A storm of high voices erupted; the red imps had begun shouting in communication devices. They saw that all vehicles that had left the hill were returning, and others were desperately cutting trees from the valley to make ramparts.

“What’s happening?” asked Ulius. “It was not my fault! I give you my word!

It was Frey’r’s, they all knew, but it was not the time to point fingers. Estella was panicking.

“The fog has shifted into storm clouds. A battle comes…” said Estella, trembling.

“From the patterns of movement, we think the warbeasts will attack us,” explained an engineer. “The connection was cut abruptly; they must think we killed Alienor and want revenge. That’s our theory, but be it right or no, they’ll attack. We have no other choice but to fight!”

Outside, like waves in the sea, the warbeasts were encircling the hill on all sides safe the south, where the valley was narrower, and the hill touched the mountains.

“Launching tactical kinetic projectiles in three, two, one,” announced an operator from one of the tables.

A long line of flame and smoke erupted toward the sky from a vehicle nearby, in a long arch. The warbeasts were beginning to touch the first defense line when the projectile hit. The earth exploded like it was hit with a hammer, destroying everything in an area of a few hundred yards.

“Firing all the kinetics projectiles,” warned the operator. “A pity that bombs are unreliable here. A few atomics would have solved all.”

Another twenty explosions later, and the first attack line of attack was all but destroyed. Yet the warbeasts kept coming, waves upon waves. The brute force was opposing finesse, the lines of combat oscillating like a dance between a huge clumsy man and a delicate lady. The beasts were many; the red people had machines. Streaks of bright light burning all in their path, giant chainsaw swords cut beasts down, the Reds used all they could. Yet the waves kept coming. Machines began to fall, dismembered by the advancing horde, who was inching closer and closer. Then, the attack changed direction for a ford in the river that ran through the valley, in the east. But the path of the water was now constricted by their mountain, and the river was high. A first group was swept away, then another, until a bridgehead of beasts reach the hill shore, and a double line of soldiers hand in hand helped others pass.

“How on the Realm do they coordinate so well!” asked Fits, amazed by the mass of warriors that moved like a sole organism.

“The wasp queen is.... coordinating them through their implants,” said Ulius, shaking. “The insectoids are a hive mind, and she’s the boss; the beasts follow her lead by conviction. I’d tell you more, but I’m afraid this is not a time for stories. What should we do, Estella?”

“I urge you to escape before they encircle us completely. We’ll stand and fight until you’re safely away, then ran in small groups,” spoke Khit’s.

“I..I...I will not… leave you!” stuttered Ulius, his teeth shaking. “Give me a weapon… and I’ll fight like a man. I have only one wish, I don’t want to go to battle without knowing… how it is to kiss a girl. Vellantina, would… you… AOUCH!”

She had slapped him quite hard.

“Estella, what do you see?” she asked.

Her friend remained silent, avoiding her eyes.

“We must run.”

“Take the transporter,” offered Khit’s.

“Wait a second!” frowned Vellantina. “I know this look. She had the same when she was stealing my cookies in kindergarten. She’s lying. Seriously, Estella? What’s going on?”

“There is nothing… Aouch! Why are you pinching me, Ulius? You idiot!”

“I know when you are lying too! Confess, or else!”

“If there is pertinent information to our current situation, we’d like to hear it,” asked Fits. “Do you feel my daughter, by any chance?”

“No, Fits, I do not. I see the possible outcomes for the battle. None good....”

“By the way, where are the wasps?” asked Frey’r. “Didn’t saw any since we arrived. It’s like they went into the ground.”

“It’s exactly what they did, dear primitive,” said a red engineer in a white jumping suit. “They dug a hive into the mountain; that’s what they do.”

“Thanks,” said Frey’r, a little disconcerted by the primitive thing. “So, why aren’t they attacking?”

“You call yourself a warrior?” asked Vellantina, who was still mad at him for his clumsiness. “They wait for the best moment. If our lines break or our numbers thin, then they’ll go for the jugular. Estella?”

“If we leave, they all die!” said Estella abruptly. “If we stay, they might survive, but there are chances that... some of us... don’t make it. There are too many variables.”

The silence was profound.

“Can I make a suggestion?” Sem asked. “Split. Some can run away. If the worst came to be, they could warn the Continent. I, for my part, will stay to see this through; I have my duty as well.”

“I want to stay,” whispered Estella, and Ulius noded a yes too. “I cannot carry the burden to let them die.”

“I will not go anywhere,” stated Sirinn. “It’s my free choice.”

“If you want, we can snatch them by force,” whispered Frey’r in Vella’s ear.

“We’ll stay,” said Vella, in a somber tone. “Don’t look at me like that. I know what you are thinking, they are Royals, and I must protect them at any cost. There is a deeper meaning in protecting royalty, though. If I drag them away now, their hearts will be broken forever, and so will be their royal spirit. We’ll stay.”

“I will go, then, and will take Li-Hua with me,” said Frey’r loudly.

Sirinn looked at him with big eyes, remembering the moments when they were captured by the Valditriadis, back in the City, and the barbarian had tried to save his own life with words that sounded like cowardice.

“There is no honor to perish for nothing, my friend,” said Frey’r, putting his hand on the other’s shoulder. “I know what you are thinking. How can I run when all this is my fault. There is no honor in fighting a lost fight. I’ve seen friends die when we were stealing sheep, so our tribe could have something to eat for the winter. We lost ten warriors, one for each sheep stolen. So easy to remember. Do you think it was a fair price? There is no greatness in fighting, only necessity and desperation, and big words and lies made to sweeten the pill. Li-Hua is not at fault to be here, and her father is the Westerners' chief. If I save her, maybe we can make peace, us, and them. If you succumb here and we manage to warn the rest, it is still something. I will go.”

Li-Hua was sitting quietly, hesitating, her heart torn between choices. Afraid to stay, ashamed to leave. Frey’r mare the choice for her, took her by the hand, and pulled her to the elevator. In a matter of seconds, the lower door clanked.

“Well… that’s a quick learner,” stated Vella, looking on the window at the transporter going away. “He must’ve observed me while I drove. So, what now, Estella?”

All around, now, the warbeasts were pushing toward the second line of defense. The princess sighed.

“Somebody has to enter the wasp lair and kill the queen. Without her, the attack will falter. And that somebody will be you, Vella. Because the only other option is our friend Khit’s here who will propose to go in with a bomb and blew himself up, and then my idiotic brother will think it’s a heroic gesture to go instead because his poor excuse for a mind imagines that if he dies a hero you’ll regret not kissing him, and they’ll struggle for the bomb and will blow up and kill us all. So, it’s you. Survival chances are fifty-fifty...”

“Well, fifty-fifty is not so bad,” replied Vellantina, hiding her apprehension.

“But not only for you, for everyone,” Estella finished her sentence. “If you perish or don’t kill it in time, we’re all going to... Nevermind. Forget all I said. Know that I love you deeply!” she said, slightly trembling.

They hugged tightly.

“Come with me; I’ll show you where the main tunnel entrance is,” said Khit’s.

Vellantina followed the red imp to the elevator. As the elevator door was closing, Ulius ran and shouted through the closing gap.

“I promise I’ll make you kiss me someday! You’ll see. I...”

His last word faded to her ears as they reached the ground.