Katie387750 versus Sara_R_Stark

Katie

Opal's POV.

Everyone was standing in a straight line. We were all petrified, afraid, destroyed... any terrible emotion you can think of can fit in all of our minds right now, and that includes death.

Death, millions of people have died. It's just our living people left... Kyren, Crystal, Eris, Zaydaan, and about a hundred more magi. Other than that, they're all gone.

Leaves from trees started to fall. 7:00 PM. The time when all of our leaves begin to fall. The day where millions of people's leaves fall. The day where everyone falls to the ground to the dragon creatures.

One of the fire-breathing dragons, covered in scales and an awkward tail, stood in front of us. Behind him, all of the kidnapped magi.

"Hello," He said with his rusty, crackly voice. "Welcome to your pitiful end. Tythan is gone."

I looked at Kyren. I think everyone kind of looked up to him as the leader. He knew what he was doing, although the Zhol part of him scared everyone.

"Now, we shall all start with the execution process. Everyone, look up."

I closed my eyes. I couldn't bare to watch the skin melt off of the bodies of magi we once loved. The wind blew against my body, causing my clothes and hair to blow to the left. The sunlight glistened in my eyes as I closed them.

"I said, look up."

I still didn't. I wouldn't look, I wouldn't watch. Crystal nudged my right side, telling me to look. I wouldn't.

"Look up or you'll be executed!" He roared.

My eyes flashed open when he said executed. I wouldn't go down the same path Benjo did. My eyes were filled with tears.

"Good, now, the magi we shall kill this hour... Jeythr."

I looked at Kyren. His eyes were filled of horror. The dragon stood right in front of Jeythr.

"Any last words?"

"Goodbye, everyone. I hope you live this invasion," Jeyther said with great confidence. "I know I may be gone, but you can't suffer because I will be leaving you. We've been battling all day. We must keep as strong as we were before. I love you all, good luck."

The dragon charged its attack, right before it fired, Kyren shouted, "No!"

He gave into his Zhol side and sucked the grass underneath us to send a powerful dark blast into the dragon's back. Jeythr looked at him with shock.

"That was a mistake!" I yelled.

Stronger units charged into the rows of magi and started slicing them to shreds. I saw Selene perfectly fine, blinked again, and she was on the ground, blood oozing out of her chest.

"We are the legion, and we will not stop until you are all dead!" A soldier shouted. "Attack!"

Kyren stood in front of everyone as the army came close. He made a dark wall barrier. "Run! I'll hold them off."

"Okay," I replied, tears glistening in my eyes. Everyone knew he wasn't going to make it.

We ran the opposite direction, and we stopped running only to see the warriors breaking through Kyren's shield. A knife stabbed into his chest, and that's when we all knew. It's hopeless.

"Syra!" Jeythr yelled, looking at the Zhol his girlfriend had become.

"Don't get drawn like you did last time," Zenna replied. "If we want a chance of living you have to lose her affection for her."

The Zhols leaded by Syra started sucking life from Kypha.

"We have to run into the wilderness," Crystal announced.

"Agreed."

Everyone nodded their heads as a 'yes', and then we dashed off.

"Ships, attack!" A legion soldier yelled.

The blue and gray battleships swarmed in the sky. Their blue lasers started destroying Kypha. One shot, and a building was completely destroyed, with fire surrounding it.

We bolted towards the cave, only to see blood surrounding it.

"That's where I went when I was kidnapped, trust me, the cave isn't the best plan," Jeythr protested.

"Okay, let's run in the forest then. Live the hunger games," Zaydaan suggested.

"Works for me," Zenna agreed.

"We have to," Eris pitched in.

Eris and I ran next to each other as the two shy girls. Her hair sometimes blew into mine because of the wind.

Everyone was dashing into the wilderness, but the army wasn't that far behind us.

"I think I should leave now," I announced.

"What do you mean?" Jeythr asked.

"I'll sacrifice myself, you all are more important than me," I sighed. "I'm sorry, but it has to be done."

"Not you too, Opal! Don't make me here alone!" Crystal yelled.

"Run."

"Opal," Eris cried, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Run! Hurry up! Don't make my death useless! Run!" I called out.

They all left, and I looked straight at the soldiers. I transformed into a phoenix and made a fire wall which didn't last long. They cut through the flesh of the phoenix, revealing my true form. Blood oozed out of my right arm.

"Transform her," Syra ordered.

Instead of following her orders, I ran into the spear of a legion. They were shocked of what I've done. Blood ran out of my neck, and soon, my world became black.

I did this for you.

I passed out, and fell on the floor.

Crystal's POV.

"Opal just did that," I mumbled.

"I'm sorry, Crystal," Eris replied.

"It's okay, it was her choice. I'm just shocked. She'd usually be the one who tags along to live, not actually sacrifice herself that wisely. I'm surprised."

"She was the only one who was still a kid. Now our population can't grow," Jeythr stated. "That's why I'm upset. No matter what, we're doomed."

"Doomed we shall be," I agreed.

"The army just keeps on coming," Zenna sighed, trying to keep up the pace.

"We could make a distraction. Obviously we won't live if we keep on doing this," I suggested.

"We can send them they wrong way. We're fast runners," Lexi offered, running by Felix and Khen.

"You'll probably die, are you okay with that?" Jeythr asked.

"Yes, it's our only hope," Khen agreed. Felix nodded.

"Alright, you guys run right and we'll run left. They'll have to follow one of our groups," I ordered.

"Right."

We split up, and the army turned right with Lexi. Felix, Khen, and Lexi were no more.

"Not them," Eris cried. "More people from our guild have died. Why them?"

"I'm sorry, Eris," I sighed. "But now more people can live. Why not we go on top of that mountain? Everyone knows this forest well, it's where task two took place."

"That works. Maybe the dragon will be friendly for once," Jeythr said, rolling his eyes.

We climbed up the mountain, and everyone was shocked of what they saw.

"Look! There's the labyrinth!" Vatre yelled.

"And that's the water area and the obstacle course!" Eris called, shocked at what she saw.

"There's all of the tasks and battle tasks just sitting right in front of us. That's what this is all about, making different environments so we can shape them ourselves," I sighed. "So we have to shape this battle task as well."

"Shape the battle task? What do you mean?" Jeythr asked, confused.

"I mean we have to trick them. I don't know, but we have to change something to let us survive this massacre," I replied. "What will we do?"

"If we're trying to use the environment, I have a rope and arrow. If we have something to hold onto, we can use it as a zip line," Zenna explained.

"That rope is long." I smiled, looking at her rope. "If we go in the labyrinth, then they won't be able to find us."

"I have a chain. I got it when the army was about to- I don't exactly want to explain it, but it was some terrifying incident with the kidnapped people. Anyways, if we tie this chain to the rope, then we can hang onto it when we go down," Jeythr explained.

"How will we get it back up for everyone else?" I asked.

"I can pull the rope back up with the chain once the other person gets back down. It'll last a long time, but it's possible." Zenna smiled.

"Right, duh. Okay, who's going first?" Jeythr asked.

No one wanted to volunteer because they wanted to look like they could sacrifice themselves.

"I'll go," Eris volunteered.

Eris grabbed onto the rope, and used it to descend straight down into the labyrinth.

Soon, we all did the same, and we ran together throughout the maze, getting lost, but far away from the Zhols and armies.

Sara_R_Stark

Daniella could feel the wrought iron chains digging into her flesh, drawing blood that slowly dripped down her elevated arms and matted into her hair. Her limbs were slowly going numb, especially her leg which had been cut with an enchanted sword. Green smoke rose lazily from the wound, mingling with the blood and causing her much more pain than she had ever expected it to.

Her pain was broadcasted for the entirety of Kypha as two guards dressed in heavy armour dragged her onto a stage, each movement causing her arms to scream out in agony. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, suppressing every sound threatening to escape her parched throat. These monsters wouldn't get the pleasure of seeing her cry.

To her left and right, other Magi were being dragged out. All that could walk did so, but their legs were chained as well as their arms, and they were all eventually forced to their knees. Everyone's arms were chained to a thick metal bar hanging suspended above the stage, and from the looks of it, none of their prison could be broken with brute force alone.

All at once, a man dressed in glittering golden armour walked onto the state. He had a helmet designed to look like that of a dragon's head with ruby eyes and teeth sharpened to points. His icy eyes wandered over each of us, stopping momentarily to glare at us individually. Once his eyes reached me, I felt myself shrink back slightly, downcasting my eyes. I was meant to be a powerful Magi, and yet the prospect of being beaten down even more than I already was was too much to bear.

"Citizens of Kypha!" the man shouted, causing the entire crowd to immediately fall silent. "Welcome to the beginning of the new world! You citizens have survived the massacre and are now invited to join the Dragon Empire on its conquest of the rest of the known realm. Refuse, and you will be executed in a similar fashion to these Magi up here."

Everything went deathly quiet as the man finished his spiel. The only sound I could hear was my rapid heartbeat in my ears and chains clanking as some Magi shifted uncomfortably. Gradually each of the citizens knelt to the ground to the point where only the tops of their heads could be seen from the stage. None seemed ready to face the punishment us Magi were put through. This revelation was clearly pleasing to the dragon man, as his eyes traveled across the group of people with pride peeking through their icy depths.

"The Dragon Empire appreciates your cooperation," he grinned evilly. "Now, as you see here, we have brought back one Magi from each of the remaining guilds to participate in the ceremony. For each hour that passes until the rest of their guilds return to give themselves up to the Dragon Empire, one more will be killed off." He turned back towards the group, raising his hand. A sword seemed to materialize out of thin air, sitting comfortably in his hand as he swung it expertly. "I believe we'll start with you." Smirking, he swung the sword, the sound of metal connecting with flesh echoing throughout the small space. The head of one of the Magi rolled to the ground at the man's feet, and he kicked it to the side, disgusted. "Let this be a lesson to all that are here that any opposition to our rule will end in nothing but suffering and death for yourself and your people."

With that he exited the stage, leaving us sitting in the now silent square with blood slowly seeping through the fabric of our pants.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Marko stared over the treeline, watching the smoke rising in the distance. He could hear the screams of the few remaining citizens of Kypha as the Dragon Empire rounded the rest of them up. His chest squeezed uncomfortably. It was the duty of the Magi to help and protect these people, and yet they were fleeing as far from the city as possible.

The group of exhausted Magi took a brief pause in a clearing about two miles from the city. The smoke was a thick grey cloud in the sky, now, only barely shadowing the red flashing lights of the Dragon Empire's warships. Marko quickly looked down to the ground, quickling wiping away tears of frustration as they rolled down his cheeks. Today had been nothing but horrible, and it had taken this empire less than an hour to take away everything he held dear.

"Magi!" one of the guild leaders shouted as they sprung up onto a large boulder at the head of a clearing. "We have just gotten word that some of our own have been captured and are now being executed at the main square outside the castle!" Gasps echoed throughout the clearing, and Marko felt his depression sink in deeper. The emptiness rapidly filling his chest expanded, and it felt like he was being choked from the neck down.

"What will we do about this?" another yelled. "We can't let them die, but if we risk an attack, the republic's only hope for return will be crushed!"

"It's a chance we're willing to take," Caroline responded. "These people have fought with us through thick and thin, and it would be insulting to leave them without help like this! As Magi, it's our duty to defend those who can't defend themselves, and right now, these are the people that need saving!" A ripple of appreciation rose from the crowd, and Michael grinned lightly as he saw Caroline nearly glow with pride.

"We will need a strategy, though," one Magi cried. "We mustn't risk our lives on a mission that is sure to fail. How do we make it through their Zhol army? None of us can take one down, and those that could are either dead or too tired to fight them anyways."

"Let's split into groups," the first Magi leader suggested. "If we swarm the castle from all angles, we can surprise them. If multiple groups attack those guarding the castle, others can infiltrate it and try to take down those leading this attack. Then a separate group can go and save the Magi being executed."

"It's a good plan, but the groups will be small," another commented. "There only 200 of us, give or take, left out of our entire guilds. Most of those who competed in the games are either dead or kidnapped and not all of us have been in Kypha long enough to get a good understanding of the layout."

"Good point," Caroline said. "I suggest we place at least two Magi who have been in these games in each group so that they can help lead those who don't have a good idea of where they need to go for this mission to be a success. I for one, could be one of those people, as well as Marko who has participated."

"Logan and myself are still alive," one of the Black Dragon representatives said.

"As well as myself, Valonn and Rhengar," Mordzar of Knight's Watch said.

"Alright," the first guild leader said, cutting them off. "We've got some options, but time is limited. It's important that we hurry up and get ourselves in position so that no more Magi die on the execution block because of our dawdling."

The rest of that time was a blur. Marko was shoved this way and that, Magi prying him for any known information about Kypha's layout. He told them all he could, though he knew that if Michael was here, he would be more than capable of explaining it much better than Marko was. Eventually, Marko was assigned a group with about twenty other Magi. They would be the group to help save those being executed. Marko ended up being paired with another Magi, Crystal, who was a representative and also had a good idea of Kypha's layout. The two of them were meant to lead the group through a series of hidden alleyways to the square where they would attack the Dragon Empire from atop a nearby building. The element of surprise was all they had, considering the insane power of the Zhols already defending those meant to die.

They left swiftly, trekking the two miles back to Kypha in silence. Marko nervously fidgeted with one of the daggers hidden in his belt loop. This was likely his last day alive, and that thought didn't stick well with him. Even if this mission was somehow a success, they couldn't break past the blockade surrounding the planet. Leaving was virtually impossible. He didn't let this thought slow his progress, though, and instead used it to push him forwards. If he was to die here, he would make it a heroic death.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

They had been chained up for almost three hours now, and three Magi were already dead. Daniella feared that she would be one of the next killed, and she knew that this next hour might be her last. The citizens still knelt on the ground, though they all seemed to have their eyes trained on the slowly dying Magi. Many stared at Daniella's smoking wound and at the blood snaking down her arms, or they stared at the Magi next to her whose left arm was missing and gushing blood through their crude bandage.

Daniella was slowly coming to terms with her own death. She knew that she would definitely not survive these executions. Not even her guild could save her from her fate, as most of them were already dead. She only wished that when it was her turn to die, she wouldn't cower in the face of the enemy.

The large clock hanging on the face of one of nearest buildings seemed to race ahead. The time flew by, even though no one did anything but stare out over the skyline. The time was drawing near when Daniella's fate would be sealed, and by the time the minute hand hit the 9, she was ready.

That's when the screams began.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Marko's group yelled as they launched themselves off the roof and into the crowd below. The citizens screamed and began to flee the square, running up and down the streets like confused rats. Zhols and soldiers alike ran to fight the Magi back, and within seconds, Marko found himself engaged in tough hand to hand combat. He yanked his dagger out of his belt and began to battle with one of the soldiers. Within seconds, though, it was clear that these weren't the soldiers they had been fighting previously. They seemed to have double... triple, even, the strength of those who they took down before.

Instantly, Magi were slaughtered. Magi wearing the colours of Crimson Shadow fell to the ground at Marko's feet, their red sashes stained with blood even darker than the guild colours. He counted the bodies as they fell, taking note of their guild colours as well. 5 members of Crimson Shadow had fallen, and the numbers were only rising. 5,6,7 members of the other guilds fell to the ground as the soldiers overwhelmed them. This mission was a clear failure.

They had lead an entire group of Magi to their deaths.

A man wearing a dragon helmet raced to the front of the stage and began screaming at the audience as he raised a great broadsword. With wide eyes, Marko watched as he raised the sword and cleanly cut through the fabric of Daniella's jacket, causing the girl to slump forwards. The chains held her body suspended in the air, though it was clear that she was almost instantly dead. Screaming in panic, Marko quickly knocked away the sword of the soldier fighting him, and he spun on his heel and ran. The others got the message and began to follow, abandoning the mission and sprinting back towards the woods.

"Retreat! Retreat!" one of the Magi shouted, chucking a small spherical bomb behind them. An explosion sounded and fire flared up, though no one looked back. The soldiers chasing them were momentarily delayed, and they took the brief respite to dive into the basement of one of the nearest buildings, slamming the door shut behind them and crouching in a windowless corner as the sound of feet thundered by.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Caroline was panting by the time her group reached the castle. Her leg screamed from where a blade had pierced it, and blood stained her leggings, though she couldn't allow her injury to hinder her progress in any way. Screams sounded in the distance, and smoke rose up to the sky as bombs were set off. She grinned. It was clear that Marko was doing his job, as the citizens began streaming down the streets to avoid the battle. Everyone ducked into the castle's vast main entrance before they could be spotted, and they were instantly greeted with shadowy darkness.

Within that darkness, the vague green mist of thousands of Zhols glowed dully.

All at once, the screaming began. The Zhols quickly charged, raising their weapons coated with green poison. Caroline pulled out her sword, running forwards to clash with the approaching enemies. Today, the Zhols weren't holding back. It was as if they wanted her to kill them yesterday, as they went down easily. Now, though, she was struggling to get in any sort of good hit on the Zhol she was battling. It was nearly impossible to see them through the dark, and only the vague green outline of their evil magic was visible.

Caroline carefully lead the battle towards one of the large windows in the corner, and she made an effort to slash the band holding the curtains in place. Instantly, sunlight spewed into the main hall, allowing the Magi to see those they were fighting. Caroline grinned, turning back to the Zhol she was battling when she freezed, recognizing the emerald green eyes of the Magi she had lost less than two days ago.

Vance grinned, raising his sword and attempting to take advantage of her surprise. He swung quickly, landing a solid cut on her upper arm. Caroline screamed in pain, dropping her weapon with a clatter. Woozy, she reached down with her other hand, watching Vance circle her like a lion stalking its prey. He swung out again, and Caroline was barely fast enough to block it. She attempted to sidestep and cut his thigh, though, he blocked her and sent her sword flying. Panicking, Caroline attempted to bend the shadows to her will and create a solid wall between her and the Zhol, though the most peculiar thing happened. Vance began to suck up her magic, leaving her feeling even more powerless than before.

Panicking and utterly helpless, Caroline fell to the floor. The poison on Vance's blade was beginning to get to her head, and she could feel its stinging pain filtering throughout her bloodstream. She fell back, her head hitting the wall hard. Vance assessed her, his eyes as cold and calculating as ever. He spun the sword, the beautiful metal glinting dangerously.

"Vance please," Caroline pleaded. "Please don't do this."

Vance didn't seem to listen. He raised the sword, and at that moment, Caroline was Michael, staring up into those emerald eyes as the blade pierced his stomach. She remembered watching his eyes fade as Vance removed the blade, wiping it nonchalantly on his shirt and continuing on to his next opponent. What had happened to the brilliant Magi she had selected many months ago to accompany her to these games? What had gone wrong?

Grinning sadistically, Vance twirled the blade once before shoving it through the flesh of her stomach. Caroline screamed in agony as the poison filled her to the point of overflowing. Her vision faded, twisting and twirling in ways she had never experienced before. Colourful spots danced around the corner of her vision, and her head lolled. With the last of her strength, Caroline reached down and ripped the blade from her body, falling forwards to the ground.

Her face met the cold tile, and she could vaguely feel her own blood soaking into the skin of her cheek. It was warm and comforting, as if she was back at Crimson Shadow in one of their warm rivers. She would spend much time down there just sitting and thinking or sometimes even sleeping when her day was particularly tough. That's where she was now. She could feel the water lapping at her chin, the little fish at the bottom of the rivers nibbling at her toes. The sun was bright and warm, and only then was she at peace. She took in one deep breath before allowing herself to submerge in the water, opening her eyes once more to see Jacob, Xenia, and Michael peering at her through the waves.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tears streamed down Marko's face as his group finally reached the forest. Only seven of them were left, all of them wounded and sobbing on the ground. He fell against a tree, his head in his hands as he pulled at his hair. He had lead an entire group of his comrades to their deaths, and he hadn't even managed to free those being executed. Other groups began filtering back into their clearing, all of their numbers depleted beyond belief. He waited, watching through his tears for Caroline to come back and tell him that everything was ok. He needed her reassurance that the mission wasn't a complete failure and that all of his friends hadn't died in vain.

But as everyone else returned, Marko realized that Caroline was never coming back.

The numbers of his guild were so small that he almost couldn't believe it. Only about 5% of their original numbers were there in the clearing. Nearly all of the guild had come to watch the ending of the games, and their already small population of 63 people had shrunk to about 3.

Everyone he loved was gone.

Marko finally allowed himself to throw himself to the ground and sob, his salty tears spilling into the earth below as he mourned for the loss of his family.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Catelyn held her breath as more feet thundered by, placing a hand over her mouth to quiet her breathing. She turned back to the other Magi in the room, gesturing for them to be silent. Everyone shifted uncomfortably, waiting until the sound of running outside quieted. She finally let out the breath she had been holding, slumping against the wall.

Ever since she and Nora had been kidnapped, everything had been falling apart. All of the other Magi that had been taken were in the room with them when the Dragon Empire took over, and it was only by luck that the Zhols guarding them left them unattended for a single moment. They had managed to escape and had been hiding out in an abandoned farmhouse since, using the materials left in the barn to keep themselves fed and protected. Their beds were hay in the stalls, and their food was supplied from a small garden just outside the barnhouse. All of the animals had been slaughtered except for a single lamb which Catelyn kept close to her, feeding it and gradually nursing it to health.

It was clear that the Magi populace was depleted. That much was certain from how bad everything had been going outside. Catelyn could see the battles going on from a distance. She watched as the Magi were slaughtered, and was pleased when she watched small groups of them flee into the forest. So far, she hadn't been able to make out anyone from her guild as they returned from the carnage, though considering their small numbers, it was high likely that most (if not all) of them had been killed off.

As the days crawled by, it was clear that this group of Magi would not survive much longer in their hiding place. The farm was running out of food, and cooking and eating Catelyn's little lamb would be impossible without a visible fire. Small groups left the barn in search of food, through none of them ever returned. Their numbers had lessened until they had fewer than ten people left, and Catelyn worried that eventually the Dragon Empire would find their location and kill the rest of them off.

The morning that the Magi launched their final attack was just another day in the barn. Catelyn had found an old book stashed up in the barn's hidden attic, though she couldn't explore further due to the floor look like it it was about to collapse in on the Magi below. Everyone made an effort to keep themselves disguised in their stalls, knowing that Zhols would quickly flood the area to find those who had just launched the attack on them.

It didn't take long for this prediction to come true. The Magi could see the cloaked figures scanning the entire area around the barn, gradually scanning the perimeter of the forest for any sort of clue as to where the Magi had gone. Catelyn found the situation too tense to read, so she set down her book and simply pet her lamb, trying to keep the little beast quiet. It licked her hand happily, unaware of the absolute destruction going on outside the barn.

Suddenly, from just outside the barn, Catelyn heard voices. She strained to make out what they were saying, and her heart dropped.

"I don't trust this barn," one of them growled. "I've seen figures escaping here during the night and running towards the capital."

"You don't suppose Magi are hiding within these walls, do you?" the other asked skeptically.

"We were instructed to be thorough. I say we blow this place up and move on."

"Whatever makes you sleep at night."

Footsteps receded from the barn, and Catelyn panicked. The other Magi must have heard the conversation as well. Escaping was futile, as they would only get picked off attempting to escape. A single salty tear escaped Catelyn's eye as she pulled her lamb close, feeling it snuggle up to her chest. It made no noise, though seemed to sense that something was wrong as it nuzzled against her cheek. This only made Catelyn cry harder as she heard the sound of the pin being pulled on the bomb. She closed her eyes, placing her face deep within the soft curls of her lamb's fur as the deafening sound of an explosion echoed throughout the barn. Instantly she felt fire singe her hair, and with that, she was blown against the wall of her stall and was knocked out.

ariel_paiment1 versus wordsmith-

ariel_paiment1

Maertien's eyes flickered open. Wan moonlight filtered through the clouds of smoke and ash above, casting the world in a shadow land lit only by weak beams of moonlight and spitting torches. He coughed at the acrid stench of smoke and blood surrounding them. Beside him, Eskandar stirred, whimpering sleepily. Maertien's gaze darted over to his companion and then back to the other Magi beside him.

They waited in varying arrays of disaster. The one on his left hung limp against his post, unmoving. Maertien's eyes welled with tears. Why must this be the way things go? These people... What did they do to deserve this fate? He had long ago realized that seeing the future was neither reliable nor complete, but for once, this vision had been clear in almost all regards. He already knew what would happen to over half the people here. The other half had been lost in the mist of the visions. I really hope they'll survive, but somehow, I don't have a good feeling about that.

