This Land Is Ours

"This Land Is Ours" is a multiple-part thread started on May 15, 2018.
== Summary ==
== Full Text ==
=== Part I ===
Late in the year 1060, when the north end of the Sea of Reprisal had frozen over, twelve years after the end of the world, the Grand Commander of the Gathering of Dusk, Gunmar Rosso, made a decision he would later reconcile as the greatest mistake he had ever made. Among every decision he made to lead his men in Ragnarok, fighting against Odin’s First Regiment, some of which had devastating consequences, he would still be unable to name a more terrible fault in his judgment.
The decision itself was inconsequential. As part of the Gathering’s northern expansion, his troops had discovered incredible resources on one of the westernmost islands, a place he’d been told was called Haligan Island. It had direct access to Farengar Lake and there was a thriving dragon population that was used to being around the local populace. He also had considerable evidence from his intelligence that the island was housing a large population of half-breeds, which would fetch a good price in High Central–what was left of it, anyways. At the time, he’d considered it incredibly good fortune, thanking Odin for the find, and within the week, he’d moved his forces to colonize the island. In the process, Commander Rosso would receive reports sent on dragonback to the Gathering’s citadel in the heart of Traebor. They updated him every other day on the situation, and the scouting reports seemed to be going well.
However, he began to read of strange happenings as the troops moved inland. The first of such letters came three days after his initial orders.
1060 Ýlir 6th
Grand Commander,
We have landed on the southern shores of Haligan Island, per the schedule, and the infantry have begun to set up camp as the rest of the ships arrive. Unfortunately, as incredible as it may sound, three of our cavalry ships have been reported missing. They were the final three ships to embark, and there was a slight delay that led them to stray behind our main force. My ship’s captains that went ahead of them can give me no explanation as to why they never noticed the missing vessels, citing faulty memory, and they will be duly punished for their failures. For now, our troops are sufficient, but we may need replacements when we finally push into the north end of the island, as there is a village there that will likely resist their new leadership.
General Cullen
Rosso was more than a little irritated at this perceived mistake among his men. Three ships that simply vanished into thin air? He would definitely exact the price of their failures upon them when this operation was finished. For now, they would be allowed to continue as planned. The rest of his day was busy and kept his mind from lingering on such things.
The letters continued to arrive, and they continued to grow more bizarre. The men under Cullen’s command were hearing strange noises from the very earth they stood on, and a few of them thought they saw terrible malformed creatures, with white plates and gray flesh and no faces. The men were young, and had grown up with tales of Ragnarok, of gods and monsters awakening from their slumber within the earth to judge the men of the world for their deeds. Rosso knew this, and yet he still felt a stirring of unease as things worsened. The most extreme incident came when the men scheduled for the later night shift went to relieve the current guard, and found them collapsed, unmoving, but still alive. Their eyes stared, and they made no sounds or any attempt to move. They ate and drank languidly when food and drink was forced upon them. Other than that, they might as well have been dead. They were under care in the medical tent and their condition was being monitored.
The men speak of a curse that haunts the island. They say that they have seen something at night, shifting among the trees–a red spirit that watches them and speaks their names. They say she is a demon of Hel, protecting the land from intruders. They are losing their resolve, but we will take this island for our own, despite whatever superstitions our men may harbor.
In the back of his mind, the Commander considered the implications of a demon inhabiting the island. He had never personally encountered any kind of malicious spirit. The issue began concerning him enough to consult his mages, late at night after the question kept him awake past his usual sleeping hours. He climbed the stairs to the northernmost tower of the citadel, where Lorel and Andriana were also awake, performing an alchemical experiment with complex calculations scribbled across the very walls of the tower in charcoal. The domed glass ceiling shimmered with the dark night sky and reflections of candlelight as Rosso explained the situation in a low voice to them. The two looked at each other thoughtfully, Lorel’s hand still moving across the book he was writing in.
“Could be an imp,” Lorel suggested. Andriana shook her head.
“The ships,” she reminded him. “That takes a great deal of focus and power that no lower fiend would possess…”
“More than one imp?”
She snorted. “Possible. But have you ever seen a band of imps or even devils work together? Incredible circumstances. Low chances.”
Lorel nodded and lifted an ink-stained finger. “Ah, power over other creatures as well?”
“Demon.” They looked back at Rosso, and Andriana fiddled with her glasses. “Perhaps one of us should have scouted the area from the beginning. No matter, it is too dangerous to continue further. You should retreat.”
Rosso stared at them, dumbfounded. “You have absolutely no way of dealing with this?” he insisted. “Not one?”
“The demon doesn’t want anyone there,” Lorel said decisively. “That much is clear. It is protecting what it has claimed and you would be foolish to trespass.”
“I didn’t ask for your military expertise of which you clearly hold so much,” he growled. “I expected knowledge, not orders from those who do not lead. We are taking that island. If your assistance is not forthcoming, so be it.” He left the tower but did not sleep that night.
The raid on the village happened the next day. But, as the General’s next letter detailed, it did not go well.
Commander,
The village struggled against us fiercely. They have command over or at least the assistance of the dragons and something else and were able to overpower us and drive us off the island. We are retreating. To one of our territories to regroup. We need assistance desperately. To return to the city. We cannot take the island. It is not ours to take. It is not ours. It is not.
Now Rosso was furious, along with being greatly unsettled. It sounded like it took an amount of mental effort to write what he had received. “And something else?” What nonsense is this?
It was time to arrive personally to oversee their efforts.
A force twice as large as the original was organized and deployed once again, this time, with the Grand Commander heading the ships and ensuring none of them were lost. That is, until, they arrived on the shores of Haligan Island for the first time, and upon accounting for his troops, Rosso frowned and flipped through his papers three times before realizing that two of them were missing. An infantry ship and a supplies barge. He growled in frustration before storming off and interrogating his officers, all of which were confused at his demanding questions. It was as though the ships had never existed.
He’d managed to order one of the apprentice mages to assist him on the journey, and she was grim and ashen-faced upon arrival. “There’s something here,” she said quietly. But she still calmly disembarked and set up a small tent for herself to research and test the area, recruiting a band of soldiers to go out and attempt to capture one of the strange creatures underneath the earth.
Cullen was in the command tent, and Rosso was shocked to see a trembling husk of a man where once was valor and stubbornness. He was pale, leaning over his map of the area that he’d pinned to the table, and his rough fingers gripped the table. He glanced up briefly when Rosso walked in, but that was the only real movement he made. “Oh, good.” He took a shuddering breath. “You came…”
Rosso put his hands on the table as well, frowning at his general. “Cullen. I can’t believe what’s gotten into you. I need to hear what’s been going on. Now.”
Cullen put a hand to his forehead and took another steadying breath. “I…I don’t know where to start, Commander. It’s that thing, whatever it is. The red spirit. The one the men keep seeing. The one…the one I keep seeing. She has powers, she can…speak to us, somehow. Not with words. I can’t explain it. It’s how I know she’s a she…” He looked up desperately. “Commander, I don’t know what we can do against her.”
“General, pull it together.” Rosso gripped Cullen’s forearm. “Has she harmed anyone? Is she actively killing your men?”
“No…she hasn’t,” he said sheepishly, seeming to be confused by his own answer. “But…”
Rosso injected as much confidence as he could into his words, confidence he wasn’t sure he felt himself. “Then she can’t hurt us. She is a ghost. She’s trying to get into your head, Cullen. I have a mage inspecting the area. I can’t have one of my generals being weak at this time. We will take this land, and provide for our people. Focus on the real threat at hand.”
Cullen still looked shaky and uncertain, but he lay out the details of the village and their confrontation. The two planned another assault and then retired for the evening, hoping to get enough rest for the task at hand. The Commander found his mage, still in her temporary quarters, poring over several texts she’d brought with her.
“It’s a demon for sure,” she said flatly, not looking up from her texts.
Rosso’s heart sank a little upon hearing this. “Well…how do you know?” he demanded, trying to sound in control.
Pages flipped rapidly and she was quiet for a moment. “I’ve never met one in person, but there are lots of accounts from people who have. Interestingly enough…” Another page flip. “This sounds very similar to a few encounters mentioned after Ragnarok. Though sometimes it is not a red spirit, but a golden one, a violet one…one even spoke of a multicolored being. They go by strange names. They have their own language. They are incredibly dangerous.”
