Huan screamed, and when the little monster reached for his throat, he stumbled backwards from the window, his voice sputtering into hoarse gasps. Still screeching, the monster climbed in through the window, her makeup flaking off of her pale grey skin and fluttering down to the floor.

Huan stopped screaming but kept his mouth open. How had I thought she was human?

Tiger had a sage response. A predator who hides with their prey will soon be very full.

Liraya's voice cut through the screams. "Zeya, Fo tespearta."

Retching and coughing, the wraith like assassin rose out of the box, opened its eyes, and charged. Huan tried to roll out of the way, but a cold hand grabbed his collar, threw him against the wall, and pinned him there. Leaning in close, the assassin snarled, her breath filling Huan's nose with the smell of flowers, pickles, and magic.

Huan turned his face away, the nausea and pain almost too much for him.

"Zeya, Fo daryl le vielta."

The wraith peeled Huan off the wall and forced him to face the Vanurian. When Huan tried to break free, the wraith squeezed, and he cried out from the pain.

Liraya scrutinized Huan, shook her head, and spoke to the little monster. "Melany, Fo deya te kreeta i empeka."

Melany stopped screaming, closed the window, then knelt to collect the papers scattered across the floor.

Even through the pain, Huan noticed that Liraya's lyrical spells sounded different from both Dwayne's punctuated castings and Magdala's muddled invocations. They all sounded like sentences, just ones that all started with the syllable Fo.

"So," Liraya switched to Souran, "who are you?" She took in the armor. "Did you steal that?"

Huan pushed away the pain and tried a rakish grin. "No, they gave it to me."

"Hah! Someone must have pulled some strings." In one movement, she'd stepped in close and grabbed his chin. Turning his head from side to side, she said, "You're full blooded Tuquese if I've ever seen one, possibly even from decent stock." She released his chin and examined his eyes. "Not from the north or west of the Empire, I'd bet." She scoffed and stepped back. "Common. Just common. You'd make a good laborer back home, but that's not worth keeping you around. Zeya, Fo mehtahyo."

Zeya's hand closed around Huan's neck and tightened.

Huan flailed. "No, no, no! I've got something you'd be interested in."

The Vanurian raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Zeya, Fo tedenar."

Zeya released Huan's throat.

Liraya inspected her nails, which were painted a deep red. "In case you were wondering, money will not pay the price of your life."

"Look under my scarf," said Huan.

Liraya's eyes dropped to his neck. "Zeya, Fo konziguelo."

When the wraith slid its hand under Huan's scarf and touched Tiger's mask, sparks flew, and suddenly Huan was flying through the air, the wraith's screams following him.

As he hit the far wall and slid to the ground, Liraya ran to her creation. "Zeya!"

The wraith was lying on the ground, twitching.

Huan coughed and got to his feet. Unexpected, but I'll take it. He slipped Tiger's mask on and allowed himself a growl. "Get out of the way, witch."

***

As the sunset's gold faded from the world, Magdala reached the place where Walton ended and the merchants' myriad tents began. The smoke and scent of hundreds of cooking fires and ovens filled the air, preparing to fuel the lifeblood of Soura. Magdala's stomach growled. After skipping dinner, sneaking past Taylor, and using magic to create the concussive potions clinking in her cloak, she was starving. She should have grabbed a snack before she left, although considering how long it had taken to change out of that blue dress and into her traveling clothes, maybe it was for the best.

But had it been a good idea to leave Taylor and Mei behind? Certainly the corporal could have carried many more of the concussive vials than Magdala, and the hunter could pass for a shadow. On the other hand, Mei's skills shouldn't be used on human beings, and Taylor was still recovering from that attack. It was better if they stayed out of this. Magdala could handle this alone. She would walk in, concussives in hand, and demand that the culprit turn themselves in. The law was on her side after all.

Pulling her cloak around herself, Magdala stopped in the long shadow of the shop, a gray wooden building with dark lampless windows that stared blankly into the burgeoning twilight. She shuddered. This place reminded her of the blank eyed statues that still stood watch underneath Yumma, but she pulled her shoulders back, marched up the steps, and knocked on the doors anyway.

There was no answer.

Magdala snorted. Had she expected someone to answer, even at this time of night? Sneaking up to the shop's window, she squinted to see through the gloom and into the shop's interior. The shelves were still full of books and knick knacks, a sign that the place hadn't been abandoned yet. She could go home now; the shop's owner was clearly out or asleep, but what if the culprit was still here, planning their next sinister move? Any hesitation here would put her lord uncle and all of Soura at risk. Magdala knocked on the door again, hard enough to wake the dead.

