"Remember,” I reminded my crew, far away from any of the rebels as we did our last preparations, “if this goes sideways and we can't resolve it or any of you get isolated, run.”

I stopped momentarily to make sure everyone got how serious I was. “I'd rather have you retreat and get treated before losing any of you, even if we fail the mission because of it. We can always try to better the situation but it's all useless if we die.”

I didn't want to lose any of them, not with the possibility of-

I shouldn't think about that- never jinx it.

Ethan nodded grimly. “The same goes for you, Caleb. No hero bullshit, make sure that you stay alive.”

Rachel handed everyone a small pouch each, explaining “These are little healing pills. They shouldn’t break as easy as potion bottles but take a little bit to take effect so please take them early when you take a hit. I can’t heal damage to your soul quickly with alchemy so seek me out when you get hit by a Necromancy fueled spell so I can heal you with a Blessing.”

“I also put an enchantment on everyone’s armour,” I added, “It’s an active one for once, a burst of healing that can stabilise you if you get too hurt. It’s pretty easy to activate, you just…”

I went into a bit of a lengthy explanation about how to activate the enchantment, which essentially worked like one of Rachel’s Heal blessings, storing the mana of the wearer and using it for one cast. It takes an entire day where the wearer has full mana for it to recharge but I hoped that none of us would need it more than once a day.

“... It won’t heal you completely but it should stabilise you and close most open wounds enough to get you to Rachel.”

She nodded seriously, additionally handing out an all purpose regeneration potion to all of us. “Take this at the gate, it accelerates your regeneration by a multiple but takes time and is sort of preemptive.”

Ethan stowed the potion on his belt but sighed dejectedly. “I feel useless with you two handing out all these goodies,” he complained, glancing at Eva.

She nodded in confirmation.

I put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

“You're far from useless, our only pure melee fighter.” I took a moment to think of wording, not wanting to put anyone else- myself included- down. “You're probably the greatest of us when it comes to swordsmanship. I mean, you and Eva combined took out more goblins than Dosor back then. Strong combatants are just as important as crafters and healers.”

He smiled at me, sighing to get rid of some of the tension. “Thanks, I'll be sure to not let any devoured get to you, I'll be your shield.”

“Well…” I laughed, thinking of the roles we had in prior battles and skirmishes. “I think you'd be the sword and I'd be the shield. Eva is definitely the bow and Rachel…”

I glanced down at the chaotic gremlin that stole my heart and thought of a fitting anecdote but she wasn't a weapon, that was clear. She could definitely wreak havoc when she wanted but it wasn't her role, not her calling.

“Rachel is the support or camp, keeping us going- A potion,” I decided, nudging her in a silent question of her opinion.

A potion can be destructive as well, after all.

Ethan joined in my laughter, unsheathing his sword with flair and raising it high in a heroic pose. “Then I'll be your sword, a harbinger of justice, striking down any that threaten you.”

What a dork.

Feeling his love for the theatrical tear me along like a winding river, I raised my shield.

The last memento of my Dad- excluding Mom's greatsword- glinting in the torchlight. The enchantments on it were solid, but were still lacking in refinement as I didn’t have the proper time.

It didn't matter, it stood for more than just my being a shield. It's an inheritance of my father, his will given form and shaped by Mom's training, my duty as a Knight.

“I'll be your shield, protecting you from any harm that may befall you just as you protect me,” I added with a grin.

Rachel chuckled but raised a potion bottle with a wavering smile, still not used to this. “I'll be your lantern, providing you with guidance and good health where the shield alone might fail and lighting the way for the bow and empowering their attacks with my flames. A shielding light in the darkness.”

I ironically recognised the potion as one of her explosive potions, or grenades, but couldn't help but admit that her words moved me.

“I'll be your bow,” Eva said confidently, raising her bow. She wavered, thinking of a proper way to add her thoughts on her task, “striking down any that try to sneak past or retreat.”

Ethan's smile turned radiant as we joined in, his sword rising ever higher. “Let’s do this!”

We mounted Dosor and walked over to Bruel, fully armoured.

He was barking out orders to the rebels, organising the last efforts and solidifying their formations. He was organising the other attacks while we confronted Boldrin, his reputation lended him credibility and might persuade some to lay down their arms, avoiding unnecessary bloodshed.

We stopped next to him, towering over the other rebels as we sat atop Dosor and waited for him to finish his orders.

He turned around, looking up at us with a smirk. “I didn’t think I’d have to say it this quickly after just having finished my part of your training, but let the Forefathers guide you in your battle,” he said, saluting in traditional Khazur fashion.

“May Ignatius grace your path,” I replied, saluting exactly how Lasse taught us, sticking to our allegiance.

