Before the battle

  Shrieks-loudly stands on top of the wooden floor that extended out from the wall now encircling his village. Tamer calls it ‘battlements’, but Shrieks does not fully understand why – is the ‘battlements’ not designed to keep them out of the battle? Nonetheless, he’s willing to accept his leader’s designation – he would never have thought of putting a floor halfway up the wall so they could see over the top. Then again, before Tamer instructed them to do so, the encircling protection of the village had never been a wall at all – when it’s possible to see between the poles of the fence, there’s no need for a platform to see over the top of it.

  “Is that the last of them?” he clicks loudly to the Warrior now entering the gates, the apparent last of those who had been harrying the enemies in the forest.

  “Yes, battle-leader,” Laps-from-a-puddle confirms after a quick look back to ensure that he is indeed the final one of the group of tired and injured samurans.

  “Then close the gates,” Shrieks-loudly orders. With a muffled thud that he feels through his feet as much as hears, the gates are shut and a log of wood used to hold them in place – something else Tamer had suggested.

  Shrieks-loudly’s sharp eyes can already see the movement beyond the tree-line. The enemy are coming. Yet despite that, he can’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction – they have already extracted a toll in blood for the enemy tribe’s progression through these woods. But as the enemies move into view, the green in Shrieks-loudly’s spikes fades away and is replaced by hints of yellow which he tries hard to hide – he doesn’t want to dishearten his fighters.

  The fact is that even with the deaths that their harrying forces have caused, even though their enemy has split themselves into two other groups, one of which has already been defeated and their remnants taken prisoner, the numbers that face them would have easily been enough to overcome their village not that long ago.

  But that was before Tamer came, Shrieks-loudly reminds himself. That was before so many more Unevolved managed to make the transition to Evolved. And before they were attacked by two different villages who sought to kill or capture them and won despite that. And before Tamer’s gifts enabled them to make allies of even those who meant them ill.

  Shrieks-loudly knows that had Tamer not risen to power in their village, the attack by Flying-blade’s village would have seen them dead. She had come with far too many in number for him to have had high hopes of their village prevailing, especially since there was no guarantee that Wind-whisperer would have Evolved a second time without Tamer’s influence. Then again, it was possible that their village wouldn’t have faced the conflict – Shrieks-loudly strongly suspects that it is the increasing power of his village which has brought so much ire from the red tribe, far more than any tales of samurans long-dead. They are on the border between the green tribe controlled territory and the red tribe’s, after all.

  And now they face the full force of the lead village of the red tribe. The numbers that Tree-whisperer has brought to bear are nonetheless surprising – she truly must have emptied her village to bring so many Evolved along. Even with the two parties which have separated from the main body and those who have been killed, there are still at least fifty Warriors here and several Pathwalkers.

  Shrieks-loudly believes that the theory discussed in the council is correct – this is not only the lead red village’s forces, but also the remnants of Flying-blade’s. However, he does not believe that other villages have been contacted to send representatives. Not only has there been little time to do so, but surely the numbers would be even greater.

  He tries to push the thoughts out of his head – he can ask the survivors of the battle after they have won.

  “Ready your projectiles,” Shrieks-loudly orders and he sees and hears a rustle of movement happening in his peripheral vision. The opposing Evolved are coming closer but slowly and cautiously – they have learned that traps hide where they least expect them. Good.

  As it happens, there are no traps immediately around the village grounds – Shrieks doesn’t want to risk catching his own people in them if it comes to a melee fight before the village. But the fear of them will perhaps make the enemy slower to respond.

  Finally, the enemy are within their range. Shrieks allows them to come just a little closer so more of the group are close enough to hit, and then he gives the order.

  “Launch.”

  A wave of projectiles flies at the enemies – wooden spears smeared with various poisons, stones from sling shots, even some odd hollow canisters that Tamer suggested they make which apparently should break on impact.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  The enemy samurans react by bringing up wooden shields. They made these in the forest when it became clear that tripping a trap could lead to a barrage of either blunt or sharp objects from any direction. The wooden shields do well against the spears and stones, but are not so effective against the canisters which break and create a kind of smoke. From the way the samurans within the smoke start coughing and choking, it is clearly attacking their airways.

  “Tamer’s idea, or yours?” Shrieks-loudly asks Herbalist, the Pathwalker standing next to him.

  “A combination,” she replies, satisfaction flickering through her spikes. “Is it time for the Pathwalkers to move?”

  “Not yet,” Shrieks replies, concentrating on the battle. “Let them come closer.” After all, why build traps in the earth when magic can transform any area into a trap?

