Xenologue 4: The New Shepherds

Many years in the future, Spencer battled savagely against the Risen, who were currently launching their final attack on Frar's castle. These Risen were the smartest, strongest, and most terrifying ones yet. Spencer ducked and wove, avoiding axes, arrows, swords, the works. He used his father Chase's taught skills to cut down Risen left and right with the golden broadsword Ragnell, but for every one he killed, two took its place.

“Gods damn it! How many of these things are there?” He looked around frantically, searching for a way out. “There's no way I'm gonna get out of here alive. My only hope is to hold the castle until my friends arrive. It would be so much easier if dad was here...” Suddenly, the entire castle shook to its core as the wall to the left of Spencer exploded violently. He screamed as he fell to the ground from the sudden force. Thankfully, the Risen followed suit and Spencer was left to watch the dust settle.

Once it did, it revealed a dragon several times larger than the castle itself. The huge beast had two rows of eyes, each situated above his giant maw which could consume an entire village unaided. The dragon's body could be seen snaking through the mountains surrounding the castle. It barked a heinous, bone-chilling laugh and Spencer realized just what he was looking at.

“Grima.” He said it so quietly he wasn't even sure of whether he said it out loud or not. The only sound that felt real in that moment was the laughter of the dragon, which caused the very earth to rumble.

“So ends the human race,” Grima snarled.

Spencer frowned. “No. Hope remains. The Shepherds will stop you!”

The laughter sounded once again, seemingly audible from every corner of the continent. “You don't have any idea what you're dealing with. The future is bright for me and this planet. It's too bad your kind won't live to see it!”

Spencer scrambled to his feet. He knew this was an impossible fight. How does one even begin fighting a dragon big enough to crush mountains? Not even Ragnell, the legendary sword wielded by Ike could stop Grima's murderous rampage. He held his sword out in front of him, shaking nervously. “Father... where are you?”

Grima looked down on him. “Your fathers are *both* dead now, tiny one!”

Spencer gasped and let go of Ragnell, allowing it to clatter to the ground. “What?!”

Suddenly, a quieter, much calmer voice sounded from behind Spencer. “Chase screamed when he died.” Spencer turned and froze in place when he saw a shadowy figure emerge from the rubble. “It was so satisfying to finish the work my father started when he killed DJ so many years ago.”

Tears started to form in Spencer's eyes, but he was too terrified by the dragon and the one who stood before him to actually cry. “Justin... We thought you died during the slaughter that took Knifez from us.”

The Shepherds' head tactician started laughing, and after a few seconds, Grima's laughter started as well, synchronized with the laughter of his host. Spencer lunged for Ragnell and managed to grab it before quickly getting to his feet. In the time it took him to arm himself, his human-sized opponent brandished a bloodstained sword “Now I complete the set! Die!” Spencer screamed desperately as Justin lunged for him. He was terrified to his core and it felt like all light had left the world, but Spencer kept fighting. The clashing of swords as they dueled was drowned out by Grima and Justin's synchronized laughter as he watched Spencer fight for his life.

Their blades locked together and Spencer got up close and personal with his opponent. “How could you?! Chase trusted you! Everyone trusted you!”

“I don't have to answer to you,” Justin said, his laughter gone as if laughter had never existed in the world. And for Spencer, it felt like it hadn't.

Tears forming in his eyes, Spencer nearly screamed his words as he attacked Justin savagely. “You have to answer to me on behalf of the men and women you killed! Bastard!” With one desperate swing, he somehow managed to knock Justin's sword from his hand. “What happened on the day Knifez died? Tell me!”

He held his hands in the air as a sign of surrender, but Justin's smirk that he kept on his face was terrifying. “I killed Knifez, left Sam for dead, stole the Forum Emblem, and hid away for all these years, obviously. It was difficult to kill my own brother, but it's not like he knew, or actually died... Just the other day, what was left of the Shepherds found my hideout and attempted to stop me from becoming Grima.” Spencer gasped as Grima's power caused another tremor. “So, naturally, I completed the Awakening and sacrificed every last one of them. Including your father, your dear auntie Chloe, and even Signele. All necessary sacrifices to create my new world. A world you won't live to see!”