He smiled and turned around, having spotted a soldier slacking off in the corner of his eye.

We left him at that, trusting him with his part of the plan, and returned to Thymisca.

She was getting lectured on the finest enchanted gear money could buy, dozens of protective enchantments blending together in a but light armour to protect her.

She grabbed a cloak and draped it over her shoulders, hiding the wealth of enchantments as she noticed us.

“Riders, it's an honour to get to accompany you,” she called out, stepping closer to Dosor. She still kept a respectable distance. “Are you fully prepared?”

“Yes. We've stocked up on potions and checked our gear twice,” I answered. “Are you sure you want to confront your Uncle personally? I can not guarantee your safety if he truly resorts to Necromancy. “

She smiled up at me, but softly shook her head. “I have to confront him. I need to know how he could forsake everything our family has ever worked for… What drove him into the darkness. ”

I nodded, keeping a stoic visage on my face to hide the bubbling anxiety.

“I understand. We'll approach from the bridge with Dosor by our side, we'll hand you a rope to hold onto, pretend that it's a pair of cuffs until we're safely inside,” I paused, trying to put emphasis on the next words and make sure that she digests the plan fully. “If fighting breaks out, stay directly behind Eva and let her protect you. She can use her bow while keeping you safe.”

She didn't have much choice but to go along with our plan, as I practically outranked her when it comes to combat decisions like this.

“Alright. Lead the way,” she simply replied, nodding to her personal guards to dismiss them.

They slammed the butts of their glaives onto the rocky ground, a violent sound echoing out as they follow it up with their gauntleted fists hitting their chestplates- right above where their hearts should be.

“Princess Thymisca,” they yelled out in unison as they kept their fists on their chests. “It's an honour to serve and protect you! We will be right behind you, eager to help wherever needed.”

She looked back at them with a genuinely moved expression, quickly replaced by a neutral but proud smile.

“It is an honour to have such a talented guard,” she replied, turning away without another word and leading us further away.

She pulled her cowl up to hide her face and hunched slightly, trying to sell the disguise as we moved on.

My crew dismounted Dosor shortly before we got into view of the sentries.

Handing Thymisca a sturdy rope, I took the lead as we approached, keeping quiet.

“Halt!” yelled out one of the guards, levelling her spear at me. “What did you do in this part of the mines? Entry is strictly forbidden for civilians!”

I just stared at her for a second, uncomprehending until I realised that she was right.

We were just civilians here, not officially recognised as Riders like in most countries.

We were just a particularly powerful group of adventurers to her, a group that mysteriously appeared and claimed to be on a royal mission.

“We are working with the King and have found one of the Necromancers working with the rebels,” I lied, holding up the thick rope Thymisca pretended to be bound by. “We're bringing her to the bastion for questioning, unless you'd like to escort a volatile Necromancer yourself.”

She narrowed her eyes at me, clearly distrusting me. “Alright, but we'll have to check your… mount for contraband,” she conceded, waving Dosor over to a marked spot.

We didn't have any contraband on her… right?

Rachel took my hand in hers and gently squeezed it, nodding.

“By all means, go right ahead,” I said, motioning for Dosor to go to the spot.

She obliged, and the Dwarven guard quickly searched through the endless pouches and bags strapped to her saddle.

She slowed down once she got to the pouches that Rachel had claimed, carefully pulling out reagent after reagent. She had the presence of mind to put them on a separate blanket, meticulously sorted so as to not ruin any of them.

I couldn't help but wonder about her thoroughness as I had never seen a regular border guard be so careful with the traveller's belongings.

Most of the guards I had seen just rifled through the bags until they found something or got bored.

We never had to deal with that of course as the Dragonknights protection extended far enough for most to recognise us. They rarely bothered with checks after that.

She took a step back from Dosor and looked over the pouches one last time before turning to us. “Great, no contraband found,” she said with a small grin. “Who’s your alchemist?”

Rachel raised a hand, letting go of mine and stepping forward. “I am. I can guarantee you that all of the ingredients have been sourced legally and are under strict protections at all times. I’ve got the necessary-”

“Yeah, yeah,” the guard waved her off, starting to put the stuff back into the pouches to put them back on Dosor. “I just don’t want to ruin your order. I know how… peculiar Alchemists can be. No offence.”

“Some taken,” Rachel replied with a smirk, bouncing up to the blanket dedicated to her.

I quickly followed after her and we all helped repack the stuff. Rachel and I focused on the alchemical ingredients while the others quickly stuffed the rest of the supplies into the remaining pouches.

“Have a nice day,” the dwarven guard waved us off, letting us pass.

