- The Oath of the Mighty

The bonds were cut and broken, freeing the hands of the five unworthy warriors who came to face spears, swords and arrows pointing towards them with little mercy in the way of care. Gilbert was the first to look up as the others stayed looking to the ground, shamed and embarrassed to look up at the large crowd of men and weapons who looked to them as killers and enemies.

There he saw Lia, standing before the masses as some type of leader, now hailed as their savior for having bested Arnold in combat. He didn't bother to look at the many eyes watching him as he rubbed his wrists, burned from the rope that dug into his skin like fire against flesh.

"So, he's dead then?"

He asked, looking to the mud as though he could not meet Lia's gaze and watched as she slowly nodded her head, speaking with a calm and careful voice.

"Yes."

Gilbert's mind raced back to that moment in the rain as Arnold fell forward into the mud, trying to catch the elusive Man in the Mash they had all come to call by name. Cain. He remembered how saddened the man looked, how regretful his eyes appeared to be as though he realized the error of his ways.

But in the same moment he saw that face change, hiding it away by a mask he wore already. He ordered them into battle, made them ready and Gilbert watched as he beat Lia to near certain death.

He had been winning. But then he appeared, and all was now lost.

"So, do you plan on killing us? If so then, just get it over with."

He could feel Emma by his side as she shuddered slightly, still afraid of death unlike him, who had raced with Arnold through battlefields like hares, through fires and bodies filled with leaking blood.

Gilbert was no stranger to death; death was only waiting to welcome him back.

But to his surprise, as he looked down into the mud exposing his neck for the kill, a large sword fell before him splashing in the rain puddles. His longsword. It shimmered in his reflection as if it was alive and recognized him, and suddenly he felt his heart flutter.

"What's this?"

He asked with a harsh tone, curious to wonder if Lia was mocking him in some ways or was being serious.

"An offer. You saw that thing before; you know what that means."

He did. There was no need for her to detail what "that thing" was. A dragon, and the first Gilbert had ever seen since his excursion with Arnold to the Fortress of Kings. While he was battling the undead that lingered in the halls and rooms of many, Arnold found himself before the great Dragon of the East and killed him.

He knew what this "offer" was. He just didn't know if this was better than death.

"And what makes you think we'll help you? If Arnold couldn't kill that thing, what makes you think we can? We're not even half the man he was."

"Because of your character. So, humor me…"

She knelt to the ground as Gilbert laid his eyes on those crimson fires he had seen in the night, watching them as they slept, as they ate, even as they feared the worst, those eyes had been watching them.

"Here's my offer. You can leave now and leave with your life. You never killed any of these people, people who weren't involved in this. You held back."

Gilbert remained silent, watching Lia as she delved deeper into their actions and their reasons, giving them words of heroics and mercy that they did not deserve. At least not in his eyes.

"Or?"

"Or you can pick up that sword, sheath it on your back and come with me. All of you. That Dragon is awake and with it up and about we have no idea what it's capable of. It could kill. And kill it will."

"You want our help in slaying a dragon. That was Arnold's forte not ours."

Lia words dropped and suddenly her eyes held some serious intent behind them as if she spoke from experience, knowing the mortal from the immortal before her eyes.

"Arnold was just a man, and so are you. He was no god, but he held true to his words when he spoke. Now I'm asking you this; will you help us, or will you watch the world burn like you did at Kokono."

Her words brought back the raging fires that surrounded him that night, the screams of monsters and people all washing away in their own blood that poured like rivers into the streets. Everywhere he looked that night he could see torn flesh and bodies.

He followed Arnold's words when they fled, for he too believed that the city was lost. Never before had he seen so much blood and death, gore and pain in his eyes before. It scared him that night and now he was ashamed to think back on how he ran from people screaming for help as they died like insects below the feet of monsters.

Monsters he crushed beneath his boots.

The others looked to him as some type of leader, watching as his mind tumbled over the choices before him. Live and flee, but for how long? Run to the battle he knew, the war he craved in his soul and die like a warrior, blood, bone and all?