Suddenly, Justin's image faded and Grima opened his maw to launch a fireball at Spencer. He jumped out of the way of the blast, but the smoke obscured his vision, so he didn't see Justin reappear, grab his sword and attack. Pain exploded from his side and the sound of blood splattering on the floor filled his ears. He screamed, waved Ragnell around blindly to ward off his attacker, and stumbled away, backing himself into a wall. As the smoke faded, Spencer checked out his new injury. A large gash in his side, spilling blood onto the floor and making him dizzy from merely the sight of it. There was no way he was going to win this fight now. The only hope he had was...

“Now, I kill you with my human hands.” Justin leapt at him, sword raised high, ready for the kill, when suddenly, a blast of fire magic blew him away. Justin's smoking body went flying out of sight, and Spencer looked to the direction the spell came from. As the smoke from casting the spell cleared, he saw the forms of Mason and Janice, looking grim and determined. In Mason's hand he gripped the spell he just used, ready to switch to his preferred dark magic if necessary, and Janice sat atop her wyvern, axe at the ready.

“Mason, Janice. You made it!” He said in disbelief.

“Yeah, of course we did,” Janice said as if it were a given. “Now let's get out of here before he wakes up.”

“*INSOLENCE*,” Justin and Grima roared at once. He rushed at the newcomers to the fight, but Janice and Mason were too much for his human form, now that they had the element of surprise on their side. Mason sent him flying once more with a powerful spell, allowing Janice to help Spencer onto her wyvern.

“Let's get you to a healer, bud,” she said as the three headed out of the castle.

“How many of us are here...?” Spencer asked weakly.

Mason took the responsibility of listing everyone off. “Janice, me, Augustus, Bohl, Jayde, Justice, Danica, Harley and Barbara. We still need to go pick up Kelsie and the others.”

Spencer nodded, hardly taking in the names that Mason was throwing at him.

“Say,” Janice said, “That guy...Grima's host I can imagine...he looked awfully familiar.”

“Justin...” Spencer grumbled. “Listen, whatever happens, we mustn't tell Jayde that her father is the traitor. This stays between us three, got it?”

Janice and Mason nodded, and Spencer's consciousness faded. The only thing he knew was real at that point was the sword he gripped tight in his arms.

Ragnell, the final memento from DJ, was the only family Spencer had left.

*Far, far from the castle, Janice's wyvern lands in a circle of people, who all immediately gather around their injured team member.*

**Barbara**: Hey, hey, guys, give us some space, alright? Do you have any idea how hard it is to heal someone without any breathing room? Geeze, inconsiderate, much.

*As Barbara gets to healing Spener's injuries, Janice and Mason are left to field all the questions everyone else has for them.*

**Harley**: What happened over there?

**Justice**: Has the castle been taken?

**Bohl**: We have been seeing the dragon from here, but he disappeared like the blinking of eyes. What was upping with that?

**Jayde**: Are the other Shepherds okay?

**Mason**: Hey, hey, calm down everyone. We have no idea. You'll have to ask Spencer once he wakes up.

**Janice**: There is one question I can answer. Frar's castle has fallen.

*An eerie, somber silence settles over the group as they accept this fact.*

**Justice**: Since our parents left Waydrn's castle unguarded, that makes two countries taken out.

**Danica**: And at this point, should we even bother trying to save Tost?

**Augustus**: Yeah, no, Tost is toast.

**Mason**: Fuck you, Augustus. This isn't the time for jokes.

**Barbara**: Alright, he's okay.

*The questions come once more as Barbara helps Spencer into a sitting position. He's not in top form, but he can answer questions.*

**Spencer**: Grima himself attacked the castle. That's right. He's alive. And he's strong. The reason you saw him disappear is because he has a human vessel.

