Gandash sent out scouts. Not the Unsighted, as he feared the possibility of Abhorrent lurking in the darkness. Instead, he sent the two Sinitu mages, Enusat and Dasi, both of them in animal forms that would facilitate stealthy movement.

Meanwhile, at the same time as the bandaging and healing were going on, Gandash had them break camp.

“After all the time we spent digging that stupid trench?” Jad grumbled.

“Probably saved our life,” Kashtiliash said.

“Yeah yeah. We should’ve just kept going to the Tower Plateau like I said.”

“Then they wouldn’t have caught us on the road,” Teucer said. “Even moving fast, we’d have been going an hour after sunfall to get there.”

“Not necessarily.”

The scouts took their time.

When they returned, they reported to Gandash, so Xerxes had no idea about the situation. However, only minutes later, word spread that they were leaving post haste.

They moved at top speed.

The foot soldiers moved at a fast run, with wagons and pack animals alike pushed to the limit. It was a pace that could only be maintained for a very short time.

Back on the road, Xerxes' heart pounded. Were there more Abhorrent out there? The things were stronger and faster than humans, so if they wanted to ambush the company, they could do so with ease.

About half an hour later, they reached Tower Plateau.

The pathway leading to the top was indeed narrow, which slowed down the progress. Gandash had the non-soldiers go first, panting for breath from the sustained run. Then the light infantry, who took positions on the cliffs above. Then the light cavalry, then the heavy cavalry. The heavy infantry were last in line.

No delays. No incidents.

No Abhorrent.

However, they weren’t alone on the clifftop. There were two other small camps of travelers, who were very surprised when a force of armed soldiers and mages appeared out of the darkness of night.

Like usual, the Humusi Swordmasters set up their tents near each other. The night was cold, and patchy clouds hinted at rain.

As Enusat unfolded his tent canvas, he said, “We’re safe. As long as there aren’t any flying Abhorrent.”

Xerxes looked to the cloud sky. Flying Abhorrent weren’t as common as the terrestrial variety, but they did exist. There just weren’t any of them out tonight.

**

Gandash led the morning prayer. He danced around using the Pontifarch’s name, nor did he mention the Monad. Xerxes wasn’t sure if anyone else noticed.

After the prayer and breakfast, Gandash called the First Sergeants and Lieutenants for another meeting.

“Eleven dead so far,” he said. “It’s not how I envisioned things playing out before we even reach our destination. That said, everyone fought well last night.”

“Thank you, sir,” Sergeant Stratos said. “I take it we’re continuing on our way, not digging in?”

“Yes,” he told them. “The mission orders made it clear that nothing short of devastating casualties or a full-scale Abhorrent invasion would justify returning to the Gateway. And even then, I would have to open the secret mission orders before making the final decision.”

“Last night doesn’t count?” asked Kishar.

“No. There was a meteor shower of what was likely hundreds of meteors. But that’s it. I wouldn’t be surprised if we wiped out all the ones that landed in the area.”

“Captain,” Xerxes said, “there’s something else to consider.”

“What’s that?”

“I don’t know about everybody else, but you and I both saw how the invasion started on Mannemid. One meteor here and there. Then a handful in waves. Finally, a big one. What if the same thing is going on? What if last night… was only the opening gambit of an invasion?”

Silence filled the tent.

Finally, Gandash said, “It’s not out of the realm of possibility. But for now, the mission is the most important thing. I have a very small stock of Concentrated Melam Pills, but I want to save them for emergencies. I want an assessment of everyone’s melam levels. Report to me within the hour.

“In addition to that, spread word that we’ll be leaving at first light. We still have about a week before we can get to Puabi. Every bit of time counts.”

As the First Lieutenant of heavy infantry, Xerxes had the most mages to check in with. They included Kashtiliash, Kuri, Ningal, Teucer, and Katayoun. He saved Katayoun for last.

Kashtiliash, having only cast a few spells during the fighting, was close to full. Kuri was in the same position. Teucer was one of the mages who hadn’t reached the High Seer level before the mission. As a result, his maximum capacity was much lower. Even worse, he hadn’t maxed out before leaving. After casting Singular Lethality during the fighting, he had the lowest melam levels of all the Asgagu mages.

The remaining mages assigned to heavy infantry units were Katayoun and Ningal, both of whom were Balatu.

Ningal was another who hadn’t reached High Seer. After casting five healing spells the night before, she was at around the same level as Teucer in terms of stockpiled melam.

Katayoun had taken the lead in the previous night’s healing activities, and had cast Minor Restoration ten times. In addition to the other instances of spellcasting during the journey, she was approaching the point of being half empty. It was the same with Xerxes himself.

In the back of his mind, it wasn’t lost on him that every spell cast caused delays in progress in terms of his magic. It was the same with all the mages. But what else could be done?

After conferring with Katayoun about melam levels, he looked around at the buzzing camp.

“Kat,” he said.

“Yeah?”

“What can I do? To make things okay between us?”

She looked away, and though she put her hand over her mouth, he caught the faint hint of a wistful smile. “What’s done is done,” she said. “Let’s just get through this mission alive.”

“That sounds good to me. So… we’re okay?”

She turned back to him. “Yeah. We’re fine.”

He nodded, reached out, and touched her arm. She moved her hand up to his and squeezed. After that, he hurried back to Gandash to report the condition of the Asgagu and Balatu mages, then tended to the general duties of preparing for travel.