Of War and Ruin

Dann choked and coughed, ash falling from his head as he hauled himself upright. His vision was blurred, painted with a vivid orange hue, shadows flickering back and forth. Muted shouts and howls broke the ringing in his ears.

His eyes stung as he pushed his fingers into the creases, rubbing away the ash and dirt. With his sight clearing, he saw the orange hue came from the blazing fires that consumed the woodland. The flames burned through the dense foliage, climbing up trees and turning the canopy overhead to nothing more than sparks and ash, the light of the Blood Moon shining through. Dann covered his nose and mouth with his cloak. If the dragonfire hadn't ripped holes in the canopy, he'd likely have suffocated from the smoke.

He staggered sideways, his foot hitting something. A tree trunk stopped him from falling. He looked down to see the thing he had kicked was the lower half of a Lorian soldier, their body shorn in two, intestines and blood covering the ground. He shook his head, coughing, his lips and throat dry.

A hand rested on his shoulder, and he jerked away, panic flaring in his blood. He stumbled backwards, a jarring vibration running through his spine as he landed on a thick root, ashes swirling in the air. He found himself staring back at Lyrei. Her hair was matted with blood and ash, her face blackened. She hauled him to his feet.

"Are you hurt?" Lyrei touched his cheek with a gentleness he'd never seen in the elf, her golden eyes studying him.

"I'm all right." Dann looked about at the blazing fires and burning bodies, his eyelids scratching as he blinked. "Alea, the others?"

Dann looked past Lyrei to see that Alea knelt over the body of an elf whose left side was nothing but melted armour and charred skin. She stroked the hair on the right of the elf's head, whispering something as she looked into his eyes.

"One of the mages who saved us." Lyrei's voice was nothing but sorrow. She nodded towards three more elves who stood around them, each wearing crimson cloaks. They all had the curved swords drawn, but dark circles hung beneath their eyes, and their shoulders drooped. "There were a lot more of them. They shielded us from the worst of it. At least, they tried."

Dann saw Tanner leaning against a tree, his hand clasped to a wound in his leg. Yana stood beside him, checking over his face for cuts and burns. Several other elves and rebels lay about in the circular clearing that remained mostly untouched by the fire thanks to the elven mages.

"Fall back!" A voice bellowed from somewhere amidst the flames and chaos, rising above the crackling flames and the wails and howls of the dying. "To the city. Fall back!"

Something caught Dann's eye, and he turned to see a Lorian soldier rising to his feet and drawing his blade behind one of the elven mages. Dann dropped his hand to his sword belt, but he'd dropped the blade when the dragonfire had rained down. He leapt past Lyrei, pulling an arrow from his quiver as he did. He clamped his hand around the man's arm, then drove the head of the arrow through the leather that protected the soldier's gut. As the man gasped, Dann tried to pull the arrow free, but the head was wedged in the man's flesh. He let go and struck his palm up into the man's jaw.

The soldier staggered backwards, blood spilling over his lips from where he'd bitten through his tongue. The soldier lifted his sword, but as he did, a snarl sounded behind him, and Faenir leapt onto his back. The wolfpine's weight knocked the soldier forwards, crashing to the ground. Faenir ripped at the side of his neck, blood spurting.

"You're all right," Ella said as she appeared behind Faenir, Baldon walking beside her in his human-like form.

The Angan nodded to Dann. "Sureheart, it is good to see you well." His lips pulled back into a sharp-toothed smile. The Angan's eyes gleamed in the firelight, but Dann saw nothing but loss within his gaze. "So many souls extinguished in the blink of an eye."

"They probably killed more of their own than they did ours," Dann said, looking around. "Most of ours were further back, or on the flanks. It doesn't make any sense." A knot formed in Dann's throat as he took in the sheer loss of life. Amidst it all, it wasn't the cries of the dying or the charred husks of the dead that really pulled at him, it was the soft sound of sobbing that rose above the crackling flames.

"We were winning," Tanner said, groaning as he lifted himself from the tree trunk, Yana propping him up. The man limped over towards Dann, Ella, and Baldon. "Now we're dead or running, and their forces have a chance to regroup. The Dragonguard are hammers, and every scenario is a nail. Collateral damage means little to them. It's difficult to factor a lack of morality into a battle plan."