A man strutted into the center of the town square where the Magi were trussed up to the poles. Maertien stiffened, his gaze running over the man's appearance. His skin glittered with patches of red and gold scales, and he wore a string of baby dragon's teeth about his neck. Teeth gritted, Maertien forced himself to remain still. That man. That man is the cause of all this suffering!

A smirk settled onto the man's thin lips, and his gaze seemed to settle onto Maertien like a suffocating cloak. "How delightful to see you could all join us!" The man clapped his hands together. "Sad to say, you won't be with us for long." He strolled along the row, running his fingers over one woman's cheek.

She sneered at him and attempted to bite his fingers. He snatched his hand away and backhanded her.

"Some of you are probably wondering why. Though I'd guess most of you can figure it out." He cackled and waved his arm toward something behind them.

Maertien didn't bother looking. Why look when you already knew?

"For those of you who can't, let me explain. I am going to have Galiel—say hi, Galiel!"

The loud roar of a dragon split the air, and a wave of hot air washed over them. Screams split the air as the younger Magi lost it. Maertien hung his head. He couldn't blame them for screaming.

"Where was I?" The man clapped his hands together. "Oh, yes. I'm going to have Galiel here roast one of you every hour throughout the night as an example to the lovely folks over there." He pointed to the townsfolk huddling in enclosures on the perimeter of the town square. "Can't have anyone getting any silly ideas, can we? And since we wouldn't want anyone getting bored, we'll just start now."

Maertien's hands clenched into fists, shaking against his thighs. Just be patient. Let it play out. Don't mess things up or even more people will die.

"Now what, Seer?" Eskandar hissed under his breath.

Maertien swallowed hard. "We wait."

"Wait? For what? Death is all I see for us if we wait." Eskandar frowned at the boy.

"We wait for the rest of them to show up."

"The rest of them?"

"I can't explain right now, Eskandar," Maertien hissed back.

The drums boomed to life around them, and the jeering crowd of Zhols and other creatures closed in to watch their final moments.

Galiel's pebbly head whipped around, and a gout of fire spilled from his maw. The fire connected with Daniella. He winced as the girl from Crimson Shadow screamed. The fire licked at her body, turning her into a human torch.

Turning his second sight away, Maertien fought the urge to be sick. He could feel a headache coming on, and he cursed the timing of these things. I know the end result though. So, it doesn't matter if I have a vision now. I'll still end up where I need to go. Somehow.

***

The refugees huddled in the clearing. A chilly wind screamed through the space, the ships barely shielding them from the wind. The captains of the ships conversed with the remaining Magi among the refugees regarding the situation.

Captain Arck crossed his arms with a shiver. "They destroyed the entire planet in a day..."

The Magi exchanged glances. Eiridan wrapped an arm around Jaeyria's waist.

"We saw the disaster, Captain Arck," Duana murmured. "What do you want us to do? We have nowhere to go. They've blockaded the planet, and they've taken or killed many of us."

"Do you want us to just give up and die? Because in case you hadn't noticed, they shot holes in our ship when they caught up to us retreating and left us to go down in flames." Captain Zirlin gesticulated at the ship.

Duana's shoulders hunched, and her lips pressed tightly together. No, but I don't see another choice.

Eiridan cast a wide-eyed look in her direction, his brows drawing together. His lips pursed, and he looked like he did when he read others' auras: concentrated and attentive. She looked away. Why is he reading my aura? And why does he look surprised?

"Obviously, she doesn't want that." Jaeyria glared at Zirlin.

Zirlin opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, there was a commotion on the other side of the camp. Low murmurs and shuffling movement brought their attention to the disturbance. A girl limped into camp, leaning heavily on a staff.

Some of the women in the camp rushed to her and helped her onto a stump near the ships. She shivered violently, and someone ran for a blanket inside the ship. One of the women tending to her called for someone to heat up some water.

"Shivering to death, the poor dear." The woman who had gone for a blanket rushed past Jaeyria, Eiridan, and Duana as they stood watching the observer.

Duana clutched Jaeyria's arm. Her... "Jae, that girl..."

Jaeyria glanced over at Duana's pale face and frowned. "What about her? Looks like she's another survivor."

"No, she ran into me and Eskandar with a boy. The boy... He was still with Eskandar. Both of them were outside the ship. But that girl... The boy said she was a traitor. He insisted."

"What boy? Do we have any proof he's telling the truth?" Eiridan glanced at the girl.

"He was a Seer."

"A Seer?" Eiridan's eyes widened. "Do you have any idea how uncommon those are, Duana? Are you certain?"

She nodded. "He could read our thoughts, and he was able to show us things no normal Magi should be able to." She shuddered, rubbing her upper arms. "I'm fairly sure he isn't Magi either."

"Seers aren't. They're something other than Magi. No one knows much about them or their powers. But they don't have control over it. The visions come and go at will, leaving the Seer with glimpses of what is to come and sometimes even a mostly complete picture. Who knows if she's actually a traitor now or if he just foresaw it in the future. If he was young, he may not have been able to differentiate."

"But what if he was telling the truth? If he was, then we have a risk sitting right here. Who knows what she's capable of doing to us." Duana's voice hitched.

Eiridan chewed on his lower lip. "We can't just turn her out in the cold with the invaders roaming around on a suspicion, Duana. That's not right either."

"Then read her aura or something." We can't let that girl stay.

Eiridan sighed. "I already did, okay? You're right that something isn't right about her, but I don't know if it's enough to kick her out of the group. What if her aura is just tainted because of all she's seen. It's not quite evil, but it's dark. Very dark."

"We need to get rid of her," Duana insisted.

Jaeyria nodded to Duana, pulling her arm free from the agitated woman's grip. "Okay, Duana. We understand. Let us handle this, okay? You're looking a bit woozy. Why don't you lay down?"

Duana's lower lip trembled, and she jerked her head a bit in consent. Spinning on her heel, she went back into the ship to find blankets to sleep somewhere warmer.

***

"Do you think losing Eskandar is causing her to lose it?" Jaeyria shivered and huddled closer to her husband.

He dropped a distracted kiss against her cold forehead. "I don't know. But there's something the new girl isn't telling us. She seems..." He shook his head, blowing his bangs out of his face. "I don't know. I need to talk to her." His mind drifted back to what he'd seen in Duana's aura, and he bit his lip.

If the girl was a threat to them, she'd probably go after Duana first since Duana was the only one who knew who she was. He couldn't let that happen. Especially not after what he'd just realized.

Jaeyria wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him closer to her for a moment. "Stop worrying about it. We'll find a way to survive this too, Eiridan."

"But at what cost?" He murmured the words so softly the wind snatched them, and Jaeyria didn't hear what he'd said.

She let go and stepped back. "Go talk to her. Find out whatever you need to, love. I'm going to stake out some blankets before they're all gone."

He watched her until she disappeared behind the metal hull of the ship. Shaking his head as though he could clear it by doing so, Eiridan tromped over to her and sat down on the ground across from the girl. The women still fussed over her, and Eiridan waved a hand, shooing them off. "It's alright, ladies. I'm a healer, so let me take care of her."

The women eyed him dubiously, but after a moment, they turned and left, leaving the supplies nearby. Once she was gone, Eiridan knelt in front of the young woman who had stumbled into camp. "What's your name?" He tugged a small wand from his pocket, settling it and his hands over the girl's hands. He released a stream of mathanos into the wand, mumbling under his breath.

"Eita," the girl muttered.

"You have something to tell us." Eiridan rocked back on his heels.

She bit her lower lip. "Yes."

Eiridan remained silent.

"They're executing the prisoners, and they killed anyone who wasn't Magi." Her gaze dropped to the ground, and she ran her bare feet over the grass.

"What?" Eiridan's eyes widened. "Where?"

"They're going to execute one of the prisoners every hour in the palace's marketplace." She shivered and pulled the blanket closer to her.

Eiridan felt a chill skitter down his spine. "And the citizens?"

"The executions are supposed to be an example to the citizens. But they'll probably kill most of them too. The majority of them are already dead."

He inhaled sharply. "I need to speak with the others. The women can bring you more blankets if you need them. Just ask, alright?"

She nodded.

He rose from his position on the ground and strode to where the other Magi and the captains were still talking. "We have a problem." Eiridan ran a hand through his hair.

"We've had a problem," Jaeyria pointed out.

He hung his head. "Yeah, but we have another one. Everyone missing? The leaders of the invading force are going to execute one of our Magi each hour."

There was a long silence. Eiridan could sense the uncertainty lacing its way through the auras of the people gathered there. He glanced toward the ships. Thank goodness Duana isn't here to hear this.

"We've got to do something." Captain Arck paced back and forth, brow crinkling with concern.

"What do you propose we do?" Jaeyria tapped her foot on the ground.

"We go rescue them and try to take back the palace." Zirlin placed a hand on the sword hanging at his hip.

"Are you insane?" Jaeyria clenched her fists. "Didn't you pay any attention to what we had to do to get out of there?"

Captain Zirlin's fingers shook on his sword's hilt, and Eiridan felt the darkness covering the auras of the circle's inhabitants. He shuffled forward, holding out a hand. "Let's not argue. Captain Zirlin is right on one thing. We can't just leave them like that. We'll have to go back."

Jaeyria's fingers dug into his upper arm. "Eiridan, if we go..."

His tearful gaze fell on her. "Jae, please not now. Later."

"If there ever is a later," she mumbled.

He bowed his head. "I will gather all the Magi together, and we will begin the walk back."

"Are we just going to walk through the front gates?" Captain Arck rolled his eyes. "We may as well sign our own death warrants."

Eiridan's fingers trembled at his sides. "We will go in through one of the passages beneath the palace. It leads into the kitchens, and from there, I can get us to the square."

"I don't know about this." Black Dragon's water mage Nora waved her hand toward the refugees. "We're going to just abandon the refugees with no protection?"

Jaeyria coughed. "Not with none. We'll leave behind one or two of each of our guilds to protect them. But everyone else would come. What else can we do, Nora? We need our people back. There's no way we can keep taking these losses!"

Nora bowed her head. "I think everyone knows that."

"Then it's settled. Whoever is in charge now for each guild will choose one or two people to stay behind. Also, leave anyone too injured to fight." Eiridan waved a hand to dismiss everyone. "Meet back here in fifteen minutes. The palace is a two hour walk from here. We'll have to hurry if we want to avoid deaths due to our tardiness."

The crowd quickly flitted off to do as asked.

***

Eskandar's eyes watered, and the heat in the courtyard made his skin feel unbearably warm. The remainder of the guilds' members who hadn't been chained to the posts stood beside their captors, eyes ablaze with unholy green fire.

He glared at the two from their guild who had turned on them. How could they? Laera makes sense, I suppose. She is a forest elf. But Lasirra?

The two lounged nearby, their gazes locked on him, predatory smirks planted firmly on their lips. Lasirra ran her fingers through the fur of her lower body, and over the screams of the most recent victim, he thought he heard a rumbling purr from her. He ground his teeth, eyes narrowing. I'm going to kill both of you, he decided.

Lasirra leaned over to speak with the leader of the executions, pointing at him. He bared his teeth at them, eyes spitting fire at them. They just laughed. The leader nodded, smirking. Eskandar had a bad feeling about whatever they were discussing, but neither of them made a move toward him.

Maertien coughed beside him, and his gaze tore from the two women to land on the boy. The Seer's thin frame trembled, and tears trickled down his dirt and soot-smudged face. "Don't. Oh, please, don't." He mumbled to himself under his breath, making Eskandar wonder if he was snapping.

"Don't what? We can't do anything right now, kid," he whispered back.

Maertien's tear-filled, crazed eyes snapped up to stare past him. "This is all going to end in flame and brimstone." His eyes widened, and he strained against the ropes, gasping. "We have to get to the tunnel."

"The tunnel?" Eskandar's stomach twisted and churned.

The kid's lost it.

"There's a tunnel..." His gaze flitted to the watching women from their guild. "I can't explain now, Eskandar. But we must wait. Soon."

"You never can explain, and we're always to wait." Eskandar tugged at the bonds around wrists, his fingernails scrabbling at the ropes. Even though it would do no good since he was also chained to the post, the psychological feeling of having his hands tied was getting to him. "Look where that's gotten us!"

The fibers of the rope tore and snagged at the skin of his fingers, wedging under his fingernails. The gong that signaled the hour tolled, deep and angry. He hissed, and his body went rigid. Eskandar could hear the snicker in the dragon's elated roar. The master of the invading forces rose from the portable chair he'd been using as a throne. "Yes, Galiel. You can pick on to barbecue now if you'd like."

Eskandar twisted as far as he could to look at the dragon. Its reptilian eyes gleamed, and it lowered its head toward him. Baring long, glimmering fangs, Galiel seemed to be grinning. Eskandar's nose wrinkled at the putrid stench of burnt flesh and sulfur. The dragon woofed out a cloud of smoke and jerked its head away.

His body relaxed, and he slumped against the post.

"Don't worry. You don't die here," Maertien murmured. "Neither of us do."

"I don't die here?" Eskandar's voice caught in his throat. "Hilarious, Maertien. So where will I die? Running like a dog?"

Maertien looked away from him. "Not exactly."

"But I do die." Eskandar hung his head. "Do I ever get to see my wife again?"

"Everyone dies."

Eskandar noticed the boy evaded answering the last question.

Screams filled the air as the next Magi met her fate in the dragon's sordid flames. His eyes fixed on the flaming woman. It looked like Selene from Knight's Watch. He winced, and his shoulders hunched against the chain tying him to the post. Unable to look away, he watched as the woman's skin melted under the heat, and soon the flesh turned black with the heat.

The dragon didn't even continue torching. It just sat back and watched the woman burn to death. His stomach flipped, and moments later, bile stung the back of his throat. Eskandar leaned forward as far as the chains would let him, vomiting across his shoes and the ground. Spittle and vomit strung from his mouth. He wished desperately for a sip of water to rinse the bitter taste of sick out of his mouth.

Maertien didn't move, and he didn't turn to watch even though Eskandar knew he had some sort of alternate sight. Smart kid, Eskandar thought. Still, if we make it out of here, those screams will haunt us for the rest of our lives.

***

Eiridan glanced at Rith, their resident Shadow Mage who specialized in invisibility like Alastair did. Had, Eiridan corrected himself with a wince. "You know what to do?"

Rith crouched by the mouth of the tunnel. He looked back at Eiridan and smirked. "Yeah. Dance in there under their noses and loose the Magi chained to those posts. Then come back."

A rueful smile tugged at the corners of Eiridan's lips. "More or less. No theatrics, Rith. I don't want to lose another guild member, got it?"

Rith's smirk faded. His gaze dropped to the ground. "Eiridan, I watched them kill Yldara and countless others."

Eiridan stiffened. Yldara died too? I had hoped— He shook his head. "No more if I have any control over it. No more will die."

"Then you're deluding yourself. Because if any of us survive this, it'll be a miracle." Rith stood, brushing off his dark pants.

"Still, I have to try."

Rith shrugged. He shimmered in and out of Eiridan's view as he sketched runes in the sky. Then he winked out of existence. Only his disembodied voice indicated his position. "Spoken like a true leader."

Eiridan felt the winds shift in his guildmate's passage through the hidden doorway, and then Rith was gone like the shadow he was named for. Head ducked, he contemplated what had happened so far. If any of us survive this, it'll be a miracle. Rith's voice echoed in Eiridan's mind.

He shook his head and pushed himself back to his feet. Turning, he trudged back down the tunnel to get the others into position while Rith set the captives free. "Hey, everyone," he murmured when he met back up with the group. "Eyil and Mordzar, you two will be offense to help us fend off the attacking forces while we get the prisoners out. Eris, you're responsible to shield the prisoners along with support from Zaydaan. Opal can go with you as well. Jaeyria and I will lead fight alongside Eyil and Mordzar, and we will also form the vanguard."

Duana, who had remained huddled in a corner until then, raised her hand.

Eiridan's heart sunk. "Yes, Duana?"

"Where do I fit in this plan?"

He stared at her, or rather, he stared at the intermingling of delicate green and blue threads of another life's aura with her own aura. I can't put her in harm's way. Especially knowing that if she dies, another life will go with hers. "You stay here. We need someone to open the secret passage once we leave because it has to stay closed and hidden until we return. Use the spyhole to know when to open it."

She wrapped her arms around herself. "You'll bring my husband back safely?"

Eiridan nodded. "If he's still alive, then I'll bring him back."

She buried her face in her arms. He sensed the pain lancing through her entire aura in red and black threads. When she didn't speak further, he turned his attention back to the rest of the weary troop. "Alright, the rest of you, just pitch in where you can. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You also know the stakes. So, I'm trusting you to figure out where you're most needed as we go."

His shoulders hunched. "Whatever you do, realize that we're not trying to take back the palace. I repeat, taking back the palace isn't the agenda. I've seen what these fiends can do. If we try that, they will slaughter us." He stared the two Captains down.

They refused to meet his gaze. He took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. Then let's go. Rith should be done loosing everyone. He'll need back up soon."

***

When the bonds around his chest shifted, Eskandar's muscles tensed. He couldn't see or hear anything around him, but he didn't dare do too thorough an investigation since Laera and Lasirra were watching him intently. They already seemed suspicious that something wasn't right, but their attention was diverted from him by a commotion to the left of the crowd.

He took that opportunity to test the chains again. They dropped to the ground, and he almost toppled over when the bonds that were supporting him were removed. Catching himself, he looked about for the source of the distraction. Maertien walked up to him, also looking in the direction the Zhols had turned.

"It's starting," Maertien told him.

Eskandar glanced over at his companion. "We should get out of here. That dragon won't be distracted or docile for long."

Maertien pointed to where the Zhols were looking. "We have to end up there, and the fighting is about to erupt."

"Fighting?" Eskandar groaned, slapping his palm against his forehead. "Of course, it is. When do we ever catch a break around here?"

With a rueful smile, Maertien shook his head. "Never. I'm sorry it has to be this way."

"Never mind." Eiridan grabbed Maertien's hand and tugged his wand from his belt. "Let's go, Oracle boy."

"I'm a Seer," Maertien protested. "Not an Oracle."

"Same difference." Eskandar yanked Maertien into motion, and together they ran away from the brewing chaos.

"We can't run away!" Maertien dug his heels in and came to an abrupt stop.

Eskandar's grip on the boy's wrist slipped and then was lost. "What are you doing?"

The sounds of fighting broke out, the crescendo increasing as the unknown force met the Zhols. Maertien didn't appear to hear him.

He bolted toward the fight.

Eskandar raced after the boy. "What are you doing?" He spat the words out as he followed, anger and confusion roiling inside his chest.

Maertien still didn't answer. He just bolted toward a section of the palace wall that hadn't been destroyed in the attack.

A blade whizzed toward his head, and Eskandar ducked it just in time. He kicked out, his booted foot connecting with the abdomen of one of the dragon soldiers. The soldier stumbled back, and Eskandar dashed forward once again. He stumbled over a body on the ground, looking down to see the face of one of his guildmates. The ones the soldiers had mercilessly executed in front of them before beginning the hourly killings lay scattered around his feet. His jaw clenched, but he kept running.

"Eskandar!" Eiridan's voice washed over the din of the battle nearby.

Eskandar halted, spinning to look. Eiridan ran toward him, and Jaeyria guarded his rear. "Eskandar!" Eiridan called again, waving.

He looked between Maertien and Eiridan. Biting his lip, he tried to decide between the boy and Eiridan. His long-time friend won out, and he turned back to Eiridan, running to meet him. "Eiridan! Where is my wife?"

Eiridan ducked his head. "She's out of the line of fighting," he promised.

Eskandar's shoulders slumped. "Thank goodness. What can I do to help?"

Shaking his head, Eiridan said, "We need to get out of here. Rith and the others started a major fight. The Captains of the ship are trying to take back the palace, and Rith got caught in it."

Shadoburinga cut into a Zhol's arm as Eskandar watched, but it did nothing. The Zhol kept coming. Grabbing Eiridan's arm, Eskandar threw up a shimmering wall in front of the Zhol. His face beaded with sweat at the exertion. Man, I forgot why I hate creating objects that aren't animate. "Come on!" He shouted over the din, his throat burning. "Explain later. We've got to get the others out of here."

Eiridan nodded, a shiver running through him.

***

Rith wove in and out of the soldiers. He discovered quickly that he couldn't do a blessed thing to the Zhol warriors, but the dragon warriors and other creatures were quite mortal. His daggers wreaked havoc as he danced through the crowd of fighting Magi and soldiers.

A Zhol's sword swung at him, and he ducked, reminding himself with a curse that the Zhols could sense his life force. He could sense some of them trying to draw on it, and he fought back, expelling their touch. Can't keep this up for long. He dragged a heavy arm across his sweat-laden forehead. I told Eiridan we'd all end up dead. But dear God, I don't want to die. If you're listening, it would be nice if you stepped in. Of course, no answer came.

Lightning struck all around them as some of the lightning mages got involved in the fight. A quick glance confirmed that the dragon was torching the Magi he'd loosed. They fought for their lives as they ran, but it was no use. As he snatched quick glimpses of the line of poles, he saw Alex from Silent Phoenix collapse, a Zhol blade buried to the hilt in his abdomen.

A single, stubborn tear fled down his cheek. So much destruction. He swung his blades at the next soldier who unknowingly got in his path. The soldier somehow seemed to anticipate the attack and lifted his own sword to block the strike. Rith checked his invisibility and realized it was wearing off. Curse it all! Not now... I have to get out of here.

The soldier grinned when Rith shimmered into view. "Thought you'd get away with that forever, did you?"

Rith glowered at him. "Of course not."

"Well, prepare to meet your doom, boy."

Rith's blades morphed in a writhing mess of shadows into twin rapiers. "First off," he said, leaping into action. "I am not a boy."

The blades clashed together, and the soldier's brow knotted with frustration.

"Second of all." Rith smirked. "If I'm about to meet my doom, I'm taking you with me."

The soldier guffawed. "I'd love to see you try, boy!"

Rith bared his teeth in a snarling grin. "As you wish, sir."

His hearing sharpened, and the sounds of battle faded into background music. Shifting, Rith found better purchase on the ash and bone covered ground. His breathing slowed for a moment, and a sense of calm washed over him. The soldier he faced danced in a circle around him, looking for an opening, and Rith smirked. Let the battle begin.

His blades twirled in the air, creating runes of light in the sky that looked like slashes in the fabric of air and time itself. They blazed, and Rith shadow-stepped. He came out just behind the soldier. Rushing in, he struck with an overhanded blow, intending to hew the soldier in half.

The soldier turned and stumbled away from the blurring blades in Rith's fists just in time. With a bloodcurdling shout, Rith dashed forward, swinging both blades in an X-shape. At the last minute, the soldier brought his own broadsword up to block the rapiers before they could slash his chest to ribbons. Rith used the forward momentum to dodge to the side and slap one of the blades into the man's knuckles from behind. The man screeched, but he retained his grip on his sword.

He swung around, whirling the sword about in an arc, firelight and torchlight gleaming on its razor-sharp edge. Rith threaded shadows around the sword and yanked it from the man's hand. He took a running leap and flipped into the air, using the shadows already in the area to bounce himself higher. Somersaulting, he morphed his blades back into their previous form. His kris slammed down through the man's breastbone with a crunch, and the man dropped to the ground under Rith's weight.

The man's breathing became harsh and choppy as the blade nicked his lungs. Rith could hear the wet wheeze in the man's breathing as he leaned closer, and he smiled. "Perhaps you should've run," he murmured in the man's ear.

The man's eyes widened when Rith pulled away. "M-monster." He gurgled while he tried to talk, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

The sounds of battle all around crashed back into them as the adrenaline of the fight wore off, and the mental zone he always went into to fight disappeared. Rith smiled. "Not a monster. But then, the Guild didn't call me the Death Angel for nothing, my friend. At any rate, don't waste your breath. You should be preparing to meet your maker instead." He slashed his second blade across the man's exposed throat, spraying crimson everywhere. "Night, night."

"Tsk, tsk." A familiar voice sounded behind him.

Rith stood from his crouching position beside the dead soldier. He took a deep breath of the smoke-laden air and turned to face the newcomer. His lips quirked up in a twisted smile. "Laera, love. What a shock to see you here!"