As he looked to the blade, his reflection shimmered in that silver lighting of the steel, and he was brought back to all the years he had wielded that sword, all the battles he had won with it. From sparks to steel, from blood to flesh, he tore through all with this weapon, now in his hands as he looked to Lia with a smile.

"Well…it is a nice sword."

Lia smiled back as she saw the fire in his eyes bursting from the heart that still beat in his chest.

"It'd be a shame if it went to waste."

***

Within the dimly lit carriage ten people sat shoulder to shoulder overlooking a large map lit by the various candles that dotted around the parchment, small markings training alone the ink marked their position along the ridgeline as well as the direction the dragon flew.

Their faces were serious and poised, all eyes looking over the large map that made up the Eastern Mountains, as Gilbert spoke, gesturing to one of the distant ink splotches on the other side of the paper.

"The last time Arnold and I went against the Great Dragon of the East, he holed himself up in the Fortress of Kings, an ancient Concor base that held the main leaders of their cause. It won't be easy to reach."

Rian looked over the trails and various rivers marked in black ink along the paper, careful to trace his hand over the few objects that helped to mark their positions and various obstacles they would need to avoid.

"How sure are you that he's here? I thought the Great dragon was killed long ago?"

"He was. This is some newer Dragon, open that we didn't even know existed before, otherwise we would have dealt with it. And in terms of size, this is the only fortress in Morden that has a door big enough for a Dragon to fit through."

Lia looked at her crudely drawn fortress on the farther side of the map, thinking deeply about her past experiences in Concor bases. She had traversed through two of these fortresses, and each time they looked dangerous and housed many monsters.

"How far away is this fortress?"

Gilbert ran a hand over his chin as he thought, thinking past the many rivers and the hills they would walk over, he focused more on time than terrain.

"At least a few hours' journey. Not counting the many issues, we might run into, this road here should take us to the nearest village."

"There's a village?"

Gilbert nodded, crossing his arms as his mind thought back to the ruined city beneath those mountains, and the small village of farmers that hid just beyond the edge of the great fortress. He remembered their hungry looking faces, and wondered if they were still there all these years later.

"A small one. It was in ruin that last time we were there, and even if there were people still living in that place, the appearance of this dragon making its nest there would deter anyone from staying. We'd be walking through a ghost town of sorts."

With one issue thought to be resolved, Lia turned to Totlac with a question on her lips, wondering how fast they could make it to the fortress with what daylight they had left. She didn't want to battle this thing at night when she could hardly see its dark and gray scales.

But it was the slight shaking of his head that made her stop. He pointed to the small outlines of forest around the fortress and spoke aloud, not holding back anything.

"There are people there."

"How do you know? The last time I was there I barely counted a dozen families. They'd have to be gone by now."

Again he shook his head, making Lia worried. Just what did he know?

"There are people there. Trust me."

Totlac had traveled these lands before so Lia didn't bother to argue with him, only take as much time and attention to chalk down the issue of evacuating the people from that village and moving them to safety, something that would certainly hinder them unless they split up their numbers.

"So, we will be short a few people."

Lia said, mumbling to herself as she held her head in her hand, pinching her brow as she tried to think around this issue. She had two summons she could use right now, both very powerful in terms of combat. In fact, she could hardly ask for more, but right now he needed something fast and with a wider range of abilities.

It was then that Becka, seated beside Rian, spoke up as she looked around the room, light from the candles dancing across her safe.

"I don't understand. Why can't we just ask the Master to help us? I'm certain that if it's a Dragon he'll send an army."

The moment the word "Master" reached Lia's ears, she felt her heart surge with shame and betrayal. She didn't want to ask him for help, even if they were in the worst moment in time, she didn't want to waltz back into his office after what she said.

Little did she know she would never see him again.

"We can't."

Thankfully Totalac spoke up once again, and she felt grateful for the fact that she no longer had to be the one to say no.

"The Eastern mountains are sought after territory for both the Earth Clan and the Fire Clan. They both want the rare minerals that are inside the rock, but neither want to go to war over it. So, they've been squabbling over this long before that young man ever sat in his chair."