“But why would she be protecting this island?” Rosso mused. “Perhaps there is something of value here…”
“If there was, I wouldn’t know what it could be,” the apprentice said simply, closing the book. “I think we should be on high alert for her, Grand Commander.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll see to it.”
She spent a minute reinforcing his knowledge of protecting his mind, doing a few quick mental exercises before he decided it was time to rest. There would be no assault on his mind, not now.
But that night, he had a very strange, inexplicable dream.
He dreamt that he was opening his eyes, awakening in a forest, but a quick survey of the area showed him that he was only a few meters outside of his tent. Curious, his dream-self wandered deeper into the woods, coming across steep slopes and creatures of the night in the undergrowth. His steps were slow, as though he were treading through water, and something chilling was haunting him, making him check over his shoulder to search for something lurking in the dark. He suddenly became very aware that he was dreaming, and tried to will himself to wake up, or to turn back and return to camp. However, Rosso’s feet continued to drift forward of their own will, taking him further into the wilds of the island. The details of his surroundings were hazy. Fear crept into his mind, but something was calling him. Yes, it was audible now, a whisper light as a breeze guiding him forward across the terrain. It was enchanting, and terrifying at the same time, and impossible to resist. He closed his eyes; he felt like a string was tied around him and pulling him forward like he was nothing more than a fish on a hunter’s line.
The air grew cold. He opened his eyes once more and found himself at the mouth of a cave. The voice was beckoning him inside. Rosso tried harder to resist and found he was managing to keep his feet still. But he swayed in place, fighting harder and harder to keep away from the terrible force drawing him in.
The wordless voice paused, and he trembled as it seemed to release him from compulsion. Ah, he finds his strength at last, she said in amusement. Rosso stared into the cave, horrified by a sudden realization. It’s you.
Possibly. He blinked and there was a figure leaning against the side of the cave, incredibly tall and very lean, clearly female. She wore a dark hood and short cape with strange decorations on her head, and her face was hidden by a dark mask covering her nose and mouth. She was examining her hands in an aloof fashion, and upon closer inspection, he saw claws. Hail, mighty and fearless Grand Commander. Her eyes lifted and his fear increased at the sight–they were completely black, with white pupils.
What have you done with me!? His mouth moved to make the words, but they made no sound. But the demon seemed to hear him.
Nothing permanent…you shall wake come morning. As I allow you to, that is.The words echoed in his head and he shivered, still unable to walk away.
I demand you release me at once, he said forcefully, replacing his fear with anger.You have no right to treat me in such a way. Let me go!
No. The demon studied him, and he went hazy again, unable to keep himself from walking forward and standing before her. By the gods, she was tall. He could feel something large and dangerous emanating from her, a sense that neither sound nor sight could describe.
Stop…stop this instant. The compulsions gave him a revolted feeling that was a special kind of torture.
The demon chuckled. You speak as though you have some kind of authority over me. And you act as though you may claim what you deem is yours. She leaned forward and grabbed him by the front of the tunic, shocking him with her ability to touch him. He saw shimmers of red at the edges of his vision, and his heart pounded furiously. Well, allow me to humble you, Grand Commander.
Rosso immediately fell to his knees, crying out in pain as he felt, in very vivid sensation, his right arm being torn off. Looking down, he saw it was indeed still there, but the feeling was so intensely real, it brought tears to his eyes and made him shake. The demon hadn’t moved, but he could tell she was making him feel this. She stared down at him mercilessly, and he gritted his teeth, glaring at her.
You can’t–
The Commander gasped and sobbed involuntarily as his left arm followed suit, a visceral tearing that left him with unimaginable agony. He cursed through the pain, slowly stumbling back to his feet, trying to move his arms to combat the sensory illusion. Damn you, he cried out, damn you, disgusting demon! You can’t threaten me with hallucinations! I will take what is ours, and you will do nothing to stop me!
A cold hand closed around his neck and easily lifted him off his feet. His hands closed in a futile grip on her arm and she stared him down with eyes of steel. I don’t think you fully understand, she said, a low rumble behind her words. If you dare touch anyone on this island, if you hurt them, if you lay a finger on them in any way, it will haunt you for the rest of your life, and let me assure you, it will be short and incredibly painful. Her voice was thundering now, and unmistakably angry. Behind her, he caught sight of glittering eyes and twisted limbs, grinning mouths and knives for fingers, creeping out of the cave and surrounding them. The edges of her cape were smoldering, slowly catching fire and flaking away in a sudden hot, stiff breeze. Rosso struggled to breathe, clutching desperately at her hand, unable to tear his eyes away from her gaze. Sparks flew around them as a hot red light flared between them, highlighting the underside of her face.
You don’t…control…me, the Grand Commander choked, his face seized into a fierce snarl. You don’t scare me. You will never be able to stop us, demon!
The demon hissed softly, reaching up with her other hand to slowly pry her mask away from her face as scarlet flames consumed her figure. The surrounding creatures made horrific, grating, metallic noises, keening around him as darkness closed in on his vision. Behind her mask was an animalistic nose and a vicious, wide-open mouth full of jagged, predatory teeth. Her jaws gaped wider and her voice rang in his mind along with several keening, ear-rending pitches:
Then may the gods forgive you for inciting the wrath of the Warden, Commander.
Her terrible fangs filled his vision and then everything went black.
Rosso sat upright in his cot, sweating profusely, his heart thudding furiously. The tent rippled as one of his guards opened the flap, peering inside nervously. “Grand Commander?”
He swung his legs to rest his feet on the ground, clutching the edge of the cot, shivering. He looked up at the young guard, cautiously pointing a spear at whatever possible attack could be inside his tent.
“Sir!?”
Rosso gritted his teeth. The demon’s eyes burned in his mind, and her words echoed in his ears.
“We are attacking tomorrow. At daybreak. Tell everyone, we prepare now.”
=== Part II ===
Grand Commander Rosso: The cold gray light of the early-morning sky rested still over the treetops and cliff faces of Haligan Island. The sea was low; there was a light fog misting the docks and rooftops of the village. A cool breeze fluttered the long grass that mixed in with the sandy beach of the shore near the sea stacks, where lay a sturdy camp, nestled at the foot of the steep cliffs on the island’s southern side. But the camp was deserted, the fires were cold and the beds were hastily made. The boats that were anchored at the beach were gone. They were traveling up the east coast of the island, and they were full of soldiers. They were coming.
Commander Rosso stood at the bow of the largest ship. Underneath his iron helmet, his eyes were frenzied, burning with a strange light that had unnerved the men around him as they were boarding. He was focused on the small docks of the village they were approaching, clutching at the wood of the ship with both hands, making the metal of his gauntlets squeak with the friction. The original plan had been to attack at nightfall, instead of daybreak. But the Grand Commander’s strange, terrifying encounter last night had spurred him on to launch a surprise attack against the village. He couldn’t wait any longer. He was filled with a deadly determination, unbroken by fear or hesitation.
He drew his sword slowly, and glared at the village. This land is ours.
Grey Bergman: “Bit of a foggy morning, eh?” one of the sentries said taking his eyes away from his spyglass. 
“Yeah, hopefully, it will clear up tonight,” his comrade replied as he took his spyglass. “According to the chief, another attack is supposed to happen tonight.” 
“Uhhhh…I think you might want to double check with her on that,” he replied nervously. 
“Why?”
“Take a look…”
He did as he was told and looked through his spyglass, and sure enough, he could see ships out on the water…slowly approaching the docks. Unfortunately, they looked all too familiar. “Crap…it’s High Central…They’re attacking early! Sound the alarm!”
The second sentry did as he was told and blew into his bugle horn as loud as he could. 
The Chief of Haligan Island and her loyal Night Fury stopped dead in their tracks when the alarm sounded. At first, Grey thought it was odd. The drill wasn’t scheduled until a few hours. Something had to be wrong. 
“Let’s go see what’s up, Shadow!” Grey said as she quickly mounted Shadow. The Night Fury wasted no time in taking off and flying over to the watch tower. “What’s going on?!” she asked when they neared the one that sounded the alarm. 
“Trouble, Chief Grey! It’s High Central! They’re attacking early!”
