I REACH THE BLAZING DESERT.

It is hot and arid. A vast, dry landscape where little to no life flourishes. The only living things here either hide in its tall dunes by burrowing deep into the sand where neither of the twin suns’ light or heat can reach, or they gather near large oases. Where a river runs through from the Flourishing Flatlands into the heart of the heat— to the city that is known as Warmthkeep.

It lies in the middle of a valley. Tall hills composed of colorful sediment rise to girdle the city. When the suns are not directly above Warmthkeep, these hills will cast a large shadow over sections of the city to keep it cool, even in the desert heat.

When I last came here, it was to save the city from the first wave of Void Pirates crashing from the sky. Fortunately, most of the so-called slaves had died during the initial crash, and I caught the only survivor before he could get to Warmthkeep. As such, the city was previously left unaffected by the Void Pirates’ wrath.

The same cannot be said for now.

I look on with narrowed eyes as tens of thousands of Zombies funnel through the valleys into the city. All of the Zombies that landed in the Blazing Desert are converging on the oasis. When I was flying through the Blazing Desert, I had wondered why I did not see much of the Zombies linger around. I did see the crashed pods that carried them into Utana, but they were empty, with a handful of dead Zombies lying in the crash sites.

But the reason why there are scarcely any of these Zombies wandering around the flat fields of sand or the tall dunes of the Blazing Desert is simple: they are attracted to living creatures. Like Spirit Moths to a Qi flame. It is the same way living creatures gravitate to lands with water— it is why there is a city built atop an oasis.

These Zombies thrive from feasting on living flesh. That is how they multiply— reproduce— and become stronger. It is almost like they are a hivemind, similar to Galgom, rather than single individuals. However, I know that that is where that comparison ends. Because Galgom, even if he is a despicable tyrant, is nothing like these Zombies that only crave destruction. And the Void Pirates know of this too, hence why Idu sent them here.

Just like the Eternal Elementals, the Zombies only have one job, and that is to wreak havoc. And with their large, overwhelming numbers, they seem to be succeeding. I shake my head and descend on Warmthkeep.

The Zombies enter the city like a wave. An unending swarm that stretches out over the Blazing Desert. The people of Warmthkeep had erected walls, set up traps, and sent their Elementalists to hold off the twisted creatures. But it was all in vain. Because Warmthkeep had already fell before I arrived.

The city is brimming with Zombies. I see them leaping over collapsed rubble and climbing up tall buildings. The huts and houses that make up a majority of Warmthkeep have been ravaged and ransacked, with burnt corpses of both Zombies and civilians alike littering the streets. Even still, I do not turn away from this sight, for I know there is a chance of stray survivors hiding somewhere in the city.

I inhale once, letting my core cycle between Aura and Qi and the Essences. Then as I close my eyes and exhale. Indigo Essence plumes out and I cast my shut gaze over the city. Even without being able to see, the School of Divination guides my vision. It is like I am traveling through the city myself, peering through the cracks between the broken debris and entering the destroyed houses. All at once, my gaze covers more distance than even I can at my fastest speed.

And finally, I spot a survivor. A little girl hiding in a locked basement. She is sobbing, whimpering, as she clings onto a small doll. I hear the banging of wood— Zombies trying to break into the cellar. Her parents— her family— are nowhere to be found.

“M-mommy…” the girl whimpers.

Then she wipes a tear from her face and looks up as a hand breaks through the cellar door. There is a growl as a face pokes in. A disfigured woman. The girl steps forward, even as the Zombie hisses at her.

She reaches out. “M—”

I open my eyes and nod, having seen enough. I face the burning house, directly below me. “I see.”

With that, I dive straight down into it. I crash through the ceiling as a group of Zombies look up in confusion. They are mindless creatures, but they can still be startled by sudden movements, and they turn to me. The gust of wind from my entrance snuffs out the fire and knocks a handful back.

The first Zombie that gets back up snarls and leaps my way, and I casually slice him in half with a swing of my hand. The others charge my way, but I only focus on one Zombie. The one that is breaking into the cellar. The corpse of a dead woman.

The cellar door pulls open, and I raise a hand. The visage of a little girl reveals itself as her mother looms over her. The girl steps forward.

“Mommy—” she starts.

And I yank my hand back. With a quick tug of Aura Pull, the Zombie comes flying towards me. It lets out a shriek, before its face crashes into my open palm. I stare at the girl’s dead mother as its screams are muffled by my hand.

The girl’s eyes grow wide. I do not stop there. My eyes dart around the room as dozens of Zomies sprint for me, running down the stairs, leaping from the second or third floor, and even hurrying down the various hallways to the home. I see their approach. I understand their threat. The first thing I do is cross the distance between myself and the girl. I fling her dead mother behind me as she stares at me.

