Chapter 26 #3
So once the barrier is up, we’re locked inside until we defeat the god or die… how fun. But in the grand scheme of things, can we blame them? There will be fifteen of us and there are billions outside the barrier… billions for the horseman to slaughter.
“I believe the horseman we’re up against is Conquest,” Mickey says. “His power most closely aligns with what we’ve seen. But I still question why there were two hundred years between Torin’s world and this one. Are we the last realm standing? Have they already conquered three realms?”
Torin shifts uneasily at that thought. “If they have and the god takes this one, he’ll become all-powerful. There will be no being, not even a god, who will ever be able to stop him.”
Mickey shrugs. “We’ll all be dead anyway.”
I glance over at Torin, knowing that he might not be, that he might be all alone again… but I refuse to let that happen.
For the next hour, Imani and Lt. Lindsey go over every step of what we should do.
Everyone from Team A, who is in charge of the fight, and Team B, who is in charge of defenses, is given a vehicle with lights and sirens that will allow us to get to the location promptly.
We’re fitted with safety gear like we’re headed off to war…
and I’m afraid we will be. Lt. Lindsey also informs us that she’s trying her hardest to get information spread across the state that there will be emergency lockdowns in place the instant the Door appears.
The problem is that the higher-ups are afraid of causing mass panic, but it’s not like the city doesn’t already know what’s happened.
The whole realm knows what’s happened. Lt.
Lindsey believes that if the people are given clear instructions, they’ll be less fearful than if they were left in the dark.
It’s now her battle to get the leaders of the state and country to listen to her.
Once we’re done, I decide to throw out what I’d been thinking. “Could we bait him?”
“How so?” Lt. Lindsey asks.
“We gather a large group of people, and the second the Door begins to open, we remove them. We have time while the Door is opening to evacuate and put up a barrier.”
“It’ll be faster than last time,” Torin says. “Every time a Door is opened, it’s easier to be quicker at it. But it could work. I agree with Riley. We know he’s coming, so let’s pull him into our playing field where we’re prepared for him.”
Lt. Lindsey shakes her head. “Absolutely not. We cannot risk the lives of all those people.”
“If even one wolf escapes our confinement, what are you going to do about it? We can’t kill it. We can’t stop it,” I say.
“You’re willing to sacrifice us; might as well sacrifice some randos too,” Mickey comments.
“I’m not willing to sacrifice any of you,” Lt. Lindsey says, looking pained at the idea. “I just…”
“I’m joking,” Mickey says. “I know we have few options.”
Lt. Lindsey sighs. “I wish we had more. And maybe if the man is gone long enough, we can acquire more. I will speak to the others about the idea of setting up a trap and let you know, but I have my doubts they’ll go for it.”
“Torin, don’t you know any other gods who can help?” Mickey asks. “Maybe a sexy single one?”
“I never left my land until I came here. I only know a few gods, including the one I banished. There were a couple others who came to me. One is not a fighter, and the other would jump realms by the day. Finding him would be as hard as keeping Mickey awake for a solid eight hours.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Mickey says.
When Lt. Lindsey dismisses us, I ask her if Torin and I can go train. She insists we can train here, but I inform her I want to use magic that I would need a large open area for, and she waves us off. So Torin grabs his stapler and heads into the “sex box,” aka the elevator, with me.
Once back at his palace with an undead on call if something were to happen, we head outside to an open area where Torin picks up a practice sword before addressing me.
“You once said you went through an academy. Were you taught with weapons?”
“I’ve primarily fought with my magic, but I did have a love for martial arts and learned a wide variety of techniques that include knives and swords.”
“Good,” he says as he sets Kit to the side and places another practice sword in my hand. “Let’s retrain your brain how to fight.”
“Oh fun. By the way, Mickey wanted me to tell you he was bringing steak and lobster for dinner.”
“What is lobster? Is it like donuts?”
“No.”
“How disappointing.”
“I have a feeling you’re going to like it just as much as donuts. They’re animals from the sea.”
“Sea donuts.”
“No, just… you’ll see,” I say as he swings the sword at me, leaving me to dramatically miss and get hit right in the side with it.
“That was a love tap.”
“Oh, you love me now?” I tease.
He just freezes and I realize I broke him again.
“Stop thinking so hard; it was a joke. Remember, our relationship status is ‘Riley.’”
Torin relaxes and smiles at me. “I do like the status of ‘Riley.’”
“I kind of like it.”
“You very much like it,” he says, beaming at me.
I try my hardest not to smile. “Eh. Kind of like it.”
“I will force you to very much like it,” Torin proclaims as he comes at me, and I hastily back away while laughing, well aware I’m not going to be able to block shit with my focus off.