Grey looked out on the water and widened her brown eyes. She saw all the ships on the water… It was true, but why? They were supposed to attack later tonight. There was no time to worry about that. They needed to get ready for battle!
“I need my husband and brother, NOW!” she shouted to no one in particular as she and Shadow turned back to the village.
Greg Ericson: Greg woke from a light and restless sleep from the night before. He couldn’t sleep knowing that central was on the island. He wouldn’t let those bastards get to his people and his family. He’d die before he let that happened. Hearing the alarm though he paled and quickly jumped out of bed. He went through the house to their personal armory and donned the hoody armor he’d made, as well as his long sword before heading back to Warren who was roused from her own sleep.
Placing a hand on her shoulder he said. “Warren it’s central, they’re attacking early. You need to get the kids, get what we packed and go.” He kissed her deeply. “I love you.” And quickly dashed outside, not wasting a second.
He saw Grey in the watchtower and quickly made his way there. “Central?” He asked, already knowing the answer.
Grey Bergman: “Yeah,” she replied before handing her spyglass to Greg, “and they’re getting closer by the second.” She didn’t need to explain the situation. He immediately knew what was going on. 
“Grey!” a voice shouted from below. She looked down and was relieved to see that it was her husband, Brandt. “What’s happening? Is it them?”
“Yes,” the Chief replied not taking her eyes off the horizon. “Where are the kids?”
“I got them to your mom,” he replied. “They’re going to the evacuation spot now.”
Greg Ericson: Greg frowned as he spun the spyglass in his hand before looking through it. His teeth grit as he saw the cut of their jib. “Yeah, that’s them alright.” He closed up the spyglass and handed it to one of the guardsmen. “Shall I go host them?” He said as he pulled the metal hood up and began to step off the watchtower.
Grey Bergman: “Let’s gather the troops,” Grey said with authority ringing in her voice. “I don’t need anyone going on these lone wolf attacks. We will stick with our original plan. Dragons are first line of defense and will hit the ships fast and hard. I need you two to gather those who have dragons and grab your own.”
Brandt nodded. “But,” he said as he climbed on Shadow so that he was eye-level with his wife of 8 years, “one thing: I love you.”
Grey smiled and kissed her husband deeply. “I love you too,” she replied. “We’ll get through this.”
Grand Commander: Rosso lowered his helm over his face and raised his sword. He could hear the alarms of the village already, as expected. He could see the wings of dragons begin to take to the skies, and heard their roars. The soldiers on the other ships shouted to each other at his signal, and the tight creaking of catapults could be heard from the rearmost ships.
He lowered his arm quickly, and the catapults released, sending weighted nets flying through the air to ground the dragons. The first infantry ship pulled up to the docks and the men began to spill into the village, drawing their weapons and charging.
Greg Ericson: Greg frowned as he saw the dragons being captured left and right. “Yeah looks like that plan’s out the window.” He said as he jumped off the side of the watchtower. He ran towards the staircase to the docks, skidding to a stop near the top of the stair hoping to pause their advance. 
“Sorry but Halligan is closed today. Turn your men around or you will regret it.” He called out to the Central soldiers as he pulled his sword from his scabbard with a stomp and set it ablaze. “I swear.” Suddenly behind him, the image of Nala appeared, towering above them all with her arms crossed as she looked down on them.
Grey Bergman: “Sometimes, I wonder about him,” Brandt said as he watched Greg deal with the soldiers. 
“I’ve wondered about him for 15 years,” Grey said to her husband. “Go join the other men! Shadow and I will join the dragons in the sky.”
“Right!” Brandt said as he climbed down the watchtower to join Greg and the rest of the troops. 
“Alright, Shadow, let’s remind them who’s really in charge here,” Grey said once she was sure that her husband and brother were taking care of the soldiers on the ground. 
Shadow crooned in agreement and took off into the sky. Both the Chief and the Night Fury noticed a net heading toward a Deadly Nadder and his rider, and Shadow quickly fired a plasma blast destroying the net. She then aimed at the soldiers on foot, stunning them or killing them. At this point in her life, Grey did not care who lived or died on the enemy’s side. She wasn’t that girl anymore. She was a Chief…a wife…and more importantly…a mother. She and Shadow were going to take no prisoners.
“For the good of Haligan Island…for the half-breeds, show them what you’re made of, men!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. 
Grand Commander: Several of the soldiers went pale at the vision of Nala, stumbling and holding up the charge, but the other ships were docking, and their stern commander watched from the lead ship, they had no choice but to continue forward, clashing with the men that flooded out to meet them. 
Beside Rosso stood the apprentice mage, and she had her hands held up in front of her, palms facing the village, concentrating extremely hard. Her eyes closed and she tipped her head forward, her hood obscuring her face as she brought her hands down slowly. One of the watchtowers began crumpling with the movement, slowly cracking and tilting to the side. A Gronckle hovering above the tower suddenly seemed to have trouble staying aloft, its wings desperately churning as it sank to the ground, flailing a bit at the change in gravity. The beams of the watchtower crashed over a few of the buildings, caving in the roofs and smashing through windows.
A second and third boat landed, much farther right of the initial boat, and they began to circle around the back of the village in a pincer movement, attempting to encircle the village to prevent escape. Rosso had a keen eye on Cullen, but the man seemed to be standing his ground, leading the troops as fast as he could around the backs of the houses.
Greg Ericson: Greg grit his teeth. “Then you’ll regret it.” He murmured as he sliced from left to right, a wave of flame flying into the front lines of the advancing soldiers. Seeing the other ships arrive and move towards the other end of the island he quickly propelled himself towards them with jets of flame. Once he stood before them he allowed the flames to crawl across the armor, heating the metal but also reflecting the light and making him shine like the sun. “Split the forces men! We need soldiers on this side!” He called as he began laying into the central forces.
Grey Bergman: “You lead your half to that side, Greg!” Grey shouted at the top of her lungs from where she sat on Shadow. “Brandt, you and I will stay here with the other half!”
“You got it!” Brandt shouted back before turning back to the enemy soldiers. 
“Chief Grey,” a dragon rider said from his Monstrous Nightmare, “I saw a mage on the lead ship! She must be using her magic to make the buildings collapse.”
“Then let’s focus on the ships!” Grey shouted as she unsheathed her sword. “Dragon riders, follow me!” With that, she flew toward the ships on the water. “Okay, girl, show no mercy. We have to take as many of these out as possible!”
“Those of you without dragons, stay with me!” Brandt shouted. “We can hold them off!”
Grand Commander: The apprentice glanced up and saw the incoming dragons, and spread her hands farther to the side. Rosso saw the water curve in a strange pit around the lead ship and the catapults as she created a wall of increased gravity. Her hands shook as she looked over at him. “I can’t keep this up, Commander.”
Rosso stormed closer to the stern of the ship and thrust his sword at the incoming dragons, roaring to his men, “Take them down!”
The catapults fired once again, this time joined by a horde of archers. Rosso watched the dragons intently, taking note of which ones were dodging, how many were left, and watching the progress of the flankers. He squinted at the man at the front of the resistance, a figure cloaked in light with a flaming sword, and back over at the other bright figure standing atop one of the ridges that the men were too scared to approach. Her eyes gave him a chill. “Mage, we need to do something about her.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what’s wrong, but I can’t feel anything there. No consciousness, no being. She must be very good at hiding.” The flankers were making little progress. He growled and pounded the side of the ship.
Greg Ericson: Seeing the second barrage projectiles he directs “Nala” to turn towards the ship and he begins shooting fireballs at them through her hands. Meanwhile, Greg continued to hold off the soldiers with his men giving them time so that the civilians could escape. Thrust, duck, block, parry, slice, over and over again as the ranks of Central seemed never-ending. But the thought of his wife and children pushed him onwards, despite the fatigue that had slowly begun to set in.
Grey Bergman: “HEADS UP!” Grey shouted to her troops as soon as she saw the arrows. They had archers as a second line of defense. 
Grey and Shadow ducked and dodged the arrows and other projectiles that came from these ships. She could hear screams and splashes as dragons were clearly struck down. This Gathering of the Dusk were not giving up, and neither was Haligan Island. As she got closer to the lead ship, the Chief noticed that the waters were curving underneath. 
