"Where did that boy go?"

There was noticeable irritation from the woman best known as "Hazel". She had watched the children flee along with the remainder of the Nieve family. It was only Roger, Sara, Mary, and herself who had given them chase. Of everyone that was involved, only Mary seemed actually interested in catching the children and Rablin. She hadn't expected John to come from such useless blood, but here they were. This much, at least, had gotten the shady woman's attention and she wasn't going to ignore it. Especially if those kids were planning on somehow standing in John's way. "We should've kept pursuing them."

"For what reason?" They were back inside the Nieve living room by now. It was by some miracle that Kayden called her father's affiliate inside to "see something cool" at the height of the chase. Whether the younger girl was aware or not, she had probably just saved Caleb's skin. At least for the time anyway. It was against the rules for John's "business partners" to say "no" to the girl much to Hazel's further annoyance. It was forbidden to ever let her feel neglected, ignored, or unloved. That much was asking for a death sentence from her father himself. "They would have just kept running."

"Running into trouble, yes."

"If you have any interest in stopping them. ." Sara Nieve crossed the living room with considerable ease and a dagger hidden up her right sleeve. Mary and Marrathew, meanwhile, had since led Skyla and her cousin outside with promises of picture books, imaginary games, and cookies. Roger was also gone by now with his medical supplies in hand and with Ribbon at his side. He had an inkling of where Caleb went and a nod that confirmed as much. He was going to help in his own way and who was the elderly woman to stop him? Sara, meanwhile, only found herself standing directly in front of the door with aggressive intent in her eyes. "Then I dare you to try."



The denizens of Thorn City seemed content on operating as normal. News of the coup had yet to spread while very few seemed bothered by the reports of recent slaughter. Not that they would have much cared if they knew about the conflict, chaos, or the Hunter's further plans anyway. Citizens always chose to remain mute on matters that did not affect them as it were. Gang violence had become so normal to them over the past few decades anyway. It was better to stay ignorant or silent when it came to the violence, especially when their own lives were at risk. The Hunter had to sympathize with that much at least. Or, at least, he would have if he still had a family or men to call his own.

This is probably why it was so convenient for the alligatorman to slip in though. One trip through the aqueduct overnight led to a stroll through the city where there wasn't a single glance shot in his direction. Thorn City was always a melting pot so it wasn't impossible for another of his species to pass through here anyway. Even still, he thought that he could hear a faint voice calling for him somewhere in the distance: "Byures!"

It was never a good sign that someone had recognized him, especially from within a crowd. A cloak had done enough to obscure his noticeable features even if he did tower over the other creatures that frequented the other city. There was nobody left alive to know that name though. His family was long gone and so was his men. There was two people, perhaps, but they likely had gone on from the city by now. It took all of his self-control to not glance back and yet he did so anyway.

"Caleb?"

John Junior checked the pouch at his hip for what felt like the thousandth time. Hazel had outfitted him with several of her more interesting inventions. Two she'd made him drink right then and there, the effects of which coursed through his system. Occasionally it crossed his mind that she could poison him, and he'd not be able to tell the difference from her supposedly beneficial potions. His blood felt as if it were on fire, though it had faded to the soft dance of coals instead of the raging inferno it had been an hour prior.

However, his senses were heightened, as she had promised. A sour scent caressed his thoughts, as reassuring as the small glass bottles wrapped in felt. She had sworn to him that the smoke produced upon breaking the vials would assault the more sensitive noses of his reptilian opponents. They might outmatch him in blades, but he had brains beyond theirs. This time he would not be caught unaware. For now, however, the entirety of his focus rested not upon revenge against the hedonistic murderers, but upon the task he had just been assigned. He supposed any concoction brewed specifically to combat the lizardfolk would work just as well upon a larger scaled being. An alligator was not something he wished to fight, but orders were orders.

He inclined his head towards the warrior-turned-messenger-dog. Darmae was a foul woman, and John was glad she had not come to see him herself. He didn't particularly like following her orders, but sometimes you had to obey those you did not care for. His family would be safest with him in her pocket, and with the information he received in return, most of his gang would survive the slaughter. He had already lost a few good men, and more yet would die. His heart ached with the loss of his friends. But casualties were inevitable, and everyone in Oceanside knew the risks they were taking when they joined the ranks.

"My life before hers," he murmured with an easy smile. "This Hunter shall be handled."