**Jayde**: And what about everyone else?

*Looking at Jayde with misty eyes, Spencer gulps.*

**Spencer**: The Shepherds...are all gone.

*A gasp—and some sobs—ripples through the group.*

**Spencer**: They were lured into Grima's trap. They've all been sacrificed so he could come back. I'm...sorry.

**Jayde**: Oh no...mom…

**Bohl**: No...my dad is too strong to the being trapped. I...

**Justice**: Not my mom too...

**Danica**: My parents...they can't be gone!

**Augustus**: I knew I shouldn't have let my mom go. After dad was killed in the raid, I...damn it!

**Janice**: …

**Mason**: And here I thought it was a good thing my mother was out of the castle while it was being attacked.

**Harley**: This can't be happening...

**Barbara**: I can't believe that...how could they have been fooled so easily?

**Spencer**: ...It doesn't matter now. All that matters is that we're what's left. I have a plan.

**Barbara**: You already came up with a plan? Was my healing really that good or do you usually think on your feet like this?

**Spencer**: Heh, we'll go with the first one in this case. First, we should round up as many forces as we can. Who are we missing?

**Justice**: Kelsie isn't here. I know, because I'd recognize that mess of hair from a mile away.

**Spencer**: Thanks Justice. Who else?

**Barbara**: Maddie and Alicia are on their way. We should hang out around here for a while and wait for them.

**Spencer**: Not ideal, but we can do that.

**Danica**: Other than that, we're missing Chuck, Shed, Leslie and Will.

**Harley**: But they won't be too far out of the way, I don't think.

**Spencer**: Good. For this to work, we're going to have to weave in and out of Frar's mountains and hope Grima doesn't find us before we find what we need.

**Janice**: And what is this plan of yours?

**Spencer**: We're going to find the Forum Emblem.

**Augustus**: Aaaand I'm gonna stop you right there. How exactly did Grima come back?

**Spencer**: By performing the Awakening.

**Augustus**: Which—and correct me if I'm wrong—requires the Forum Emblem.

**Spencer**: Correct.

**Augustus**: So you want to go to the place that Grima woke up in...grab the Emblem, and slip out before he notices?

**Spencer**: That's the idea, yes.

**Augustus**: ...So we're essentially committing suicide. Good, fine. Okay.

**Bohl**: Are you having a better idea?

**Augustus**: Well...uh...no.

**Justice**: It's looking to me like we don't have a choice in the matter.

**Harley**: The only problem is that we don't know where he performed the ritual, and we probably want to do it on top of Mount Vrede.

**Mason**: Mount Prism would work too, worst-case scenario.

**Spencer**: We can work out the details on the way. First, we need to get Kelsie. Does anyone know where she might be?

**Harley**: I know where she lives. It's actually not far from here.

**Justice**: Wait, you know?

**Harley**: Uh, yeah?

**Bohl**: Nobody else has knowing of where she lives. Why do you know?

**Harley**: She...told me?

**Janice**: Seems like you're the only one.

**Danica**: It's fine. As long as someone knows where she is, we can go get her.

**Barbara**: But first we should wait for Alicia and Maddie.

**Spencer**: Right. Hopefully by the time they get here, I'll have fleshed out my plan.

**???**: There's a plan?

*Surprised, the group turns to see two new arrivals. One woman wearing robes indicative of her Sage class and one atop a pegasus.*

**Barbara**: Alicia! Maddie! You made it!

*The woman on the pegasus sighs.*

**Maddie**: Barely. I had to use up two tomes and a lance to make it through all those Risen.

*From on the ground, Alicia nods.*

**Alicia**: It was hell.

**Barbara**: Well, I'm glad you two made it.

**Maddie**: Me too. So what's the news?

**Augustus**: Basically, the world's gone to shit and we're gonna try to fix it.

**Alicia**: We knew that much.

**Spencer**: To put it a better way, we're gonna go pick up Kesh and then risk our lives.

**Maddie**: That's what I like to hear. Shall we go, then?

**Barbara**: We were waiting on you.

**Spencer**: This won't be easy, and I have a terrible feeling that not all of us are going to survive this.

**Mason**: If any of us...

**Spencer**: ...But we can do it. The Shepherds may be gone, but we can carry on in their place.

**Maddie**: Oh, can we be the New Shepherds?

**Barbara**: I like the idea of that.

**Alicia**: Ditto.

**Spencer**: Uh, okay. New Shepherds works.

*Suddenly, Grima's power causes a slight tremor in the ground beneath their feet.*

