“The two of you are hardly in any decent condition to fight, not without some healing that is. Kaara, will you help those two?”

“Set Orsika down nicely and I will.” Kaara said in a manner more serious than anything Amaro had ever seen from her.

“Ah, my apologies.” Deka said with a false smile as he delicately set the xia down in the snow.

The snow melted around them, swirling and wrapping over their bodies.

“While we heal, I’m going to need a status report,” Deka said, “Did you take those two Noxa out?”

“That we did, but they managed to get away before we could properly question them,” Amaro said, glancing over to Kaara for a moment.

“From the information gathered, the black devil was the leader of the Noxas, and that four armed giant was his right hand.” Deka cupped his chin, “Between them, Sancta, Orsika, and Tulos, we’ve struck a decisive blow to their ranks.”

“And what of the other captains?” Anitus asked.

“Unfortunately, they managed to retreat before we could claim their horns, but they have been weakened substantially. Without a healer like Sancta, they will not be able to recuperate in time.”

“So all that’s left is Tadios, then,” Amaro said.

“Indeed. Along with the rest of the common rabble-”

Kaara cleared her throat as the healing water around Deka splashed to the ground, “Oh, woops.”

“Along with the rest of the Tibur children,” Deka corrected.

Amaro almost wanted to laugh. It seemed as though Kaara was more important as a healer than Deka wanted to admit, “Careful Deka, I know my brother did not go down without leaving you at least a couple wounds first.”

Deka ignored him, “Once Tadios is dealt with, we can go on a horn hunting spree until we’ve won. However, I will need every single one of you active with your horns intact. We’ve taken more losses than I wanted to. The Tibur managed to get the rogue nobility to do all the fighting for them before retreating, and it has drastically reduced our numbers,” He glanced at Amaro and Anitus, “Tulos is commendable for coming up with such a plan, and I will not treat him lightly ever again. Regardless, he has made things interesting to say the least.”

“Speaking of Tulos,” Anitus said, looking over at his brother still lying in the snow, “How long do you plan on pretending to be knocked out?”

Tulos stirred, “Ah, well, I suppose I can’t sneak much past you, brother. I was hoping Deka would continue to stroke my ego.”

“While commendable, you allowed yourself to be taken out while your subordinates escaped. Without your guidance, their organization will crumble the moment Tadios falls.” Deka said.

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“You think so?” Tulos grinned, “We shall see come midnight. After all, the adults don’t watch over the final night. They’re too busy defending the camp to ensure we have until midnight to defeat you.”

“Is that to say you’ve planned something underhanded in the case you fell during your retreat?”

“Who’s to say? I’m supposed to be ‘dead’ right now, after all. Dead xio don’t usually speak.” Tulos showed his fangs, “But they can still haunt.”

Deka crossed his arms, “May the spirit of your command grant strength to the ones you’ve left to command themselves.”

Tulos stood up, clutching a wound on his ribs, “I’ll be walking myself over to Shiira’s tent now. Try not to stay in place for too long, will you?” Tulos’s eyes seemed to glow in the same way that the bat drake’s had, “It would make it too easy to finish you all off if we found you first again.”

There was a pause between the five of them, “Do you think it’s a bluff my liege?” Vilka said.

“Either a bluff or another lure. Even when he’s out of the game he manages to play with our minds anyway. Regardless, it will not change my plans. We will set out to find Tadios, and I will personally deal with him. Vilka, collect any of our remaining troops. We will make one final push to claim our victory before midnight.”

“As you wish, milord.”

“As for the rest of you, I think it’s a good idea to take as many horns as possible. They still have two captains remaining, but so long as Tadios is preoccupied with me, they have nowhere to run.”

“Let’s not waste any more time then,” Anitus said, punching his palm.

“Kaara, can you track where they went?” Deka asked.

“No, I think it’s impossible,” She said.

Everyone looked at the young huntress in bewilderment, “What? Are the Noxa really so elusive?”

“Yeah I mean, what am I supposed to work with anyway? All I’ve got to go on is the massive trail of trampled snow heading northeast.” She said, pointing behind them.

Amaro turned to see a not so hidden trail left by the noxa and the other Tibur. He glanced back to Kaara seeing how the corners of her mouth struggled to hold a straight face.

“You’ve made your point, Kaara,” Deka said coldly, “It’s clear they don’t intend to run and hide anymore. They have regrouped and intend to defend their position until midnight. They managed to gain the lead and now they intend to keep it. Tulos knew that, and made sure that we could only take a small amount of horns during their retreat.” Deka moved forward, picking his cloak up from the snow and fastening it, “What happens next will be the final confrontation.” He looked to the last remnants of his army, “We will be heading into the deepest fires of the war now. If you are weak, then feel free to stay behind. If you wish to join my legacy, then follow me. I will not have any more cowards at my back during a battle. You will show me what your blood is worth, or you will stay out of our way and keep your horns in tact while the real warriors fight for the glory of your prince. That is all.”

The nobility looked between themselves with a light murmur. It was hard for Amaro to admit it since he did not like Deka, but even he could not deny the prince had a commanding presence about him. He was a leader, born, built, and raised. A greedy conqueror who was not satisfied with the many blessings he possessed. He did not downplay his opposition because that is exactly what made this victory worth taking in the first place.

Amaro understood that now. There were things in this world worth fighting for, and though one day their blades might meet when they were older, right now they fought as one.

Not a single soul stayed behind because the ones they followed were those worth following.

The Prince of Itaro and his unmatched retainer, a prodigious huntress of the Tibur clan, and the two eldest heirs to the most ancient noble bloodline of Itaro. They had regrouped. The blood and chaos of combat had separated the wheat from the chaff, and what remained was the most unstoppable force of their generation.

Amaro had to wonder if he would ever walk shoulder to shoulder with these people like this again. Of course, he hoped at least one of them would.