The lieutenant, Hudson, showed us to a spot near to the outer ring of the encampment. It was a large tent, and a quick peek inside revealed its near emptiness. Eight beds lined the inside, with a small table and chest next to each. I turned to Hudson with a questioning glance, even as both Hera and Wander strolled in without a care.

“One of our MIA’s camps. I hope these quarters bring more use to you than their previous owners.” The sergeant explained. He seemed… sorrowful, and it occurred to me that perhaps he knew these men. I found myself at a loss of words to give, so instead I gave him a nod as I turned and entered the tent.

Wander was already lounging on one of the beds, his hands behind his head as he settled in. Hera on the other hand, who was taking the bed on the other side of Wander, was sitting on hers while turned to its table. A quick glance around it as I made my way inside revealed that she had laid out a small bag. Though I halted in my movement as I watched her pull out several jewels of different colors and beauty.

“So Cynthia, what do you plan to do now?” Hera suddenly inquired as she continued to inspect her gems. The question itself stunned me more than the gems, for I had no real answer. The laugh that followed my silence hurt.

“Now now my friend, you didn't think that you were just going to sit back and relax while I did all the work, now did you?” Though I couldn't see her eyes, I felt them turn towards me. It was a gaze I turned away from, for her accusation was spot on in its accuracy.

“Well, I suppose it's to be expected. But listen well Cynthia, and remember every word I say. Wander and I are here to help you. To guide you. But this is YOUR journey. It's time to start taking the reins, even if just a little.” I released the sigh I had been holding, perhaps a bit more dramatically then I had meant to. Yet I couldn't argue either. I still knew very little of what was going on, yet had agreed to this situation all the same. I suppose it was time to start doing something, even if it wasn't much. But…

“I don't know what to do.” I confessed while still unable to look at Hera. I heard her give a hum as the sound of her leaving bed reached me, as did the sound of her approach. She stopped in front of me, and even though I felt I should be looking her in the eyes (or where they would be), I still felt like I couldn't. I'm not sure for the reason why, though I had a feeling it had something to do with the burning I felt across my cheeks. It only increased as I felt a hand grip my shoulder, even if it brought a sense of comfort.

“I am here to help you. To guide you, my friend.” Hera reiterated to my own chagrin. But at last, I turned towards her. She wore a soft smile as she faced me. It was nice to see, even if it still didn't compare to her first.

“What should I do?” I steeled my voice with my rephrased response. She nodded like I had answered the question, instead of asking it. In the same motion, she stepped forward and the hand on my shoulder slipped around my back. In the next step she was walking towards the exit, hand pushing on my back as she led me towards it as well.

“I am going to cure the dead and dying.” She explained, and it took me a moment to understand that she had just uttered that statement. Before I could even try to parse that sentence, she was continuing on. “You on the other hand, would be best served doing what Cynthia did best.” I perked up at that, always eager to hear more about who I was.

“Go out to them. Talk with them. Understand them. Earn their trust, their hearts. Share in their burden, and they will in turn share in yours. That is what my Cynthia would do.” Without another word, she turned and left as we exited the tent. Where she was going I couldn't say. But I didn't need to. Knowing what Cynthia would have done felt like a weight leaving my soul. Even if I had no idea as to how to do it, it was something I could work at. A goal to guide me. And so I set off towards the opposite of where Hera was going with a skip.

Still not having an exact idea as to how I was going to win the trust of complete strangers, I resolved myself to a brisk walk for a bit. My hope was to find somewhere the soldiers needed help, and start there. With how much running around was going on, I assumed there was somewhere I could intervene at. Someplace that could use my help, no matter how small it may amount to.

It wasn't long before the sound of a large object striking the ground could be heard.

Quickly changing directions, I headed for the sound. It was quickly overshadowed by the sound of yelling. A few moments later I arrived at a different area near the outskirts of the wall. Spotting the problem was also easy. It seemed that the soldiers were attempting to load much larger versions of the weapons they held into large wagons. However, it seemed that they had dropped one of them mid transport.

Perfect.

Without another thought I walked over to the weapon. The soldiers were too busy at the moment to notice me strolling in. Though they definitely noticed me when I stood in front of the huge barreled metal object.