**Danica**: We should stop talking and start moving.

**Spencer**: Alright then. New Shepherds, move out!

*After Harley points the group in the right direction, they set off. Fortunately for them, Kelsie's residence isn't far from their initial rendezvous point, so it's only a matter of hours for the somewhat somber group.*

**Maddie**: Hey, Ali...

**Alicia**: Yeah?

**Maddie**: Is it me, or does everyone else seem super depressed or something?

**Alicia**: You know, now that you mention it, yeah. They do all seem sad. Wonder why that is.

**Barbara**: Oh right, you two hadn't arrived yet when we heard.

**Maddie**: What's the problem?

**Barbara**: Everyone else is dead. We're all that's left of the Shepherds.

**Alicia**: \*gasp\* What? Really?

**Barbara**: Yeah... it sucks, man. I only knew a few of them, but they were great.

**Maddie**: Who did you know?

**Barbara**: I knew Daniel, since he was the one who recommended I join. I also knew Anna, and by extension Kayla, Florence, and Signele.

**Alicia**: She's the one with the big bunny ears, yeah?

**Barbara**: She was, yeah.

**Alicia**: I knew her. She was an...interesting one.

**Maddie**: She lost her husband, of course she was weird.

**Jayde**: Fiancé.

**Maddie**: Uh, right.

**Barbara**: Anyway, I was gonna meet George too, who I heard great things about, but the big raid on Waydrn castle claimed his life.

**Maddie**: I was there for that. Not a great first mission.

**Augustus**: Oh yeah, I remember you being there. I remember more about that day than I should, honestly.

**Alicia**: Was it that bad?

**Augustus**: Oh yeah. Not many of us survived, and those of us who did wish we hadn't. My mom and I couldn't bring ourselves to fight for a good week or so after losing my dad. ...And now my mom's gone too...excuse me for a moment.

**Alicia**: Oh man...I only really knew Kayla and Anna, but knowing they're gone now is...heavy.

**Barbara**: Yeah...

**Harley**: You guys probably knew my mom, since she was the defacto leader.

**Maddie**: Pika?

**Harley**: Yeah.

**Alicia**: What was the story behind that, anyway?

**Harley**: On the day Knifez and Justin died, my dad sustained immense injuries, making him unable to fight. So he stayed bedridden for years and gave the Shepherds commands through my mom.

**Barbara**: So does that mean he survived?

**Harley**: ...Nope. Dude was stubborn. He had to be at the final battle, so he managed to muster the strength to go on that final mission with everyone. My mom told him not to, but...but...

**Maddie**: I'm sorry.

*Shaking her head violently, Harley quickly excuses herself before anyone can see her shed a tear.*

**Alicia**: Man...this sucks.

*Up at the front of the group, Mason and Janica speak to Spencer in hushed tones.*

**Mason**: I can't believe we trusted him. My blind faith in everyone has bit me in the ass again!

**Spencer**: Hush, don't get too loud.

**Janice**: Spence, we *have* to tell them. They deserve to know who killed our parents.

**Spencer**: Grima killed their parents. That's the truth.

**Mason**: And so did Justin. We're gonna just leave out that detail?

**Spencer**: Yes, actually.

**Janice**: Why?

**Spencer**: We don't know the whole story. He told me he was the one who killed Knifez and incapacitated Sam, but we don't know for sure. For all we know, Grima could be lying.

**Mason**: Yeah, I guess you're right.

**Janice**: Snap out of it, Mason. Dude, we all thought Justin was dead for years, but here he is, being Grima's damn vessel!

**Spencer**: Yes, and who told us he was dead?

**Mason**: Sam did.

**Spencer**: I'm thinking that one of the Grimleal took Justin captive, killed Knifez, and made Sam *think* Justin was dead to make things easier. I refuse to believe that he betrayed us willingly.

