Fall

Kane

He listened to Piper’s breathless story. Slowly, pieces fit together. Why the East had stopped communication. Why the Queen had never been seen.

She had been in the North, executing a double-edged revolution. Waiting for Charlotte to be picked, to grow to be a contender for the throne. Learning their ways and rising to a Council member. Playing the part of an Elben diplomat. Life, Kane had never even heard an accent from Lady Harper. It was genius.

And we had been in her way, Flint thought. No wonder she tried to kill us.

She’s still trying, Kane said. Just with an army this time.

“Why is the earth quicksand?” Piper asked after she finished.

A chuckle came from behind her. “That’s because of me, I’m afraid.”

Cooper twirled his mustache. The inventor had arrived shortly before Piper, and had started his vitrum counterattack. “We have little control once the spheres are broken.”

“Do you know they’re splitting up the units?” Piper said. Reine growled at her side.

Donovan nodded. “We do. And that’s why drastic measures are being taken.”

“Can we warn our soldiers?” Piper pressed.

A guilty pause rushed in like a tide, then pulled away.

“With everyone everywhere, it’s hard to not warn the whole battlefield,” Cooper said.

Donovan cleared his throat. “It’s a calculated risk.”

Piper’s face passed a rare shade of anger. Kane found this more distressing than if she had yelled. Although Reine was probably doing most of that through their link.

Aren’t you lucky.

Don’t be smug, Kane said with a smile.

Flint flicked his ears. Does she have any other suggestions on how to end this battle?

When he repeated this to Piper, she frowned in concentration. “Let me think.”

Donovan spread his hands. “We have all day. Or however many hours it takes for them to get past our boundaries.”

Atlas and Milla were admitted into their circle. By their faces, Kane could tell the meeting with Trene had not gone well.

“What’s wrong?” he said.

“Trene’s going to enter on their side,” Atlas spat. On his heels, Hudson looked concerned.

“Why? We have a treaty, don’t we?” Donovan demanded.

“They have another treaty. With the East-West.” Milla sighed and put a hand on June’s soft nose. The donkey nuzzled her shoulder. “She crossed us.”

“Nell thinks we killed Loy.” Atlas wouldn’t move his eyes from the vitrum map. Faceless units fought below him and fell without sound.

“He killed himself,” Donovan ground out. “He put himself right in the blast range.”

“He sacrificed himself,” Piper said. They turned to her, and she paled slightly. “He knew I had to drop the vitrum to end the battle.”

Kane had to say it. “A… calculated risk.”

“But these men and woman don’t know what’s coming.” Piper bit her lip. “There has to be another way. We can’t destroy our own.”

“If we do nothing while they’re being singled out and slaughtered, it will be worse,” Cooper added. He adjusted the koala on his back, which was awake for once. “Because we’ll perish. Or be tortured by the Seinish.”

“We need Trene,” Milla said. “They can tip the scales in our favor without swallowing the whole field.”

Kane could tell his father was fighting to keep calm. “We can’t get through to Trene.”

Milla tented her hands. “We have a way. If we can send a messenger back to Elbe, they can have a sample of vitrum sent to Nell. It will satisfy the treaty.”

“The plant will wither and die outside our borders,” Cooper said.

In the buzz of conversation, Reine let out a simmering growl. It was quiet at first, but rose until it was louder than their voices. They looked to Piper again.

Flint’s interest was piqued. What is it, Amur?

“I have something to help.” She bent to pick up her pack, then pulled out what appeared to be clear rope. It was coiled and smooth, with pointed leaves placed sporadically.

“Is that…” Cooper trailed off. His mouth was in a small O.

Piper gave a laugh. “Vitrum.”

Atlas

“Well, someone has all the answers today,” Donovan huffed, but his eyes were full of joy. Of hope.

Atlas took the rope in his hands. It was clear and delicate as glass, but flexible like a living plant. Like a vine. “How is this possible?”

“If it’s a long story, save it for later. We need to get this to Trene.” Donovan rolled his shoulders. “Round two.”

Atlas met eyes with his old mentor. Milla nodded. “We should go.”

