"We've got to get back." Evileye said under her breath, before putting her mask back on.

"Now." Tia and Tina said together.

"Move." Lakyus said, and the party took off swiftly as the wind and silently as a slow moving river, they dashed through the woods without stopping, the training and power of adamantite level adventurers making that much to be just child's play even in armor and carrying weapons, they didn't so much as tire themselves out, nor did they break unity, the long experience of working together telling the without even looking, how quickly each should move to maintain cohesion. Hours later they reached the city, they didn't slow down when they saw the walls, they didn't slow down when they reached the gate, they didn't slow down when they were through the gate, they rushed at breakneck speed through the streets, until the crowds were to thick, then leapt to the roofs of the homes and businesses beside them, and used the rooftops as a road of their own, and went all the way to the inner gate, this time not bothering with the gate itself, but leaping to the top of that wall from the last rooftop and then going from the wall to the ground inside the inner keep. They dashed through the door without so much as a by your leave and raced to the inner chamber, into the center of government, into the throne room of the former Marquis. The chair was now empty, and in front of the throne room was a table where several people were seated, an improvised conference. At the head of the table sat the Viscount Yamoc, and the sound of entry had snapped his head up in outrage, which snuffed out like a candle covered by a glass when he saw that it was Blue Rose, and they had alarmed expressions on their faces.

Lakyus stepped forward.

"My lord, there is an army out there." She said directly.

The table turned pale.

"What...?" He said, disbelieving his own ears.

"There is an army out there. Tia and Tina scouted it themselves, at least three thousand strong, possibly more, and growing. They're responsible for the disappearances, without any doubt. At a guess they're going out and searching for traps and hunting positions, waiting until the owners return, then snatching them up, we did find one body, but it appears many are simply captives. They're destabilizing your city to weaken it, and then when it's weak enough, they intend to attack." Lakyus said.

"Can you defeat them?" He asked.

The members of Blue Rose looked at one another, calculating how many they could handle on their own.

"It's hard to say just how many we could each defeat without knowing their individual strength, but we can't fight an entire army by ourselves, they have priests, paladins, squires, magic casters, this is a well equipped force, not some band of bandits." Tia said.

"We can hold 'a' position, we can raid, weaken, slow them down, but we can't fight them all." Tina added.

"How many soldiers do you have for the entire city?" Gagaran asked.

Yamoc looked to the table's attendants. Gneaus spoke up, "We have roughly five hundred men currently under arms, roughly half our normal full time strength, there are...nominally, one thousand five hundred part time reserves, however due the damaged state of equipment and the shortage of funds to pay them for their training, most have not drilled in almost half a year, and we have only enough weapons in reserve to arm half of those anyway. So our best fielded force would contain one thousand two hundred and fifty soldiers, not counting the support of a handful of priests to keep them healed, and our mages guild out for the city having only ten full time occupants. There are only about twenty adventurers in this city at any given time, none above iron ranked, and of those, ten disappeared when hired to investigate the forest disappearances...which I suppose we now know the root of. The remaining ten, being part of the guild, cannot be counted on to fight and will probably choose to leave the city to remain neutral." He said, reciting the facts in a cool and even manner even as his fingers shook as they tapped the table nervously.

"What about Black Justice?" Evileye asked. "Would they fight? Combat training is part of their religion. They should be somewhat proficient by now at least."

Ulthis Ndarion turned his chair so that they could see his face as he spoke, and Evileye mentally sighed with relief to see him present, representing a significant change to the outcast status of the city's minority religion. "That is harder to answer. In the abortive riot the priests of the old gods incited, a dozen Black Justice members were killed for their faith. My followers see them as martyrs, the feelings they have are hard ones when it comes to the rest of the population. Also, many are more recent converts, if everyone who was as skilled as a militia man fought, that would add three thousand to the city's forces. If all those who were rated at professional grade fought, that would add only about five hundred. The rest, though armed, are not yet well trained, you could potentially add about six thousand, if we exclude children, pregnant women, and the old."