“You’re…?”

“Close your eyes,” I say hurriedly.

I hear the footfalls approaching, but I do not face the Zombies. The girl’s dead mother gets to its feet, and I cover her ears. It takes her a moment, and eventually, she acquiesces. Her eyes flutter shut as needles begin to form around me.

“It will be over soon.”

All at once, the Zombies scream as they encroach on us. And the needles shoot out. The wary cry morphs into death throes as the Zombies are culled

I do not look up to see the slaughter. Instead, I keep my gaze focused only on the girl the entire time. She tightly clings onto me as the cries of the dying Zombies die down, and there is nothing left but me and her in the room.

“C-can I open my eyes now?” she eventually asks.

“Yes,” I say as I remove my hand from her ears.

She steps back, but I keep my hands hovering around her peripheral vision, keeping her from seeing the dozens of dead Zombies around her.

“What is your name?” I distract her.

“Lurleen,” she replies in a small voice.

“How long have you been hiding in the cellar?”

“I-I’m not sure. When those things broke into the city, m-my Mommy…” she trails off. “…then I fell asleep… and when I woke up…”

“I see,” I cut her off, stopping her from continuing.

I draw from my Aura, creating a pair of wings with my Aspect. I wrap them around her and keep her warm as I hear the clamor of even more Zombies breaking into the house.

I bow my head at Lurleen.

“I am sorry.”

She tears up. Her hands tighten as she grips onto the edge of my shirt. “Thank you,” she says softly.

“Let us go.” I begin to ascend, flapping my glowing wings and leaving the broken house behind. Hundreds more Zombies gather there just as I leave, and I can see them through the hole in the ceiling. I shake my head. “I will get you to safety.”

Lurleen nods. She closes her eyes, and I toss a blast of Qi into the house. The explosion engulfs the Zombies as I fly away, heading back to the rest of the Keepers of the Grove.

* * *

It does not take me long to find Kalmat and the others. They have been slowly trailing after me, taking out any stray Zombies left behind, although since we arrived at the Blazing Desert, they have barely found any obstacles since the landscape is barren of both life and death.

They have set up a camp by the river that flows in from the Flourishing Flatlands. When I descend upon them, carrying nothing but a little girl, they know that I do not have good things to say. They gather around as I leave Lurleen to Nindran’s care. I cast my gaze over Kalmat, Beihal, and Seiled. Nelrel is not here. She is busy looking over Galgom, ensuring he does not make an escape.

“Warmthkeep has fallen,” I deliver the grim news. “The city is overrun by Zombies. We were too late to save them.”

Beihal curses, and Kalmat grits his teeth. The leader of the Keepers of the Grove leans forward, nibbling at his thumb.

“I did not expect Warmthkeep to fall so soon. I thought they would have held out long enough for us to repel our own swarm. But…”

“It is not their fault,” I explain. “With how devoid of life the Blazing Desert is, there is nowhere else for the Zombies to converge except for Warmthkeep. They had to face a deluge of these twisted creatures that even Thornthistle would not last against.”

“Well, what do we do now?” Seiled pipes up. “Since all these Zombies are gathered in one spot, do you think it’s a good idea to… you know?” He waves towards an unloaded missile set behind him.

“You are right. This is a good opportunity for us to wipe them all out at once. But there is a problem with that plan.” I sigh.

Beihal frowns. “And what is the issue?”

“I do not think Warmthheep fell too long ago,” I say, tapping a finger on my chin. “According to Lurleen, the city was overrun no more than a full false night ago.There are likely still people hiding in bunkers underground. Some may have even been able to flee the city, but as to how far they managed to run… I do not know.”

Kalmat narrows his eyes, seeing the same problem I do. “But that means we cannot be careless. We could kill some survivors if we unleash your superweapon on them.” He turns to Beihal.

The burly man clicks his tongue. “You’re right. But what are we going to do?”

“We have two choices.” I raise my right hand. “The first is we destroy the city, blasting it from afar until nothing but ashes remain. We risk killing dozens— if not hundreds or thousands of survivors— but we deal with the Zombies in one fell and easy swoop.”

Seiled rolls his eyes. “And what is the good option?”

I raise my left hand. “The second option is we rescue all the survivors of the city until we are certain none is left. That means scouring through every bunker or underground shelter that is within or around Warmthkeep. Ensure that they are all safe, no matter how long it takes. Then we lay Warmthkeep to ruins.”

I pause. I wait for Kalmat, Beihal, and Seiled to soak this in. They exchange a glance, and I cross my arms.

“So, which is it?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Seiled snorts. “We do the one that saves as many people as possible, of course!”