“Excuse me miss, but I don't think-” One of the soldiers started to speak, but since he wasn't offering to help I chose to ignore him. Instead I leaned over the object, grabbed it with both hands, and in a single move lifted it up and over my head. It was definitely lighter than I thought it would be, though quite awkward to comfortably hold. Turning to the soldiers who were arguing with each other a moment ago, I waited for someone to tell me what to do with it.

Yet as time passed and all they did was stare at me mouth agape, I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. That annoyance was only growing as they continued to look at me like I was some kind of beast.

“Well, where do you want it?!” Though I didn't mean to shout, my voice raised itself nonetheless. While most of those gathered were apparently startled at my words, one near the back suddenly began to laugh. Turning towards him, I found that it was Alister who was the one laughing. He did so for a few more seconds before waving towards the cart the soldiers had been trying to load.

“Left side, Next to the other ones please.” Even as he gave his directions, many of those around him chuckled to themselves as I loaded the weapon in. “You think someone doing your job is funny?! Get back to work you low lives!” Alister suddenly shouted to his men, who immediately went back to getting the other weapons nearby ready for transport.

“As for you,” Alister said while grabbing something from one of his pockets. “Got anywhere else you need to be?”

“Not particularly.” I responded with a shrug.

“Well, you're technically supposed to be guests here. Not really meant to be helping out…” He finally pulled out what he had been looking for in his pocket. It was a long brown stick which he put in his mouth. I turned my head a bit questionably as he fished another object from his pocket, a small metal box which produced a small flame. He used it to light the end of the stick not in his mouth, and breathed deeply the fumes it produced before responding.

“Still, if you are willing to lend a hand, I've got a lot of work I could use some help with.” I gave him a nod as I gave my reply.

“Just point the way Mr. Alister.” He gave another laugh as he pointed towards a row of the objects that were ready for transport. “Let's start with those, please.”

----------------------------------------

The work was long, but easy enough. With the trees overhead though, it was hard to say just how long it took. Nevertheless my portion was completed. All the weapons, which the soldiers around me had called “cannons”, had been successfully loaded into the large wagons. After that most of the soldiers were assigned new duties, but Alister and three others stayed behind.

“Would you like to join us for a quick break?” Alister inquired as he and his fellows settled around a nearby fire. Not seeing a reason to really refuse, I gave him a shrug as I answered with a quick “sure”. One of the nearest men scooted over, making room for me. I sat down and accepted the bowl that was handed to me with an equally quick “thanks”. Taking a tentative bite, I found that the taste, while not as good as my first meal, was acceptable for a second meal.

“Umm, thanks for your help earlier Mrs.!” The soldier across from me lauded in between bites.

“You are welcome young sir.” He was definitely the smallest of those I've seen around here, though I would hesitate to say the youngest. The others around were definitely older than the boy at least. Though now that I was taking a moment to examine them, I also noticed that one of them was a woman. The uniform and helmet she wore had blended her in among the other soldiers. I caught her eye for a brief moment as she was devouring her dish, and in between her next bite I was given a nod of appreciation, which I earnestly returned.

“Say Mrs., would you pardon me a question?” The young soldier asked after a few more bites. Not seeing any reason to decline, I made a rolling motion to let him know he could go ahead.

“Well, since your coming, I've heard tale that you're not actually human! And that, you might even be some kind of mythical being! That true?” He excitedly questioned as his companions audibly groaned.

“Guff…” The female soldier said in apparent disappointment.

“What?! You're curious too, and don't try to say otherwise!” He pointed his spoon accusingly at each of his companions before turning back to me. “You are, aren't you?”

“You don't have to answer that Mrs., you’ve done us enough of a service as it is after all.” The female soldier interjected once again.

“I don't know Kry…” mumbled Alister in between spoonful's, “I'm kind of curious about this myself.”

“Boss!” The female soldier revealed as Kry hissed out.

“It's alright,” I interjected, “I'm curious about you, so I don't mind trading stories. That said, considering I did just arrive, what stories are being shared about me?” I questioned the group before me.

