I REACH THORNTHISTLE SOON ENOUGH.

The city is being overrun by those twisted creatures. Thousands of them charge the gates of the city, only to be quickly torn apart by the Elementalists guarding the battlements. But even still, their numbers overrun the magic. These creatures jump high, reaching the walls and crashing into an Elementalist.

He screams, but I swoop down just in time and kick the creature. Its head explodes from the hit, and I proffer a hand to the Elementalist.

“Y-you’re… Tian?” He blinks at me.

“I am,” I say and not at him. “And you are?”

“Vidraf. Sorry, I’m not sure what to call you…”

“Tian is fine.” I speak simply and glance around the city. I see smoke rising up from various parts of Thornthistle. Clearly, a few of the pods had crashed into the city itself. I purse my lips and turn back to the Elementalist. “How is the situation?”

“We’re doing the best we can to hold off these Zombies,” he pants as he leans against the battlements.

I raise a brow at him. “Zombies?”

“That’s what Nelrel calls them.” He shakes his head. “We really need your help, Tian. Pishtim bleed on me, we cannot hold them off forever. And everytime we lose someone to these creatures—”

He abruptly cuts off. His eyes widen as he reaches out, shouting. I spin around, taking on a defensive stance. But is too late. A man falls off the crenellations, grabbed by those twisted creatures and ripped apart below.

“Beilun!” Vidraf yells.

I stop him from throwing himself for the other Elementalist. Vidraf struggles in my grip for a moment before tearing up.

“No… why…” he curses as I hold him back.

“It is alright, he died for the right cause,” I say reassuringly.

But Vidraf grits his teeth. “If he is dead, I would be happier. But no— he does not die. He’s nwo condemned to join those cursed monsters.”

I frown. “Join them?”

And I see it. I look down at Beilun’s body. The man lies there, dead and bloody. His corpse rapidly dehydrates, skin crumpling up until he is basically flesh and bone. Then his body twitches. A green ooze leaks from his mouth as his eyes roll up. His spine twists, cracking as he tries to pick himself up, even while dead.

I stare at this with narrowed eyes as Vidraf cries, raising a hand.

“I am sorry, Beilun,” the Elementalist says and unleashes a ball of fire down below.

The explosion destroys not just the rising dead body of Beilun, but dozens of other Zombies as well.

I place a hand on my chin. “So, something reanimates them upon their deaths. Interesting.”

“That’s right. And as long as they cut us down, their numbers will never dwindle.” Vidraf pants as he hurls down a flurry of elemental magic their way. “Curse you! Curse all you monsters! May the Flamelord burn you all for your wickedness!”

I cast my gaze around the fields surrounding Thornthistle. The hordes of Zombies are unending. Even the Lifeblood in the area seems to deplete before the number of twisted creatures are culled/ I place a hand on my chest, feeling my mostly-empty core. I sigh.

“I apologize, but I cannot help you fend them off. Not just yet.”

Vidraf blinks and looks at me. He sputters, “But you’re Tian—”

“And I am drained and tired.” I raise a hand, interrupting him. “However, even if I am tired, that does not mean I can do nothing to offer you aid.”

I take a step forward, raising my arms wide.

“Lifeblood’s Call.”

And in an instant, the sky is dyed red. A sea of Lifeblood gathers around the city, circling around into itself like a thunder cloud. Vidraf pauses. His jaw drops at the sight of the abundance of magical energy.

He looks down at himself, his breathing easing. He is obviously still tired, but he no longer heaves labored breaths at each passing moment. I pat him on the shoulder as the onslaught of magic from the Elementalists defending the city suddenly doubles in intensity and the waves of Zombies slow in their approach.

“Once I recover, I will ensure these Zombies are wiped out in their entirety.” I smile at Vidraf. “You will have your revenge for your friend.”

He bows his head gratefully at me. “Thank you, Tian.”

With that, I depart from the walls, flying further into Thornthistle. I scan the city, my gaze pausing over the small craters divoting parts of the cobbled streets. I see more than few dozen corpses lying around each of these crashed ships. Some of them wear the clothes of innocent civillians. I close my eyes.

“Idu will pay for this,” I whisper.

And with that, I descend. I land at a makeshift encampment just outside of the headquarters of the Keepers of the Grove. There are tents set up for the injured and the tired, where they are resting and healing.

I look around until I catch sight of the man I am looking for.

“Kalmat,” I call out as I approach the leader of the Keepers of the Grove.

He looks up at me and sighs in relief. “Tian, you’re alive—” But he does not get to finish. Instead, an azure-haired woman leaps past him.

“Tian!”

I blink as Nindran crashes into me, hugging me tightly. I catch her, and she sighs in relief in my arms.

“I’m so glad you’re alive,” she says as she looks up at me.

I slowly return the hug and smile back at her. “It is good to see that these Zombies did not get you either, Nindran.” Then I step back and look past her at Kalmat. “You too.”

He rolls his eyes as he approaches me. “You managed to close the rift in space. I didn’t think you’d be able to do it.”

“I had to. I had no other choice.” I give him a shrug. “Otherwise, those Zombies would not have stopped coming.”

Kalamt massages his temple. “We were fighting them off since the twelfth bell tolled. Yet, they are still coming. Do you think this is Idu’s plan to destroy Utana? Through sheer numbers?”

I pause. I slowly turn to face the leader of the Keepers of the Grove. I remember what I saw through the School of Divination..

“We have to talk,” I say, looking between him and Nindran. “About Idu.”