A deafening boom echoed throughout the town of Sorina.

Charles flinched as a cold sweat ran down his spine. He was sprinting down a dark cobblestone street with each step thundering through his skull.

The guardsmen chose the wrong town to mess with. As soon as the commotion at the tavern reached the outside, it instantly woke the town. Like a sleeping lion, the locals tore from out of their houses and onto the streets brandishing any tool that was deadly enough.

The guardsmen quickly found themselves overwhelmed by sheer number and a few ran only to be caught from behind. The farmers quickly routed the untrained yet armed guardsmen, swiftly relieving them of their weapons.

Charles ran with pickaxe in hand beside Arthur with over fifty enraged locals at their backs. The group grunted as they ran all with a single train of thought.

"I can see them!" Arthur puffed.

“Where?” Charles asked, panting.

Arthur pointed to the right as a small flicker of light ignited the night.

Small fires had suddenly burned bright for only a moment as a blood-curdling scream tore through the night air. Before they could reach the caged wagons, the small fires burned out.

With the moon as their only light, Charles couldn’t comprehend the scene that lay before him.

The mob of farmers at their backs jolted to a stop.

"Where did all the men........" Arthur froze mid-sentence as he spotted the corpses lying on the ground beside cages. Their skulls were all blackened to a crisp. Sobbing voices pleaded from within the cages above.

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Arthur stopped next to Charles and let out a hacking cough.

"See the girls?" asked Charles.

Arthur shook his head. "Not yet."

More of the farmers appeared around the wagons as Charles and Arthur moved to the leading carriage. Ellie reached out through the bars and clutched the front of Charles' shirt. Blood oozed from a large cut on her hand where she had desperately grabbed at the man who took her, while her other hand was clutched protectively to her chest. A silvery shimmer between her fingers betrayed the presence of her magical stone.

Charles pulled himself up on top of the wagon and ripped at the bindings that held the cage closed.

He fumbled in the dark and swore. After a few frustrating moments, Arthur appeared beside him and calmly flicked the clasp and the door swung open. Ellie rushed to greet them and threw her arms around Charles' neck and kissed him over and over again with tears running down her face.

“Got a little tough one there,” said a shaky voice.

Rose emerged and dropped her own shackles to the floor and gave her uncle a wry smile. She looked dishevelled but otherwise unharmed.

Arthur quickly hugged her, then bounded off towards the next wagon.

"Maze?” Arthur said, frozen in his tracks. “Charles. Quickly! Help!"

Arthur lent down and pulled the old storyteller to his feet. He had collapsed a few paces away and looked white as a ghost. Beside him lay the smouldering remains of an unknown soldier. Charles ran to the old man’s side and shouldered his weight.

“You alright mate?” asked Charles.

His old eyes cracked open. They were bloodshot.

Maze gave out a feeble cough.

"There,” he whispered. “Yet another satisfying ending." His lips slowly parted, managing to give the two a toothy grin.

A book lay at his feet and all their eyes fell on its blue cover.

"Gents." Mazes' voice croaked among the cries of relief. "We’re in deep shit."

Arthur sighed. "I knew it. This isn't the end. Is it?"

The old storyteller let out a dry cough. "I’m not sure if this was an order from the kingdom or not. It could have been only for their amusement.”

“Bastards,” muttered Charles.

Maze nodded. “A large war force is coming south. The King believes it is in his peoples' interest that he takes personal control of Sorina."

“Shit!” said Arthur. He was watching his niece who was already helping a few of the frightened women.

"So, what's the King's actual plan then?" Arthur asked.

Mazes' expression fell. "If my sources are correct. The Nahm Tonic for every man, woman and child."