Joran waved him off dismissively. "She shall be very disappointed if you are not as good as we have been told. If you fail in this, you had best hope that it is because this Hunter killed you." John merely smiled in response.

~~~~

Caleb's friendly face was a pleasant but not welcome sight. This was no place for a bunch of children. Despite his mission, Hunter paused to greet the ragtag group of youth. "Caleb. Edward. It's good to see you again. And who is with you?" As the young hippocampus pulled up beside him, Byures could see that his first impression was incorrect. The young horse did not seat three children, but instead two and a short green man.

Flower flapped her good wing as she eyed the predator warily. Caleb reached up absently to stroke her feathers. "Jake and Rainbow," he answered in a distracted tone of voice. "I'm very glad to see you. I need help! Something awful is happening, and I need to get into the big tree there."

Hunter couldn't help but feel a smile tug at the corners of his lips. "Funny, so do I." He replied casually. Caleb had the most serious expression upon his face in that adorable way children tried to be grown up before their time.

"Now is not a good time." Caleb dismounted, his hand hovering near his sword. "We are here to fight."

"I was just about to say the same to you." Byures did not like the idea of a bunch of youth running amuck under his feet while he slaughtered those responsible for the deaths of his men. Too much liability, and he wouldn't be able to kill indiscriminately. He would need to watch out for and to protect these young ones. "You should go home, Caleb. Though I appreciate that you want to do the right thing, this is no place for children."

Caleb puffed up in self inflated pride. "I have defeated a town of dwarfs, I can handle this. Rainbow is here with me, we shall succeed. But we would be honored to have you fight by our side. We will not be stopped, there is no point in trying to prevent us from carrying out our mission. The city will not be safe if we do not get inside!" He turned to Jake as he added, "You and Edward will stay here to guard the entrance. If reinforcements arrive, we need you to be able to warn us." Jake nodded seriously at his orders.

Byures shrugged. "Then I suppose I shall not stop you." He would merely need to find a way to lock the child out of the room before he started his revenge. He gestured towards the suspiciously empty entrance hall. "But I will insist that I go first. If there is an attack waiting inside, I shall be better equipped to take a surprise blow than you." Caleb conceded the point reluctantly. Byures entered the large tree, swiftly accessing the situation. Thus far it had been alarmingly easy. The human and Rablin stepped in behind him.

"We need to find the right spot for Rainbow to take out this evil gnome that's here. I am going to defend him while he casts his spell." Caleb explained nobly. "Why are you here, Byures?"

Byures shrugged. "To kill the council."

The unexpected ring of steel echoed in the empty hall. Faster than Hunter had expected, the child darted in front of him, his old sword leveled at his stomach. Byures supposed, with mild amusement, that was as high on him as Caleb could comfortably threaten. The child's jaw was clenched in determination. "I can not let you do that," he declared. The child's voice cracked with betrayal. "You will have to fight me first!"

For a creature his size, Byures could move at bewildering speeds. One second, Caleb stood on his feet, menacing the hulking aligatorman at blade’s length, the next Byures grasped the sword by the blade giving the boy a gentle push using his free hand. It did not take much, even holding back his immense strength to a mere percentage of its full potential Byures sent Caleb tumbling back, landing hard on his rump upon the polished marble floor. For the second time in less than forty-eight hours Caleb found himself bested by a reptile. Although the first one he faced undoubtably outmatched him in size and strength and speed he could at least stayed on his feet for more than two seconds during their duel. The sheer difference between himself and Byures however could not be described by anything less than astronomical. The boy felt more embarrassed than hurt, and even the momentary flare of fear that rose in his gut faded when he saw the calm and unaggressive mien upon the Hunter’s face. Byures did not seem interested in harming Caleb further at all, instead he examined the captured sword, spinning the antique to inspect the smith work, and testing its edge on his thumb. The Hunter began to hum, a deep rumbling sound that stopped and started again rhythmically. Like a house cat chirping, except this hypothetical cat weighed over two thousand pounds and spent most of its life submerged beneath murky river waters. He is laughing at me! Caleb realized, his cheeks burning at the thought. He knocked me over easy as you please and is laughing about it.

“Did you think to kill me using this butter knife little one?”

Caleb started in surprise at the blunt yet humor laced question. “…Yes, I mean… I could… No.” He stared down at the marble tiling, tracing small circles on the smooth surface. “I don’t think I could have.”

“I would be very impressed if you did manage it.” Byures held the cutlass up to the light, the hilt dwarfed inside his hand. Even the blade seemed more a curved dagger than a proper sword when he wielded it. “This weapon has not been sharpened… Maybe ever. It is a decorative piece, fashioned of cheap steel.” Taking hilt and blade tip in either hand he squeezed them together. The metal might as well have been made of paper for all the resistance it gave. Caleb winced as the sword snapped under the unbearable pressure as one might break a dry twig. Byures tossed the two ruined halves away, snorting and laughing in his strange, almost alien way.

“Hey that wasn’t mine!” Caleb protested, struggling back to his feet. “I needed to return it, I was only borrowing them.”

“Consider yourself fortunate boy.” Byures said, suddenly serious a dangerous light shining in his eyes. “That blade would surely have failed you, and if you intend to fight and survive here today, you’ll need proper steel. Not some toy you pulled off a wall.”

Resting his hands on his hips Caled sized the ginormous aligatorman up and down, considering his options. When they separated last Caleb considered Byures a friend, and a trusted one at that. After all he guided them faithfully to the human portion of Thorn City, and helped Edward, and attempted to teach him magic. Now however, the Hunter’s expressed wish to slay the City Council meant they were enemies, or at the very least advisories. The swift reversal of their relationship paired by the understanding that Jake, Rainbow, Edward, and himself would be trivial annoyances for the hostile giant should he intend to finish his mission left a bitter taste in Caleb’s mouth. Still, it was the knightly thing to stand up for right and good, and he could not back down now. “That’s the problem isn’t it?” He expressed, releasing a heavy sigh. “You’re working for the evil gnome guy and trying to forward a hostile takeover of the city, meaning I have to fight you, or at least I’ve got to try.” Bravely Caleb squared his shoulders, standing like mouse before a lion his small chin stuck out, and his slight stomach sucked in. Though worry knitted his brow he declared in the manliest voice he possessed. “I cannot let you murder councilmembers or attempt to take over the city. So please… Don’t…?”

For his part Byures did not laugh, no matter how much he might have liked too. Instead he maintained his serious composure, drawing forth his weapon, a massive poleaxe that stood half his height, and yet still towered over Caleb. Resting the weapon spike down upon the ground Byures leaned against the polearm, considering the small warrior barring his path. “You do not know of what you speak.” He began gently. “I do not serve any gnome, nor do I wish to take over anything, especially not Thorn. I do not know who or what you mean by these things. I have but one purpose here, which you already know. I swear upon all that is holy, from this day forth I do not serve anyone or anything. Not anymore. Once I followed the commands of the Smuggler Chief. A good Crocarkil, a fair leader, and a great friend. But now he sleeps forever more beneath the swamps, and his head adorns the third district’s fort walls, stuck atop a pike. The army was ordered by the council to strike every criminal organization, hideout and member, and slaughter them all, even the non-violent ones… All my friends, and colleagues rest in shallow graves dead, I am the last one left of the Smugglers. But I am the Hunter, and the blood of my companions cries out for revenge. No one, not even you brave little knight will stop me from achieving that goal, so that I might reap vengeance upon those who gave the order.”

Confusion marred the pixie face as Caleb’s bold and righteous stance faltered. “I don’t understand… I just do not want you killing the council. They are the good guys…. Right?”

“Not in my eyes young one.”

“You would think that, not that it matters.” A third voice joined their conversation. Striding across the open space came John Nieve Junior, flanked by an equally well-equipped gnome. John appeared different in Caleb’s opinion, his pupils dilated, his flesh drawn tight over bone and muscle, and his veins bulging an unsightly green. Clutched lightly in one hand rested his longsword, the razor point hovering a hairsbreadth above the ground, a large center grip shield adorning his left. He even donned armor in preparation, a coat of glimmering maille and boiled leather strapped across his vitals, and a skullcap secured atop his head. Finally, he wore a leather belt strapped around his waist, covered in bottles, vials, and other such items including a large leather pouch. Caleb even recognized a few of the items amongst the lot, spotting a few small purple flasks in the collection, containing the pain reducer and energizer, and a couple makeshift flashbangs John deployed against his previous reptilian foes.

“What do you mean?” Byrues asked, unsettled by the armored duo’s approach. The human foe would be different than all the others he could tell at once. He smelled heavily of a dozen different potions, each one more potent then the last, and likely driving the man’s heart rate up to dangerous levels. Only a very desperate person would induce themselves to so many magical enhancers at once, but this man seemed able to handle the strain, for now at least. Despite the numerous side effects altering his mental and physical wellbeing before their very eyes. His partner less so, but still he looked dangerous all the same armed and armored to the teeth.

“The council is dead in full, for their betrayal of the city. Even as we speak, steps are being taken to ensure no such traitorous actions can ever be taken again.” John declared, as if he spoke before a large assemblage and not an empty hall. Of course, Darmae still lived, but if he could get the alligatorman to turn around and go back the way he came without a fight he would seize the opportunity. John knew beyond the large doors behind him leading into the council chambers proper, the woman sat upon her throne of bodies, listening to every word. The air pulsed at that moment, and John felt more than saw Scer beginning to creep through the walls, his black magic polluting the wood all around them. Slowly the horrific scar spread even further, each passing second securing the gnome’s victory ever tighter. Soon Darmae would enact the final spell, and gift him control of Thorn forever. John tried to keep his eyes locked on Byures, resisting his urge to skim his eyes upwards towards the rafters, where half a dozen gnomes crouched, hidden in the lofty shadows, their loaded crossbows aiming poison bolts at the imposing Hunter.

“You have no purpose here.” John continued raising his sword towards the mighty Byures. “I urge you depart back to your forests and remain there. I am told you spilt enough blood to satisfy your need for vengeance. Now nearly a hundred families are fatherless at your hand, and yet you desire more? Well trust me when I say, the council are slain. Your fallen are avenged three times over.”

Mulling this new revelation over Byures hefted his poleaxe, resting the weapon across his broad shoulders. Of the five people present in plain sight, everyone except John and Joran looked exceedingly confused, and the Hunter even appeared annoyed. “Is this,” he inquired, turning his long head to stare at Caleb. “Perhaps a part of the gnome takeover you spoke of?”