We mirrored her niceties and proceeded, entering the bustling streets of Khazur once again.

The exotic- at least for us- smells and sounds hit us at once, the crowded market district allowing us to pass with little disturbance.

Surprisingly, most people saw us as just another curiosity travelling the streets as the Knights rarely helped around these parts.

It's a shame, I would have loved to spend more time here, browsing and immersing myself in the culture.

Alas, I was stuck with my duty, a noble quest to recover the rightful line of succession.

I checked the clock tower towering over the market and saw that we still had over half an hour until the assault.

We couldn't attack earlier but browsing would definitely have us lose sight of the time and miss the attack. Not to mention what Thymisca would think of us.

“Let's look for a quiet spot where we can wait for the time,” I said, carefully leading Dosor through the crowds, passing by stands with heavily spiced dishes and alcohol.

Before I even got in sight of a quiet spot, A young man popped into my view, just appearing out of the crowd like he had always been there.

He was taller than Ethan, but not by much, and was built wiry like a retired Swordsman, muscular but starting to deteriorate from starvation. He was starting to fade, just like his washed out leather armour and rusty shortsword at his side. A pristine dagger graced his belt, protected by an ornate sheath and brimming with enchantments.

His skin was pale but otherwise pristine, although the cheeks sunken from starvation made him appear much older than he was. Despite his sickly appearance, he appeared to be around his thirties.

His pale blue eyes spoke of wisdom beyond his years and showed that he had seen his fair share of battles, starkly contrasting his bright smile. His teeth were starting to yellow, canines showing from his huge grin that appeared positively unnatural- almost like an elf's.

Coal black curls fell down to his neck, fading into an ashen grey with streaks of white throughout, and hiding his ears.

I didn’t know what it was but he felt like an old man even though he looked like a starving teen.

“Wowee! A real Dragonknight in Khazur?” He asked excitedly, a sharp twinkle in his eyes. “You must be Mr. Interita, slayer of hydras and goblins alike, the son of the famed Destroyer!”

The mention of Mom sent a twinge of pain through me but I powered through it, plastering a pleasant smile on my face as I answered “Yeah. That's me. Who might you be?”

He blinked in surprise, recoiling slightly. “Me?” he asked, pulling himself up to his full height. “My friends just call me Al, but I don't have many friends anymore… How's your Mom?”

Thymisca chuckled softly at his antics. I understood as he was definitely a curious fellow.

“Fine,” I hissed through gritted teeth, seconds away from simply dismissing him and walking past. “What can I do for you, Al?”

“Ohh, I just have a simple request,” he laughed, grabbing the ornate dagger from his belt and holding it out for me. “The Destroyer once saved me but lost this dagger, can you hand it to her?”

I looked at the dagger and absentmindedly took it, checking the intricate engravings.

It looked kind of like… like Mom's dagger.

I looked back up.

“Where-”

He was gone.

I didn't find him anywhere in the crowds, which was even more disturbing when considering that he should stand out like a sore thumb with the height difference.

“What's up Caleb, did you find a stall to check out?” Rachel asked, peering at the dagger in my hands. “What's this?”

“The dagger Al just handed me…” I replied, still somewhat dumbstruck from the encounter. “Wait, did you not see him?”

“See who? No,” Ethan answered, looking around. “What just happened?”

Rachel shook her head.

I put the sheath on my belt, glancing at Thymisca. “You saw him, right?” I asked, running a finger along the handle.

It was stuffed full of enchantments, including every single one I could think of for a dagger.

She peered at me from beneath her cowl. “No.”

“But you chuckled when he introduced himself,” I insisted, looking to the others for assistance.

Eva shook her head, quietly adding “Illusions of the mind… it kind of sounds like the aftereffects of Necromancy use.”

“What?” I asked, looking at her wide eyed.

She couldn't possibly mean that, right?

I looked to the others, quickly reassuring them “No, I did not use Necromancy! I never had a reason to and there was always someone around! I couldn't have possibly used Necromancy even if I had a reason to.”

Rachel patted my shoulder, a gentle smile on her face. “No one's accusing you of anything,” she reassured me, throwing a glare toward Eva. “We know you didn't use any Necromancy.”

Eva nodded, looking kind of taken aback.

I nodded solemnly, leading the others to an alley so we could bide our time until the assault started.

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Once away from the crowds, Rachel pulled me aside, tapping Dosor so we could have some privacy. Dosor stood between us and the others, raising her wings high.

Rachel took a deep breath before looking me in my eyes, lips pursed. “Are you alright? We can sit this one out, let Bruel and the others handle it. Just… Just tell me the truth.”