“Let’s take out the smaller ships first!” Grey shouted to Shadow and those still in the sky. “The Mage is using magic on the lead ship. Shadow, fire!”
Shadow obeyed her rider’s command and fired a plasma blast at the smaller ships causing the ship to go up in flames. 
“Again, keep going, girl!” she shouted. 
Grand Commander: The ships were rapidly going up in flames, and the men on the smaller ships were abandoning their boats, leaping into the water and dragging themselves ashore. The demon was helping the dragons, sending blasts of fire from her palms to spread along their sails.  
“Can we do nothing about the damned dragons!?” he hollered at the sweating archers around them. 
“They’re too fast, Commander!” one of them yelled, shakily nocking his bow and firing an arrow at one of the sleek black mounts, who rolled and dodged the projectile easily, firing a purple blast at one of the catapults. Rosso surveyed the battlefield once more, his eyes quickly darting from place to place, adrenaline pulsing through him as he stood still. The defending men weren’t pushing forward to the docks. They were holding a line. He looked to the flankers. The stronger fighters were protecting their north and south sides, the only access to the forest he could see.
They’re protecting something…someone.
Rosso whirled around and ran to the helmsman. “Dock the ships. Bring everyone in. We’re attacking them directly.”
“Yes, Commander.” The lead ship began to roll in, and the other ships followed their mark, pulling in menacingly to anchor at the shoreline and board the docks, following the flankers to put pressure on their right side.
Greg Ericson: Greg saw that all the ships were coming in now. It looked like they’d pissed them off enough to commit their full force to the attack. “Heads up more ground troops heading our way!” He called out for all to hear. “Keep it up, men! If they have to bring in back up it just means they’re too weak to face us with their initial force! We’re stronger than them!” He cried in an effort to motivate the fighters. 
Grey Bergman: Grey breathed heavily as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. Whether it was from the thrill of battle or the intense heat of the flames, she wasn’t sure. So far, she and Shadow finished off a good number of ships, and the Chief couldn’t help but feel victorious seeing the men fleeing the ships and swimming to shore. However…the victory was short lived when she noticed that the ships were moving with the lead at the helm, of course.  
She gasped. They were moving in to attack the island on foot, and her thoughts immediately went to the half-breeds…her family…her husband…her children… It was at that moment that her look of concern and shock melted into a hardened glare. This was going to end today. 
“Shadow…fire a warning shot at the lead ship on my signal…” she said. “They need to know this Chief is not taking this lying down, and neither will the village.”
The Night Fury flew toward the lead ship waiting for Grey’s command. Shadow’s eyes narrowed into slits as a plasma blast formed in her mouth.
“Ready…ready…NOW!” she shouted. With that, Shadow fired a shot that just barely grazed the ship’s mast before they flew ahead of it. As they flew back to the island, Grey turned around to look at the leader, giving him the hardest glare she could muster up daring him to continue the attack.
Grand Commander: Rosso lifted the face of his helm, seeing the woman on dragonback glaring intensely at him and simply stared back, his mouth set in a grim line, his eyes still alight with the same maddening stubbornness. “Press forward!” he roared, not breaking eye contact with her. “Break through to the forest! Cut them off!” 
The remaining men stormed the village, charging with renewed force against the defending warriors. The Grand Commander secured his helm and began to advance, meeting one of the defenders and clashing blades with him once, twice, three times before he rammed him forward and pushed him into the well, continuing onward. 
Behind the village, the settlement of half-breeds was almost completely evacuated. A hefty Rumblehorn shook its head and took off with several children on its back, leaving a handful of adults, two who were elderly, one who was missing an arm and moved with obvious stiffness and pain, one who was pregnant and one who was sitting at the base of a tree, pale and sickly, recovering from an illness. They looked over constantly at the noises of battle, nervous and anxious for the last few dragons to return.
At the right flank, the Gathering was making progress. Both sides were sustaining heavy casualties, but the enemy line was creeping forward. They were getting close to the treeline.
Greg Ericson: Greg started to back off from the fray and began to focus on using his fire to kill as many soldiers as he could. He would not let them get a single half-breed. Not while he still drew breath. Large circles would appear beneath large groups of enemy combatants. Those being the only prelude to the sudden column of fire that would jut up from the earth.  
Grey Bergman: “Back to the island!” Grey shouted as soon as the Grand Commander shouted his orders. “More are coming upon our shores! Let’s move in!” The 36-year-old Chief raced back to the island with her Night Fury flapping her wings aggressively. Grey felt her stomach drop as she watched the chaos unfold on the island, but she quickly shook it off. “Shadow, fire!” 
The Night Fury obeyed her rider’s command and fired more plasma blasts at the enemy soldiers killing them or stunning them. The Chief noted that the offending warriors were advancing through the village toward the treeline, and she prayed to Hel that the half-breeds, her mother, Warren and her kids, Asha, and Siri had made it to the island that served as the evacuation spot…away from this madness. There was no time to check. Hopefully, Greg could hold those men off.
It wasn’t long before she noticed the Grand Commander again, the same man she made eye contact with, pushing one of her men into a well. Grey clenched her teeth when she saw that. No one messed with her men. No one messed with her family. No one messed with her island. A chief protected her own.
“Shadow, land there! It’s time the Grand Commander and the Chief were properly introduced!” 
Shadow growled at the offending humans below and did as her sister commanded landing in front of the Grand Commander blocking him from going any further, and the Chief of Haligan Island clenched her sword in her right hand as she dismounted her dragon.
Grand Commander: Rosso’s irritation grew tenfold as their leader landed in his way. He would’ve stormed forward to engage her immediately, but the dragon made him cautious. He hoped the apprentice was watching.  
“We gave you plenty of chances,” he growled loudly, lowering his sword and jabbing it at her. “There were negotiations. We gave you days to desert. This struggle is born of your own arrogance!”
Greg Ericson: Seeing Grey confronting the central troop’s leader he had to move closer so he could intervene. Hearing him thought he couldn’t help but grit his teeth and get involved anyways. He let his fire encircle him and let it raise him up, his armor shimmering brightly. “We did not negotiate because this land is ours. We didn’t desert because this land is ours. And you will lose here because this land is ours!”  He cried, his flame changing from their typical reds and oranges to shades of blue as his voice grew louder and angrier with each word he spoke. Using this opportunity he launched a large fireball at a large group of Central soldiers that threatened to overwhelm their men. 
Grey Bergman: Grey was thankful for all those sparring matches with King Haddock. They might have been for him to regain as much of his swordsmanship as possible after he was paralyzed, but the Chief found herself learning a lot from them. Of course, those lessons helped her immensely as she glared at the Grand Commander jabbing her sword to defend herself and to bring him down.  
She was about to answer back, when Greg popped out of nowhere screaming that this land was theirs, not High Central’s. If she wasn’t so occupied, she would’ve taken more notice of his fire turning blue and being used on the offending men, but alas, she was a little busy. The Chief smirked at the Grand Commander. 
“You heard my brother. This…land is…ours,” she said smirking. Another jab before she glared again. “Why would I hand over my island to a bunch of…lowlife…bigoted…cruel…extremists…like you?!” 
Grand Commander: The waves of fire swept towards the Gathering’s soldiers, but as they did, the land in front of them suddenly seemed to loosen strangely, and several small pebbles floated up into the air. The fire ballooned, but its temperature had dropped, and it caused minimal damage to the attackers. 
The apprentice mage hung back from the fight, her hands raised into the air with her fingers clawed, and she was concentrating fiercely. 
The pebbles dropped back to the earth and Rosso stormed forward, batting away the woman’s strikes with his own. She was quite good, but she was battling against a military-born commander, and he was confident this would end quickly. He locked their blades and pushed her forward into a short stone wall, straining to press the blades of their swords into her throat. “We will take it,” he growled, “and then we will restore order for the land once more.”
Greg Ericson: Greg grunted as he sent wave after wave of blue flames towards the soldiers that seemed less and less effective. He turned his attention to Grey to see her pressed against a stone wall, her blade locked with Rosso’s. He grit his teeth and swooped down and kicked him in the side, trying to push him away as he landed, his body still wreathed in flames. 