Gilbert took a deep breath, sighed as he stared intently at the map before him, thinking over all the effort they as a party would have to go through.

"So, we're going to be spread thin."

A moment of silence passed through the room as Lia watched the fires dance alone the wicks of their candles, shadows plastered across the map as her mind became blank with time and space. She could hear the fire fuming, the steel clashing against steel, screams of pain and gasps for air.

She heard death in her ears as the image shared through the minds of those in the room. They all thought the same thing.

There would be blood on this day's sunset.

Then the sounds of pounding broke the silence like shattering bits of glass as the nearest person opened the door, letting the sunlight from the day spill into their war room.

Outside Lori stood with her bow strapped on her back and a face flushed with exhaustion as Lia took notice of her boots and their muddy appearance. She had obviously run here but why, she couldn't tell.

"What's the matter Lori?"

"Ha..ha…Lia, you have a visitor."

"A visitor?"

Suddenly her heart spiked and her mind wavered, and suddenly she knew who this supposed "visitor" was. And it scared her as her broken voice spoke.

"Who?"

***

Lori led Lia through the large, coupled carts and carriages that were bustling with people. Groups of men and women ran around carrying supplies to fix broken bits of homes and tend to the injured. They were all ready to leave at that moment for her, and as she passed, she couldn't help but feel grateful to every single body and soul around her.

They were part of this now, even when they were not asked to be, even when they had no part in this war, they did now. Yet they didn't hate her, instead they followed her shadow.

As Lori led her past the coupled bits of carts and carriages, she could feel the presence of Rian and Lukali halt at the edge of the camp. The others had remained behind to continue discussing plans, but these two were worried for her, and she loved them all the more for it.

"Over there-"

"I see him."

Lori looked surprised by the thin tone of Lia's as she watched her walk past with all the confidence and power the world had behind her. She was like a queen then, but she didn't know it.

As Lori retreated to the safety of the camp, Lia approached the edge where the morning sun still halfway to its halfway point rose higher in the air, painting Cain in the warm morning glow of the star.

"A beautiful day out, don't you think. Blood was spilled last night yet the morning's sunrise determines that tomorrow all will unforgotten."

Lia didn't know what he was talking about, nor did she care for the meaning behind his riddles as she approached the edge, cursing herself for hiding in his own shadow as he stood atop a large rock overlooking the cliff drop.

"What do you want?"

"...your voice is harsh. Have your plans been finalized?"

"What does that matter to you? Are you just going to change them once you hear what they are?"

He shook his head slightly, his back still turned to her and she hated him for not looking at the girl he broke. She wanted him to look at the mess he made standing strong with all the fearlessness she could muster.

"I already know what your plans are, Lia. I can read people's minds."

"Then why are you here, talking to me?"

He took a deep breath and sighed, a sound that made her blood rush to her cheeks as they warmed underneath her touch, a feeling that made her stomach twist inside.

"I came to ask because I was worried. You're facing off against a Dragon and I can't be certain you'll live."

She felt she was done with his attitude and his false caring tone that resonated in his voice. So, she turned her back to him as she spoke, careful to lace every word with hate and spite.

"I'm more capable than you think."

But as she walked back into the shadows of the mountain above her, Cain's voice reached her even from his distance on the ledge, and without turning around, she knew he was gone. Vanishing into the warm glow of the sun.

"Then find the courage to tell Lukali."

It was to these words that her heart did shatter like bits and pieces. Luakli knew his father was dead, but even so he expressed no care for his own blood spilling the ground, nor for his said "heroic" deed.

But if she told him, if she spoke the same words that flashed through her mind as she saw Arnold's sad and lonely face in that golden glow, she feared all that pain and grief would come back to him, all that mourning turned to hate.

Cain was right, she didn't have the courage to tell him, but she had the courage to spite him.

And so, as she walked back into the comfort of the camp, long since leaving Cain's soul to the wind as it blew away, always watching her from afar, she came face to face with Lukali once more and took him by the hand.

Before she could think, the words were out of her mouth like a whisper in his ear, and then she was gone.

She hated Cain, hated him to her core.

But now she hated herself even more.