Thanus54

The Sentinels went into a full-blown panic. Our people rough-lighted out, flashing off in groups as fast as possible. We had to make split decisions, but the actual children had left a while ago. Kiromir had already started a slow evacuation. Feathers, I loved that stupid man. He had a nose for trouble sometimes that made my own instincts seem like crap. Either that, or he got petty with Rolyn. Either way, Wanderers win.

Meticulously, Kiromir executed the evacuation. All the training that he’d done with the flock paid off. Conditioning us for keywords and to act on Anil without thought was brilliant. Everyone marched to his shouted words. Only a few of us remained, scurrying among the Sentinels. They grouped up, taking the rough light haphazardly. They had no evacuation plans, or if they did, they weren’t following it. Stragglers scurried about, clueless, damn near kids; some were kids, left behind by parents and scrambling for groups for rough light.

Who the hell leaves their kid behind!?

“HOLD!” I shouted and grabbed a few straggling kids. I shoved them to a haphazardly grouped circle.

“Don’t leave the kids behind!” I snarled. I had done just that. They took the rough light, and I looked up to see Kiromir and the rest of our remaining hunters helping. They made them organize rough light groups.

Gunfire racketed off in the distance as I checked empty tents, collapsing them as I went. The gunfire roared, and I could see holes being punctured through the canvas.

A strangled cry sounded out as Kiromir shouted.

“WANDERERS, GROUP UP!” His Anil triggered them, sending the remnants of us into a huddle. We did all we could. Our duties were to the flock, then family. The Sentinels were not our flock, nor our family. At this point, we aided the enemy.

The bullets didn’t stop; my gut wrenched as I saw one of the Sentinel warriors running, fleeing from a fucking human with a gun. A stupid little human with a stupid little bullet! The Sentinel’s body was a tank compared to me, broader and more defined. He could probably eat lead for breakfast and be fine…

I almost laughed at the scene and froze as I watched him jolt. Bullets hit from behind, and the front of his chest blossomed with bright red blood. The gunfire drew closer, bullets pinging off things around us. Another shot hit the Sentinal soldier. He jolted as a red mist sprayed from the side of his neck.

He looked down with slow-motion horror and fell to his knees. His body writhed, and his mana took him from within, leaving him just a slew of ashes. Finally, Kiromir, Krell, and Quinn stared on with horror as Nodak shouted a name in utter shock.

“RETREAT,” I shouted as Nodak readied himself to charge.

“THAT WAS MY COUSIN,” Nodak shouted as he covered his mouth in horror. We didn’t often see our own die, not like this at any rate.

“So is half the flock, ya dimwit!” I shouted back. Nodak couldn’t decide whether to move or follow orders. This would cost him later because I couldn’t trust his judgment anymore. So, I grabbed him and ran towards Kiromir, Nodak fighting me the entire way.

“He’s gone! Suck it up and move on. It’ll be you or I next,” I said.

“We can’t just let these assholes get away with it!” Nodak headed into a full panic blitz. I felt his ikris twitching, lost in shell shock.

Earlier, He watched Niala and Gaff get taken, then the explosion, and now, all around us, we could see fleeing Sentinels dropping and being consumed. Nodak couldn’t fight me forever.

Kiromir waved us down, and I don’t know if he saw what I did. His mind was in other clouds, with Niala.

Flock first, then family.

They were my family now.