Grey Bergman: What happened next was a blur for the young Chief as the Grand Commander suddenly had her pinned against a stone wall with their blades locked…dangerously close to her throat. She refused to give up. She was going to fight…for her life…for her family…for her island. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Shadow ready to pounce the man with her eyes, but she was clearly holding back out of fear of hurting her sister. The struggle between the Chief and the Grand Commander was so intense that the former’s arms were shaking as they held her blade against his and as she glared harder at him, especially after he growled his threat to the land.  
“Over…my…dead…body…” she growled in return. 
Even when Greg suddenly appeared out of nowhere and tried to push the man away, she refused to take her eyes off her enemy. Not long after that, another sword appeared behind the Grand Commander, and it didn’t take long to figure out who it was.
“I suggest you release my wife…now!” Brandt growled.
Grand Commander: The Commander was violently shoved to the ground by the man shining with fire, and he managed to take the woman he was grappling with him, pinning her to the ground, still struggling to shove the edge of the sword through her neck and be done with it. The point of a sword dug into his back, and he paused, glaring at the chief through his helmet, breathing hard. The demon lingered at the edges of his vision, but she hadn’t appeared to have noticed him yet. He didn’t know how he was going to deal with her when the time came, but it was time to deal with the real, immediate danger that was posed to him.  
Rosso raised his hands slowly in the air, disengaging and getting to his feet, and then, quick as an arrow’s release, he used his foot to sweep his fallen sword into his hand in a swift, practiced maneuver, and he struck at the man threatening him. 
Greg Ericson: Greg kept his guard up as Rosso stood. He knew someone from Central wouldn’t give up easily. Of course, he was right. He saw a twitch of movement as the commander began to kick the sword up. The Haligan had been taught that move when he was first trained and had used it many times himself. With little time to react, he did as his instincts told him to and dove to push Brandt out of the way. Rosso’s sword cut past his armor, slicing deep into his side. But Brandt was safe at least. 
Grey Bergman: Brandt had little to no time to react when he felt something push him to the ground. One minute he was waiting for the Grand Commander to release his wife, who was still pinned to the ground, and then the next, he was pushed to the ground landing on his side.  
“Brandt, honey, are you okay?” Grey asked crawling to her husband. 
“Yeah, I’m fine, but who–” he grasped Grey’s hand as he got his bearings, but when he looked behind him, he gasped. 
Grey followed her husband’s direction, and as soon as her eyes rested on the sight, her blood ran cold. “GREG!” she shouted as she quickly stood up and grabbed her sword.
Grand Commander: The Commander grabbed the young man by the front of his shirt and threw him to the ground, sliding him off his sword, and continued after the chief, clashing swords again and following up with a blunt shove with his hilt. 
The half-breeds were growing frantic. The dragons hadn’t returned yet; they must have been held up by something. Maybe the attackers had found the escape dragons. They had no way of telling. The noise of battle was getting far too close. 
Several hundred miles away, in the middle of a golden field nestled within several hilltops, an invisible presence grew sharper, and a swooping falcon faltered in its strangely purposeful flight, letting out a screeching protest. Its eyes flickered from red to gold to red again, and then it continued onward, in its driving pursuit east, desperate and exhausted from its journey.
Greg Ericson: Greg winced in pain as he was tossed off the sword, which of course started bleed now that nothing held the blood in. He looked up as Rosso passed him and went after Grey. Greg grits his teeth, now staining with blood, as he pushes himself off the ground. He looks over where he dropped his sword and covers it in fire, using it to float it over to him. 
As the hilt slides into his hand the fire seems to spread across his body, the flames bright blue as he begins to march over to Rosso, death evident in his eyes. Once he reaches the commander he slices along his side and kicks him, hoping to push him away from Grey and get between them.
Grey Bergman: Grey had no time to think as Rosso suddenly turned to her and resumed their fight. With anger and sadness raging through her body, she fought back with her sword. This Grand Commander was going to regret this immensely, and she would make sure of it. No one attacked her little brother! No one! 
“Brandt!” she shouted as she crossed swords with the enemy. “Help Greg!”
Brandt nodded, and was about to run to his brother-in-law when he saw said brother-in-law…standing…walking to Grey and Rosso. “Greg?” he asked.
Grand Commander: A sword carved in a jagged line along his back up towards the underside of his arm, and Rosso roared, whirling around and locking swords with the one he thought was dead, eyes widening slightly as heat washed over his face. Raging orange-and-blue flames were pouring around the young man’s arms and along his blade. Blood was pouring down his side, but he was still somehow standing.  
The Wardne: He’s using too much. The falcon panted heavily as it rested in the highest branches of a spruce. It was nearing death; she was going to need to switch hosts again once the bird passed. He’s going to hurt himself…
She took off again. Hel guard them.
Greg Ericson: Greg panted slightly as he began to lay into the man with his sword. Slice, duck, block, parry, dodge, repeat. It was a dance he knew well, and with each step, his anger and hatred for the man grew. His strikes grew more precise, more powerful at the cost of his own defense. 
Grey Bergman: Watching her second-in-command fight the leader of this High Central group made her more concerned. He was pushing himself too hard. She wanted to tell him to stop and to let her and Brandt deal with it, but that would put him at risk of more harm. The Grand Commander was willing to kill with no hesitation, and they couldn’t afford to give that advantage, but then she had an idea.  
She quickly ushered Brandt behind her and looked to Shadow, who was busy swatting the offending soldiers with her tail. “Shadow, attack!” she shouted. 
Shadow obeyed her sister’s command and fired a plasma blast at Rosso’s feet avoiding Greg trying to force him to the ground. 
Grand Commander: The blast of fire scorched the metal of his boots, but Rosso remained largely unscathed, and continued to engage the man on fire, drawing a long knife to use in tandem with his blade.  
The battle itself was growing bloody. There were many soldiers, and they were ruthless in how they dispatched the defenders of the island. The dragons still swooped overhead, but they were growing few in number.
The Commander’s opponent was reckless; Rosso kept his breath and his patience, saw his opening, and managed to lock their swords together and stab him just above the hip with his knife, twisting his blade and roughly shoving him to the ground, planting a foot on his neck and positioning the sword above his chest, ready to strike. He gritted his teeth as the flames burned around his armor. “Don’t…get…up,” he snarled, the tip of his sword already slightly piercing through the first layers of his armor. His hands shook with adrenaline around the hilt of both his sword and knife. “Your time is already gone.”
Greg Ericson: Greg cried out in pain as Rosso shoved his knife through flesh. In the moment he lost focus and he was thrown to the floor, the knife twisting in as Rosso’s sword slid through his armor. He was told not to get up, but it was never in his nature to listen to orders. He wrapped his gauntlets around the blade and attempted to push the sword up and off of him, though his fight and his use of the fire magic had all but drained him of his stamina.
Grey Bergman: Grey, Brandt, and Shadow watched the scene unfold in front of them in absolute horror as the Grand Commander shoved his knife into Greg’s side and as Greg himself cried out in pain. Then…the sword…was about to pierce through Greg’s armor, and something inside of Grey exploded. 
“NO!” She ran over to them, her sword clenched in her fist, and pushed Rosso to the ground away from Greg. “Shadow, I need help! Brandt, help Greg!”
Shadow immediately ran to her sister’s side to deal with the leader. 
As much as he would’ve loved to help his wife deal with the lowlife from Central, his brother-in-law needed his help. “Greg! Greg, hang in there!” he said frantically inspecting his injuries. “You’re going to be okay!”
Grand Commander: The Commander was shoved away once again, but in the tussle, he managed to lift the knife once more and stab it in again, leaving the blade buried in Greg’s abdomen as he was thrown to the ground. He grasped the woman’s wrist, crushing her tendons in the grip of his gauntlet, and roared as he flung her to the ground, searching to grab his sword before the dragon could get a hold of him.
The falcon plummeted to crash-land in the forest, dead before it hit the ground, and a distance away, a crow leaped into the sky and continued to fly with the same frenzied pace. The village was near; she could check on it and instantly turn around and go back, she could be fast enough…
Greg Ericson: Greg let out a yelp of pain as the knife dug into his belly. Squinting in pain he reached down and wrenched the blade from his stomach, blood begining to seap out and pool around him as he took the knife and lined it up with Rosso. He pulled his hand back and launched it with as much force as he could muster, sailing through the air towards the Central leader.