Again, silence.

Magdala sagged. "Well, that's tha-"

An agonized moan sent ice down Magdala's spine, and her hand was on the doorknob before she knew it, but she stopped herself from opening the door. Sure, maybe someone was trapped in there, but didn't Fo magic require living bodies? Although if she broke in and nothing was wrong, she'd only endure embarrassment and have to pay some sort of fine, right? That was nothing next to saving a life. She jiggled the doorknob. It was locked. She took two steps back from the door, pulled a concussive out of her cloak, and weighed it in her hand. She could go back, find Mei and Taylor ,and then assault this place with them, but that would put those two in danger. Besides, she didn't need their help. After backing up three more steps, Magdala threw the vial at the door and dove to the ground. When the blast's noise had died away, she stood up and charged past the smashed doors and into the gloom of the shop.

***

Liraya examined Zeya, who was still sparking and twitching on the floor. She whistled. "I did not know about that. The essentially similar natures of the underlying magic must repel each other." She stood and turned to Huan with a smile.

Huan's eyes narrowed. She was speaking in Souran, not in her native Vanurian, and so this had to be some sort of play. Wincing from the fresh bruises on his back and sides, he got to his feet and took a stance, right foot forward, both fists up.

Liraya watched him for a moment. "I think you're here alone. If you were really with the Beast Guard, you'd have back-up, and you wouldn't be pretending to be a Souran soldier. Though, honestly, I don't know how you managed that."

Huan took in the room. "They needed the men." The little monster was still in front of the window, but the door was clear.

Liraya smirked. "And they got a boy."

Huan focused on her, his fingers flexing into claws.

Her smirk didn't go away. "So, who are you?"

Behind Liraya, Zeya rose, her pale eyes locked onto Huan. He put weight on his left foot to move towards the door, and she put weight on her right, anticipating him.

Huan shifted back to neutral. "I'm no one," he said, a growl in his voice. "I'm just passing through. Now get out of my way."

Rip her throat out!

Liraya crossed her arms. "Some time ago, I read a report about an attempted theft in the Tuqu Empire. There wasn't much; the Jade Lotus is very good at keeping the empire's secrets, but here's a boy wearing the White Tiger mask, whose owner I know died over a year ago, and, since the Black Tiger now stands at the Emperor's right hand, I ask again, who are you?"

Huan's heart swelled with pride, but a shiver ran down his back. He'd singlehandedly shaken the Tuqu Empire, but there was another Tiger out there, and its wearer had every reason to kill him. "I stole it. I slipped in right under their noses and stole it."

Liraya placed her hands behind her back. "Impressive. And now, you're here in my hideout. Are you looking for something?" She smiled. "Oh right, Zeya did bring something back yesterday. An unexpected surprise she slipped right out of some fool's pocket." She held her hand up, and Zeya placed a metal plate into it.

Liraya looked at it. "Endorsed by the prodigal mage himself." She showed it to Huan.

It was his passport, his right of free passage in Soura. Huan stepped forward. "Give that back!"

Zeya stepped in front of her mistress, her knives at the ready.

Liraya tapped the plate against her palm. "I am surprised you came here and not my shop. I left a few prizes for people who figured it out, but you made it here." She slapped the plate against her palm. "I commend your resourcefulness."

With a roar, Huan charged.

Liraya's lips curled. "Zeya, Fo etake."

***

Magdala's heroic charge into the shop went unanswered.

Sweat breaking out on her brow, Magdala scoured the shop for any sign that she hadn't just heard the wind, that she wasn't trespassing without any cause. After seeing and hearing nothing, Magdala put her hand to her heart and breathed slow. This was the location the flower stall owner had given Taylor, and now that she'd already broken down the door, she might as well look around. If only she'd brought a lamp... She felt around the shelves in the dark, finding books, strangely cool to the touch figurines, and absolutely nothing alarming. Moving to the walls, her fingers probed the shadows and found teeth.

"Aaah!" When Magdala snatched her hand away, her fingers hit tinkling glass. Was that a lamp? She felt around again, more cautiously this time, and found a glass jar affixed to a metal holding set into the wall. Standing on tip toe, she got her fingers into the jar and touched the liquid inside. "Nqeoum." As expected, it was animal fat and firewater, the usual lamp oil mixture. She pulled the lamp off its fixture and focused on the oil's surface. "Nqerm."