  The barrage continues, but it has little true effect. All it means is that the enemies bring more and more shields to the fore, holding them above their heads to avoid getting struck. Of course, that means their vision is impeded.

  “Now,” Shrieks orders and Herbalist passes the orders down the chain.

  The earth rolls and bucks under the samurans’ feet, knocking most of them completely off balance. At least a third even fall to the ground as it heaves beneath their feet like a stick on a tumultuous river. Shrieks gapes his jaws in appreciative awe – he’s seen Earth-Shapers work before, but having three of them work together yields even more impressive results than he was expecting.

  At the same time, a cyclone starts forming above their heads, lightning beginning to flash within it. Water is pulled out of the earth by Water-former and sent to curl around the limbs of a group of samurans. Meanwhile, Weaver and Wood-shaper get to work, weaving the limbs of the downed Warriors to the ground and removing the shields from the equation.

  But Shrieks-loudly is not the only one with magic at his command. After a brief moment of surprise and shock, the enemy Pathwalkers start fighting back – evidently they’ve taken mana regeneration potions to recover from their efforts in the forest.

  The enemy Air-Shaper attempts to disrupt or at least divert the increasingly strong cyclone which Wind-whisperer is forming, but her efforts are as effective as the sting of a malikis against a cyran. The Water-Shaper on the opponent’s side is more effective – Water-former’s efforts are quickly rebuffed and the water she was controlling flows bit by bit towards the gates.

  Shrieks-loudly suspects that Water-former is not putting her full efforts into the battle as it is – the control which Tamer has over all of them is not unlimited. While it can force obedience, it cannot force willingness. Nevertheless, having someone to combat the enemy Water-Shaper is better than nothing. Even if the water is moving towards them, it is slow enough that it will take a while to become a problem. And while the enemy Water-Shaper is fighting against Water-former, she is not threatening the rest of them.

  It seems like the opposing Pathwalkers also have a Wood-Shaper and Weaver as Shrieks-loudly’s Pathwalkers are struggling to make headway in their efforts too. Wooden shields shift between shapes and bindings tie and untie as the Pathwalkers fight for control. But while that battle is happening, the Warriors on the battlement with Shrieks-loudly continue attacking them with projectile weapons. Their combined efforts start showing results: the Warriors begin falling.

  The enemy Herbalist is kept busy, surrounded by a guard of Warriors who are replaced whenever any of them fall to the various attacks on the army. She runs from one injured samuran to another, doling out potions which all too often give a second chance to a fighter. Shrieks-loudly watches her with concern. The enemy doesn't appear to have a Healer, but a good Herbalist can do almost as much. More, she can usually offer poisons and other inhibiting concoctions to coat on weapons if she’s given the space to do so.

  Can anyone neutralise the enemy Herbalist? Shrieks-loudly asks, choosing to use the network among those Bonded so that more can hear his question.

  I can, answers Grower, her voice calm. It will mean that I cannot counteract the enemy Plant-Shapers, however. Shrieks-loudly considers that for a short moment.

  Do it, he orders. Right now, the Herbalist is more of a threat.

  Grower doesn’t need any more instructions. Shrieks continues watching the battlefield.

  Enemy Warriors start crying out in pain as the cyclone closes around them. When he sees blood being drawn, and the flash of ice, Shrieks-loudly realises that Ice-shaper must have been directed to work with Wind-whisperer to make the cyclone more deadly. Good. Still unable to do more than crawl forwards due to the ground continuing to shudder unpredictably under their feet, the Warriors are easy targets.

  Shrieks-loudly watches dispassionately. Though he might consider them his brothers if they met at a festival, here, they are merely enemies. He does feel a pang of grief when he hears the cry of a Pathwalker caught in the storm, though. Enemy or not, the Pathwalkers are the future of his species and his duty to protect.

  He hardens his heart. It was his shying away from hurting Pathwalkers which led to the death of one of his own, one of those he was sworn to protect. It will be his everlasting shame that Fire-whisperer died under his watch and Weaver was captured. He had been doing his best to remove the other Pathwalkers from the danger zone, but that was no excuse. And if his desire to protect the Pathwalkers attacking them is the reason for any more of his own Pathwalkers to die, he will no longer be able to live with himself.

  So he turns his eyes away from the section of the battlefield where one of the Pathwalkers is being devoured by the ice-laced cyclone. When the water that was creeping its way towards the gates suddenly turns and flows back towards the samuran army, he realises that the enemy Water-Shaper must be dead or unconscious.

  His heart hurts, his duty calls him to rescue the Pathwalker, but he refuses to pay attention to either. She is an enemy. He has other responsibilities right now.

  here!

  here!

  here!

  here