“I am fine,” I insisted, placing a kiss on her cheek. “I haven't been using any Necromancy. The guy, Al, just showed up and he appeared so real and he gave me this dagger. It looks just like Mom's.”

“I know… It's just that- You'd tell me if you had any problems with Necromancy or your memory or something?” She asked, glancing at the dagger.

I hoped that the dagger would convince the others of my sanity.

“You'd be the first to know,” I reassured her, ruffling her hair as I hesitantly added “maybe second…”

She punched my chest, laughing as she replied “Haha, very funny. Just watch out, talk with people, even with Ethan.”

I- I hated that she knew what to say, it made me feel somewhat vulnerable… but also good.

“Yeah… I will.”

She chuckled mirthlessly, slowly walking back over to the rest of the crew. “It doesn't have to be me, just talk with anyone. I know you don't bring this stuff up by yourself so please, just think about it.”

I smiled at her, running my hand through her hair as I walked past her, dropping my hand to grab hers. “I will, thank you.”

I knew it wasn't true, but I would try my best. She meant well.

Dosor let us pass and rejoin the other, nuzzling my cheek with hers affectionately.

The bridge to the bastion had never looked so crowded.

Not that there were more people on it than usual, it was just that every single guard appeared more menacing than before as they now actually presented a threat.

But they weren’t our threat to deal with, the others would need to take them out as we secure the gate.

We walked past, dozens of eyes following us as we stepped forward with an obvious prisoner. They stayed quiet, their training showing as they simply gazed upon us walking past.

We approached the four guards around the gate, stepping up right to them.

I cleared my throat, a slight quiver in my voice as I declared “We have news for Boldrin Flamesmith. We found and captured the Necromancer that has been guiding the Rebels and thought to hand her over, letting him listen in to our interrogation.”

One of the guards stepped forward. “Leave the dragon here.”

Ethan and I shared a glance.

I nodded, patting Dosor’s snout. “Stay quiet and don’t make any trouble, ok?” I say loud enough for the others to hear before leaning in and nuzzling her snout, whispering “We’ll get you in a minute.”

She licked my face, leaving a thick streak of saliva across my face as she lays down on the side of the bridge, glaring at the guards.

I wiped away the saliva, furiously swiping my sleeves over my face and turning back to the guards. “There, sorry.”

He snorted but turned around, signalling the guards behind to open the gate.

The gate slowly opened and we walked through, noting the guards.

We arrived in the same narrow room with two heightened platforms on each side, beautiful stone carvings adorning the walls.

Once the gate closed behind us, I turned to the guard on the other side. “Do you surrender?”

“Huh?” He looked at me with an utterly confused expression, not having expected anything like this. “What?”

I drew my sword and pointed it at his throat as the others drew their weapons.

The guards frantically drew their own weapons, pointing them at us out of sheer discipline. I doubted that they really thought about their chances.

“Sorry, we need to hold the gate. Lay down your weapons and we won't have to kill you,” I warned them, keeping my sword dangerously close to his throat. “For those of you that don't know: we're Dragonriders and my dragon, Dosor, is sitting right outside this gate, ready to strike.”

A guard moved to the warhorn embedded in the wall, trying to call reinforcements.

An arrow hit the wall right in front of his eyes, stopping him dead in his tracks as Eva warned “The next one won't miss.”

They shared a glance, trying to find a consensus amongst their group.

“Honestly, you don't have much of a choice,” Ethan helped their decision, striding past two of the guards like he was invincible. “Our Knight is the son of the infamous Destroyer.”

“Oh fuck…” mumbled one of the guards, tossing his battleaxe to the ground.

The others soon joined their surrender, Eva and Ethan binding their hands and gathering them in a circle.

I pulled the big lever to open the door, using a short spell incantation and whistling sharply to alert Dosor and the others.

Dosor immediately jumped past the guards and inside as soon as she could, ignoring the yells of the guards.

A smirk crept on my face as I shouted out to the guards on the bridge “Anyone who doesn't want to fight a crew of Dragonriders and your own brothers and sisters: Lay down your arms, let yourself be bound and you shall be spared!”

A few guards grabbed their weapons but threw them onto the bridge as they realised they were surrounded.

Two guards grabbed their weapons and jumped onto the bridge, standing back to back and ready to fight.

Thymisca stepped forward and used an enchantment to make her voice audible over the large distance. “Harnor, Vorge! I order you two as the princess of Khazur to Stand down!”

The one facing us nudged the other with his elbow and the two started charging toward us.

The rebels started shooting at them, but their shields blocked all bolts that would have hit them.

Two of the other guards tried to stop them but got barrelled out of the way, flying over their shoulders as they continued their charge.

