*** Queen Yumanae ***

My wives aren't happy I'm out here so soon after giving birth, but we don't have much of a choice. Nature has a never-ending supply of beasts to throw at us. Even with the Goddess of War helping us and the complete lack of strategy Nature is using doesn't stop us from losing ground every hour at this point. We don't even deploy tents. It would just cause us to get overwhelmed.

Nothing we do gets us out of the near-constant fighting retreat. We only get a few hours of rest in the middle of the night. Most of the cities are faring better than us. Nature is proving her goal is to get Alzi, but they have enough pressure that we can't pull our forces all to the capital.

"Irdru," I ask. I don't love having my meetings out in the open, but I can't exactly be the only one who gets a tent. Not when so many are dying each day. "What is happening with our scouts?"

"What do you think, Your Royal Highness?" Irdru says. "They're dying."

"We have to start killing the ones controlling the forces, or they're going to overrun us."

"Tanatsu is the only one to enter the forest and leave. She came back missing body parts. We just don't have the strength to spare in a risky fight. She ran into a random scouting party and had that happen to her. What do you think is around the witches controlling Nature's beasts? We're told that we can't get to them. The priestesses say it every time. We just have to be happy that there exists a limiting factor to how many troops can attack at one time."

"I don't accept that," I say. "That doesn't work if we're going to win this."

"We aren't going to win this. Our goal is to last a few more days," Irdru says. "Wait one moment, a priestess just ran in..."

How many is that ritual actually going to kill? It seems a bit too hopeful to say they'll do enough to wipe Nature's forces off. There has to be some way for us to win. For the Goddesses to do something for us. Nature doesn't seem to be doing many rituals, yet look at what she's done. "Hurry up," I mutter.

"You need to hurry," Irdru says. "Sorry, your Royal Highness. But get your armor on tight and get your wives together immediately. Just listen and act, or you'll all die."

And with that, the damn mirror shows my face. The priestess wouldn't give that warning for nothing. "Nesh! Get my harem here now. I want everyone ready to fight in five minutes. Something big is about to happen."

"We're already set to fight," Nesh says. "But our turn isn't up for another hour still."

"I just got word our turn is coming up a bit early for some reason."

The first shake of the ground could be just a giant spell someone used. The second may be an after-shock. But the third meant we would be learning the reason behind Irdru's warning a lot sooner than I hoped.

"Get them here now."

"They're already coming," Nesh says.

Giants started coming out of the newly grown forest. Years of work slowly cutting back, Nature has been disappearing to hide these new beasts from us. Just a few, something we can manage. We just need to get everyone ready; these beasts won't go down easily. They have to be what was protecting their controllers. We kill these few, and we may have a way to win. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ɴovelfire.net

"There we go," I say. "We get these, and we may be able to stabilize again." The beasts are just jogging to the front line, crushing their comrades along the way, but their stride would force us to sprint to keep up. "It's going to take several of us to finish one off. Quickly split off Nesh. Nesh?"

"Yumanea, there's more than a few now," Nesh says.

No, a few would not describe the new swarm.

"Get everyone back. Everyone. We have to hold the line. We need to stall and pray to the Goddess of Space to get us out," I say. My new rainbow dragons are coming out. Every officer is signalling the retreat as I burn away the front lines. We kept the orderly retreat going for so long, and now. Now it's every woman for herself. I'm just happy we forced them to leave the men in the city.

A few of the officers found some time to pray, but my wives have to run in the opposite direction. Many of the beasts just run through my flames with hardly a scorch mark on them. Each swing of their arm kills countless soldiers as I watch. I've corralled some, so I can't stop. I'll have to hope my wives can hold the rest back, and a Goddess comes to save us. Or that Death will be kind to us at least.

'Good luck,' echoes into my mind. 'Last till nightfall, and I can get you out. Don't get greedy, aim to survive. That's all you can hope for.'

A boom echoes over the field, and my army disappears. Everyone but my wives are gone. The beasts are confused, looking for the women who are no longer here.

"Anyone see Rosemary?" I ask. Twenty women, standing around, the right number for all the fighters. The issue is the hundred, two hundred, beast in the distance, and who knows how many hiding behind them.

"She's gone," Keya says. "Only ones here are the ones that can fight."

"Then get together," I say. At least two of my wives will make it out of this if Lotus gets her brain back. "We have to make it to nightfall somehow. Three hours. My fire can hurt some of them, it seems. Did we see any others die? We don't have long till they stop throwing their tantrum and charge."

"No," Nesh says. "They were the only ones doing the killing. Tanatsu says the beasts with three eyes die by blunt weapons."

"They ran through my fire as well," I say. "Odds that each one has a different weakness while being nearly impervious to all other types?"

