The crack of the gates sounded like the breaking of the world. For a moment, I thought we would hold them, I thought we could get through this with minimal casualties. I’d been doing my part, turning as many war constructs as I possibly could. This sea serpent had to be a construct too. Everywhere, I was stopped by constructs and fighting and saving soldiers who barely had a moment to offer gratitude. If I could just get close enough…

Where was Jovis? I could have used his help. I’d lost track of him after I’d left him to rewrite the war constructs.

“Quick, Thrana,” I said in her ear. “Back to the gates.”

She gave me a fresh burst of speed, darting around the fighting as best she could. We were almost there. Phalue and her soldiers had done what they could to buy time, but I needed to do the rest. If I could turn the sea serpent to our side, the battle would be over. We’d have won. If I couldn’t turn it, if no one could kill it, we were doomed. With the gates broken, there was no place to retreat to.

Ragan stepped into my path, his sword at the ready.

“Step aside,” I said.

“Is that an order from the Emperor?” he said. “Am I meant to tremble in fear, thinking about what you might do to me if I disobey?” He tightened his grip around the hilt and took a step toward me and Thrana.

He wasn’t going to let me past without a fight. I glanced to either side of him. We were close to the gates now, and the fighting was thick here. I could take Thrana around him, but we’d have to turn back and go over the edge of the plateau, into the surrounding vegetation. We’d be slow enough that he could strike at us from behind. And there were his Alanga powers to contend with.

He gathered the rain around him, forming it into a wave at his back.

I had no more cloud juniper berries to lend me strength. All I had at my disposal were the engraving tool and a sword on my back I didn’t know how to use. And Thrana. I knew he meant to expose me here, now, in front of all the soldiers. My bones thrummed but I tamped the power down. I opened my mouth, unsure of what I would say.

His face hardened. The wall of water rushed toward us. Thrana barely had the time to plant her feet before it smacked into us. I felt myself sliding from her back, my fingers slipping from her fur. He was trying to wash us down the hillside.

What could I do against him?

The wave passed and we stood, shivering, the rain still pelting us from above. Ragan laughed.

“Is this what you would use your power for?” I called to him.