There was a ruckus in the main room at the cabin, I was in my room reading. Her and Valandria planned to leave in the morning to set up a camp at Ofre, and wait for reinforcements. Curious as to what was happening, she left her room. Walking down the hall towards the main room she could hear hurried voices and worried orders

"Get some dressings and heal the wound as best as you can with your magic. If he's lucky enough he won't have lost enough blood to kill him" Valandria said.

Kaida moved towards the group of dryads working. I could smell the blood in the air, I was trying to get closer to see if I could help.

"Bellator?" I was unable to get any closer without shoving elves to the side, "What has happened? Where is my father?" I asked anyone who was listening.

Finally an elf in front of me moved and I dropped down beside Bellator. Valandria was working on him trying to keep him alive, using her magic to heal his wound, it looked infected and full of dirt, she was pouring hot water over his wound, and pressing cloth into an arrow hole. It was straight through a lung, and his breathing was bad.

Valandria got the wound clean enough to close it, pressing her hand against the wound, a green familiar glow emanating from her palm and the wound closed. We turned Bellator over and we repeated the process on his back.

"It looks like he was shot from behind! Were they ambushed?" I asked, looking straight at Valandria.

"Our brownies scouts notified a guild member that they were attacked, along with the two men I asked them all to watch for." Valandria said as she pressed her palm against Bellators back, repeating the process of closing his wounds.

"It was your Magus, Kai. He took your father, Kaida. Left Bellator for dead. A few guild members found him and brought him straight here. That is all we know for now."

Kai has taken my father hostage? Baiting me. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it. My body thumping with each beat. I was furious, and scared for my father.

I knew what Kai wanted, and had no way of giving it to him. At least I hoped he wanted something from me, in return for my fathers life.

"Kaida, you can't go to Kai. He will only kill your father when you deny him what he wants." Valandria said. "We need to find another way."

"Another way? I will challenge Kai. I will..." I stopped talking. A blindingly bright light burst in front of me, filling the room. I couldn't see a damn thing. What was happening?

Aadi was standing in front of me after the light subsided enough for my eyes to focus. "Aadi?" I asked

"Kaida, Your father is going to die, that is something that has already been decided by fate. I gave you the power to stop Amaia. Kai is an easy kill, you could take off his head with your sword without breaking a sweat, the man is not well skilled. Amaia will find another to open the door." He said to me,

"So, what am I supposed to do, Aadi?" I asked him, irritated.

"If I die, so will Amaia. Our souls are connected. This is why," He pointed to my chest, "She preserved my heart. My soul is trapped here, in that gem."

"You want me to kill you?" I asked him.

"Yes. Gods can be reborn. This is what I wish for. A new chance at a new life. Maybe I will even come back as a great tiger and roam the world, whatever it is, it will be good. And I will have Loa at my side once again." He said to me.

"Aadi, only a god can kill another god. I am no god." I said.

"You have the heart of a god in your chest, you are a demi-god as long as we are connected. That's enough, it's as good as if I fathered you myself." He told me. "I know you will do what you have to, when the time comes, Kaida."

With a sigh Aadi disappeared into dust, as he always does, and the room I was in came back into sight. Bellator still unconscious on the floor, but no longer bleeding out.

Blinking and taking in the room, the handful of dryads in the cabin around Bellator, Valandria and I. "Will he live?" I asked Valandria.

"He will try to live." She said to me, "If he makes it through the night, then I think he will make it. I have done what I can."

I reached forward, and placed my hand on his chest. I closed my eyes and concentrated, knowing I just wanted him to live, so we could stand by each other. My hand grew hot, and was giving off a faint red glow. Bellator started to breath a little heavier, my body felt different, sweat was dripping off my brow as my body healed his, syphoning magic from Aadi, I was healing Bellator's body with my own. I don't know how I did it, or that it could even be done, but it was done. He wasn't fully healed, I knew that. No, I felt that. He would heal the rest on his own though.

He blinked open his eyes, looking around, trying to understand what was happening. I fell back away from him, bracing myself with my free hand. My entire body was tired.

Bellator sat up slowly, Valandria and the other dryads were silent.

I stood up and held out my hand to Bellator, I knew he was strong enough to stand. Taking my hand confused, he stood, "What the hell is happening?" He asked me.

"Not much, what happened to you?" I answered him.

"Kai and his men ambushed us. I am unsure how he knew of our location." He told me.