"That is considerable." The Viscount said.

"On paper only." Ulthis said. "A mass of men without proper training and leadership is no more an army than a heap of building materials is a house. If that army out there is well trained, well equipped, and well lead, you're still out numbered even with all of us together, and that is assuming all of them are willing." His voice took on a dark tone. "The deaths made them angry, I've had many come to temple and ask what is to be done about it, they're bitter, angry, they didn't like being blamed for what they didn't do. I could see many of them preferring to just abandon the city to its fate than defend the people who turned on them. Realistically speaking, only half would be willing even if I set the example by doing so myself."

"Are you?" Evileye asked.

"Am I what?" He asked.

"Going to set the example by defending the city?" Evileye explained.

The table's eyes turned to Ulthis intently.

He bowed his head, "I will. I don't like what happened, but this is still my city, I fled my last home because there was no chance to win, but I will not flee again. This is where I stand."

Yamoc breathed a sigh of relief that was shared by Gneaus and the others seated at the table.

"You can't order them to fight?" Lakyus asked?

"No." Ulthis said. "It is a tenet of our faith not only to pursue strength, but to choose how to apply it for ourselves, we pride our dedication to personal conscience and will. We submit that only to the impossible strength, the Sorcerer King is the only one we can never surpass, therefore only he can command us as a general does his armies, even I who command the temple, cannot compel, only advise, rebuke, and request."

"Damn. That is inconvenient." Gagaran said.

Ulthis managed a laugh. "You have no idea. But the Sorcerer King says that blind obedience and subservience to priests is a weakness of the mind, and such mental weakness makes members ripe for abuse of trust. Therefore he has wisely limited the authority and position of the priesthood."

"Still, they'll mostly listen to you?" Lakyus asked.

"I think they will." Ulthis replied.

"That is something. Do you think they'll attack soon?" The Viscount asked.

"They don't know we've spotted them, so probably not, they'll continue to gather strength and let the city weaken, but what really worries me is betrayal." Lakyus said.

The faces at the table went dark.

"I think they have insiders here, monitoring what is going on." Lakyus said.

"Why do you think that?" Yamoc asked.

"Its common sense, its easier to take a city when people inside it are on your side rather than the side of the city itself." Lakyus said.

"What do you propose we do?" He asked.

"Diversion. Tell me, have you buried your daughter yet?" Lakyus asked.

Yamoc's face turned to one of pain. "No, not yet."

"And are you going to be in charge of the city in place of the Marquis?" Lakyus asked.

"I haven't been officially confirmed, but the officials left behind by the Marquis have endorsed me as such on a provisional basis." He replied, and the table nodded roundly.

A plump well dressed man spoke up, "Absent any other important contenders, we've chosen to settle important issues as a council first, then when his daughter is properly buried and mourned, we had planned on official confirmation and a requesting a letter of appointment by the crown at the end of one month."

"I understand." Lakyus said, "Then I suggest this. We cannot let it out that we know the army is out there, but we need to have people under arms and preparing to fight, and we need to ensure that the avenues of approach are not protected. Declare thirty days of burning, the smoke to carry your daughter's soul to heaven, and command those able, to go to the edge of the forest and cut it back to bring wood for pyres, with a reward for the highest and longest burning for that time. This will disguise that you're preparing for a siege. Also declare thirty days of games in celebration of her life, and focus upon combat, you can provide wooden weapons easily enough to provide some impromptu training, and create matches all throughout the city, for all those able bodied enough to run, shoot, or fight."

"Clever." Yamoc said.

"You can burn the Marquis in effigy every day as well to condemn his actions, declare it a yearly rite, the burning of the Marquis, a ritual disposal of unworthy leaders, and set many of them in front of the city walls on the forest side, the smoke will also help hide anything else in case anyone comes to scout the unusual activity from outside." Lakyus said as she improvised a plan.

"That won't change what we can actually provide when it comes to armaments for fighting though." He said.

