The spear of ice pierced through the hull of the "Herald". Several Sky knights were thrown off the deck from the impact, the ship was halted and pinned in the air.

All eyes were on the figure sitting at it´s tip. The wolf woman stared across the sky knights and the hope´s guard, and she yawned. "You little lights are stepping onto my hunting grounds. Little pigs and insects have no place here, the slave girl is my prey."

Her eyes lastly fell on Melnia. Drool began to run down Kaya´s mouth as she pointed down at the young woman. "But this one. A pitiful light, but ancient. The flavour must be incredible." She leapt down the spear and landed on the deck, the planks turning grey and dead under her bare feet.

"Give me her and I will let you live, little lights."

The Sky knights closed their ranks. Mellador stood at the front with Thaeus, Fiona and Ellyrie guarding Melnia while Aeneya stayed at the back, three arrows resting on her bow.

"Sky Knights don't sell out their own." Ellyrie gripped her blade. It did not cease her trembling. "You wont get her."

Kaya licked across the back of her hand, chuckling to herself. "You will see."

The wolf dashed forward, eyes set on Melnia. Aeneya´s arrows were let loose and surged towards her. Kaya ducked under, reached out and grasped one, throwing it forward and piercing the chest of one of the knights.

She jumped over Mellador´s swing, landing on the head of his heavy maul. From it she jumped towards Thaeus. His burning staff meet with Kaya´s freezing claws, forcing the monk back towards the railing.

The wolf found an opening, her clawed hand reached for his throat, barely stopped by Thaeus´ barrier. Another volley of arrows raced towards her. The first two missed there mark as Kaya Leapt back and over them, but the third found it´s target, piercing her side.

Kaya bared her fangs, her eyes now fixated on Aeneya. "Pesky light." She took a step forward, but Mellador and Thaeus once more blocked her path. Kaya growled.

This time her target was Mellador. The half-ogre needed space to swing his weapon, his large frame shielding the much smaller Kaya from Aeneya´s arrows. Alone, the large knight did not stand a chance. Kaya danced through his swings, and her claws found his head. Her claws left four gushing wounds across his face.

The skin began to puterify and rot around the deep cuts, he screamed and fell to his knees. Kaya leapt over his fallen body. A burst of flame hit her from the side, pushing her off the ship. Thaeus followed, standing atop his flying staff.

Kaya let out a deep breath, freezing the air under her, creating a solid surface. From it she faced Thaeus on solid ground, for a moment. She locked eyes with Thaeus as he approached, watching the surprise in his eyes. He had wanted to finish her with a last attack.

It was the last, but not his own. Kaya deflected his punch with one hand and pierced his chest with the other, ripping out his heart, crushing it. "Too pitiful a meal."

The ice she stood on began to fall, Kaya pushed Thaeus´ body off his staff and jumped atop it instead. With a burst of flame she raced back to the "Herald", toward Aeneya. With her speed she dodged Aeneya´s arrows with ease, landing in front of the archer.

"Here ends our dance, little light." Kaya stepped forward, but her eyes surged to her left, seeing the flashing scythe blade not a moment too soon. Fiona landed between Kaya and Aeneya.

"You will not lay your cursed hands upon my sister, beast!" Her shadow began to move and writhe, before it reached out, through the surface of the floor. Brandishing a copy of Fiona´s Scythe, her shadow joined her side.

Their movement was a perfect dance as Fiona´s shadow mirrored it´s owner with but a moment of delay. The flurry of strikes pushed Kaya back, and gave Aeneya time to retreat.

Ellyrie had followed Fiona to the helm, but had to stand back. Fiona´s strikes were too ferocious, she could not come near without having to fear getting struck herself. Even pushed back, Kaya´s mere presence was bearing down on her, making her body tremble. Just what was this monster?

She could still hear Mellador´s screams, but did not dare to take her eyes off Fiona´s battle, her stomach was a writhing mess. This thing had killed Thaeus, and she could not even feel anger. Only fear.

Fiona had pushed Kaya towards the back of the helm, but still not managed to strike the wolf. Crying out in anger she put more force into her strike. Their eyes met, and Kaya smiled. "So that is the pattern."

Fiona´s strike missed, and she lost balance. Kaya surged forward, and grasped the knight by her neck. She began to flail and grab Kaya´s arm, her shadow immobile without her direction.

"Your pig friends hold you back, dark light." Kaya slammed Fiona down into the ground, hard enough that the knight´s body bounced before laying motionless. "Seek me out in a year, we will fight properly then."

The wolf turned to Ellyrie, slowly she walked toward her. "Will you disappoint me like those two, or do you have potential, little light."

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"El, duck!"

The captain needed no more encouragement to fall down, she ducked and gave Aeneya a field of fire.