The oil sparked and filled the shop with a pale yellow light, banishing the gloom. Letting out a shuddering sigh, Magdala raised the lamp to see what she'd touched earlier. It was a skull that sat atop a full sized and fully assembled skeleton, one of three standing against the shop's wall. Nauseated and fascinated, Magdala brought the lamp closer to the skeleton and placed her finger on a rib. "Nqeoum." Calcium, phosphorus, carbon-

Magdala recoiled and wiped her hand on her leggings. Sure, the whole thing was held up with rods and wires, but each and every single bone was realb and it was all for sale. Dead bodies should not be treated like this.

Magdala frowned. Why was she appalled at this, but not at the fact that Dwayne, a living human being, had been sold at auction? Disquieted, Magdala turned away from the skeletons and back to the shelves, which were jam packed with books and figurines. Most of the books were in Vanurian, though a few were in Yaniti. After a few moments, Magdala found what she was looking for, the Book of Phons in Souran. Cracking it open, she balanced the book in one hand and held her lamp high in the other. "'The Age of Gods and Heretics ended with the First Wish'," she read. "Our-"

"Mmmuah..."

Upstairs.

Magdala dropped the book, fumbled for a concussive, and looked up.

The groan sounded again. Mmmuah..."

Gulping, Magdala inched her way to the back of the shop where a flight of stairs ran along the back wall and up to the second floor. Clutching her concussive, Magdala climbed the staircase, listening hard for any cries for help. As she ascended, the flickering pale lamp light revealed bare roof beams and nothing else. She reached the top and pushed her lamp out into the darkness. Its light revealed human shapes rocking from side to side in the center of the room, quietly moaning.

Despite the way her chest tightened, Magdala cleared her throat. "Excuse me?"

As one, they faced her, their pale eyes wide open. "Mmmmuahraaah!"

They surged forward, some on all fours, some in a strange hopping leap, all with their mouths open and screaming. Magdala screamed back and threw her concussive into their midst. When it exploded, its blast threw her back into the wall and sent a half dozen of the things tumbling over the stair railing and down to the first floor. Her head and ears ringing, Magdala got to her feet, looked up, and whimpered. Her concussive had blown away limbs, but all of the fiends were recovering, their eyes still locked on her. Her breath catching in her throat, she looked downstairs. The six that had fallen down there had twisted limps, but they were getting to their feet too.

They were coming for her, she'd cut herself off from escape, and worse, she was alone.

***

Neither Tiger nor Huan had forgotten what the wraith Zeya could do. In addition to dodging fireballs and running on top of railings, she threw knives as accurately as Mei could shoot. Once again, Huan counted her knives, one red handled one and three black ones. Without a sword, all he and Tiger could do was dodge all four knives, get close, and take her down. Tiger picked up speed, leaving Huan behind. Before he reached her, Zeya threw two knives at Huan's torso and one at his head. Gritting his teeth, Tiger twisted through the first two, ducked under the third, and dashed for Liraya, forcing Zeya to move to protect her master. Now too close for knives, Tiger pulled back his fist and aimed a punch at Zeya's face.

His fist smacked into her cold palm. What?

Using his fist, Zeya flung Tiger back into the far wall where he flickered away and Huan slid to the floor. Gasping and aching, he tried to get his bearings, but Zeya threw three more knives at his head. Yelping in surprise, Huan dove out of the way of two, but the third cut his cheek, and blood streamed down his face. Ignoring the pain, Huan got behind the largest box where he tore off a piece of his sleeve and pressed it to his cheek.

Liraya called out. "Melany, Fo, ea citez muvere."

Huan peeked out from behind the box and saw two things before three knives forced him back into cover. One, Zeya was closing the distance, her somehow inexhaustible supply of knives ready to cut Huan down. Two, Melany and the Vanurian were packing up the desk and the papers into crates.

Huan went cold. They're getting away! Unfortunately, he couldn't focus on that fact because underneath the sounds of packing, Zeya's steps counted down to Huan's end. The knives! Huan searched for the knives that Zeya had thrown at him, but he found only deep scores in the wood where they'd sunk in. How the- Magic. Always fucking magic.

Before this fight, Huan had thought that throwing a knife at your enemy was a last resort action, since, if you missed, the enemy got a shiny new knife, but if knives could just come flying back to you... Every plan Huan could think of now ended with him dying under a hailstorm of blades. Damn, I wish Dwayne were here. Or that red haired witch. Or even... Mei.

A rumbling growl heralded power flowing back into Tiger's mask. We don't need them.