“That a magical maiden of unparalleled beauty appeared alongside a priestess of an unknown god, their faithful servant in tow.” The one called Guff explained. I took a moment to process what was just uttered aloud, before scrunching my face up in confusion.

“Magical?” I inquired. Kry was the one that answered, after a sigh.

“I think it's the ears.” She pointed out.

“Really? Is having longer pointed ears enough to be considered magical?” I Inquired once again.

“Well,” Alister said this time, “Most creatures of fantasy have pointed ears. I'm not really sure as to why, though I suppose it makes identifying them fairly simple. Speaking mostly of Fae and Fairies in this case.” He attempted to explain.

“Well, I am an elf. Though I've lived a fairly secluded life so I don't really know that much more about the Fae than you do.” While I didn't really like the idea of lying so casually, I also really didn't feel like explaining my amnesia even more. It was after a few more moments of silence that the other member of our group spoke up.

“Excuse me for the interruption,” The man's voice was deep and rumbled as he spoke, “but is it true that we are no longer within our own plane?” The others, excluding Allister, stopped there eating and chewing, as if worried they'd miss my response.

“Dirk,” Alister started to say, “I already-”

“Yup” I conformed before taking another bite. Everyone around me went quiet, though Alister seemed to be more disappointed than anything.

“Mrs. Cynthia,” Alister began to say again, “I was hoping to have this discussion later.” He tried to explain while idly stirring the food in his bowl.

“Wait, boss, you already knew?!” Kry exclaimed. Alister gave me a fairly pointed look, which I could only shrug at as I continued to enjoy the food. But before the show could continue, a large number of soldiers began running past us in a hurry, and making a large ruckus as they did so. Alister held out a hand and caught one of them as they were passing, stopping him in his tracks.

“What's going on, private?” Alister questioned.

“It's the priestess Sir, the one that showed up with that magical maiden!” He explained in apparent excitement, completely missing the fact that I was right next to him. “They say she's getting ready to resurrect the members of squad four, Strikers squad that we found dead last week!” If the group was shocked before, they were down right speechless now. It seemed Alister, in his shock, loosened his grip on the soldier who took it as an excuse to begin running once more.

“Hey guys, wait up!” the private yelled as he tried to catch up. Everyone at our little gathering shared a quick look before tossing their food to the side and sprinting after the private. Though I followed after as well, I got the strange feeling that nothing would begin until I arrived. With so many others running towards the destination, I had no trouble finding it myself. I even managed to find a fairly decent spot on the top of one of the nearby carts.

The area was obviously an open hospital. Though what would normally be filled with the wounded was filled with the freshly dug up dead. All of them were covered in cloth except for the head, which had been peeled back. Most were in very early states of decommission, though a few had been thoroughly mangled by some sort of creature.

At the center of this makeshift morgue stood Hera in all her holy glory. She seemed to just be finishing her preparations when I spotted her, for she gave her audience a quick scan. Then she spotted me, and with a smirk she turned and began her work. Taking a jewel from the pouch I had spotted her with earlier today, she made her way towards the nearest corpse and began speaking. The words she spoke were not of the simple tongue, nor any I knew the name of. Yet I understood their meaning all the same.

“Open the way, open the way.

Oh death, the body is able.

The Judge is bribed,

The way is open.

Oh life, the soul is willing,

The name is spoken.

The way is open.

Return, for I have opened the way.

Resurrection Is True.”

Nine sources of light rained from the sky, traveling through the tent as if it wasn't there, and pooled below the corpse. At the end the prayer, or incantation, the pool exploded upward. Though all the present soldiers and such looked away from the flash, I found no need to and instead watched as the corpse was, for a lack of a better term, cleansed of all its “death”. It was as if the now identifiable man was simply sleeping. Then with a sudden lurch he awakened, and proceeded to begin dry heaving to the side of the cot he had been placed in. A large portion of the soldiers, which bore a different uniform to the others I'd seen, ran forward. They began treating the man, helping him come over his nausea before turning to the rest of the ensemble. One had tears in their eyes as they made the announcement.

“They’re alive, Ryan lives again!” The ensemble, which even then had held their breath, erupted into cheers and cry’s of elation. The medics made sure to keep the crowd at bay as they treated the newly returned. The one that was, and those that Hera went on to return, were giving the space and care they needed as they breathed in their second life. By the end, the ten dead lived again, and the mood couldn't have been more festive and bright.

