961 Sand Castles

The dark skies were shrouded by a veil of slowly falling ash. Far below the mountain pass, illuminated by foreboding red glow, a vast metropolis lay in ruins. The shattered buildings were drowning in rivers of lava, and a terrible conflagration was raging across the devastated land, devouring what little was left of the once-thriving city.

Above the scene of devastation, the dark shape of Mount Erebus was wreathed in smoke. A flood of molten rock was flowing down its slopes, glowing through the haze. The walls of the city were breached, and uncountable hordes of Nightmare Creatures were prowling in the ruins, some bathing in the flames, some avoiding it.

...Looking down with a dead expression on his pale, tired face, Sunny found himself momentarily unable to feel anything.

'Doesn't make any sense...'

Erebus Field was... had been one of the most prominent cities in Antarctica. Famous for its geothermal energy farms, fertile soil, and warmth, it had been home to tens of millions of people even before becoming an evacuation center.

The local government branch had been supposed to have the volcano well under control. Even if all the safety systems they had in place were to suffer a cataclysmic failure, the city had possessed formidable fortifications long before being converted into a siege capital. With those in place and a whole division of the First Army working on reinforcing the defensive infrastructure, as well as the presence of hundreds of Awakened and more than a few Masters, Erebus Field simply could not succumb to something as mundane as a volcanic eruption.

'How did this happen?'

Sunny had been supposed to guide the convoy to this stronghold, deliver the refugees to the authorities, rendezvous with Davis and his cohort of Irregulars, and then resume acting in his usual capacity as the captain of a fast-response combat unit.

Instead, the city was gone, Davis and his people were nowhere to be found, and the responsibility of caring for the convoy of defenseless civilians was still pressing heavily on his shoulders. If anything, that weight had only become more burdensome.

He was at his wit's end.

With a sigh, Sunny rubbed his face, and then sat down on a nearby boulder. His eyes were still glued to the horrible scene below. He was simply unable to look away.

The members of the cohort stood awkwardly around him, keeping silent. Sunny remembered that he was meant to be projecting an image of confidence as their leader, but was too rattled and angry to care.

After a while, Belle cleared his throat.

"...We are awaiting your orders, sir."

Quentin glanced at the swordsman reproachfully, then sighed.

"None of us really knows what to do. The mood among the civilians is pretty dark, as well. Ah... everyone is a bit shaken, I think. We did check the maps, though. The next siege capital is to the north-east of here, over the mountains. About three hundred kilometers away. Miss Beth and Professor Obel are currently searching for a good route..."

Sunny silently shook his head.

"...There's no point. Siege capitals seem to be crumbling like sand castles these days. Who says that the next one will still be there by the time we arrive? If we even make it..."

The Irregulars glanced at each other with uncomfortable expressions. After a poignant pause, Kim asked:

"What... what should we do, then? Sir?"

Sunny let out a heavy sigh, then looked north.

After a few moments of silence, he said:

"...Go to Falcon Scott. That is our best hope. Even if all other siege capitals fall, it will stand. It is the most fortified, and the First Army's presence is the strongest there. Most importantly... that is where Saint Tyris is. As long as she is defending the north, we'll be safe there."

Sunny did not add that if something capable of taking Sky Tide out appeared, all of them would be better off committing suicide. Once Saints started to die, mortals like them had no hope of making it out, really.

He also did not mention that there were another two thousand kilometers between them and Falcon Scott, twice as much as they had barely survived to get to Erebus Field from LO49. Everyone here knew that, since the cohort had started this damned campaign at the distant northern stronghold.

Returning to Falcon Scott would complete the calamitous circle.

Granted, the situation would be slightly different as they moved further north. Since that was where the First Army had first established its presence, the territories between Erebus Field and Falcon Scott were far better entrenched than the desolate regions in the south, where the army had come last.

There would be established evacuation corridors, or at least remnants of them. Supply depots, fortified outposts, well-maintained roads... perhaps they would even meet friendly forces on the way.

'Come to think of it, I should probably contact Army Command as soon as possible, to get detailed information about the big picture.'

The timing would be tricky, since the convoy was currently in a dire situation, with numerous Nightmare Creatures flooding the area. Sending even one Irregular into the Dream Realm would diminish their ability to defend themselves, but it was better than remaining blind. His people needed sleep, anyway.

Sunny lingered for a few moments, then said:

"Leave me for a bit. I need to think. Oh... make sure that the transports are as ready to move as they can be, while you're at it."

He doubted that it would be safe to remain near the fallen city for long.

The Irregulars nodded, then backed off and headed toward the convoy's temporary camp.

Left alone, Sunny forced himself to look away from the ruins of Erebus Field and stared up at the sky, which was dark and obscured by clouds of ash.

'...Damn it.'

The three remaining civilian transports were overloaded and on the verge of irrevocably breaking down. Military vehicles should still be operational, but Sergeant Gere had probably run out of ammunition by now.

'What the hell am I supposed to do?'

As Sunny watched the sky, a black dot appeared above him. At first, he thought that it was just another flake of ash, but the dot moved too swiftly to be one.It dove down, slowly growing as it drew closer.

A few seconds later, a black bird landed on a rock near him. It had glossy black feathers, smart round eyes, and a sharp beak that reminded him of Spire Messengers. With mild surprise, Sunny recognized it as a crow.

He knew that one, at least. Birds were a little bit less extinct than mammals, so even though they were a rare sight in the outskirts, there were some. They usually did not last long, though.

However...

'Why is there a crow in Antarctica?'

Just as he thought it, the crow opened its beak and cawed.

...Its caws sounded terribly like words.

"Sah-nee! Sah-nee!"