Author's Note: This is the second chapter I posted on 15/6/16.

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           It had been gut wrenching for Ellen to see Strozazand die. He was a young man that she felt like she had helped raise. Had raised, given how uninvolved his parents had been. She had taught him to fish in the Vatnið Lake, tried to teach him how to clean and cook his catch, and taught him how to defend his kills against crocalyals. The trick was masking the scent of the food so the crocalyal never knew it was there… the other option was running quickly.

            He had been the only person in the entire village that she had shared her true age with… mostly so that he would believe her when she told him she knew more about things than he did… but still, she hadn't told Katrina or even Sir Wilbur. And he hadn't betrayed her trust by telling anyone. She felt responsible for him. She had watched him grow up before her… and she watched him get cut down because of Kegar's negligence.

            Ellen ran to him, chasing Mary, even knowing there was little if anything she could do for him. The best she could do was defend Mary. Her boy would understand. He would appreciate that she was protecting his sister. The two siblings didn't always get on well, but given how their parents played them against each other, they cared surprisingly deeply for one another.

            The arrows flew, the orcs laughed, and death would come. But then great blue wings burst from Strozazand's back, protecting Mary and her. Even as the light went out of his eyes, he kept his wings around them.

            That's my boy. She didn't realize tears were streaming down her face.

            Hiding under the cover of his… corpse… she began shooting her own arrows at the laughing orcs in front of her. She focused a moment, pooling violet energy around the arrowhead, it swirled eerily before she drew the fletching back to her ear and fired. The yellow orc tried to catch her arrow with his throat, which would have been a poor plan under ordinary circumstances. With the psionic energy wrapped around the arrowhead, the arrow severed the yellow orc's filthy head from his shoulders and embedded itself into the stone wall behind him. His pustulous corpse collapsed to the floor of the keep, spewing a noxious fountain of red blood.

            The remaining orcs left off their laughter and began advancing, weapons drawn. Ellen knew she wouldn't be able to defeat them all, not with Mary hysterical beside her.

            The hair on her forearm stood on end, old wounds began to ache, no longer suppressed by adrenaline, "What the…?" She murmured, notching another arrow.

            Electricity flowed out of the arrow slits like a torrent, jumping from one orc to the next. Their bodies froze, then jerked wildly in an electric dance of death before collapsing. With its final leap, the lightning jumped to Strozazand, where it seemed to be absorbed into his skin, leaving only a slight crackle behind.

            With hesitant fingers, Ellen reached out to touch Stroz's wing. "What the hell?"

            "I wouldn't do that, Ellen." Finos remarked, causing Ellen to startle. At some point during the skurmish he had come up to stand next to her. His bow was notched.

            Ellen stopped. She glanced backwards, certainly she hadn't been looking for anyone else to run into the death trap, but now that Finos had… Percival was doing what he had been hired to do, protect Lizzy. In fact, he was physically restraining her from going out into the kill zone. The look on his face said that if he wasn't holding her, he would have been out there. Shandra was fumbling with her potions, clearly looking for something that would help. Broden was… gone. Which was a surprise. Out of everyone, he was the person most likely to charge into danger headless of his safety. Faute looked on with pure panic etched into her face. That level of total terror would have worried her, and it did, but she was far more concerned about Kegar who was looking on in disgust.

            That can't be right… Ellen thought, trying desperately to find another emotion etched in his face.

            Kegar saw her looking at him, "What was that?" His face twisted, as if he were trying to hide his reaction but was unsuccessful.

            Part of the stone wall, by the arrow slits, fell away. The stone ground against itself, echoing down the hallway. Cole and Katrina stood like avenging archangels. Cole shone like the sun, his light blistering away any darkness or shadow. His bone armor gleamed like polished gold. Katrina was wreathed in lightning, the electricity arced around her, culminating in a javelin forged from lightning.

            "What happened?" A voice boomed out from Cole. It was like the sound of a thousand hammers forging the perfect blade.

