Aedon looked at Ulf’s limp body. His stomach turned at the sight.

“I was starting to like that man,” he whispered.

As much as he hated seeing what was before him, the image next to him kept his head resolutely forward.

Alexis had done—something. She glowed for a moment, then collapsed to the wagon floor, her body thin and wispy. Her eyes looked hollow, and her skin was pale and colorless. Whatever she and Ulf had planned seemed to have failed. Now they might both die.

Alec stepped over Ulf’s body. “Is this the best you can do, Aedon? Coward!”

Aedon ignored him. “Why doesn’t that happen to you when you do magic?”

“I do not know. It may be because of how she handles magic.” Reka said. “Mages are like the cup from the flour demonstration. They are rigid and hold a definite amount of energy. She seems to be more like a water bladder. And like a water bladder, when emptied, she deflates.”

“Aedon!” Alec shouted. “I’m going to give one more chance to save this town! Come out here and face me!”

“If I die,” Aedon said, “take care of Mika, please.”

Reka pointed at the field. “Hold that thought.”

Aedon followed Reka’s finger with his eyes. Ulf was stirring. His movements were slight, but he was moving.

“What’s he doing?” Aedon asked.

“It looks like he is reaching for his foot,” Reka said.

Aedon shook his head. “But, he wasn’t hurt there.”

In a blur, Ulf stood and grabbed Alec around the waist and punched him the side of his throat.

Alec’s response to the attack didn’t make sense. His body jerked, and he dropped his sword.

For a fraction of a moment, it looked like Ulf was saying something to him. Ulf’s hand thrust forward, and Alec’s head flopped back. Blood spewed forth in a geyser. Ulf held the body for a heartbeat, and then let it drop.

Aedon saw the dagger for the first time as Ulf dropped it onto Alec’s chest. He wanted to vomit. Then he heard the screams.

Behind Ulf, the Zombi let out a simultaneous howl of rage. They charged. Ulf glanced over his shoulder at the rush of soldiers. He only hesitated a moment before running for the wagons.

The soldiers atop the wall yelled loudly, cheering him on, but Aedon could see he wasn’t going to make it.

“Archers!” He shouted.

“Don’t bother,” Reka said.

He was staring at the approaching Zombi with a look of near reverence.

“We need to help him!” Aedon shouted.

“Don’t bother,” Reka said again.

“If you’re going to do something, then do it!” Aedon shouted.

“This is not a parlor trick I am attempting,” Reka said. His eyes never left the enemy.

Aedon waited, but nothing happened. “Archers, nock!” He commanded.

“You are going to waste your arrows,” Reka said.

“Volley fire! Take aim! Loose on my command!” Aedon ordered.

He heard the pleasing sound of arrows slapping against bows. Reka was not going to get them killed.

Ulf had managed half the distance to the wall. The Zombi trailed by less than a hundred yards. A few more seconds and he would order a tightly grouped volley into the heart of the charge.

WHOOSH…BOOM!

The explosion caught Aedon off guard and rocked him to the side. He hit the wagon wall hard. He felt pain in his ribs as he grabbed the wagon and hauled himself upright.

Smoke and flame covered the field. He could see Ulf getting to his feet, but he could see no sign of the Zombi.

“That should just about take care of that,” Reka said.

Aedon could see he was holding himself upright as well; his red stone clutched tightly in his right hand.

“You weren’t boasting,” Aedon said, “we wouldn’t have even scratched you.”

Reka smiled. “Not unless you managed to survive that. It takes a lot out of me.”

“You wanna give me a hand?” Ulf said.

“Sorry,” Aedon said. “I kind of lost track of you after…that.”

The troops took longer to recover. There was a smattering of applause followed by a deafening roar.

Aedon finished pulling Ulf into the wagon, and he went straight to Alexis’ side.

He held her gently and stroked her hair. “I told you we might be heroes.”

“You just can’t resist saying I told you so,” Alexis said.

Aedon cringed at her voice. It was soft, but not from tenderness; there was finality in her tone. She closed her eyes and let out a long slow breath.

Ulf held on to her. “You can take a little back.”

She reached a trembling hand out to him and brushed his cheek with her thumb. “It doesn’t work like that.” She coughed. “Like you said if it’s them or you, choose you. I choose you.”

“And I choose you,” Ulf said.

Aedon wanted to look away. The tears in his eyes embarrassed him. Alexis’s breaths were more ragged and shallow. It wouldn’t be long now.

He put a hand on Ulf’s shoulder. “You ok?”

“Yeah,” Ulf said. He didn’t let go of Alexis, though.

Aedon removed his hand. “I’m so sorry, Ulf.”

“Don’t be,” Ulf said. “She knew what she was doing.”

“I don’t believe it,” Reka said. His voice was worried.

Aedon looked up quickly. “What is it?”

The cheers from his men died down, and that worried Aedon more than Reka’s tone. He looked out at the field.

The wind wafted the heavy smoke away, and he could see Zombi getting to their feet. Many were charred ruins. Others had skin falling off their bodies in globs. None of them were more than barely recognizable as human. Some of them still carried their swords, still red hot from the explosion. Some of them remained on the ground, but it wasn’t many. They shambled slowly to the wall.

“How is that possible?” Aedon asked.

Reka shook his head. “It shouldn’t be.”

“What’s going on?” Ulf asked.

“The Zombi are getting up,” Reka said.

“They are!” Ulf yelled. “That’s great!”