"We need to fall back with the others," Yana said, shifting herself to better take Tanner's weight. "It won't take long for the Lorians to regroup, and we're easy pickings out here."

"But there's survivors," Dann said, looking from Yana out into the flames. He could see some of the rebels still moving, elves in smooth silver plate dragging themselves across the ground.

"If they can stand and walk, they don't need us." Tanner pulled his arm from around Yana's shoulder. He groaned as he dropped to one knee, pushed aside the body of a dead Lorian and picked up a white wood bow from beneath. My bow. He hauled himself to his feet and pushed the bow into Dann's hands. "If they can't stand or walk, we can't help them. The Lorians will cut through here once they regroup. They'll kill any of us left alive."

Dann looked to Lyrei. She glanced towards Alea, who was now pulling a knife from the temple of the charred elf she had been cradling. "This is the way of war, Dann. Tanner is right."

"What? What about all your talk of honour?"

Lyrei's eyes narrowed, and she rounded on Dann. "My honour is intact." Lyrei's nostrils flared, her breathing heavy.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, it's just…"

"I understand." She looked out at the dead and the fires. "I said it was the way of war. I didn't say it was simple or easy."

"What's that?" Ella's eyes shimmered amber as she stepped past Dann and stared into the flames. Faenir moved beside her, his nose raised in the air, his snout wrinkling.

"A herald." Fear grasped Tanner's voice. He pulled his sword from the scabbard at his hip. "A Fade."

As Dann looked into the flames, wisps of air swished back and forth, parting the fire. A Fade walked through the flames, a long black cloak draped over its shoulders. The cloak seemed to drink in the light of the fire, dimming the air around it. Blue swirls decorated the cloak, shimmering as it billowed behind the creature. The Fade walked as though it were strolling through a field of flowers, slow and purposefully, its gaze moving about the bodies.

For a moment, Dann thought it was the Fade who had attacked Belduar; it had the same blue swirls on its cloak, but its face was different, its hair white as snow. Without thinking, Dann brought his hand up to his shoulder, tracing his fingers over the steel plate that rested over the scarred flesh from the Fade's lightning.

The Fade's head snapped sideways in response to something Dann couldn't see. Black fire plumed from either side of the Fade's right hand, the flames twisting into themselves, flickering. In a heartbeat, the black flames had forged into the shape of a sword – the same weapon the Fade had used in Belduar.

An elf leapt from amidst the raging fires to the Fade's left, and the creature swung its black fire sword with inhuman speed. A cloud of ash rose as the elf's head and body hit the ground. The Fade lifted its gaze and locked eyes with Dann. The creature's thin lips cracked into an eerie smile.

"We need to get the fuck out of here." As Dann turned back to the others, the flames around them grew and swirled as though being born anew, cutting off their retreat. "What in all the gods?"

"Can that thing be killed?" Ella's amber eyes flitted from the Fade to Dann, to Tanner.

"Ella, we need to run." Dann slung his white wood bow over his shoulder, his fingers reflexively brushing the fletching of the arrows in his quiver. Seven.

"Where, Dann?" Ella gestured to the wall of flames that had redoubled around them.

"It can be killed," one of the three elven mages said, eyes narrowed as it looked towards the approaching Fade. "Either by the Spark or by taking its head."

Ella turned to Tanner and Yana. "Stay here. If the fire wanes, run." Both Tanner and Yana made to argue, but Ella cut them off. "He's in no shape to fight," she said gesturing to Tanner. "And he'll need you to get back. Please, listen." Ella turned to the three elven mages. "We'll distract it. You kill it, all right?"

The elves nodded. "Death or honour," they chorused.

"Death or honour," Lyrei repeated, inclining her head towards the mages. She slung her bow across her back and drew her curved blade. "We're with you," she said to Ella, gesturing at Alea.

"This is a really fucking bad idea." Dann shrugged his bow from his back. He looked back towards the Fade, who was now only twenty feet away, its empty, black eyes stark against its pale white skin. A shiver ran through Dann's body as he stared back at the creature. "A really bad idea."

Without another word, Ella charged, Faenir bounding at her side. Alea and Lyrei moved after her, their curved blades shimmering in the firelight.

