Chapter 153 – Call to Arms

(Got that first catch-up chapter for you today! I'll have another for you tomorrow, too - already partway finished it. Just don't want to fall behind 'cause I was sick a couple of days. Enjoy!)

The next morning broke crisp and clear, the sky streaked with faint traces of lavender and gold. A chill breeze stirred the early autumn leaves, and the scent of woodsmoke drifted from the cook fires out back. The long hall was quieter now. The feast had come and gone, the wine had run out, and whatever illusions or hesitations had lingered seemed to have burned away with the candles.

This morning was for business.

We gathered once more, but it was different now. We’d spent time the night before getting to know one another better, and now the group of leaders felt tighter and more focused. The morning conversations were less about ceremony and more about decisions. Plates of hot bread and eggs sat mostly untouched at the edge of the war table as each leader offered their final words.

“I’ll sign,” Peter said simply. He met my eyes and then Carver’s. “KingsHaven will join the alliance. I’ve seen what you’re all trying to build. I’m impressed, and I’d be a fool not to join you.”

Jefferson nodded once. “Agreed. The Army Guard will do the same. We’ll pull our weight.”

No grand speeches. Just solid, spoken commitments. I let out a breath and finally relaxed a little inside. That made five Domains united, now. We had five groups ready to fight for each other. Not a bad start.

“Then it’s done,” I said. “The alliance now includes KingsHaven and Camp Johnson.”

Carver tapped a pencil against the table, frowning thoughtfully. “We still need clear protocols, so we know what to expect from one another. What happens when someone’s hit? How many troops can we promise? How fast can we respond?”

“We could set minimums,” Delores said. “Something like: ‘if a Domain is attacked, the rest send support within forty-eight hours. At least one full company per allied Domain.’”

“That’s workable,” Jefferson said. “It doesn’t crush logistics, but it gives us teeth.”

“I’d suggest using a tier value, rather than a unit size,” I chimed in. “Sue alone is worth more than a company of tier one zombies, for example. How about we each send something like fifty tiers worth of troops, if someone is attacked? We can ramp that up over time as the threats grow larger, if we need to.”

I got a series of nodding agreements from the other leaders. Kara jotted notes beside me, quietly keeping pace. We hammered out more points—shared crystal strategies, joint scouting operations, and a plan to rotate patrols through high-risk zones along the northern and eastern borders. Delores offered to share what she’d learned about the mud-monsters. Carver promised scouts to monitor the orcs. Peter said he had plans to send scouts south of his Domain to see what lay in that direction, and he’d share that knowledge once he had it.

“We should meet again,” Turner said, once the framework was in place. “But not weekly. There’s simply too much work required of us at our homes to meet that often.”

“Monthly feels too long. Perhaps in two weeks?” Peter asked.

Delores nodded. “Two weeks makes sense. I think it’s our turn to host, so you can all join us at Runway City in two weeks. While the bird people are still an issue, I recommend avoiding the main airport when you approach. We’ll each bring updates, share progress, and start laying groundwork for a coordinated offensive. If we’re going to hit the orcs, we need to do it together.”

Every head around the table nodded. No one argued. It was the biggest sign of unity I’d seen since the Event.

The meeting broke up not long after. One by one, the leaders rose, some exchanging quiet words, others moving briskly to their duties. Outside, their guards waited, preparing the horses that had brought them here. Jefferson and Delores spoke with Kara near the front door, going over final notes. Carver shook my hand firmly, congratulated me on hosting so well, then clapped me on the shoulder before heading outside.

Peter lingered. I’d almost made it back to the hallway when I heard his voice, low and even.

“Selena. A moment?”

I turned.

He stood alone by the long table, one hand resting lightly on the back of a chair. The sunlight filtering through the high windows caught in his hair and cast half his face into shadow. He didn’t look calculating this time. He looke tired. And maybe a little thoughtful.

I stepped back toward him. “What’s on your mind?”

He gave a faint smile. “You are. This place. What we just built here.”

I waited a beat for him to go on.

Peter glanced around to make sure no one else was close, then looked back at me. “I meant what I said last night. About what you’re building. I meant what I said this morning, too. KingsHaven’s joining because it should. Because it’s smart. But also because I’m not sure we’ll survive alone, when the next storm hits.”

“You’ve built walls. Built up a strong military force. Trained casters. You’re not weak,” I said.

“No,” he agreed, “but I’m not sure strength will be enough.”

His voice was different now. Gone was the smugness and smooth charm. He felt more like a man quietly laying out his thoughts.

“We both know the monsters are getting worse. That this thing—this power—whatever broke the world, it’s not done yet. I’ve got thousands of people behind my walls who trust me to protect them. That’s a weight on my heart and mind, Selena. One I feel every day. And yeah, maybe I’m trying to be clever. Maybe I am trying to find the sharpest tools, the strongest allies. But it’s only because I want to build something that will still be standing when the dust settles.”

He paused, then took one slow step forward.

“I want you at my side when that storm comes.”

