Once the staircase was created, Verdan headed down to the fortifications, happy to see that the Fwyn were already there and hard at work alongside almost a hundred workers and the same number of city guards.

The workers were cutting down trees and turning them into spikes, which were then placed into a recessed pit at the base of the wall.

The plan was to build a number of these pits, intermixing wooden and stone spikes to prevent the enemy from just burning them away. The pits would funnel any attackers into set paths that would make them easy to target if all went to plan.

Making ten-foot pits with smooth stone walls and sharp spikes at the base would normally be too time-intensive to pull off, but with the Fwyn and their natural talent for working with the earth, they might well get the chance to put several in place before the Sects arrived.

It was unfortunate that they wouldn’t have another few days for the Fwyn to keep working on the fortifications themselves. Each day, they grew stronger and denser.

“Lieutenant, any problems?” Verdan asked as he made his way over to where Silver was watching over the process.

“None as of yet. We have a few short-range patrols to drive off anything attracted by the activity, but they’re ready to pull back at a moment’s notice.” Silver said, nodding in greeting as Verdan joined him.

“Excellent. Any word from the Airta?”

“We’ve not heard anything yet, but I took that to be a good thing,” Silver said, his stoic expression turning slightly anxious for a moment before he composed himself and continued in a quiet voice. “What happens if the Sects spot them?”

“Then we hope the Airta can outrun them,” Verdan said grimly, hating that he could do nothing to assist his friends who were out there risking their lives.

“Wizard!” Cullan’s bass bellow came from the earthworks as the big man weaved through the Fwyn, a staff in one hand and a truly enormous greatsword slung over his shoulder.

Verdan’s eyes lit up as he waved the Idrisyr over, eyeing the staff appreciatively, noting the time and effort that Elliot had put in.

“My brother made you this and asked me to deliver it to you while he keeps working,” Cullan said, handing it over to Verdan before giving Silver a small smile. “Lukas.”

“Cullan, good to see you,” Silver said, his normal reserve fracturing under a slight flush as he straightened his tunic and looked away.

“I’m going for a wander. See if there’s anything out there worth my time,” Cullan met Silver’s eyes with a raised brow, his voice dropping to a suggestive rumble. “Care to join me?”

“I’m on duty, so I have to stay here,” Silver said, though Verdan was surprised to hear a touch of genuine regret in the other man’s voice. “Maybe another time.”

“Your loss,” Cullan shrugged before rolling his shoulders and sauntering off toward the woods. “Shout me if a fight happens.”

Verdan turned to Silver with a somewhat bemused expression, his lips twitching into a smile as the Lieutenant flushed and gave a half-muttered excuse before hurrying away.

Verdan shook his head before turning his attention to the staff Cullan had given him. Elliot had really outdone himself.

The staff was made of a dark wood that was around six feet long and was shod with a solid metal cap at the base and a spiral of wire at the tip that ran down for around ten inches to where a band of metal had been fastened into the metal.

The whole thing was gorgeous, and though it wasn’t enchanted like his old one, Verdan was quick to pull together an Aether-gathering construct and attach it to the staff.

Even if it just served as a reserve of Aether to draw on, the staff was a welcome addition when they were at the cusp of battle.

Simply holding a staff of his own made him feel more like a Wizard. He hadn’t realised just how much he’d been missing it.

-**-

Evening fell with no sign of the Airta or the Sects, so the final parts of the traps were finalised, and their forces were withdrawn to within the fortifications.

A thin layer of dirt covering an equally thin layer of stone covered the trap pits, giving them just enough durability for one or two people to step on but not enough to carry the weight of a group.

Verdan was satisfied with the traps, though he’d initially planned to add some magical ones to add to the confusion. Elliot’s completion of his staff had changed Verdan’s priorities, and he’d instead spent the time making it as useful as possible for him.

In the long run, it was the better choice, but Verdan did regret not being able to leave a few nasty surprises for the Sects.

As the light faded, half of the assembled guards and all of the militia were stood down and sent to get some sleep and some food.

The Weeping Death would likely be coming for them in the morning, and they’d need every well-rested fighter they could get when they did.

Verdan initially refused to rest, intending to catch the odd few minutes here and there to take the edge off, and was prepared to argue the point with Kai and Gwen until Natalia arrived with Barb in tow.

Natalia had left her veil off, and Verdan could tell how anxious she was about moving around in public like that, which drove home how worried they all were and took apart his argument before he could even begin.

“Everyone knows you’ve put your everything into this, and the Sects won’t commit fully until they’re certain of our abilities, so you don’t need to be here at all hours,” Natalia said softly, cutting to the heart of Verdan’s concerns with frightening ease.

“If I’m not here when they attack, more people will die,” Verdan said equally softly, knowing she understood the responsibility he felt over everything that was happening.

“And even more will die if you burn out before the end of it all,” Natalia said, reaching over to take his hand and squeeze it firmly. “You only have so much strength. Save it for when it will be most needed.”

“My Coven and I will be keeping watch in shifts,” Gwen interjected, nodding to where the other four Witches were settling in. “Between us, we have just as much versatility as you and more raw power.”

Verdan reluctantly nodded, knowing he couldn’t argue with her words. Gwen and Carla had a frightening amount of power between them, and Hedda could do more to lock down the use of Aether than Verdan could unless he spent all night preparing.

“Alright, you win,” Verdan said with a rueful smile that turned genuine at Natalia’s victorious expression.

-**-

Thankfully, the city wasn’t on fire when Verdan woke up the next morning.

There was an almost palpable tension in the air throughout the city, and though Verdan was reluctant to leave Natalia, there was work to do.

It was only an hour or two after dawn when Verdan arrived back at the eastern wall.

The closest houses and occupied buildings to the wall had already been cleared and evacuated, leaving behind just the guards, militia and gathered allies.

Seeing all of them gathered there, and knowing that there were more down at the fortifications below, really drove home just how much of the city was being mobilised in its defence.

A makeshift command post had been set up not far from the gates out of the city, alongside the beginnings of some internal fortifications in case the wall was taken.

If the wall was lost, Verdan doubted that the extra layer would make too much of a difference, but any further layers of defence were good in his eyes.

Heading over to the command post, Verdan found Commander Griffon deep in discussion with Silver, Gwen, Tim and Cristian.

Cristian looked a bit rough around the edges and had a grim expression that was reflected on the faces of the others.

“Wizard Blacke,” Griffon called out, bringing the discussion to a momentary halt as he waved Verdan over. “Cristian was able to make it back this morning with news on the Sect forces, and we now have an understanding of what we’re facing.”

“Good to hear. I was getting a little concerned,” Verdan said, heading over to join them as he relaxed ever so slightly. He could tell from their expressions that it wasn’t all good, but simply knowing where the Sect forces were set up was a good start.

“We have good news and bad news,” Griffon said once Verdan had joined the small huddle. “The good is that they haven’t attacked yet.”

“They seem more concerned about setting up their camps than anything else,” Cristian said, tapping on the map where a few markers had been arranged. “They’re here, sheltered from our sight by this hill but close enough to be able to secure the area. They could be on us in thirty minutes if they moved quickly.”

“Not taking us seriously then, a mistake on their part,” Verdan said, shaking his head slightly at the arrogance of the Sects.

“Their confidence is warranted in this case,” Gwen said grimly, looking at Verdan with a complex expression. “Cristian reported that they have almost a thousand people levied against us.”