"Have faith, Sureheart." Baldon inclined his head at Dann, then surged after Ella and the others. The Angan's body shifted as he moved, his torso elongating, shoulders widening, bones crunching and twisting. Dann watched as Baldon grew, his muscles thickening, his shape changing into that of a giant wolf.

Dann drew an arrow, nocked it, then loosed it in one smooth motion. He watched it sink into the Fade's chest before sprinting, drawing another arrow as he did. The last time he stayed still after sticking a Fade with an arrow, he'd taken a bolt of lightning to the shoulder.

His second arrow pierced through the Fade's bicep as the creature struck out at Ella. The Fade moved with inhuman speed, its black fire blade sweeping through the air, meeting every strike Alea, Lyrei, and Ella swung at it. Faenir leapt through the air, wrapping his enormous jaws around the Fade's sword arm. The wolfpine thrashed his head side to side, ripping and tearing. As the Fade turned to Faenir, Baldon charged into its chest, wrapping his jaws around its neck.

Dann's heartbeat thumped in his veins, a surge of hope rushing through him. He drew another arrow. A flash ignited beside him, and arcs of lightning streaked through the air towards the Fade. Even with Baldon and Faenir hanging from him, the Fade swirled out of the way of the lightning which flashed past into the night. Ella charged, but the creature swung his arm and launched Faenir through the air. The wolfpine slammed into Ella, knocking them both to the ground.

Baldon still clung to the creature, his jaws wrapped around its neck. But as Dann nocked his arrow, a howl cut through the night. Dann's heart clenched, his legs losing strength.

The tip of the Fade's black fire sword jutted from the Angan's back, black flames flickering. The Fade wrapped its pale fingers around the back of Baldon's neck, then pulled its blade free, tossing the Angan into the raging flames beside it.

Dann's breaths quickened, his chest fluttering, heart twisting as he watched the fire consume Baldon's body. 'It is the name you have earned. As Therin Eiltris is Silverfang, Aeson Virandr is Broken One, you are Sureheart.' Tears welled in his eyes, but he charged forwards. He loosed his third arrow, watched it sink into the torn flesh of the Fade's neck. He leapt over a burning log, drawing, nocking, loosing. The arrow sliced through the Fade's neck less than an inch from the other one. The Fade fixed its gaze on Dann and snarled, its mouth opening wider than should have been possible.

Spikes of clay rose from the ground and hurtled towards the Fade, but the creature spun, cutting them from the air with his black fire blade. It extended its hand, and arcs of purple lightning streaked forwards, ripping through roots and dead bodies, tearing up chunks clay. Dann glanced over his shoulder to see the lightning punch smouldering holes through the chests of all three elven mages.

Lyrei and Alea surged forward, attacking from two sides. Their blades sliced through cloth and flesh but came out clean, no blood spilling. The Fade smashed Lyrei in the face with its elbow, then drove its blade towards Alea's chest. Dann loosed a fifth arrow.

The Fade howled, reeling backwards as the arrow sank into the black well of its left eye, bursting out the back of its head.

Dann charged, and Faenir lunged. The Fade swung its arm, and Faenir froze in the air as though suspended from ropes. Dann nocked and loosed another arrow. The Fade shrieked, the arrow bursting through its other eye. As though invisible ropes had been cut, Faenir collapsed to the ground.

Dann continued his charge, drawing his last arrow. He saw Ella moving to his left, her blades glinting in the light of the fires all around them.

Ahead, Alea traded blows with the creature, the black flames of its blade bursting outwards with each strike.

Dann nocked his last arrow and loosed. The Fade howled as the arrow sliced through its sword hand, its black fire blade vanishing into the air inches from taking Alea's head from her shoulders. It was only then Dann realised he was still charging towards the creature, but he now had no arrows and no sword. Well, fuck.

All thoughts and fear fled him as the Fade reached back and unleashed a wave of black fire over Alea. Dann's heart stopped as the elf's shrieks filled the air. No…

Ice filled his veins, and he stumbled. Ella and Faenir charged, but the Fade swiped them away with its magic. Dann put one foot forward, but staggered, shaking. His gaze fell to where Alea lay, wisps of black fire still flickering on her charred corpse. He clenched his jaw and moved forwards, a fire burning in him.

The Fade eyed him with curiosity, its lips twisting into a grin.

