*Andrew’s POV*

With minutes to spare before we were faced with a siege, I made it to the Soul’s shrine. The Watchmen parted when they saw me coming, and I found Vas, Second Officer of the Day Watch, easily.

“Kobolds, they’re kobolds!” I huffed, slightly out of breath from all the running.

Vas shook her fiery, red head. “So? What does that mean?”

I made the effort not to roll my eyes. “Something got a bunch of kobolds in here. They’re invisible to us, but they can be cut and they can be killed. They’re just about two or three-“

My foot was abruptly yanked out from under me, and I went down thrashing, trying to hit the damned thing! Apparently I succeeded well enough, as I felt an impact with my fist and heard a garbled cry. I saw Derek and Dan lifting up a limp, dark form, looking confused. Derek pulled his sword from its chest and wiped it off on it. “Is this one of them?”

Exasperated, I clambered to my feet. “Yes! I think dark forces sent them over the Wall, I think they’re trying to cause confusion and get to the Soul!”

I gestured to Vas, “Get the Watchmen inside the shrine; pack them in there! The kobolds are small, if only one slips through, the Soul could be lost!”

Together, we worked to fill the shrine with Day Watchmen. Though they only had a nebulous idea of what to look for, they knew that if anything moved, if anything made a sound, they were to kill it. I was satisfied to see the Soul was still there, its serene light unchanged, unaffected by the mayhem around it.

---

*Eliza’s POV*

Having given word to Patti, Tom, and Melora, they’d thanked me and sent me running back to the Walls. Though I knew better than to waste my energy on flying before a fight, I was definitely getting really fucking tired of running. I decided, spur of the moment, to go just a small part of the rest of the way in the air.

I had only been airborne for a few seconds when I was knocked to the ground by a huge airswell. Irritated, I turned, ready for a scrabble, only to find Papa Emeritus and his five Nameless Ghouls sailing past, making nothing but a faint whistling noise. Excellent! Fuck, whatever was happening, they were in for it now!

I decided to go the rest of the way on foot after that. Staying focused on pacing myself, I was only vaguely aware of the sounds of the Village stirring around me, coming to life for its defense.

My heart pounded in my chest. I had to get to Andy, nothing could happen to him. It wasn’t just that he was my Second Officer; Andy was my everything. Nothing could happen to him. I had to make sure of it.

Notes

buckle your seat belts!