Laera smirked back. "Is it, darling?"

"No." His tone flattened. "But I must say. Traitor isn't a look you wear well."

She drew a spare dagger from the sheath at her thigh and toyed with it. Light fractured off the blade, and when she dragged her gaze back to his, her eyes blazed with the unnatural green light that had become commonplace to Rith now. "Dear me, is someone lonely?"

Rith rolled his eyes, crouching with his blades at the ready. "You betrayed not only our guild but also me! You knew what that would cost us all, and you turned anyway."

"They offered more than you could ever offer. But if you turned too—" Laera cut herself off with a snort. "But then, you wouldn't. You're too loyal. Like some giant mastiff protecting its master. That pathetic guild doesn't deserve you, and yet you continue on with them."

Other soldiers closed in around them, but Laera threw up shields around them. The soldiers bounced off the shields, their eyes blazing with a desire for revenge. They glowered at Laera, but she ignored them. Bodies at their feet puffed into ash as she put up the bubble around them. The sounds of death and destruction ceased, and Laera stalked forward to kneel in front of him. "Do you want to kill me, Rith?" Her breath fanned across his face.

Rith stiffened, his breath hitching. "You've given me no other choice, Lae."

"But you don't want to?" She chuckled, her teeth nipping at his earlobe.

He stayed still, and his breathing became even shallower. You already know the answer to that, woman. Would I have married you two years ago if I was willing to be parted from you? Her lips grazed his.

"Drop your weapons, Rith." She straddled him and smiled against his lips.

His fingers shook on the hilt of his weapons. "We're in the middle of a battlefield."

"So? No one can touch you here. This is what ultimate power does, Ri."

Her hands settled on his waist, and she pressed herself closer to him. He still clutched his daggers, his hands held out to his sides. Any moment he could end this by plunging the dagger into her side. But he couldn't move as she peppered kisses down his sweat-covered, bloodied neck. "You promised me something when I wed you," she mumbled against his skin.

His chest tightened. "I promised many things."

"You promised to protect me. To be mine. In sickness or in health. In good or bad." Laera's hands slid under his shirt.

He froze. People are dying around us, and she wants this now? Is she even the woman I love? He had to admit that Laera always had a bit of this wild side to her. Doubtless, even before she turned, she would've found this exciting and exotic. But he couldn't get past the fact that they were making out while people died. Nor could he shake the strong sense that the battle had moved from the physical to the mental plane.

A gasp escaped him when Laera's power brushed against him even as her hands ran over his chest. "Stop," he commanded. "We can't do this. I can't. Not while people are dying!"

"Join me, then. We'll have forever to be together, Ri. Don't make me live without you." The green glow in her eyes dissipated to show him her brown-black eyes brimming with tears.

He almost fell for it. Almost. The call of her power to his was alluring, and he wanted to give in. To stop fighting and just live. But the taint of evil in the touch was unmistakable. He shook his head, his lower lip trembling. "Laera, stop. Either leave while you still can, or I will kill you." His fingers shook on his daggers' hilts, but he clenched them more tightly in his fists. Resolve crystalized in his mind. I have to. She won't stop, and she'll kill more innocents. So, I have to do what's right.

"You wouldn't kill me." She scoffed at the idea, her fingers running down to his upper thighs and teasing him.

His jaw muscle ticked. "I'm only giving you one last chance, Laera. Knock it off, or I will end you."

Laera huffed and stood up. She towered over him. "I should've known you wouldn't cooperate. Really, I can't believe I ever married such a wimp."

Rith cringed, his fingers tightening around the blades' hilts until his knuckles turned white. "You're only trying to make me feel awful."

She raised a brow. "Do I need to do anything to make you feel that way?"

He lunged upward, slashing the daggers up her side.

A scream tore from her, and black blood oozed from the injury. She trembled, her eyes flickering between green and black. "How dare you?" she hissed.

"I warned you, Lae." He switched the daggers to a backhanded grip and lashed out again.

She grabbed his arm. Her fingers dug into his skin, and he felt her tugging on his energy. He glowered at her, shoving her away from him. "Is there even anything left of my wife in you?" His upper lip curled.

Laughter trickled out of her as her shirt soaked up the blood pouring down her side. "Just figuring that out? You're dumber than I thought."

He frowned. "If there's nothing left, then there's no reason to make this easy." Stepping forward, he launched himself off his back foot, casting runes in every direction. Shadows curled around her, tightening and restricting her movement.

She responded by slicing through them with another shield, which boomeranged around the enclosure she'd created earlier. Rith ducked the shield before its edge could lop his head off. Gritting his teeth, he drove himself forward again, slipping through the shadows to drive his blade into her abdomen.

An ear-splitting screech issued from her lips, and she dropped to her knees. Rith knelt with her. His heart squeezed as her screams turned to muffled whimpers and sobs of pain. Guess even Zhols can feel pain. Her fingers latched onto his wrists, and her eyes met his. They blazed with loathing, and he felt her tainted mathanos grab onto his, sucking it away.

He fought for control again, but this time she wasn't letting go. Her power wormed through him, lighting fire in his veins. He gasped for breath, pain blazing through him. A groan rasped out of his sore, smoke-abused throat. Laera's chest heaved, and her grip on his wrists tightened. She yanked the blade out of her abdomen, and he felt his hold over the shadow blade slipping. His mind screamed for him to end her, and his heart cried for escape.

Rith listened to his mind.

He drove the dagger in between her ribs, embedding it in her heart.

Yanking it back out, he let her bleed dry. Her hold on his life force flickered and snuffed out, but so did the shield. His head throbbed, and his vision swam. Stomach lurching, he felt his control slipping. The tentative grasp on reality he'd been holding to lurched, and he lost consciousness.

***

Maertien tripped over a pile of rubble as he felt the life flicker and disappear. He landed on his knees, the sharp brick and stone splitting open his knees. With a whimper, Maertien pushed himself to his feet and kept running toward the hidden door. He slipped past the Zhols and soldiers unnoticed. The vision from earlier had been more useful than he'd thought. The whole route to the door had been mapped out. The only thing he hadn't foreseen was Eskandar's choice to stay with Eiridan.

A lot of other things had also been absent. The deaths that kept hitting him like a rain of blows to his heart were some of the things the vision hadn't revealed. He rubbed his chest, silent tears dripping down his cheeks. Rith...

The young man had been a favorite at his father's house. The Shadow Mage was always dropping by with a smirk and some new adventure to whisk Maertien away on. If Rith hadn't visited so often, Maertien would never have gotten out of the house.

Moments after Rith's life force faded, he was hit by another life flitting away from their plane of existence. Laera's fled the world in a blaze of green flame and a wave of bitter anger. Maertien's eyes filled with more tears. How many more of our guild members will die? He bit his lip, his lungs screaming for relief from the smoke-filled air.

He finally reached the door, and he banged on the section of the wall where it stood. The door creaked open, and he tumbled in through the door. Duana slammed it shut behind him and scurried over. "You're the Seer we saw!"

He nodded. "I'm Maertien, your guild weapon master's son."

Duana's eyes widened. "Really? I heard you were always sick. Rith used to tell us about you on occasion."

Maertien hung his head. "Yeah. He used to come around a lot."

"Where's Eskandar? You were taken together, right?"

Nodding, Maertien wrapped his arms around himself. His head hurt, and he felt unbearably cold. "I..." His tongue felt thick and heavy, and he couldn't seem to get words out.

Duana grabbed his shoulders as he swayed. "Are you alright?"

He shook his head, his blind eyes staring blankly at the wall.

"How did you make it here if you can't even see?" Duana guided him to a bundle of blankets on the floor.

"Second sight," Maertien mumbled, rubbing his arms.

"What's wrong?" She settled next to him and pulled her knees to her chest.

"I'm on the verge of another vision. You'll have to guard me because I won't be able to move once it starts."

"A vision? Now?" Duana wrung her hands.

He nodded, teeth chattering. "Don't control them," he whispered. "Might help though." The world tilted crazily, and then the lights winked out as the vision took him.

***

Eskandar made his way carefully to the door, trying to avoid the soldiers. Mass panic overwhelmed the fighting Magi. The dragon that had been roasting them was on the rampage, and fires burned throughout the entire palace. Magi dropped like flies. Eiridan had flagged behind and been separated from him.

Along the way to the door, Eskandar had picked up another companion. Eolon, one of their guild's fire mages, towered beside him, and the two ran for the tunnel the door hid. Casting a glance at his bloodied companion, Eskandar wondered how long they could continue like this. He doubted any of them could make it out of the palace.

Several Magi from the other guilds ran past. Eskandar and Eolon halted when a giant, dragon-shaped shadow blew past. The fleeing group, one of whom Eskandar recognized from his guild. Eyil charged ahead, outpacing Logan from Black Dragon. He saw Marco dash past Logan too, running flat out for the only portion of wall that wasn't ruined.

Flames blasted from above, incinerating them. Gone was the slow burn that the dragon had inflicted earlier. Now, they were standing there one moment and gone the next in the roaring inferno. Eskandar stared, unable to wrench his gaze away. "Th-they're... Just gone." He licked his dry, cracking lips.

Eolon grabbed him and dragged him toward the wall the others had been heading for as the dragon swooped toward a different cluster of fleeing Magi. Maertien tried to warn me, Eskandar thought as they jolted back into motion.

Soldiers blocked their path, gold and red livery stained in blood and black soot. Eskandar summoned a staff. As he hoisted it, preparing to fight, his arms screamed at him to drop the weapon and give up. But he refused to do so.

His grip tightened on the staff's middle, and the soldiers sized him and Eolon up with scrutinizing eyes. He glared back, mentally daring them to challenge him. I have to get to that secret passage. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he wanted to keel over from exhaustion. But he forced himself to continue onward and deepened his stance to provide more stability to his position.

The soldiers guffawed when their gazes flitted over his tattered form and then over Eolon's battered body. Eolon glowered at them with a growl. Eskandar saw the dragon flames behind them flicker, and he glanced back at Eolon. Great. Now they've done it.

The soldiers were oblivious to the danger behind them.

In a whoosh, the dragon fire flared and spit flames toward the soldiers. Eskandar cringed, squeezing his eyes shut in the anticipation that the soldiers would die a gruesome death. Slowly roasting in your own skin wasn't a good way to go. To his surprise, though he heard screams, the guards didn't seem as loud as they should've been. He cracked an eye open.

The guards' cloaks and exposed hair had caught fire. They batted at the flames, completely ignoring the two Magi in their desperate attempt to save their own skins. Eskandar raised a brow at Eolon.

"Don't give me that look." Eolon wiped the sweat from his brow. "Dragon fire is difficult to control. It's the best I could manage." He took off in a sprint, his legs eating up the distance between the pair and the wall.

Eskandar forced his aching legs to carry him forward again, leaving the soldiers behind. The screams of the dying and moans of the wounded all around him blended in a sordid symphony mingled with the clang and clash of metal on metal as a few brave souls fought onward.

Jethyr darted past him, and Eskandar threw himself out of the way of an angered Lasirra, who bounded after Jethyr. He threw a weak blast of fire back toward Lasirra, but it missed, and Eskandar realized the elf was low on mathanos just like he was.

She was on her victim in seconds.

Jethyr fought back, lashing flame across her back, but she ignored it with a snarl. Her hands clamped onto his biceps, and Eskandar felt the urge to vomit as the bodies around them burst into ash when Lasirra drew on her power to subdue the struggling elf.

He was one of the strongest fighters we faced. To think we were worried about his competition just days ago. And now... Biting his lip, Eskandar held in a moan. Now I'm watching him die.

Lasirra's glowing gaze met his, and she smiled, baring sharp teeth. Eskandar swallowed hard, backing up. I don't have enough mathanos left to keep fighting. I should run.

He couldn't tear his gaze away though. I need to know for sure before I leave. Besides, if I survive this, someone should be able to say he went down fighting like the warrior he is. His foot caught on the rubble, and he barely caught himself before he landed on the ground.

His wide eyes remained riveted to the scene long enough to see Lasirra run a clawed hand down his abdomen. Her weapon punctured into his gut, and he screamed, his back arching into the claws and causing the blades to dig even deeper.

She withdrew the blades, and he collapsed back onto the ground. Her gaze stayed fixated on Eskandar's as she stabbed the claws through Jethyr's hand and arm. Another guttural scream tore from the suffering elf. Eskandar clapped his hands over his ears, looking away for just a moment.

The screaming cut off abruptly.

Eskandar's gaze snapped up to see Lasirra tearing Jethyr's throat out with her sharpened teeth as he struggled under her. She reveled in the gore, flashing him a bloody smile.

He swallowed back the bile and turned to run before she could take him down too. Maybe he's better off that way. At least this way he doesn't have to watch Syra's evil or see anymore of his friends and companions die.

She didn't chase him, and Eskandar realized that it was because the Zhol knew he could easily be dealt with later. A chill crept down his spine, but he kept running because there was nothing else he could do.

***

Maertien woke up to harsh, gasping sobs. The harshly lit ceiling of the tunnel slowly solidified then blurred as he blinked again. Still disoriented, he tried to sit up and found he couldn't just yet. His limbs wouldn't obey him.

So, he lay there, listening to the sobs and wondering why the individual—it sounded like a woman—was crying. His brain grasped at straws, piecing together where he had been when he went into the vision and who had been with him.

The realization slammed into him like someone had dropped a load of bricks on his chest. He gasped, his eyes flying open. Adrenaline shot through him.

The vision.

He had seen something vaguely in the vision. Just glimpses, really, but glimpses of pain, sorrow, and terror. He wondered if this was where that vision fit in. If so, they're becoming closer and closer to present moment. That might mean I'm going to be in the dark on things soon.

The resounding echo of a palm connecting with skin filled the small storage room where he lay. The whimpering sobs of the woman became more frantic.

"Please, stop. Please just leave me alone! Just kill me!"

He realized where he recognized the voice. Duana! What's happening to her?

Cruel laughter bounced around the room, and Maertien remained silent. He cautiously looked around with his mind's eye but didn't move an inch. A group of soldiers huddled around someone on the floor. He hurriedly retracted his sight, bile rising in his throat as he realized what was going on. I have to do something. Her death... It wasn't foreseen. Neither was this! I can't just let her die. But... Maertien's teeth worried at his lower lip. I have no fighting ability, and I can't even use my mathanos. For the first time, he hated his gift.

He couldn't stand knowing that because he was a Seer, his mathanos was used by whatever entity gave the visions, leaving him no control over it. Unable to do anything, he lay there, his limbs still not moving even when he tried to move just a single toe. He squeezed his eyes shut, tears slipping down his cheeks. If I don't do something, she is going to be raped and killed!

She screamed, and Maertien flinched. Scratch that. They've already violated her. Those scumbags!

He still couldn't move. Why won't my body let me move further? It never lasts this long.

The sounds of a struggle filled his ear, and a white blaze flashed across his mind's eye. The soldiers cursed, and he heard shuffling.

"Control the minx's power, would you?" One of the soldiers stomped over the table and sat down. "And hurry up with it. I want my turn before she's dead." He guffawed. "Don't really like the cold ones, you know?"

His companions snickered, and the light dimmed. Duana begged for mercy in deep, gasping breaths. Maertien still couldn't move, and he cursed the day he was born. At least if he hadn't been born, he wouldn't have this image burned into his mind.

Then again, Maertien thought. I don't have long to live if the visions are correct. Just long enough to play a central part.

Although he knew this was common behavior among soldiers when taking control of a town, it didn't make the practice any less despicable. His stomach knotted and churned uncomfortably, but he still couldn't move.

Death pervaded the small space, and Maertien's lungs seized as his mind played back all the things he'd seen. Maybe it's better for her to die here. The other way is so, so much worse. A single tear fled down his cheek.

She doesn't die here. The voice occasionally spoke to him when he was confused by the visions, but most of the time, it wasn't terribly helpful. Maertien hated the voice.

How in the world is that reassuring? Maertien snapped back.

The voice didn't answer.

Well, thanks for that. The soldiers shuffled around the room, and Maertien prayed they were done tormenting Duana. They muttered amongst themselves, some seeming more discontent than others by the harsh tones in their voices.

"She passed out."

The Zhol that had come in with them grunted. "Take her to the hold."

"The hold?" One of the soldiers coughed. "Wouldn't it be better to just leave her here to die from smoke inhalation?"

"Not when you need bait."

"Bait?"

The female's voice lashed into the soldier who kept asking questions. "Yes, Havedth. Bait. Just shut up and take her to the hold. You've had your fun, so go find another plaything."

The soldier grumbled, but Maertien could hear them shuffling around. He redirected his second sight to the group, praying he wouldn't see anything he didn't want to see. The soldier held Duana's limp, battered form in his arms like she was a sack of potatoes. Maertien swallowed the bile forcing its way up his throat when he saw the exposed state she was in and the bruises covering her pale skin. Blue and yellow splotched her throat and arms.

He turned his gaze away. When does the death stop? He couldn't answer that, and as the soldiers stomped out of the room, he let himself cry for those that had been lost and those who would be lost.

***

Eskandar had just made it to the door and was trying to find the door's release mechanism when Lasirra caught up with him. Her claws caught him in the back, ripping through cloth and skin. He yelled, stiffening with his hand still pressed against the wall.

"Thought you'd escape, did you? Hate to break it to you, but we've rounded up all of your friends that were supposed to be executed." She chuckled. "Well, all the ones still alive."

A growl escaped Eskandar's throat. "You're a demon."

Her fingers latched onto his hair, and she yanked him around, throwing him back-first into the wall. Her face twisted into a sneer. "Of course. And I'm going to send you to hell."

He glared at her, raising his lacerated hands to grab her wrists. "Not if I have any say."

She snorted. "Look around you. Your friends are on route. You're now going to be executed instead of killed quickly. Oh... And one other thing. My men have your precious wife."

Eskandar's jaw tightened, and his fingers dug into her skin. "What did you do to her?"

Lasirra grinned. "I didn't do anything."

"What did they do?" His grip tightened even further, but she still remained stoic.

"A lot of things. I have to admit..." She twisted his hair and jerked upward, breaking his grip on her wrists. "I never realized she could scream so loud."

His cheeks flushed, and he struggled against her grip.

"Tsk, tsk. Someone didn't do a very good job of conserving Mathanos. Well, if it'll make you feel better, she's still alive. For now."

"Let her go!" He lashed out, backhanding her across the face.

She flinched, but she didn't let him go. Instead, she slammed his head into the stone wall. His head spun, and he fought back the sudden urge to vomit. He felt her fingers dig into his shoulders, and spun him around, yanking his arms behind him. The wounds in his back screamed and burned.

He gritted his teeth.

Lasirra shoved him forward. "Get moving."

"How many people died?" Eskandar growled at her.

"Oh, lots of people. Unfortunately, you and Duana are the only two we managed to capture from your guild."

His stomach plummeted to his feet. "So, you killed Eiridan and Jaeyria too."

Her grip on his wrists ground the bones together. "Stop talking."

He breathed a low sigh, his shoulders slumping. They didn't get them.

The soldiers who had been fighting with the Magi were piling up the bodies and rounding up the citizens again. The citizens shuffled back into the penned-in areas with their heads down and shoulders hunched. Eskandar caught a glimpse of Eolon fighting with one of the Zhols.

He bit his lip, silently begging his friend to just run. Not that it would save him, his mind muttered.

Eolon's fire did nothing to the Zhol, and Eskandar noticed his friend's arms drooping. He's at the end of his rope. The Zhol blew off the fire. Seconds later, Eolon slipped up, and the Zhol ran him through with the sword it wielded.

Eskandar turned away. No tears fell. None were left.

Everything was lost.

Tears would help nothing.

He straightened his shoulders and held his head up. Lasirra continued shoving him forward. When they reached the center of the square where the leader stood directing the clean-up, Lasirra pressed down on his shoulders, slamming him to his knees before her new master.

The man turned to sneer down at him. "Ah, the other prisoner. So sad that we only have six left. Well, seven if you include the new woman. Did you retrieve the boy who was with him?"

Lasirra shook her head. "The men who took the girl said he was lying in the corner dead."

"Did you check to be sure he was dead?" The leader crossed his arms.

Hanging her head, Lasirra dug her fingers into Eskandar's shoulder. "No."

"Send someone to do it. What did you have planned for him now that we have his wife?"

She laughed. "Execute him. But do it in the most public way possible..." She slammed her foot into his back, making him bow before the man.

His breath hitched, and he swallowed his scream.

"The most public way possible?"

Eskandar gulped.

"Yes. Let him fight me. If he wins, you can always shoot him down. But let him die trying to protect his wife. Do you have any idea how demoralizing it is for others to watch someone fight a losing battle just to save a loved one?"

How could she turn so evil? Eskandar wondered at the cruelty of his former guildmate.

"Hmm..." The leader hummed. "Yes, that would work. Very well. You may set that up. Until then, lock him up with the woman."

Lasirra twisted Eskandar's arm, dragging him to his feet. "Guess you get to be with her one more time." She snickered. "Not that she's in any state to let anyone near her after what my men did."

What did they do to her? Eskandar's lower lip trembled. I'll kill every last one of them to save her.

***

Maertien was finally able to move his limbs. He forced himself into a sitting position and used the table to pull himself to his feet. Looking around the room, he realized that he still had quite a way to trek if he wanted to reach the throne room on schedule. The passages beyond the room twisted and turned into the darkness. He bit his lip, recalling the map he had been shown in a previous vision.

The map, the voice had informed him in the vision, would lead him to where he needed to be. He just had to follow the glowing green path to the throne room. Sighing, he trudged through the room and headed down the tunnel to the left.

The sounds of the fight had ceased, and he wondered where everyone had ended up. Did they all make it out? His stomach churned when his mind traveled to the fate Eskandar and Duana would soon be facing. He prayed the vision was wrong, but the truth was, they never were. Sometimes they weren't always complete, but this one had been.

He paused at a bend as the full force of all he'd seen and heard in the last six hours hit him. Bile burned the back of his throat, and he dropped to his knees, retching on the sand-covered flagstones of the tunnel's floor. Tears mingled with the sweat and blood on his face as he wiped his mouth on the back of a soot-stained sleeve.

Standing to his feet, Maertien stumbled onward, pushing the memories away and focusing only on the directions in his head. He had to be there on time. If he wasn't, who knew what would happen. The vision only extended far enough to tell him who he needed to kill. It had also spoken of where he needed to go to get the weapon that could end his target.

Time crawled past. The tunnels smelt of sulfur and death. His breathing became labored, and he longed for a sip of water. Just one small sip to ease the dryness of his throat. He coughed, his throat burning.

The sound of feet slapping on the flagstones echoed through the tunnel. Maertien's head snapped up, and his second sight drew his attention to the flicker of torchlight on the tunnel walls up ahead. He darted into a side tunnel and crouched in the darkness of the opening.

As he waited, the noise of the approaching party grew louder, and the tunnel he'd just left lit with the light of the torches. A group of soldiers marched past, and Maertien's shoulders slumped. He sagged back against the tunnel wall. His head rested against the stones for a moment, and he took slow, deep breaths to calm his racing heart.

Once he had his heart back under control, he rose and slipped back into the tunnel he'd exited. Continuing on his way, he tried not to focus on the fact that, at any moment, he could be caught. If he was caught, would it destroy the timeline of the vision? He didn't know. No visions had ever been so significant before.

Still, he couldn't concern himself with that. His heart drummed against his chest steadily as he trudged through tunnel after tunnel. Have to reach the weapon in time before I get caught...

***

The drums boomed, and the horns blew to signal the prisoners' arrival. Eskandar fought the grip of the guards forcing him to the center of the square. His gaze locked onto his wife, who was regaining consciousness as the guards dragged them into the makeshift arena.

Lasirra strode up to them, grinning. "Guards! Take the girl to the center of the arena. You're to guard her there until I tell you otherwise."

The guards scurried to do her bidding.

She turned her attention to Eskandar and the guards still holding him. "You may release him." She drew a rapier from her belt and handed it to him hilt first. "Try to kill me before the start of the battle, and she dies."

He snarled at her, snatching the sword she was offering from her outstretched hand. "I will kill you."

"Sure, you will. No mathanos. No energy left period. Good luck, djinn." She spun on her heel and trotted to the center of the arena.