Dann leaned down and snatched up an arrow that protruded from a body tangled in the forest roots and smouldering shrubs. He charged at the Fade, howling as he did. Arcs of purple lightning hurtled towards him. He twisted as he ran, feeling the heat of the lightning flash past his face. He nocked the arrow, drawing and loosing in a single motion.

The arrow sliced into the Fade's neck, lodging beside the other two. He ducked a swipe of the Fade's black fire sword as it reformed in the creature's other hand. As he passed, Dann reached back and grabbed the shaft of an arrow that jutted through the Fade's neck and yanked it free. The effort caused him to tumble, crashing to the ground as the Fade turned to face him.

Dann scrambled as he hit the ground, his hands shaking, his heart pounding. He nocked the arrow he'd pulled from the Fade, then loosed it. The Fade's head bounced back as the arrow punched up under its chin and through into its head. The creature cracked its neck from side to side, then turned its head down towards Dann. An arrow jutted from each eye, three from its neck, one up through its jaw, one in its hand, and one in its arm.

Dann panted heavily, every muscle in his body aching. "Why the fuck won't you die?"

Something unseen wrapped around Dann's throat and lifted him into the air. At the same time, each of the arrows lodged in the Fade's body pulled free, floating in the air around the creature before dropping to the ground. The Fade wrapped its pale fingers around Dann's neck, replacing the unseen grip.

"Ahh," the Fade let out a long hissing breath, tilting its head to the side. Its cavernous black eyes stared into Dann's, bearing no signs of the arrows that had just been pulled from their depths. It lifted its other hand, running its pale white fingers along the pauldron on Dann's shoulder. It drew a deep, almost longing breath in through its nose. "I thought it might be you." The sound that left the creature's mouth was rough and harsh, almost like two voices talking over each other. "I never forget a face – or a mark."

The creature continued to stare into Dann's eyes as the flames raged around it, the forest burning. Dann kicked and thrashed, the Fade's fingers closing around his throat. Here and there, Dann saw elves and rebels running back towards the city, bloody, burned, and charred. Not a single one of them paid him or the Fade any heed.

"These bodies are so frail," it hissed, its fingers tightening. "Nothing but flesh and bone. Pity. Hopefully I will be free of it soon."

Dann slammed his fists into the Fade's arm, but the creature didn't flinch. His vision blurred, his lungs burning. His arms became heavy, his breaths short and rasped. The pressure around his throat closed tighter and tighter. As he choked, he looked past the Fade. There, through his hazy vision, he saw a purple glow pierce the smoke and flames.

Calen charged through the flames, whipping threads of Air around himself. Rebels, elves, and Dvalin Angan alike swarmed around him, Tarmon, Vaeril, Erik, and the others sprinting at his side.

Flames swirled about the Fade as it held Dann in the air, its fingers wrapped around his throat.

Above, Valerys streaked across the canopy towards Calen. Through Valerys's eyes, Calen could see the shapes of the three dragons swooping high in the dark skies, their scales glittering in the red light of the Blood Moon. They hadn't seen Valerys yet.

Stay low.

A rumble of response sounded in Calen's mind.

He rushed forwards, pulling on threads of Air, feeling Valerys's power surge through him. He needed to move fast. He wove the threads around a spear that lay on the ground by his side and whipped it through the air as hard as he could. Flames swirled around the weapon as it careened through the air and slammed into the side of the Fade's head. The force of the strike lifted the Fade off its feet. Dann collapsed to the ground.

Calen pushed harder, his legs burning. He slid his sword into its scabbard, dropping to the ground beside Dann, grabbing the back of his friend's head, shaking him. "Dann! Dann!"

Fear held Calen's heart in its cold fingers. He shook Dann frantically, hands trembling. "Dann, please. I can't lose you too."

Dann gasped, and relief flooded through Calen. Dann's eyes peeled open as he drew in a lungful of air. He looked up at Calen, dried blood coating his face, his eyes red from the smoke and fire. "It's about fucking time," he croaked.

Calen let out a laugh, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I hate you," he said, letting out a breath.

"You couldn't hate me if you tried. Now, help me up."

Calen heaved Dann to his feet, only for something to hammer into both of them. The world spun as Calen crashed to the ground. Pain seared through his back, and his ears rang. Something wrapped around him and hauled him through the air, fingers curling around his throat. As his vision cleared, he found himself staring back at the Fade. A hole pierced through the side of the creature's head where the spear had hit, the side of its face mangled, but Fade seemed otherwise unhindered.