"No, but there is one who can do that." Evileye added.

"Gustav Montagne. He's out hunting renegade paladins himself, if we get word to him that there is a large renegade force in that forest, he'll turn his army this way without a second thought." Lakyus said.

"That's right!" Gagaran said with a snap of her fingers. "He has over one thousand men at arms under his banner, which means he also has to have enough weapons to replace damaged ones and people with him to provide maintenance and repairs. He can fix your damaged equipment and provide enough to arm all the rest."

Yamoc began to run the numbers through his head, "So...if we dug to the very bottom of the barrel for skill and Gustav comes and extends his resources to our defense, his one thousand...plus the fifteen hundred reserves...plus the remaining five hundred full timers...plus five hundred Black Justice professionals and about three thousand militia grade...we have about six thousand five hundred able bodied fighters, excluding the handful of magic casters and adventurers who may or may not participate." He said as he ticked off one resource after another on his fingers, his voice took on a hopeful note.

"That isn't bad, especially fighting on the defensive. It doesn't take a lot of training to pour boiling water on someone, or to push a ladder away from a wall, so we can probably conscript about a thousand citizens as well for security." Yamoc said. "I just wish we knew the relative skill of what we were facing." He said.

"I would assume it to be high, they have maintained field discipline, they're not lighting fires, their camp is organized, they're effectively keeping your citizens out and nobody has escaped their net until us." Lakyus said. "If I were to hazard a professional estimate, I would say that on average, each one of them is probably worth three to five militia and two of the average professionals, but probably no more than equal to one to one for Gustav's forces, which they outnumber."

"So their effective numbers are roughly double their actual numbers." Yamoc said flatly.

"Shit." He said when Lakyus nodded.

"We can slow them down though." Tia said.

"Quite a bit actually." Tina added.

"How so?" Yamoc asked.

"Well, we can create traps on the open field to slow down an advance on the city, pits, sharp stakes, things that will force them to improvise slow down." Tia said.

"And we can ambush them in the forest as well if we use a handful of people." Tina added.

"An army can only move as fast as its slowest element, and it moves even slower through woods, its vulnerable, you could buy days of time if you are willing to suffer a few losses." Lakyus said.

There were some unpleasant looks around the table.

"Thank you for this information." Yamoc said, and he stood up ramrod straight, and bowed to Blue Rose. "You may have saved our city." He added.

The members of Blue Rose inclined their heads politely.

"We'll take your advice on what to do, and when the smoke is high enough to obscure your work, please do what you can to create traps along the avenue of march to the walls. Conscript the criminals from our prisons if you need them, tell them they'll take half off their sentences for each pit they dig to your specifications." Yamoc said.

"We'll do it." Tia and Tina said at once.

The members of Blue Rose left the chamber after that and set about their tasks, that very day various declarations were made about the burnings and the tournaments, and smoke was rising high before noon. That night, Tia and Tina went to the prisons and took prisoners out in groups of four and began overseeing the creation of deadfalls and stakes, though the prisoners were relatively few in number, working in teams they were able to quickly create and camouflage with thin sticks and a dirt cover. The prisoners were grinning ear to ear as they worked, some taking years off their sentence in a matter of a few hours.

Well before dawn, the field beyond the city was littered with deadly traps running the length of the wall. Lakyus had immediately borrowed a scroll from Ulthis and had word passed to the capitol, which in turn passed the message to Gustav, who in turn confirmed he was wheeling his force west to their position and he would arrive in one week at a forced march, two at a regular pace.

The next few days were heady ones, with constant action going on within the city, the rewards being offered for 'tournament performance' had driven the city into a frenzy of martial spirit leading up to what would be the climax at the end of the month, the burning of the Marquis in countless effigies had become a celebratory event, and the Viscount opened the stores of the Marquis liquor, years worth stored in large barrels, was being given away to keep people happy and content. Tia and Tina routinely scouted the positions in the deep woods, their swift ninja skills being on full display...meaning they were all but invisible to everyone save their sisters, and their swiftness served them well, they reported the continued and accelerated growth of the army's forces, and after seven days, they reported something profoundly disturbing.