“You people are something else.” Looking over the side of the cart I was standing upon, I found Gael looking at the scene with awe.

“Being honest, I didn't know she could do this. Though It's oddly not surprising seeing it happen.” I explained with my hands behind my head.

“Now isn't that a phrase to hear.” He muttered, still unable to tear his eyes away.

“Well if nothing else,” I said, speaking my thoughts aloud, “It does make for a lovely story. I mean, they'll probably be speaking about this for years to come. And that alone is worth all that came to happen.”

“A lovely story?” Gael commented with some surprise before giving me a loud grunt, “You really aren't human, are you?”

“I suppose not, since it's so readily pointed out.” I replied with some mild annoyance. But the captain gave no reply. Instead he continued to watch over the scene in silence. Still a bit miffed at being called out again, I continued watching the show before me.

It was fun, watching everyone cry and laugh with those they thought gone. They seemed strangely tired, those dead now alive, but perhaps that was just a side effect of resurrection. Most of the crowd was shooed away from the hospital after a while. Hera stayed behind to help wherever she could, healing those very few that actually required it. It was a few hours later when she left the hospital, and only then did I approach with Gael alongside me. She greeted us with a soft smile as I did so.

“Resurrection huh?” I questioned with my hands behind my head again, having found the position comfortable.

“If that was surprising, then I fear for your future. Your poor heart may not be able to handle what will come later” Hera replied In kind.

“So bringing the dead back is common then?” Gael questioned back.

“I don't know if id say it is common, but if you know where to go then it most certainly is. Though don't think for a moment that it can be done at a whim. For one thing it's expensive, but depending on how long the target has been dead, as well as the state of the body, more powerful Magecraft is required as well.” Hera explained.

“Hmm, I'm not exactly keen to be putting a price on the lives of my men.” Gael grumbled with a sigh.

“You aren't alone in that sentiment. Alas, it is simply how it is. Though with that said, do not dally when the time comes. For once death claims their soul and brings it over to the after life, a sort of internal timer begins. The longer it goes, the more expensive a sacrifice is required, alongside more powerful Magecraft. Go long enough and they can never be returned to the realm of the living afterwards, at least not by mortal means.” Hera added. Gael gave another grumble at the news, but then hummed questionably.

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“Since those you just brought back had been gone for nearly a week, how expensive was their return, and how powerful of Magecraft was needed?”

“A lot.” Hera revealed as she seemed to gather her thoughts, “I used a nine verse incantation, though seven verses would have been just as sufficient. As for the price, each of those jewels was about a thousand gold pieces.” Hera explained while stretching her hands above her head. The captain slowly breathed in then out, perhaps at an attempt to center himself at the news.

“My own mages have never uttered anything over four verses.” He muttered more to himself it seemed. “A monetary value alongside a temporal value as well huh?” He pondered aloud then, quite obviously unhappy at the news. “Well, It's still better than anything I could have hoped for before you came along. So if nothing else, thank you.” Gael took off his hat and placed it against his chest as he made his thanks. Hera for her part simply smiled and gave a slight bow in response, though made no comment.

“Well, unless there's anything you require of me I need to be going now.” Gael revealed after putting his hat back on, “There is still much to do before we can leave. Not to mention some paperwork that needs… updating” The sigh that followed made it clear that he wasn't looking forward to his tasks.

“Have a good rest of your night Captain.” She kindly dismissed. He left afterward without another word.

“I gotta say Hera, you really put on a good show there. The way the soldiers were acting, you'd think a god had descended from the heavens and answered their greatest prayers.” I commented as Gael disappeared.

“Well,” Hera tilted her head as we began walking back to our own barracks, “That's not that far from the truth now is it.” I gave Hera the longest side eye I could as I continued to walk alongside her, before deciding to focus on something else.

“So what was with the crystals?” I questioned.

“Like I told Gael earlier, Sacrifices. After all, no mortal Magecraft can return the living from the dead. So we must use an alternative to achieve our results. Thus do we appeal to the gods of death, to return that which they have taken, in exchange for a sacrifice of jewels.”