"I've been looking for you," the creature hissed. It studied him. Calen tried to pull his sword from its scabbard, but he was frozen in the air, something unseen holding him in place. Blood Magic. He felt the Fade pulling at the Spark, but before the creature could ward him, Calen drove a spike of Spirit upwards – as Vaeril had taught him. As soon as the spike of Spirit had pushed through the ward the Fade had tried to form, Calen forged threads of Air into a ball and slammed them into the creature's chest.

The Fade careened backwards, Calen falling to the dirt. Hands hauled him upright. He ripped his sword from his scabbard to see Haem, Varlin, and Lyrin charging at the Fade, green lights shimmering as they swung their nithráls through the air. The Fade matched the strokes of their blades, moving with terrifying speed, the black fire of its nithrál swallowing the bursts of green light.

As Calen charged, Asius and Thacia appeared to his right, Aeson and the other Rakina just behind them. The Spark thrummed in the air, threads of each element weaving all around.

The Fade moved in a blur. Arcs of purple lightning erupted from its fingertips, burning holes through four elves as they charged. It blocked a strike from Lyrin, then sent the man careening through the air with unseen Blood Magic. It spun, its black fire blade slicing through the neck of a Dvalin Angan that charged in its stag form. The Angan's headless body dropped to the ground in a cloud of ash.

Black fire plumed from the Fade's open palm, swallowing two rebels in its flames.

As Calen charged towards the creature, he dropped into Striking Dragon, letting the forms of svidarya drift through his mind. He swung his blade upwards, meeting the flame-wrought nithrál.

A howl rang out, and Ella appeared behind the Fade. She leapt onto the creature's back, her eyes shimmering amber, her teeth sharpened and elongated to fangs. She bit into the Fade's neck, thrashing her head from side to side, tearing at flesh. As she did, Faenir bounded from the flames, ripping into the creature's leg.

The Fade reached back, grabbed Ella by the hair and hurled her over its shoulder. Tarmon leapt forwards and cleaved the creature's arm at the elbow, the black fire nithrál flickering from existence. Erik and Vaeril swept in close, steel shimmering, taking the creature's other arm and its left leg in quick succession. Before Calen could even move, Dann charged past him, a curved elven blade in his hand. Dann launched himself at the Fade, driving the blade through its chest.

The Fade fell backwards, and Dann hauled the sword from the creature's chest, swung it behind his head, Moments after the Fade had hit the forest floor, Dann threw his weight forward and took the creature's head from its shoulder, the steel embedding in a thick root behind the Fade's neck.

Dann let go of the blade and dropped to his knees, shoulders trembling. He started sobbing, shaking his head.

"Dann, its dead. You killed it." Calen slid his sword into its scabbard as he approached Dann. His friend's new white cloak was tarnished with blood, char, and dirt.

"We should have killed it with a Soulblade," Lyrin said, glaring at the Fade's beheaded corpse.

Dann turned towards Calen, eyes red. "It took Alea and Baldon."

The words were like a punch to Calen's gut. Behind him a howl split the night. He turned to see Aneera kneeling beside a charred, blackened body, her head tilted towards the sky.

"We need to keep moving," Aeson said, his face illuminated by the pinkish light of the Blood Moon that drifted into the woodland through the gaping chasm in the canopy created by the dragonfire. The other Rakina, along with Asius and Therin, followed him, casting their gazes over the desolation. "At least two thirds of the Lorian army still stands and will be marching through here to get to the city."

Therin pushed past Aeson and dropped to one knee beside Dann. The elf pulled his and Dann's foreheads together as tears streaked through the dirt and blood on Dann's face. "We will mourn later, Dann. We honour them now by standing."

Tears also glistened in Therin's eyes. Calen had forgotten how long Baldon had been a friend to the elf.

"Dann?"

Calen turned his head to see Lyrei stumbling towards them, her nose broken, blood splattered across her face. Most of the elf's green cloak had been devoured by the fires.

The tremble in Dann's shoulders redoubled as he looked to Lyrei. "I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head. "I couldn't do anything."

Loss ached in Calen's chest as he saw the myriad of emotions that passed across Lyrei's face in mere moments.

