Chapter 7

Greggory Goran's Greataxe slashed the air, and then sinking into its target the soldier went down. Greggory turned his attention to the next guy, who was charging him with a halberd, Greggory dropped his axe, and got into a position where he could better redirect an attack of, he needed to. And just before the Halberd Pierced his Plate armor, Greggory sidestepped the attack, letting the Halberd fly past him, as his attacker got closer, and when the attacker was close enough, he grabbed his attacker's head, and snapped his neck.

Another attacker tried to kill Greggory from above by leaping off of trying to bring his greataxe down on Greggory's head, Greggory Grabbed just below the axeblade with one of his gauntlets, and brought his opponent over his shoulder, his Opponent landed on his back. Greggory then, at the very least, Disabled, if not killed his (now former) attacker, by Delivering one quick and hard-hitting punch to his Opponent's rib cage, and Greggory heard the bones break.

"You're running out of executioners! Baron!" Greggory called, pointing toward the member of the betrayer's army who referred to himself as the Baron, who was sitting in a stone throne above the arena.

"But I am not out of executioners, yet Headmaster." The Baron yelled back "Send out the next creature!"

The arena gate opened, and Greggory heard growling coming from within, Greggory picked up his axe, checking to see how loose the chain on his ankle had gotten. Not enough. Greggory turned his attention to the emerging creature. However, there was actually a pack of creatures.

"Dire wolves?" Gregory muttered, "Baron, how little do you think of me?"

The dire wolves all moved to attack, and in a few slashes, the first three were taken down, the Alpha prepared for an attack, and he sprung forward, but Greggory lifted the corpse on one of the dead wolves, and used it as a shield, and then he pushed the Alpha back with his axe. A dire wolf attempted an assault from behind, but Greggory barely Managed to evade the attack. And cleaved the wolf's hind legs right off, and quickly put it out of its misery so it wouldn't have to suffer. Leaving just the alpha, who Charged at Greggory and ripped his greataxe out of his hands. And attempted to maul Greggory, who forced the Alpha back.

"You're hungry, aren't you?" Greggory asked, as he and the Dire Wolf Alpha circled each other. "Of course, you are, they'd starve you so you would attack their 'contestants'."

Greggory raised his hand, showing his palm to the dire wolf, showing that he was no longer a threat., as he used his other hand to grab a severed arm, and offered it to the wolf. Who cautiously approached Greggory expecting a surprise

Greggory worked with the wolf and slowly made friends with it, which was received with groans from the crowd.

"Is this all you have?" Greggory yelled, "Look upon your failure of a Baron! He is clearly cheating you out of your money! Especially since he can't deliver a simple execution! So why waste your time with me? When can you get your money back now?"

The crowd appeared to consider this. And Greggory breathed a sigh of relief as they all got up and moved towards the Baron, Greggory then left the arena, after breaking the chains with his axe, and walked out with the dire wolf.

Greggory made sure to get the wolf, and himself, some Proper food before going too far. They got it from a deer. They were in the Northwestern Forest region, and Greggory had been for several months. He would have been back by now had he not gotten captured in an overwhelming odds situation.

He was thrown into the arena on and off for three months until recently when the Barron decided this would be Greggory's last arena battle. And threw everything he had at Greggory. Greggory found himself Exhausted. So, slowly Greggory dozed off.

When Greggory woke, he was pleasantly surprised to find the Wolf was still there.

"Still here?" Greggory asked the resting wolf, "Me too."

Greggory had fallen asleep about midday; it was now nighttime. And Greggory stood up, and the Dire wolf wasn't up long after that. Greggory then began to make his way north and was surprised to find the dire wolf was following him.

"Are you coming?" Greggory asked him, he just stopped and sat, as if waiting for orders, "Welcome aboard." Greggory replied, and they continued north.

As he traveled, Greggory eventually heard what sounded like a Flintlock firing, three times in quick succession, so did the wolf, Greggory quickly ran towards the sound, he heard two more shots and he came to a clearing, where Jayda Stormclaw, the odd woman who helped Lilly three years earlier when Alayna had been kidnapped by Dolga the Ritualist, was standing around her were five fresh corpses that bore the Betrayer's emblem

"My old feller didn't see that, did he?" She asked herself, "He gets ever so cross."

"What Profession are you in?" Greggory asked, completely confused, because last time he met her, she wasn't using a flintlock that had six shots.

"Well, right now, none, but I was hoping to eventually go to college for archeology." She said, spinning on her heels to face Greggory, "Why?"

"You just killed six of the Betrayer's troops in quick succession with a sixshot flintlock." Greggory said, "It kind implied that you are skilled at whatever you do. Though you're not dressed like a soldier."

"You're right, I'm dressed like an Archeologist." She said, and then she shifted her attention to the Dire Wolf, "Hello, Rogue."

"Rogue?" Greggory asked, confused

"That's his name- will be, it's long story" Jayda said, just confusing Greggory even more.

"Jayda!" A man's voice called.

"I'm over here, Honey!" Jayda yelled back. "Sorry, that's my husband."