**Janice**: We didn't know the guy, so I don't find it too hard to believe.

**Spencer**: Okay, you try telling Jayde her father is the harbinger of the apocalypse and see how she reacts. Be sure to get right back to me on that.

**Janice**: ...That's a valid point.

**Mason**: Yeah, she wouldn't react too well to that, now would she?

**Spencer**: I'm sure Jayde's heard nothing but good things about her father, and who knows what this knowledge would do to her. She'd either shut down or...do the unthinkable.

**Janice**: ...You don't think she'd take his side, do you?

**Spencer**: Of course I don't, but I can't rule it out. That's not a risk I want to take. So Grima's identity remains secret at all costs. Understand?

**Mason**: Right.

**Janice**: I still don't like it...but okay.

**Spencer**: Glad we could agree on that.

**Bohl**: One, two, three, four...hey, are we missing a body?

**Danica**: Uh, yeah, we're going to get Keshie.

**Bohl**: No, not her. I am not finding Justice anywhere.

**Danica**: Hm? Oh, yeah, I guess I don't either. Where is that boy?

*Suddenly, a pair of scissors drops at their feet. Confused, Bohl and Danica look up just in time for Justice to descend on them, riding his pegasus.*

**Justice**: Hey, can you grab those for me? I dropped them.

**Danica**: These could have taken someone's eyes out, you know.

**Bohl**: Why were you playing with these anyhow?

*After he snatches the utensil from Danica with a glare, Justice explains.*

**Justice**: I was just grooming my pegasus.

**Bohl**: All the way in the sky?

**Justice**: Yeah. I needed alone time. Still do. I would appreciate that. Unless one of you wants me to do your hair too?

**Danica**: I'm good.

**Justice**: I wasn't offering you, thief.

**Danica**: Ugh...

**Bohl**: I will be passing away as well.

**Justice**: ...Bad phrasing, but I understand. Sorry for bothering you.

*Without another word, he and his pegasus ascend, high above the group.*

**Bohl**: ...Oh, he can keep watch for bad guys while he is up there too!

**Danica**: Yeah, great...what's his problem with me?

**Augustus**: You're a thief. He's named after Justice. I think he feels obligated to dislike you.

**Danica**: Oh boo-fucking-hoo. Not that there's even anything to steal in this hellscape.

**Bohl**: You can find something.

**Danica**: Thanks for the encouragement.

*Before much longer, the group are confronted by a horde of Risen.*

**Alicia**: Oh great, more zombies.

**Spencer**: New Shepherds, attack!

*The battle goes alright, though there are a few bumps in the road for the relatively new recruits. While those trained in combat from birth such as Spencer and Augustus strike down Risen easily, those that didn't have that luxury like Maddie, Alicia and Danica struggle a bit, relying on the stronger units to help them through. Danica sticks close to Jayde, thankful that she can hide behind a bigger target. Meanwhile, Maddie takes pointers from her fellow pegasus knight Justice and Alicia takes some long-winded lessons from Bohl.*

*Finally, when every Risen is cleared out, the New Shepherds find that they had a hostage.*

**Barbara**: Hey guys, wait! One of these bodies isn't a zombie.

**Spencer**: What?

**Barbara**: Look.

*She motions toward a still body among the Risen corpses. The person is scantily clad, revealing her gender and Sorcerer class. Her cape is torn and there are other various rips all over her costume. Spencer kneels down and nervously turns the girl over to see her bloodied face.*

**Maddie**: \*gasp\* It's Leslie!

**Mason**: That dark mage I helped George train?

**Barbara**: Oh man, if she was taken captive, who knows what could have happened to the rest of our new recruits? We need to heal her up.

**Alicia**: I'm not great at using the healing staff, but I can help.

**Barbara**: Thanks, Ali! Let's get to work.

*After several tense moments, Leslie's eyes flutter open and she looks around the group, confused.*

**Leslie**: Oh, I'm alive...

**Spencer**: You don't sound thrilled about that.

**Leslie**: I'm not. But thanks for saving me, I guess.

**Mason**: Leslie, how'd you get here?

**Leslie**: I was heading to Frar's castle and I was ambushed by these guys. They were too much for me. Wait...you're Mason, right? So are these the Shepherds?

