The rain hammered down on the village, relentless and cold, drumming against the rooftops and turning the narrow streets into rivers of rushing water. The swollen river groaned against its banks, threatening to burst forth and swallow the land. High in the boughs of the ancient tree, Lily shivered as cold droplets seeped through her hood, pooling before spilling down her back. The shock of the icy rain yanked her from sleep. Heart pounding, she clung tightly to a branch, peering cautiously through the wet leaves.
The guard rotation was on its final shift change before the cycle would begin anew. If she moved now, the storm would cloak her footsteps and wash away any trace of passage. This was her chance.
With careful, deliberate movements, Lily climbed higher, sighting the path to the roof that she would need to traverse. She closed her eyes, reaching inward, and called on her brother once more. From shadow and whisper, a new form coalesced—a woman's figure, pale and gaunt, hair streaked with gray, arms wrapped tightly in tattered bindings.
"Sister?" Lily breathed, startled.
"We have no time," the figure said, voice cold and urgent. "Father sent me. I am here to aid you."
Lily's eyes narrowed. "Aid me how? With what?"
The figure's shape twisted, pointing toward the village streets below. "A foul magic has rooted here. Whatever you seek to accomplish, you will need my skills more than Ethoe's."
Lily exhaled sharply, frustration bubbling beneath her skin. "If Father commands it, then so be it."
Suddenly, a horn bellowed through the storm, its echo cutting like a blade. "Help! Please, Holy Knights! Help!"
From the barracks, armored knights poured out, weapons drawn, shields strapped tight. One stepped forward, voice cold as steel. "What is the meaning of this?"
A man collapsed into the mud, trembling. "Monsters... attacking... killing them all!"
The knight grabbed the man's collar, lifting him with inhuman strength. "Pull yourself together! You speak nonsense!"
The man whimpered, clutching his face. "They're dying... all of them."
Without warning, a ragged figure lurched out from a shadowed alley. The knight raised his sword, shouting, "Speak! Are you fleeing for aid?"
The creature answered with a ghastly wheeze, a face mangled beyond recognition—jaw hanging loose, bloodied and broken.
In a swift, practiced motion, the knight swung, cleaving the monstrosity in half from shoulder to hip. Other knights stepped forward, faces unreadable beneath their helmets, beginning a methodical examination.
"Bite marks?" one asked, voice clipped.
"No."
"Charm? Spell brand? Hex bag?"
"Negative."
Lily's breath caught. The knights peeled apart the creature's armor, revealing the insignia beneath.
"It's one of ours... a fallen knight."
"Yes. The under armor matches the standard issued to our guards here."
The knights straightened instantly, voices dropping to curt, businesslike commands.
"Inform Commander Panagiot. We have an undead outbreak."
One knight broke into a sprint toward the office, while another drew a horn from his belt and began a steady, rhythmic blast. The call echoed through the rain-soaked air.
At once, the scattered knights on patrol and those inside the compound moved with chilling precision—forming ranks, fastening shields, grasping spears with practiced ease. Their steps echoed in perfect unison across the stone as they assembled into a living wall of steel and discipline.
A scream shattered the clatter of rain and armor.
Lily turned to see a mob of villagers barreling toward the office gates, their faces twisted with terror. Behind them surged a writhing mass of undead—claws raking the air, teeth snapping, bodies dragging through mud and flame.
The village firestorms surged higher, flames licking hungrily at the blackened sky, casting flickering orange shadows that danced on the rain-slicked streets.
Lily's heart seized, icy fingers wrapping tight around her chest, squeezing the breath from her lungs.
"Still your heart, little sister," Sarah's voice breathed beside her, calm and sure, "I will see that you survive this night."