Moments later a man broke through the treeline, he appeared to be Jayda's age but two feet taller than her, and half a foot taller than Greggory, he was just as Broad as well, he had green eyes and Dark Brown Hair, Similar to Mara, and unlike Greggory, he was Clean shaven, his plate armor was bulkier than Greggory's, much bulkier. Rogue either did not perceive the man as a threat or considered him too much of a threat to handle, as Rogue stayed silent.

"Hello there." The man said, "I'm Tedran."

"Greggory, Greggory Goran." Greggory replied, "And Apparently this is Rogue." Greggory introduced the dire wolf.

Howling is heard in the distance.

"That's not other wolves, is it?" Greggory asked, As Rogue seemed fearful of this howl.

"No, it's not werewolves either, we must go, the Hunters have our scent." Tedran said.

"The Etran Harborage isn't too far from here." Jayda said.

"Agreed, let's go." Tedran said, "And you are quite welcome to come too."

"I might take you up on that offer." Greggory said, and he followed Tedran, and Rogue followed Greggory, which still surprised him, Rogue could leave at any time, yet, he hadn't. Eventually, they got to this Etran Harborage. Tedran had to force the sliding door open, and hold it there for everyone to get inside, even rogue, and when they were, he let the door shut.

"You know Rana could have gotten the door open quicker, right?" Jayda asked.

"Well, yes, but I didn't think of it." Tedran replied.

"Rana?" Greggory asked.

"Yeah, why don't you introduce me to him?" What sounded like a Teenage Girl's voice erupted from tedran's bag, and with a sigh, Tedran took his helmet from the bag, the eye slots had a visor, and projected from the left visor appeared to be an Illusion or something similar, and it was what looked like a Dark elf Teenager in a Military uniform showed up, she was small enough to fit on Rogue's back.

"Hi, I'm Rana, and before you ask, I'm an Artificial intelligence, and this is a Hologram of how I would like to appear." She explained, Greggory looked up to Tedran and Jayda for an Explanation.

"We're time travelers." Tedran said, "I know how stupid it sounds, but we are from the future, that doesn't mean it's set in stone for you, as long as we don't tell you, your choice will still affect the future."

"I have a hard time believing that." Greggory said, "All of it, but f you say so, so you say so. How long until the hunters pass us?"

"Not long" Tedran replied.

"How's Lilly?" Jayda asked, and Greggory fell silent, "Well, how is she?"

"She died, Dolga the ritualist killed her with a teleport strike sneak attack, the day after you left." Greggory said, "He ambushed us outside of Whitereach on our return trip, not to mention, Lilly had a broken arm, and he didn't dare give her a fair fight.

"You will be surprised by how little he does give others fair fights." Tedran said.

"Where are you heading?" Jayda asked Greggory.

"Home, northward." Greggory replied

"We're just about to head home to, to our timezone, that is, but while we could leave now, we're not going to leave you here." Tedran said.

"Thank you." Greggory said

Not long after that Tedran Opened the door and Let Greggory and Rogue out, they said their goodbyes, and dissipated in a puff of green magic. Greggory got back on the road, and he was a mile away from the border when he ran into a group of People lead by a Ranger, and Alayna was with them.

"Who goes there?" Greggory asked when he was within earshot of the ranger.

"We're seeking to return to etras, and reignite the Master Forge." The ranger replied, "And you are?

"Greggory Goran, looking to return home." Greggory replied, "And this is Rogue."

"Uh, you don't have to return home just yet." Alayna's Voice said from the crowd, as she made her way forward.

"What are doing here, Alayna?" Greggory asked, utterly shocked that she left whitereach.

"Looking for you. It's been three months, what happened?" Alayna asked.

"A man who fancied himself a Baron threw me into an Arena, as a form of entertainment, and tried to execute me. That's where I met him." Greggory explained, motioning to the dire wolf, who was growling just to The Ranger's left, but at no one in particular, "What's wrong?"

"You were the headmaster of Dragon's Landing?" The ranger asked.

"I was." Greggory replied.

"You killed the Dragon that attacked it?" the ranger asked.

"I wouldn't say killed; I mortally wounded it." Greggory replied, "Why?"

"They need a dragon to relight the master forge in etras." Alayna said, "so they're going to agitate one and trick it into lighting the forge, and then kill it."

"And you need someone who can kill a dragon?" Greggory asked.

"We do." the ranger replied, Greggory looked to Alayna, as if asking her permission for him to do this.

"It's fine, don't worry." Alayna said.

"Alright, I'll help," Greggory said, and the Ranger turned to continue on, Greggory put his hand on the Ranger's shoulder, "But if we get through this, you owe me."

"Just a favor?" the ranger asked.

"Yes." Greggory replied, "Unless I decide otherwise, then it's something else of equal challenge."

"Got it." The ranger replied.

Greggory then joined the group

"Well then," The dwarf said, "I think we're well equipped to fight a dragon now."

"It'll be no easy feat." Greggory said, "Remember that."

And they stared Southward, Rogue kept an eye on the ranger's left quite a bit, but Greggory was glad to know Alayna was alright, and was fully willing to help them take down a dragon.