“I'm surprised gods can be bribed by such a thing.” I exclaimed.

“But why not?” Hera questioned back, “The soul will return to them one way or another. Why not let it go for a short time, especially if you get a pretty jewel from it as well.” I hummed for a time at that, thinking about what was just said.

“Are there any other kinds of magic that require material like that?” I asked as we neared our barracks.

“Magecraft.” Hera corrected.

“Yeah, you've used that term before. Is there a difference?” I inquired back.

“Technically they are very different, though only those that make a career out of it really care.” Hera informed me as we passed an especially boisterous group of soldiers.

“But to answer your question, yes; though I'm not the best to have that kind of discussion with. I'll tell you what I know later, though I would inquire with a mage when you meet one.” She entered our place of stay then, and I took a moment for myself before following after her. Hera was already at her bed, a book in hand as she settled in. Wander, on the other hand, didn't seem to have left his bed since we left this morning. Which was an impressive feat in itself since he still seemed wide awake, a book in hand.

He wasn't alone either.

In the bed right next to his, lay a shadow that was both tangible and not. It looked at first glance to be Wanders own shadow, for it appeared just like him. Yet a moment's glance showed its apparel to be slightly different from theirs, though the nature of its existence made it hard to extract details. It too was reading a book, somehow, and as I continued to stare at the shadow it turned towards me slightly and, unlike Wanderer's own, its bright red eyes were on full display.

“Sup.” The shadow retorted with a smirk that glowed as red as its eyes. The tone of the thing, while as playful as I'd expect from Wander, was rougher than his… and also higher in pitch. Feminine perhaps?

“Cynthia, this is Jekyll, Jekyll this is Cynthia.” Wander Introduced with a lazy wave of the hand, his face still glued to the inside of his read. I gave a tired sigh before moving over to the bed I had claimed earlier.

“I'm turning in for the night.” I answered back plainly. Jekyll’s chuckling followed me there, not that I had the energy to respond accordingly.

Feeling the weight of the day suddenly, I fell into the hard mattress without any complaint. The night itself was loud, but I managed to ignore it as I drifted off into blessed sleep. Whispers of words unsaid reached me in a melodies whisper. Reaching out, I pulled the tiny figure into my chest, their presence giving me a comfort I couldn't truly place. I mumbled one last thought into the hair of the one I held.

“Ah Fia, sleep well this peaceful night.”

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The following morning was hectic, but also upbeat. It seemed that the camp was trying to move out by the afternoon. Seeing that my companions had no desire to help out, and that the shadow from the night was now gone, I decided that I would offer another hand. Thankfully my help yesterday had been remembered as I was immediately approached with similar requests where heavy lifting was concerned. It seemed we were making good time, for by midday nearly the entire camp was packed up and ready to move.

So I was quite surprised when a horn sounded in the distance.

“The alarm?!” One of the soldiers I had been helping exclaimed in surprise. The cannon ball they had been loading suddenly dropped in surprise.

“Some kind of beast from the forest?” Another muttered as those around me began arming themselves with what they could.

“Where's the sergeant, we need to get back to our-”

“DRAGON!” Came the collective shout from the outer perimeter guard. It was followed by a vicious roar that shook the earth, and a shadow that blocked the little light we had. A moment later the earth shook even harder, as if struck by a sudden earthquake, and the shadow disappeared.

“This way, This way!” Another soldier shouted as the soldiers began running towards the camps center. I decided to run with them, though I did so with far less haste. I already had a feeling of who this “dragon” was.

I found myself at the center with some speed, having been working nearby, and found the area in question to be quite comical. There, surrounded by nearly a thousand soldiers all with weapons pointed at him, was Thric. He seemed completely unafraid. No, I'd even say he found this situation amusing.

“And to think I came bearing gifts.” The dragon muttered. Rolling my eyes at the sight, I began pushing my way through the soldiers. I was soon past them all and in front of my other friend.

“Did you get bored?” I inquired with a chuckle and a grin.

“Hardly.” He grumbled back. He then shifted his weight, and it was then that I noticed he had something underneath him. It was a sight that made my blood run cold for a breath.