"Better than I would like," Keya says. "I think that is exactly what is running towards us."

"Find their weakness and share it. But the main goal is to come back alive. Doesn't have to be in one piece, just alive. They've figured out we're the only enemies to fight. Good luck, everyone. I love you all."

The beasts are jogging this time around. They scream out as the mass of disgusting creatures races towards us. Their displeasure with missing their masseur is clear.

I set up walls of fire. Nesh shoots out water, Keya sends out ice, and the rest all try something. Hoping to find a weakness they all share, but the best we see is that some types take the long way around my fire.

"Remain mobile," I say. "Dodging is going to be our best way to live. Just don't get too far from the group."

If only it would be that easy. Keya and Nesh get a pit of mud to slow down the beast, but our stalling can only last so long before they come crashing in. My wives are doing their best to keep them from the mages, but we still have to dive around. Blood splats out as a few of the three-eyed monsters run into the shields. The only one we know how to kill right now. Not that I'm going to be able to do much to them with my sword or fire.

The world becomes a blur as we try to keep the beast at bay. The few we kill are mostly by accident; our goal is to push them back. Just earn a few more minutes over and over.

"Ahhh!" Keya lets out behind me.

A monster had plowed its way to the center and is crushing her in its hand. I try a bit of fire, but it doesn't even react to its back burning. Nesh sprays it with water, and we watch it melt, leaving behind a crumpled ball of metal, blood, and guts. Only Keya's head remains.

"Nesh just make it rain," I say.

"It won't work. I tried it already," Nesh says. It needs to be directed at them or it won't do a thing to them."

"Then I'm sorry," I say. Around us, most of my warrior wives are fighting with just one arm. A few are trying to figure out how to deal with no arms in this fight.

A dome of ice pops up around us, and the few beasts inside get frozen solid. "The fuck you think you're all doing?" Lensa asks. "I decide to come out here and help, and I find out you're all trying to die!" Her ice soldiers start to form around her. The frozen beasts break into pieces, and outside, the beasts slam against the dome. Cracks begin to snake over the surface, and this pregnant bitch lectures us.

"What do you want?" I ask. "I appreciate the help and will pay. But why?"

"Simple. These damn kids are going to kill me if I don't have Alzi help me give birth. Fucker tricking into carrying a bunch of damn dragons. Even my top healer can't promise a safe birth. Something about Fertility not liking me. So now I can't let Alzi die, and I'm finding you're all committing suicide out here!"

"If we make it to nightfall, the Goddess of Space will be able to get us out."

"Think you all were about to last two more hours? Form up and take potions. I'll save you assholes."

"Thank you," I say. Not even Nanoka can beat Lensa. I'll have to deal with her putrid tongue. "We're doing our best."

"And your best showed me just how far my territory fell," Lensa says. "It's about to break! Support my ice soldiers and let the blood flow!"

I have to pull out my sword; no need to worry about melting her soldiers with my flame. I'm no warrior, but my second affinity is strength. So, with a sword and shield, I fall in behind the soldiers as the ice falls and the battle renews.

...

"Where did these monsters come from?" I ask Nesh. I do my best not to look for the rest of my wives. Not right not. Not with this bitch around.

"Nature and Fertility," Lensa says. "Goddesses are the only thing that could create these things."

"So these are what Fertility wants to kill? I used to laugh at Elora saying she killed that three-eyed monster, and it isn't even the worst enemy they have."

"Just be happy the Goddess of Space was willing to break the rules for us," Nesh says. "Tomorrow we go again, but we have nowhere to retreat this time."

"No, it'll take a day for Nature to get here. She was expecting a victory back there," Lensa says. "We have one day to create an actual line of defense. You'll have my women as well, but we need to move quickly."

"Nesh, can you handle that? I have wives to bury," I say. "Most of them."

"Yes, dear," Nesh says. "We can handle the troops."

"Thank you," I say. Maybe I should be the one to take over. She was probably closer to them than me at this point. Just me, Nesh, Rosemary, and Lotus. How did I let this happen?

We didn't even kill that many beasts in our fight. Even with Lensa, we couldn't hold ground. They dead for me. Why?

"Alzi has to get her ritual complete. Does anyone know if Fluvis rounded up the brothel owners?" I ask. "Does anyone have the energy to clean us off?"

"I doubt it," Nesh says. "I don't think I could even fill a cup with water right now."

"There's a group running out to us. We just have to wait," Lensa says.

I want to get mad at her. Risking Alzi's children, but she can still stand tall, and without her, we wouldn't have made it. At best, we had fifteen minutes left when she showed up. I'll have to get on my hands and knees to beg Alzi to pay her back for me. I doubt I have a single thing she wants. But I do wonder where the Kitsune Queen was. She would've been nice to have around.

My wives are gone.