“I… I do not know. John, what’s going on, I thought we’d come here to save the city. Is that what you’re doing, or did you help defeat the council?” Caleb walked closer to the armored man, fighting to hold back the hurt and uncertainty he felt. Would everyone he knew in this place turn out to be a bloodthirsty criminal or part of some grand conspiracy? It made him long for the rustic simplicity of Eagletown, where a fellow could be trusted to be nothing more than what he claimed. A part of Caleb began to despise the city, for all its beauty and wonder it remained mired in wickedness, down to its very core.

John frowned at this, worrying at his lower lip until it bled. “We’re saving this city from itself, for the good of everyone.” He claimed, though he only half believed it. Joran was much more confident in answering however, puffing out his chest and smiling wickedly.

“The city shall be cured of its weakness, and the rot shall be cut out, root and stem.”

“Wait!” Rainbow exclaimed. He had been silent up to this point, watching the unfolding events from the sidelines, but now he drew attention to the far wall where dark veins were spiderwebbing their away across the living wall. “The counter spell must be cast! See how the cancer spreads, and once it reaches the heart who knows what destructive power he might possess.”

“Counter spell!” Joran the gnome spluttered, his vicious mien collapsing in shock. “No such thing exists, what’s done is done unless Darmae is slain. Even then, another spellcaster of equal power could be found, even if it would take far longer.”

A hush fell over the assembled, and John ground his teeth at the stupidity of his companion, even as Byures’ brow rose.

“So, the murderous witch still lives…” The Hunter mused, his fingers tightening around the wooden shaft of his poleaxe. “I have a reckoning with her, and any of her other ‘leadership’ that still breath. No doubt you would be willing to lie about them as well, for whatever reason.”

“Ah hell, BOLTS LOOSE!” Joran shouted, whipping free his sword. The six assassins took aim, the majority angling their shots to hit the largest target, though two among them chose smaller victims, deciding to end the potential threat this so-called ‘counter spell’ presented to their master’s plans.

Later John would never be able to explain how he reacted so fast. Perhaps it was just the potions enhancing his speed and instincts, maybe it was something else. Abandoning sword and caution and vows John closed the gap and wrenched Calob closer covering the child under his shield as the first bolt thudded home, quivering where the child’s back might have been unprotected a mere moment before. Even as five more shots buzzed down amongst the beset and unsuspecting heroes…

“That TRAITOR! Darmae, help Jaron kill John and his friends,” Scer’Pi’Kenes rumbled with disdain from within the tree as he continued his work. Darmae sighed, saying “yeah, okay” before getting off her throne of corpses to walk to the hallway where the conflict was taking place. As she walked, she thought she heard something, then suddenly something wrapped itself around her ankle and tripped her onto the ground.

Just as she looked behind her to see the vine that tripped her, Darmae heard Mason’s distinct voice say a single word: “regrowth.” Suddenly, the mushroom men that had been killed were rising from the dead! Darmae scowled as she yanked the vine from her ankle and watched the red-haired man roll down from the pile of corpses.

Mason grabbed a sword from one of the bodies, taking a defensive kneeling position behind the bodies. “I’ll finish you for good,” the elderly woman said with contempt, “these mindless golems won’t stop me.” Seemingly in response, Mason coughed up blood; the man knew he wasn’t in the best of shape, but he hoped his mushroom men could hold off Darmae until he could finish his next spell. As they began surrounding her, Mason began chanting in a hushed tone of voice, putting all of his energy into the effort.

---

Outside the Great Oak, Jake and Edward were vigilantly on guard against potential threats. Not only were they protecting Caleb, Rainbow and Flower, now they were protecting Byures as well. Even though John Jr was with them, they wouldn’t let down their guard. Suddenly, they heard a voice - probably the gnome the younger John was with - yell. “Ah hell, BOLTS LOOSE!” This startled the pair, who were wondering what exactly was going on. “Should we help them?” Edward asked. Jake responded in the affirmative: “yeah! Let’s go!”

Just as they were about to ride in though, they were seemingly suddenly surrounded by a dozen armed gnome warriors. Apparently the pair weren’t as observant as they thought.

One of them spoke up. “You aren’t going anywhere, kid.”

---

Meanwhile, at Darmae’s original destination, there was chaos and Jaron was absolutely livid. How dare that upstart Nieve boy betray them like this? Scer had done so much for him too. This would not stand. If nothing else, Jaron vowed to himself that John Nieve Jr. would die today. He pressed a button hidden under his chest plate, causing his armor and sword to glow a deadly shade of gray, then advanced on the traitor to slash him with his sword.

At the same time, Byures was angry as well, although for different reasons. One of the poisonous arrows had actually hit him and he was not interested in being poisoned to death today. Even so, he took a moment to analyze the situation. No use in charging in foolishly to die, after all. Caleb was trying to help the city from whatever these gnomes were doing, so they could work together to stop the gnomes. The potioned man apparently knew Caleb and had saved him, so he was an ally as well, at least for now. And the little green man had come in with Caleb, so he was a friend, plus he had a way to stop whatever was happening to the Great Oak. Therefore, protecting Rainbow and Caleb was the first priority, and that meant stopping those aerial gnomes from taking more pot shots at them. The witch and the poison could be burned later, in that order.

Based on the directions the arrows came from and the sounds emitted from the ceiling, the Hunter knew where his prey lied. He didn’t have any projectile weapons, but anything thrown hard enough would be projectile enough for his purposes. So with as much might as he could, Byures threw his poleaxe in the direction of the formerly hidden gnome assassins.

This was clearly not something the gnomes had expected, based on their panicky reaction. “What the-” one started to say before he was literally cut off by the sharp part of the poleaxe. And while they were preoccupied with his weapon, the alligatorman was climbing up the tree to the rafters where the remaining five gnomes and the poleaxe were.

So much for having “spilt enough blood.”

---

Caleb was just shocked at what was unfolding; John was his enemy, then he wasn’t and he saved his life. The boy couldn’t figure out what to do right now as the chaotic situation unfolded. Rainbow, on the other hand, did not have that problem. He saw the gnome Byures kill drop a knife; he ran to pick it up, and then ran back to Caleb to snap him out of his daze.

“Caleb, come on” Rainbow told him in a hushed tone of voice as he gave him the knife, “while everyone’s distracted, we can go to the Chambers and get this spell cast.”

"I always knew you were trouble."

"Likewise. What kind of mother disowns her own son? What kind of mother so openly dislikes him? So openly criticizes him? So openly hates him?" It was for the better that Kayden was in the backyard with her cousin and aunt right now. She didn't need to be exposed to this kind of bloodshed. And Sara fully intended to rip this woman apart if it meant protecting her family. If it meant protecting Caleb. This threat was reassured by the two daggers that had been slid loose from her sleeves. Each one found a place in her palm with a single blade pointed towards the delinquent. "Kayden deserves a better grandmother than you."

"Like you or any of John's crooks give a damn about her. She deserves better than what she got: a father obsessed with a life of crime. She'll probably have to live in denial forever because of him." A scowl crosses the elderly woman's face. This, however, was quick to shift into a smirk. "Well, dearie. If you feel that way. . Then, why don't you come say that to my face?"

Hazel was more than happy to oblige. A concoction was swiftly tossed to the floor and shattered upon impact. A harmless smoke rose into the air and began to spread at an alarming rate. It was also more than enough to cloak the rogue woman from sight. She wasn't much of a fighter, admittedly. She preferred shadow tactics and the occasional assassination in dark alleyways instead. Her specialty was more with toxins and less with confrontation. Violence ran in her blood, however. This was true for almost everyone in Thorn City, both young and old. "You're a hypocrite fueled by violence, Sara Nieve!"

"And you're a coward unwilling to face consequences." A body came from somewhere above with a curved dagger aimed downward. The elderly woman had barely lifted her own weapon to deflect the weak attack. Their clash was more than enough to stagger Hazel backwards, however. This was quickly followed by the potion master back stepping and disappearing into the smoke once more. The miasma, meanwhile, continued to spread until it covered most of the living room. Sara was quite clearly at a disadvantage here. Not that it was going to stop her, however. She wasn't going to let Hazel hurt Caleb or her grandson. "What do you know of this takeover?"

"That is none of your concern." An unseen smile flashed as a dagger ripped through the fog from behind Sara. The elderly woman was quick to dodge with a strife, however. Her hand was then swiftly raised to catch Hazel's arm which had arced downward for a stab. One of her own weapons was carelessly dropped onto the floor during this. The other dagger, meanwhile, came upright to strike Hazel's stomach. Based on the cry and horrific shade of crimson that was to follow, it definitely hit its mark. Sara's grip on the rogue tightened. "H-Hey! L-Let me go!"

The fog, which was only good for sixty seconds or less, was already beginning to lift. Sara hadn't doubted that Hazel had another trick hidden up her sleeve though. There was no way that one of John's cronies would surrender so easily. That didn't matter though. Sara hardly had a need for answers and had even less interest in defeating the younger woman. She only needed to distract Hazel until Jake, Caleb, Edward, and Rainbow returned from the Great Oak. "I won't let go until you answer my question."

"Like hell I'll answer any of your questions." Hazel's pathetic attempt at resistance continued as the crimson wound expanded against her shirt. Spit was directed towards the elderly woman's face in the process. How rude. Not that Sara expected anything less from small time crooks. "I'll never betray the son that you abandoned!"

A twisted smirk crossed Sara's face then. "I suppose that I'll just have to force the truth out of you then."

"Must you be in the chambers?" John asked.

Rainbow nodded earnestly. "It is the only way to stop this."

"Then I will go with you." John declared firmly. "Darmae will be up there, and you will not stand a chance against her. I will kill her-"

A gnome landed at their feet, sprawling lifelessly across the floor. "I'll hit you with the next one," Hunter threatened from the rafters. "Darmae is mine. You stay here to fight these pathetic targets."

Caleb shook his head frantically. "I don't care who comes, but we need to go now!"

The door banged open as soldiers marched into the tree, neatly lined up. At the front marched poor little Jake, his face pale and his body held stiff and rigidly. Behind him was a soldier with his fingers entwined through the boy's hair and a blade at the boy's throat. "No one moves." He demanded in a sharp tone of voice.

John felt his heart go cold as he stared at his nephew. Jake was trying to look so strong and brave, but even from across the room John could see the tears that threatened to spill, and the razor thin line of blood from when the blade had accidentally bit his flesh. He had no doubts he could kill the man from where he stood, but could he kill all of them before one got a blade in Jake? His fingers twitched against his blade as a million possibilities flashed into his mind. He needed to act, and he needed to act now.