"Nevermind that, was my father alive when he was taken?" I asked him

"I don't know, Kaida. I'm sorry." He told me.

Nodding I embraced him, I was happy he was standing here, alive and well. I needed Bellator more than I was going to admit.

"I have a plan." I told him. "Valandria? Can the guild help me get my father back?" I asked her.

"Of course, they will be headed here by now, and our original plan has failed." She said,

"Great. We are going to attack Kai dead on. Ambush them in the night, I'm going to bury Kai in the ground." I said. I was going to literally bury that bastard in the ground. I was never going to let him threaten my family again. In the short time I was here with the dryads, Valandria, I learned a lot of myself, and about my fate. I was going to use what I knew, and stop Amaia, and Kai.

"Most of the awakened in the Valley are innocent, Kaida." Bellator said to me.

"I know." is all I said, I could only hope they would make the right choice and be willing to see Kai for what he was. I was sure he needed Aadi's heart gem before he could break the door open between the realms. I hoped.

The Dryadalis guild arrived within a day, lucky enough. We made a plan that they would support us by surrounding the camp, while we lured Kai out into the open where I could confront him.

Bellator and Valandria insisted they would stand by my side. Valandria said it would honor my dear friend Sigurd, and it would give her honor in that.

Packing only my weapons and wearing my armor, Valandria gifted me a set of spaulders and bracers matched to a chest plate made from dryad silver and steel. Across the chest piece was Elddreki. I was honored to have this. Valandria knew how much pride I took in battle, and for her to arrange this was a gift I will use greatly. I was amazed how light weight it was, like it was made of leather instead of steel. Bellator also receiving one in a darker silver, he personally added a few ruins into the spaulders for extra luck with the help of the dryadalis, he was well protected, he had removed all his facial hair, and cut his hair in I wore the armor proudly, honored they would come to our aid at all, this was not their fight and didn't have to do anything. Why Valandria chose to join my cause I could only guess was out of respect, and friendship. I admitted to myself, without the dryads Bellator and I would have been at a dead end. The gods brought us together, this I was sure of.

The guild was all about business, over two hundred strong, they were well trained, they moved like they were one. It was impressive to see the amount of respect they had for each other. Valandria was out front, in full gear, her dark leather and matching silver steel armor to my own, except hers had gold woven throughout the gear in an intricate design of elven runes, and she wore a crested helm that reached into two short horns on the top both decorated with black feathers, her high pointed ears each decorated with a chain matching to the silver of the helm.

At her command we rode from the guild encampment just outside of the cabin entrance. We planned to ride hard through the night and stop just outside of the lake across from the Dryadalis city, Cinneadh. The elven guild seemed to be looking forward to some action, I understood that.

The sounds of over two hundred horses galloping through the woods down a traveled path towards the lake was a sound I will never forget. I had been in battles before, plenty of them in my short time, always on foot, and always defending. I was never the one to ride out and attack. The woods pounded with each horse's striding steps. My horse's breathing heavy and paced, I thought of my father the closer we got, the more hope I gained that I would see him again.

Making it to the lake after riding a full day and most of the night, the dryad men and women setting up along the edge of the lake, small fires lighting up along the grassy shore. Coming down the river north from our location we could see paper lanterns floating down the water towards us, with runes written on them in elvish. There were many guild members standing along the shore honoring the lanterns, bowing their heads as they passed us by. I figured the lanterns were being sent by the dryad city people who were supporting their guild men and women. Valandria came and stood beside me as I leaned against a tree watching the many dryads sup and drink by fires, waiting for the morning to ride to the valley of Gweiadur.

"They are ready to give their lives to stop our world being ravaged by an unwelcome god. Terra, Ota, Aadi, Juniper, even that Gorn fellow, they may not always do what we would view as good, or evil, but they are protecting us from many troubles and threats beyond our imaginations from their own realms. Remember, we are not alone. If we can work together and help our gods back, then who knows where we could stand one day. Amaia coming here will affect us as well, we will help you gain the trust of the awakened in the valley. Avoid unnecessary blood shed, for a change."

"Kai will have people no matter what, that's something that we can not avoid. I want to see my father's face before I kill Kai. It's been days since he has had my father, who knows what he has done to him." I said.

"We will send scouts ahead, we will have answers before we arrive." Valandria said. "Our brownie's have already sent work in that direction, you would be amazed how fast word travels with their help."