"They're moving." Tia said to the council.

"Away?" Yamoc asked hopefully.

"No." Tina replied. "To you."

"They've started cutting a path in your direction, we saw them start to break camp." Tia said.

"They'll probably be ready to go by morning." Tina added.

"How long till they arrive?" He asked.

"If they slow to continue to take on reinforcements and insist on carving a path through the woods to get to you, two days." Tia said.

"Less if they don't." Tina added.

"Why now..." Yamoc asked himself.

"You've got a double agent in here." Lakyus said. "There are no two ways about it. Someone in the city figured it out and got word to them."

"We'd better dramatically increase the gate guards." He said.

"Yes, you'd better." Evileye agreed dryly.

"And while you're at it...well, they know you know they're there now. They're not waiting anymore, you'd better start hitting them in the forest and slowing them down as much as you can. Every time they have to fight, the entire army is hampered, you might be able to buy another day." Gagaran said.

Yamoc nodded. "It will be done." He said.

An hour later twenty men were gathered together and standing in front of Yamoc, they were armored with hardened leather, bows, spears, and swords, behind Yamoc stood a man with a scroll. As he moved from one man to the next, each man gave his name, and the man recorded it on the scroll along with a brief description of what he looked like. When they were done, Yamoc stood centered in front of them. "You know what you're going to do. You're going out into the great wood, you're going to raid the lines of the army approaching us, you're going to slow them down, do not engage in pitched fighting, they will kill you quickly if you do that, hide, raid, run. Slow them down, buy time, start fires, force them to expend magic and time. Do whatever you can to keep them back for as long as you can." Yamoc said.

He lowered his head to them and said, "What you do may mean your deaths, but it may also bring life to your city, we will ensure you have not sacrificed yourselves in vain, and you will be recorded as heroes for as long as this city has one brick sitting atop another, we will not forget your lives, and we will not forget the lives of those you leave behind. Your children and wives are recorded on the rolls, when the battle is over, they will be provided for out of the city's funds down to the third generation."

"Go, and carry our hope for survival with you." Yamoc said, and he bowed to the silent men, holding his bow until the last one passed out of the great hall.

When they were gone, Blue Rose left their position and approached him.

"How effective do you think they will be?" He asked Lakyus.

"Hard to say. All they have to do is slow the enemy down. If they alternate between targeting those clearing the path and targeting supplies, and break up into small enough groups, well I'd be pleased with one day, but any more than two is pushing luck a bit too far. If the commander of the enemy has any brains at all, they'll put out scouts after the first few path clearers fall, and they'll increase supply guards and send out scouts to counter the attacks, that will keep the slowing down from being successful for much longer...but we might get lucky." Lakyus said as she considered the matter critically.

When the men were gone into the woods, that was when Yamoc made the announcement to the public, he spoke from the walls and sent written orders to the criers.

"The source of the disappearances has been found!" He said as he stood before a gathered crowd. That had their attention.

"The source of it all has been an army, thousands strong hiding in the wood and ruining our lives to weaken our city before taking it, now they are done hiding, and they are marching here!" This set people to shouting and the voices began to rise, "What will we do?!" Someone shouted.

"We fight! This is OUR city, we will NOT give it up to renegades! Help is on the way! Gustav Montagne, hero of the war with Jaldabaoth, marches to our aid with one thousand of his best men, they come with weapons enough to rearm our forces, and for these last few days you have been preparing for combat, you need only HOLD THE WALL!" He said.

"Every man and woman who fought in tournaments these last few days, go to the central square for your block to be registered and assigned, given a position, equipment, and a weapon! Those who did not, through age or infirmity who cannot work, return to your homes, those who can still work, report to the armory to begin fletching arrows and preparing equipment for battle. This is not a fight for glory, this is not a fight for wealth, this is a fight to determine if you live or die, and whatever you do, you will do as ONE!" He shouted.