Eva notched another arrow and prepared to shoot, but got stopped by Thymisca with a simple gesture. “Don't. These two are loyal.”

Eva glanced at me for confirmation and lowered her bow once I gave it.

The two dwarves, Harnor and Vorge, skittered to a stop in front of us, kneeling immediately in front of their princess.

“Princess Thymisca,” they both bellowed out in unison. “We hereby renew our vows to the crown! We shall protect you with our lives.”

If they were shocked by the scar spanning her face, they didn't show it.

She smiled at the two, gesturing for the two to stand up. “Rise, noble protectors. You have no need to renew your vows as I do not yet have reclaimed the crown,” she excused them.

They stared up at her in shock, once again speaking in unison “But Princess, our vows are bound to the rightful heir, and not a Necromancer that has no claims to it! We shall help you restore the glorious country to its former glory!”

“Although-” Princess Thymisca tried to reject them but they simply spoke over her.

“We apologise for interrupting you,” said one of them, before the other continued, “but we will not accept another mission! We wish to protect you, be your shield, as the Dragonriders fulfil their duties!”

They both had a glint in their eyes that betrayed their zealous trust in Thymisca.

“Alright…” she conceded gracefully, smiling at the two, “follow us to the throne room where we'll hopefully not be needing any of your services. We hope to reason with Boldrin and get him into a cell before he hurts himself or any more innocents.”

With a determined nod, they stood up and waited for more orders, flanking Thymisca.

“This is it, you have one last chance to reconsider,” I said, trying to give my voice a hint of finality.

Once we were inside, we would lock the gate and no one would get out until it was done.

I knew Ethan and the others would stay by my side, but I wanted to give the two new arrivals a last chance.

They stared at me in a silent challenge, daring me to defy them or send them away from their Princess.

With a sigh, I lead the others inside the bastion, quickly making our way to the throne room.

As we walked through the lavishly decorated, I started to feel watched- something was off but I couldn't figure out what.

The others from my crew noticed it as well, anxiously glancing around and keeping their weapons drawn. They didn't leave a single corner unchecked, swivelling around corners to check for ambushes.

Thymisca seemed completely unbothered, simply striding forward in the middle of our formation.

It took me until we stood in front of the throne room doors to realise what made me feel uneasy.

We didn't encounter any patrols or stationed guards, nor any staff. There was not a single soul in the bastion as far as we knew.

Either they all got called to the throne room for a last line of defence, or…

I gulped heavily as another thought crossed my mind and I tried to keep my expression neutral.

Rachel picked up on my revelation and scowled slightly as she asked, not even bothering to turn around.

Good, she kept on guard even as she talked with me.

“What is it?” she asked.

I gestured for the others to stop, wanting to finish my explanation before going further. “He might have sacrificed guards and staff for some sort of last line of defence or ritual.”

“We should hurry. We can not permit a ritual of this size to succeed,” Ethan answered, holding his sword tightly once again.

We all downed our long term potions.

I nodded solemnly, and stepped up to the lever opening the large door.

The massive stone doors creaked open to reveal the throne room, now wreathed in shadows, a few flickering candles casting dancing shadows across the walls.

Atop the opulent throne sat Boldrin, his head heavy on his fist. His royal garbs appeared muted, not quite as colourful as the last time we spoke with him, and there was a distinct lack of focus in his eyes.

“Have you finally-” he stopped as he noticed we were not who he expected, a scowl flying over his face. “What are you doing here?”

I glanced at Thymisca, seeing her trembling with her face hidden beneath her cloak.

I stepped forward, holding eye contact with Boldrin as we descended the few steps leading down.

“You can drop the act, Boldrin,” I shouted to him, keeping my pace steady, “We know what you have been doing here.”

No guards around, not even cleaning staff or any personal guards Boldrin might have had.

“Drop the act?” he asked in played disbelief, glaring at us. “Who allowed you to strut in here like you own the place?”

“I did,” said Thymisca, stepping forward and removing her cowl. “They're here to help me.”

“Help you with what? Your vile rituals?!” he shouts back, standing up from his throne.

Thymisca took a step back with a hand on her chest while the Dwarven duo braced their weapons. “Oh… By the Forefathers grace… Uncle, can you not see the fog through your clouded mind?”

“I don't know what you're insinuating, but it stops here,” he declares resolutely. “You dare come back here after all I have done for you- After I spared you?”

“Spared me?” she asked in a quiet voice, barely above a whisper. Tears were threatening to drop down as she pointed at her face, her voice turning into a hoarse scream. “You nearly killed me! You- You killed so many people, so many souls vanquished for your stupid rituals!”

