Reeca exhaled against the pain with every flap of her wings. Sunlight glinted against her sword's blade as she turned it in her hands. Having weaved magic into it, it wouldn't dull or shatter. However, she couldn't take a life else she risk suffering a drawback according to the unwritten law of magic usage.

Thoughts of murder didn't bother her. This was war. Someone was bound to die or get hurt. What mattered was that Reeca got what she wanted out of it. Right now, killing people would prove vital. If she could get to Vikara's side, then she could finally move on with the plan.

All was well.

Reeca hovered in the clouds, squinting her eyes at the developing battle below for a perfect chance to strike. Vikara's army had moved past the moat despite Nyxis's sentiments against it. From the Palace's side, Civil Knights struggled to haul the large drawbridge before enemy riders could pass.

What was once full of merchant carts two hours ago, the bridge was clear and pronounced welcome for Vikara's army. From Reeca's place in the sky, she spotted the twins, Viktir and Pikard, astride two identical dagrines. She rolled her eyes. Even in choice animals, those two didn't bother choosing something different from each other.

Behind the twins were at least five hundred men both on foot and astride riding animals. All shouted as they ran through the first gate to lead them into the Palace's first wall. The sound of gears turning caught Reeca's attention.

Crossbows from the crenellations turned towards the attacking army. Knights dressed in gold armor manned the contraptions, aiming at random points. The battle has begun.

She angled her body, sheathed her sword, and spread her wings. Then, she dove. The wind ruffled her hair as she tore through the clouds and towards the twins. The region commanders stayed at the edge closest to the bridge outside the first wall. Beyond them, their men fought to take control of the gates.

The twins grinned when they glimpsed at Reeca. She landed beside Viktir's horse and cleared her throat.

"Where do you need me?" Reeca asked. Viktir raised an eyebrow and Pikard tapped his chin. Unlike everyone around her, she knew which was which. Their main difference? The presence of moles on their right cheek.

"Ah, you should not be here, mirchanka," Pikard shook his head. "Vikara will be annoyed you disobeyed her."

Viktir clapped his brother in the arm then lashed out. Reeca ducked as Viktir's fingers closed around an arrow shaft. Her eyes widened as her heartbeat soared. That was close. It was crossbow ammunition. It would have pierced her neck if it succeeded.

Viktir threw the arrow into the moat behind him. Reeca barely heard the water splash over the screams and the metal clanging over the battlefield. Where was Nyxis?

Viktir pointed northwest. "Help those runts," he scratched his armpit. Reeca followed his gaze and winced as men fitted with spare armor parts tumbled into the edge of the grassy edge and plopped into the murky water. Oh. Those runts.

Pikard shrugged. "A lot of 'em do not even know what a sword looks like. Much less swing them around to actually hurt."

Reeca spotted a sword saddled against Viktir's ride's flank. She wrapped her fingers around the hilt and pulled. The sound made a satisfying shriek as it slid off. Viktir's dagrine surprisingly remained still Huh, perhaps she should get herself one of these.

"Can I borrow this?" She tried a few slashes, balancing the sword in her wrist. It was heavy but it'll do. In fact, it'll do well.

She took Viktir's chuckle as an acknowledgement and spread her wings. She rose from the ground with two flaps. "Northwest?"

Viktir nodded. Reeca dashed off.

From a distance, the sky flashed black and forks of dark lightning rained down on the gold-plated knights. Nyxis? True enough, Reeca caught sight of the human's silky, dark hair whishing around. Vulkraine ran in circles in the middle of the battlefield, clucking in ways that Reeca was sure normal fowls didn't. Was that Nyxis's work as well?

Damn, he'd be a pain in the flap should they end up as enemies.

Her foot slammed into the grass just in time to slash her sword in a wide arc. Blood sprayed. Probably some unsuspecting Knight. A tower loomed over her and blocked the afternoon sun. A growl escaped her throat as she ducked, hooked her leg around an enemy soldier, and rammed her foot on the breastplate. Vibrations traveled to her knees as the Knight slid backward and disappeared along the edge.

The men from the twins' region blinked at her while she lunged at Civil Knight after the other. Then, they got over their shock and started pressing against the golds with renewed vigor. Reeca switched her sword hand with the heavy sword tiring her joints. She parried a swinging sword.

The Civil Knight bore down on her until a sword spouted in the middle of his chest. Reeca fell to the ground, momentarily stunned. A man offered his hand to help her up. Something flashed behind him. Reeca took his hand, hauled herself up, and swung the man around to intercept a sword aimed for his head.

Close.

"Hey, thanks," Reeca hissed at the man who saved her. She flapped her wings to push her attacker backward. Then, she lunged and wedged her sword in the kink between the shoulder pad and the breastplate. Spot on.

The Civil Knight screamed and Reeca drew her sword clean to meet another sword against her. Vikara's men tore through the initial line of Civil Knights and Reeca did her best to assist them by tripping soldiers, intercepting swinging swords in blind spots, kicking between the legs, or cutting off an arm of two.

The air smelled of burnt animal hair, blood, and sweat. Reeca's breath hitched as she blocked another strike against her. The sun glared against Reeca's eyes but it did give her enough insight into the metal the Knight's sword was made of.