            Katrina, having no consideration of the lightning around Stroz, checked his pulse and found him dead. Tenderly, she began to remove the arrows that peppered his body.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

            "What happened!" Cole repeated, advancing on Kegar. "You lead this group, you have the authority and the responsibility. Now, answer me!" Cole spoke with the scorching power of his deity. Ellen felt the power go out of him and the compulsion wrap around Kegar.

            Surprise lit up his face. He struggled for a moment before answer, "It's Mary's fault he's dead! I was trying to decide what to do, we had clearly reached a trapped room, but she stumbled, the clumsy blue cowbra, and pushed Stroz into the room. That's when he was shot. After she pushed him."

            Ellen listened in outrage, That's only loosely true at best! Ellen opened her mouth to argue when she was cut off.

            "We do not have time to argue. Every instant of hesitation gives our enemies more time to prepare." Katrina hefted Stroz's corpse over her shoulder, her javelin having already been absorbed back into her skin. Katrina tucked Stroz's winds securely against his back while she murmured, "Not that we haven't already given them ample time."

            Cole nodded, the dry heat of the desert sun radiating from him. "We discovered that this whole section of building is reflecting sound toward a central chamber further in." He outlined the experiments they had done to determine this.

            Lizzy nodded. It was what she had tried to tell Kegar when they entered the first room.

            Kegar stood his ground, now that the divine power wasn't pulling words from his mouth he could say what he wanted, "If you two had been here instead of dealing with her temper tantrum or discovering things together, Strozazand would still be alive!" His words struck at Katrina's fear.

            "That… is doubtful." Cole began, surprise turning everyone's faces towards him.

            It was rare for Cole to think of anyone but himself. Let alone to come to another's aid three times in the same day. What happened? Ellen wondered.

            "If she had not controlled the divine wrath we all know burns inside her, then we would all be dead from the explosives in the room. And if she hadn't helped me understand my divine encounter, then we never would have found the secret passage. Obviously, it goes without saying that the orcs couldn't have been dealt with without access to where they were shooting their arrows."

            Kegar, not wanting to argue with this new Cole, turned on Finos and Percival who were both looking guilty, "It's your fault he's dead. You should have found the secret passage!"

            Mary reached out to touch her brother, but Katrina stepped away, "Don't. Although he's dead, his body is filled with divine energy. No one should touch him but me."

            Mary didn't turn her tearful eyes away from her brother. He was finally beginning to respect me. She felt guilty for how close she felt they should have been, but weren't. She felt shame that Kegar was right. It was because of how clumsy she was, if she had been able to catch herself, she wouldn't have pushed Stroz out after Kegar shoved her. "What do you mean?"

            Katrina patted Stroz on the wing, "It seems as though Strozazand the Dargonman has found favor with my goddess. The unexpended energy from the chain lightning was sent into him and is preserving him. I can only assume that it's because you two have the blood of blue dragons flowing through your veins. She favors blue dragons."

            Mary's eyes widened. I didn't believe it was true… but to know we are from blue dragons? She looked at the blue skin on her hand, Maybe it isn't meant as a curse?

            "Why can't you bring him back now?" Faute still hadn't stepped in the room. Shandra glared at Faute, but she sniffed and replied, "It's a fair question. I'm just saying what you all are thinking."

            Cole shook his head slowly, "Neither of us are strong enough to channel that kind of energy. Only a bishop or someone that caliber could. There is probably one in Capita. If we can complete the king's mission quickly, he might even give us access to the priest as a bonus for helping him." He flexed his shoulders, "So, let's kill this chieftain, go back to Capita and get our friend back."

            Broden, panting and out of breath thundered from the secret passage.

            Katrina walked over to him, she moved slowly under the weight of her burden. She patted his shoulder, "Thanks for coming to get us, but we made it."

            Broden's shoulders sagged as he looked at the limp body of Strozazand.

            "I'm sorry you missed it. Cole and I obliterated them with some hefty divine power." Katrina smiled sadly, before turning to follow Cole through the next hall.