She's right. This is a losing fight. She's got a nearly limitless supply of life force to draw on, and I have nothing. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. But if I don't try, Duana will die alongside me, and I will be a coward. He straightened and stormed into the arena.

"Just so we're clear!" Lasirra's sharp voice rang around the battlefield. "This is not mercy. This is an execution."

The remaining citizens stirred in their enclosures, their gazes riveted on him. He hung his head. So, it isn't just about killing us. It's also about demoralizing the citizens. About humiliating us and showing them how easily their heroes are undone. He gritted his teeth. I'll just have to show them different.

Anger coursed white-hot through his veins, and his step took on more energy as he walked into the center. Duana's tear-filled eyes lifted to meet his stormy ones, and he sent her a tight smile. She lowered her gaze and covered her face, bursting into tears.

His heart clenched in his chest, and he turned the full brunt of his fury into energy. Go beyond, he thought. Always protect. Always love. And always go beyond what you thought was possible. His footsteps sent swirls of ash and dust into the air. He halted, standing directly across from Lasirra. "I have a few words too!" He thrust his sword into the air. "In the end, never forget that no power of evil can win against the power of love in those who are good. We may be beaten, but we are not defeated if we hold onto our spirit! So always protect! Always love! And always..." His voice gained volume and strength. "Always go beyond what you thought was possible in the pursuit of those two!"

"Are you done with your attempt to make these people believe in your false hope?" Lasirra drawled, twirling her bo staff with a grin.

Eskandar smirked. "Not just yet. There's still one thing left to do."

"And just what is that?" She rolled her eyes.

He bent his knees in a low crouch, the blade of the rapier facing her. "Execute you, Lasirra Darya."

Her eyes narrowed. "Bring it then, djinn."

The horn blared, shattering the silence.

Eskandar leapt into action. His blade flashed in an arc, meeting her bo staff. Her movements picked up speed until she was practically a blur circling him. He forced more speed into his own movement. The two danced in and out of range, striking in showers of sparks as metal met metal and then retreating. The two paused in their volley of blows, panting.

"You sure keep up well for someone who's so weak. Maybe you're turning," she taunted.

He glared at her. "Never! I won't become the very thing I despise." He launched another attack while she was still forming a retort.

Her bo staff met his, and she tried to sweep the blade out of his hand.

Eskandar slammed a fist into her stomach and slashed his blade across her thigh when she doubled over.

She retaliated by slamming her uninjured leg into his solar plexus, throwing him off balance. Her staff snaked around behind him and jerked his legs from under him. His fingers grabbed onto her tunic, and he twisted them around so that they both landed on the ground. He landed on top of her and tried to swipe the blade's edge across her throat.

Lasirra caught the blade with her hand, wincing as the sharp edges bit into her fingers. A murmur of shock rippled through the onlookers, but no one interfered. Lasirra forced the blade back, her fingers slipping on it and causing further injury to her hand. Blood coated the blade and her hand, but she managed to throw his arm backward.

Before he could retaliate, she slammed her head into his abdomen. The breath whooshed out of him, and he almost lost his grip on the rapier. His abused form shouted at him to give up and let go. Eskandar felt his resolve slipping. But at the moment he was about to give in, his eyes met his wife's, and he forced himself back to his feet.

His opponent had already picked up her bo staff, and the metal rod hurtled through the air toward his head. He rolled to the side just in time to avoid the brunt of the blow, but the rod caught his sword arm's shoulder. Bone shattered, and he screamed.

Unable to hold his weapon anymore, he watched as his fingers involuntarily released the rapier. The sword clattered onto the cobblestones beneath him.

"This is the end, Eskandar." Lasirra raised her voice to address the crowd. "According to Zhol law, I, Lasirra Darya, execute Eskandar Darwish for his crimes against the Dragon Empire. Let this stand as a reminder to all who would follow in his footsteps."

Eskandar's eyes lifted to meet her gaze. She smirked, and then the sharpened point of the bo staff slammed into his chest. The world exploded in pain, and white lights flashed behind his eyes. White-hot burning spread from the location of the weapon. When she pulled it out, he dropped to hands and knees, gasping and gurgling for breath.

Each breath was torturously slow and wet. His lungs slowly filled, and he opened his mouth, wheezing for breath. Coughing wracked his form as his body tried to expel the liquid invading his lungs. Blood sprayed across the already defiled ground. His arms shook, and he collapsed against the bloodied cobblestones.

Darkness overtook him, and he blacked out.

***

The bond shattered. Her gaze dropped to the tattoos on her hand. They bled away and disappeared in a flash of light. A crippling, sharp sensation stabbed through her heart.

Duana screamed. Her scream cracked into a sob as she doubled over, power flooding out of her in a wave. "Eskandar!"

The soldiers guarding her were blown away, their bodies slamming into the cobblestones seven or eight feet away. Every ounce of mathanos left in her exploded out of her in a beam of light that hurtled straight toward Lasirra.

She kept sobbing, her voice raw with smoke and tears. "Eskandar!" She screamed again, clutching her abdomen with one arm, and stifling her sobs with her free hand.

The light speared through Lasirra's back and out the other side. She dropped to the ground, instantly killed by the beam. Screaming ensued as soldiers scrambled out of the path of the light. It weakened as it continued on, but it still held more power than most could dream of. The light continued to crash out of Duana in waves, sucking away her life force.

Unable to stop sobbing, she bowed over, her head touching the blood-soaked ground. "No! No..." Her tears cascaded down her cheeks.

The pain continued to hollow her out from the inside. Her heart raced, slamming against her ribcage. The burning continued through her veins, and she no longer tried to hold in her tears. Not my husband... Please, no. Why? Her body trembled with the gasps and sobs.

The others hung back, unwilling to approach her as her magic continued to sap away her life force. Her sobs weakened, and she lifted her head to stare straight at the Dragon Empire's ruler. "I, Duana Darwish, curse your people to endless torment in this life and the next for what you have done!" She pointed a trembling finger at him.

"You will suffer all the same pain he did." The magic in the air shivered in response to her heart's greatest desire. "With my dying breath, I swear you will never know peace for as long as your soul lives on."

The pain roared through her, and the burning ran straight to her heart. She felt her heart burst, and then she collapsed onto the cobblestones, joining her husband in the darkness.

***

Eiridan withdrew with Jaeyria. Soldiers blocked their escape route through the tunnels, so the couple ran toward the broken-down walls leading out into the field of rubble that had once been the city. The two forced their weary legs into motion, pealing across the battlefield toward their last hope of escape.

His heart squeezed, and he paused in his flight, gasping.

"What is it?" Jaeyria grabbed his hand and tugged him onward.

Eskandar... Tears pooled in his eyes.

Minutes later, another wave of anguish hit him when yet another beloved life force winked out of the connection with his mind. "D-Duana..." He stumbled after Jaeyria, his friend's name ghosting across his lips.

"Eiridan, come on! You've got to keep up." Jaeyria's fingers tightened on his wrist. "Otherwise, that—" She cut off and waved to the left. "That monstrosity will catch us too."

He glanced in the direction she'd waved. The enemy general's dragon flew overhead, still picking off the fleeing Magi. To their side, they glimpsed the dragon swooping down to snatch Opal and Zenna up in mid-flight. Zaydaan snapped at the other dragon, his spiked tail whipping about. The dragon's behavior was admirable as he tried to defend the girls from the enemy dragon. Unfortunately, Zaydaan's size put him at a disadvantage. The larger dragon's maw yawned open and snapped closed over Zaydaan's head, tearing the dragon's head from his body. Then it turned its fury on the two girls, swallowing them in one gulp.

Eiridan winced, but he turned away and kept going. I can't heal someone once they're dead. Besides, even if he'd been able to, he had no more energy to give. All of it had been spent trying to refill the mathanos reserves of others during the fight.

We didn't even escape with a single one of the captured Magi, Eiridan realized. His breath caught in his throat for a moment. And we lost countless more for nothing. Only five people's life forces are still around from our guild, and it's not much better in the other guilds either. A quick glance at Jaeyria revealed the familiar strands of blue sadness and deep red anger in her aura. Her emotions flooded through their bond even while her face remained stoic.

Tears prickled his eyes as they ran, and memories of another time they had done this filled his mind. He reached out through the bond, holding tightly to her with his mind. A sad smile flitted across her lips in response, and they continued to flee side-by-side. How many times will we have to flee in losing battles like this before we have peace?

Their freedom came into view as they reached the back gardens of the palace, which bordered the forest beyond. The gardens were charred to a crisp, and bodies littered the previously beautiful landscape. He dodged the corpses, jumping over some and skidding around others. Behind them, the dragon's roar of victory filled the air.

Nothing stopped them or came after them.

The tree-line towered in front of them, and the pair raced into the comforting cover of the trees. The first yard or so of trees were charred, but they hadn't been entirely burned to the ground. After that, the forest remained mostly untouched. The main battles, it seemed, had occurred in the cities and towns, not in the forests.

Their pace slowed, and gradually, they came to a stop. Eiridan's chest heaved, and his lungs burned. Jaeyria flopped onto the ground and laid down on her back. Her gaze focused on the sky, and Eiridan noticed that she was crying as the rays of morning sunshine spilled over the horizon.

He settled down next to her, motioning for her to put her head in his lap. She cooperated. Shutting her eyes, she let go and mourned the loss of their companions. He ran his fingers through her ash-streaked hair, and while she cried, he tried to send comfort and love through the bond. Jae... He too wept for the loss and pain they had all endured.

***

Hia curled up on the throne at the front of the palace's destroyed throne room. A purr rumbled through her chest as she stared down at the corpse of the Zhol's former king Ilkos. Never again will I be subjected to that man.

The doors of the throne room swung open, and a black panther burst into the room. Hia smiled at the giant cat. Its silver eyes glowered at her. The cat's gaze fell to the corpse of the Zhol then lifted back to her.

While they stared each other down, another Magi rushed into the room, following on the cat's heels. She was a mess by every respect of the word, and Hia tapped her nails against the marble arm rest of the throne.

"Well, well... I see I have my first visitors as Queen of this new age."

"Y-you..." The newcomer pointed at the body in front of the throne. "You killed a Zhol."

"A Zhol?" Hia huffed.

What fools.

They blinked at her.

"That." She pointed at Ilkos with a curled upper lip. "Is King Ilkos of the Zhols. And I am Hia, the new Queen."

"You don't smell like Zhol," the panther snarled.

She shrugged. "Because I'm not. I am my own entity. The last female of my kind."

"Why kill him?" The girl beside the panther frowned.

They are trying to figure out why I killed him, are they? Well, no harm in telling, I suppose. "I killed him because he let the prophesied one escape."

"Prophesied one?" The girl snorted. "What kind of drugs are you on, lady?"

She narrowed her eyes. "None. The man he allowed to die sacrificed himself to save his people. He is..." She tapped her chin. "What you would call a hero, I believe."

The girl's eyes widened. "Alastair Bànach?"

Hia nodded, smiling. "Yes, Alastair. This scumbag let his own son die and tried to make him into the same villainous wretch he is. He also broke a promise he made to me." She unfolded herself from the throne and glided down the steps, her bandages fluttering against her ankles.

The panther bared its teeth at her as she came closer.

She smirked. Smart animal. It knows I'm going to end them too. "But, none of that matters." She latched onto their life forces with her magic and dug the hooks of her power into the glowing centers of power in each of them. "We've chatted long enough."

Both of them glared at her, but her power immobilized them and held them at bay. The glowing centers heaved and bucked against her grip, fighting to break free. The struggle was weak and easily subdued under her strength. Neither of them was at peak power. Given their ragged appearances, she figured they'd been involved in the fighting outside.

She wrenched their life forces free of their bodies. They bobbed out of their former residences. Curling her hands around them, she clapped the energies between her hands. They shattered, and the souls were no more.

Sighing, she padded back to the throne and settled down. Two more players have yet to appear. The one called Vaxon and the boy Maertien. She let her eyes drift closed while she waited. It won't be long now before they both show up. And when they do, the end is set into motion.

Her mind spread through the ruined palace, searching for both individuals. Maertien was the first to grab her attention. A smile slid across her full lips as she observed him. The boy was young, but the familiar siren call of his lineage sang to her.

Although Alastair had been the one she'd wanted and argued was the prophesied on, she knew better deep down. It had simply been an excuse to make the fool of a king lying at her feet believe she wanted to unite with him.

But Alastair had never been the one of prophecy. After all, the prophesied one was supposed to be a boy lost long ago. One who was of her kind and had escaped the destruction. And that boy was currently drawing a silvery kris from its eons' long hiding place far beneath the throne room.

She let her gaze wander away from Maertien to find Vaxon. Of course, the former king was on his way here now. Any moment he would enter, and the first player in this game would be in place. Then there would only be the boy to wait for. Really, Hia thought. I have to stop calling him a boy. He's already seventeen. He just looks young because we age so slowly. I wonder if he realizes who his parents really were.

Her eyes flew open when the sound of booted feet echoed in the hall outside the door. She sat up straight, waiting.

Vaxon strode in, his sharp gaze flying around the throne room. He slammed the doors shut. "You've certainly been up to all kinds of destruction, Hia. I'm surprised this place has any walls left."

Hia tossed her head back and laughed. "Yes, I suppose I have," she gasped when she finished laughing. "But as for the walls... Blame that Ilkos's vanity. He just had to have the chance to sit in the throne room while it was still in one piece."

He raised a brow. "Typical of him. So, now what? You've killed him. Do you intend to be Queen?"

"I don't know." She lowered her gaze, her lashes brushing her cheeks. "Do you intend to be King?"

A sharp smile spread over his thin lips. "Naturally."

"Will you let me be Queen?"

"You expect me to fall for your prophecy spiel?" Vaxon guffawed, shaking his head. "We both know what that prophecy says."

"Then why are you here?" Hia leaned back in her seat.

"Because I don't believe in prophecies." He crossed his arms. "I fully intend to be King, and I will have you at my side only because you're the strongest Queen I could take. If I have to wrest the universe from Fate to get that, I will."

Hia chuckled. "Well, we'll see if you can."

He shrugged and walked to the throne. Taking her chin in his firm fingers, he stared down at her with a green fire spitting in his eyes. "Watch me." He pressed a kiss to her lips. "I always get what I want one way or another."

She slapped him with a smirk. "You have to win the right to touch me. Keep your hands off."

He cackled. "Feisty, aren't you? I will win this, Hia." His gaze captured hers.

She tilted her chin up with a defiant laugh. "And if you do?"

"You'll submit to whatever I ask of you." He let go of her chin and moved to stand beside the throne.

"If I don't?" She shot him a caustic sneer.

He grinned back. "You will. I will force you to, and unlike him—" He pointed at the fallen form of Ilkos. "I won't give you a chance. I'll clip your wings, woman. And if you try to fly, you'll crash back to the earth in pieces."

She pursed her lips. "Good thing you won't win this then."

He shrugged and leaned against the throne's side. "Don't be so sure."

Her mind latched onto Maertien's energy. He was running up the stairs to the throne room, and she could hear his thoughts streaming through the space between them like he'd spoken in her ear. I have to hurry. Have to get there before he takes control. He mustn't be allowed to live. She smirked. "You'll have a chance to prove yourself in just a few minutes."

Maertien flung the doors open. They crashed into the walls on either side of him, and he stood panting in the doorway. His beautiful violet eyes were vacant, and Hia clapped her hands together. "Guess he's more powerful than I thought. I didn't realize he was a Seer!"

She felt the weight of Maertien's second sight on her. The boy's eyes shifted to her. "Who are you? Why do I always see you in my visions?" His voice cracked. "And why are you only showing yourself now?"

She smiled the first warm smile she had smiled in years. "I've had a lot of things to do. And as for who I am, I'm the last remaining of my kind. Aside from you, of course."

Maertien's eyes widened. "Apart from me?"

"You don't have a clue who you are, do you?" Vaxon smirked.

Maertien shook his head. "I was adopted."

Vaxon burst into laughter. "This is the boy that's supposed to kill me, Hia? He doesn't even know who he is. Ridiculous!" he spat.

Maertien unsheathed the silvery kris.

Vaxon's eyes widened. "Where did you get that?" he hissed.

Maertien glanced down at it. "Under the palace."

"You tricked me," he shouted at Hia.

Hia shrugged. "You said you wanted to try fate."

Maertien's eyes glowed with white light, and his frame shuddered.

Hia raised a brow. A transcendent state? I didn't realize that was something Seers could do. First time for everything, I guess.

"Vaxon Asherex, you will be executed for your crimes against the universe," Maertien intoned.

wordsmith-

Pae

Pae couldn't stop trembling. The chains around her ankles connecting her to the other Magi chafed with every movement. The sound of them scraping against the floor made her cringe. Some of the other Magi looked over at the sound but most didn't even glance her way. Her discomfort was made worse by the fact that she had no idea what was happening outside of the palace. As soon as she'd been captured yesterday she'd been chained and thrown into a cell. Others had joined them throughout the day and with each new arrival, Pae's heart had sunk further.

"Pae?" The whisper came from beside her, and she turned her head to see Dacre looking at her.

"What's going to happen to us?" she whimpered.

"Isn't it obvious? We're all going to die," someone across from her said harshly. Zenna, she thought.

No one disagreed, and Pae's heart sank. She didn't want to die. Not now, not like this. Her breath started to come in short bursts, tears filling her eyes. Soft, hiccup like sobs left her mouth as the reality of the situation washed over her.

"Pae," Dacre said soothingly, and she looked back at him. There was blood on his face and one of his eyes was swollen, but he was the most comforting sight around her.

"Don't cry, don't cry," he said soothingly, as if talking to a child. He shifted closer, chains dragging across the smooth stone floor. The chains didn't allow him to lift his arms, but he nudged her gently with his leg, a tremulous smile on his face.

"Don't-" Dacre started but stopped abruptly when a tall figure strode into the cell. Pae couldn't stop the soft whimper that left her mouth at the sight of him. The man was tall and imposing, with the confidence of someone who knew he was in control. Pae shrank backward, trying to become one with the wall.

Several soldiers followed behind him, and her heart sped up. Was this how she was going to die? Her tears started falling faster, dampening her shirt. The man said something in a strange, harsh language and the soldiers all went to different Magi. Pae inhaled sharply, trying to scramble even farther back as a woman moved toward her.

"Please, please don't hurt me," she whimpered. The soldier didn't answer. Pae flinched when she reached out, yanking the elf to her feet. She stumbled as the woman started walking, feet hindered by the chains connecting her to the other Magi. They stumbled along several corridors until they were finally led outdoors.

Immediately, the smell of blood and ashes filled Pae's nose, and she let out a horrified gasp at the sight before her. Hundreds of bodies littered the streets, and Pae could barely look at them. She looked ahead through slitted eyes to avoid seeing the dead.

No. By the goddess, how could this have happened? Tears fell from her eyes at the thought of so many dead. How could this be real? She let out soft sobs as the soldiers led her to Kypha's town square, where they were pushed onto a raised wooden stage. She could hear murmurs, hear the other Magi muttering quietly, but Pae couldn't bring herself to look up. She kept her head down, hands twisting nervously. Boots shuffled across the stage and then there was a sudden silence.

"I am Kunal, general of the Dragon Empire. Your planet belongs to the Dragon Empire now. Your leaders are dead. Your Republic is gone. And the Magi you so revered will be the next to die."

A loud, hysterical sob burst out of Pae. One of the soldiers slapped her, ordering her to stay silent. Pae barely registered the pain, struggling to breathe at the realization that she was about to die.

"The Imperial General and his bonded Dragon, Saph, will burn one Magi each hour tonight, as an example of what will happen to those who dare to resist."

More sobs left Pae's mouth, and this time no one offered comfort.

Kalmiya

"Tilani?"

Tilani didn't even look at her, and Kalmiya's heart sank. Tilani hadn't spoken at all since Nylisa's death, remaining silent and huddled in the corner. It was unsettling from someone normally so alive and vibrant. A few of the surviving Magi they'd found looked at her with pity, but she ignored them.

"Tilani," she tried again, reaching out for him. He turned his head, and she couldn't help the flinch at how empty his eyes were. Kalmiya opened her mouth and then closed it. What was she supposed to say to someone who had watched their mother die in front of them? Nylisa's face flashed before her eyes. That last moment of determination and fear forever imprinted in her mind, and no doubt Tilani's. Her throat closed up, a sudden wave of grief washing over her.

Goddess, how could any of this have happened?

She stared at Tilani, who was sitting stiffly with his arms wrapped around his legs. He was no longer looking at her, but the floor. Kalmiya reached out for him again, this time wrapping her arms around him in a hug just as much for her as it was for him. Tilani remained silent and limp against her, but he was warm and solid. She hugged him a little too tightly maybe, but she couldn't help it. She needed to know that there was someone with her, someone that was still alive. That there was at least one person she hadn't failed and let die. And she wouldn't let him die. Even if it killed her. The moment was broken when the sound of footsteps bounced off of the cave walls, and Kalmiya quickly reached for her sword. She could hear the others standing, readying their already tired bodies for another fight.

All except Tilani stood. One of the youngest by far still alive, he remained still and passive. His eyes lifted from the floor, but he just watched as Kalmiya moved in front of him. She stood next to Logan, and she exchanged a grim look with the wolf humanoid.

As she waited, Kalmiya was all too aware of the teen behind her. There were no places to hide, so she'd have to hide Tilani from whoever was coming with a spell. Her heart pounded in her chest, skin prickling with fear. What if it was a Zhol? There were a few moments of silence, and then someone turned the corner. Kalmiya tensed but then relaxed upon seeing it was merely Dubal. He must have news from the recon mission. She wondered where the others that had gone with him were. Her relief was short lived when she saw the look on his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked, and Dubal shook his head. The halfling was pale in the fading light visible just outside the cave's mouth.

"Some of the Magi have been captured," he said, and Kalmiya swallowed.

"You mean Rhogan and Nora?" Logan demanded.

"No. They're free. I'm saying other Magi were captured," Dubal said slowly.

"Are they dead?"

Kalmiya braced herself for the affirmative.

Dubal's eyes flicked toward Tilani before meeting hers in a silent question. She nodded. What would be the use in hiding anything from him? He was smart enough to know that not everyone would survive. He had seen firsthand, that not everyone would live.

"None of the Magi who went with me are dead. When we arrived, there was some sort of announcement going on. The invaders, they call themselves the Dragon Empire. They plan on killing one Magi each hour tonight as an example." He swallowed. "They killed Pae first." An involuntary sound left Kalmiya, and she felt the weight of yet another death settle on her shoulders.

"You said none of the Magi with you were dead. What are they doing then? Why didn't they come back?" Jaeyria asked.

"Where's Khulan?" Kalmiya added, naming the only other Miria guild member she knew was alive. For the first time that day, Dubal smiled. It was bright despite the news he had brought, and it gave Kalmiya hope.

"He's with Eludia. He found her and Aconi's family hiding in one of the nearby caves. He's bringing them here."

Kalmiya had never thought she'd be so relieved to hear she was going to see Eludia.

"And the others?" Jaeyria demanded.

"They're just outside the city boundaries. They're planning on trying to rescue the kidnapped."

"What?"

"How the hell are they going to do that?"

"That's impossible!"

Shouts broke out until Eriswen clapped her hands. "They're right," she said loudly. "The Dragon Empire has our friends, our families. We can't just leave them there." Beside her, Zaydaan seemed to nod.

"Then how do we rescue them?" one of the Crimson Shadow Magi demanded.

"We plan carefully. These Zhols are more powerful than any of us. So we have to make a plan that won't fail," Mordzar said. It sounded impossible, but Kalmiya didn't voice her thoughts. She, more than most, understood the need for hope.

"Then what's our plan?" someone asked. There were several moments of silence, each person mulling over the question.

"We could have Borad make a portal and just teleport all the Magi out," someone suggested.

"We wouldn't get one person out before they started killing us."

"Fine. Then what's your idea?"

"We could divide them," Kalmiya suggested.

"How?"

"Make a diversion and then portal the Magi out."

"What diversion?"

Kalmiya shook her head and a woman from Silent Phoenix scoffed.

"They'll still kill all of us."

"Some of us will die no matter what," Opal said softly, words tinged with grief. Her words had a chilling effect, and Kalmiya felt a spike of fear.

"We have to worry about the citizens too," Dubal added. He shook his head, seeming to have aged a hundred years. Lines of grief stood out against his scarred face. "They have everyone left on Tythan in Kypha's square."

