The alabaster city which had become Naija's second home was now under attack from brutal invaders with the forms and minds of insects. She like the others had heard the deities' call to arms, and lent her talents as a healer to keep the warriors from falling. Though untrained in spear and sword, her magic could reach much farther and faster than both to aid the injured and uplift the weary. In the back of her mind she worried for her friend Teu and her children, as well for her family in Abed. Surely they would be praying fervently for her safety every hour of the day once word of the invasion on Canelux reached Parvpora's shores. She could only hope that Teu and her family were somewhere safe. Sliding her fingers across the strings with a flourish, a burst of color shimmered in the air as healing light descended upon the soldiers bravely fighting to protect Mamlak. 

Right now she was on a high point in the city, behind defenses quickly constructed by the builders from Yovaesh. It was the first time she was performing out of sight, but she couldn't take the risk of being shot by archers or seen by flying insects from above. As long as the healers kept the warriors strong, they in turn would keep the healers safe. They could not continue to breathe without the other. The small window allowed her to see the fighting below and better target those in need of healing. In turn, she could envelop the insect raiders in bright colorful light to reveal their locations to defenders. Although sheltered, the minstrel was still very vulnerable. She could not revive the dead, and at best she could conjure swirling wings to force attackers away. In her heart she offered up silent prayers to the past gods to watch over the gods who were now engaged in battle. They were the world's shining beacon of hope against what seemed to be an endless horde.

Derek waited with the others of his company, his hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword. The shield strapped firmly to his other arm wasn't getting heavy yet, but he knew from experience that by the end of the day everything from his shoulder down would be aching. The battles had been going without a chance to stop and take a breather. Since leaving his home to join the mercenary company, the Crimson Kings, and do his part to defend Canelux, he had seen far more of the world than he ever thought he would. There had been humid jungles, frozen tundras, he had flown through the air and traveled over the oceans. All experiences that he would only dream of in his sleepy life back when he was a city guard. The negative side to all this travel and sight seeing was that every day was fraught with dangers. The only time he moved from one life or death situation was because he was being sent into another. This was the first chance he had really had to wonder what life would be like for him after this was over. Would he stay with the mercenaries, or go back to his old life? A horn sounded, cutting off the thoughts before he could spend too much time contemplating them. He listened carefully and drew his sword when he confirmed it was their signal. It was time for them to attack. The bastard sword cleared it's sheath with a whisper, and he could hear the sounds of his companions doing the same thing. Taking a deep breath, he waited for the command to be shouted by the man in charge, gearing himself up for the combat he was soon to be thrust into.

"CHARGE!" the order was given, and the Crimson Kings responded. A tide of red cloaked soldiers poured forth. Derek himself was in a company with ten other men, eleven having been a strange number when he began but now he just accepted it as a fact of life. There were a few others, but they weren't his concern. The only thing that concerned him now was the insect masses he was charging towards and the men on either side of him. Someone started roaring and Derek found himself joining his own voice to the shout. He held his blade up and at the ready, feet pounding over the ground. The sound was terrible, but he was getting used to it by now. He had his shield up in front of him, ready to protect him from any attacks the insect might launch at their charging line. Something strange was happening to the insect mob that Derek and the others were closing in on. They were sparkling, shining with multicolored light. It wasn't enough to halt them, not now, but it was something strange. Derek braced himself as his line met with the enemies.

The following minutes passed in flashes of sound and color, images frozen in his vision. A green insect, humanoid in shape, thrusting a spear at him. He had knocked it aside with his shield and the next thing he knew his sword was buried in the chest of the insect. A black insect with four arms and four swords hacked apart one of Derek's red cloaked comrades. One moment the human was standing, the next he wasn't. Derek and two others formed a shield wall and together they managed to force the insect back while a fourth came around from behind. There was hacking, slashing, stabbing. Derek's leather chest piece managed to protect him from one blade, but he was vaguely aware that another must have gotten through it. There was a pain in his side, but  it didn't last for long. A warm feeling suffused him, and aches and pains he hadn't even been aware of were washed away. He almost felt rejuvenated, back to how he had felt this morning after waking. Was he being healed right now? The thought was struck from his mind as a giant ant, the size of a lion came rushing at them. What he wouldn't give for spears right now. 