Grey Bergman: Grey screamed when Rosso forcefully grabbed her wrist and flung her to the ground, but as soon as she landed, the Chief grabbed her sword from where she dropped it and moved to take him down again. She glared at him and moved to attack, but froze when she noticed a knife being flung by Greg at Rosso. She was about to move to attack again, but stopped when she saw blood on the ground. She looked and saw her husband at her brother’s side, and there was blood…Greg’s blood. He was bleeding. 
Brandt noticed his wife looking at them. “I got him, don’t worry,” he said. “He’s going to be fine. Just get these guys off our island.”
The Chief smiled and nodded before turning her sights back to Rosso. She then turned to Shadow behind her. 
“Shadow, attack!” she ordered her Night Fury. 
Shadow obeyed her sister’s command and roared as she lunged toward the Grand Commander pouncing on him and pushing him to the ground.
Meanwhile, Brandt quickly moved to put his hands on Greg’s stomach and side trying with all his might to stop the bleeding. “Damn it, Greg…” he mumbled. “Why did you pull that knife out, you idiot? Just keep hanging in there for me, for your wife, your kids…please!” 
Grand Commander: In the background of the chaos, a severely bloodied half-breed hedgehog was sprinting as fast as he could, shuddering from the pain, but desperately searching for a leader. “They killed our escape dragons!” he shouted hoarsely. “Someone do something…! We can’t get away!” 
Rosso braced his forearms against the dragon’s claws, shaking violently with the effort of keeping the claws away from his vitals. The gravity beneath them shifted, a feeling he recognized, and he knew what to do. He bucked up roughly with both feet into the Night Fury’s stomach, and the dragon floated away into the sky, legs kicking, as Rosso held tightly to the dense grass below him, his feet levitating above his head. He pulled himself out of the range of magic and fell back on the ground, grabbing his sword before the dragon could regain its sense of balance. He rushed Grey again, determined to end her life, furiously slashing his sword at her.
Greg Ericson: Greg grimaced through the pain. He was loosing a lot of blood. He knew what he had to do but it wouldn’t be pleasant. He took a deep breath and held his fingers to his wound, using his fire to cauterize the wound as he screamed in pain. Once that was done though he grabbed Brandt by the shoulder. “Get grey and anyone else you can out. I can take care of everyone else.”
Grey Bergman: Brandt stared at his brother-in-law in shock as he watched him cauterize the wounds with his fire abilities, and he was in even more shock when said brother-in-law told him to get Grey away from here. “Are you crazy?” he asked. “We can’t just leave you!”
Meanwhile, Grey immediately used her reflexes to block Rosso’s blows. She breathed heavily but still continued the fight against the Grand Commander, but she could hear cries for help. The half-breeds…they needed her, but there was no way to distract Rosso. She was determined to fight him and even possibly end him, but how could she fight him and help her people? Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the well and remembered how he pushed one of her men in there. It gave her an idea: trap Rosso and go save half-breeds. 
As they continued to fight, she remembered her sparring matches with Haddock: change your footing subtly to gain the upper hand, and that was exactly what she did.
Greg Ericson: Greg grabbed his brother by the shoulder in a steely grip. “Brandt, I’m already dead.” He confessed. “I’ve lost too much blood. I’m going to die here either way, but I’ll be damned if I let them take our home. This will save everyone, so just get my sister and everyone else you can and get the Hel out of here!” He stabbed his sword in the ground, helping himself stand as he looked over at Rosso.
Grand Commander: The apprentice mage was concentrating fiercely on helping the Commander battle the chief of the island, but something was drawing her attention, like the ominous heat of a young wildfire. One of the men using magic earlier was slowly getting to his feet, clutching his sword, blood soaking most of his clothes. Several wild, uncontrollable pulses of magic flinging off of the gravely injured man in stinging waves, making her grit her teeth and push forward, yelling at Rosso’s back, “Commander! That man, with the fire!”
He hardly paid her enough attention as the woman engaged once again, furious at her determination. This is futile! We’ve already won! The dragons circling the island were dwindling in number as more of them were picked off by the soldiers and dragged to the ground to be imprisoned. The village was surrounded by a well-defended line; surely the half-breeds had been cut off by now. 
They will lose everything.
Grey Bergman: Brandt watched in concern as Greg slowly stood up with his sword ready to face Rosso as his words from moments ago echoed in his mind, and he couldn’t shake the words Greg just said. A part of him hoped that Greg was just saying that to get him to leave the island with Grey, but the other… It was hard to say. Nevertheless, he did what his wife’s second-in-command told him. There were clearly some half-breeds that needed help, and he and Grey and the other Haligans were capable to help.
He rushed over to his wife, who was still fighting the Grand Commander with Shadow behind her. 
“Grey!” Brandt shouted. “We got to get our men and the halfbreeds out of here!”
“Would love that, sweetheart,” Grey said as she continued to strike against Rosso hoping that her plan would work, “but I kind of have to shake this lowlife first.”
Brandt looked to Greg and then back at Grey. They were running out of time. He couldn’t fully explain what was about to happen, but hopefully, Grey would later understand. So, he rushed into the swordfight and grabbed her. “We need to go now!” he shouted as they mounted Shadow. “We got to help them at the evacuation point.”
“Okay, okay, you’re right!” Grey said as she prepared to command Shadow to take off. It did not take her long to notice her adoptive brother still standing where he fell with blood seeping through his clothes. And…he had his eyes on Rosso. Her brown eyes widened. “Greg, what are you doing? Come on, we need your help too!”
Greg Ericson: He didn’t turn as spoke, keeping his attention on the commander from Central, his amber eyes burning brightly with anger and determination. “I am helping Grey. The best way a dead man can. Save our people, I’ll save our island. And Grey…” He said as he wrenched his sword free from the dirt. He looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes softening and a smile spreading briefly as he looked upon his sister’s face for what may have been the last time. “Take care of them.”
With that, his face hardened as he turned back to this evil man and began to march towards him. Murderous intent clear on his face.
Grand Commander: Rosso tore his helmet off in satisfaction as the two of them disengaged and ran to mount the dragon, leaving the wounded to confront him. He barked out a laugh and jabbed a gloved finger at the man coming towards them.
“Grab him!” he called out triumphantly to the troops filling in behind him, as the villagers began to escape on dragonback.
“Sir, no–”
Several of his soldiers stepped forward to restrain him, ready to tie him up and bring him back to their ships.
Back across the distant reaches of Aidorin, a ragged raven almost dropped to the ground in relief as its headmate sensed a group of people up ahead, quickly filtering through all of them before finding the ones that were most important.
Treepelt!?
Tree jerked in shock, water splashing up from the bucket she was currently washing the children’s clothes in. Liam looked up in concern, his knife and his whetstone falling to the table, hearing the same voice. Are you fine? Is everything all right?
“Of course it is, why wouldn’t it–?”
I had to ensure for myself.
Greg Ericson: As the men got closer Greg wrapped himself in fire, as if daring the men to try and take him. The flames around him growing larger and larger with each step, they slowly began to morph themselves into the shape of a firebird, the legendary Pheonix. The dying man lifted his sword, pointing it the Central commander as the flames grew hotter and hotter.
 “You lost this battle the second you set foot on our island, Central. You think you’ve won, but that just proves just how arrogant Central really is, and why it fell in the first place. We rebels will always, always fight you, even while one of us is standing we will fight!”
And as he yelled these words to the man across from him the Pheonix grew larger and larger. Nala always told him to be careful with how much energy he put towards his magicks, but now it seemed like it hardly mattered as he poured his entire being into this. And as the bird folded its wings across its body he looked Rosso dead in the eyes, fixing him with the hardest gaze he could muster.
“And we’ll win.” With that the Pheonix spread its wings wide, a fireball spreading out to cover the whole island, destroying various buildings and killing many of the soldiers in an instant.
Grey Bergman: By the time the Chief finally snapped out of her shock, her second-in-command…her adoptive brother had begun walking toward the Grand Commander, his intentions made perfectly clear. Concern etched its way onto her face.
“Greg—“ she tried to say only to stop mid-sentence when he continued walking toward Rosso. Was he seriously saying what she thought he was saying? No, he wasn’t going to die…not like this. She wanted to run after him, but she knew that there was no time. This was the perfect opportunity to protect her people…to get them off the island away from Central. She could only sigh in defeat as tears formed in her eyes. “We’ll come back for you, I promise!”
