Behind the activity on the front line, Felix worked the triage station with two hybrid healers in the areas that they had set up earlier. They had set up three rows of stretchers in the safest area they could find . It still wasn't ideal, but it was better than the thin mats placed on the ground that the wounded had been lying on earlier.
Aoife knelt beside a young Lycan who had taken a blade along his ribs and Orynn knelt beside her, his tail curled neatly behind him. He made a small clicking sound as he studied the wound intensely.
Aoife placed her hand on the man's skin, just above the injury.
"Start with the pain management first Orynn, just like we practised."
Orynn trilled in agreement and pressed his palms close to the wound. A soft wave of energy pulsed within the man and almost instantly, the tension in his muscles began to relax and his grimace softened.
"Good," Aoife said. "Now, hold it steady."
Orynn chirped excitedly and Aoife could feel that his control of this magick was definitely improving with each use. It was astounding really because as simple as this technique was once you learned it, it took most healers years to master it so effortlessly. But Orynn? His magick was almost like a mirror to her own.
It saw. It learned. It copied. It performed.
With minimal failures.
If he carried on this way, Orrynn's talent would surpass her own rapidly and the thought excited her. The last master healer of her line had been her great grandmother, and Aoife had never had the chance to learn the complex techniques that she had properly.
But with Orynn…
She straightened her soft smile and focused on the work before her. That could wait. She would do what they could here and when everything had calmed down, she decided to speak with Felix and see how they could support his education in magick.
Felix watched them together from a short distance away with his hands on his hips. He tried to focus on sorting supplies and triaging the smaller wounds, but his eyes kept drifting toward Aoife and Orynn.
They moved seamlessly together without even having to think about it. When Aoife reached for something, Orynn already had it in his hand. When Orynn shifted position, Aoife adjusted to mirror him without even looking.
It grated on him, even though he knew it wasn't fair.
Aoife was his mate, and Orynn wasn't a rival. They were just connected by whatever had happened in Eromaug's realm and the magick that Aoife carried inside her.
Felix shook himself out of his wolf's mood and raised his voice as a stream of people approached at different speeds.
"Second wave incoming! Make space for the stretchers!"
Two Lycans carried in a hybrid whose skin was sloughing on his lower leg. Clearly this was stray dragon fire and Felix moved at once.
"Over here. Aoife, I need you when you're free."
"I'm coming," she said without looking up. "One more line here."
Orynn chirped sharply and Aoife nodded to him.
"Ok, you finish this then. Just keep the flow low and there shouldn't be any problems."
He gave a soft affirmative trill.
Felix hated how natural that sounded.
But he said nothing.
On the field, Greyson pushed toward the last trench. Enemy fighters tried to regroup at the far end, but Bella's children dove low in the skies, tearing at them with claws, talons, fangs and their deadly tails, maiming and scattering them before they could even form a proper defense.
Lexi's voice came through again.
"Final push fuckers! Bella will clear what she can to clear the way and for fuck sake PLEASE stop running into the fire. I'd rather not have melted allies on my conscience thanks very much. Stay where you are until her fire is cleared."
The orders rippled down the line and instantly they pulled to a stop as they watched Greyson for the next signal to move.
Bella dove sharply and sent one clean stream of fire across the remaining barricade and the forces behind. It melted in seconds but the constructs continued towards them regardless, their flesh melting into pools that dropped off them as they lumbered forward.
"Forward!" Greyson yelled as they all moved as one towards the front gate.
The remaining enemy fighters that were not made from magick-bound flesh, dropped their weapons or tried to run.
Those who ran were quickly taken down by assigned units that had waited on their flank and within minutes, the field was quiet except for the sound of the wounded soldiers being carried back to the medical zone.
Adam reached Greyson's side and clapped his back warmly, blood, dirt and soot smeared across every inch of exposed skin.
"That's it, we did it. The outer grounds are clear."
Greyson looked toward the castle again, searching the ramparts for any sign of Sebastian or his father, but they were gone from the wall.
"They're hiding," Greyson said grimly.
"Good," Adam replied. "Let them hole themselves up inside and wait for us to decide their fate. Maybe they'll understand what fear feels like by the time we make entry to the castle and dig them out of whatever hole they're hiding in."
Lexi landed beside them, wiping ash from her cheek.
"Bella says the castle is dead quiet. No movement on the west wall either."
Felix joined them, exhaustion showing in every motion.
"We're massively overloaded down there. We have more injured fighters than we have people who can still fight. If we try to push the castle now, we'll have no one capable of defending the base."
"If the fucking idiots would stay back when a massive dragon is spewing fire in front of them, half of them wouldn't be laid out right now," Lexi grumbled under her breath.
Aoife joined him, wiping her hands on a cloth and Orynn hovered close behind her, humming a soft tune in the back of his throat.
"I doubt any of them really understood the spread range of dragonfire," Aoife said with a sigh.
"Typical furbags, always intent on learning the hard way rather than listening to the halfbreed," Lexi huffed.
"Regardless of all that, we're going to need reinforcements," Aoife said. "A lot of them if you're intending to storm the castle in one go."
Greyson hated that she was right, but he nodded anyway.
"I know. As much as I want to storm in there right now, I know it will leave us vulnerable so until reinforcements arrive, we wait."
Adam was already checking his tablet and frowning.
"I'm going to head back to the palace. We need more warriors, more healers, more supplies and I have a feeling that she's going to encounter a lot of pushback from the people sat on their arses while we risk our lives to keep them safe."
"Ooo does that mean I get to go and play with the nobles?" Lexi asked excitedly, brightening up in an instant.
"Perhaps," Adam nodded with a lopsided smile. "Ann will push the nobles and I'll help argue the case. Coral and Eva can reach out to allied realms."
Lexi snorted in disappointment.
"Fine, I'll wait a little while, but please tell the nobles that if they don't share their fighters, I'll come and drag them out myself."
"I'll let them know," Adam grinned as headed towards the tent that hid Lord Brarthroroz's portal master and his access to anywhere in the world that you desired.
"Be fast." Greyson called as he watched him go.
"I will," Adam said, waving over his shoulder at them all.
Lexi stepped beside Greyson, with her arms folded in front of her.
"Do you think Sebastian will try something when we get in there?"
Greyson had already turned away, his eyes focused firmly on the castle with a focused look on his face.
"He always does." he answered grimly and Lexi laughed.
"Then let him try and see how far he gets," Lexi sneered, "We'll be waiting, and he won't catch us unaware."
Bella's shadow passed over them again. And a dark look crossed Greyson's face.
There was a time long ago that Fratricide and Patricide had no place in the Lycan Kingdom, but his father had changed all that as the madness took over.
Greyson knew, with absolute certainty, that the last time either of those crimes would go unpunished, would be when he committed those heinous acts, and paid the price for it with a portion of his own sanity and his soul.
But it would be worth it.
Because only then would his people and his mate ever be safe.