[color=aaaaaa]	Chaos ensued.

	The battlements was largely safe from gunfire. Even Nicolas, from his position in the leftmost machine gun nest, would be difficult to hit with a rifle. The cage built around the machine gun was purpose built to keep the gunner safe from any form of harm that could befall him. Explosion-proof barriers prevented pesky dynamite charges from harming him. A metal siege cage was sturdy enough to deflect more primitive projectiles. There was even an air supply mask to protect him from chemical weapons. Chase kept pointing, and Nicolas’s gun kept dropping bodies. The only thing that might have challenged the machine gun nest was a sniper, but there were no good ones left. The blood witch had conscripted them all into her armies, and killed the ones that resisted. 

	If Nicolas’s ears weren’t ringing from the gunfire, he might have heard a buzz from above. While nigh-impenetrable with lower end weaponry, there were gaps and holes into the nest so that the gun could be aimed and fired. Nicolas barely noticed the first bee, and only flinched when it pricked his enchanted flesh. Then another bee stung him, and another, and another, and soon the flashes from his muzzle illuminated hundreds of swarming insects.

	[color=FFFFFF]“Not the bee- NOT THE BEES! AAHHHHHHHH!”[/color] 

	Nicolas waved his hands about as he abandoned the turret nest. Even nearby archers seemed shaken by the turret operator yelling like some has-been method actor. In the darkness it was not clear what had caused him to abandon his post, though anyone attempting to take over for him would quickly realise what was up.

	Chase pointed back at the machine gun nest. [color=FFFFFF]“Find out what’s going on and [i]fix it![/i]”[/color] Fortunately for the keep, its second nest to the right was on the other side of the battlements, and wouldn’t be impeded by the bees. But this was starting to feel less like a one sided slaughter to Chase. None of the guardsmen had died, and the rebels had suffered massive casualties, but they were getting a little close for comfort. Between the overturned truck and the machine gun being down, the rebels were able to easily reach the moat on one side of the fort. If they managed to get inside… [color=FFFFFF]“Where’s that masonmancer!? And archers! Keep shooting!”[/color] 

	Kaapo took to the waters, emboldened by the sacrifice of his great grandpa. The moat was not so long. Twenty feet would be easy to swim through. The first guard that came in front of the hole was brandishing a machine gun. He looked out at the hundreds of targets before him, but Kaapo saw only one. His pistol was high, he had been careful not to get it wet. When he fired, the bullet struck the guard in the chest. His target stumbled against the wall and fell onto the stairs leading up to the battlements. But no blood had been spilled. Maybe he was wearing armor, maybe he had enchanted flesh, or maybe he had both. He leveled his gun at the boy, hovered his finger over the trigger.

	And then he sank. 

	Initially the guard was surprised, but then he remembered the moat and grinned. It was filled with [b]sharks[/b]. The giant killing machines could swallow a man whole, and always lingered in the area because of an enchanted blood spell. The waters also lead directly out to sea, which was how they were able to accept shipments without them getting intercepted. The guard stood back up and walked up to the battlements.

	 [color=FFFFFF]“Shit!”[/color] 

	Sally Dallas used to be a radio operator that managed all the trucks operating under Gerald Trucking. Up until the queen’s takeover, she had talked to and gotten to know many of the men and women who delivered supplies all over Gilla. Things weren’t the same once they had become corporatized. Upper management had been replaced, and nothing had really been the same after that. She knew Boston and Kaapo, and couldn’t be surprised that they were among the first to lose their lives. The young boy had always been reckless even before his grandpa’s sacrifice, and Boston had made it clear that he didn’t expect to live. Their deaths were a tragedy. Particularly Kaapo’s. She had tried to convince him to stay out of this, but there was no talking him down. Not when his grandpa was going. 

	[color=FFFFFF]“Okay…”[/color] Sally peaked around the concrete pile. [color=FFFFFF]“You ate one of us, but I forgive you. If you can act as a bridge to let us across, I’ll feed you until you bust!”[/color]
	
	And with that, the great white rose to the surface of the water. The shark was about fifteen feet wide and filled most of the space between the hole in the wall and the edge of the water. However, such sharks also couldn’t breath unless they were moving. She didn’t expect the shark to hold for long, but it could get some people inside, hopefully. 

	But Sally wouldn’t be trying it herself. While Boston and Kaapo could bravely give their lives, Sally couldn’t make herself do something so dangerous. Other than some druid spells, she had no way of defending herself. She had opened a path by talking to the sharks, it was up to someone else to do the brave part and get inside, and maybe lower the drawbridge. 

	Looking back, she saw Great Grandma Henriksson. She didn’t know who she was, but it was unusual to see such an old woman hobbling along as men rushed past either side of her. Sally stood up and was about to help her to cover when a flurry of arrows came overhead. She disappeared under the arrows, and once the arrows had passed, only her walking stick remained. It had sunk into the soil and sprouted a single flower, which attracted a single bee. 

	Sally began to hyperventilate. She had no idea why she was here. Was death really better than living in fear? She could hear her heart beating between her ears and slapped her cheeks. She pushed her glasses back up on her nose and whispered a prayer to herself. 
[/color]