Risha: Chapter 63

The changes were subtle, a darkening of the human’s eyes and hair, the silver of his beard gaining a sheen to it. Scars faded, and wrinkles became less pronounced, as his body regained the strength of his prime. 

Risha released his arm with a smile.

He stood there for a long time, staring at screens Risha couldn’t see. Finally he turned to her, and bowed low. “This means everything to me. Thank you.” 

He rose from his bow, and looked to his wife.

Risha smiled and motioned for her to come over, then she performed the same evolution for her. 

After the use of the skill, Risha felt a slight emptying of her power, but nothing as great as when she evolved someone into a Spirit. She stretched her body while the two humans examined themselves. 

Risha let out a sigh as she finished her stretches, then turned to the woman with a smile, “Is the food ready?”

The woman laughed, then made her way to the pot of stew. She pulled out two bowls and handed one to Risha and Mist-Prowler. 

Risha enjoyed the food, and they discussed small things as she ate. It turned out that the humans had a set of tiles, and they played a few games before Risha left. 

***

The next morning, Risha took her time getting ready. It was time for decisions and to leave for the front. 

A warrior helped her dress in her armor, and she tied both her swordchains to her waist, with practiced movements. A dagger went to her inner thigh, and a quiver of arrows on her back. The dwarf-crafted bow was held by her attending warrior as Risha strode down the halls. Other warriors fell in behind her, ready with armor and weapons.

Two spearmen opened the gates of the hall, revealing a room of councilmen. Most were armored, the few who were staying still wearing weapons. 

Ivy the Sapling turned to her, but Risha didn’t look at her. 

Risha walked up the steps to her throne, past Klaz’zks, Klu, and the empty chairs of those who already fought. 

She turned to the council, her eyes finally settling on the Sapling. 

“Ivy, voice of the Great Tree,” Risha’s voice carried in the silence of the room, every monster hanging on her words. “I have chosen to trust you and your people. Don’t let my trust be misplaced.” 

The sapling lowered herself until she was kneeling, her head bowed low, “We join forces with the protectors of the Lin child. The forest is at your command, Risha, Mother Of Monsters.”

Risha nodded, then looked over the rest of the council. She showed her sharp teeth, her hands moving to the swords at her waist. “Our home will be protected.”

Risha stepped down, and walked towards the doors. 

Klaz’zks fell into step behind her, then Elder Kulos and Elder Oltak. Behind them, came the armored council, then the warriors. 

They walked through the city, under the gaze of the citizens of the city. 

The large gates at the entrance of the city opened, revealing a thousand warriors, ready to move to protect their home. 

They too, fell behind Risha. 

Risha stopped, as on the other side of the river, the forest moved. Trees uprooted, walking forward. Saplings made of vines and leaves walked between them, armed with spears and strange hollow tubes, hundreds of them paused on the other side of the river. Risha watched them for a long moment, then turned and continued along the road.

The Saplings of the forest followed. 

***

Blood fell from the sky, as Kaldero the Draconic Sapling, tore the throat of another drake, the body falling into the waiting webs of the spiders below. 

Kaldero roared, the many scratches and arrows in his body aching as he challenged the many drakes who still opposed him. If it weren’t for the threat of the spiders below, he knew they would simply overpower him with numbers, but he knew the webs well, and kept low enough that the War Spiders and archers could assist him. 

“Dive, Kaldero.”

Kaldero didn’t question the voice of his rider, and he dived. Spears of fire flew through the air where he’d been flying. Five drakes flew into chase, catching him by surprise. They must’ve been hiding in the clouds, the annoying flies. Fire followed him as he dove and spun away from their claws. 

A war spider jumped from the ground, its webs catching one of the drakes as it pulled it from the sky.

“Left.”

Kaldero veered hard left, dodging another spear of flame and running into the path of one of the chasing drakes. His sharp claws grasped the creature, plummeting with it into the forest. Another spider’s webs grasped it, and Kaldero released it as his wings spread, carrying him forward and over the forces fighting hard in the marshes below. 

The marshes marched forward with the lizardmen, in a deadly magic that turned the battlefield to their advantage. But that was not Kaldero's concern. No, he was the king of the skies, only matched by his chosen queen who fought another front.

He caught glimpses of the three drakes who dared to follow him close to the ground. He roared in righteous anger and called upon the earth to help him. The vines across his body twisted with his roar, and the forest below answered. 

The drakes were plucked from the sky by limbs of wood and whipping vines. 

