“Those big city walls are sounding more and more attractive,” Dasi said. “We’re about halfway between Puabi and the Gateway complex. The question is how many Abhorrent are between us and each location.”

Jad muttered and cursed, but didn’t say anything.

They continued to survey the lands below them for a time.

“We only have so much food,” Katayoun said.

“And melam,” Kashtiliash said.

Xerxes felt sick to his stomach. “Based on what we could see in the sky, I feel like most of the meteors were falling to the west.”

“Agreed,” Dasi said.

“Going back to check the other side of the mountain would lose us half a day,” he continued.

“Waste of time,” Jad growled.

Xerxes squinted his eyes in the hopes of getting some more details about one of the locations where a big meteor had landed. Jad was right. The laborious climb back to a point where they could see the situation on the other side of the mountain range would lose them at least half a day of travel. More than that if the view of the other side of the mountain forced them to commit to the path to the Gateway.

Something big appeared in the sky. Another ball of fire that spun lazily as tumbled downward.

“Would you look at that,” Kashtiliash said.

It fell lazily over their heads, and it might have been beautiful if Xerxes didn’t know what it contained. Something big.

It hit the ground what must have been five or ten leagues from the foothills below them.

Xerxes thought he sensed a tremor in the ground beneath him but couldn’t be sure. A cloud rose up from the impact point.

Wind cleared the dust and smoke within minutes.

Which was when he saw the thing. It had four massive arms stretching from a central body. It started crawling, its hands brushing aside trees like they were weeds.

“Holy Pontifarch,” Dasi said.

“It’s like the one we fought before,” Katayoun whispered. “But bigger.”

It was still too far to make out every detail, but it was definitely an Abhorrent.

“Fucking shit,” Jad said. “Is that a mature version?”

Kashtiliash shook his head. “Doubt it.”

Thinking back to Mystic Rabya’s lessons, Xerxes said, “It’s not mature. But if a smaller version of that nearly wiped out our entire company, are we four going to be able to do anything to it?”

“We know how to beat them,” Jad said. “We did it before, we can do it again.”

“I vote we go back,” Kashtiliash said.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jad snarled. “After all this, you’re the traitor, Kash? Fuck you, you damned—”

“Shut it!” Xerxes yelled. His outburst silenced the tall mage. Xerxes looked at Dasi. “What do you think?”

She stared down at the location where the massive Abhorrent had landed. “It’s coming in our direction.”

Xerxes looked back down the mountain. It was true. The massive Abhorrent was on the move, and it was heading roughly in their direction. “Not exactly toward us, though,” he said.

Dasi shook her head. “I don’t like it. The bigger versions can sense us from farther away. Maybe that one down there isn’t coming for us specifically, but how long until it notices us? Once it does, it’ll definitely make a beeline for us.”

“I can’t fucking believe this,” Jad said. “We’re almost there. You can see the shadow of the mountains on the horizon. The capital is just beyond that!”

“I thought we were supposed to be calling for backup,” Katayoun said.

Jad flinched. He took a step closer to Xerxes. “Look, Xerk-man, there’s something I didn’t explain before. My… my family’s in the capital. I have a sister. You do too, right? Would you let your sister end up stuck in an alley during an Abhorrent invasion? The way from the Gateway to the capital is clear. I can make it there and back really fast.”

Xerxes thought about his sister Ahassy. And his parents. “Jad, we’ll take care of your family one way or another.”

Jad stomped his foot. “You’re the one in charge, Xerxes. So make the decision. If you want to be an asshole like Randy Gandy, that fucker, then go ahead and lead us back to that death trap of Puabi. You think some stupid castle walls are going to help against something like that?” He gestured down at the huge Abhorrent. “Newsflash: it’s not. Our only hope is to keep going. So be a man and make the right decision.”

Xerxes’ chest burned and his nose flared. He forced himself to remain calm.

Kashtiliash and Dasi both wanted to head back. And the truth was… so did he. Reaching out to Katayoun, he said, What do you want to do, Kat?

She hesitated. I want us to be safe. And… going back to Black Jackal Company is probably the best way.

I think I agree.

What a waste. Days of travel. And now we’re separated from everyone else. Running out of food. Stuck in the open.

But if they didn’t go back, then they would have to sneak past what could very well be tens of thousands, possibly even hundreds of thousands of Abhorrent.

“We go back,” he said.

“Fuck off,” Jad snapped.

“Jad, you’re not thinking clearly. The chances of us just sneaking past all those Abhorrent is minimal at best. Our company was decimated fighting an Abhorrent smaller than that one. With only the five of us fighting something like that… we’d be lucky to make it out alive.”

Jad spat on the ground. “I don’t believe it. There’s no way you assholes are going to run back to Randy Gandy with your tails between your legs.”

Xerxes looked at Kashtiliash. The bearded mage looked back at him, then turned and started walking back up the slope.

Xerxes reached out and took Katayoun’s hand. Together, they walked after Kashtiliash.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dasi doing the same.

None of them looked back.

They made their way back up the way they’d come. Even though it was uphill, the fact that they’d made the journey before made it slightly easier. As they neared the crest of the mountain, Xerxes looked over his shoulder and saw Jad a dozen cubits behind. Climbing with them.

Asshole, he thought. But at least Jad had come with them. Now all they had to do was get to Puabi safely, and maybe they could hole up and come up with another plan.