Taking control from Huan, Tiger dove out of cover, rolled to a standing position, and sprinted to the window, all while ignoring how Zeya's knives cut, stabbed, and tore. When he was just a few paces from his goal, Zeya vaulted over Melany and reached the window first, knives glittering in her fist.

We're trapped!

Ignoring Huan, Tiger covered his neck and chest with his arms and kept sprinting. With a flick of her wrists, Zeya threw three knives in a wide pattern. One missed, one sank into Huan's shoulder, and the third ripped open his side, but Tiger pushed through the pain and tackled Zeya, and the two of them crashed through the window and into the night. After they landed, Zeya kicked Huan off of her, and Tiger turned the impact into a roll, getting clear. Snarling, he stood up and faced the monster.

No, we're running. Huan tried to take control of his body back.

The beast snapped at him. We can take her!

Three knives glinted in Zeya's hands.

We're fucking running!

Coward!

Zeya's hands came up, her eyes selecting her targets.

Liraya called out. "Zeya, Fo menire!"

Zeya froze, and Huan wrested control from Tiger and fled, dripping blood onto the road as he ran.

The Vanurian's voice followed him. "Zeya, Fo, venari i non kuruesu."

***

Magdala threw another concussive and ducked for cover. After the blast shook the house's second story and rained splinters and dust down on her, there was silence, but when Magdala peeked out from the stairs, she groaned. Again, the blast had barely battered the fiends, and none of them were down for the count. A frustrated wail from downstairs sent shivers up her spine. There, six fiends were tangled up in each other, but, even as they wrestled to get free, they kept their eyes on Magdala. Clutching her last concussive, Magdala curled up on the stairs. Should she throw it downstairs? The blast might destroy the stairs and trap her, but if she wasted another concussive on the upstairs group, she would only gain a little more time.

Downstairs, something ripped. Magdala looked down and her mouth fell open in a wordless scream. Two fiends had torn off their arms and legs and freed the entire group from the tangle. They were disoriented now, but it wouldn't last, and soon Magdala would have to deal with both groups at the same time. The concussive wasn't going to work. What had Dwayne done to drive off her lord uncle's attacker? Her eyes slid down to the lamp's flickering flame. Well, it would at least be something different. Standing up, she tossed the lamp at the upstairs group, and it landed right in the middle of them and burst, spilling flaming liquid on several of the fiends and setting them alight. Screeching, they scattered, the burning ones spreading the flame around the room.

That left the six downstairs fiends. Pushing past her terror, Magdala took inventory: one cloak, one concussive, her magic, one notebook, four pens, and a number of ingredients for potions. No time though. The first two fiends were climbing the stairs on all fours. Didn't Taylor mention that these things were dumb? Magdala unclasped her cloak, emptied its pockets on the stairs, and threw it on top of the fiends. The heavy cloth caught the first two fiends, and they flailed and fell down the stairs, catching their fellows on the way down. When the ball of fiends and cloak hit the landing, Magdala sagged to the floor and watched them struggle to get free. Coughing from the smoke, she gathered her things. Now that she had some time, she could use the concussive to-

A crack snapped Magdala's line of thought. Her heart still in her throat, she peeked upstairs and groaned. The unlit fiends had somehow corralled their flaming brethren into the center of the room and created a moaning wailing bonfire that was setting the floor and ceiling on fire. Magdala didn't have long if she didn't want this to be her grave.

But maybe she should just let it happen. What was she thinking, trying to do something like her mother? Why did- Magdala cut off the last question and focused on what she had again. One concussive, her magic, one notebook... She smiled. That was enough. She tore a page out of her notebook, uncorked the concussive, and hunted around for a piece of wood, but when her cloak ripped open downstairs and six fiends spilled out, her heart sank again. She was out of time. Recorking the concussive, she paused before throwing it. Again, she had two choices: throw the concussive downstairs and possibly trap herself or throw it upstairs and buy only a little time. It was the same choice as before but with the addition of a burning building. If she'd just had more time...

"Cups." She made her choice and raised the concussive.

"Maggie!" A shot rang out and, downstairs, a fiend's head exploded.

***

Staggering down yet another alley, Huan pressed his tunic against his side to staunch the flow of blood. In his head, Tiger's urgings to turn and fight were distant, muffled, and easy to ignore. He sniffed the air but couldn't detect Zeya's distinct bouquet of magic and pickles. He strained his ears but couldn't hear Zeya's soft footsteps stalking him. He checked every corner, but couldn't see her shadow lurking, waiting to ambush him. Still, he knew Zeya was following him.