The archer had a single arrow laid on her bow, glowing in bright gold. "Die already you worm ridden bitch!"

She let the arrow loose. It shot towards Kaya in a ray of light that briefly turned the dark night to day. The wolf rose her hand and the air in front of her palm froze, creating a shield in front of her.

The arrow crashed against it, golden light reflecting upon the flawless surface of her shield. But it was not enough. The ice spread, enveloping the arrow, swallowing it´s light. It fell to the ground with a final thud.

Aeneya cursed and reached for her quiver, but it was empty. "El." She sunk to her knees. "Get away from her El!"

The captain could not move. She could not even rise to her feet as the wolf came closer.

"Where did all that blustering go, little light?" Kaya leaned her head to the side, her tail swaying behind her slowly. "Or did it finally sink in what you are up against?"

Ellyrie could not raise her head. She could only hear the tapping of Kaya´s feet come ever closer. Hear a second pair come closer.

Melnia ran up the stairs to the helm and put herself between Ellyrie and Kaya, her arms outstretched.

The wolf halted, her mouth half open as more drool ran down her face. "There is my little treat. Tired of letting these little things fight for you? Someone like you should be above something so pitiful."

Melnia stared her down. "You are not going to touch her. Or me."

The wolf laughed and grabbed Melnia by her hair, watching the girl flail and tear up. "Who is going to stop me, you? You're an ancient thing with no power to speak of. A relic that couldn't be proud enough to die properly."

She brought Melnia closer, her rancid breath hitting her face. "Your time is over and spent. Ending it will make you all the more delicious."

"My era has just begun!" Melnia´s words echoed twice over, cracking open the sky. The clouds parted, the pale moon covering the "Herald" in it´s light.

Kaya´s hand began to tremble, she let Melnia go and took a step back, her tail standing straight. "You wouldn't."

Melnia´s body was aging before their eyes. She grew taller, her body resembling her actual age. "I no longer have my power, but this body has enough to wipe a usurper like you from my earth."

Kaya´s ears lowered as she snarled at Melnia, but continued to step back.

"Leave. Return to your cursed home, false god And never return." Melnia took one step forward.

Kaya rose her hand, pointing at Melnia. "I will remember you, and I will break you, ancient!" She leapt off the railing, disappearing into the night.

Melnia´s body crumbled, she fell to the ground and curled up, breathing heavily. The spell of terror vanished with Kaya, and Ellyrie rose back to her feet.

She saw Aeneya tending to Mellador, and so ran over to Melnia. She had now outgrown her clothes, they had torn or no longer fully covered her. She did not look back at Ellyrie.

"I am sorry, captain." She muttered, hiding her face in her hands.

"You don't have to be sorry, you saved me, you saved-" She had to swallow down the 'all', "most of us."

"No, captain. I am sorry for, me." Melnia was sobbing, they shook her body like tremors. "So much returned to me when that filthy beast had me. Too much."

"Mel, it is fine, are you hurt?" Ellyrie could barely contain her tears. "Mellador, he."

Melnia struggled to her feet. "I know. I need to see him."

The great knight was laying on his back, still struggling to cover his face. It took Aeneya´s urging and both her and Ellyrie for him to take his hands away.

"Oh no." Melnia shook her head as she looked down at the wound. Most of the colour had drained from his face and was beginning to wrinkle and age.

"What is going on with him, I've never seen a wound like this." Aeneya was staring at Melnia, her face almost as pale.

"Primals can drain the life out of anything, though few are so gluttonous that they tear it with their touch this way." Melnia folded her hands in her lap. "He will live, if you can bind his wounds. But he will not be able to fight any more." She closed her eyes. "She tore decades out of him."

Aeneya exchanged a look with Ellyrie. Both did not know what to say.

"You need to take off his armour, he will likely not be able to bear it´s weight any longer." Melnia got back on her feet and looked at the great spear still lodged inside the "Herald". With it´s maker gone, it had started to melt fast.

By now the other ship had vanished off into the horizon, but it did not matter to Ellyrie anymore. The captain rose to her feet and rushed toward Cairon´s office to retrieve medical supplies for Mellador and Fiona. Melnia followed in silence and helped carry.

Before the stairs she stopped Ellyrie looked back at her in surprise.

"El. That thing, knew who, what I was." She batted her eyes. "I, saw it in her eyes, and it made me remember. You must not, tell the others."

The captain bit her lip. "I, wont. I promise."

Melnia exhaled, and met Ellyrie´s gaze. "My name, is Melthaine of the east. Your histories did not speak of me, but they spoke much of my brother Elthaine."

The medical supplies fell out of Ellyrie´s hands. "You."

"You are a demon princess?"