~~~~

Edward's sides heaved as he galloped through the streets. He hadn't wanted to leave Jake, but the two of them had not been strong enough to fight the entire army. The only thing he could think to do was to follow Jake's high, terrified order. 'Get Grandma'. Sara would know what to do. Sara would save Jake.

Edward skidded on a loose cobblestone, but managed to keep his balance as he careened around a corner. A woman shouted at him for his carelessness, and a dog was barking from somewhere nearby. All he could think to do was go for help. He started down the street as the barking got louder. Tears blinded him as he surged forward.

Ribbon barked again.

Edward drew up short, his sides heaving as the friendly pup leaped around his legs and barked again. "Mister Roger!" Speaking strained his lungs, but he knew he needed to get his message out to someone. And Roger was much closer than Sara. "Jake has been captured! They're heading inside the tree with him to go kill Caleb!"

~~~~

Hazel squirmed in Sara's grip, desperately trying to wrench her wrist free. The older woman laughed, enjoying the control she had. She adjusted her grip and pressed hard until she heard Hazel squeal in pain. The younger woman's jerked her shoulders as she unsuccessfully tried to free her hand. Sara twirled her knife lazily between her fingers.

"This will only get worse for you if you fight back," Sara warned her in a tone that was almost mistakable for friendly. Gently she set the blade against Hazel's arm. "Now, why don't you start by answering my question, yes?"

"I'll answer nothing," Hazel's voice was tight from hiding her pain. Sara's blade bit into her flesh. Hazel drew in a sharp breath and held it. Slowly Sara ran the knife down the back of Hazel's arm, peeling a thin strip of flesh off with it. A high pitched whine escaped Hazel's throat as she held back a scream. Her knees buckled in relief as the knife finally reached the end of it's path.

Sara flicked the blade away, speckling her expensive rugs with blood. "That was the wrong answer. Let us try again, shall we?" She set the knife against Hazel's arm, beside the first track. "What do you know about this gnome John has sold himself to?"

Hazel turned her head away from Sara. Long ago she had sewn a small pill into both shoulders of this shirt. Having feared an attack while guarding Kayden, she had come prepared. She just had not thought that she would need to take such precautions from John's own family. She bit down on the hidden pocket and ripped the weak stitches out easily as she extracted the pill and the swatch of fabric that had hidden it. Sara spotted her chewing and grabbed her chin, yanking her face back around so they met each other's eyes.

"Poison?" The older woman demanded, disgust evident in her voice. Though, she was honestly a little impressed with just how loyal Hazel was to her son. "You would rather kill yourself than talk?"

Hazel laughed, but no sound came out. And none would. The pill was not a deadly mixture, but one of her own device. No, she would be rendered speechless until she drank the antidote, a special formula she would need to brew herself. She would not utter a word to anyone about anything until she was able to make herself the counter. She never kept any premade, so that no one could force her to drink it and ruin the silence. All of John's men had been given a pill to take in the event of capture. Torture would do no good when one could not even scream, so much as speak their secrets. Sara could skin her alive and Hazel would never make a sound.

Silence reigned across the blood splattered hall; the many occupants waiting on bated breath, their muscles tensed for whatever happened next. The gnome unit closed ranks, a bristling array of weaponry close at hand, their captain menacing Jake’s tender throat beneath his unyielding blade. Up above, watching everything Byures felt his strength draining, the foul poison wreaking havoc within. He sank his powerful claws deeper into the rafter from which he hung, not daring to allow his dying body to fall lest the captain threatening the child twitch his wrist and end the eight-year-old’s short life. Below Caleb, and Rainbow huddled together, back to back while John stood over them shield at the ready should any gnome make another attempt on their lives. His frightened gaze locked on Jake, and the knife that hovered so close, a slight spasm in his face the only sign of movement. Joran strode closer, emboldened by the position of power his underling created for him.

“Did you think betraying our cause would end favorably for you John Nieve?” He mocked circling around until he could look the man in the eye.

“You’re wrong.” John answered quickly, his mind racing for some way to salvage the situation. How much did Joran overhear? Desperation clawed at his heart, and he knew if he uttered one wrong word, or made a single mistake it would not be just Jake’s life in peril. Scer could be meticulous in his retribution and would see every member of his family dead out of spite. “I never betrayed anyone; I am still loyal.”

Joran’s brow rose, and he titled his head ever so slightly to the left an amused air coming over him. “Oh? I hear you have a silver tongue, so please enlighten me on how you haven’t betrayed Scer, and the cause?”

“I saved a kid’s life… Did the mission demand I let children die for no reason?”

Joran shot Caleb and Rainbow a nasty look that sent shivers down the boy’s spine. “Hmph, he clearly is against us, he’s declared as such more than once. His life is forfeit.”

“He’s just some stupid kid, he does not know any better. He has no idea of the implications or context and is merely acting under the oospecies of a childish fantasy.” John cast a baleful glare towards the child, his heart tightening at the confusion and hurt he received in return. Sorry Caleb, the armored man winced internally. It’s for your own good, for everyone’s good he wanted to say, but Jaron stood to near to risk even the subtlest sign.

A harsh laugh escaped Joran. “And yet.”

“And yet?” John’s tone bordered on accusatory. “I was promised my family would be unharmed, let the boys go Joran. Let them leave, they are just kids. If you want to punish me for whatever transgression you might think I deserve so be it.” John threw down his sword and shield raising his hands in traditional surrender.

“Is the pale child yours?” Joran found immense enjoyment in torturing the human. He paced around the surrendered John in slow circles, mocking the desperate plea. “What about that younger one over there, would you claim him too? Maybe the green skinned rablin? The one who would counter Scer’Pi’Kens magic? He your family as well?”

“…No.”

“Which one if any are yours really? Answer me John! Or should I prove your lies.” The gnome stalked over and caught Caleb by his black locks. The boy struggled, but Joran proved stronger, forcing the child to his knees. Rainbow leapt forward yelling something, yet before he could finish Joran’s boot caught his mouth. The rablin sat down hard, spitting blood and several teeth. The gathered gnomes sniggered at the violence, lowering their guard. Only the captain maintained constant vigilance, switching his attention between John and the looming Byures every few seconds. Five to each Byures calculated, shifting his stance.

“He doesn’t resemble you at all.” Joran remarked giving Caleb a none to gentle inspection. “Must be distant.”

“They’re my nephews.” John persisted, gritting his teeth. He needed something, anything to convince the bloodthirsty gnome to let them leave unharmed. He could not hope to save Rainbow, but maybe Joran would spare his nephew and Caleb.

The boy fought against Joran’s control; his teeth set in a snarl. “I’m not your nephew!” He yelled glaring angrily across at the horrified man. “You’re a criminal and a coward and a two-faced lair! I hate you! Let me go gnome!”

Joran threw back his head, roaring his laughter to the skies. Most of his followers joined in, sneering, and wiping away tears of mirth. They were all thoroughly enjoying themselves, and they waited eagerly in anticipation. Joran bore a reputation among them for his cruel hearted violence. No doubt blood would be spilled, and soon. “At least,” Joran struggled to say between guffaws. “Someone here is honest. So, John any more lies to peddle, or can we move on?”

“Caleb, you proud little fool.” John managed a horrified whispered. There could be no recovery from this disaster, the cards were set, and Joran held all the aces.

“What’s that hm?” Joran leaned closer. “Got nothing to say? Fine then, I will tell you what. Before I kill you, I’ll let you choose which one dies, and which survives?” He jerked his head towards Jake, and then rested his blade against Caleb’s throat. “Your choice John.”

His mouth dry John felt his spirit shatter. Raising a shaking hand, he pointed to the younger of the two options. “Let my nephew go, please.”

“Your real nephew?” Joran raised an eyebrow. When he received a nod of affirmation the gnome waved his hand and the captain released Jake, giving the boy a swift kick sending him scurrying from the hall. “Good choice I’d say, this one hates you after all. I’ll go ahead and finish him off for you-gaaah!”

From above like a falling meteor two thousand pounds of towering scale and muscle collapsed atop the gloating Joran crushing the gnome instantly. Freed from his worry over Jake’s fate Byures enacted his final assault. Caleb rolled free of the gory entanglement even as the gnome captain ordered his archers to loose shafts. Ten death heralds sang forth from taunt bow strings, each one finding a target easily across the alligatorman’s thick hide. Roaring in pain the Byrues rose to his full height, arms akimbo resembling an enraged reptilian pincushion.

“BRING HIM DOWN!” The captain roared, leaping aside as Byures charged into their ranks tearing gnomish soldiers apart using only his bare hands. “BRING HIM DOWN!”

“Caleb wait!” John took off after the fleeing duo, catching the boy before he could follow Rainbow through the chamber doors.

The boy struggled and kicked, faring about as well as he had against the gnome. “Release me. Let me go John!” Behind them the sounds of battle and gnomish suffering could be heard, but John ignored the clamor, keeping a firm hold on the squirming youth.

“I’m sorry, I don’t want to hurt you, but you can’t go in there. She’ll kill you.”

The boy stilled, accepting he could not break the man’s grip. “Whose side are you on?” He demanded, hot tears rolling down his cheeks. “I need to help Rainbow, he’s our only chance to stop the gnome.”

“I know, but that’s why I should go, not you.”

“I don’t trust you!” Caleb roared, kicking suddenly. His boot caught John under the chin, where the helmet strap met flesh, the leather band cutting deep. Stunned John fell back loosening his hold for the merest second. Caleb squirmed like a fish, twisting free and bolting for the door at top speed, dodging the man’s desperate recapture attempt. John took a moment to recover and followed, remembering to seize his sword before sprinting through the double doors…

In the Thorn City Chambers, Darmae had made short work of Mason’s mushroom men. The man was about to cast his spell when she knocked his sword away with a magical blast from her left hand. She aimed her other one at Mason, telling him “you failed again, Treling boy.”

Just as she was about to execute her latest spell, the doors at the entrance slammed open; a small green rablin ran in first, followed by a young boy. And was that John Jr. in the distance? Out of instinct, she shot a blast of magical energy at Rainbow, who was able to dodge it fairly easily.

Mason took full advantage of the distraction; in a split second, he noticed that the kid behind the rablin had a dagger. Now his spell wouldn’t be wasted. With no time to waste, he said the magic word: “amanita.” With that, Caleb was startled as he saw white spores magically appear and cling to the sharp part of his weapon.

The druidic man began to yell. “Stab her with it, boy! The poison-” He did not get to finish his thought though; at that moment, an infuriated Daemae shot him with another blast of energy, knocking him a ways away and out cold.

Looking back at her three opponents, the angry elderly woman asked a question: “so, who wants to die first?”

-----

“Oh, that’s not good” Roger said with concern in response to Edward’s news. After thinking for a moment, he said “Edward, go get Sara please, we may need her for what comes next. I can help in the meantime.”

“Okay, Mister Roger!” Edward said as he took off running again. Roger took off his stethoscope, put it in his bag, and ran with Ribbon to the Great Oak. He slowed down just before he got there; he saw about nine or 10 gnome warriors advancing to the tree and he knew he would need to stop them. The skeleton doctor coughed a few times, adjusting his pitch as he did. It had been a few years since he had used his “dark undead” voice, but right now it was precisely what was needed.

Walking towards the armed enemies, Roger spoke. “Halt! I am the great and powerful Deathbone Skullcrusher, skeleton necromancer to the almighty dragon Lord Blackflame Inceneratus of the Empire! He desires the Great Oak for himself. Leave now or I will enslave you all to do his bidding!”

This pronouncement achieved the desired effect amongst the gnomes; most were scared, although unfortunately a few were still skeptical. One thought to ask “what could a dragon want with the tree?”

Roger replied, not missing a beat. “If you want to know so badly, I can take you to the Empire, where you may ask him yourself.” After saying this, he shot a blast of dark magic up in the sky. Once the spell was cast, the skeleton doctor got what he wanted; all of the gnomes ran away in terror, some even dropping their weapons in the process.

After waiting a few seconds to make sure they were all gone, Roger laughed, all signs of darkness as gone as those gnome’s courage. That spell he casted wasn’t even strong enough to tickle those enemies, much less hurt them. Looking at the sky, he couldn’t help but think of his departed friend John - he would’ve been proud of that bluff. He walked over to a sword and picked it up, then started to walk towards the Great Oak’s entrance. Ribbon dutifully followed behind him, with both of them steeling themselves for what might happen next.

Kayden was not a stupid child by any means.

She was well aware that conflict was unraveling somewhere in Thorn City and that her father was probably involved. She liked to view him as a brave hero or soldier that was fighting for what was right, but she instinctively knew otherwise. She wasn't ignorant to the accusations that he was a criminal. She had heard the stories, met some of his less than reputable affiliates, and had even seen the occasional brawl. That didn't matter though. Even if he was a criminal, he was still the best father that she could ask for. There was always warm food on the table and there was never a day without company or supervision. She had all the clothing and toys that she could ever desire, so she could never complain. And she never did. Even with a mother that had long since abandoned both of them.

". . Sara!" A golden horse was rendered breathless as he broke through the garden gate. Edward looked as if he was on edge for some reason or another. Considering how he had left, nobody was surprised at that. It was, however, troubling. It was troubling for his sake, Caleb's sake, Jake's sake, and for the other children's sake. The hippocampus had, after all, burst into the garden where Mary was busy tending to the flowers with the help of Skyla and her cousin. It was an attempt at distracting the girls though its effectiveness had yet to be seen. Marrathew, meanwhile, had been tasked with guarding the back door. He was unfortunately aware of the bloodshed happening on the opposite side. This led to the decision that he had to had to keep the children outside at all costs. "I need to talk to Sara!"

"Edward?" The horse's sudden appearance got Kayden's attention. She was covered from head to toe in dirt as a result of tending to the sprouts. The Nieve family had a line of skilled botanists and Sara especially took pride in her vegetables. Mary preferred the flowers, however. Their garden was one of the best in Thorn City either way between the two of them and Mary's children. "What's wrong?"

"Edward! Where is Jake?" The outcry came from Mary. The woman, who was worried for her son's sake, was also more than alert to the hippocampus' arrival. She was already rushing to his side for answers. "Please tell me that he's alright. And Caleb too. Where have they gone?!"

"They're alright." This was a blatant lie. Edward himself looked as if he were in a scuffle based on the dirt that now lined his golden mane. He couldn't outright mention that Jake had been captured, however. Not to his hysterical mother and the two young children that were nearby. One of which whom, in spite of their appearance, had already gathered what was happening. "I need to talk to Sara."

Marrathew nodded as he briefly stepped aside. "Of course. I'll get her for you—"

"I'll get grandma!" Kayden was an unpredictable force of nature that disappeared in a flash. She was quick to shove Marrathew further aside as she reached for the door knob. The older man struggled to catch her, but to no avail. It was too late as the back door swung open and the girl eagerly ran inside. She, unknowingly or not, was rushing towards the violence that awaited her. This act consisted of an elderly Sara Nieve pinning the beloved Witch Hazel to a wall with a dagger pressed into her arm. This was one scene that the girl would have been better off not seeing, but she hadn't even seem to blink upon arriving in the living room.

"Grandma! Edward needs you for something!"

Byures stood in the center of the room, his long claws and teeth dripping red with blood. His chest heaved with each labored breath. His victims were dead, or spending their final agonizing moments wishing darkness would come sooner. One gnome torn clean in half whispered a prayer as his life expired. Byures was pleased with his work.

But it had come at a heavy cost. The poison in his system burned, and the pounding of his heart only expedited the spread through his body. His muscles spasmed. His sharp eyesight was failing him rapidly, and he believed that he was beginning to hallucinate. His mind had convinced him a skeleton had just walked into the room. He drew a deep, cold breath as his lungs screamed in protest. Another convulsion shot through his body.

Roger studied the large reptilian man before him. "Well, you don't look to be in particularly good shape." The statement was perhaps a bit obvious, though Roger couldn't be certain that the dying man was aware of how poorly he seemed. Sometimes those destined for death denied their fate so hard that it surprised them in the end.

Hunter smiled at the being his mind had conjured. It made sense that in his final moments he would speak with a skeleton. "I am not, but I still have a good hour in me, I would say. They can't take me down that fast. I need to get up to the chambers to help Caleb before my sight fades completely, so you will need to excuse me, Mister Death. My hearing is still fine for the time being, and I can go hunting in the dark. Please wait while I finish this off."

Roger couldn't say he was surprised that he had been mistaken as a reaper of sorts. "Then we had best make this quick. I will do what I can for you after we have taken care of Caleb." He hated to admit it, but if they were able to get Byures back home, there was a possibility that Hazel would be more successful in saving his life than Roger could be. But for now, his focus needed to be on Caleb. "I'll lead the way." With that he charged forward, his grip tightening around his sword. He could hear explosions in the council chambers and occasionally the wall would shake with the force of a spell blasting against it. If Caleb and Rainbow were both successfully dodging everything being thrown at them, it would be a mirical.

