It was them. There was no room for doubt anymore.
I turned immediately, already moving.
Narg and Thok are following.
"Where are the others?" Narg asked.
"They're outside the gate," Thok said. "They went ahead to confront them."
Before he could say anything else, I activated warp, reappearing atop one of the twin towers that flanked the gate, and as I looked ahead, the scene lay itself bare in a way that made my chest tighten.
Zarah stood at the forefront, bow already in hand, her posture calm but coiled, with Gobbo and Dribb slightly ahead of the others like living shields, while Zonk, Snob, Krish, Zox, Gork, Nira, Zivra, and Ariel formed a loose but deliberate line behind them, every single one of them facing outward, eyes locked forward, ready for battle.