From above, a screech pierced the air like a siren as a flame burning bright crashed into the swarms of insects. From the smoke and fire a brilliant phoenix swooped back up into the sky to prepare for another dive. A young girl with hair like fire charged into the fray, sending herself flying with the wind beneath her feet. Fists clad in volcanic fury slammed into the giant ant as Gale made contact. Despite her appearance, her blows stunned the great insect. Taking the initiative, she sent a scorching wind into its face forcing it to back away. Their bodies were strong and well-protected, yet they still were sensitive to heat like their smaller kindred. The back of her neck was wet with perspiration, yet she was unfazed by the rising heat. As much as she loved living beings great and small, these only sought to tear down and destroy. Sending herself up into the air just in time to avoid the giant ant's ramming charge, she used the currents to send herself hurtling down onto its back. For a brief moment she saw a point on the large insect's body illuminate, as if to tell her she should focus there. Then, it was gone.

Placing her trust in the vision she had seen, she directed her momentum onto that point. With a battle cry, the tough chitinous exterior of the ant buckled and the insect let out cries of pain. The searing heat worked its way inside the exposed interior, cooking it from within. With injuries too great, the ant collapsed with twitching antennae as it gave up its last breath. A gentle warmth washed over her and her weariness was taken away, granting her strength to continue on. Quickly she moved onto the next of the insects' beasts of burden. Without the protection of heavy armor she was in danger of taking a fatal blow. A sphinx descended from above to sweep her up above the battlefield in its lion-like claws. Sidra carried her high until she found a suitable place to let the young dream-walker go, and Gale used the winds to slow her descent. 

Standing before the edge of the jungle, she noticed most were focused on fighting the invaders already within the city. They were doing their best, but if more of the insects were to arrive, their efforts alone might not be enough. Closing her eyes, she breathed in as she felt the ebb and flow of Mamlak's place in the realm of dreams. She could sense the deepest wishes of those in battle, their hopes, their fears. All of the warriors, healers, sorcerers, and others fighting to protect Mamlak had a single desire that resonated above everything–for the war to end and the city to be safe. Calling upon that great wish, Gale unleashed a wildfire that burned a phosphorescent emerald hue. The fire from the realm of dreams spread rapidly, forming a barrier to deter the raiders from rallying reinforcements on that side on foot.

Feeling the burn of fatigue in her arms and legs, she hurried back to the central square. At once she could feel that comforting warmth envelop her again. Clasping her hands together, she called upon the spirit of an old friend. "O revered warrior of battles long past, Bahadur lend us your strength!" The ground trembled as the thundering trumpet of a spectral war elephant announced its return. Mighty as he had been in life, the ghostly pachyderm charged through the lines, plowing through the smaller insect foot soldiers. Their weapons passed through him with no effect as they were tossed into the air by a sweep of his tusks. When he had thrown part of the enemy lines into disarray, he vanished–returning to the spirit realm.

She could hear the sounds of the Conclave's forces raising their voices outside the walls. Had they done it? Had they finally pushed back the invading forces, reclaiming Mamlak? A hopeful glance out the window showed the battle lines pushing in the allied forces' favor. Strumming the strings of her sitar her music moved to a theme of celebration, sending joy and happiness through the air. But the ballad was cut short as the tide quickly changed. The droning of beating wings drowned out any other sound as a new wave of insects came down from the skies. This time their numbers were even greater, and they hadn't come from the south or east as expected. Naija looked on in horror as they appeared. These were more than reinforcements; this was tantamount to the first invasion itself! Letting out a scream when an arrow whizzed past her and embedded itself into the opposite wall, she backed away from the window and quickened the notes on her instrument's strings.

If the invaders never intended for the first wave to succeed, then they had planned to simply wear down their forces from the beginning. New armed beetles and flying archers entered the fray, cutting into Mamlak soldiers with cold brutality. The war elephants were besieged by humanoid ants and crickets on all sides while massive horned beetles broke through the line. The new arrivals were ruthless, even trampling their own comrades which had assisted in weakening Mamlak's defenses underfoot. Fearing for her own safety, the minstrel began conjuring powerful whirlwinds to surround her position to discourage the insects from coming closer. Any arrows were drawn away by the currents and sent elsewhere, and insects caught up in the vortex were thrown out. She had to quickly change songs to resume healing the fighters below, all the while praying that she would be able to renew the winds before the enemy noticed she could not maintain two at the same time. While she still could, she chose to switch to another ballad to grant all allies physical and magical protection. Colorful radiance diffused over the area, blessing those within range. 