Kalmiya shook her head. "Everyone from Tythan?" she asked faintly, and Dubal nodded. "But-"

The full impact of his words hit her and her legs felt faint. The sword in her hand clattered to the floor, and she put a hand against the cave wall. She could hear similar exclamations behind her. Kypha's city square could hold perhaps a few hundred. But Tythan's population reached the millions. Or, it had. She felt sick at the thought of so many dead, and her eyes welled with tears.

"Goddess help us," she said softly. Images of the dead flashed before her eyes. Innocent citizens. Children. Friends. Mentors. So much blood and carnage. She shut her eyes.

"Kalmiya?"

One. Two. Three. She opened her eyes, forcing herself to push back the memories that threatened to overwhelm her. She had to focus.

"I'm fine," she told Dubal. He looked unconvinced but nodded.

"What if we did the diversion plan but also put a shield around us?" a woman from Black Shadow suggested. Several murmurs followed the suggestion, but eventually, everyone nodded. They didn't have much time to come up with a better plan.

"Okay then." Mordzar nodded. "Logan and Duana will set the diversion. Eriswen will create the shield while Borad portals some of us to the Magi. The rest of us will keep the soldiers occupied." He glanced at Dubal. "How many soldiers are there?"

"I'm not sure. Perhaps a dozen plus the dragon beside the stage. Some Zhols. There are spaceships in the air too," Dubal replied, and Kalmiya felt her hopes plummet. They didn't sound like much, but they were barely a handful of Magi. Nods followed the announcement and everyone started moving. Kalmiya glanced at Tilani. What was he supposed to do? She wouldn't make him come, but would he be safe alone?

"We could send a fire message to Khulan and let him know to leave Aconi's family with Tilani before joining us," Dubal spoke from behind her, and Kalmiya jumped at the sudden sound, hand twitching toward her sword. She bit her lip, desperately wishing Nylisa was here. Nylisa would know what to do. After a moment she nodded.

"Okay. Do that and then catch up with the others, I'll join you in a minute." Approaching Tilani, Kalmiya crouched down so she was eye level with him.

"Hey, I know you heard everything. You can stay here if you want," she paused, waiting for a response of some kind but Tilani did nothing. "Brenna and Valia will be here soon." She hesitated, wanting to say something else. "Stay safe Tilani," she said softly before standing.

The evening air was cold against her face as she exited the cave, and Kalmiya hurried to catch up to the others. It was a silent walk, save for the sound of footsteps and crunching leaves. When they entered Kypha, Kalmiya couldn't stop the horrified gasp that escaped her. Kalmiya had never seen so much blood and death. Bodies littered the streets. Builds were torn down or falling apart, debris everywhere. Innocent citizens, Magi, and children lay twisted and burned, their bodies turning the air putrid and filling it with the stench of death.

Kalmiya resisted the urge to pinch her nose as she continued toward the square. Hopefully, no one spotted them. As they crept closer to the square, pillars that hadn't been there before came into view. Kalmiya's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. It wasn't until they were mere feet away that she realized they weren't pillars. They were the Republic officials.

They hung from tall metal poles like scarecrows, each of them only a torso and a head. Their legs and feet were being devoured by tiny dragons, like wolves with a deer. The sound of ripping flesh was one Kalmiya would never forget. Bile rose in her throat and she wanted to gag.

From where she stood, she could see that the square was filled with people. A dozen or so soldiers stood on the outskirts as Dubal had said, and above spaceships made a spotlight on a raised wooden stage. Behind the stage was a dragon, black scales blending in with the night. Scorched wood was in front of it, a dark heap curled within the burned area. Kalmiya realized that must be what was left of Pae. Bile rose in her throat again.

Coming to a halt behind one of the few buildings still standing, Mordzar gestured for the group to come closer. "We wait here until Logan and Duana-" Mordzar's sentence was cut off by a sudden flash of sunlight, lighting up the night. That was it, that was the distraction. Immediately, half of the Magi stormed toward the wooden stage. A cacophony of noise filled the previously quiet streets. Zhols and soldiers were quick to meet them, starting the battle in earnest.

Kalmiya wished them luck as she hurried toward Borad. The teen looked pale but he opened a portal easily enough. Kalmiya, Mordzar, Eriswen, and Borad all quickly went through, stepping onto the stage.

There was a moment of total confusion as the soldiers and kidnapped simply stared at them. Mordzar took advantage of their surprise by quickly releasing the Magi from their chains. Realizing what was happening, the dragon beside the stage roared loud enough that Kalmiya's eardrums rattled.

"Eriswen!" she shouted and the other woman nodded. A shield appeared just before the flames could touch them. It wrapped around the Magi but she knew Eriswen couldn't hold it there forever. Darting forward, Kalmiya grabbed Eskandar and Shiazmu. She could hear screams as another dragon roamed through the crowd, burning strips of land.

"Go!" she shouted, pushing Eskandar toward the portal. The man quickly disappeared through it, but Shiazmu was barely standing. His legs were badly beaten and Kalmiya staggered under his weight as she supported him. Around her, she could see Mordzar leading Selene to the portal, Eriswen doing the same with Jeythr. Barely had Selene and Mordzar reached the portal when the edges of it flickered.

A high-pitched scream pierced the air and Kalmiya turned to see Borad stumble backward. A soldier stood behind him, a sword embedded in the teen's abdomen. The portal disappeared. No. No. Not another child. Shiazmu breathed heavily in her ear and she shook her head. She had to get him out of here.

"Come on," she said, tightening her grip on him. Slowly, they made their way across the stage, only to be stopped by a soldier. She was too close for Kalmiya to use her sword and she swore, Shiazmu sliding down and hitting the ground. There was no time for apologies as the soldier immediately drew her arm back, eyes fixed on Shiazmu.

Without thinking, Kalmiya tackled her, sending them both falling to the ground. The air left her lungs as she landed on the other's armored body. Wheezing, she dimly registered her own arm twisting awkwardly. Scrabbling at the soldier's belt, a grin crossed her face when she found a dagger. Using her good arm, Kalmiya jabbed the dagger into the woman's throat before pushing herself to her feet.

Shiazmu was a crumpled heap on the stage, blood pouring from a wound in his head. He was dead. Dammit. Kalmiya looked for the other Magi. Four from Silent Phoenix were dead. The woman from Crimson Shadow was caught between two Zhols who were toying with her. Mordzar and Jeythr were fighting back to back in the midst of a group of soldiers. Eriswen and her pet dragon Zaydaan were both trying to distract the army general's dragon. Zaydaan flew too close and one of his legs was caught by the general's dragon and Kalmiya looked away. One of the soldiers had Davyr on his knees and another stabbed Duana. Two more from Valkyrie and Knight's Watch were close to being defeated.

Silver flashed in the corner of her eye and she ducked on instinct. Glancing up, she saw it was the woman she'd just stabbed. Blood dripped from her neck but she seemed unfazed. How? Kalmiya scrabbled for her sword, raising it just in time to block the spear. The impact jarred her arms and she grunted in pain. She could feel exhaustion pulling at the corners of her mind.

Bracing herself, she swung again, knocking the spear from the woman's hand. She quickly swung her sword at her throat. It cut through half of the woman's neck and Kalmiya felt sick. She could see blood and tissue as the woman stumbled. Yet still, the soldier reached for her spear. What kind of monster is this? Fear filled her and she swung wildly, again and again until finally the woman's head was separated from her body.

Her fingers still twitched.

Kalmiya watched in horrified silence, glancing at the other soldiers. They appeared just as unfazed by pain, and she could see they were overwhelming the Magi. An arrow zipped past her face and Kalmiya startled into action. She caught sight of Logan fighting, moving faster than he thought possible. His dark fur was a stark contrast to the man he was fighting, and his claws shone in the light from the spaceships above. Yet each strike seemed to do nothing to the man before him. Just like with her. Blood dripped from myriad cuts, but the man kept swinging his sword. Kalmiya watched in horror as the silver flashed and then Logan crumpled to the ground.

Kalmiya turned just in time to duck as a soldier tried to stab her. A grunt left her mouth and she swung her sword at the man's head. It caught the edge of his tunic, ripping the fabric. The soldier stumbled but managed to wrench the sword from her grasp. Kalmiya swore and reached for her Mathanos. A few moments later the man was stumbling blindly away, the world having turned black for him.

Lightning flashed in the sky, fire flying through the air. A wind that hadn't been there previously blew with enough force that Kalmiya had trouble keeping her balance. Eskandar and Zenna rushed past her only to be trampled underfoot by the massive dragon slowly pushing the Magi back. Kalmiya turned and ran, just barely avoiding a clawed foot. She zigzagged to the right.

The ships above her fired blindly into the crowd, white and green bursts that exploded with deadly force. Shrapnel from a building hit her and she stumbled. Bits of metal and brick lodged themselves her skin and every movement hurt. Zhols were on every side and Kalmiya found herself weaponless in the middle of the melee. She crawled forward, grabbing her sword from the ground. Another soldier ran toward her. Her arm whipped out, silver metal tearing into his leg.

Her satisfaction was short-lived. The man just limped forward, three more stepping up behind him. They seemed endless. Kalmiya cursed, her hair flying into her face. Adrenaline was pumping through her tired body, her beating heart the only sound she could hear.

Through the chaos, she saw a pillar of fire to her right. The dragon had stopped pushing forward, instead spraying fire in every direction. Behind it, she could see Selene from Knight's Watch being dragged in front of the dragon by the stage. There was a split second of utter horror as Kalmiya realized what was about to happen. Then screams of agony pierced the air, carrying over the shouts of panic and sounds of battle. Selene's body was cocooned in flames, a black figure against bright blue and white. It crumpled in mere seconds.

There was no time for her to feel anything. Heat seared the right half of her body and she scrambled away. The dragon's flames were bulldozing through the rapidly dwindling crowd, forcing her and the other Magi back. Kalmiya stumbled backward.

Two Zhols suddenly blocked her path and Kalmiya's breath quickened. She hefted her sword higher, even though she knew it wouldn't do anything. Her arms ached with the weight but she forced them to stay steady as the Zhols advanced. As they came closer she realized she knew them. They were Kesie and Gef.

No. Kalmiya shook her head. She didn't want to fight them. Letting the sword drop, she pulled from her dangerously low reserves of Mathanos. Kalmiya concentrated, attempting to deceive their minds with an image of her prone body. Breathing laboriously, she felt her stomach drop when she locked gazes with Kesie. The elf's green eyes mocked her attempt.

Green lightning burst from Gef's fingers and Kalmiya let out a shrill scream as it hit the sword in her hand. White hot pain traveled from the metal to her arm, scattering across her entire body. Crimson spots danced before her eyes and she crumpled to the ground. Pain erupted in her brain, the only thing she was aware of.

And still her tired, trembling fingers twitched as she tried to lift her sword. I have to... have to...

Laughter sounded above her. Sounds that didn't make sense and irritated the red-hot pain in her body. She abruptly became aware of a dull, throbbing pain in her legs. Weary eyelids blinked open. Green eyes met her gaze, bright and cold.

The ground vibrated beneath her as the dragon lumbered forward. She could see Magi running away from the square. She shook her head, only to groan in pain. Why... not supposed to... There were more noises above her. Green lit the area above her and Kalmiya closed her eyes. Tilani... alone. Sorry.

Eludia

There was something almost comforting about being with Brenna and Valia. In the few hours she'd spent with them, Eludia had felt almost at ease. Neither of them spoke about the chaos outside the cave, Brenna mostly for her daughter's sake. Instead, they'd spoken of Eludia's life with Miria, mostly her friendship with Ulag. Aconi had never come up, Brenna cutting off each attempt her daughter had made to talk about her father. It had been... nice.

When Khulan had arrived, Eludia had felt disappointed. The Magi had brought more news of what was happening outside of the safe bubble of the caves, something Eludia wanted to know as little about as possible. Upon being told she was to go meet up with Tilani in another cave, she was less than thrilled. Khulan seemed to share her lack of enthusiasm, leading them with a frown on his face.

"Eludia?" Valia's voice was all too loud, and both her mother and Khulan hurried to shush her.

"What kid?"

"Were you and daddy friends?"

Eludia hesitated. "Sort of."

"You can't be sort of friends silly. You're friends or not friends," Valia said with the confidence all small children had.

"Fine. We weren't friends."

"Why not?" Valia demanded.

Eludia sighed impatiently. "Because Aconi talked about you two all the time. It was irritating," she informed the little girl, and Valia smiled widely. A sad, pained expression flashed across Brenna's face.

"He did?"

Eludia rolled her eyes. "Yeah. It was pretty damn irritating."

"Ooh! You said a bad word!"

"Perhaps we should stay quiet until we get to the cave where Tilani is," Khulan cut in, shooting Eludia a pointed look. She just rolled her eyes at him. They all fell into an awkward silence, and Eludia was grateful when they reached the cave. Walking in, Khulan summoned a small sphere of flame.

"Tilani?" Khulan called out quietly. There was no reply, and despite herself, Eludia felt a flicker of worry. The kid was okay, wasn't he?

They turned a corner. The sphere lit up the dark walls to reveal Tilani, huddled against the back of the cave.

"Tilani?" Brenna said tentatively. There was still no reply.

Khulan shook his head. "I have to go now. Stay here until someone comes back," he ordered, and Eludia nodded. She had no intention of going anywhere.

Brenna, it seemed, had no such self-preservation instinct. As soon as Khulan was gone she said, "We have to go too."

Eludia raised an eyebrow. "Go?" she said slowly.

"Yes! We have to help them; they need as many people as they can get," Brenna said passionately.

"We?" Eludia said slowly.

"Yes, we," Brenna said as though it was obvious. "Tilani and Valia should be safe here, but they'll need all the help they can get."

"Why should I risk my neck for any of them?" Eludia demanded.

Brenna glared at her, disgust clear in her eyes. "Because Miria took you in!"

"So what?" Eludia snapped.

"So they cared about you when they didn't have to!" Brenna exploded. "You're ungrateful and selfish!"

Eludia scoffed. It was nothing she didn't already know. Seeming to realize her words' lack of effect, Brenna added, "I don't know what Ulag saw in you."

Eludia flinched, the words hurting more than they ought to. It was something she'd often wondered herself, and now to hear Brenna say it so casually stung.

Tilting her chin up, Eludia curled in on herself, arms wrapping protectively around her chest. "It doesn't matter. You can go join the others and watch them fail. I'm not going on some stupid suicide mission."

Brenna's lip curled in disgust. "Fine. Stay with the children. Ulag would be disappointed in you." Her eyes met Eludia's and Eludia looked away. A hot ball of shame coiled in her gut. They both knew Brenna was right, but Eludia was too proud to admit it. So she watched silently as Brenna exited the cave, turning to look at Valia and Tilani defiantly. But neither of them were looking at her, so she turned away.

Even as she tried to reassure herself she had made the right decision, all Eludia could hear were Brenna's accusations over and over again. You're ungrateful and selfish! They cared about you when they didn't have to. Ulag would be disappointed in you. She thought of Ulag, wondering what he would say. The image of his face floated to the forefront of her mind, gentle but expectant as he looked at her. Eludia could picture him clearly as he told her, "The guild is your family." She swallowed.

"Stupid idiotic healer and his stupid ideals," she muttered. Tilani glanced over at her, and she could see judgment in his dark eyes. She glared at him but he didn't look away. After a moment she moved toward him, shaking her head.

"Kid." Tilani raised an eyebrow and Valia turned to look at her. The little girl was playing with a small figurine of some sort, settled in Tilani's lap. "I'm going out."

"Are you following mommy?"

"Yeah, I guess being a suicidal idiot is contagious," Eludia said. Before either of the two kids could reply she added, "Stay safe and all of that. Wait for someone to come back and don't be stupid."

With those parting words, she walked away. Each step seemed harder than the last, and there were several times she wanted to turn back. Running was what she did, not fighting. But each time she wanted to turn, she thought of Ulag. He would have been one of the first to leave, and she knew that wherever he was, he would be proud of this.

When she exited the cave it was dark, and she squinted to see where she was going. It was dark, dark enough that she wasn't quite sure where she was going. Eludia grumbled quietly to herself.

Abruptly she became aware of someone else's presence, and Eludia froze. Grateful for her tiny size, she peered through the darkness. It was hard to see anything past the blades of grass, but then someone stepped in front of her.

Green flames suddenly appeared in the stranger's hands and Eludia stumbled backward. Goosebumps covered her arms and the hair on the back of her neck rose. This was one of those things. Like what Xan had become.

Fear tinged adrenaline shot through her and she crawled backward. Her shoulders and arms tore as she shifted, wings emerging from her back. As soon as they were fully formed she launched into the air. Maybe she could fly past them.

Barely had she made it a few feet away when she was yanked from the air, vice-like fingers wrapping around her body and crumpling her wings. A pained gasp escaped her. She was thrown to the ground and air rushed out of her lungs. Wheezing, she turned to look at the person. It was a woman. She was young, maybe a little older than Tilani, with the same fair skin and dark hair. Her eyes were unnaturally green and the veins in her face bulged.

Her hands cupped green flames that swirled like snakes in her hand. Eludia flinched when the flames shot forward, wrapping around her body. Pain like nothing she'd ever felt before encased her and she screamed. Her flesh peeled from her bones, wings crackling in the flames. Eludia could feel her skin blistering and burning. Tears fell from her eyes and above everything, she could hear laughter.

There was another flash of green, and then everything was mercifully dark.

Leith

That had been all too easy.

Leith stared with contempt at what remained of the nymph's corpse. As if someone so weak could ever have escaped her. The nymph hadn't even been able to put up a good fight. She looked into the mouth of the cave the woman had come out from. Her lips curled into a smile. Where there was one rebel, there were more. And that was exactly why she was here—to ferret them all out and turn or kill them.

She stalked into the cave, summoning a pillar of green flame. Strange shadows flickered on the walls, abstract images that moved as she did. Moving on silent feet, Leith could feel the magic of at least two other people. Quickening her pace, it wasn't long before Leith came upon the two sources of magic.

A startled laugh burst from her mouth and two heads turned to stare at her. They were children. One a young girl, perhaps seven or eight. And the other a boy. Leith stepped closer, some long-forgotten part of her struggling to awake as she took in his features.

The boy was familiar. The image of a young boy chasing after her with a plastic dinosaur filled her mind. She knew him. Tilani. For a split second, the anger and hatred that sustained her was quiet. It was a strange sensation that both unsettled and intrigued her.

Her musings were interrupted by a flash of light. Weak and thin, she realized it had come from the boy. He must have been trying to fight her. She laughed, reveling in the fear that crossed the boy's face at the sound. She stalked forward, yanking the girl from the boy's arms.

She studied the child. Clearly a Magi, but too young to be of any real use. Taking energy from the girl, she summoned flames that quickly encased the child. Screams bounced off of the walls like music, and Leith grinned savagely. When the boy moved forward, she held him back, watching hungrily as the child's flesh turned black until the girl dropped to the ground.

Drops of water fell on her arm and Leith blinked in confusion. Then she realized it must be the boy, crying. Irritation flickered through her, and she summoned another wave of flames. But she hesitated. Beneath the tears, she could sense anger and hatred boiling within the boy. Perhaps he could be turned. Quenching the flames, she grabbed his wrist.

She half expected him to fight her, but he remained pliant. She shook her head. Her little brother was quite the idiot.

JesterheadJohnSnow versus Several7s

JesterheadJohnSnow

"Now what is left of the Magi scum and their Republic masters will see what the Dragon Empire is capable of."

Feeling one of the armored soldiers nudge her to the center of what was left of the city square in front of the rubble that was once the palace, Selene the Illusionist Sage felt despair well up in her chest as if someone was pumping it inside her with an invisible syringe. Smoke rose up to the evening sky from all over the city. That is if one considers a stretch of air blanketed with gray and green enemy starships as the sky. Glancing left to right, she noticed many Magi from other guilds being forced to kneel beside her by the Dragon Army and their allies. On either side of her were two members of Silent Phoenix. She couldn't recall their names, but she knew them as the Panther and the Pixie. Like the rest of the captives, they had the tell-tale marks of torture etched onto their bodies.

"Did they try to turn you as well?" The Pixie asked.

Selene's eyes looked downcast. "Yes, but thankfully my will was strong as steel." She glanced at the Panther. "I take it you went through some rough treatment as well?"

"Indeed." The Panther croaked.

Selene couldn't help, but feel pity for everyone else. Despite the state that they were in, no one gave in to the temptation to turn to darkness.

"Now to teach the galaxy and those who would dare oppose the Dragon Empire an important lesson, we have some volunteers from the pathetic Magi guilds."

Selene glanced ahead to see a man donning an olive green military uniform stand ahead of the captives. Magi-cams hovered in the air above him as he made his speech. The Naga didn't know who he was, but he really gave her the jitters. Moreover, where would he gain access to the Magi-cams? Perhaps the Zhols provided them.

Are they going to execute us?

The thought fueled the fear taking root inside her. Ever since she joined the Knight's Watch, Selene knew she would be putting her life at risk, but she didn't expect to be treated like a cow on its way to the slaughterhouse. To her left, several armor-clad soldiers tore down the Republic's flags and threw them into the bonfire. Red and gold banners now ornamented the vicinity to signal the end of an era.

"I, the Imperial High General, will sentence the enemies of the Empire to death on behalf of the Dragon Emperor. This should discourage anyone who has been ingrained with foolish delusions that they can challenge the Dragon Empire and make them fall in line. Chaos has been rampant in your galaxy for many centuries, but now order has been achieved as a result of the Empire's victory. "

Selene noticed the that what was left of the city's civilians were brought outside the city square by the soldiers and their allies. They were forced to stand amid the rubble and view the evil man's distressing speech. The Naga was reassured to see that almost all of the viewers had reluctant expressions on their faces. It signified that the evil Empire's rule had not been recognized as legitimate.

"The good news is that the Magi and the Republic's pathetic military force have been decimated and are on the run. In other words, don't expect them to come to your rescue anytime soon. We now have full control of this planet. As I speak, our forces and intergalactic allies are colonizing the remaining worlds in this system. We expect them to be successful now that the root of the Republic's influence is wiped out due to our military's unparalleled might. Now, without further ado, let's get to the main attraction."

The High General then whirled around and whistled. Selene cringed as she heard a loud roar reverberate across the vicinity. Glancing up at the sky, she noticed a large gray-green dragon swoop down to the earth behind them. The ground shook as it landed, causing a mini dust storm to form. Coughing, Selene then noticed that the High General didn't look completely human at all. Instead, he possessed reptilian features and his eyes were the same colors as a Shutaki warrior's.

"To kick off the show, we will execute the first captive. This one will be chosen at random to increase the suspense. I am sure our viewers would love that." The dastardly general smirked at the horrified civilians.

Dear Vipera, please don't let me die like this!

Selene was shaking with anxiety as she was grabbed by several soldiers and roughly taken to a post in the back of the stage to be tied to. She thought she noticed several Zhols standing to the right of the stage, viewing the Magi's plight. Her eyes then connected with one of the Zhols who stood out like a sore thumb. After all, there was only one Shutaki Zhol.

"Sha'Kil, why are you siding with the enemy against your fellow Magi?" The Naga tried to get through to the Warrior Sage. " Please reconsider your decision. It is never too late to turn back."

"Shut up!"

Selene took a blow from one of the soldiers as she was tied to the wooden post. As soon as they left her, the dragon's attention turned on them. Quivering, the Illusionist Sage glanced downward to avoid making eye contact with the twenty foot monster. Perhaps it wouldn't select her as a target.

" Blow!"

At the High General's command, the dragon blew out a large stream of flames at its chosen victim.

---

Zounds! How can anyone sit there and just watch this horrific spectacle?

Mordzar and what was left of the Magi were camped out for the night inside the forest to evade capture when the Imperial High General's speech was televised to the planet. Mordzar cringed as he recognized the Magi being roasted alive by dragon flame as Shiazmu. What really ground his gears was the image of Selene tied there all alone and fearful. No member of their guild should be resigned to a fate like that. His blood boiling, the Metal Mage was more than ready to storm the city square and liberate those Magi from a horrible fate, but he knew that he couldn't complete such a heroic feat alone.

"Guys, what are we sitting here for like sitting ducks?"