The elf's lip quivered, but she held herself upright. "Her body?"

Dann shook his head.

Lyrei nodded solemnly. "Myia nithír til diar, vésani. La'uva niassa du i denir viël are altinua. Må Heraya tael du ia'sine ael. Indil vir anarai andin."

My soul to yours, sister. I will love you in this life and always. May Heraya take you into her arms. Until we meet again.

"Indil vir anarai andin," Therin whispered. He rose to his feet and touched his fingers against Lyrei's cheek, giving her a weak smile.

Calen echoed the words.

Aeson stepped closer, looking from Therin to Calen, to Lyrei. "Indil vir anarai andin." He reached out and clasped Lyrei's arm. "Alea dauvin val haydria en sine elwyn ar en sine nithír. Anis, dia aluras."

Alea died with honour in her heart and in her soul. Now, she rests.

Tears streaked down Lyrei's cheeks as she nodded, her lips spread into a weak smile.

As Aeson turned and started to urge everyone onwards, a shadow spread over the ground and the pinkish light of the Blood Moon disappeared.

Valerys descended through the dragonfire-wrought opening in the canopy, his white scales glimmering in the light of the blazing fires. The dragon cracked his wings, flames, ash, and brittle leaves swirling in the air as he landed.

The elves and rebels who had been retreating stopped in their tracks looking up at the white dragon.

Valerys craned his neck down, pressing the tip of his snout into Calen's outstretched hands, a soft rumble resonating from the dragon's throat. Calen rested his forehead against the scales of Valerys's snout and ran his hands over the long horns that framed the dragon's jaw.

"I'm all right."

Images of Alea and Baldon flashed across the dragon's mind, followed by a sense of loss that pulled at Calen's heart. More family lost.

After a few moments, a feeling of urgency pushed from Valerys's mind into Calen's, images of what the dragon had seen flashing between their minds. Calen turned to Aeson and the others. "The glamour has fallen, and the Dragonguard are flying towards the city."

"How is that possible?" Aeson looked to Therin.

"I'm not sure. Unless someone shattered one of the lockstones."

"It doesn't matter," Calen cut across. "It doesn't matter how or why. They're flying towards the city, and we need to stop them." Calen looked around. So many people he cared for in one place. Dann, Ella, Haem, Tarmon, Vaeril, Erik, Therin. Lyrei's eyes were red and raw, tear marks carving through the dirt on her face. Asius stood in silence, his bluish skin seeming to shimmer in the light of the Blood Moon and the fires. The Jotnar's eyes were still filled with loss from Senas's death. Calen looked to Aeson. "Get them all back and get what's left of our forces ready for the Lorian charge. We need to stand with the elves."

Aeson's eyes narrowed as he understood what Calen was implying. "You're not going up there, Calen. They'll rip you apart."

"I've no choice. I can't let them burn the city."

"Calen, you need to use your head. There's over sixty thousand Lorians marching this way. Hundreds of mages. Fades. The Dragonguard are too strong for you. We need to think about—"

"I will not run!" Calen roared, Valerys looming over him. The dragon's rage burned hot, searing through them both. "You've survived all this time by doing what you had to do. You built rebellions, stoked fires. You're a survivor, Aeson. But I don't want to survive anymore, I want to fight." Calen gestured at all those around them. "This is it. This is where we make our choice. The choice to stand, because if we keep running we'll run forever." A low rumble resonated in Valerys's chest, and Calen looked to the dragon. "We're done running. If we die up there, then so be it. But we couldn't live with ourselves knowing we ran when we could have done something." Calen looked from Ella to Haem. "There's no point in living if we don't fight for what we love. We're meant to be Draleid. We're meant to be guardians, not survivors."

Calen's breaths trembled, his hands shaking. He pushed all the anger and loss down and looked to Aneera, who still knelt by Baldon's charred corpse. "Aneera, another of Clan Fenryr arrived in the city not long ago, yes?"

Aneera hauled herself upright, her eyes gleaming. "Yes, son of the Chainbreaker. Diango. He was hurt. He rests in Alura."

"Contact him. I need the elves to send mages to the highest towers and the cliffsides across Aravell. Tell them I'll bring the Dragonguard low, and I'll need support."

"It will be done." Aneera bowed, then dropped to the ground, closing her eyes.