She tried to steady her breath, her voice shaking as she slowly continued at a more reasonable volume “Please… Uncle, let us get you into a cell before you hurt others or yourself.”

“Why should I be the one in a cell when you have been syphoning life off of the servants for years?” He challenged her, taking a step forward.

Eva pointed her bow at him, a magical arrow already notched and ready to fire. “Stop right there.”

He barely glanced at her.

“I found you hunched over Elsie's body and here you are, accusing me of the murder!” he roared at Thymisca, grabbing a staff that leaned against the throne.

Ethan and I closed in, as close as we could before he caught us.

Thymisca sobbed, tears of rage streaming over her face as she screamed back “Syphoning life? Me killing Elsie? Uncle, do you not hear your own lunacy?! Please let us end this-”

“NO!” he bellowed back, taking another step forward. He was starting to sweat, his sickly face heavy with shadows. “I will not give up everything I have worked for, just for you to take over and ruin everything!”

“Why are you preparing for war?” Ethan asked, a dangerous edge in his voice.

For the first time since we entered, he truly looked at Ethan, a mad glint in his eye. “War? Is this what you think I am preparing for? A War against the Dragonknights? No, child… I am not going to force my troops into a suicide against the strongest Army in all of Tera. I am trying to keep a crumbling nation together.”

Ethan scoffed. “You're obviously preparing for something. What is it?”

Boldrin shook his head in disappointment, before something changed.

His posture turned to a confident one, his eyes locked on Thymisca with laser focused determination. “For her.”

With this simple declaration, the ground shook.

The last remaining lights flickered out as the shaking grew in intensity, something approaching rapidly.

I quickly conjured a candlelight and let it float to the ceiling, illuminating the majority of the throne room, the pillars casting long shadows.

“What have you done?” I asked Boldrin, rushing forward with Ethan closely behind.

His head turned to us before his body did, eyes widened in terror even as his smile widened in a twisted sense of joy. “I won.”

As I swung down my sword to catch him, a wave of blood and gore hit my face.

I swung into nothing, falling forward as blood filled my mouth and soaked through my clothes. The putrid stench stung in my nose and whatever fell into my mouth caused me to gag uncontrollably, furiously wiping the blood out of my eyes.

What sick kind of spell was this?!

I heard something flying past me and Ethan yelling out in pain.

Dosor roared and an arrow flew close enough to me for me to hear it swish past.

The dwarven duo rushed forward, their heavy armour noisily clanking together with every step they took.

“Caleb, duck!” Rachel yelled out in panic as my vision finally cleared.

I followed her command as I took in the situation, just narrowly avoiding a killing blow.

An amalgamation of dwarven corpses towered over me, five metres tall with rippling muscles bulging against the stretched skins. Its face had multiple eyes and mouths but no nose, Boldrin having had no use for it in this… This monstrosity.

The Juggernaut exuded a stench of death, the flesh already having begun to rot due to his negligence, or his mania had him forgetting about it.

I noticed that whatever wave of gore had hit me didn't come from a spell, but Boldrin himself. His remains- only his two legs- stood in front of me.

Dosor barrelled into its chest but it simply grabbed her by the neck and smashed her into the tiled floor- once, then twice.

Ethan was at its feet, slicing at its tendons and thighs with little to no effect.

It smashed her against a pillar, a solid crack going through the stone, but wailed in pain when an arrow hit its shoulder.

We hurt it!

“Acid! Use Acid!” Eva yelled, rolling away as the Juggernaut tossed Dosor at her.

Dosors weight and speed had her flying through the door, claws sliding over the ground in an attempt to halt her momentum.

I pulled out a vial of acid and coated my sword, charging the Juggernaut as it tried to run past me.

My sword cut through the leg, leaving a long but shallow cut that barely bled.

It was enough to get its attention.

It stopped dead in its tracks and turned around, its eyes contorted in pain and most of its mouths turned into ugly snarls.

I barely had time to get my shield up before it kicked me across the room, bones shattering as I hit the wall.

I fell down with bricks and dust, landing on my stomach as the battle faded for a moment.

My lungs burned.

No, my entire body hurt like I was burning to death.

I was drowning, my head felt light.

I didn't know where I was, my vision filled with darkness.

A single light, bobbing up and down, behind shadows, was the only thing I saw.

That was Ethan, wasn't it?

With a sudden rush, I realised what happened.

I was hurt, badly hurt.

My lungs must have-

No, what?

My lungs were full, weighing me down.

I needed to drain them.

Was I coughing?

How do I drain…

I needed to get my armour off, it's constricting my breathing.

I fiddled with a strap of my armour as the light- Ethan- continued to dance around the shadow.

