Chapter 5: Prepare for War

Was the man dead or just unconscious? No one could say for sure. His body lay painfully still, blood trickling into the pale sand and blackening it. His words echoed through the mind of everyone present. For a moment, everyone was stunned into silence. Then, the crowd exploded with screams, denials, and accusations. A clamor of terror swallowed the people of Pailan whole.

Kalann stood above the maelstrom of noise, his pulse pounding. Urts. Humanoid monsters with green skin sculpted from clay and dark magic. Savage beyond words, they would destroy everything in their path if left unchecked. Geyron's legends were thick with tales of dark warlords amassing armies of the greenskins and setting out to conquer the land. But Kalann had always assumed that's all they were. Legends. He never imagined that such monsters could actually exist.

*Your village must prepare for war such as it has never seen before.*

Kalann could feel the blood roaring in his veins. Urts. Someone, somewhere, was raising an army. Just like the legends. If they were even half as savage as the tales spoke of...

"SILENCE!"

Hother's voice cut through the din like a foghorn, and the crowd fell silent.

"Thank you," he continued, his voice strained with worry. "Now, as it appears that this threat is real, we must prepare. I want an alternating guard watch on the walls and every able-bodied man preparing to fight. Council members, meet at my house. We shall discuss how to handle this threat further. And someone bring this man to Selia's hut to get his wounds patched. Move!"

At his command, the citizens of Pailan broke out of their silence and ran off to prepare. Kalann watched them leave through the massive sandstone door. He could feel the apprehension and fear weighing on their shoulders. Pailan wasn't a village of fighters. Artisans, merchants, and the most innovative farmers this side of the Great Sea, certainly, but not fighters. Trouble of that form never came to such an out-of-the-way village. And now, they were going up against an army of the most ruthless creatures known. Things were going to get very bad.

Hother turned back to Kalann, fixing him with a steady gaze. "It's fortunate our mysterious friend found you when he did. I suggest you join your neighbors and prepare yourself for what comes next." With that, he strode off and vanished into the village.

Weary, Kalann walked off the platform and watched the receding crowd. Some people were still straggling behind. All conversation had dissolved into hushed murmers, as if speaking any louder would draw the unseen Urts straight to their village. He caught a glimpse of his friends Selia and Faro huddling by the door, bickering among themselves. Noticing Kalann's gaze, Selia waved and Faro gave a furtive thumbs-up before they returned to their conversation. Kalann suspected they were feeling just like him.

"You spoke well, Kalann."

Kalann smiled as a figure with spiky blond hair and yellow-green robes appeared next to him, lazily spinning a wooden staff. Sparks had been his best friend for about as long as he could remember. The two were practically inseparable.

"Please," he said. "They only listened to me thanks to that visitor."

Sparks leaned against a wall. "I'm guessing many of them are still asleep. It's really too early for talk of doom."

Kalann laughed. "If only doom was considerate enough to wait." His face darkened. "We're not fighters here. I hope we're strong enough to stave off an attack if the Urts come knocking."

"We'll be fine." Sparks planted his staff on the ground. "One way or another, everything works out."

He whispered a word of power, and the staff started crackling with energy. The faint scent of ozone wafted through the air.

Kalann smiled. "How's that coming alone?"

"As of late? Slow. Only so much I can figure out without a proper master, after all." Sighing, Sparks flicked his staff slightly, and the lightning dancing across it faded.

Since they were kids, Sparks would love talking to Kalann about the storms that infrequently visited Pailan. He'd always felt a deep connection with them. It was only within the past few years that he'd begun translating that passion into craft and started studying to be a lightning mage. Resources were scarce in the desert village, but little by little, he'd built up his skills until he was quite adept with the basics. Kalann always admired that about Sparks; when truly he set his mind to something, he never gave up on it.

"Well," Kalann said, "I wouldn't worry too much. Everything works out, right?"

Sparks grinned. "I suppose so." He turned his gaze outwards, through the door, to the imposing canyon wall and the vast desert beyond it. Selia had vanished, presumably to tend to the visitor's injuries. "Let's hope that keeps proving true."

* * *

The rest of the day seemed to pass in a blur. Pailan were abuzz like never before. People traded whispers, shared gossip, cried in fear. News came in furtive spurts; who was assigned to what watch, what the various council members wanted to do. Kalann barely processed any of it as he wandered through the streets. His mind was racing with too many thoughts.

He caught a glimpse of Junia ushering her kids inside, casting one last terrified glance around before closing the door and locking it tight. Guilt prickled at his heart. She'd made his day better, and he'd responded by scaring her out of her wits. *I owe you twice over,* he vowed silently.

Pretty soon, word passed through the street that Hother had imposed a curfew. Everyone was to be in their houses by sundown, and no one was to leave the village until they had more information. The news just made Kalann's stomach drop more. Yes, it was clearly necessary, but it made the awful reality sink in that much more. This little village in the corner of the world was about to be swallowed by something far more deadly than they were prepared for.

Dimly, he thought about his tiny little wall on the outskirts of Pailan. Had it survived the rainstorm? Would it survive the storm still to come? Did it even matter at this point?

Somehow, he was back home. When his feet had started taking him in that direction, he didn't know. He went inside, closing his door to the noisy streets. It all felt far too normal. The low-hanging roof, the three rooms, his diagrams laid out on the lounge table. No evidence that anything had changed since last night.

Kalann slumped into the lounge chair. Perhaps he was cursed. Perhaps he'd been holding a monkey's paw when he wished for his life to spring into motion.

*Well, things are certainly going to change now.*

Yes, indeed. Kalann Sefu's world was about to change. How, he didn't know. All he was sure of was the fact that he was not ready at all.