The murky blackness drifted around Ragna as he opened his molten eyes. The sun he was expecting to see was blotted out by the darkness. Shaking the sleepiness from his eyes he started to stand to get Lydianna up and moving when he felt the first crunch beneath his boots. Glancing down at the familiar sound he stared at the mutilated body of Blathir. The halfings organs were strewn across the yard and Ragna's foot rested through the poor dwarves ribcage, which collapsed under the weight. His eyes went wide for a second before he glanced up and looked around once more. The entire fort was torn asunder. Hellhounds played with the dwarves. Nipping bits of flesh away at a time. The Chorus of war sounded around him once again. The painful sound of innocent souls dying for his mistakes. Behind him he heard Lydia's voice among several dwarves pierce the night. They were trapped in the great hall. Quickly turning around he saw the entire thing go up in a blaze. The heat licking at his armor, causing his brow to break out in a slight sweat.
Reacting purely on instinct, He went for his claymore to find the sheath empty. Quickly adapting he swung his hand around to try and break the door down to save her. As his gauntlet-ed fist met with the door it shattered and the entire scene disappeared. Ragna was left in the darkness once more. Soon it faded and he was back in his father's manor. The blood of the guard that tried to rape his mom was covering him from head to toe. The broken shovel lay impaled in the bigger demons head. His father passed through at the right time and quickly looked him over. His voice cutting a cold sensation through him. " Who are you boy?" Ragna looked up at his father's imposing figure. " I..I am your worthless halfbreed son. You sent me and my mu-" His father raised his hand. " Say no more. Prove your worth and you won't be a halfbreed. You have a strong figure. You will be either a great pride to my name, or you will die trying." He signaled to his guards who took Ragna by the arms and drug him from his dead mother. His voice burning into his mind. " ...and send someone to clean that whores corpse from the stable."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ragna's hand went to his blade as his eyes shot open. The shining sun burning his vision. As soon as his eyes shifted he saw Lydia geared up and coming from the great hall. He sighed a small sigh of relief that it was only a dream. But what a peculiar dream. He shook it off and stood up. His helm rolling off his chest. Cursing he picked it up and tucked it under his arm. " Ah, Lydia, I'm glad your saf...An, Nevermind me. Had enough sleep?" He rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. " Anyway we need to depart now. We lost enough time with this." He turned and started for the gate which started to open as soon as they two of them started to move towards it.
The road north will take them away from every dwarven settlement until it branches west and east at the river that fed the entire dwarven nation with their water. Ranga had the map in his head and knew they would have to travel several days to reach the river. And then several more to reach his land safely. Such a time consuming trip, but necessary. His eyes glanced up at Lydia and he began to wonder truly what that dream was about. He was also worried for her safety. Partly because of his oath, But some part of his heart could confide in her since they shared tortured pasts. Minutes passed before he realized he was staring he quickly glanced away. He knew it could never be. He would deliver the girl to the king, get his pay, then retire to his castle where he would plot his fathers end.
Plans. That is what his life was. Ragna has been waiting for so long for revenge and now he has the reason to. He can kill his entire family and secure...everything. His memories flashed back to the training his father put him through. The countless slaves he had killed because his father told him to. The nights spent staffing off hunger and the Hellhounds his father sicked on him. Then his mind drifted back to Lydia. ' I wonder what sort of life she lived. She seems so innocent and pure. Definitely not for me....' He let out an exasperated sigh.
"So Lydia. For the safest path I think we should travel north to the river, then west to the demon lands. If you have any ideas, or just wish to get this over with and cut west. I would understand. Though that way we would put countless halflings...Ah. Dwarven settlements at risk. Personally I think at the river we can lose the trackers, then they will either disperse back to their plans, or well...kill dwarves till they fight back."