~~~~

As if by unspoken agreement, the two women separated in an attempt to shelter the child from the truth of what was happening. Hazel tucked her bleeding arm behind her back, a serene smile on her face. Sara slid her bloodied dagger back into the sleeve of her shirt so the little one would not see it. "Thank you, Kayden." Sara answered politely, "I will be out in a moment. Would you please tell Edward I will come speak with him?"

Kayden nodded and smiled brightly at the woman. "Alright, grandma. Do you want me to get down Uncle Roger's bandage kit first?"

Sara's eyes flicked towards Hazel, a wave of disgust and disappointment flooding over her. She was better than this. She should never have let her emotions flood her logical mind. "Yes, please. Thank you dear." She strode across the floor with confidence. Hazel would patch herself up, take one of her barely-legal concoctions, and move on. And so would Sara. "Once you have fetched it, place it on the kitchen table, then please tell your Aunt Mary to take you and Skyla to your uncle's house." Clearly having the children at home was turning into a dangerous idea.

Outside, an exhausted Edward caught Sara up on the events he was aware of. Namely, "Jake's been captured and they might kill him!"

Sara needed to hear no more. "Stay with Mary and Marrathew." she ordered sharply. "I'll get him back." With that she took off, silently cursing her oldest son under her breath. Somehow all of this was his fault, and she was not going to forgive him for it.

~~~~

Ribbon licked Jake's face again, her tail thumping happily. She was curled around the child, tucked out of the way near the roots of the great tree. She wanted to be inside helping, but her boy needed her more. He still shook and trembled in fear, and his hands often flew to his throat as if to make sure there were no blades biting into his flesh. She licked away the fresh tears on his cheek and wagged her tail again. Nuzzling at his hands, she laid her head on his lap and looked up at him with pure love and affection. Jake was her boy and she loved him. He was a good boy.

In the present day, as Sara ran towards the Great Oak, she couldn’t help but think of her departed husband. Today, she was going to help stop a crime, while in the past she was the one who needed to be stopped. In fact, that was how she met the love of her life.

---

Many years ago in the shopping center of the Human District of Thorn City, an 18-year old John Nieve was with his Captain. No, he was not working on a ship yet; the future John Sr. was still a Cadet in the Watch helping his team search a group of possible crime suspects. A valuable gold, diamond-encrusted watch was stolen from a wealthy family and these people were probable suspects. Among these people was the future Sara Nieve, who had been in the area when the watch disappeared.

Even though the Watch searched every person who was gathered, the other watch was still unaccounted for. “Alright men,” the Captain told his assembled subordinates, “we’ve done all we can for now. Dismissed.” All of them, including John, saluted him and went on their way. After the Captain dismissed his troops, he let the suspects go as well.

Sara took the opportunity to leave as well, beginning her trip back home to the Northern Border District. She smiled, enjoying the nice afternoon walk home, until she heard a voice call out to her: “great day, isn’t it! Can we talk for a minute?” It was the Cadet - she had overheard someone call him John - and she wasn’t really in the mood to deal with the Watch any more than she already had today. Still, Sara knew not to get on the wrong side of the government, and so acted nice for now.

“Sure! How can I help you?” she sweetly asked.

“Well, you can give back the watch that you stole, that’d be a great help,” John replied.

“I’m sorry sir, but I can’t give you what I don’t have. I was even searched earlier and nothing came up,” Sara responded, maintaining her nice facade for now.

“True, but the Captain didn’t look in the secret compartment you have sewn onto that jacket of yours,” John said, watching as Sara’s face revealed that he was right, “so please, return it and we can forget all this ever happened.”

Sara blushed; this is the first time anyone has caught her red-handed. “But how?” she asked as she handed the Cadet the watch, as curious as she was embarrassed.

“Easy, the watch was visible in the store window’s reflection of your jacket. I’m not sure why nobody else noticed.”

“Okay...but if you knew that, why wait until now?”

“Part of it is that you’re armed - a friend of mine has told me how skilled you are at fighting. I didn’t want to threaten innocent people.”

Sara’s shame turned to outrage. “I’d never do that! Just who do you think I am?!”

John smiled in response. “Oh, good. That’s what my friend told me, but I had to be safe. Also, it’s hard to go out on a date with someone if they’re in jail.”

“You won’t blackmail me into a date, John.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that!” the blushing man replied, “but I did want to give you something.”

The woman rolled her eyes; the man thought to win her affections with some fancy roses, maybe? Or some cheesy heart-shaped chocolates or perhaps...a sandwich? She was confused, examining the food as he held it out to her.

“This was actually my lunch, but work was busy, so I didn’t have time to eat. I’d like you to give this to your little sister; I know things are a little hard right now.”

Sara wasn’t sure what to say, so John just explained more. “I met her a week ago during work; she told me about you and how you were taking care of her. It’s nice of you to do that; I wouldn’t want a child to be out there alone.”

Now the woman was beet-red. Despite everything in her head telling her not to do this, she had to ask: “do you want to go out tomorrow, say at 6?”

The Cadet smiled again, responding “sure! Meet me in the Dock District by the old clock tower?”

Sara nodded, so John added “great, I’ll see you then” as he waved and took his leave.

Mary had been horribly disturbed by Edward's outburst. Similar tears from yesterday were shed and the distraught mother found herself at the kitchen table in a flurry of sobs. Skyla, meanwhile, hadn't exactly understood what the hippocampus' words meant. Kayden used this opportunity to convince her cousin that Edward spoke of little more than a friendly game. Jake hadn't actually been captured by bad guys, but he was instead playing a game with Caleb. That's what the girls partially believed as they busied themselves with cleaning dirt off of golden horse's mane.

"I should be helping Jake and Caleb." Edward shook his head. "I shouldn't be here."

"They'll be okay." Next to Kayden was a wooden bucket filled to the brim with water that had since turned to an ugly shade of brown. One dirty and sopping wet sponge was in Kayden's left hand while the other could be found floating atop the bucket. Skyla seemed more distracted with catching a white butterfly at the moment than helping with Edward. This, as to be expected, led to her running to the opposite end of the garden without her sponge. "Grandma will save them, I promise."

"I hope so." A hoof was lightly dug into the earth. "I shouldn't have ran like that."

"It's okay. Even if they are hurt, then it would take a lot for them to really die." That much Kayden knew for certain. She had seen blood loss before, from her father's affiliates, and it took a long time before anything really happened. That's why Witch Hazel would be fine. She would be fine though under the watchful eye of Marrathew much to the young girl's ignorance. At least until Sara returned from the Great Oak anyway. "Oh! You're injured. Let me get something to take care of that scratch for you. I'll be right back!"

There was a soft sigh from the hippocampus. "Thank you, Kayden."


Ribbon had become Jake's sole source of comfort in the aftermath of the chaos.

Most of his captors had been slaughtered or fled thanks to dark magic somewhere in the distance. The pointer dog had come from nowhere not too long after and sat near the edge of the Great Oak next to the young boy. Part of Jake's throat was aching from where the blade had sliced it. Thankfully, however, it hadn't gone very deep. It was little more than a threat and he could speak just fine. The pain wasn't what had led him to tears though. The young boy was shaken from everything that had happened and was worried for his friend's sake. He spent several minutes sobbing to himself with little fistfuls of dog fur in each of his hands. He was so far lost into his own sorrow that he almost hadn't noticed the familiar voice of an elderly woman by the time that it finally arrived to rescue him.

"Jake?" A pause. "Jake, I'm so glad that I found you. It'll be alright now."

Kayden skipped into the house, seemingly unconcerned with the events that had the adults all in an uproar. She flashed her uncle a bright smile as she reached for the first aid kit beside him. "I need to borrow, this please. Edward has a scratch I need to tend to."

Marrathew grunted his consent, his concentration on tying the bandages securely about Witch Hazel's arm while breathing as little as possible. Even Kayden, far more use to the young woman's potions and brews, had to wrinkle her nose at the strong scent. "Bring it back when you're done," Marrathew instructed through his teeth.

Kayden considered Hazel's arm with a curious expression. "Have you found a way to mend flesh yet, Witch Hazel?"

Hazel shook her head and let out a silent frustrated sigh. She had been working on a mixture of some sort that would heal wounds completely-or even at all. She was not above experimenting on herself, nor John's men who had displeased him. She would patch them up as needed, but she'd also feed them odd mixtures or slather upon her latest formulas. It was the cost of John's displeasure after a careless fight. So far she'd only lost one that may have been a direct result of her ideas, though many had sworn to lick their own wounds clean before allowing her to dribble anything new into their cuts again. She, though alone in her belief, was mostly positive that Askar hadn't lost use of his hand because of what she'd coated his wrist in, but from the sword that nearly took it off.

Already her mind was buzzing with her thoughts on this latest experiment. It stung like a firewasp, but alcohol usually had that effect. She had hoped the icemint would help to sooth the burn, though it did not seem to be having much luck. The turmeric and honey lent the scent of the mixture a pleasant undertone, though it was a false perfume that failed to mask the more pungent ingredients. 'I should add limestone next time,' her thoughts were distracted as she stood up to follow her young charge. John would not forgive her for abandoning her position, no matter what her excuse might be. 'And I think I will change up what I stir the pot with. Something with a more soothing nature. I'll do some research into that when I get home.'

"Kay." Marrathew's strong voice called after the two of them, his tone falsely happy. "After you take care of Edward, will you come speak with me? I'd like to know if your daddy told you anything about his plans today." Hazel narrowed her eyes at him, already frustrated with her silence. She would need to find a way to warn Kayden that this was a trap. Marrathew just smiled back at her. She could only delay his questions for so long.

Astute Kayden gave her uncle a polite smile and dipped her head in agreement. "I will come sit with you after I tend to Edward, Uncle. Papa says it's most important to see that our family and friends are taken care of. I don't want to let him down!"