All eyes turned to the Metal Mage as he tried to appeal to the Magi's sense of justice.

"Are we really no more than cowards as we sit here and watch our guildmates get burned to death by the vile dragonmen and their dogs? The least we could do is mount an assault and liberate them from their cruel fate or die trying. How much trust will you place in your guild if you were taken prisoner by the enemy and your guild just marooned you to your fate?"

Everyone murmured in agreement. Lady Lara, who looked worn and beat, stood up to address the Metal Mage.

"Mordzar, I am fully aware of your intentions and I like your method of thinking, although I am not sure the time is ripe now. For all we know, they could have anticipated your plan and have their forces on high alert in order to spring a trap for us."

A hushed silence ensued after the Knight's Watch leader finished her speech. Magi from all guilds as well as what was left of the Republic's scattered forces all bickered amongst themselves over what to do. Mordzar clenched his fist in irritation as his rescue plan was delayed further.

"Mordzar, I must say that your plan is so foolhardy and full of risks." The Metal Mage watched Rhengar join his side, his blue-black fur mottled with scars and blood. "However, I love it! It's eons better than sitting here and waiting for those lizard worshippers to come find us." The wolfman then turned to address the other refugees. "I know what you all are thinking. That this is a suicide mission. So what? I'd rather undertake a mission where I die fighting than to live the rest of my life on my knees. Now who is with me?"

Everyone in the dark forest cheered. Mordzar glanced over at his guildmate in awe. The Shadow Sage clapped him on the back playfully.

"No need to thank me as of now. Once we are done, we will hit the taverns and the tab will be on you."

---

It's clobbering time!

Carving a rune on the ground, Rhengar blended in with the shadows. Letting out a howl, he ambushed the unsuspecting soldiers of the Dragon Empire and started to tear into them. Around him, other Magi were contributing to the onslaught as they took the patrol by surprise, it wasn't long before the corpses of the Dragon Empire's patrol littered the bloody road.

"The palace is up ahead!" Valonn shouted. "Let's prepare a charge!"

"You mean we are just going to charge into a potential trap and be ensnared by the enemy like rabbits?" A male Harpy from Black Dragon looked flabbergasted at the bear's idea.

"You will never know if you try!"

Feeling his bloodlust take over each time he goes on a hunt, Rhengar used his adrenaline to make a beeline to what remained of the palace gates. Ahead, he spotted corpses littering the entrance as well as the heads of some prominent Magi leaders decorating the spikes at the top of the gate. The guards, belonging to the enemy, rushed out to meet the charging Magi.

"Archers!" Hei the Lighting Mage shouted.

Rhengar's red eyes concentrated on the top of the fortress where several archers aimed their loaded crossbows at them and let loose a volley of arrows toward the Magi's forces. Rhengar dodged left and right in order to evade the pesky little arrows. Despite the fact that one managed to embed itself on his left shoulder, he felt no pain thanks to him being in his Blood Hunter mode.

"They've gotten Hei!"

Rhengar barely glanced back to see the Electric Mage, who was part of the Knight's Watch's extras, lay prone on the ground with an arrow sticking out of his throat as the advancing Magi trampled him. Turning his head away from the ghastly sight, the wolfman bounded over the body of another victim of the arrows-the Elf from Black Shadow.

"HRRRAHH!"

Rhengar pounced on a Crustacean- like creature who was working for the Dragon Empire and tore into him. Around him, he vaguely noticed the other Magi engaging the Dragon Empire soldiers and their alien allies. Mordzar cut down a few arachnid-looking soldiers while Lady Lara used her whirlwinds that proved to be deadly to some of the enemy. Hearing screams of pain, the wolfman briefly stopped mauling enemy soldiers and glanced to his right to see Roshi the Air Mage take an arrow to the throat. As the teenager fell to his knees, Rhengar caught a brief glimpse of Renleigh the Earth Mage getting caught on the receiving end of a yellow insectoid alien's stinger.

What a pity.I barely knew the youngsters. It is sad that I never got to know the young ones personally. I should treat the new recruits like equals next time.

Snarling and growling, Rhengar used his claws and jaws to tear into the flesh of the Dragon Empire's loyalists. The rage contained inside his chest made his attacks more furious as he kept the image of his fallen friends in his mind.

Hang in there, Selene. We are coming for you. Just sit tight.

---

"Blow!"

Selene flinched as the green flame of the dragon engulfed the Djinn from Guild Valkyrie. The Naga shut her eyes tight as the searing heat of the flame, trying to block out the unsightly view. The dying screams of the poor boy did little to ease her anxiety.

Vipera's fangs! That could have been me. For all I know, the next one could be me.

"Who is next?"

The High General tauntingly glanced between each of the captives, smirking at their distressed looks.

This isn't funny. If you want to end us all, please make haste and do it. Anything is better than this torture.

"Sir, the Magi are attacking the palace!"

All eyes fixated on the scout, dressed in brown leather armor, who had run up to the High General.

"Well, I believe we have to push the rest of the executions ahead. I will let our Zhol allies have the pleasure of accomplishing that. In the meantime, fetch the Legion."

As soon as the scout left to comply with his master's wishes, the Zhols walked onto the stage. Vibrating with tension, Selene glanced over to see Sha'Kil stride over to her. It was merely seconds before the seven foot tall monstrosity of a warrior glanced down at her with glowing green eyes. His pearl white mask glowed a sickly green in the light provided by the lanterns set up by the Dragon Empire.

"Look, you don't have to do this. " Selene pleaded with her former guildmate.

"That is correct." Sha'Kil raised his battlestaff, which had two curved blades sticking out of each end. "I don't have to."

With a low whooshing sound, the battlestaff came down upon the frightened Naga's neck.

---

So this must be how a mother feels when her children are in peril.

Lady Lara used a battleaxe that she had hijacked from a dead soldier to pummel a Dragon Empire warrior to pulp. Hearing a shout, she turned to her left to meet a masked warrior's assault. She parried the blows of his sword before finishing the job by burying the axe in his head. Huffing and puffing in excitement as well as mild exhaustion, she turned to face her next foe.

It's been a long time since I was in a battle like this. Despite being a little out of shape, I must say I am starting to approve of Mordzar's idea after all.

The Orc was soon surrounded by several tattooed and horned aliens. She managed to decapitate a the one with yellow tattoos until the black-tattooed one disarmed her. Resorting to her whirlwind, she sucked the remainder of her foes inside it. All that was left of were drops of blood on the blood-stained concrete.

"Who's next?"

As the Knight's Watch leader searched for more foes to take on, she was greeted by a startling sight. Several warriors, a couple feet taller than normal Dragon Empire soldiers, joined the fray. They didn't shout nor scream, even when struck with weapons. She watched in horror as Balos the Halfling, one of her reservists, had his head crushed like an egg by the super soldiers. Despair started to overtake her as the tide began to turn against the Magi force.

What in Charbald's name are those? This is not looking good at all.

---

"Rhengar! I'm coming!"

Valonn watched Rhengar struggle against two super soldiers from across the courtyard. Despite taking cuts from Rhengar that would have incapacitated a normal soldier, the super soldiers didn't react at all. It was like they didn't feel it.

Hold on, buddy. I'm almost there.

Suddenly, a super soldier, donning a silver helm as well as matching armor, stepped right in front of the Water Mage.

"D'Arvit!" He cursed. "Why do I have to be stuck with you?"

Ducking a blow from the soldier's war hammer, Valonn muttered a phrase. Soon, he splashed water onto the monstrous soldier and muttered another phrase. Soon, the super soldier was encased in a block of ice. Before the bear could relish his victory, he heard a yelp that sounded familiar.

"Rhengar!"

Desperate to reach his friend, Valonn bounded toward his friend, only to see the wolfman being hacked at by battleaxe-wielding super soldiers. Rhengar's red eyes made contact with the bear's jet black ones. A pool of blood steadily forming under him, the Shadow Sage's eyes closed right before the final blow made contact. With a shrill yelp of defeat, Rhengar was no more.

"Bastards!" Valonn snarled, tears forming in his eyes. "I will punish you for"-

Hearing a cracking sound, the bear glanced backward to see several ruptures form on his ice prison. It wasn't long before the super soldier burst out of it and charged at the Water Mage. Valonn evaded the blow , but soon found himself surrounded by the unbeatable enemy.

Dear Sigmar, why must I go like this?

The last thing he saw were two battleaxes and one war hammer come down on him like the tail of a Sporkion.

----

Using the confusion and chaos to reach the city square, Mordzar and a Knight's Watch reservist by the name of Adembe searched for Selene.

"Is she alright?" The Gnome warily glanced around the corpse-strewn city square as they evaded groups of dueling combatants.

"We can only hope so." The Metal Mage sighed.

Their hopes were dashed when they saw their guildmate's headless corpse lying next to the corpse of the Centaur from Dragon Claw.

"Looking for someone?"

Both Magi turned to see Sha'Kil holding the bloody head of the Naga while pinning a badly beaten Conan from Iscariot Sin with his left foot. Applying pressure, the Zhol snapped Conan's neck and hurled Selen's head toward the two.

"The least I could do was hand you her head. It's a pity as my desire to decorate my staff with it will never come to be. "

Feeling a white-hot rage well up inside him, Mordzar pointed his sword toward his former guildmate.

"Don't flatter yourself. It must feel really good to have slaughtered a defenseless victim that couldn't defend herself. Feel any braver?"

"Silence!" Sha'Kil's eyes narrowed in barely contained anger. " You are next, boy. If I were you, I'd run."

"Don't consider me a craven fool like yourself." Mordzar attempted to goad the Shutaki warrior to make the first move. "No Knight's Watch member bites the hand that feeds them."

"What are you talking about?" The Zhol hissed.

" When our guild takes in members, it looks after them for life. We all share a bond that is supposed to be unbreakable. It's like we are extended family. I'm afraid losers like you and Remi'i weren't cut out to be a part of the family. "

"I'm warning you." Sha'Kil gripped his battlestaff and raised it in an aggressive stance. "Shut up while you still have the chance."

"Come at me if you are a true Shutaki warrior." Mordzar smirked.

"Um, Modzar? " Adembe's bright blue eyes showed concern. "I think you are taking it too far."

"Gah! Now you've done it! You are both dead!"

The Zhol launched himself with incredible speed above the podium and bounded off of it, appearing behind the two. As Sha'Kil swung his double-bladed staff toward him, Mordzar parried with his sword. Taken back by the strength of his adversary's blow, it was a miracle he didn't lose his grip on the sword.

"Do you honestly think your pathetic little sword will protect you?" Sha'Kil taunted his foe. "You don't know the true power of darkness."

"I just recently forged this little fellow in one of the challenges." Mordzar smirked. "Unlike you, I don't need the power of darkness to refine my skills."

"Your arrogance will result in your undoing, boy."

Mordzar ducked Sha'Kil's next strike and tried to disable the Shutaki's right hand, but the Zhol was able to parry in time.

"You are going to have to perform better than that." Sha'Kil cackled.

Mordzar held his sword against his opponent's battlestaff, gritting his teeth as he tried to press forward. It seemed that the Zhol was much stronger than he had initially anticipated.

"I swear on the graves of my parents that I won't let you harm anymore members of my guild." Mordzar hissed.

"Are you positive about that?"

Five feet away, Adembe was about to concoct a spell to assist Mordzar, but Sha'Kil had caught on to the plan. Using his battlestaff to push Mordzar back, the Zhol hurled his weapon like a boomerang at the Earth Mage. Before the battlestaff landed back in its owner's outstretched hand, Adembe's head was on the floor next to his body.

"You filthy scumbag!" Mordzar snarled. "How can you live with yourself knowing you slaughtered your former guildmates? We showed you love and compassion, but you repay it by backstabbing us."

As Mordzar rose to his feet, Sha'Kil's scaly tail whacked into him, sending him flying back to the edge of the platform. His sword flying out of his hand, the Metal Mage glanced up to see his former guildmate standing over him. Getting smacked by that sturdy tail nearly knocked the wind out of the Metal Mage. He was starting to regret his foolish decision.

What in Wilhelm's name came over me when I decided on challenging Sha'Kil? I should have brought my guildmates with me.

"Answer me this." Mordzar was yanked up roughly by Sha'Kil's talon-like left foot before being slammed onto the ground. " Do you have any children?"

Coughing up blood and spitting out a tooth, Mordzar glared up at Sha'Kil. "No! What are you trying to do?"

"You see, children are the light of their parent's lives. " After slamming Mordzar down one more time, the Shutaki warrior hurled him to the soft grass. "Since you never had children, you will never understand the anguish of losing a child."

Landing among a couple corpses that were unidentifiable due to being mutilated, the Metal Mage slowly rose to face his foe.

"I may not have children, but I know the pain of losing loved ones." He searched the vicinity for his sword. "Several years ago, I lost most of my friends when a tyrant threw us in an arena to fight to the death for his amusement. In the next few days, I would lose my mentor, more of my closest friends, and even my family to the same tyrant as a price to defeat him."

Sha'Kil's hand shot out and clasped Mordzar's throat, lifting him above the ground. "Ah, so you had friends and family that would never turn on you, huh?"

"Wrong!" Mordzar desperately fought to free himself from the Zhol's grip. "I was killed once when my aunt betrayed me and literally stabbed me in the back. Not long after, I was given a second chance at life and that is how my sister and I ended up in the guild. Oh, and she was killed by you Zhols as she was trying to protect my hide. "

The Shutaki warrior seemed to loosen his grip. " Then why didn't you give in to your rage?"

"That would make me a coward like you." Mordzar spat at him.

"Wrong! If you don't embrace the darkness within, you will only become weaker." The Zhol cocked his head to the side. "Tell you what. I won't kill you just yet. You are much too fun to toy with. Who knows? You might wise up and join our cause."

He punctuated that statement by slamming Mordzar against a tree. Darkness then overtook the Metal Mage's vision.

---

"Augh!"

Remi'i and Jhing'im took the life another Magi. This time it was Artemis from Dragon Claw. Despite the Dragon Empire possessing a force that is more than capable of repelling the Magi's assault, the Zhols didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to slaughter more Magi. Remi'i felt a thrill unlike anything he had ever felt before his transformation as he viewed the battleground. The corpses of Magi as well as some of the Empire's warriors covered the ground around the city square like carpets.

If only I was allowed to partake in something as paramount as this in the Knight's Watch.

"Olga, let's do it!"

The familiar voice capturing his attention, the Zhol glanced up to see the Dryad sisters Inna and Olga standing at the side of the damaged road, raising their hands. Suddenly, Remi'i and his cousin Jhing'im felt vines ensnare their hands in legs. The sisters gave the Zhols dirty looks before Olga, the older sister, stepped forward.

"You have made a foolish decision in turning on your guild. Do you have any last words?"

Remi'i chuckled as the vines made their way to his upper torso. " As a matter of fact, I do. Did you forget or did it not occur to you that my cousin and I are Zhols?"

The vines then started to wither and blacken around both Jhing'im and Remi'i. As the sisters looked on warily, Remi'i and his cousin raised their hands, sending the two careening back into outstretched spikes on the gates.

"Brilliant plan." Jhing'im turned to his younger cousin. "Nothing pleasures me more than seeing two presumptuous Dryads skewered by spikes."

"Is that so?" Remi'i joked.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind sent the two slamming against the palace walls. Taken back by the sheer force of the gale, the former Gravity Mage's eyes locked onto those of their attacker. Lady Lara, her armor covered in blood, limped over toward the two. She fixed the Zhols with a glare that would make a dragon tremble.

"I don't have any children myself, but my guild members are the closest things I have to them. " She snarled. "Anyone who hurts them will feel the full weight of my wrath."

"Is that so?" Jhing'im mocked the woman. "Perhaps I will be saving you the pain of seeing your children perish by ending your life."

Jhing'im drew a longsword that was glowing green as he leapt toward the Knight's Watch leader. Lady Lara leapt backward to avoid the strike and counterattacked with her battleaxe. Remi'i watched the two duke it out and it wasn't long until the Knight's Watch leader was disarmed.

"Well, you are now in a precarious situation. " Jhing'im cackled. "What are you going to do?"

"Here is what I am going to do." Lady Lara started to form a small whirlwind.

Remi'i noticed Jhing'im struggling to stay on his feet despite the whirlwind being premature. It was time he stepped in to assist his cousin. Remi'i put out his hand, resulting in Lady Lara floating in the air, disrupting her attack. The Gravity Mage then released his hold. Lady Lara had plummeted to the ground and landed on an upturned sword that was left over from a previous battle.

"Argh!" The Air Mage's rage-filled eyes met Remi'i for a second before they permanent closed.

"Once again, good thinking." Jhing'im walked over to the corpse and examined it. " You must have had bad blood with her."

"I literally had." Remi'i smirked as he glanced upon what used to be his former master.

----

"Welcome home, Mordzar."

The Metal Mage whirled around to see who addressed him. Sitting on an ornate chair decorated with bright blue sapphire, Tyreen smiled at her younger brother as she tapped her fingers on the handle.

"Zounds! Did I die?"

Mordzar's blue eyes grew thrice their size as they met Tyreen's chestnut eyes.

"No, you haven't as of now, but that can change in an instant if you don't utilize your resources," Tyreen said. "Take a seat and let's discuss this as we always have."

A befuddled expression playing on his face, Mordzar sat across from his sister and leaned forward. He couldn't fathom why they were back at Sapphire Manor back on Castre. Moreover, how was it still standing?

"You are probably wondering if you are back home." Tyreen began to explain his situation. "Yes and no."

"What does that mean?" Mordzar frowned.

"We are back home, but not physically." Seeing her brother's confused expression, she decided to break it down in order for him to grasp it. "In other words, only our spirits are are resting here, but our flesh and blood is back on Tythan."

"Hold on a second." Mordzar rose from his seat. " You mean to tell me that this whole encounter is all in my head?"

"I knew you'd catch on." Tyreen gently flicked her brother's forehead. "Although, I need to discuss your performance on the battlefield with you real quick."

"Oh?" Mordzar sat back down. "Care to give me tips to overcome a Zhol?"

" Did it slip your mind that you are a Metal Mage?" Tyreen asked.

"Eh, why do you ask such a question?" Mordzar clenched his eyes.

"I noticed that you have only fought Sha'Kil physically, but not magically. If you really want to kill a Zhol, conventional ways won't do. Last but not least, remember that sword you crafted in one of the challenges?"

"Uh huh." Mordzar nodded. " I was just using it in battle. You looking to criticize my craftsmanship again?"

"The time isn't ripe for that." Tyreen giggled. "Some other time, but remember when you had to enchant it?"

Sure enough, Mordzar recalled the enchantment that really was a thorn at his side.

"That could come in handy. Just wait until the right moment and then surprise your opponent."

"I get what you mean." Mordzar grinned.A somber look then erased his grin away. "When will I see you again?"

"Let's hope not too soon." Tyreen giggled as she reached over and clasped her brother's hand. "Now, you better get your head back in the battle or else you will be staying here permanently with me."

The setting soon started to distort and warp into darkness.

---

Gasping, Mordzar came to in the middle of a grassy field blanketed by blood and guts. Coughing, he glanced backward to see Sha'Kil making his way over to him, his bright green eyes glowing like lanterns in the dim light. Glancing to his left, he noticed his sword, glowing a bright silver lay in the hand of a dead Fairy.

Just a little closer.

Mordzar gritted his teeth and tried to reach over to retrieve his weapon, but he was still out of reach. Letting out a grunt, the Metal Mage tried to crawl over to the enchanted sword, but his progress was slow due to the pain shooting up his limbs. Glancing back, he noticed that the Zhol was only ten feet away from him. The tension was starting to get the best of him when he remembered an important piece of information his sister bestowed upon him.

"Mira Mordar Mortis!"

Several pieces of metal shards flew at Sha'Kil, taking the Zhol by surprise. Desperate to avoid the sharp objects, Sha'Kil whirled his staff like a large metal fan, but he couldn't repel them all. Letting out a shriek of pain or anger, the Zhol brought is blade toward Mordzar's arm, but the Metal Mage parried the blow with his sword.

"It looks like I have finally lucked out." Mordzar sneered. "Props to me for not giving into the dark side."

"You don't know the power of the dark side!" Sha'Kil struck the floor, but Mordzar rolled back and leapt up. He engaged the Shutaki warrior in a flurry of moves with renewed vigor before he noticed that he was gaining the upper hand. It was as if the moment he touched the blade's hilt, Mordzar had felt a new power surge through him.

"Lessi Nove Roma Gingar!"

The words came to him naturally as if they had been ingrained in his mind for eons. His sword burst into flames as he managed to land a blow on the Zhol's shoulder. Letting out a sound that resembled a bat's cry, Sha'Kil hissed in pain as his glowing eyes , full of hate, bore into Mordzar's. In a flash, the reptilian being clambered up the walls of the nearby building in a bid to evade Mordzar.

So when the battle turns against him, he turns tail and runs? Pssh, what a slimy move.

Seeing that the building's foundations were metal, Mordzar murmured a phrase. The whole thing crumbled down in a cloud of smoke. Wary of a potential trap, Mordzar cautiously approached the wreckage and raised his sword. It was possible that the Zhol was using the cover of the dust to ambush him.

"Hrrruah!"

Mordzar immediately evaded the blow from behind by centimeters. Analyzing his environment, he deduced that the Zhol had hidden under the wreckage and hoped to catch him unawares.

"You are nothing! Die, Magi filth!"

Mordzar kept out of reach from Sha'Kil's battlestaff as the Shutaki warrior's strokes became sloppier due to his frustration. Seeing an opening, Mordzar slammed his sword on the middle of the staff, disarming the Zhol.

" What happened? I thought you said the power of darkness is superior?"

Ignoring the Metal Mage's taunts, Sha'Kil turned his back to retrieve his weapon, but Mordzar was immediately on him and used this as an advantage to finish off his opponent. Letting out a yell, Mordzar's sword pierced the Zhol from behind as he muttered a phrase. Suddenly, Sha'Kil started to convulse as the flames burned him from inside out. Letting out a shriek that pained Mordzar's sensitive ears, Sha'Kil could only watch in vain as the flames threatened to overtake his darkness. Two streaks of searing hot flames shot out of the Zhol's eyes before he started to disintegrate into green mist. All that was left of him was his white tribal mask.

"Well, I always wanted a Shutaki's ceremonial mask to add to my collection of exotic artifacts so why not?"

Oblivious to the battles raging around him, Mordzar picked the mask up as he rested on his knees.

----

Shifting into a griffin form, Azrael used his sharp claws to cut through several of the Dragon Empire's warriors. No matter ow many they had downed, many mroe would take their place in addition to the Zhols and the Legion super soldiers. How will they prevail if the odds remain out of their favor?

"ROOOAARRR!"

What in Galavere's name is that?

Craning his neck upward, the Shapeshifter Sage noticed the massive dragon that was executing the captives earlier swoop down on the combatants in an aggressive manner. Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, the beast shot out a stream of green flame that lit the evening into the masses that belonged to the Magi counter-strike force. Screams erupted as many Magi and their allies were mowed down by the flames. He swore he saw Sypho and Mordhu in the middle of the throng of Magi that were vaporized by the flames.

"Retreat!"

Azrael didn't know who shouted that order, but that sounded like a good idea considering the current circumstances. Flapping his broad golden wings, the shifter desperately tried to stay out of the raging dragon's line of sight as well as out of range of the sickly green flame.

"Azrael!"

Hearing his name shouted among the din, Azrael glanced to back to see Narga the Orc trip while fleeing the dragon. Before he could swoop down to pick her up, the throng of fleeing Magi and Republic soldiers ran over her like she was nothing more than a doormat, not bothering to step around her. Azrael could only watch in horror as his guildmate was trampled to death in the chaos.

This is unbelievable! Have we lost sight of reason and logic in the face of danger?

Trying to push the ghastly sight into the back of his head, Azrael flapped his wings more rapidly in order to pick up speed. The only thing on his mind was escaping, nothing else.

"Hey Azrael! Care to help out here?"

Glancing downward, the shifter noticed Nikka the Healer Wizard working on Mordzar behind a piece of metal from a damaged building. he Metal Mage had sustained some grievous wounds during his showdown with Sha'Kil, but what was more important to Azrael was that he had escaped with his life. Straightening his wings, the Shapeshifter Sage swooped down from the air and nabbed the tow in his talons before taking to the air once again. It wasn't long before the heinous screams and shouts of the Magi as well as the roar of the terrible reptile had gradually faded from their ears.

