. Chapter 27 The Shape of a Nation Only just managing to prevent the sacrifice, Akiva and The Sons of Liberty have managed to get the light-fearing monsters on the run with torches, yet the city of Qazatia is still without power and the evil god Taktorrok remains unstopped, moving to devour our heroes! In desperation, Akiva drew a traditional pistol of the yellow men, having lost the ray-pistol, and tried firing bullets at the mass of Taktorrok. Small holes appeared in the body, and stinking blood even flowed, but what of it? The monster god was as large as six whales, nothing as insignificant as a bullet could kill him. “We have to get away, Akiva,” Fostep pleaded, “we can't beat it. We have to run away.” “Maybe if they get the power on,” Akiva said, “if only we had more light. The fire isn't strong enough.” “The ray wasn't strong enough to do it either! We just can't stop it.” Over the screams and roars came the sound of breaking glass. A blue light came down through the smoke

What was that device? “ It was, of course, not known to me at the time, but it was related to me what happened after the fact. For, you see, Lars, deeply saddened by his own treachery, chose to stay behind and to purchase us some time with which to escape. We heatedly discussed our limited options, most of which involved panicked flight through an unknown woodland in the dark of night. Luckily, Hermiston knew of another way. We bid our farewells to Lars, who we did not blame for his deception, for we good soldiers knew that to go against the church, the sameself church we had fought and bled for in our youths, constituted a violation of our honour and the truth of ourselves. Though it may seem that we flocked to Hermiston and abandoned all we had held dear in the moment, I can very much so guarantee that it was a grave decision only made after much self searching and quiet deliberation. Except, perhaps, in my case, in which it had been a decision made at gun point. What was