“STOP THE ATTACK!”
Though I shout, my voice is little more than a hoarse whisper. My head spins from Amari’s attack. I can barely stand.
As I stumble through the jungle, the world around me descends into a battlefield. Maji flee from their base in droves as my forces continue their attack.
“Wipe the rebels out!” a lieutenant shouts, sending another line of wagons speeding down the dirt trail.
A burly maji with a metal leg slaps his hands to the ground. Other maji in matching green armor follow his lead.
“Odi àwọn òrìṣà—”
Their magic seeps into the earth. Towering walls of dirt shoot into the air, hardening into stone. The wagons try to skid out of the way, but they’re not fast enough. Wood and metal fly as the transports crash and explode.
Skies!
I take cover, bracing myself against a tree. Majacite gas leaks into the air, but a twisting cyclone from the Iyika’s maji blows it all back.
Though my soldiers lead the charge, the maji overpower their every maneuver. This isn’t working.
Whoever mounted this attack is losing.
“Inan!”
Ojore’s voice is a lifeline and a curse. He runs to me through the madness, wrapping my arm around his shoulder. Troops cover our tracks as a Tamer runs forward, a large girl with sunflowers in her curls. Clouds of pink magic fly from her hands, turning our ryders rabid.
Soldiers scream as they’re flung from their panthenaires’ backs. The ryders foam at the mouth. I look away when a rabid panthenaire sinks its fangs into its soldier’s throat.
“How could you do this?” I shout. “I gave you a command!”
“I didn’t have a choice!” Ojore pulls me forward. “I couldn’t lie to your mother!”
“Mother ordered this?” My hands fall limp as realization takes hold.
“She said Amari would kill you the moment you met. She ordered us to save you from this trap—”
BOOM!
One of our wagons collides with a blinding gust of fire. The force of the blast knocks us to the ground.
“Get the king to safety!” Ojore orders as another round of soldiers descends. A tîtán lifts me onto a ryder, steering me away from the battle.
As we ride away from the front, I want to scream to call off the attack, but I know I can’t now that the battle’s begun. The Iyika hit us with everything they have. Even fighting at our strongest, we’ll never be able to break through their defense.
This is the end.
I clutch my chest as we flee. At this rate, we’re going to lose the war. All of Orïsha will burn.
A few kilometers away, Mother flags us down. She flings her arms around me when I dismount and squeezes me tight.
“Thank goodness you’re alright!”
“I wasn’t in danger until you attacked!” I pull away from her hug. “We need to retreat now! Or else we’re going to lose this war!”
“Don’t worry.” Mother points to another transport in the distance. “Jokôye’s forces are coming in. The Iyika end today.”