**Mason**: What's left of 'em, yeah.

**Spencer**: Come with us. We could use every extra hand we can get.

**Mason**: She's good, I can vouch. She caught on to the arts of dark magic really fast.

**Leslie**: I'd love to, but those zombies took all my dark tomes away from me, so I'll be useless to you.

**Mason**: I have a few extras I can lend you.

**Bohl**: And I am having every other kind of magic you could be wanting.

**Leslie**: Okay then. I'll tag along for as long as I can. I hope I can keep up with you all.

**Barbara**: Sure you can. Just take it easy until we get to Kelsie's, alright?

**Leslie**: Gladly.

*It's only a matter of hours until the New Shepherds find themselves in a deserted village, completely empty save for the lights in one small house near the edge of town.*

**Spencer**: Is this the place?

**Harley**: Yep. It seems everyone evacuated though. I sure hope Keshie wasn't one of them.

**Justice**: Let's check that house.

**Janice**: Planning on it.

*She hops off her wyvern and marches to the door of the house, knocking on the door hard. It doesn't take long for someone who looks like a child to answer the door.*

**???**: Hey there! Oh man, you're Janice, aren't you?

**Janice**: Uh...yeah?

**???**: You grew up so fast! Last time I saw you, you were...well, my size!

**Harley**: Wait...Maggie?

**Maggie**: And you're definitely Harley. Kesh! Your friends are here!

*From inside the house, a second female voice sounds.*

**Kelsie**: They are?

*In seconds, Kelsie's at the door alongside her mom.*

**Kelsie**: Wow, hey guys. What brings...all of you here?

**Maggie**: Let's talk about that over some chow, huh? You all look famished.

**Spencer**: Thanks, Maggie.

*The New Shepherds and Maggie gather around the small house and Maggie and Kelsie, with Maddie's help, set about cooking a nice meal for everybody.*

**Maggie**: Man, you can tell this house is made for three people, because feeding all of you is gonna take all of our food that was for the next month.

**Spencer**: I'm sorry for the inconvenience.

**Maggie**: It's not a problem!

**Maddie**: Oh, you have cookie mix!

**Alicia**: Maddie, no! We need sustenance.

**Maddie**: I'm making cookies and there's nothing you can do to stop me.

**Maggie**: Heh, I like her!

**Kelsie**: So uh, why are we all here? This is like, everyone who's joined the Shepherds in the last five years. What's going on?

**Spencer**: It's a long story.

**Harley**: But before we get to that...Maggie, why are you here?

**Maggie**: Hm?

**Harley**: All of the Shepherds went on a mission, right?

**Maggie**: Oh right. Well, either me or Sarah needed to stay here to make sure Keshie stayed safe. I mean, we didn't need to, but we wanted to. So I stayed here.

**Kelsie**: Uh, yeah...I guess that's one way to put it.

**Spencer**: I see. Perhaps that was for the best.

**Maggie**: Why? What happened?

**Spencer**: You see...everyone who went on that mission...died.

**Kelsie**: What?!

**Maggie**: Oh no...

**Janice**: It was a trap. They were lured there to be sacrificed. Now they're all gone and Grima's here.

**Kelsie**: That can't be! Not my mom! There's no way she can be dead.

**Justice**: Trust me, we all feel the same way.

**Maggie**: \*sigh\* I knew this would end bad.

**Spencer**: Hey, maybe the fact that Maggie stayed behind can be a good thing.

**Bohl**: Why do you say that?

**Spencer**: Does anybody else know where that final mission was?

*A resounding silence.*

**Spencer**: Maggie, do you know?

**Maggie**: Duh! I was told.

**Spencer**: We need to know where the Shepherds went. We have reason to believe J—Grima used the Forum Emblem to resurrect, so we need to go to the site and grab the Emblem so we can use it.