" Wooh!" Azrael huffed as he dropped the two off at the edge of the treeline where the forest began. He reverted back to his base form, an Elf with unkempt blonde hair, before he glanced between his two comrades."Um, is this all? I thought there'd be more of us here."

"Yes, I am afraid we are all that is left." Mordzar somberly stated as he held his sword close.

"Unbelievable!" Nika gasped. "I mean, our guild had dozens of members, but how did it end up as only us three? Did we lose so much of our Magi to the enemy?"

"The other guilds were decimated as well if what I saw earlier was correct." Azrael glanced from Nikka to Mordzar. "So where do we go from here? Our situation seems utterly hopeless."

"We can only do one thing." Mordzar glanced into the dark forest. The eerie silence inside the woods made Azrael feel uneasy. "Move forward. Now, you two can follow me and hopefully find salvation or stay out here until you get picked off by a dragon. Which will it be?"

The question was unnecessary as Nika and Azrael both knew the answer to that one.

---

"You guys alright?"

The three individuals, who consisted of an Elf, a human, and a Pixie, stared back at the Shutaki chieftain and his consorts. The chieftain, no older than sixteen, then spotted the blue and gray armband of the Knight's Watch on the shoulders of the three.

"You three are Knight's Watch members, correct?"

"Yes, that's right. " The human boy kept a wary gaze upon the Shutaki entourage. " Are you guys related to Sha'Kil?"

The chieftain's eyes then grew wide behind his pearl white mask. "You know my father? I am Rii'Khan, the son of Sha'Kil!"

"Yes, we did." The Elf cut in. "What are you doing here?"

Rii'Khan shifted on his feet. "Well, I don't think you are all aware, but back on Aker, a war erupted between the Shutaki clans. The royal family of Tankrid sponsored the Khattar clan and as a result, we were able to defeat our rivals. In fact, I have Sham'tul and Ra'Kul's heads decorating my wall so I decided to travel here to surprise him with the good news when those foreign forces invaded the planet. By any chance, would any of you know where my father is?"

Several7s 

"Tythan is now under the Dragon Empire's control," the General announced.

Hundreds of citizens from all over Tythan watched, wide-eyed, as the General made the announcement. Many of them stared at the dragon behind the general- a black monstrosity that blew large puffs of smoke every so often. But most of them focused on the General, who stood tall on the steps to the palace, surrounded by blood and bodies.

There was complete silence for a moment. All anyone heard was the general's dragon breathing in and out. The moment stretched into eternity as the crowd awaited the rest of the General's announcement. What was only a few seconds felt much more like several minutes. Shiazmu shifted in his chains, feeling more helpless than he'd ever felt in his life. Finally, the General spoke again.

"The Republic is dead. No one is coming to save you." He let that sink in for a second. "You are all that's left of your planet's population. If you think to resist, we have no problem with killing the lot of you. So let's make this simple. Kneel, and give your allegiance to the Dragon Empire, or die."

His dragon let out a small burst of fire, startling the crowd. Murmuring broke out in the crowd, until, almost simultaneously, the terrified people knelt. The General nodded.

"You've chosen well." He gestured to his dragon, who turned to face Shiazmu.

"Magi will not be permitted to live in this new empire! Those who do not turn will die, along with anyone who tries to hide them."

Shiazmu glared at the General's dragon. This wouldn't end well. He knew what they had planned- he'd guessed as soon as they chained the few captive Magi they had left to posts in the middle of the square. But he refused to face his final moments in fear. Instead, he would go down angry.

These people had killed his friends, his guild master, and millions of innocent citizens. They had reduced the population of Tythan to a mere couple hundred- small enough to fit into the castle courtyard. In front of the captured Magi, they had burned the guild's flags. In executing their last prisoners, they wanted to strike fear into the heart of the conquered citizens. He refused to let them have that. Not from him.

The General's dragon stood and drew in a breath. He saw the dragon's stomach glow and heard the roar of fire. It engulfed Selene from Knight's Watch, who had been chained beside him. Her screams filled the courtyard, and then there was nothing left of her but ashes and a melted puddle of metal from her chains.

Over the next few hours, Shiazmu watched in horror as the dragon executed Eskander from Guild Valkyrie, and Daniella from Crimson Shadow. It was almost a relief when the dragon turned to him. He wouldn't have to watch any more people die. There was no escaping his fate, he knew, and it was easier to just get it over with. He wouldn't have to watch the dragon kill Alex or any other good friends, at least.

The dragon roared and Shiazmu watched the fire race toward him. It surrounded him, sending pain racing through his entire body. He screamed in agony. Then it was over, and he knew no more.

***

Zaydaan woke with a start. Something was different. It took him a moment to remember everything that had happened. Eris. He felt her again. But that shouldn't be possible! If the Zhol knew she was alive, they never would have let her leave the battlefield. Instantly, guilt assailed him. He had left her, despite knowing she wasn't dead yet. What kind of fate had he left her to? I shouldn't have listened to Mordzar.

He stood and shook himself. He couldn't fix his mistake, but he could go to her now.

"Where are you going?" Mordzar asked.

"To find Eris." Zaydaan eyed the metal mage. He looked awful. It wasn't a surprise, after losing his sister, but still. Maybe a bit of good news would cheer him up. "She's alive."

Mordzar blinked. Then slowly pushed to his feet and met Zaydaan's gaze. "Then let's find her."

***

Eris felt Zaydaan's guilt and cringed. He wouldn't have forgiven himself for leaving her to die. It would be ten times worse, knowing she had a chance, and he still left her behind. "I wanted you to go. To live." The words might not help the situation much, but he needed to know.

"And I wanted you to live. But... I didn't stay and make sure that would happen. What kind of bond does that make me?" His reply isn't far from what she expected.

"Just... please don't beat yourself up over it. There was nothing you could have done, and if you hadn't left, I would have died. It was better this way."

"Where are you?"

Eris looked around. Trees towered over her, light filtering through their leaves as they swayed in the wind. Birds flew through the air, their songs silenced by the evil atmosphere. Bushes of flowers sprinkled the clearing, splashes of bright color in the otherwise dark and green forest.

The omvu looked at her, and the oldest one- an orange ball of fluff- hopped forward. "Phoenix, if the dragon comes here, someone will follow him. We cannot let the Zhol find you. You must stay safe."

Eris frowned. "I'm not hiding. These monsters are killing the people I love! They almost killed me. You think I can just sit back and watch? No. I won't. If you want me to stay safe, you'll just have to fight with me."

With a sigh, the omvu turned to the others. There was a moment of quiet before he turned again to face Eris. "We will protect you, Phoenix. But you must know your efforts will not amount too much. You are not a full phoenix yet. Fighting the Zhol will backfire on you."

"I don't care."

"Eris? Where are you? Mordzar and I are coming to find you."

She glanced through the forest toward Tythan. "I can't tell you," she said finally. "It's too risky. But... I need to know what happened to the others."

"You can't fight this alone. Let us help."

"I'm not alone. What happened after I passed out?"

He paused, and she could sense his indecision. "They imprisoned as many Magi as they could," he said finally. "Most were killed. We don't know what happened to the rest, but... they took Alex and Shiazmu."

"Do you guys know what's happening at Tythan?" Eris asked the omvu.

"We do." The orange one hummed for a moment before finishing. "They're making an example of the prisoners they didn't turn. The prisoners will be executed- burned alive by dragon fire." The omvu paused. "Phoenix... if you fight this, you can't worry about keeping your friends out of danger. You need all the help you can get. Including that adolescent dragon of yours."

Eris shuddered, but passed the message on to Zaydaan, along with a meeting point. "I'm bringing the omvu. Tell the others who escaped. We need as much help as we can get. Bring whoever is willing."

"I'll pass it on," Zaydaan promised.

Taking a deep breath, Eris faced the omvu. "Let's go, then."

***

They were keeping the entire population of Tythan captive in the castle courtyard. The Zhol had chained the prisoners to posts in the courtyard, and bodies lay scattered along the steps up into the castle. Eris watched from above as another prisoner was unchained and brought forward.

This threw a wrench in their plan. They had wanted to sneak in and rescue the prisoners, then escape at least mostly unnoticed. But the prisoners were on display where everyone could see them. There was no way they could get them out without a head-on confrontation. And then there was the massive dragon executing the prisoners.

"Things don't look good, Zaydaan. They've got a huge black dragon and the prisoners are in front of everyone. It has to be a head-on confrontation."

"Can we do that and win?" he asked.

Eris glanced down at the small group of magi waiting by where Eiridan had said a tunnel could be opened. She was supposed to go open it, since it was locked from the inside, but the tunnel method wouldn't work if they had to attack head-on. Still... they might make it, with the help of the omvu.

"We have to try." She refused to leave the captured magi to their own devices. They would die, and that was unacceptable. "We need to portal in if we want to surprise them." She started back toward the rest of the Magi. "It has to be quick."

***

Trinity headed straight for the prisoners when the attack started. Shiazmu was dead, but Alex would take the chance to escape, and she refused to let him. Silent Phoenix was a guild of liars and weak, pathetic Magi. They didn't deserve to live.

Sure enough, Alex was out of his chains and flying into the battle when she arrived. She snatched him out of the air and watched him for a second as she struggled. Wind whirled around them, but she ignored it. He couldn't hurt her. Not anymore.

"Thought you'd escaped your execution?" she asked, tightening her hold on him. She heard his screaming as his tiny bones began to crack. "There is no escape, Magi. We'll hunt you all down, no matter where you go."

The wind died, and his screaming stopped. She dropped his tiny body and ground it beneath the heel of her boot, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.

***

Flint couldn't believe he had just barely managed to escape the Zhol, only to come back again. But he couldn't help it. The Magi needed all the help they could get, and he couldn't help hoping that maybe he could find Mirana too.

He ducked a spear and jumped forward, tackling the soldier in front of him. His hand wrapped around the spearhead and it responded to his commands, morphing into a small dagger. The soldier struggled, but Flint was used to holding down strong opponents. He shoved his makeshift dagger into the man's throat and yanked it to the side. Blood gushed from the wound, even as two other soldiers came to their comrade's aid.

Flint launched off of the first soldier's body and flipped over the sword of the second, touching his index finger to the tip of the blade midair. It melted into a useless hunk of metal. The soldier tossed it aside and grabbed his comrade's extra weapon- a long knife.

As Flint landed, the third soldier lunged forward, sweeping his leg out in an attempt to knock Flint over. Before Flint could do anything else, the soldiers' skin turned ashen, and they collapsed, quickly turning to piles of ash.

"Now that they're gone..." A Zhol stepped forward and eyed him. "Hello, Flint."

"Do I know you...?" Flint frowned. The Zhol was looking at him as if she expected some sort of horrified reaction, but he couldn't understand why.

"Oh, of course." She smiled and began to change. "You know this form better, don't you?"

Mirana stood before him, but her pale blue eyes were green. "Mirana!"

***

The look on his face sent a thrill of satisfaction through her. She could see the second he recognized Mirana's form. "She's gone," Elize said with a smirk. "It's Elize now."

Flint looked at her, concern etched on his face. "What did they do to you?"

"They made me stronger." She pursed her lips. Even when she was in control, Mirana's feeling for this man leaked through. She cared about him, and because of that attachment, Elize cared too. "You could be strong too."

He was shaking his head now. "No. You're just someone she created," he said, stepping forward. "Mirana would never become a Zhol."

"She may have made me, but I became strong when she was weak. She didn't choose to become a Zhol, she gave me control, and I took the power offered to me." Elize watched him, waiting for his reaction.

"If she gave you control, she'll take it back."

***

Mirana was a Zhol. Flint swallowed down the lump in his throat and tried to comprehend what Elize was saying. She always got too far into her characters. It was something he worried about constantly. Maybe there was a part of her that was still good. Logically, he knew it should be impossible, but before they invaded, he'd believed Zhols were nothing more than a myth. What did he really know about them?

"I know you're still in there, Mirana," he whispered. "Come back." Regret wormed through him. He should've told her, all those months ago, when he realized he had fallen in love with her. No time like the present.

He took another step forward and pressed his lips against hers before she could stop him. "I love you," he whispered.

She gasped and pulled away. The green faded from her eyes and she stared at him, terrified. "Flint..." She grabbed his shoulders. "You have to kill me!"

***

They barely got the remaining captured Magi unchained before more Zhol poured out of the castle. Soldiers followed, wielding a wide range of weapons. Vatre wove through the fray beside Lynei.

I'll get the girl who isn't paying attention with a low swipe. Vatre whirled toward the soldier who had planned to surprise her, lashing out. Her leg caught the top of his helmet, snapping his head back. He stumbled back, and she slammed her dagger into his throat.

Another soldier flew past, tossed out of the way by Lynei's magic. "We have to get out of here," Lynei warned. "There are more coming."

Vatre passed on the message, but it did little good. The army had trapped them. Soldiers had them boxed in and outnumbered. Even as she fought, she could feel mental signatures disappearing. She tried not to think about it- if she did, she knew grief would consume her.

Behind her, Lynei screamed. Vatre whirled, eyes widening as she spotted a Zhol standing over her sister, black shadows protruding from her chest. "Lynei!" Vatre screamed.

The dirt beneath them stilled and Vatre felt Lynei's mind slipping away. "Lynei!" She screamed again, her voice cracking as she rushed to her sister's side. The Zhol was already gone, off to find another victim. Tears dripped down Vatre's face and she cradled Lynei's head.

"I love you, Vatre," Lynei said, just seconds before her mind slipped away forever.

"No, no, no. You have to live," she whispered, touching Lynei's cheek. "Please, please don't leave me. Lynei..."

There was no reply. Vatre knew there wouldn't be. She hugged Lynei close and screamed again. She couldn't do anything. More people died, and she felt it all. Every one of them. She heard their last thoughts. Felt the terror surging through them in their final moments.

Hatred surged through her, toward the Zhol, but mostly toward herself. She let this happen. Why was she the one to live? Why hadn't she realized the Zhol was attacking and saved Lynei? For a second, she almost gave in to it. The urge to throw away her Mathanos and take the power of the Zhol became overwhelming.

Pain sliced through her and she pulled away, biting back a cry of pain. The pain pulled her out of her angry reverie. The urge to turn dimmed, but her anger didn't die with it.

A soldier stood over her, smirking. "Pity," he said. "I was aiming for your heart."

She clutched her shoulder where his sword had pierced it and stood, her rage building. "You shouldn't have missed," she snarled, delving deep into his mind.

His eyes widened as she tore through his thoughts, bringing to life his worst memories. She heard his breath come in wheezing gasps as he dropped his weapon and clutched his head. Stepping forward, Vatre slammed her foot into his stomach. He slipped in a pool of Lynei's blood and fell to his knees before Vatre. She slipped her blade between his ribs and straight through his heart.

"That's where the heart is," she told him as he drew his last breath.

***

A roar shook the palace. Eris looked up toward the palace stairs, temporarily forgetting about the soldiers in front of her. Luckily, they seemed momentarily distracted by the source of the roar.

On the palace steps, the General's dragon stood to join the battle. Black scales glittered in the sunlight as it walked out onto the battlefield. People from both sides of the battle screamed as the dragon crushed them underfoot. With another roar, it started roasting things.

Eris glimpsed red scales framed against the sun, and suddenly Zaydaan was on top of the dragon. "Zaydaan no! He's ten times your size!"

"I can distract him," Zaydaan insisted. She could see him darting back and forth, narrowly avoiding the larger dragon's jaws. "Get everyone out while you can!"

She glanced at Kyren, who fought nearby. "Lead the retreat!" she yelled, throwing up a shield at the back of the group.

"Where are you going?" Kyren demanded.

A soldier cried out next to Eris and she turned to find a shadowy spear piercing the soldier's chest. Kyren had her back. That, at least, hadn't changed when he turned. "Just get them out," she said, and took off toward Zaydaan.

"Hang on, Zaydaan. I'm coming to help."

She leaped into the sky, making shields beneath her as she ran. The two dragons got closer and closer, until she was right above them. She unsheathed a second knife and dove off her shield. Her first knife caught on a chip in the dragon's scales as she stabbed downward, holding her suspended in the air for a brief second.

The dragon shook, almost knocking her loose, but she had a shield beneath her now. She pushed off it and landed on the dragon's neck. It let out a roar and jumped into the air. Zaydaan zipped by, breathing a line of fire at the dragon's face. It barely reacted.

"You think you can defeat me?" the dragon demanded. "You are nothing but a hatchling with a powerless half-breed."

Eris clutched the dragon's thick neck with her legs, thankful for her years of flying with Ionean. If she didn't know how to stay on his back, she would've fallen to her death by now. As the dragon thrashed, she pushed her knife up between the cracks in its scales, until it was buried up to its hilt.

Suddenly, the dragon flipped over. The movement dislodged her, and she gave a startled cry as she fell backwards. Zaydaan flew out of nowhere and caught her dragging her out of the way just as the larger dragon sent a stream of dragon-fire toward them. "You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. You can let go." She whispered a spell, and he dropped her onto her shield, just seconds before the black dragon slammed into him.

"Zaydaan!" Eris ran for him, but the gust of wind from the dragon's wings sent her flying back.

She caught herself on another shield halfway to the ground and ran. Zaydaan had disappeared now, but she sensed his pain. The dragon had him. "Let him go!" she screamed, trying to shield her bond. But she couldn't keep him safe if she didn't know where he was.

The dragon faced her, and she gasped. Zaydaan struggled in the black dragon's claws, trapped. "Your dragon is weak, half-breed," the dragon snarled. He tossed Zaydaan into the air and clamped sharp teeth down on his still form.

"No!" Her bond with Zaydaan shattered. "No!"

It was happening again. She had lost Ionean twice, and now she'd lost Zaydaan too. Her knees buckled under her, tears streaming down her face. "I was supposed to be able to help them!" she screamed. "You said you would give me the power to fight evil!"

The dragon laughed, flying closer. "You've known this pain before," he said. "To suffer it a second time... it would be enough to push even a phoenix over the edge. Embrace your rage, half-breed. Claim the power of the Zhol."

Eris barely heard him. She didn't care if he was there or not. Didn't care if he killed her or not. She didn't care about anything. "Where are you?" she cried, directing the last shreds of her anger at the phoenix who had promised to help her. "Where are you when we need you? When I needed you!"

Where were the phoenixes now, who had promised to stand against the forces of evil? She had met one in the forest, and her own mentor when the Zhol had her, yet now they were nowhere to be found. How could they let this happen? How could they let the Zhol take away the last of her loved ones?

A power stirred within her- a fire born of grief and anger. She screamed again, flames bursting from her and creating a sphere around her.

"Eris, it isn't time for you to inherit this power," a voice whispered. "It could destroy you."

"I don't care!" She stood to face the black dragon, tears streaking her face. "I won't let you kill anyone else!"

"You still fight it?" The dragon sounded annoyed now. "Fine. Then die!"

Before she had the chance to throw up a shield, the dragon loosed a jet of blue flames. They didn't hit. A second dragon flew past Eris and slammed into the black dragon. "Go!" it commanded. "I'll hold back the dragon. Retreat with your friends, phoenix."

Eris stared at the large red dragon and more tears gathered in her eyes. For a moment, she couldn't help thinking Ionean had come back from the grave to fight for her. But no. This was the dragon she had seen in the forest. She remembered it reminding her of Ionean then too. Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she ran back toward the battle on the ground.

"Thank you."

***

Flint stared at Mirana. "What?"

"You have to kill me, Flint. I can't stop her! Every time I get control, she takes over again and more bad things happen." She bent down and picked up a knife, pressing it into his hands. "Please. She's too strong."

He could see green swirling in her blue irises, both beautiful and eerie. Around them, piles of ash lay, creating an undisturbed area in the battlefield. Even when Mirana had control, Elize could steal the life from people who got too close. Mirana was right. But... he couldn't kill the woman he loved! Even if it was better for everyone... how would he live with himself?

"Flint there isn't time." She gripped his arm. "I need you to do this. She won't let me..."

"I can't kill you," he whispered. "Don't ask me to do this, Mirana."

"You have to, Flint. For everyone's sake." Tears dripped down her face. "I can't live with this guilt."

He looked down at the knife she'd given him. If he killed her, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. But he could see the green slowly drowning out the blue in Mirana's eyes. He couldn't watch the woman he loved being drowned out by Elize. He pulled her into a hug, hands shaking. "I'm sorry," he whispered, and plunged the knife straight through her and into his own chest.

There was a brief look of relief in her eyes, followed by horror. "No," she gasped. "You can't..."

Flint smiled at her. "I... won't live on... without you," he said. The pain was awful, but he could feel darkness encroaching. He hugged Mirana tighter and let it take him.

***

Gemini slid under her opponent's attack and stabbed upward, cutting through the soldier's side. He staggered, and she rolled out of the way, barely avoiding him as he collapsed. Olsen grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"Thanks," she said.

"Ni, duck!" Olsen yelled.

She started to turn and felt a stinging pain in her stomach. "Olsen..." she whispered, eyes widening.

His arms were around her in seconds and light exploded around them, sending the nearby soldiers staggering. "Hold on, Ni." He tore off a piece of his shirt and started to tie it around her wound, but she knew it wouldn't help.

"Go," she choked out. "Save... yourself."

"I'm not leaving you!" He pressed his shirt against her stomach and she screamed as the pain escalated.

The soldiers started coming back, but Olsen was ignoring them. "Please... go..." Gemini gasped. "I can't... watch you... die too."

"You're going to live!" A tear slid down his cheek. "You have to."

There was so much pain. She could feel blood dripping down her back and stomach. Too much pain... too much loss... she couldn't do it. How would she live with everything she had seen? They came to rescue the prisoners and instead walked into a trap. She'd watched the prisoners get cut down, along with so many of their assault team. Most of the omvu were dead, and the few that remained couldn't fight the massive forces that the General commanded.

Even with the red dragon holding back the black one, the fire from their battle scorched the palace courtyard, killing anything in its path. Gemini sucked in a pained breath and reached for Olsen, wrapping her fingers in his.

"I... won't survive, Olsen. You have to leave me behind."

He shook his head, and gripped her hand tighter. "I'm staying."

Behind him, Trinity appeared. "Would you look at that," she huffed. "Someone went and stabbed you before I could."

Olsen whirled to face her, and she slammed into him, throwing him backward. "No!" Gemini dug her nails into the flagstones and dragged herself toward him. "Trinity, please!"

"You treated me like an unwanted third wheel," the fairy snarled. "Who's more powerful now?"

"Olsen!" Gemini screamed in horror as Trinity picked up a sword and drove it through his chest.

She heard his gasp of pain. Saw his chest rise and fall, slower and slower. Finally, she reached him and grabbed his hand. "Olsen, stay with me," she begged, tears dripping down her face.

"Hmm," Trinity mused. "Cute. Enjoy watching him die, Gemini. You'll join him soon enough."

"Why?" Gemini demanded, facing her former friend. "Why would you betray us?"

"Because the Zhol gave me power," Trinity laughed. "Something you two will never have."

She slammed her borrowed sword through Gemini's shoulder and left it there. Gemini cried out, the pain overwhelming her senses. Olsen's hand tightened around hers, a silent promise. They would go down together. It was enough. She stopped fighting.

"Goodbye, you two."

***

Eris could barely control her newfound power. Flames flew out of her before she could direct them, destroying the surrounding soldiers. She threw up a shield around the Magi left alive, but it wasn't enough. As she watched, shadows engulfed Valonn from Knight's Watch. Jethyr got surrounded by a Zhol and two soldiers. They cut him down before Eris could protect him.

Each death ate at her. The hole in her heart that Zaydaan's loss had torn open widened every time she failed to save someone. Her flames rose, dancing with the wind and pouring out of her. She used them to keep back anyone who got too close and poured every bit of her energy into protecting as many as she could.

A Republic ship dropped out of the sky toward them, and she let a tiny sliver of hope take hold of her. Help was coming. Maybe the others would get out.

***

Things weren't going well. Xanadar dove the ship down toward the battlefield, narrowly avoiding a jet of fire from the battling dragons. He could tell the red dragon was losing badly, and the remaining Magi could barely hold back the Zhol, much less them and all the soldiers. At least they were in a group. It would make things easier.

"Open the door and help people get in," he told Felix.