Quietly he blessed the recent death of the Marquis, with him dead and replaced, and Yamoc's own loss at the hands of the fallen ruler, the people were at his back, he had a degree of trust simply by virtue of not being Ysude. Nurtured carefully, he could make use of that to stiffen resolve.

Ulthis Ndarion for his part, had returned to the temple where countless Black Justice members filtered back and forth at his request for round the clock services.

"Our god does not care for prayers, but for deeds, he counts your character not by your words, but by your deeds, he counts your virtue by your choices, and your strength by its display. This is our city, how can we not fight for it?" He asked.

"This city killed us! It persecuted us! Why shouldn't we simply leave it?!" A man snapped out. "My wife is dead because of those riots, they dragged her body through the street like a dead dog! Let it burn!"

Ulthis lowered his head sympathetically, "I will not deny your right to feel as you do, and one bad turn may deserve another, but you do not have to fight for this city, instead choose to fight for one another. That army out there can have only one purpose, to punish us. Who else but Black Justice foes would do as they are doing, will you run away from our enemies, will you leave your congregation of brothers and sisters here to die on their swords?!" Ulthis snapped out.

"I cannot compel you to do as I would have you do, but when our nation was going to burn in demonic fire, what did the Sorcerer King do? He came to us and broke the fire, he had no reason to fight for us, how can we, who have reason to fight for one another if not for this city, do less than him? How can we be worthy of him, if we do not even try to emulate him where it matters most?!" Ulthis asked passionately.

From one service to the next this process was repeated as he sought volunteers from Black Justice members to support the military rank and file. He was, in a word, persuasive, and within a day most of the men and women had chosen to take up arms and follow him.

Blue Rose stood on the highest roof point of the city they could and watched the scurrying around below. "It's impressive, isn't it?" Lakyus asked.

"What is that?" Asked Evileye.

"The way people can work together when something matters to enough of them." Lakyus clarified.

"I think so." Gagaran said. "If only it didn't take the threat of extermination to make it happen."

"Agreed." The twins said.

"It's why I want to go see the Sorcerer Kingdom after this is over. Commonton and Foundoton are growing closer, they're creating something new even across borders, as well as within their own walls. I want to, no, need, to see what is happening where it has been going on the longest." Evileye said.

"I'm more curious about Nazarick, Neia spoke of it like a paradise, the impossible things she learned, what she's become from who she was, its like a lifetime of change in a few months. What could do that?" Lakyus asked, mystified, and shook her head.

"The first group has gone out to start their raids now, by the way. So Tia, Tina, do you want to lend a hand? Probe them a little bit, return with information on their skills and methods." Lakyus said.

"On it boss." The two ninjas said and became a blur as they went out.

"Gagaran, you should take a position on the wall. Just you being there should give them a positive state of mind." Lakyus said.

"On it! I'll see you after!" Gagaran said with her customary enthusiasm and she hopped down and began to stroll over to the wall without any apparent rush.

"What about me?" Evileye asked.

"You're with me." Lakyus said.

Evileye looked at her in confusion, and then Lakyus turned to her, glad that nobody could see them where they stood. She reached out with both hands to the face of her sister, and Evileye flinched a little. Lakyus paused, then slowly moved her hands closer again, and took the mask, and removed it, baring Evileye's face to her again. Blood red eyes met deep blue and Lakyus forced herself to meet the most dangerous gaze, that which could hold a mortal fast, steal their mind, and make them glad to feed the monster's hunger, was instead of fear, given deepest willing trust.

"I want you with me sister, because now that I know...what you are...please...don't take this wrong." She paused, fumbling for words, "Its different. I know you're actually the same Evileye I've always known, but when I see those eyes, those fangs, I still feel the old feelings about vampires, have the old sense of hate rise up, and I don't want to feel those things anymore." Her eyes brimmed with tears, "You're my sister, no matter what else you are, and I have to purge those things away, they're like bile in my gut and all I want to do is vomit them out onto the ground and grind them into the dust and forget I ever had them. That way I can look at you and only ever see my sister." Evileye listened intently, but didn't say a word.