**Maggie**: Sounds good. I can tell you where they went, but only if I can come too.

**Spencer**: I assumed you were coming with, so that's not a problem.

**Kelsie**: Wait, we're going?

**Maggie**: Of course, why wouldn't we?

**Kelsie**: I don't...I can't fight. I don't have the time to learn how to fight. I can't go!

**Maggie**: Wait, you mean Sarah never taught you?

**Kelsie**: She was gonna when she got back from the mission.

**Maggie**: ...Oh.

**Bohl**: She is right. All of our weapons take too much training to use in the right ways. We cannot train and go.

**Spencer**: Damn...

**Barbara**: I have an idea. How about I teach her to use a staff? We can always use more healers. And staves don't take as long to master as other weapons.

**Alicia**: Yeah, and I can help a bit too.

**Kelsie**: You would do that for me?

**Barbara**: Absolutely! I can't have anyone feeling useless while I'm around.

**Maggie**: Sounds like a plan! Let's leave as soon as possible.

**Maddie**: Which will be a while. I still have cookies cooking.

*A groan sounded from the New Shepherds.*

**Alicia**: God damn it, Maddie.

*About an hour passes while the New Shepherds wait for Maddie's cookies to be done. Shortly after she announces that they need only wait another half an hour, an explosion rocks the empty village, causing the restless Shepherds to leap to their feet.*

**Spencer**: What the hell was that?

**Maggie**: Our neighbors aren't *that* noisy...

*The New Shepherds file out of the house to see a horde of Risen larger than any they had seen before. Their spirits fall at the sight of the waves of the undead.*

**Alicia**: That's a lot of dudes.

**Justice**: From up here, I can see that there's way more where they came from.

**Bohl**: That is no good.

**Mason**: They could probably outnumber Frar's army, if they still had one.

**Spencer**: We can't fight them. We have to run.

**Danica**: No matter how fast we go, they'll catch up to us in no time.

**Leslie**: We're doomed. There's no way we can get away from that.

**Maggie**: ...Not unless they're distracted.

**Kelsie**: What do you mean?

**Maggie**: Kesh, take one of our neighbor's horses and go with your friends. I'll keep these guys busy until you get away.

**Kelsie**: But how will you catch up?

**Maggie**: My other form's a dragon, I'll be able to make it! For now all I gotta do is point you guys in the right direction. The last mission was not even a day's journey west of the Frar castle. You all should be just a day and a half from the place we had tracked the Grimleal to. I'll catch up before you get there, and I'll even bring Maddie's cookies with me.

**Spencer**: Right. But...

**Maggie**: We don't have time to argue. Go!

**Kelsie**: But mom!

*Before any further arguments can be made, the Risen start advancing on the group. Maggie transforms into her dragon form and launches a huge fireball into their front lines, scattering them.*

**Maggie**: GO!

*Kelsie reluctantly nods and does as she said, running into a neighbor's stable, jumping on their horse, and riding it to join her team.*

**Spencer**: Good luck, Maggie. Let's go, everyone.

*The New Shepherds make haste, leaving as fast as possible while Maggie stays back and fights the Risen on her own. It's smooth sailing at first, as her fireballs manage to make ample space between her and the attackers. Unfortunately, as time wears on, the sheer numbers of the Risen start to overwhelm her. Despite her ability to last against the Risen for close to an hour, once she starts taking hits, her luck goes downhill fast. Finally, a fireball explodes against her scaly hide and she crashes to the ground, groaning in pain. The Risen oddly don't close in for the kill, which confuses her until somebody makes their way to the front of the group.*

**Maggie**: Ugh, what's going on...?

**???**: Hello Maggie.

*The manakete looks up to see a ghastly familiar face.*

**Maggie**: You...but...there's no way. You died. A long time ago.

**???**: I thought the Manakete were stronger than that. The ones in my time were, anyway.

**Maggie**: Your time...? \*gasp\* You're not Justin.

**???**: I'm Grima now.

**Maggie**: No...

**Grima**: I thought I was missing a Shepherd. This vessel had startlingly good memory of the comrades he betrayed. And I would have remembered the taste if I had consumed a manakete.