Nodding, Felix ran off to do so. An explosion rocked the ship, but Xanadar kept it aloft and dipped just low enough to let the Magi in. More attacks hit the ship.

"Go!" Felix yelled, grabbing Eris and yanking her into the ship. A shield materialized around them as the door closed and Xanadar pulled the ship up above the battle, speeding away.

"We got everyone?" Xanadar asked, glancing at the small party in the back of the ship. "There has to be more Magi down there."

"There aren't," Vatre said. "The Zhol killed them all."

***

"How many?" Eris asked, her voice hoarse. "How many lived?"

Mordzar counted the people in the cabin, his expression grave. He, Vatre, Eris, Xanadar, Felix, Kyren, Opal, Marco, Eiridan, and Jaeyria had survived. They were the only ones left. "Ten," he said.

"So few..."

That meant that Naoki, Khen, Lexi, Olsen, Gemini, Alex, and so many others hadn't made it out. Eris couldn't hold back the sorrow anymore. Flames still danced around her arms, but they died down as the adrenaline faded from her system. She collapsed into Mordzar's arms and let the tears fall.

***

"How many escaped?" Vaxon demanded.

"Ten, my lord," his general said. "The phoenix and your son were among them. Shall we attack?"

Vaxon shook his head. "Not yet. We'll let them think they're safe." His lips curved up in a grin. "Then we'll strike."

~~~

D-Willy45 versus MusicgirlXD

D-Willy45

Mutantur Aestus

(changing tide)

Accept losing, but never give up the hope of winning-Debsish Mridha

They're dead, they're all dead.

Only a small portion of the world survived the attack, only a couple hundred are left alive, and even fewer not captured. After we had gotten to some form of safety, Thorson was pulled aside by Odin to "talk". It wasn't a day ago when they were at each other's throat, now it's just awkward. Thorson has been acting strange ever since that talk, as he has been out of focus. Of course, this could be because of this crazy plan he has devised. Many of the magi that are left behind are chained up outside what used to be the palace. It is there that they have announced that they are going to kill off the magi one by one until everyone is dead. Unfortunately, this has touched Thorson's heart, and now we plan on busting them out.

We are now all in position and ready to jump out at any time. Seeing the palace in person is absolutely terrifying. Bodies are littered on the stairs of the palace, they are almost unrecognizable. On the wall behind them are the bodies of more higher class magi. Their arms are cuffed together, the chain bolted to the stone. Their heads are severed from their bodies and are nailed to their hands. Thorson, Odinson, a couple other magi and I are all in the crowd, waiting for the signal to reveal ourselves.

"Hey Braith," Thorson whispers to me. "I love you, forever."

"And I you."

Thorson is obviously scared, he doesn't even try to hide it. With all of his friends dead and the rest suffering, I can't blame him. Now more than ever is the time to be strong, for his sake.

"I love you too," I reply with as much strength as possible.

*************************************************************************************************************

There have been many times in my life that I have faced death, looked in the eyes. I have defeated greater threats than what is in front of me right now. All that said, I have so much more to live for. Inside my hand, I twiddle a small object that I have been holding onto for a long time. So many thoughts role inside my head, this moment is so surreal for me. I don't understand how everything can go on its head so quickly. And now I see Erza amongst the fallen, I don't know why I am surprised though. So much of the games were spent living in the past that I never got to appreciate the present.

Osiris, Asa, Aries, Rati, Heimdall, Yahweh, please keep them safe.

Oppon his pedestal stands a dark figure. He preaches about his superiority, as well as all of the laws he plans to implement. He seems so confident with his dragon behind him. It looks angrily at everyone in the crowd.

"Is it ready?" I ask Braith.

She pulls out a tall mechanical cylinder from her cloak she wears. She has been working on this for a long time and is eager to test it out. In the background behind the palace, a fireball shoots up into the sky. Its explosion cuts the man off and startles the people. We all shed our capes, Braith grabs her pistols and my sword. As everyone is distracted, we charge. Twenty or so of us emerge from the crowd with our weapons drawn.

The enemies manage to turn around just in time to intercept out attacks, and that is when the combat starts. I lunge at the main speaker, my blade's deadly point forward. Just as I'm about to pierce his flesh he fades out of thin air. I trip a few steps before turning on my heels and throwing a ball of lightning into the air. It stops when it is above the heads of the other zhols before striking down on every one of them. They all fall to their knees in pain, giving us a chance to attack. I use my sword to sever the head of one of the zhols in a singular strike. Instead of dying though it just slowly grows a new one.

"Thorson!"

To my side, Odinson tosses me an extra rounded shield before he proceeds to cut the prisoners free.

"Get them to safety! Save your family, then come back!" Everything inside of me says to not trust this man, to keep him here where I can see him. But I have no choice, he has to do this.

He quickly leads the prisoners inside the crowd, hopefully, they would be safe. But my fight is behind me as even more zhols appear from the palace. I hold onto the center grip shield as tight as possible and get ready for a fight. I instinctively swing around with my shield a clash with another zhol. We stare at each other for a second before it pushes me away with tremendous force. I am launched into the air but am lucky enough to land on my feet. I charge back to it without hesitation. It easily blocks my attack before striking himself, which luckily glances off my armor. With a swift strike, I lunge for its face. A ward is quickly formed over its body, blocking my advances. It keeps me occupied while the others circle around me. In a determined effort to not let that happen, I jump back down to the area the civilians were just standing.

Unfortunately, it is not any better here either. More zhols have blocked the gateway out, and have trapped us inside. Even Odinson is still trying to push through. Luckily enough the zhols are being outnumbered by the civilians, who do not hesitate to trample them into the ground. As for the other magi, they are fighting but slowly losing control. Braith is using her mathanos to quickly dodge incoming attacks, yet even she is not left unscathed. She is using every tool she has on her person. Anything from smoke bombs to harpy traps is being deployed. Instead of facing them head on she uses her mobility to back and front handspring away from danger.

Of course, I am not allowed to stare for too long for I have my own problems. One of the zhols slams a huge warhammer onto my raised shield. The blow knocks me to the ground and my body shaking. I manage to lift my shield just in time to block three streams of flames heading right towards my face. I slide across the ground a few feet before it just stops. When I look up I can see all three of them still with their hands lifted. This time they look stiff like they are trying to fight their own bodies.

"On your feet Thorson!" Screams Odinson from behind me.

The distraction gives me just enough time to stand up and begin charging forward. Of course Odinson magic does not last long and they break free fairly easily. Instead of a direct strike though, this time I stop just short of the zhols. I lift my knee into the sky and slam it down onto the ground, at the same time sending a shockwave through the earth and into anything around me. This only gives me but seconds of time so I make the most of it. Braith and I quickly make our way to each other and stand ready with our backs against one another.

"Now Braith!" I yell.

"Yep!"

I do my best to protect her while she grabs the tube from her belt buckle. It is about the size of her femur, with a handle protruding from the top. Lights line the sides, they all glow red. Inside the tube is a giant mathanos crystal, its purple luminescence near mystical. She tosses me a metal ring that is attached to the machine via a cord. I stick my arm through the circlet before forcing mathanos into the metal itself. Multiple spikes stick deep into my bicep as it locks into place.

"Are you ready?" Braith asks. I do my best to not scream out in pain while still answering her.

"Yep."

She nods her head and gets started. She pulls the handle upwards slowly but surely. A loud rumbling comes from deep in the ground. A magical circle forms around the two of us, causing the enemies to back away in confusion. I can feel my mathanos being ripped from my very body. It feels like my soul is being sucked away. I scream out in pain before falling onto my knees. Finally, when I feel like I have nothing left to give, Braith slams down the handle back onto the crystal. The resulting boom sounds like it came from the gods themselves. Lightning courses through the ground, latching onto anything in its way. Many zhols fall flat on their faces, paralyzed.

My vision becomes instantly blurred. The ring falls off my arm on its own. I can't hear anything except a loud ringing noise. Braith slaps me across the face and forces my eyes onto hers. I can read her lips saying, "Let's get out of here, come on!" before helping me to my feet. More prisoners lay tied to polls. I try to walk towards them but am stopped again by Braith.

"It's too late Let's go!" Her voice is only a distant echo in a field of confusion. When I don't comply, he slaps me again. I am then forcefully dragged away until I finally give in.

*************************************************************************************************************

We run, and run, and run, and run some more. We run until we are outside the city and deep into a nearby woods. Thorson used up a lot of his mathanos back there, perhaps I went too far. The mathanos siphon hadn't been tested before today. I had no idea what would happen, we are lucky it turned out the way it did.

Odinson, as well as whomever we could manage to save, are waiting for us by a river. Everyone rushes towards us when we arrive. Thorson and I both lean on a tree to rest, both of us are dirty, tired, and barely conscious.

"Excellent job you two! We were worried that you didn't make it," Odinson is also covered in dirt, his face barely recognizable.

"It takes more than that to kill us, right babe-?"

I am cut short by Thorson. He throws his body onto mine, forcing me to hold him upright.

"I-i'm sorry," Whispers into my ear.

He slides off my body and onto the ground. He screams out in pain as blood stream out of his mouth.

"By the gods!" Somebody screams.

She tips him to his side and pulls out a large dagger from his back. By the time she rests him on his back again, he is already choking. I feel like my own throat is inside my mouth. My hands tremble violently as fear creeps into my veins. Thorson quickly digs into his side pocket, before placing a small object into my hands.

"S-say yes," he chokes out.

I open my hand to see a golden ring lying on my palm. I throw myself onto Thorson's body as tears stream down my face.

"I can't except this now!"

"You need to. Listen, you were always so beautiful in my eyes. Don't give up on your machines, on your dreams."

A healer kneels down beside Thorson and begins doing what she can. Healing magic won't be enough in this situation, there is nothing we can do anymore. Thorson takes the ring from my hand and slips it onto my finger ever so softly.

"T-take care of them, please," And just like that, he draws his final breath.

*************************************************************************************************************

A few days later

Thorson's passing hit home to a lot of people, including me. I wish our last moments together was not as enemies, but that was the reality of our situation. I had made a tent for Braith and she hasn't left it since. Unfortunately, Braith needs to hear what I have to say. So I stand here, gaining the courage to announce my presence. Just as I am about to say something though, Braith speaks up.

"I know you are outside Odinson. Just come inside."

Swallowing down my fear, I step into the small shelter. Braith is sitting cross-legged on the ground. Her eyes are bloodshot, and her face is red. Her hair stands on end yet she doesn't seem to care.

"Hello Braith," I say as I sit down. "We are going to be packing everything up and leaving. I don't know if you want to come with us or stay."

She doesn't reply to my question, she doesn't even move. I continue talking, I do my best to ignore the silence.

"I also wanted you to know the numbers. I did a headcount for the surviving guilds, it's not good. Out of the hundred-or-so people from your guild, only about twenty of them are still alive, most of which never even came here in the first place."

She seems unshaken by the news. Right now she seems to be living in a far away place. When she finally does speak, it is with little emotion.

"In Thorson's last words, he told me to, "take care of them". What did he mean by that?" The question catches me off guard a little.

I guess right now is as good of a time as ever.

"I assume you are aware of how he knows me?" She shakes her head slightly. "Well, it turns out that after I sent Thorson away to the surface, I was able to save the offspring that laid inside his wife at the time. I have since raised them as my own, though I believe it time for you to take them back. I have already told them a long time ago, so they know what is going on. It is the reason why I came to the city in the first place."

A flood of emotions fills my brain. I do my best to keep them in check, but I am not immortal. I stand up and leave the tent, barely holding back tears. Braith, who sits in shock cannot do anything but stare.

*************************************************************************************************************

A cold, damp wind blows through the window of the palace bedroom. A bowl of fruit lay on a small coffee table, right in front of the bed itself. A middle-aged man sits on the couch and watches the hologram crystal. It shows a scene of the people of Kypha right after the attack. Many flee for their lives in horror, others don't even get the chance.

"It's beautiful, isn't it honey?" The man asks. I walk over to him and start rubbing his shoulders tenderly.

"It is indeed."

"I am so glad that the Dragon Empire was willing to let us fund them, Devines know they needed the cash," He chuckles at his own comment, but quickly moves on. "Your dad really does have a lot of connections, doesn't he?"

"Of course, and success runs in the blood," Reaching over him, I steal a grape from the bowl of fruit.

"Of course it does. By the way, have they found our daughter yet? Braith was always a runner."

"They have found footprints leading into a nearby forest," I pause for a short time. "Have we failed as parents?"

"Absolutely not. Trust me, Braith will soon realize that we were right all along, you'll see.

MusicgirlXD

A moan escaped Razor's lips. His head rolled onto his left shoulder. The octomer tried to pull his wrists down to his side. Metal cuffs pressed into his wrists; keeping them in place. A low growl emanated from behind him, causing his mind to stir. Razor opened his eyes bit by bit. His vision swarmed into a blur. He shook his head trying to force the blur out of his mind.

After the blur cleared, Razor saw he was standing on a stage with his arms suspended in the air. The octomer noticed the stage was centered in the middle of a town that looked small enough to hold approximately 500 people, however, the crowd that was being brought said otherwise. From the people's face, he could tell that not many citizens where left alive.

The octomer glanced around the stage, each Magi had been suspended, by chains, to wooden posts. Their hands were chained above their heads. On the top of the polls, above their heads, some one had painted each magi's guild mark to signify which guild they had been taken from. Turning his head, he watched as a dragon paced back and forth behind them. As sigh escaped his lips as he turned back towards the crowd. Razor didn't know why they had pan but he knew they were up to something. The octomer looked up into the sky. Warships that were shaped like metal dragons dotted the sky.

Whimpers were heard beside him. Razor turned the direction. His eyes rested on a girl. Her body trembled, her skin were covered in bruises and scraps. "Don't worry, everything will be alright. Our guilds won't let us die." The octomer couldn't make out her guild mark, but he knew she was scared.

Turning his head back, he watched as man walked on stage that was set before them. The stage had been set in the edge of the town. Razor gazed into the town. The square was small. His eyes widened. In the middle of the square was the merpond where the merfolk used as their own squares. Razor dropped his gaze to the ground. It had barely been a week since Kypha hosted their freedom celebration.

"People of Kypha," the male standing addressed the bystanders. "The Dragon Empire has successfully conquered Kypha. We are your new regents." A chill raced down Razor's spine. The roaring of the crowd entered his ears. The remain occupants of Kypha wanted a revolt. Razor watched as the man turned to face him and the other magi. The man had a smirk displayed on his face. "I'll sleep well tonight."

Before Razor could question him, shouting came from the crowd. One of the villagers were trying to push past the soldiers and get on stage. The octomer watched as the captain grabbed the individual and pushed them down in front of him. Reaching into his belt, he pulled out a knife. "Anyone who opposes the Empire will be treated as traitors!" With those last words, he dragged his knife against the persons neck. The person screamed then their body fell forward. The captain held his head in the his hand by their hair. Smirking, he flung the body among the mass.

"To celebrate the conquer of Tyhan, we will execute one Magi every hour on the air." With that a scream pierced the air. Once of the magi Razor had been chained with, were set a flame by the beast that lurked behind him. Thoughts of Cordila raced through his mind. The fear of never seeing is beloved began to surge though his veins. The octomer gazed at the guards surrounding the area, if he wanted to escape he had to time it right. Razor knew exactly what he needed to do.

**********

Stench entered Artemis' nostrils. The neak jerked head up causing pain to explode within her skull. Artemis screamed and grabbed her head. Pain exploded all thought her body. Blood began to ooz out of her wounds. Bones protruded from her back. They were covered in a copper substances from where here wings had been removed. Blood dripped down her shins causing her to cry out more. While she was unconscious, the Zhols had ripped her scales off her arms and legs.

Artemis sat back on her bloodied heal licking her parched lips. The room in which she found herself was dark with small patches of light filtering in from an unknown source. The air around her felt damp. The pungent smell of rotten flesh permeated the air. The neak moved her blood stained hands in front of her nose. Nothing could keep the smell from entering her nose. Artemis gazed around her prison wondering where the Zhol's had left her.

Flexing her toes, her toes embraced against soft material. Artemis squealed and jerked her bones outwards. The neak screamed from the sudden jolt of pain and fell on her face. Her nose made a hard smack against the concrete that served as the flooring. Sitting up, the girl reached her hands out to crawl. Her eyes widen as she embraced an object covered in leather.

Artemis moved her other hand out to the side and picked up a second object. The neak closed her eyes whispering a silent prayer. Rubbing her thumbs against the leather, Artemis felt holes in the object. Blood coated her thumbs as she rubbed them. Keeping her eyes closed, Artemis helped them up to the light. The neak took a deep breath before opening her eyes once more. In her hands, she held her wings. Tears cascaded down her cheeks. Her wings had been severed from off her body.

Dropping her severed wings, Artemis flanced around the room. In the dim light, the neak could make out cadavers covering the floor. Taking a deep breath, anger flowed within her veins. Bernard had thought she was dead and threw her in with the fallen, but that wasn't what angered her. The Magi's she were surrounded by, had all been her friends, her enemies, the competitors she had faced off against during the games. The pain was to much to bare.

Artemis slamed her eyes shut. The neak wasn't ready to except her fate. Visions of her father and her as a neakling danced in her mind. The pair were standing in a meadow. Artemis flew around her father squealing with joy. The guild master chuckled then grabbed his daughter. "Arty, I have a surprise for you?"

"What is it, Daddy?" The neakling looked at her father wide eyed.

The guild master placed a chain with an amulet around her neck. "If you ever need to turn into a full neak, infuse the pendent with all you magic. It will shatter and unleash your inner self."

"Okay."

Opening her eyes, the vision faded. Fire swarmed around her. Artemis was born a full blooded neak; she just needed a way to unlock it. The neak envisioned her flames licked up every last corpse. Her father had taught her to fight to her last breath. The flames spread from her body and licked up everything in its path. If the guilds knew what she was doing their friends Dragon Claw would never here the end if it. However, Artemis envisioned it as a way to use the energy of the fallen.

Once the fire had burnt everything to ash, it rushed back to its master and merged with her veins. Artemis felt the heat rise within her. The neak formed flames in her hands before grabbing her pendant. Artemis took a deep breath and let the flames flow from her body and into the amulet. "-I'm S-sorry -F-father." The neak whispered her sore throat from where Bernard tried to strangle her.

Cracks began to form in the pendants face for the heat and force were to much to bare. Artemis released a sigh, ripped the chain off her neck and through the amulet against the floor. The pendant broke into several pieces. The fragments flew and in different directions. Artemis screamed as her body began to glow. Fire wrapped her in a warm embrace.

The neak scream changed from that of a tortured girl to the mighty roar of a beast. Artemis' body began to stretch. The neaks body began to grow. Pain exploded though her body. From having her wings ripped off and her body broken, she could deal with the pain it was putting her through. The flames forced her to be ten fight long and equally as high.

Fire passed by her wounds healing them instantly. Scales where left in their wake. Flames attacked to her bones on her back. The flames fanned out forming wings. Artemis gritted her teeth, the flames had given her wings larger, taller, stronger then the last. Artemis let out a final scream that sounded more like a battle cry. With a mighty flap of her new wings, Artemis soared out of her prison and into the air. The full grown neak was in the search for her friends.

***********

Crying echoed in the distance. They were short thrills that pierced the darkness in the form of screams. Cordila brushed her back against a fallen wall. She sat in the rubble that surrounded it. Tears cascaded down the mermaids cheek. Cordila mourned the loss of her friends, comrades, everyone the mermaid had in life. The mermaid was never the strong one, with friends like Miyuki and Bernard, she never had to be.

Slithering entered her ears. Cordila picked her head up and watched as Caspian came into view. "Your still alive." The mermaid dried her eyes and wrapped her arms around his bare chest. The moccasin hissed at her. Multiple guild members began to gather around the mermaid. Centaurs and dyrads and elves a like rallied around them. A knife flew through the air and plunged deep into Caspian's back.

Releasing his group, Caspian let out an off screech as he slinked to the ground. Cordila looked up at her guild mates. "Eletta, why did you kill him." The mermaid looked down at her friends body. Another friend walked over and plunged a sword deep into his chest.

"We have no idea which side is on. After being betrayed by Scarlet, you can't be to carful."

Cordila sighed and dropped her head. A fox centaur female pounced up to her. "While you were crying, we sent guild members to the square. Razor is still alive. If we work fast, we can help him escape." The mermaids eyes sparkled with renewed hope. The vixen offered her hand, "Well, you in or not?"

The mermaid jumped up and hugged her. "I'm in, thank you, Eletta." The vixen nodded then turned to the others. Eletta didn't have to say a word. The members cheered and faced the square. Cordila stood and looked on with them. "How many do we have left?"

"75."

Cordila's heart sank. They had lost more then half the guild this morning. The mermaid sighed. "Lets go then. We need to save our guild." Everyone cheered and raced towards the square. The guild master taught them to fight to their last breath or die trying. Their number may have been small, but they would die trying.

Eletta made a sword appear in her hand and armor on her body. Without waiting for the others, the Vixen raced towards the square. As they neared the square, they noticed bodies had been placed around the town to scare the inhabitants. The bodies belonged to the game makers and guild masters. The game makers had been suspended in the air with their arms spread out. The guild master's were set all around in different forms. One in particular caught their eye. Master Roku's head had been placed on a spike.

Anger boiled within Dragon Claw. Their battle cries grew louder as they pressed passed their master. A roar joined them as a neak flew over head. Eletta smirked. "Artemis is alive and is taking her father's place. We follow her in battle!" Cordila watched as a dragon shot into the sky. Flames shot from both creatures bathing the night in a display of yellow and orange.

Dragon Claw continued on the attack. Guards meet them on the outside of the city. Eletta broke through the lines. A guard turned on her and cut her tail. Eletta yelped and stabbed his chest. The guard swung his sword at him. Eletta twisted her body ripping the soldiers flesh and pulling his heart out of his chest. The guard gritted his teeth and with his last breath, plunged his own sword into her gut.

A scream echoed in the distance. Cordila looked towards the stage. The hour was up, they had set another magic on fire. Cordila gritted her teeth. They had one more hour to rescue Razor. Another vixen bounced into the lines and curled up next to her sisters body. Eletta was a red fox where as, Rosa, the new vixen, was a winter fox. Rosa cradled her sisters body in her arms as guild members rushed past.

Cordila rushed past the vixen then stopped to gaze at her. Guards where coming at them from every angle. With their small amount, they were never going to make it. Cordila watched as guns appeared around her. Before Cordila had a chance to call to her, Rosa made the guns go off. Killing the guards. Once the smoke cleared, Cordila eyes widened. A guard had stabbed Rosa though the back.

Tears ran down her cheeks. She turned to the others and joined them. Cordila rushed into a line of soldiers. They were stronger then the last. A tiger centaurs roared together. The were casting the spell, King of the jungle. However, the spells were useless against them. Cordila gritted her teeth and rushed forward. Before she could hit her target, she was impaled by a spear. Cordila lifted her eyes up to the sky. The neak fell to the ground in a ball of blue fire. The deadliest of the flames. Cordila closed her eyes and let death claim her.

****************

Flames flared up behind Razor. Now was his chance. As the flames engulfed him, he changed into a shadow and traveled with the shadows of the flames. The octomer used his flames to leave the stage before the guards knew he was missing. Razor spotted a builing with magi's from Black Shadow hiding within the walls. The octomer raced for towards them for help. He knew, he could never save the Magi by himself. Before he could make it to the building, a Zhol got in his way. Bernard was the only Magi who could catch his shadow.

Razor watched a smirk spread across his lips. The octomer gritted his teeth and blasted him with what little magic he had left. Bernard chuckled and began shooting at him. Razor quickly dodge his arrows and raced for the building. Before he could enter, arrows were shot into it. Blood splattered the walls and near by buildings. Everyone in the building died from the explosion or the collapsed building. Razor shook his head. It was the last building on the block that still stood.

Vines grew up around the centaur holding his arms down from shooting. Razor wasted no time and fled the town. Traveling though the entrance. Battles were raging on every side of him. The octomer watched the battles as he continued. Razor wasn't watching where he was going and stepped on a body. Looking down, Razor saw Cordila laying on her back. The mermaid looked as if she was sleeping. The octomer kissed her head. He formed a circle out of his shadows and slipped it on her finger. "With this ring, I promise we will be together in the next life." He then placed a kiss on her forehead before he too meet the same fate.