My heart didn’t leap. It didn’t break, either. Mostly it just paused, caught between the part of me that wanted to believe him—and the part that didn’t trust any man who sounded like he needed me that badly.

I held his gaze. “And if I say no?”

“Then nothing changes,” Peter said softly. “We’re allies. I respect that. But if I don’t ask, I’ll regret it.”

I nodded once, slowly. “Thank you. For the honesty.”

“Goodbye, Selena.”

“Safe travels, Peter.”

He walked out, footsteps quiet on the old wooden floor, and left me staring at nothing in particular. Was it real? A genuine offer from a man trying to carry a city on his back? Or just another move in a bigger game? I didn’t know. Not yet, anyway.

I was still standing there when I felt it—an intrusion alert from the Domain. Not a broad disturbance. Not a crowd. One person. That was weird. I almost never sensed individual travelers. The Domain didn’t usually bother unless it was something urgent. But this rider was moving fast, and their will blazed like a torch in the dark. Whatever they were doing, they were focused, frantic, and headed straight for us.

I turned and moved quickly for the front courtyard. Kara caught my movement and fell in behind me without a word. By the time I pushed through the front doors and onto the front step, a shape had already broken the horizon line across the highway.

One rider. One horse. Both of them were wrecked.

The man in the saddle hunched forward, cloak whipping around him as he spurred the mount to its last reserves. The horse was streaked with foam and mud, legs trembling as it pounded over the gravel and packed earth toward our half-finished gates. Someone shouted nearby. One of the guards at the watch post raised a hand.

The rider didn’t stop. He barely slowed. He tore across the highway and into the courtyard, reins jerking at the last second as he dragged the exhausted animal to a shuddering halt, nearly tumbling from the saddle.

“Help him down,” I said, and two of my people moved to catch the man before he collapsed.

He hit the ground gasping, half-falling into Kara’s arms before he pulled himself upright again. His face was gray with sweat, and his hands shook visibly as he struggled to pull himself upright. He’d been riding hard for a while.

“Air Guard,” he croaked. “Sent from Runway City.”

I stepped in close, gripping his shoulder. “What happened? Was there an attack?”

Was it the avians, hitting Runway City again? If it was then we needed to get up there, fast, before they could do too much damage.

He blinked up at me, eyes bloodshot. “It’s not Runway that’s under attack, miss. A rider reached us from Camp Johnson, half-dead by the time he got to us. It was orcs.” His breath hitched. “Hundreds of them are attacking; it’s a full assault. They sent me to get help.”

A stunned silence settled over the courtyard. For a long moment, no one moved. No one spoke.

The rider’s last words still hung in the air like smoke from a shot that hadn’t landed yet. I could feel the tension ripple outward as the others arrived. Carver was at my side, while Delores and Turner came nearer to check on their rider. Jefferson wasn’t far behind, and I could tell from the horrified look on his face that he’d heard. Everyone had.

A second passed, then another beat. Was nobody going to say anything? Fine, if I had to be the one to do everything..!

“Kara,” I said, voice sharp and clear. “Rouse our troops. I want fifty living fighters marshaled within ten minutes. Alfred, send runners to the supply house—load anything we’ve got prepped for field support, and I want all those bicycles we brought in. I’ll get a party of undead ready. We leave in fifteen minutes.”

That snapped the spell.

Carver swore quietly and pulled his coat tighter around him. “Damn it. I’ll ride now. My people are only a short ride west. I’ll grab every blade I’ve got and bring them north to Camp Johnson.”

Delores turned to the rider. “You said the Air Guard’s already mustering?”

He nodded, face pale. “Yes, ma’am. Major West was organizing a relief force when I left.”

“Good.” She turned to Turner. “We’ll move with Selena’s force, see if we can link up with our people.”

Jefferson gave a curt nod and clapped one hand on the rider’s shoulder. “Well done. You got here.”

Then Peter stepped forward.

“My force is small,” he said. “But I’m not sitting this one out. I’ll ride with you. KingsHaven fights alongside its allies.”

No one challenged him. No one had to. His presence would matter. After me, he was one of the strongest fighters we had. One person could make a hell of a difference with enough tiers of crystals, and I’d seen Peter in action already. We’d be glad to have him.

I took a breath, stepping forward to address them all. I didn’t shout, just spoke loud enough for every soul in the courtyard to hear.

“This is why we have an alliance. This moment. Right now.”

Dozens of eyes locked on me. Shit, this is why I hated public speaking! But it needed to be said, damn it.

“Because no Domain can stand alone. If we don’t answer this kind of call, then none of us are safe. This is how the world ends—piece by piece, if we let it.”

I swept my gaze across the gathered leaders, the guards, the messengers, the watching townsfolk clustered in the shadow of our half-built walls.

“But we’re not going to let it. Let’s ride. Together.”

No one cheered. They didn’t have to. They were already moving, preparing, making ready to go to the aid of someone who’d only just joined us. That didn’t matter though, not really. At the end of the day, we were all human beings, trying our best to survive. Only now, we had each other, too. My gut said that was going to make all the difference.

I hoped that I was right.