**Maggie**: Betrayed...? No....You bastard!

*With the last of her energy, Maggie transforms into a Manakete and leaps at Grima, snarling and snapping her fangs at him. He jumps back, effortlessly dodging the attack. She launches a fireball at him, which the dark aura around him absorbs, leaving no trace of the attack.*

**Grima**: Noble effort. But two of us can play at that game.

*He holds out his arms and the dark energy around him starts swirling violently. The ground beneath them tremble, but Maggie holds her ground.*

**Maggie**: Sorry Kesh...I don't think I'll be able to bring the cookies after all.

*The New Shepherds are far from the village, but they feel the ground shake and turn back to face where they came. To their horror, they watch a dragon's form rise over the horizon. The dark form of the dragon is clearly looking down, but that takes Kelsie's heart into her stomach.*

**Kelsie**: That...is not the dragon I grew up with.

**Spencer**: Grima...He oversaw the attack on the village himself.

**Janice**: That sadistic son of a bitch.

*The dragon opens his gaping maw and the New Shepherds see a flash of light before a mushroom-shaped cloud rises over the horizon, replacing the sight of the massive dragon.*

**Kelsie**: *MOM, NO!*

**Leslie**: So this is the power of the Fell Dragon...

**Kelsie**: Mom! We have to go back!

**Spencer**: No, Kelsie! Facing Grima is suicide. There's nothing we can do now.

*As the group gets moving, Kelsie breaks down completely, sobbing violently into her horse's mane. Nobody in the group can think of anything else to say, so they spend the next few hours listening to the sobs of someone who just lost her mother.*

*Some of them join in the tear-letting, finding comfort in the fact that they aren't the only ones crying.*

==> XENOLOGUE 5: A GLIMMER OF HOPE

## Current Party

**Future Children**

* Spencer. Myrmidon. An enigmatic man who thirsts for a better world.
* Danica. Trickster. A cunning, flirty girl who could rob even the greatest thieves blind.
* Bohl. Mage. An confusing youth with incredible intelligence and not so great speech patterns.
* Jayde. Taguel. A hyperactive Taguel obsessed with the goal of making the species thrive.
* Kelsie. Troubadour. A lazy, adopted child who was given everything before the world burned.
* Augustus. Fighter. A fun-loving warrior with sharp wit and even sharper axes.
* Janice. Wyvern Rider. A rebellious Wyvern Rider with more love for her wyvern than herself.
* Justice. Pegasus Knight. A nervous boy whose top priority is exceeding his father's expectations.
* Mason. Dark Mage. An uptight mage who stands for nothing and falls for anything.
* Harley. Archer. A reserved girl torn between saving the world and protecting her family.

#### **New Shepherds**

* Barbara. War Cleric. A New Shepherd who loves tough guys almost as much as her axe.
* Alicia. Sage. A New Shepherd with more magic prowess than she knows what to do with.
* Maddie. Dark Flier. A New Shepherd who would rather whip up some magic in the kitchen than on the battlefield.
* Leslie. Sorcerer. A New Shepherd with a grim outlook on life and powerful, even more grim magic.

Paralogues: Paralogue 1: From Sickle to Sword - Paralogue 2: The Secret Seller - Paralogue 3: Taylor's Dilemma - Paralogue 4: Rides With Wyverns - Paralogue 5: Wings of Justice - Paralogue 6: Tournament of Kings - Paralogue 7: All Buns go to Heaven - Paralogue 8: The Lyin' King - Paralogue 9: Doing God's Work...Kinda - Paralogue 10: Nose in the Book, Head in the Clouds - Paralogue 11: Fast Fingers and Freedom - Paralogue 12: Witchcraft and Wizardry

DLC: The Conquest of The Domain [ Xenologue 1: Twenty-One Years Ago... - Xenologue 2: Fight of the Mapmakers - Xenologue 3: Capital City Onaw ] Days of Future Past [ **Xenologue 4: The New Shepherds** - Xenologue 5: A Glimmer of Hope - Xenologue 6: Beginning of the End ]

Non-Canon: A Very Forum Emblem Christmas! - Reawakened - Tales From the Barracks [ Second Seal Scramble ]