Calen turned back to Aeson. "If I can keep them occupied, lead them through the valleys, can you win on the ground?"

Chora wheeled herself over, her stare fixed on Calen. "We'll have to hit them with everything we have. We won't be able to just hide behind the walls and wait. But if you can keep them away, we'll have a chance."

"I'll ride with you," Vaeril said, stepping forwards. The white dragon emblazoned on his breastplate took on a pinkish hue in the light of the Blood Moon, his hair coruscating. "I can use the Spark from Valerys's back."

"Easy." Therin rested his hand on Vaeril's chest. "The way he needs to fly, you'll never be able to hold on. Your honour is intact, Vaeril."

In contrast to most of the other elves, Vaeril had always looked at Therin with great respect, but at the moment Calen could see only disgust in his eyes. "It's nothing to do with honour."

"Regardless," Therin's voice stayed level, "the fact remains."

As Therin argued with Vaeril, Ella stepped closer to Calen. Haem and Faenir were at her side.

"I'm going, Ella."

Ella didn't answer. She just pulled Calen into a hug, pressing her chin into the crook of his neck. She pulled away and looked him in the eye. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Come back to us, all right?"

Calen nodded, giving her a weak smile. He scratched Faenir below the chin, receiving a satisfied grumble on return.

Haem pulled him into an embrace, their armour clinking together.

"Keep them safe," Calen said, looking around at the others.

Haem nodded, then looked past Calen to Valerys. "You look after each other."

The dragon lowered his head, tilting it sideways as Haem's gauntleted hand brushed his scales. Warmth drifted from Valerys to Calen as the dragon looked down over Haem, Ella, and Faenir. A deep urge to protect swept through his mind.

"I believe in you, little brother. I'll see you soon." Liquid metal flowed from the collar of Haem's Sentinel armour, forming into a helmet as he turned back towards Lyrin and Varlin.

"I'll make sure Erik doesn't do anything stupid," Tarmon said as he grasped Calen's forearm.

"And I'll make sure he doesn't do anything too sensible." Erik clapped his hands on the side of Calen's helmet. "Give them fucking fire, Calen. Give them fire and blood. We'll do the same down here."

Calen clenched his jaw. He clasped the back of Erik's helmet and pulled their heads even tighter together. With each farewell his stomach twisted and turned, his throat constricting, his chest clenching. He knew in all likelihood he would never lay eyes on any of them again. But if he could buy them enough time, if he and Valerys could get lucky enough to kill one of the Dragonguard, then maybe, just maybe, they could make the difference.

As Erik pulled away and he and the others gathered themselves and readied to follow the rest of the retreating army towards the city, Dann wrapped his arms around Calen and clapped him on the back.

"I'll see you when you're back," Dann said, giving Calen a weak smile. His eyes were still red, and tears had carved paths through the dirt, ash, and blood that marred his face. He held Calen's gaze for a moment, then pulled him back into another embrace, squeezing tight before turning and walking back towards Therin and the others.

Valerys bowed his head, stretching out his forelimb. Calen climbed up and positioned himself on the nape of the dragon's neck. A sense of sorrow ached in their shared soul as they looked over the raging fires, charred bodies, and their friends trudging back towards the city.

"This is it," Calen whispered, running his gauntleted hand along Valerys's scales. "Vir solian katar, vir dauv katar. Laël unira diar. Draleid n'aldryr, Rakina nai dauva." We live together, we die together. I am always yours. Dragonbound by fire, broken by death.

A deep rumble resonated through the dragon as he spread his wings and shook his neck. Memories passed through Valerys: breaking from the shell, travelling across Epheria, flying in Belduar, fighting at Kingspass. Faces followed: Arthur, Elissar, Korik, Lopir, Falmin, Alwen, Heldin, Baldon, Alea, Rist, Freis, Vars. All those the empire had taken from them. The family they had found and earned, the family they had lost, and the family Valerys had never gotten to meet.

As the images faded, it wasn't sorrow that washed over from Valerys's mind, it was rage. Pure unfettered fury. If tonight was the night they died, they would take every soul with them they could. Valerys shifted, cracking his wings against the air, lifting them up through the open chasm in the canopy where flames still blazed. The open air swept across them as Valerys surged upwards and unleashed a roar that shook the air like claps of thunder.