The next minutes felt like ages as she fervently rotated between melodies: bolstering the warriors, healing the wounded, protecting herself from being targeted, and spiriting those who were too injured to continue to safety. Initially she had thought the war was almost over; now she knew in reality it had only just begun.

Derek swallowed hard, looking from left to right and feeling only a little better as the rest of his company appeared on either side of him. He didn't have time to count them, only to raise his shield and brace along with the others as they formed a shield wall. The idea was futile. Even if they hadn't already seen these giant ants tear through human defenders like they weren't even there, it was simple common sense that the creature was going to be inhumanly strong. Regular ants had strength far superior to their relative size, so make them giant and, well maybe one of them would get lucky and strike it down, stopping it from hurting others. With spears they might have had a chance to hold it back, strike from afar. There was a screech that pierced the cacophony of battle, drawing Derek's eye from his death as it charged right at him. A seething mass of insects was scattered, burned and torn apart by a flaming bird. Was that really a phoenix? He had never thought he would see one.

Movement in front of him drew his focus away from the incredible sight in time to see a person crash into the side of the ant, right as it was about to connect with the shield wall. He and the others could do nothing but watch on as, what appeared to be a girl, tore into the giant ant with fist that glowed with heat and fire. The exchange didn't last long. The girl tossed the ant about like it was a rag doll before finally flipping it onto it's back and finishing it. Derek felt himself cheering, and heard his comrades doing the same thing. It was people like that who were going to win this war against the insects. Derek knew that he himself was just a man, but he was still willing to do whatever it took to do his part. Some strange chimera swooped down and plucked the mage from the field of battle and flew off, leaving Derek to survey the battlefield and his company. Including himself, there were seven left of the eleven that had charged down here. He looked around and could see scattered pockets of red cloaks. It would be best to form up with others, safety in numbers. The enemy, though, had far superior numbers. Derek grimaced, but gripped his sword tighter. This is what they were here for.

Derek waited for the next set of orders, watching the battle. It looked like the defenders were doing well, they might even stand a chance at ending this soon. Green flames rose up, cutting off one side where the insect might have otherwise brought in reinforcements. Derek sighed with relief. He couldn't read battles, he didn't have close to enough experience to do that. Anything that cut off more insects from joining the fight was a good thing, though. The order was given to attempt to join the nearest other unit of Crimson Kings, to bolster their numbers and continue the fight. They began jogging over, watching as the humans they rushed to join pushed back another attack by the insects. There were only a few of them left. They wouldn't last much longer, not without help. Derek began pushing himself harder, hoping to get there sooner, when a strange looking elephant charged through the insects. Their weapons seemed to pass right through it, but it had no problem with crushing them and flinging them around. They rejoined with the other mercenaries and all them stood and watched as the elephant did it's thing and disappeared.

After that they were able to catch their breath. The battle was definitely turned in their favor, their was no doubting that now. With the remnants of the other unit they were back to full strength and the two commanders were discussing what to do next, who was going to lead the unit as a whole. Those kinds of things. Derek had enough time to wonder where exactly he had lost his own cloak when a horrible buzzing began to fill the air. All talk stopped as the group looked around for the source of the sound. Huge flying insects descended on the battlefield, and a rumbling began to shake the earth as more charged through the lines of defenders on the ground. Derek's heart stopped. There were too many of them. The defenders were stretched too thin. They were going to die! This was hopeless! They had to flee! Get to the walls!

A warmth began to sink into his body, and with it came a calm he hadn't been feeling seconds before. He felt brave again, confident. He looked at his comrades and saw that they were feeling the same way. They could do this. A flying insect went zipping by overhead, out of their reach. If only they had some ranged fighters in their unit, they might be able to stop some of those insects from reaching the city. Well, that wasn't going to happen so no point wasting any time on it. "Come on you apes, you wanna live forever?" shouted their now leader, the one from the other unit. He was an older man, a veteran. With his cry they all charged the lines of insect charging right at them. Derek found himself roaring, his feet pounding on the ground as they got closer.

(Wonder if there are any other Starship Trooper quotes floating around..)

As the battle raged on, the earth began to quake and tremble beneath their feet. Like a rushing wind, its quickness and strength took both enemy and ally by surprise. Nearly thrown to her feet the young dream-walker braced herself and saw a miraculous sight unfold before her. The roots of a great tree appeared reaching far across the land, yet everything passed through it. With each shake others found it harder to stand and even the insects in the air were falling as if the world itself was being moved. Sidra and Asha were forced to land unable to remain in flight. Then, iridescent pieces began to break off and rain down from the sky! …The sky was falling.