After stumbling out onto Walton's empty main street, he squinted at the massive dark shape looming over the town, judging his poor decisions. He blinked. It was the Southern Line, and in that direction was the garrison and safety. Gritting his teeth, he shuffled towards it, each step painful and slow. When he'd first arrived in Walton, he hadn't noticed that the main road was on an incline, and he couldn't help but notice it now as each step sapped his strength and dribbled it out onto the cobblestones. He passed a couple of city guards, knowing that they couldn't help. If he couldn't take down Zeya, some yokels from the middle of nowhere couldn't either. His foot caught on a cobblestone, and he face-planted into the road. Moaning, he curled into a ball and waited for three knife blades to sink into his back.

But there was nothing. The city guards were standing over him now, concern and alarm turning their voices sharp. They tried to turn him over, but he waved them away and got back to his feet on his own. Breathing heavily, he searched the alleys, the street, even the windows for a single sign of the wraith. Nothing. He'd resumed his slow march to the garrison when the hairs on his arm raised. Something pattered above him, and he looked up at the rooftops. There, Zeya crouched, her pale eyes watching him struggle. When their eyes met, the monster grinned, her blackened teeth just hints in an empty maw. Huan fell to his knees, all feeling gone from his limbs.

Fight!

Huan tore off Tiger's mask and looked into its eyes for the first time since he'd stolen it. He needed weapons. That first time, he'd grown claws.

Perfect weapons.

A lump formed in Huan's throat. I'll lose myself.

There's only you, no one else.

Shaking and shivering, Huan got to his feet and put Tiger's mask back on. Zeya threw a knife. Huan blocked with his arm, letting the blade sink into his flesh.

It'll just be a moment.

He pulled the knife out of his arm and gripped it tight.

Surrender.

A whistle keened into the night.

"Confirmed! Soldier under attack!"

"Crossbows up! Aim! Fire!"

Zeya deflected six crossbow bolts with her knives then dropped out of sight behind the house. With the danger gone, Huan's legs gave out, his eyes closed, and he fell. Arms caught him, and hands pulled Tiger's mask off his face. Huan pulled open his eyes. It was Sir Marcus.

"Are you all right?" asked the knight.

Huan tried to get free, but his limbs wouldn't listen to him. "Wha- how?"

Sir Marcus's eyebrows drew together. "Nathan told me that you'd planned to meet him at the armory. When you didn't show, I guessed you'd done something stupid. Was I right?"

Huan gave him a lopsided grin. "I found her." His fingers went numb, and Zeya's knife clattered to the ground.

Sir Marcus's eyes fixated on the blade. "That was the same cups-forsaken thing that attacked Bart, wasn't it?" He pulled Huan over to a cart and deposited him into it. "Get him back to the barracks," he said to the driver.

When a sweet smoky smell wafted by, Huan asked, "Is something on fire?"

***

At Mei's shout, two of the remaining downstairs fiends turned towards the front door. An axe thunked into one of their heads.

Magdala's tension dissipated. "Mei?"

Saundra ran into view, pinned two fiends to the wall with her sword and then ducked. Again, a shot rang out, and this time both of the fiends' heads evaporated into clouds of gore.

Wrenching her sword free from the inanimate corpses, Saundra dispatched the remaining two fiends with two quick sword slashes and looked up. "Are you all right, milady?"

"Yes!" Magdala grabbed her stuff, ran down the stairs, and cannoned into Saundra. "I thought I was going to die." She hugged the corporal.

"M-milady, I-"

"Maggie."

Magdala released Saundra and wrapped her arms around Mei. "Why are you two here?"

"Mei wondered where you were, milady," answered Saundra. "She didn't see you at dinner."

Mei let Magdala hug her for another moment, and then pushed her back and met her eyes. "I thought you'd be better than my brother."

Magdala's heart fell. Even though her friend's expression was the same as always, she could hear the disappointment. Between that and the concern on Saundra's face, Magdala almost regretted not bringing them along. She drew herself up and wiped her nose. "It was a trap anyway. The real culprit is long gone."

Saundra shook her head. "You shouldn't have come here by yourself, milady."

Magdala waved off her concern. "I just didn't want to see you two get hurt."

Mei shouldered her rifle and walked past Magdala. "We fight better together." She tugged her new axe out of the wall. "We should be like star wolves."