Unlike the normal steel Humans use, this sword didn't reflect Reeca's eyes back at her. Strange. What was this metal? Rather, what were its effects?

She got her answer when the Knight swept Reeca's legs underneath her. His shin connected with her ankles. The world spun. Then, her cheek slammed into the grass. Pain shot into her neck.

The Knight brought his sword down, sinking into Reeca's shoulder. She screamed. Blood pooled. Her vision darkened. With a growl, Reeca lashed out and kicked the Knight in the chest. He stumbled back. Just what Reeca needed. She yanked the strange sword off her and swung.

A head with a helmet still on flew.

Reeca panted. She glanced at the wound vomiting blood on her shoulder. For now, there was no pain. Her magic would do its work soon.

She waited. Nothing happened. Her eyebrows met. Strange.

Reeca pressed her hand to her shoulder, winced, and summoned her magic. Weaving energy poked against her skin but recoiled when it came across the wound. Her heart sank. So, that's what it was.

Something Kymalin had said flashed back to her. A new kind of metal from foreign shores. One of its effects was that Umazuran magic wouldn't work against it. It was what they used for the flintlocks' bullets.

Reeca's head spun. Dwarven metal.

Just then, the crossbows lining the crenelation moved again. A cold realization dropped its weight on Reeca's gut. Arrows rained down.

"Fall back!" Reeca shouted above the battle noise. "Do not let the arrows hit you! Magic cannot heal its wounds!"

A few men listened and drove their enemies closer to the walls. Somewhere from inside the wall, Adresin's voice yelled, "Crush those rebels! Fire and do not stop!"

Arrows arced, each one seemingly aimed at every one of them. Reeca stretched her arms and called to her synnavaim. Weaving energy wrapped into the arrows nearest to her, stopping them from their intended trajectory. The rest outside her control slammed into the men. Cries of pain and of death rang in Reeca's ears.

By the time the first flood finished, an entire squadron of about a hundred men lay incapacitated at her feet.

Reeca cursed. She stretched her wings and aimed to fly towards the twins. Something slammed into her back and she stumbled. Strong hands wrapped around both her arms and hauled her up. Gold glinted against the bearing sunlight.

She squirmed but the hands tightened their hold. The wound on her shoulder began throbbing. Oh, dear gods. The Civil Knights holding her slapped the back of her legs and onward, she walked.

She was towards a spot by the gates where the rest of the army were being forced to kneel. To her right, she spotted Nyxis getting escorted as well. She gave him a nod.

When their escorts fell into step with each other, Nyxis stuck his bottom lip out at her. Aside from the grime coating his skin and his tunic, compared to Reeca, he looked pristine. "How you doing?" the prince greeted.

"Shut your trap!" the Knight holding him smacked him upside the head.

Nyxis's glare could have killed the man from there. Reeca swallowed a lump on her throat.

The Knights dropped them into the hazy pile. Guns with long barrels clicked and pointed at them as Civil Knights circled them. Reeca cast a look around and counted at least a hundred men and women with her. Was this all what's left?

Damn.

A groan cut Reeca's attention. She turned to see Pikard on his side. The pool of blood beneath him wasn't hard to miss. The half-blood grinned at her when he noticed her attention.

"Nice day for a slice, eh?" Pikard winced with the effort.

"Shut up for a moment, brother," Viktir snapped.

What's going to happen now?

The Knights parted and Adresin strolled in. His smug smile annoyed Reeca to an extent. His armor didn't even have a speck of blood or a scratch on it.

"Mother will be so proud of me," he threw his head back and tousled his hair. He wagged a finger at Vikara. "I quenched a rebellion. I am the rightful General, do you not think so?"

"No," Nyxis muttered.

Adresin's face hardened into a scowl. "I am amazed you are still alive, little brother," he hissed. At least a dozen rebels whipped to Nyxis with wide eyes. Most of them didn't even know they were fighting with Cardina's second prince. Well, for the record, he had Reeca duped too. She didn't expect a prince to be working in a bakery.

Adresin sucked in a frustrated breath. "You would do well in death so why can you not die?"

"You are more than welcome to try and kill me," Nyxis's cold gaze sent shivers even through Reeca's spine.

"I will let Mother deal with you," Adresin waved his hand.

Reeca and Nyxis locked eyes. An understanding passed between them. No one knew what happened in that tower except them. Perhaps they can use it to their advantage. But...how?

"Move along, boy," Viktir's tone was clipped and condescending. "My brother is hurt. I need to get him out of here."

Adresin's face reddened. "Do not dare call me boy," he jerked a finger towards Viktir's direction. "And I will not move along like some scullery maid! I quelled a rebellion! I should be praised!"

Reeca rolled her eyes.

"I do not know about squashing the rebellion," Viktir shrugged. "We have a few more tricks up our sleeves."

Before Adresin could open his mouth, Viktir put his fingers to his lips and blew. A sharp whistle speared into the empty, quiet air before dissipating with the wind.

Silence.

Adresin's lips curled into something halfway between confusion and amusement. He rolled his wrist as a wheezing laugh escaped from his chest. "That is it?"

In a flash, the guns pointed at them exploded into sand.

"Get him out of here, Viktir!" Nadia's red robes billowed as she dropped from the sky. "Get your asses off the ground. Do not kneel for that mongrel!"