~~~~

Ribbon's tail flew as she smelled her mistress. She loved Sara, but right now her good boy needed her more. She wuffed softly again and nuzzled at his back. The gentle prod was all that Jake needed to fly to his feet and fling his arms around his grandmother. "Gramammie!"

Sara folded the sobbing Jake gently into her chest. She planted a kiss on the top of his head, stroking and soothing him gently. She desperately wanted to get into that tree to ensure Caleb was alive and to take out everyone that had caused him this harm, but right now her little boy was much more important. "Hush, Jakey. It's alright. I'm here."

Jake smeared snot across her shirt as he buried in deeper. His words rushed out in a jumble as he struggled to tell her all his thoughts at once. "I knew Edward would get you, they'd grabbed me and had a knife at my throat, it hurts so bad, but Caleb was so brave and he fought them, and I wasn't strong enough to do that, I know you're probably so disappointed I wasn't good enough, I didn't mean to be captured, and Uncle John said they had to let us go, but Caleb fought him too, and he made them release me, but I didn't help anyone, I just ran away, and I'm a coward but I was so afraid and it hurt and I didn't want to die like papa!"

Ribbon shoved herself into Jake's ribs again. She whined loudly. Why was he still distressed? Mistress was here to take care of him now. He should be happy again. What could she do to make him happy? Slowly Jake's fingers began to work her ear again as he noticed her insistent prodding. Ribbon's tail flew. Jake drew in a long, trembling breath and slowly relaxed. His grandmother was here to make everything alright, he trusted her to handle the situation. She'd keep them all safe.

For all the abuse his body endured over the last forty-eight hours, Caleb never lost his natural agility. Acting more on instinct than coherent thought the boy set the dagger blade between his teeth kicking off the ground at the very last second, launching himself into a forward roll. Darame’s veritable barrage of magical attacks exploded across the floor behind him, sending splinters of blackened wood scattering everywhere. In the foreground John weathered the worst of her attentions, crouching behind his shield. Every blast drove him a little further back, but he held firm. His defense’s integrity holding steady for the time being. The women paused to catch her breath, run ragged by the incantations she spouted. John took the opportunity to rush forward, only to be stopped in his tracks by a fresh wave from Darmae.

Grateful for the lull John’s charge granted, Caleb crouched on all fours, chest heaving from his exertions. Breathing irregularly around the dagger clenched in his jaw he stood and darted across the open space, sliding behind an overturned table as a hastily cast fireball seared overhead, singing his scalp, and exploding off the opposite wall.

Small green hands dragged him further under cover, patting down his smoldering garments. “You okay?” Rainbow asked, once he assured himself the boy was not on fire.

“Fine, were you able to cast the counter?” Caleb peeked over the table edge.

Rainbow shook his head. He tried several times while the other two distracted Darmae. Every attempt of the long incantation resulted in a surge of power, as if a massive electrical charge would tear forth and destroy the gnome’s infection, but it would fade and die before freeing the Great Oak from Scer’s hold. “I don’t think I’m near enough to the heart, I think I have to stand directly atop where Scer made his entry. Plus the spell needs a living conduit, something for the magic to channel through in order to enter the tree other than the caster.”

“Like what?” Caleb asked distractedly, ducking down. A mammoth thorn pierced the table, sinking halfway through the hardwood and fortunately missing them both.

Scanning the ancient text Rainbow grimaced at the gravity of what the ancient mages inscribed there. The toll would be too high. “Someone… It needs someone to channel through.”

“Use me, I’ll get close to wherever it is, and you cast the spell on me.” Caleb volunteered at once.

“NO!” Rainbow raged, a bit to quickly than he should have. He calmed himself, his mind racing. “No, that wouldn’t work, because Darmae is standing directly over the sport where I need to cast it.” They both peered over the table edge. Sure, enough Darmae made her stand at the very heart of the council chambers, where the rot was deepest set. Thin tendrils of black smoke wafted from the scared surface, giving an almost hazy appearance to the witch. The wood, caked in foul magic pulsated against the disease, as if the tree itself fought back in vain.

The two conspirators mulled over their limited options. Caleb eagerly proposing wildly less viable plans, and Rainbow shooting each one down. Every rebuffed plan left the boy a little surlier, and at last he threw his hands up at a loss for what to do. “How about,” he snarked irritably. “You just cast the spell on Darmae since she’s standing in the way anyhow.”

Rainbow’s eyebrows shot up at this, admittedly unorthodox suggestion. “Actually…” The spell’s rebound could be near lethal for the conduit, he garnered that much at least from the written text. He would not risk such exposure on Caleb, but perhaps on a less willing host. One conveniently standing directly atop the target zone, blasting deadly magic at them from her hands. “That might work, which leaves only one problem. Getting close enough for me to touch her. We’d need a distraction of some kind, a big one that’ll really take her attention.”

“Like John’s flashbangs!” Caleb suggested at once. “They’d make a rather good diversion, and we could charge forward, and you could cast the spell, and I would use the poison dagger. In tandem, we’d save the tree and finish her off.”

“Err, yeah.” Rainbow agreed, realizing he had not shared the fatal aspects of the incantation yet. “How do we relay the plan to John?”

“Just yell for him to throw a few explosives?”

“Wouldn’t that negate the point of a diversion though?”

Caleb shrugged, his battered face twisting up in annoyance. Rainbow seemed so quick to critique his plans, but not provide a suggestion of his own. “I guess, but they’re pretty concussive. Even if she knew they were coming, it would not really change anything. She still doesn’t know of our part.” A scream in the background cut their deliberations short. John’s shield finally gave way to the torrent of punishment it received crumbling into dust beneath the force of an energy blast. John flew off his feet clattering down several meters away. Cackling Darmae advanced on the fallen man, raising her hands, a spell on the tip of her tongue.

“She’s moving.” Rainbow whispered, quite unnecessarily.

“No time to waste, go!”

Rainbow tried to pull the boy back to little avail. “Caleb wait we still need a distraction!”

Boy and rablin leapt from their hiding spot, one looking quite a bit more hesitant than the other even as the chamber doors exploded off their hinges, the titanic Byures and Roger surging inside. Darmae hesitated, eyes flashing between the growing number of hostiles advancing from every angle…

Darmae, seeing the number of hostile combatants, realized it was too much for her. Even if she killed John in the next few seconds, she’d have an alligatorman and skeleton to deal with. This was all John’s fault, she seethed angrily. If he had just taken out the gator like he was supposed to, a boy and a green thing would be no trouble at all. Now all his power would be used against her...oh! That power could be used against him instead! The elderly woman spread her hands out and lifted her arms into the sky, as if she was carrying a giant ball. She yelled a single word: “amplify!”

Suddenly, a bright white light briefly blinded everyone in the room for a moment. Caleb was briefly disoriented, Rainbow was confused, and John felt powerful. Even with these drugs, this much power shouldn’t be possible. This was how he would kill Darmae! Or it would have been, if he didn’t feel a sudden spike of pain as well. At that moment; John realized just what the old woman’s spell did; it boosted the effects, both positive and negative, of any substances or magic in their bodies. He would have to fight the pain though, for Caleb’s sake.

Byures must have figured out what the spell did as well, as the massive creature was roaring in pain. “Please help him!” Caleb shouted to Roger as he briefly stopped to look at his pained forest companion. In the heat of the moment, Roger nodded, digging through his medical bag for ingredients. Based on the troops he had scared earlier, it had likely been gnomish poison that had struck the alligatorman, so this would be his best chance of survival. Gathering and mixing the various herbs and flowers from his garden with a mortar and pestle, he instructed Byures to lie down.

“No! Not until she’s dead!” Byures exclaimed despite the pain.

“Please! I’m a doctor, this will save you” Roger responded.

The alligatorman looked over at Caleb, who had asked the skeleton to save him; there was no reason for him to lie about something like this. Despite himself, Byures did as he was asked. Roger wasted no time, asking the titanic creature to eat the creation that the doctor had just made for him. The alligatorman assented, eating the powdery substance; he was amazed to feel the pain decrease only a few seconds later. That boy had good people with him...but why was he tired? Byures yawned, leading Roger to quietly inform him of what was happening. “I truly am sorry, but that medicine will put you to sleep for a while. Don’t worry, you’ll be okay.”

