Chapter 24

Note: Thanks to Alex for beta reading this!

Terra was standing right next to Leo as the attack shouted through her mind. Every monster girl heard the cry. It set her off. Coiled like a spring, Terra broke into a sprint for the stairs that would lead upward. Leo had already penetrated into the building.

This is it, thought Terra. If she had a heart, it would be pounding right now. “Let’s go, orcs and werebears!”

The five werebears roared behind her, and the five orcs shouted, “For Lord Leo!” as she took the stairs two at a time like she did on her jog every morning back in the real world. She always ran before going to her early shift at the Morning Drip.

The dungeon erupted into what looked to be a carpenter’s shop. The stone flooring had been thrown to the side. A table was knocked over, spilling woodworking tools across the floor. The scent of sawdust filled her nose.

She looked around and spotted a door. She charged it, her monster girls rushing right behind her. The werebears snarled as they turned into beasts. She leaned in and slammed through the door, her wiry copper hair flying behind her. Splinters exploded around her. She burst out into daylight onto a cobblestone street.

The halflings on the street screamed in alarm at the sight of her. Then the werebears and orcs flooded out. Terra looked around, getting her bearings and remembering her part of the plan. She formed her fists into hammers.

“Let’s go!” she shouted. The ghosts reported the werewolves were concentrated in the northern part of town. Each of the monster girl types had its own section.

Like they were territorial or something.

More halflings shouted in fright at the sight of her. Many of them were injured, sporting bandages on their faces or moved with limps. Bruises, black eyes, and split lips abounded. Anger boiled through the barista. She would smite those damned werewolves.

She rounded a corner when a loud howl drifted through the streets.

“AAAAAAWWOOOOOAAAAAHHHH!”

The howl of a wolf. It was answered.

“Get ready!” Terra shouted, the orcs holding their golden swords and adorned in their shiny armor. The werebears blurred, their busty, female forms replaced by hulking bears that snarled their anger.

“AAAAAWWOOOOOOAAAAAHHHH!

Garnet burst outside of the building in the wake of the anti-werewolf team and the one her big brother led. The succubus had a very important job. She flapped her scarlet wings hard and took to the air. Her black pigtails whipped behind her while her tail danced. She quickly rose above the street, the city laid out before her. The buildings were mostly two stories with some three here and there. The central building was taller.

The enemy fliers were in the distant, over the other quadrants of the city. She ignored them as she looked down at the ground. Terra vanished around the corner while her big brother, Ms. Trueno, and the arachnes rushed south.

Garnet’s gaze swept around the ground. The halflings that had seen the group burst out were hurdling down alleys, trembling in fear. She had to help them. She swooped down at one group. They gasped at the sight of her.

“I’m not going to hurt you!” she cried. “I serve Lord Leo! He’s come to rescue you! Come on! We’re evacuating the city! Let’s go!”

The halflings quivered in shock. It hurt that they only seemed to be listening to her because they were afraid. But she pointed them toward the building, waving her hand to hurry them along. They headed the way at a fearful, half-crouched huddle, some helping the more wounded.

“Down the stairs and follow the tunnel!” she cried. “That’ll lead you to Kassie. She’s a mage from here. She’s going to get you to safety! Hurry! Hurry!”

They vanished into the door, Garnet moving after the stragglers, waving her hands to urge them along. This was so important. She would make sure that every halfling was rescued. Their injuries made her so angry.

They vanished down the stairs. “Kassie, you have your first group coming. Oh, they’re so hurt!”

Garnet flapped her wings high. The angry succubus took to the air to search for more halflings and get them out of the city. Shouts were echoing across it. The sounds of fighting. In the air now, she could see the battle for Sharithin had begun.

I ran through the streets from the northern building with Ms. Trueno at my side. The five arachnes scuttled behind us. Halflings in the streets saw us and shouted in fear. They ran from us. I didn’t blame them. I might look human in my gray robe and silver breastplate, a crackling spear in my hand, but Ms. Trueno was a lizard-woman covered in coppery scales, and the arachnes...

Well, they were spider-girls scuttling on eight legs.

“Get to the carpenter shop!” I shouted at any halflings we passed. I pointed back at them as I rushed down the street, boots slapping on the cobblestone. “The carpenter shop!”