The shadow was slimy, unnatural and unwanted.

Another pair of hands aided me.

An angel knelt over me, worry on her face.

She was so beautiful…

I was coughing up so much blood, but I felt lighter- The angel was healing me!

I cupped the angels cheek, weakly reaching up a hand and accidentally smearing blood over her face.

Oh…

That was sad…

I was doing something!

Fuck, drifting.

We were in a battle.

I needed to get blood out of my lungs.

Armour was gone.

I pulled my dagger.

No, not mine-

Not important.

I could drain the blood by making a hole, like a bucket.

Fuck, this hurt.

The angel said something.

I think.

She tried to stop me.

“No…” I choked out.

Ignatius, my thoughts felt like sponges.

I plunged the dagger in my chest, twice.

One for each lung.

I rested on all fours to let the blood out.

I tried to reach for a potion.

The miracle heal.

Everything went black.

Some soft thuds rung out.

Something wet fell on my face.

Drops.

…

Fuck.

I jolted awake, the sounds of battle finally reaching me as my lungs filled with air.

“Fuck. FUCK!” Rachel was crying, pumping down on my chest before noticing I was awake. She wrapped me in a tight hug, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Fuck, what was that?!”

“I needed to get the blood-” I coughed up more blood, interrupting myself and getting blood all over Rachel's back. “-out. Sorry, we need to fight.”

“You stabbed yourself!” she yelled back, wiping away tears before standing up. She ordered me with a tone that left no room for arguments. “We're talking after this.”

“Ok. We're needed now,” I agreed, standing up.

Three empty potion bottles laid around me, the ones Rachel had used to pull me from the brink of death.

I turned to Rachel, who was furiously trying to compose herself, and asked “What's your strongest acid?”

“Zennil allowed me to take a vial of her acid,” she simply said, handing me the vial and my sword.

Zennil, one of the oldest dragons at Dragon's Heart. She had a scorpion-like tail that secreted acid, strong enough to melt steel.

I took both, putting the vial in my pouch. “Stay with someone, heal who you can. Pace yourself.“

She nodded and ran to Ethan, casting a Blessing as I approached the Juggernaut.

Dosor was circling it, swiping at its legs as Eva rained mundane arrows onto it.

It barely moved, constantly turning from Eva to Dosor while Ethan healed.

I didn't know any acid spells so all I had was that one vial and what was left on my sword.

Mom would have already defeated it…

I needed to make this vial count, to put it somewhere vital.

I didn't even know if it adhered to human biology or not.

I sighed, relaxing slightly as I took another step forward, and muttered under my breath “We're so fucked…”

“Dosor, prepare a breath attack!” I yelled out, nodding to Ethan. “Eva, take out the eyes.”

He knew what I wanted and we charged simultaneously.

We ducked under swings, slid through its grasp and generally made an annoyance of ourselves, always keeping on opposite sides of it.

It was big and stupid and we abused it for all we could.

I heated my blade with a spell, there had to be something other than acid that could hurt it.

The remaining acid burst into flames as I dragged my sword across the bumpy skin.

It barely noticed me.

An arrow finally hit one of its eyes and its entire visage contorted in a wail of terror that physically pushed Ethan and I back.

It whipped around to Eva and snarled, ducking down in preparation for a truly massive jump.

My hand flew to my belt, trying to grab the dagger Al gave me and throw it in its face but only grasping at the sheath.

I had used it earlier and didn't know where it was now.

Its leg muscles exploded in a burst of speed, letting it leap across the throne room and land in front of Eva.

“Eva!” Ethan yelled as he sprinted after.

Dosor jumped over both of us as it raised its claw in preparation to kill Eva then and there.

I stumbled forward, coughing out blood and desperately reaching out to her, wanting to do anything.

Something tugged at my fingers as Eva fell forward into an awkward roll, ducking under the swing so it only cleaved at her leg.

Something snapped, a pain racing through my Index finger.

Eva sprinted without a word, blood gushing from the wound on her leg as she ran past Ethan and I as Dosor clawed at its neck.

Dosor craned back her neck, chest blowing up as her magic peaked. She roared as the torrent of frost and ice tore through its throat and chin.

It snapped Dosor's jaws shut, using both hands to keep her from opening it again.

I jumped up and plunged my sword in its stomach, using it to climb higher.

Dosor's strangled cry of pain cut my plan short as I panicked.

I needed to do something to stop it from killing Dosor.

I jumped up from the sword and grabbed it as I fell down, dragging it through the flesh until it slipped out.

Another arrow coated with acid flew into one of its maws, causing it to scream in pain. It threw Dosor on the ground hard, raising a foot high above her head.