A strange feeling was in the air. It was unlike anything Gale could imagine. Could it be the power of the gods? She didn't know. It had completely overtaken the battle, the land awash with its presence. The great roots of the spirit-tree grew brighter with a thousand colors in the dream-walker's eyes. Like hands they were grasping for something beyond what she could see. Standing in awe, she was pulled out of the moment of reverie by the sphinx bounding towards her. "What are you standing around for? We'll be in danger unless we keep moving! Now hurry and get on!" The phoenix perched herself on the girl's shoulder as they ran.

Climbing onto Sidra's back, Gale held tight as she looked around them. "Do you feel it, Sidra?" She asked aloud. "Something is changing in the world. I wonder what it is?" If she could put that sensation into words, it was akin to scales falling from her eyes revealing the world for what it truly was–something more wondrous and fantastical than any dream.

Waves upon waves, ripples in the every world itself shook the city. Naija was now holding on to whatever could keep her steady, wondering if the building she was in would collapse. She prayed it would not–it was her only shelter from being attacked from the invaders outside. A powerful surge of magic filled the atmosphere as something was changing, something beyond her grasp of comprehension. Braving a look out the window, she saw cracks in the sky. Then, pieces started to fall. Pieces colored like the sky itself, yet the sky was still whole. What was happening? That sensation of magical power swelled stronger by the second, it was almost overwhelming! She took this chance to resume playing her music once more, giving her all. Soon, she thought to herself. Soon the war would end and peace would return. The battles intensified outside as the power of the gods rushed through the City of the Golden Lion, overturning the tide of combat. 

Something was energizing her own magic, making it stronger. Could it be the Deity of Magic himself bolstering them all? As long as the gods were still standing, then they still had hope of victory. Unlike the rest of Parvpora, Abed bore a greater devotion to the gods than most places in Canelux. No matter who they were, the gods were given praise. This was the heart of those of the Blessed Isle, the land that escaped the terrors of the Godslayer War. Naija's songs intertwined new lyrics, new stanzas and variations to inspire hope and passion in the heart of hearts of those below. Her voice carried by the wind glorified the greatness of the Conclave, reminding the battle-weary of what they all desired–a hope for tomorrow. For tomorrow to come, they must fight hard and win. To see the sun rise once more, to experience the dawn of a new day, they must join hands and hearts to push back and keep Mamlak safe once and for all.

Ballads of the hunt were sang to rouse all to arms, to continue and endure. After uplifting their spirits she brought them focus and let the sparks of determination fan into flames. Washing away their wounds, weariness, and sorrows the minstrel sang until she felt as if her voice would give out. The only time she gave pause was to drink potions of magic and healing to replenish her own strength. Naija did not know how long the war had lasted outside her tower, but when a loud roar of victory overtook the air, she felt her heart flutter and leap in her chest. The familiar shouts of the warriors turned to chanting, and the clash of metal became a rhythm. Daring to expose her head outside the window, she saw the fighters–their fighters–standing strong with weapons and shields held high. With no voice to cry out, the Abedi bard cried tears of joy. Clasping her hands, she mouthed words of silent praise to all the gods she could remember. Gods of the past and present, the Moon Sisters of legend, even her own ancestors–she was overflowing with gratitude to whatever benevolent entity that had allowed them to see another day. At last, Mamlak was saved.

When all of this was over, no…when she had the chance she would find her friend Teu and see how she and her children were. They would talk and laugh again, and she would see the smiles of her friend's son and daughter. Yes, they would all be together…safe and sound. Her parents and sisters would be so happy to hear that the gods had succeeded in fighting off the cruel invaders. With Canelux protected, Parvpora would not have to worry.

[Going to wrap up my involvement here since the event is over]

Derek sat in the tent, perched on the edge of the cot, stripped to his waist as he cleaned his armor. He had finished with his blade, storing it carefully. He ached all over, he himself was still filthy but he knew that if he stopped for even a moment then he would collapse in to a deep sleep and he still had things he needed to do. The battle had been long, hard. They had been victorious, though. Later they would mourn their dead, but for now he maintained his gear. The work was repetitive, monotonous, something he had done so many times that he could switch off his mind and allow his body to just do what needed to be done. That's what he needed. Some time, in silence, where he didn't have to think about all those who had fallen.