With that, she tapped Shadow as a command to take off, and the Night Fury willingly ascended into the air. She could hear Rosso giving the command to capture Greg, but she closed her eyes tightly willing herself not to turn back. Her people needed her. 
“Men! Fall back to the evacuation point!” Grey shouted to the Haligan soldiers. “We’re leaving! Grab your dragons! Help anyone who needs it, and get to the evacuation point quickly!”
Fortunately, no one questioned her and followed her orders. She, Brandt, and Shadow led the army to the evacuation point, where they found more Central soldiers. It was difficult, but they managed to gain the upper hand and saved the remaining refugees. While they were assisting the refugees and the injured, Grey could easily see that Greg was in the middle of an intense battle, where they left him. 
“Just hold on a little longer, baby brother,” she whispered. “I’m coming back for you.”
“Grey, we’re ready!” Brandt finally said once the last refugee was on one of the dragons and he was mounted on Shadow.
Grey looked back at her husband and nodded before mounting Shadow herself. “Let’s move!” she shouted. “Follow me!”
With that, Shadow led the rescue dragons and the army dragons to the next island, where the refugees and the other villagers waited for them. As soon as they landed, Grey could only watch the fiery blaze on Haligan Island. Knowing that her unofficial adoptive brother was in the middle of it against Rosso and his men made her heart pound. She prayed that it would stop soon, so that she could go get him and bring him back so that her mother could heal him. 
“Nala…dear gods…if you can hear me…please…help Greg…” she whispered under her breath. She did not need to look behind her as Brandt placed a hand on her shoulder.
Grand Commander: “Nala, I don’t understand what’s happening.”
There’s no time–
The hasty image of herself she’d built to float frantically inside the Arnasons’ home turned as though to leave…and then froze. The edges of her form started to fragment, her astral form losing its definite shape, blackening and twisting. Liam went incredibly pale. “Nala–!”
A deep pulse of terrible energy shook the house briefly, causing dust to float down from the ceiling, and then the demon was gone. She had simply disappeared. Tree and Liam looked at each other in worry.
On Haligan Island, the fire raged over the grass and the trees and the buildings. The last of the half-breeds managed to scramble onto their mounts and take off as the smallest flames licked at their heels, guiding their escape. The fire quieted as it began to run out of fuel, but still it burned, as the sun began to finally rise from beyond the horizon and burn red through the columns of smoke rising from the buildings and the forest. The Commander, the apprentice, his many soldiers–they were all dead, burnt to obscurity by the explosion. A few struggling soldiers made for the shore, extremely injured and disfigured by the fire.
Greg Ericson: Greg breathed heavy as he looked across the battlefield. It was littered with charred corpses and burnt out buildings. His home was destroyed, but it was worth it. The people were safe, the island was free from central, and everything could always be rebuilt. But that was for them to be worried about.
For now, he was tired. He managed to stagger over to a nearby building, burnt beyond recognition of what it used to be, stab his sword in the ground and slump down on the ground facing the sun as he watched it rise on the island. He sighed. He was all alone. That was not how he wanted to die. One by one he conjured images into being.
His wife, Warren sat beside him, arm in arm with, his children appeared one by one sitting in his lap and at his side, his arm wrapped tightly around them. Grey was next with her husband followed by his demon sister Nalagurra. Not satisfied though he continued to bring the other rebels into being. The Arnason’s, King Haddock, Akkey. One by one he brought all the rebels until he was surrounded by family and they all watched the sunrise.
He closed his eyes with a smile and as he breathed his last breath the images faded from view and he was alone once more.
Grey Bergman: The Chief of Haligan Island was completely lost. She was not sure on how much time passed, not even the sunrise helped with that…or who won that battle. All she knew was that fire raged on her island, and there was nothing she could do about it. Not while Greg single-handedly took on Rosso and his men. She wanted to go back, but she knew that it was a huge risk without her men to back her up. Plus, she needed to stay with her people. They needed their Chief to stay with them and reassure them that everything will be alright.
She passed out responsibilities to her soldiers to help the wounded and to provide provisions to the villagers and the refugees. Thankfully, Brandt, her mother, Asha, Ander, and Warren kept their children occupied, and Eret handled matters with the refugees. She found herself looking out onto Haligan Island once again when she noticed something. The fire raged, clearly Greg’s doing to defeat Rosso, but the island felt quiet and still. Was the battle over? Did Greg drive them away?
“Brandt, you hear that?” she asked as he walked up to her from behind. 
“What?” he asked. “I don’t hear anything.”
“Exactly, it’s too quiet…” 
“You…you think it’s over?”
“I’m…I’m not sure.” There was only one way to find out. “I’m going to go scope it out. Stay here with everyone and get the fire brigade ready.” She whistled for Shadow and mounted her loyal Night Fury. “As soon as I know it’s safe, I’ll have Shadow fire a plasma blast.”
“Okay, and if you see the enemy, please just come right back,” Brandt pleaded. He knew it was pointless to get his wife to stay put, especially when this involved her tribe, her adoptive brother, and their family. 
“After I grab Greg,” she replied. Without a single thought, she and Shadow took off into the sky and flew toward the inferno.
The Warden: Near the docks, another shuddering pulse blasted across the island, making the ground tremble, and Nala suddenly appeared with a flash of scarlet, her real body falling to her knees and collapsing to the ground, spent. She’d teleported somehow, spontaneously set off by…this event, whatever had happened. Whatever she’d felt. The Warden looked up with difficulty, and terrified rage pulsed through her as she saw the ghastly sight of the village in flames. I was too late…!
She forced herself to rise and began sprinting through the village, her mind sweeping over the entire island. There were a handful of struggling lives left, but all of them were from Central. Nala left them to die. She was shaking with wrath and fear.
Slowing her pace, she made out a strange anomaly up ahead. At the center of the village, a blackened radius a hundred feet across scorched the ground. Charred corpses were scattered across the soil, unrecognizable in death, still smoldering and smoking from what must have been an intense explosion. But there was one body left, near the epicenter, near which lay a few weak footprints in the soot, untouched by fire but covered in blood.
She knew.
She knew what the source of the alarming spikes of magic were while she had flown in the other direction. She knew why the village was empty and burning. She knew why her emotions had struck a spark within her and brought her here.
Nala fell to her knees in the center of the explosion, stretching her arms out weakly towards him, searching him desperately for any sign of life, any faint stirring of consciousness. There was nothing. The essence swirling around her shoulders fell to a pitch black as she shook with grief; a viscous, glowing black-and-red substance poured from the eyes in her mask and left charred trails down her cheeks. She was sure some other being was tearing her in half, ripping her essence to shreds, making sure she would never, ever, ever be whole again. 
The demon suddenly slammed her fists into the black earth and screamed, a wordless, otherworldly shrieking howl filled with cursed Daemon and unnatural frequencies. The dust around her pulsed into the air and floated around her with the smoke, and the wave of energy swept through the village, snuffing out every fire that still burned on the island, leaving nothing but smoke and ash and death. She stared at his lifeless, pale face, peaceful in death, and screamed.
Grey Bergman: As Grey and Shadow flew toward Haligan Island, they were suddenly met with a high-pitched screech piercing their ears. Grey and Shadow both cringed in pain as they tried to shield their ears in any way they could until the screech finally faded.
“Augh…what in all the gods’ names was tha–WHOA! HEADS UP, SHADOW!” Both the Chief and the Night Fury quickly shielded their eyes when dust pulsed from the island and flew towards them. Thankfully, it left as quickly as it came and quieted down, but when Grey finally let down her arms, she gasped. The fires that plagued the island…clearly thanks to Greg were snuffed out leaving trails of smoke in the sky. The sudden explosion of dust had to have done, but how was that possible? Did Greg cause the dust pulses? If that was Greg, what kind of power did he possess to scream like that? Why would he do that? 
“Come on, Shadow, we’ve got a second-in-command to find,” she said. “I just hope he’s okay.”