More Drakes screeched, joining the chase in a never ending fight.

A howl echoed from the forest below.

“That’s the order. We retreat, Kaldero.” 

Kaldero huffed in annoyance, but still twisted back to the webbed defences of their leaders. 

The enemy surged forward, but traps had been prepared for this eventuality, and another roar filled the sky, the roar of his queen. 

Those foolish enough to continue the chase too quickly died.

Still, they gave ground, and the swamps continued further.

Saya fell into formation with him, her own body covered in the blood of her enemies. She was majestic, a beauty that had stolen his heart… even if he hadn’t told her yet.

She knew… surely, she knew.

The sight of tents marked his landing spot, and he dove into the forest below, his wings spreading wide to arrest his momentum. 

Humans and goblins ran around under him as he landed, hurrying to examine his wounds and remove the pesky arrows of their enemy. 

Saya landed next to him, and their riders dismounted.

Kaldero huffed as their general walked towards the riders. As always, Kaldero felt the immense power lying within the small goblin. He’d only seen him fight a few times, but every time he did, the tiny lizards were pushed back. 

Kaldero could take him, probably. But he still didn’t compare to the danger he sensed from the Grand Mother or that Orc. Kaldero wasn’t as confident in being able to fight either of them, loathe as he was to admit it.

As his rider spoke with the general, Kaldero turned his gaze towards the retreating warriors. 

Their job was to stall and not die, but even then, the exhaustion and injuries were clear in their people. It had been brutal.

Kaldero blinked as pain left his side. He turned around to see a healer working on burns he didn’t even realise he had.

Perhaps it was best that they’d left. Now that he was on the ground, he could feel exhaustion and pain filling him. Maybe, just a small nap was needed. 

Kaldero lowered his head into his paws, then paused as Saya cuddled in next to him, her head resting on his neck.

“You look tired, Kal.” 

Kaldero growled.

Saya snorted, “I’m tired too. I hope the others arrive soon.” 

“We don’t even need them. If we pushed forward, we could win.”

“We don’t know that Kal. You’ve seen the things hiding in their waters. We need more warriors before we make a push.”

She was right, but still, Kaldero didn’t like giving so much ground. They still weren’t even sure what they were after, well… except for chitin. He’d seen their warriors wearing the corpses of dead spiders. Was that enough for them to start a bloody war like this? It didn’t make sense to Kaldero, but Caleb was much better at thinking of things like this. He understood the minds of warlike people.

Kaldero’s eyes closed slowly, enjoying the warmth of Saya next to him.

Before he knew it, he was asleep.

***

Glo poured over maps, tracing the paths that the Scaled Warriors had been following. The Goblin town was directly in their path, but he couldn’t place why they would want it. If help didn’t arrive in the next couple days, he’d be forced to order it abandoned, but something in him told him that was a bad idea. 

A lieutenant entered the tent, and Glo looked up. “Spirit Glo, you should listen to this report.”

Glo frowned, but followed the goblin over to one of the scout tents. Monsters stood tall as he passed, bowing or showing necks in respect. 

A High Goblin Spider Tamer rested next to her Ambush Spider, several cuts marring her body. She stood up as Glo approached, then glanced at the lieutenant

“Tell him what you saw,” The lieutenant said. 

The goblin nodded, and awkwardly turned to Glo, “Spirit Glo, after the retreat was ordered, Ak’ik and I stayed behind to help stragglers escape through the tunnels before they flooded. A group of their warriors gathered above us. I… I watched as they dragged a goblin warrior to them.” She gulped, retreating into herself as her eyes gained distance, “He was bound, unable to move.” She closed her eyes, “An unevolved scaled warrior was brought over with a… strange dagger. A shaman did something, I don’t know what, but they did something, and the unevolved Scaled Warrior killed the goblin. And then, well, they evolved.” 

Glo’s eyes narrowed as he realized the implications, “They meant for him to evolve?”

The Spider Tamer nodded.

And it clicked. The reason they were fighting, why they were heading to the city. Somehow, the lizards could guarantee an evolution by killing Risha’s people. 

It explained the sudden increase in evolved enemies, and why they could match his armies inch by inch. 

It was terrifying as he realized the full implications. 

He’d hoped that those taken prisoners were just made into slaves, but if they were all dead, used for this ritual… could it do more than evolve the unevolved? Could they guarantee an evolution for even those who’d already evolved?

This was a war for power in more ways than one.

Glo spun around, moving towards his tent. His people would need to know, and they’d need to make preparations.