"I feel like...if we fight again together the way we had before, and we do so now that I know, you know...what you are," Lakyus's body trembled as if cold, when all it really was, was fear, fear of hurting her sister, fear of driving her away, fear of being who she was again, "then it will help me start over, it will help me see you the way I should, the way a sister is supposed to, the way you see me. Fighting together will, I think, help me make this right, and make me alright the way I should be..." She looked down at the mask.

Evileye smiled, her fangs poking out, and she reached out and lifted Lakyus's chin, bringing their eyes together again. Lakyus was shaking violently with her discomfort as she struggled to express what she wanted to say. "Lakyus...sister, its alright, we'll fight together again, and I'm as honored as always to do so. The only place I'll ever go is to your side, I never want to stray from it, in life...unlife...or life and death struggles. This rose blooms with all its petals, and not one will ever fall away. Be at ease, I know you're trying, and that makes my still heart beat enough." Eviley whispered to her, and slowly took back her mask and put it on. "However, under the circumstances, I should probably keep this on, you know, for them." She said as she gestured to the busy city.

Lakyus cracked a fragile smile. "Lets get some rest for now, we can sleep up here, together. Gagaran will nap at the wall, and the twins won't be back for hours or more."

They unrolled their bed rolls atop the tower, and Evileye quickly fell into a deep slumber. Lakyus lay troubled for a time as she looked at the sleeping vampire, wondering if Evileye had ever hungered for her blood, and hating herself in that moment for the thought crossing her mind, and cursed herself silently, hoping that a river of blood from those marching on the city, would cleanse her of the remnants of a version of herself that she now saw as worse than just wrong, it was bad.

The dawn broke and still no army had appeared, but the city's activity had not slackened. Great rolls of arrows lay in intervals along the walls, water was being put into large iron pots at the gate and fires were being lit beneath them. None of the twenty who had gone out had come back. A few hours later as Lakyus and Evileye were watching from the top of a tower, they found it in themselves to hope that the enemy army would be delayed another full day, and a rider was dispatched to ascertain how close Gustav was to the city.

As it turned out, they were half right. Halfway through the day, Tia and Tina returned, they parted ways briefly, Tia to report to Yamoc, while Tina came to Lakyus.

"What have you got?" Lakyus asked.

"Well they are not as many as they were, but they're still many, they did get reinforced, they're over five thousand strong." Tina said.

"Skills?" Lakyus asked.

"Good." Tina said. "Not adamantite good. But good enough to take this place." She added.

"And the twenty?" Lakyus asked.

"They're dead. Very dead. But they did their part very bravely." Tina said.

"Prisoners?" Lakyus asked.

"They were left behind under a light guard, Tia and I eliminated the guard and freed them, they're now taking the long way around, and will wait to link up with Gustav Montagne when he arrives." Tina said.

"Well the city is too large to completely surround, so that is something, they'll either have to fight him before he gets here, or they'll have to let him through." Lakyus said.

"Which do you think they'll do?" Evileye asked.

"If it were me, I would send two thousand of my people to fight him off, while the rest bottlenecked the city at the gate to prevent reinforcements." Lakyus said.

That was when they heard the boom. A boom like thunder, but the day was cloudless, it took a moment to realize what it was, it was a drum. On the edge of the forest, they could hear movement and clanking armor, and an army stepped out of the woods like ghosts from the mists of the moors.

"Well...this day is going to be a long one." Lakyus said somewhat sardonically.

"For the lucky ones." Evileye said from behind her mask.

"Then lets get lucky, sisters." Lakyus said with a broad smile at her rare but dark salacious humor, which prompted a laugh of surprise from Tina and Evileye as they jumped down from the tower to get to work.