I laughed, "No, it doesn't seem like they would be slow at all." We both laughed. "Are ravagers not a concern for them? Do the dryads come in contact with them often being so close to their home?" I asked her.

"Not often, they have learned to leave our kind alone, and the brownie's are usually too fast to catch. Ravagers are stupid soulless creatures. They work on rage, and rage is not a focusing skill."

Bellator coming up behind us through the trees, he was carrying a skinned rabbit ready for the fire's flames, accompanied by a brownie himself. Sitting upon his shoulder quite proud looking in his tiny armor and sliver of a spear.

"Made a friend, Bellator?" I laughed, motioning to his shoulder.

The brownie stood on his shoulder and bowed deeply to Valandria, "Ranger." He said in a small serious voice, then stood and smiled.

"This is the great hunter, the amazing, the wonderful, the... what was it?" Bellator asked.

"The great hunter, the amazing, the wonderful, the tall and strong, Mabe." He said irritated.

"Greetings, Mabe." Valandria said, bowing back her head. "What news from your scouts?" She asked.

"All clear in the area, and ready to eat rabbit!" He said to her proudly. Then climbing down Bellator's armor on his back he came running out from behind Bellator towards our fire.

"Common giant! Ye going to make me wait all night for a meal?" He demanded from Bellator.

Shaking my head, unable to believe I was actually watching Bellator take an order from a brownie, the three of us joined Mabe by the fire. Bellator speared the rabbit meat with a stick and placed it over the fire to cook. I wasn't hungry but would eat to keep up my strength to fight Kai.

As I laid down beside the fire, waiting for the rabbit to be edible, I thought of my father. Closing my eyes, trying to reach out magically to see him. Nothing happened as hard as I tried. It wasn't long before Mabe was clapping with excitement for some rabbit. He was talking about how he and Bellator had slayed the mighty beast together, he did his part by luring the rabbit towards Bellator, and Bellator kindly hit it with an arrow for him. I found it rather funny he was savage enough to bring the rabbit to his death for a meal. I knew they were little monsters.

I didn't sleep well, tossing and turning with many thoughts of Kai and Amaia, worried about my father's life. I should never have let them split from us. We should have found a different way to bring Kai out from his encampment. I wanted to get to the Valley of Gweiadur as fast as I could and I was impatient about the trip.

When the sun started to peak over the hills in the east, I could hear the dryads stirring, readying themselves for our trip to the Valley. Catching fish and dressing, relieving themselves, whatever the case was, the time to leave was coming. I anxiously prepared my own gear and horse as I ate some salted pork and bread.

"We should arrive tonight." Bellator said to me.

"Yeah." Was all I said.

"What about the Draugr? We haven't taken it into consideration." Bellator mentioned.

"What do you mean? There are men and women there now, with Kai. There must be some agreement through Kai and itself to allow them to be there now, no?" I asked.

"I'm unsure. Draugr's do nothing for free, they are pure evil." he said.

Nodding, "I'll use Eldrekki's fire, a Dragon's fire is sure to be enough to burn it?" I asked him.

Shrugging, "I don't hear many stories about awakened, or dragons for that matter fighting draugr." He said to me,

"I don't have a second plan, Bell." I looked at him. "I'm going to use Aadi and Eldrekki's powers, and save my fathers life. I'm going to stop Kai, and Amaia, doing whatever is necessary."

As we were finishing the last bit of packing, Valandria and her horse clopped up beside us. "Ready? We will gather before the valley. We have scouts there waiting." She said,

Nodding, I climbed up on my horse, making sure my red stoned blade was available on my hip. My shield steady, and the three of us trotted to the front of the Dryadalis guild.

Valandria urged her horse down the middle of the two hundred dryads, another Ranger following her dressed similar to Valandria, but her crested helm had a different set of horns, they looked incredible, and powerful. The guild cheered as they rode by, clapping their hands against the front of their armor. It was a great scene of support, and pride. It reminded me of prouder days with my father, defending Duskenhills, our farm. I often thought I would love to be a part of a great army, and raid with kings. Now that I am sitting up on my horse, anticipating leaving this lake, to use powers that are not my own, I can not think of any other place I would want to be now, except home.

Valandria her fellow Ranger blew through horns, the sound singing through the cheers, signaling to the guild. Dropping it to her side, they both then ran full speed back up the center of horses, and when they reached the front, we all followed like a great wave of steel.

I was ready to embrace everything that I was given to protect everyone, I was ready to put myself in front for the awakened people's future, as well as save my father.