The statement took Aedon by surprise. “Are you sure you know what that means?”

“Of course I do!” Ulf spat.

With a gentleness Aedon would not have credited him with, he picked Alexis up. “Look,” he said. “Take as much as you need from them bastards.”

With apparent difficulty, Alexis peered over the wall. Her eyes widened, and she smiled. “Always choose you,” she moaned.

“Damn right!” Ulf said.

A glow formed around Alexis, and the lead Zombi stumbled. After a few steps, his stride evened out.

“It’s too much!” Alexis screamed.

The glow around her increased until it hurt the eyes.

“I can’t break the connection,” She moaned.

Aedon looked between her and the approaching Zombi. They were moving faster now. He didn’t know what to do.

“Forgive me, love,” Ulf said. Then he pushed her off the wagon.

Alexis yelped as she hit the ground. “I’m ok.” She said. “That was a good idea. Maybe next time you can just set me down, though.”

“Oh yeah,” Ulf said. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

Sean came running down the line. “What the hell is going on?”

“Taian must be linked to them directly,” Reka said. “He’s feeding them power from Daonnachta.”

“In English, please,” Sean said. “The men are worried.”

“It means,” Reka said, “that these things just got harder to kill. Now would be the time for your arrows.”

“Right,” Aedon said. He surveyed the Zombi. They were too scattered for an effective volley. “Archers! Pick your targets and fire when ready!”

Too few arrows flew from his men. Most of the ones that did fly missed badly.

“Steady men!” Aedon shouted. “Take your time and select your targets. Only shoot when you’re ready.”

“These aren’t soldiers, Aedon,” Sean said.

Aedon waved off the comment. “They are today. Reka, can you make that explosion again.”

“If I had a day to rest, I could.”

“You have a few minutes,” Aedon said, “do what you can.”

Aedon looked back at the Zombi. They were closing fast. Arrows flew at regular intervals now, and a two of the Zombi fell without getting back up.

“Reka,” Alexis said. “It’s time to let go of your pride and take my help.”

“It was never about pride, woman!” Reka shouted.

“Whatever it is,” Alexis said, “get over it and take my help!”

“Pikes! Aedon shouted.

The archers dropped their bows and pulled long poles with heavy blades at the tip into position. They weren’t really pikes, but they would have to do. The Zombi were nearly at the wall.

“I will not!” Reka shouted. “I have my own resources.”

He pulled a stone from his pouch and crushed it. It must have helped because his red stone glowed a short time later, and a Zombi burst into flames. The flame lingered a long time, and when it vanished, the Zombi was ash.

The men cheered again, and as the Zombi crashed against the wall, they struck back.

It was the oddest battle Aedon had ever seen. Several of the Zombi managed to wrestle pikes from his men, and they wielded them viciously. If not for Alexis, it would have been over in minutes. When one of his men would fall, she would glow bright, and he would get back up and rejoin the fight.

Occasionally a Zombi would fall, only to get up moments later as well. The only Zombi that stayed down were the ones Reka turned to ash. There were too few of those, however.

It was a stalemate, and Aedon couldn’t be happier. It seemed Taian’s weapon was going to be used against him. As long as Alexis could draw on the Zombi for power, his men could fight indefinitely. Maybe long enough for reinforcements from Cathair to arrive.

“Alexis,” he said, “how long can you keep this up?”

“I don’t know.” She replied. “I’ve never felt this before. No matter how much I draw from these things, I never seem to drain them.”

“Reka,” Aedon said, “How about you?”

“I’ve still got some fight in me,” Reka said.

Aedon had a hard time believing that. Even now, his attacks were coming slower, and he slumped heavily against the wagon.

“Don’t do any more for now,” Aedon said. “Save your energy and attack when and where I say.”

There was a brief pause, and Aedon heaved a sigh of relief when Reka nodded.

Aedon felt rather useless. He knew it was not the leader’s job to join the fight unless needed. There just wasn’t anything left for him to do. He shouted encouragement to his men, but they hardly needed to be told to keep stabbing.

Reka sat in the wagon with his back to the wall. Alexis glowed intermittently as men fell. Ulf stalked along the wall, swinging his pike at any Zombi dumb enough to come near. Even Sean managed to land a blow from time to time between shouting commands.

None of it made the least difference. The Zombi kept coming back for more, and his men kept getting up from deadly wounds. He found the whole affair to be boring. The sense of tension was gone.

One of the Zombi backed away from the wall and howled.

“I see you, Aedon!” It said. The Zombi wasn’t shouting, but its voice overrode the noises of the battle.

“I see you standing there, a smug little smile on your face.”

“It’s Taian,” Reka said. “This is not good.”

“You can’t hold out forever! Even now, two hundred more of my Zombi march toward your town. How long can you stand against them, I wonder.”

Aedon grabbed the hilt of his sword. “What do you want?”

“You know what I want,” Taian said. “I want your stone. And I want your life! Alec was a weak fool. Do not make the mistake of thinking me one as well.”

“You can’t have either!” Aedon shouted. “I have reinforcements of my own!”

“You refer to the soldiers Jonathon was supposed to fetch for you?” Taian sneered. “I’m afraid they won’t be arriving.”

“How does he know about that?” Aedon whispered.

“I do not know,” Reka said. “If he truly has two hundred more Zombi on the way, we’re in trouble.”

Aedon raised his fist. “If you think we’re just going to roll over and lie down for you, think again. Bring it on!”