Byures lacked the energy for anything more than nodding before he dozed off. Roger grabbed his sword and stood up again, ready to defend or attack as needed. Most likely it would be an attack, as he saw a horrifying scene; Caleb had tried stabbing Darmae with the dagger, but the old woman was holding him up by his stabbing arm with a vice-like grip strong enough to make him drop the weapon. Her other hand was aimed straight at the boy’s face, with her hand just about to unleash a spell upon the child...

Caleb was frozen in place.

It was a risky move to charge forward and he knew that. He was willing to face the consequences if it meant saving Thorn City though. Or so he originally thought. He was now filled with fear as he desperately tried to pry himself from Darmae's hold. It was becoming a struggle with each passing second as his body began to drain of energy. A familiar ache and subsequent exhaustion came flying back like a bad memory. Roger's concoction began to lose its effectiveness, no doubt. It was likely a delayed effect from the spellcaster's incantation. And now the evil witch herself was aiming straight for him.

"I'll show you not to interfere with my plans." The blood pounding in Caleb's ears made it difficult to fully register the woman's threats. His wide eyes were focused on the glow that came from her free hand. This was it. He was going to become little more than magical dust on the carpet within the blink of an eye. He could only tremble and gulp in fear now that he was completely at Darmae's mercy. "I don't even care that you're a child. You're old enough to know better. Did you want to walk away as the hero or something? As a knight? Pathetic. This world isn't very nice and I'm going to show you just that."

"Caleb!"

The glow of arcane energy became brighter. This time, however, it wasn't from Darmae. It was from the rablin that was now grasping onto her left arm. It was too dangerous to cast the scroll while she was holding onto Caleb, but this was the best opportunity that he could find. He just needed to break her grasp on the boy. And so a small foot was directed towards the woman's other arm to achieve such. "I won't let you hurt him!"



"Grandma needs you to be strong now, Jake. You head back to the house and have some cookies with your sister." There were a few more choked sobs from Jake before he eventually fell silent against Ribbon. She managed to calm him between friendly licks and allowing the boy to pet her. Sara had given him a hug too, which also seemed to help to some extent. He was eventually on shaky legs before long though he was also constantly reminded of his encounter thanks to dried blood smeared underneath his chin. The young boy could only wordlessly watch as Sara pulled daggers loose from her sleeves once more. "I'll take care of this. Caleb and the others will be just fine."

"Okay." There was a wave of a despondent hand. "Come on, Ribbon. Let's go home."