Cooper was chatting with a messenger. He clapped his hands as the messenger scurried away. “Okay, move like a rabid rabbit folks. The quicksand by our trench is starting to harden. Once everything’s back to normal, the fighting will get close again.”

Slinging the vine over his shoulder, Atlas ducked out of the camp’s core. Milla was with him in a heartbeat. She talked fast.

“Nell may not give us a chance at redemption. You know that.”

She’s the one that needs redemption, Hudson said. Atlas relayed his words.

Milla grimaced. “From our view.” One of her first lessons came back to Atlas in echoes. To win a fight, think like the enemy, then you will know what they least expect.

Outside the blockade of tents, the winter squall was picking up. Atlas didn’t know the West had storms like this. Perhaps it was worse because there was nothing to stop the raging wind.

Trene had a more secure setup than last time, with a forming camp and defined layers of defense. They were led a bit reluctantly to Nell.

The canvas room they were in shuddered under winter’s breath. Nell was already agitated when they came in, perhaps because her preparations were less than suitable for this weather. “What do you yetis want?”

Treehouse club, Atlas wanted to retort.

We want their help, Hudson reminded him.

Thankfully, Milla spoke before he could. “We have satisfied our end of the bargain.”

“Oh?” Nell said. She leaned her elbows on her foldup desk, mouth smirking.

Atlas placed the vitrum vine on the wood. It clacked as its leaves settled.

Nell blinked. Her squirrel fera chittered to itself.

“And it’s before midday,” Milla continued. “So there is only our partnership ahead.”

“Unless,” Atlas hovered over the vine, “you don’t want this?”

Nell’s face sharpened. “Of course I want this.” She tapped her fingers on the desk. “I can give you fifty—“

“One hundred percent of your cooperation, one hundred percent of your force.” Milla was unwavering in her terms. “You are with or against us, Nell.”

“You didn’t let me finish,” Nell grumbled. “Trene will be with you.”

Piper

Trumpets of war blared, and Piper’s heart fluttered as Trene started to enter the fight. They ran in their winter camouflage, shadows in the storm. All the fera of the forest were with them. Deer bounding, wolves howling, bears lumbering at a fantastic rate towards the boiling field. A few foxes stood out in the white plain, streaks of bright red, and it made Piper’s stomach twist.

When they collided, the armies were at first confused which side the forest territory claimed, or if they were entering as a third force. It was only until a weakened unit cried out, For Elbe and Trene took up the call, were the Northern faces changed from panic to surprise.

Piper searched the crowd. She saw a thousand soldiers, but none of them were Finch. Where had he gone? He had been killed as soon as they entered the fray from the Eastern front? No, she couldn’t accept that. Wouldn’t.

A bandage covered her shoulder, but she was otherwise unscarred. Tennyson had more injuries, but they were in the mend. Joul was the worst off. The medic tent had put him on high priority in the makeshift hospital.

Three against two. No matter how much the East-West had outnumbered them before, the fresh army of Trene had given them an unprecedented advantage. Along with the occasional vitrum explosion or well-placed disaster from Cooper, they were bleeding out fast.

Soldiers of red and green were fleeing into the jungle. It started in the rear with the command tents, and then slowly came to the front when the foundation behind them cracked. The gold, blue and white-gray of the North’s allies gave chase, meeting them right into the thicket. All the snakes and Eastern creatures that she had feared before were slithering away.

She watched them corner the enemy force, back them out of the plains. She imagined the East-West running through the murky jungle, slipping on vines as she had. Going until they reached the bridge highway to Seine. Jumping into the brackish water to swim alongside their brothers. Fighting crocodiles.

Dark, Reine said. She scuffed her paws on a thin pileup of snow. The storm had ebbed into just the threat of clouds.

They’ve been dark to us. Piper sighed, letting the image fade. They took her parents. Took any sense of normalcy she had before she could defend herself.

But what do you have now? Reine said. You still have a home. A family. She bumped her nose against Piper’s hand. You have me, don’t you?

Yeah. Piper pat Reine’s head. “I’ve got you,” she whispered.