The people in the city saw the warriors holding out by the river. They did what they could to ease the pressure, throwing flowerpots and firewood over the edge of Free City to crush any unlucky ratfolk below.
Free City moved directly above the warriors and gradually descended. When it finally hovered about a hundred meters over their heads, its deep shadow taught the Rat Tide what fear was. The ratfolk stopped shrieking and charging forward.
Dean Breichim opened a Portal, letting the Guard Legion and the city's Professionals—brimming with energy and clamoring for revenge—rush out to bring the warriors back.
The two sides traded places as hunters and prey. The Guard Legion chased the Rat Swarm along the riverbank while the civilians gathered before the Square. At first, they sang the heroes' praises. But when the warriors appeared, drenched in blood, every one of them wounded to some degree, some even collapsing as soon as they crossed the Portal, the cheers gave way to respect and silence.
The losses were worse than Annan had imagined. He had personally sent them to the battlefield, but fewer than a third had returned...
Annan watched Femi approach with one arm missing. Femi knelt on one knee before him and bowed the head he would never bow to ratfolk. "Lord Annan, you've saved us again."
"Your arm..."
"At least I'm alive." Femi glanced at his empty sleeve, unconcerned. "It's a warrior's badge of honor."
"Ingrid, take the warriors to the hospital."
The hospital had been cleared out, but it plainly could not hold more than two thousand injured people. The severely wounded were taken into the wards, while those with lighter injuries camped outside.
Everyone had been brought back except those who had just gone down and were still killing ratfolk on the