A thundering stomp echoed out as it nearly missed Dosor before simply charging at Eva.

It always attacks the last person that hurt it.

The realisation washed over me like a tidal wave, the beginnings of a plan starting to form in my mind.

I looked at Ethan who was panting heavily, doubled over, and knew that he didn't have enough Mana to do anything but keep up his light.

A singular dart of acid impacted its back.

It slowly turned around and glared past us, at Thymisca.

I tried to move.

I found myself laying on the ground, my legs giving out beneath me and shaking furiously. My sword clattered to the ground and slid down the hall.

I didn't feel my legs.

“Ethan!” Eva yelled in genuine panic.

My fist hit my leg with enough force to make me feel it so I hit it again, and again, until I could control my legs once more.

I didn't have time for my legs to give out!

I stood up trembling, looking at the giant charging at me.

“Ethan, sword to its chest!”

Without the slightest hesitation, Ethan threw his sword up at it as I jumped up to it.

I barely managed to grab the cut I had made earlier and pulled myself up, muscles shaking with effort and exhaustion.

Eva shot another acid arrow into its back and it turned around.

I had a few seconds.

Ethans sword stuck out of its chest but was wriggling out with every move it made.

Good thing that I didn't plan on giving it much more moves.

I stuck my foot into its wound and jumped up, grabbing Ethans sword as it fell out, my free hand diving into the shallow cut.

It stopped and stared at me.

“Caleb, what the fuck?!” Rachel yelled out, her voice sore.

I rummaged in my pouch, grabbing the vial and pulling myself further up.

Its maws opened wide as it tried to bite at me, its hands clawing at its own chest.

The vial flew in a beautiful arch, dropping into its maw past the yellowed teeth as it closed again.

I weakly raised Ethan's sword and plunged it into its maw, trying to break the vial as I let go of the wound.

Impacting the ground, all the air got knocked out of my lungs.

Everything hurt.

The enchantment in my armour activated, weakened from my missing chestplate, but still strong enough to keep me stable and prevent blood from filling my lungs once again.

It roared in pain but didn't get to do much as Dosor had finally recovered, dashing at it and bowling it over.

Dosor's tail whipped over me, almost throwing me across the room as she wrestled the Juggernaut.

I didn't have much more in me, maybe one attack.

I slowly stood up, Dosor's tail narrowly avoiding me as if she knew exactly where I was.

Fire didn't seem to work so I needed an acid spell.

Dosor's frost had worked…

I had an icicle spell that conjured an icicle and shot it forward.

Ethan moved in for another attack, still trying to amass enough cuts to actually amount to damage.

I cast the spell and threw it at the Juggernaut, but it simply shattered against its thigh uselessly.

A piercing pain shot through my leg, an arrow embedding itself in my thigh from behind.

“Devoured!” yelled one of the dwarven duo, rushing over to protect Thymisca who was suddenly swarmed by them.

I threw all my mana into a singular spell, creating a plane of fire that cut through the heads of the devoured, leaving a few dead and most immobilised.

Enough for the two to save her- I hoped.

The Juggernaut moved with speed far surpassing its size, appearing right in front of Eva and kicking her against the wall, a scream of pure agony ringing out as it increased the pressure.

Dosor hit the opposite wall, roaring out in pain.

I crawled around in search of my sword, grabbing it and standing up. I needed to fight, continue, protect.

My armour hurt, horribly bent out of shape and poking my back, and the only feeling I had in my legs was the searing pain of the fresh arrow wound, but they needed me.

I was scared beyond death, trembling with every stumbling step I took, but I didn't falter.

Mom wouldn't falter.

Rachel appeared behind the Juggernaut.

I didn't get to wonder what she was thinking for long as she smashed a bottle of acid into one of the deeper cuts Ethan had made.

It fell down as its only supporting leg corroded, desperately trying to claw at Rachel as she stepped back.

She stumbled backwards, turning it into an awkward roll as it continued to drag itself after her.

Ethan circled around it and simply dumped his two remaining acid bottles onto its back, dashing away immediately.

In a final howl of pain, the Juggernaut hit one of the pillars with its fist, causing the entire bastion to tremble as it succumbed to the entire bottles of acid we had dumped into- and onto- it.

Rachel immediately jumped over the corpse, running along its back, to reach Eva and take care of her.

Ethan fell to the ground, exhaustion claiming him.

I still heard the dwarven duo fight behind me and slowly turned around, preparing to join them.

They had already cleared all of the devoured and were simply making sure they all stayed dead, chopping off heads.

They were thorough…

Thymisca stared at me… I think it was admiration in her eyes but the fog of battle made everything appear kind of blurry…

Or it was the blood loss-