Ribbon barked happily as she nudged her boy down the street. She liked having jobs that she could do, and she liked doing them perfectly. She could perfectly get Jake home. Jake depended on her to be able to. Barely aware of the passing street and the chaos that surrounded him. As much as the common person might like to keep their head down and go about their business, it was near impossible not to notice the devastation coming from the giant tree that featured so prominently in their city. Nor could the stern faced guards marching towards the source of the explosions with their hands on their weapons be ignored.

~~~~

Darmae hissed in pain as her wrist snapped up. Caleb cried out in pain as well, though he kept his wits about him enough to jerk his hand free and to bolt. The young teen scrambled to hide behind Byurn's supine body. He dropped to the floor and curled his knees to his chest. He clutched at himself tightly, his body wracked with sobs. Roger positioned himself carefully to defend both the hunter and the prey that sheltered behind his thin legs.

"Guard the entrance, Junior." Though he did not trust the man fully, Roger was not above giving him orders. It had not taken him more than a glance on the way in to tell that John was in above his head. More magic than man at the moment, John was barely recognizable. Grotesque green veins pulsed with a sickly yellow glow. Streaks of purple laced through the whites of his eyes and infecting his pupils. The air around him practically shimmered with the intensity of his various enhancements. Even his very form seemed warped into an exaggerated caricature of who he had been mere hours ago.

John's voice was thick with pain and excitement. "None shall get past me. The chamber is secure." No longer concerned with the need for his disintegrated shield, John instead filled his hand with a second sword, his stride never breaking as he snatched the weapon from the hands of a corpse. Back up troops would arrive soon, and they were sorely mistaken if they thought to reach these chambers alive.

Rainbow drew a deep breath, his body trembling as he tightened his hold on Darmae's arm again. This was his chance. "ይህ ማለት እርሱን ይመስላል እንጂ ቀዝቃዛ . ያደርጉ ነበር ፣ በክልሉ የተነሳው አንድ ዓይነት ቃል ወደ እኔ . እንደ እኔ ደብዳቤ."

As Ribbon's words echoed through the very soul of the chamber, Caleb picked himself up from the ground. "I'll go with John," he told no one in particular. John had saved his life, and more importantly, he had saved Jake's. Caleb could not forgive him for the betrayal, but he also could not let the deed go unrepaid. He could not possibly bare to tell Jake that the uncle that had demanded his life be spared had not made it out alive. It was the noble, knightly thing to stand by his friend's uncle and to fight with him. And to arrest him for his crimes after everything was all said and done.

A hush fell over the hall, everyone, even the lungless Roger paused to catch their breath. A stale scent hung heavy in the air, replacing the sickly-sweet rot that came before. Underfoot something crunched beneath his boot and it took Caleb a moment to realize all the stain glass windows were shattered, their remains nothing more than thousands of sparkling multi-colored shards lying scattered across the ruined chamber. The damage did not end there. Smoldering holes from blasts were patterned randomly across the walls and floor, and more than a few corpses rested in unnatural poses amongst the battered upturned furniture. It felt surreal to walk amongst the desolation, as if all the damage and suffering were nothing more than his imagination. He stalled beside Byures, sucking his breath in at the alligatorman’s countless wounds. He felt Roger walk up behind him, laying a skeletal hand on his shoulder. For all his centuries of life and unlife Roger never forgot the sting of death, and the suffering the grim passage brought in tow.

Checking the sleeping warrior’s pulse, the best he could manage on the unfamiliar anatomy Caleb glance back towards the reanimated doctor, his blue eyes pleading for good news. Roger could only turn his pale face away. “I did all I could… He is beset by a poison and more bolts and gaping wounds than should be feasibly possible. I am quite sure both his legs are fractured as well. Any lesser creature would have perished already.”

The boy’s lower lip trembled. “You can’t let him die; he saved my life… You gave him medicine for the poison.”

“Not exactly.”

“Then…?”

“I induced him into an herbal sleep.” Roger said gently. “Slowing his heart rate to stem the bleeding and the spread of the poison, or if worst comes, inhibit the senses so his death might be less agonizing. Perhaps if I had time, and he were in my infirmary there would be something I could do. But he is to heavy to move, and too far gone for me to retrieve my remedies. Who knows, he is fearsomely strong, perhaps he will fight off both the venom in his veins, and the trauma of his many, many wounds on his own.”

Taking the giant’s limp hand in his own, Caleb could not keep silver tears from slipping down his cheek, dampening the dull green scales. To think, he attempted to fight the Hunter and save the council members not long ago, only to be mourning beside his inert form less than an hour later. It was almost overwhelming for the child, who underwent so much already. Roger maintained the comforting pressure on the grieving boy’s shoulder for a moment longer. He needed to check the others and see if anyone survived Darmae and Scer’s wrath. Just casting a cursory inspection of the chamber’s interior did not instill him much hope, but he had to try.

“We can’t leave him.” Caleb begged, when the skeleton move to depart. “That would be cruel, no one should die alone.”

“You and I will stay beside him.” John offered from a few paces away, where he stood sentinel beside the looming chamber doors. Caleb fixed the man a piercing blue stare, that permeated John’s very soul. He squirmed under the pressure, but he had spoken his words honestly and held the boy’s gaze. Let him examine my conscious, I am not lying. Not this time. John reassured himself releasing a grateful sigh when Caleb gave him a small, acknowledging nod. They would not abandon their vigil beside the Hunter, not unless imminent danger forced his hand.

Roger flitted from body to body, first checking his most prevalent charges, clucking his nonexistent tongue at Caleb’s sprained wrist, John’s battered shoulder, and Rainbow’s broken nose, but otherwise found nothing that warranted immediate medical attention. The rablin himself chose to stand watch over the broken Darmae, though not much watching was needed. She lay transfixed upon the ground, an occasional spasm rippling across her body as a faint, high pitched whine escaped her lips. Her hair, once long and proud had melted away, leaving nothing but a scared scalp in its place. Finally, her eyes glowed a pure white, no pupil or iris remaining as she stared unblinking towards the ceiling. There is nothing, Roger decided, I could do for her, even if I felt so inclined. He moved on. Every corpse needed little inspection to determine their fate. Indeed, none were even merely mortally wounded, being far past rigor mortis. After a lengthy depressing search Roger stumbled across Mason and felt a rise of hope. The young council member lived, and he even appeared mostly intact. Grasping the young man under his arms the skeletal doctor dragged him away from the wall and into the light. The redhead moaned, but remained unconscious, a sizeable lump on the backside of his head proving to be the culprit of his current state.

Near the door John felt himself slouching, his limbs trembling not from exhaustion, but from the magical strain. His very heart burned but he kept his mouth closed, not wishing to disturb the busy doctor over minor concerns. Minor, he huffed to himself. After what I have consumed I my heart might give out any second. A part of him felt he deserved this pain and he determined it best to suffer in silence. No sooner had he decided this when his enhanced hearing suddenly pricked his ears, and he straightened up, swords at the ready. “Someone’s coming through the entrance hall.” He warned, preparing himself in case the newcomer proved a foe. The large door pushed open, and none other than Sara Nieve stepped through, and dagger in her hand. “Mother…’ John breathed, shocked and somewhat ashamed. The withering glare she gave him was all he needed to remind him of his mistakes. Sara looked over the mess left from the battle; her lips pressed into a thin line.

“I found Jake.” She assured John, before he could raise the question. She had seen it in his eyes, the guilt that resided there burned deep. Good, he ought to feel guilty she thought bitterly. “He’s fine traumatized but alive. Ribbon is keeping him safe.”

“Good…” John longed for her forgiveness, for her to reach out and hold him one last time. How could he tell her? How could he forgive himself, even if death felt so close?

“We should go…” Sara looked to each one of them, from Roger tending a wounded council member, to Caleb holding the hand of a dying warrior, and Rainbow, crouched beside a damaged elderly woman, and lastly to her firstborn son, who seemed so conflicted and lost. “There’s more gnomes arriving, almost a full army’s worth and I imagine they would not be happy to see all this.” She waved a hand to indicate the destruction and loss of life on both sides.

The child’s stained and battered features rose in protest, clutching protectively at Byures once mighty hand, now limp and weak. “Nooo, we can’t leave him behind. What if he wakes up and no one is here? I must thank him, for saving me, for rescuing all of us! He deserves better.” Caleb’s impassioned argument did little to sway the woman’s mind from the imminent danger, though her motherly instincts kicked in and she crouched beside Caleb, enveloping him in a hug.

“I know, I know it will be okay.”

“No, no its not okay. He was our friend, the first one we made here.” He twisted in her embrace so that he could press his face into her shoulder, small but strong fingers griping the fabric of her blouse. Her presence and the soothing circles she rubbed into his back reminded him of the Arrocmor tree, and the comfort he derived from that experience. Was this, he wondered, was this what it felt like to be comforted by a mother? Maybe not exactly the same, he decided eventually, but close enough. “We just can’t leave him alone. Please.”

“Caleb,” she pushed to away to arm’s length, holding him by the shoulders so she could stare him in the eye. He pouted, longing for the embrace he had wanted his entire life, but he said nothing, the fear of being denied holding further than his desire to ask for more. “This, this Crocarkil saved your life today, and was your friend?”

Caleb sniffed and nodded. “Yeah, his name was Byures the Hunter.”

Byures the Hunter! She almost shouted aloud in shock. How in the name of the Great Oak Tree did you become friends with him? She decided not to question it, deeming the boy and his mysterious array of companions both large and small, were an instinctive part of his nature. Whether they were dangerous criminals or otherwise. After all, he’d seemed quite fond of John earlier. “If…” She began, a bit hesitantly still slightly thrown by the reveal. “If Byures here saved you and risked his own wellbeing in the process. Do you think if he could speak, would he want you to forfeit his sacrifice so that you might remain beside him until his final moments?”

He wanted to deny her logic, but his rational mind would not let him. He rubbed his eyes, giving the slightest shake of his head.

“No, I don’t think so either. He would want you safe. Come child,” she took his hand and pulled him to his feet. “All of you, we should leave now.”

“John, do you think you can carry Councilman Mason?” Roger inquired as they gathered themselves to depart.

John favored the lad a quick glance. “Aye, he’s slight enough.” Stooping the larger man, pulled the red haired druid across his shoulders, bending forward under the weight. John’s muscles burned, and his legs trembled but he did not give out or even acknowledge his internal agony.

“What of Darmae?” Rainbow stood beside the crippled woman, unwilling to help her, but uncertain as to whether it would be safe to let her fall back into her ally’s hands. Sure, she might have been beaten for now, but if she could be healed and cast her spell upon Scer, who remained trapped within the heart of the Great Oak. What of Darmae he wondered…?

Rainbow’s question was answered a few moments after he asked it, but not by someone he wanted to hear right now. “Darmae shall live. And the rest of you shall die,” came the loud, booming voice from the Great Oak. Suddenly, a giant shadowy snake the size of a small house rose from where Darmae was. The creature had to be Scer’Pi’Kenes, empowered by whatever dark magic he had been using. “You can run, but I will find you!” the elderly gnome declared, slithering out of of the room.

Rainbow had acted quickly, casting a great illusion as soon as he heard Scer begin to speak. The rablin was surprised it had been as effective as it was, but if the group didn’t take advantage of the reprieve his magic provided, it would all be for nothing. “That won’t trick him forever. We should go,” Rainbow said as he moved to grab the dagger Mason had poisoned.

From a distance, Caleb and his friends could hear the old gnome. “What!?!?” he exclaimed, angry at being tricked. By this time, he had met up with his army, who were accompanying him back into the Great Oak. There would be no time to run.

After a momentary facepalm for his negligence, Rainbow went back to Darmae and quickly slit the woman’s throat with the tip of the dagger. Caleb might complain to him about it later, but the rablin knew that this woman was a threat and they needed her out of the picture. Scer and his army would be hard enough to take care of; they didn’t need the extra work. Even as Rainbow watched the old woman succumb to the poison, he made sure there was still enough poison for her gnome conspirator as well.

John, walking towards the entrance to the Thorn City Chambers, heard a weak voice. “S...set me down...by Byures.” It was Mason, seemingly barely conscious. The junior Nieve, surprised that the man even had the energy to be alert, nodded and did so. He was grateful to be free of the burden, and now he could fight without worry. He held his swords and went to the entrance of the Chambers, ready to fight. This would be the best way to prevent their opponents from sneaking up on Byures or Mason.

Rainbow, running over to Caleb, was the next one to hear the Councilman speak. “Rablin, come here,” Mason asked, “I need your power.” The rablin gave Caleb his dagger, then went over to the man, who held Rainbow’s small right hand with his own. Treling then put his left hand on Byure’s green, scaly skin and chanted under his breath; the rablin immediately noticed his own mana start to drain while the alligatorman looked visible relieved.

“You’re saving him?” Rainbow asked. He had been skeptical at first, but apparently the results spoke for themselves. This question earned the Councilman Caleb’s attention, and he had looked in time to see Mason nod with a smile. The rablin wondered to himself how skilled this young man could be, while the young boy wiped a tear from his eye and was simply happy his alligatorman friend would be okay. Knowing this, Caleb followed John to the entrance, with Roger and Sara soon joining him; the latter had her daggers out, ready for combat, while the former was thinking about the situation.

“Caleb, you should stand behind us. That dagger is likely our best shot at taking out that black serpent,” Roger quietly suggested. Caleb nodded, seeing the logic in the doctor’s plan, and stood behind him with his dagger ready. The four waited at the entrance, mentally preparing themselves for combat. But before anyone on either side could strike, they all heard a rumble from the Great Oak, the beginning of a positive effect of Rainbow’s spell...

The small group stood in tense silence. The air practically shimmered with the anticipation and the magic leaking out of John. The only sound was the ragged breathing from those who had already seen battle. John reached for his beltpouch. Roger looked over sharply and frowned. "If you put one more thing in your system, you are not going to survive."

John shook his head. "It's not for me. It's for them."

Sara frowned at her son. Her grip tightened on her daggers. "And just what are they going to do to us?"

John rolled the vials around in his hand. "Nothing, if I'm careful."

Sensing the tension between them, Caleb hesitantly spoke up. "Then we'll just be careful."

John smiled at the child's optimism. Stepping in front of the crowd, he poured two of the potions together and began to shake them. So long as he kept his thumb over the top, nothing would happen. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "I can hear them. They've congregated in the atrium. We should try and block off part of the doorway, so that less of them can enter at a time." His eyes scanned the room they were in, a deep frown on his face. "Try piling some of the bodies in the doorway. It will at least make it harder for them to enter."

Sara shook her head. "There's no time." As if the tree understood their words, the doorway began to shrink. Sara's eyebrow shot upwards curiously. "Well that is useful." She eyed the smaller entrance way. "Caleb, you stay back. If you see a chance to escape, I want you to take it."

Caleb set his jaw stubbornly. "I am not leaving." Knights did not run from battle. However, as the army of gnomes began to come into sight, Caleb began to wish that knights could run from battle. His grip tightened on his dagger. This was not going to be an easy battle.

The opposing warriors filed through the entrance in a determined stream. John drew back his arm and whipped the small bottle into the crowds. An explosion rippled through the ranks. Taking advantage of the distraction the enchanted warrior surged forward, his sword flashing as he cut the first couple down. Blood flowed and limbs flew. The crush of soldiers pressed the small group backwards. John's defenses broke. The gnomes surged forward into the room in a steady march of destruction. Their fallen comrades were kicked to the side or trampled over with little regard to if they still breathed.

Sara joined her son in the fray. With expert precision, she flowed from combatant to combatant. Her daggers slashed through flesh as easily as if she were cutting through clouds. As one blade slid through a gnome's tender throat, another sank deep inside his companion's stomach. One died with a bloody gargle. The other clutched at his gut in a desperate attempt at keeping his innards where they belonged. From behind a sword removed his head. The soldier that had so callously dispatched of his weakened companion pressed forward, his blade sailing towards the deadly woman.

Sara leaped backwards to avoid the first blow, then faded to the side to avoid a second. She lashed out with her blades, just missing her chance to take him down. The gnome, having expected her counter lashed out with his fist and caught her hard across the jaw. Sara staggered backwards in a disoriented daze. John's heart stopped. Sara shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. Her opponent had a sickening grin across his face. His arms were over his head, the light flashing off his sword. With deadly precision he sliced downwards.

With unnatural speed John leaped between his mother and the gnome's blade. His own sword surged upwards, knocking the gnome's clear away. "Don't you touch her!" he raged. Pressing forward, his blade practically sang as he decapitated his foe. Fury ran thicker through his veins than the potions he had consumed earlier. His blood pulsed green and his eyes flashed red. No matter their issues, no one touched his mother. A title wave of fury, he cut through the opponents as if they were mere ghosts. So focused was he on his retribution that all else was lost to his world. Even when one gnome sank a lucky blade into his side, he failed to register the glowing blood that dripped down his side and soaked into his shirt.

Scer was not happy about the loss of his troops. He would have sacrificed all of them, if they had managed to take out even one of their opponents. And yet they seemed utterly useless. "Worthless maggots." He sent a surge of power forwards, blasting a path that cut through gnome and tree alike. Soldiers fell screaming as the black flames consumed them. John flew backwards and slammed into the wall, his combatants clattering to the ground around him in a disoriented pile. Scer slithered through the doorway and towered over the humans, skeleton, and rablin that dared to oppose his plans. "It seems I shall have to kill you lot myself."