Now, however... she wished she were strong like the others. Strong like Leya. Talented like Yule. Hardheaded like Riah. Or big like Polm. If she were stronger. None of this...

Iris ran until her legs dropped underneath her.

Vomiting blood. Collapsing in the puddle.

Slowly, she managed to roll over onto her back.

Pain. Inside. Outside.

Black clouds billowed into the sky. Swirling.

The sky dyed red.

The stench of death drifting.

Iris cried.

And cried.

And Cried.

Until the next sun rose.