Magdala frowned. "I don't-"

The ceiling collapsed, spilling charred fiends onto the bookshelves. After getting to their feet, the fiends reacquired their targets. The fall and debris had smothered their flames, and now they were between Magdala's party and the exit, but despite that and the building's burning roof, Magdala was strangely calm, her heart beat quickening from excitement. She looked at her last concussive. She had a plan. "Cover me!"

"With pleasure, milady." Saundra raised her sword and stepped between Magdala and the fiends.

Behind them, Mei climbed halfway up the stairs, pulled out her rifle, took aim, and fired. "Three shots left." She reloaded.

Magdala counted the remaining fiends. Twenty-two left. "More than enough." She knelt to work. The primary problem with her concussives was that they directed too much energy into pure force, which only knocked the fiends around. Grabbing two chunks of wooden railing that had fallen from upstairs, Magdala closed her eyes. "Nqeoum". Just normal wood. Opening her eyes, Magdala called out to Mei. "Mei, your axe." The weapon thunked into the floor right next to Magdala. "Thanks!"

She uncorked a concussive, adjusted its composition with magic, and stoppered its vial with a piece of paper torn out of her notebook. Then she took Mei's axe, carved grooves into the pieces of railing wood, and sealed the vial inside the wood with the piece of paper sticking out. Pressing the wood together, she conjured an image and said, "Nqesiumut." With a shudder, the two wood chunks fused together.

"Milady, are you ready yet?" Saundra cut off a fiend's arm.

Mei's shot took down a fiend. "Last bullet!"

Magdala nodded. "I'm almost done!" She closed her eyes, shutting out the fiends, the sweltering heat, and her friends. "Nqe."

The spell's weight drew a gasp from her. It had been a long time since she'd bothered to prep a spell, and it felt like a bag of rocks sitting on her head.

"ou."

More rocks in the bag, but she wasn't done yet. Without opening her eyes, she picked up her handiwork, took a deep breath and said, "Qe."

The rocks morphed into a single boulder. Bowing under the pressure, Magdala strained to hold the spell. Qe spells were difficult for her at the best of times and invoking them as a prepped spell under pressure was almost impossible, but there was no other way. She needed a lot of pressure all at once, and Nqe spells couldn't provide that. Ignoring the taste of copper in her mouth, she touched one side of the block of wood.

"uive."

Two boulders.

A headache was edging in now. She touched the opposite side of the wood block.

"uive."

Three boulders.

Magdala's hands began to tremble, and the headache was a now full blown migraine. Still, she pushed on through, repeating the syllable four more times.

"Milady!"

While a storm of a migraine rioted in her brain, Magdala put the block of wood down on the ground, her shaking hands nearly knocked it over. "Qem." The boulders dropped, and the spell locked into place. With a shudder, the block of wood changed colors, becoming charcoal black. It still had the piece of notepaper sticking out of it.

Shivering, Magdala picked up the bomb and stood up. "Mei."

The hunter appeared at her side.

"Take this." Magdala dropped the bomb into Mei's hand. "Get... Saundra." Magdala swallowed. Her mouth was so dry.

"Saundra!" called Mei.

The corporal shoved back a couple of fiends and sprinted to them. "What is it? Are you okay, milady?" She reached for Magdala but was shaken off.

Black spots floated in Magdala's vision. "We can't let those things out into the town." She blinked to clear her vision. "Mei, on my signal, light that, and throw it into them. When that happens, Saundra, get us out of here. Ready?"

"Milady, you should-"

"That was an order, Corporal." Magdala's voice quavered. "Ready?"

Unhappily, Saundra nodded.

After shouldering her rifle and retrieving her axe, Mei lit the black block with the closest bit of flame. In front of them, the fiends were gathering, readying their next attack. It was now or never.

"Now!" shouted Magdala.

Mei threw the bomb, Saundra scooped up Magdala, and together they dashed for the door.

Magdala tried to twist free Saundra's hold. "No, I'll slow you down!"

The corporal held Magdala tighter. "Mei, take point!"

Mei overtook them, decapitated a fiend with her axe, kicked another aside, then resumed running to the exit. After shoulder checking a fiend, Saundra followed Mei's lead and gained speed, clearing the building in a blur. When she and Magdala were clear, Mei closed the door behind them, trapping the fiends inside.

When they got a couple of wir away from the building, Magdala rolled out of Saundra's arms, shouted, "Get down!", and pulled her friends down to the ground. A blast of flame roared out over their heads, singeing Magdala's hair.

After the crunch and crumble of the collapsing building ceased, Magdala sat up. "Great, there goes all the evidence."