Shadow wasted no time in landing on the battlefield, and the Chief and the dragon looked around. There was nothing but burnt buildings and corpses, and it was eerily quiet. Through the smoke, both Grey and Shadow walked slowly through the carnage taking it all in. Bodies…burnt beyond recognition…buildings burnt down, and it made its way into the forest. The Chief found herself and her Night Fury making their way to the epicenter…the very spot where they left Greg to face the men alone, and Grey stopped dead in her tracks as she came upon the sight.
More bodies, but she saw how they were positioned and a certain helmet lying on the ground next to one particular body. Rosso was dead…all of his soldiers dead or dying. Greg did it. He truly single-handedly defeated Central, but…where was he?
She was jolted out of her thoughts when she heard a scream, and it sounded close. Completely forgetting about the bodies, she looked around for any signs of her adoptive brother and second-in-command. “Greg!” she shouted.
No answer came.
“Greg, where are you? Answer me!” Grey shouted again.
Shadow in turn sniffed the air trying to find Greg’s distinct scent amongst the smell of burnt human flesh, and when she finally found it, she crooned to Grey beckoning her sister to follow.
Grey smiled. “Lead the way, girl,” she said smiling. “We need to hurry. Greg lost a lot of blood.”
The Warden: Nala’s tears sizzled as they struck the ground, small puddles that smoked and burned her porcelain body. She didn’t feel the pain; in fact, she didn’t feel anything. Her raging emotions on the surface were more of a habit than anything. Deep down, she was a black void, a hopeless, starless night. She twitched slightly upon hearing Grey looking for her brother, but that was her only movement. She wanted to destroy something, burn it to the ground and hack it to shreds, or even just hold his body, but the two impulses were waging war within her and she didn’t dare move.
Grey Bergman: “Greg, come on! Where are you?” Grey called out following Shadow through the battlefield. While the Night Fury sniffed for her second-in-command, Grey couldn’t help but notice that they were getting closer to where Greg and Warren’s house was…or at least where…it used to stand depending on the condition. She was trying to keep hope alive that her brother was alright and that he was probably hiding somewhere, but it was slowly ebbing. “Greg–” 
Shadow crooned to get Grey’s attention. The Chief noted how concerned the Night Fury looked, and her heart began to pound. Shadow turned to what was in front of her, and Grey was able to see that they came to the remains of Greg and Warren’s house. Being Chief and having grown up on the island, she came to know the village like the back of her hand. However, that was the last thing on her mind right now. Grey was able to see two familiar figures a few feet away from her. She was able to make out Nala…hunched over…and…
Her eyes widened as her feet began to move forward to them as her heart continued to pound in her chest. Her mind willed her to stop, but she sadly kept walking until she stood next to Nala’s hunched figure and stared…at Greg. He was leaned up against the wooden walls. His eyes closed, and his body not moving. 
She breathed shakily as she knelt down in front of him. “G-Greg…?”
There was no answer from the man. 
The Warden: The Warden lifted a shaky hand and her fingertips rested on Grey’s back, letting her face tilt to the ground and closing her eyes. There was little more she could say or do. She was still barely keeping it together herself.
Grey Bergman: “G-Greg…?” she asked again as her voice became more shaky while tears welled up in her eyes. 
There was no answer.
The Chief was thankful that Nala placed her fingers because she was sure that she would go mad. She shakily placed her hand on Greg’s shoulder gently shaking it…even though she knew that it was pointless. “Greg…please…wake up…” she said. 
There was no answer yet again from her brother’s body. “Greg…” she said as tears finally fell down her cheeks. “You were supposed to wait… I said I would come back for you… Greg…why?” She finally dropped her hand and began to sob. 
The Warden: This is my fault.
 Nala stared blankly at the scene, not really seeing anything. She wanted to let Grey mourn, but she had to know. She wiped the smoldering tears from her mask, smearing soot across the porcelain.
What happened, Grey.
Grey Bergman: “R-Rosso…and his men…” Grey began in the midst of her sobbing, “T-They attacked…early.” She sniffled as she felt Shadow nuzzle against her head calming her down a little, but she couldn’t look at Shadow or Nala. All she could focus on was the body of her…dead brother. Dead… Greg was dead. “G-Greg…he…” she sniffled again, “he used h-his…powers to fight…while Brandt and I led our guys…but…but H-High C-Central…they…made it to the island…and attacked. I tried to fight Rosso, but…but he…overpowered me. G-Greg and Brandt…tried to help, but when Rosso tried to kill Brandt…Greg pushed him out of the way…and took the blow…twice. He…” 
The Chief examined Greg eying the blood stains on his armor and pants. “He…he lost too much blood, and…then he told me and Brandt to get everyone off the island while he dealt with the soldiers… H-He must’ve used his fire powers to kill them all…”
The Warden: Nala swore under her breath. Zl’gh rhwn q’au. Of course he did. Guilt was seeping in on the edges of her hopelessness, but she kept it at bay. Instead of despair, a burning rage swept through her, and her eyes glowed with a dark, vengeful storm. Her hands were shaking. Not yet. Not now.
We should… She tried to collect her thoughts. Has everyone arrived at the evacuation point?
Grey Bergman: Grey nodded. “Yeah, everyone’s there,” she replied. 
The Warden: Then…you should take him back. Nala stood slowly and tucked her arms under Greg’s body, shaking again as the reality of his death sunk in, as heavy as his limp form. Ensure the safety of your people. I will search for…anyone that may be left on the island. And…let you know when it is safe to return. She moved to Shadow’s side and paused, shutting her eyes tightly.
Grey, I’m so sorry.
Grey Bergman: Grey tearfully nodded. She tried to muster a smile, but seeing Greg’s lifeless body in the Warden’s arms only started to make the situation more real.  However, as much as she wanted to mourn the loss of her baby brother, she had to push it down for the time being. Her people needed her. She needed to get back to them and speak to the Council about some actions that would need to be taken for the time being.
“It’s okay, Nala,” she said as she mounted Shadow. “Greg was a hero today.” She looked at the man in the demon’s arms holding out her own ready to take him. “He will be remembered as such.”
The Warden: Nala dipped her head and gazed at Greg’s body, another surge of wild emotions pulsing through her. Her grip tightened on his shoulders and underneath his legs, and she pulled him close, pressing her forehead against his, cursing the gods for taking him away from them. She hugged him close for a long moment, and then relinquished his body to Grey, settling him in her lap. Fly safe and swift.
Grey Bergman: The Chief nodded and looked down at her brother’s body in her arms. Her eyes welled up with tears realizing what needed to happen now. She would have to tell Warren, and then…they would have…to say goodbye to Greg. There was no Dragon God to bring him back from the dead this time.
“When you’re done here,” she said looking up at the Warden, “come to the next island. That’s where we all are.”
The Warden: The Warden dipped her head and turned, unable to look at Greg’s body for a moment longer. She disappeared into the remaining smoke and dust, and as Grey left Haligan Island, she would be able to hear the distant horrified screams of the last few unfortunate Central soldiers left on the island, echoing across the charred village and over the now-sunlit misty sea.
Grey Bergman: Shadow didn’t need to be told to fly slow back to the island. The fact that Grey was carrying the lifeless body of her adoptive brother was enough, and Grey was thankful for that. Nala was lucky that she didn’t have to stare at it, but Grey couldn’t help look down at Greg expecting him to wake up, to look up at her, and to smile. She prayed to Hel that he would wake up, but…he never did.
Tears flowed down her cheeks as she hugged him close. “Aw, Greg,” she whispered as she sobbed. She could hear Shadow crooning sadly, but the Chief did not respond. Grey could only hug Greg close trying to figure out what had to happen next. She knew they would have to give Greg a funeral as soon as Nala came back. Before that, she would have to tell Brandt, then Warren, then her mother, and Asha, and Warren would have to tell her children Lila and the kids, while she and Brandt would have to tell Sven, Dagny, and Kari. 
Her head was spinning as Shadow finally landed on the evacuation sight. She didn’t dare look up right away at least until she heard her husband running toward her. 
“Grey! We were just about to send a search party! Did you–” Grey looked up at her husband allowing him to see the tears running down her face and…Greg. Brandt stopped in his tracks, and his face filled with sadness. “…oh no…”
Category:Events
Category:EU
Category:Gunmar Rosso
Category:The Warden
Category:Grey Bergman
Category:Greg Ericson
Category:Brandt Felman