A spider.

More specifically the kind in the forest I had seen on my “hunting” trip with Wander. It seemed my first assessment of them was right as well, for the creature, though mangled and rent apart, was still very close to Thric in its horrible size.

“I believe they sensed some prey, though I do not think I was the intended target. They were quite startled when I engaged them.” Thric mused aloud.

“Mrs. Cynthia, can you understand our… guest here?” The sound came from behind me, and taking a look at its source I found Gael at the head of his troops. Though unlike those around him, he seemed more intrigued than afraid.

“Can you not understand Thric?” I questioned.

“Not at all. I was unaware his kind could even speak.” Gael added.

“To think that any member of my kind could be seen as a mere beast!” Thric yelled out in the tongue of man. “Be grateful mortal that I am in a forgiving mood.” All in the camp took a startled step back, even Gael, though he was quick to make amends.

“Indeed, I offer my apologies, oh great one. Your ilk are only known in legends to us, so I probably hold many misconceptions about your kind, and for that I offer an apology for any future mistakes on our part.” Gael offered the dragon. He made a motion with his hand, and as one all the soldiers around us lowered their weapons. Nearly all seemed in awe and fear of the creature before them, even as they hesitantly complied.

“Still though, this thing you've brought with you is a monster never described in any tale I've heard.” Gael added as he slowly approached.

“I would be worried if you had Captain,” Hera’s voice washed over the area, and I saw her coming from where I had originally, “These creatures are like yourself, not of this world.” She explained.

“Hmm, I shudder to think what kind of place can give birth to such a thing.” Gale muttered, a tinge of fear showing in their eyes.

“While I hate to say it, this particular species is the smallest of its kind.” Hera added.

“You jest.” Came the voice of Hudson as he approached alongside the other lieutenants.

“I truly wish it were a joke. Alas, the creature before us is but an ant of its kind. The species, which we call “Devastation vermin”, are compared to the silver trees around us for their size.” I saw then many eyes turn to the trees around us, and I quickly joined them. Considering the trees easily stretched to three-hundred feet and more, the thought was an impossible one.

It sent chills down my back all the same.

“How does civilization even function in this world?!” One of the lieutenants barked out, panic overtaking him for a moment.

“Dedication, domination, and blood. Lots and lots of blood.” Was Hera's somber answer.

“I dislike the words you're spouting,” Gael said after a moment, “Nonetheless, what else can you tell me about these things?”

“That the name devastation vermin, as you might have guessed, refers to multiple species. Whether it be arachnids, coleopters, chilopods or even scorpiones, considering they all come from the same plane they’ve been given the same designation. The specimen before us is simply a smaller, weaker version of their kind called an Adraknid.” Hera explained while Gael hummed in thought.

“Was this one the only one you fought?” Gael inquired towards Thric, who in turn scoffed at the question.

“Hardly,” Thric answered back, “I counted five of the things. Three I killed, the others fled back into the forest. Though for how long I cannot say.” He added after a moment. Gael immediately turned towards his troops, who had been waiting for orders this whole time. They soon got them.

“We leave in one hour! If it's not ready by then then we leave it behind!” He ordered. The soldiers immediately got to work, running around like their lives depended on it. Perhaps it did. Gael turned back towards Thric afterwards.

“I am not so naïve as to think you helped us for our sake. Still, I am grateful for it all the same. Whatever you ask for, I shall try to oblige to the best of my ability.” He turned towards Hera and myself then, “The same goes to you as well, of course.”

“Do not thank us just yet, mortal,” Thric answered back, “You are not safe. Not yet. Wait until thee are, and only then may thou shower us with praise.” Though Gaels grunt told me how he felt about that proposition, he seemed to accept the reasoning all the same for he, alongside the lieutenants, left to coordinate his men.

“But seriously,” I stated as I turned back towards Thric, “You were bored, weren't you?” The dragon rolled its eyes in annoyance before it gave its sardonic response.

“Dreadfully so. In truth I was quite glad they had come along, as disgusting as they are.” Thric admitted while moving off the corpse, which made further squelching and cracking noise as he did so.

“They didn't hurt you, did they?” I inquired after a moment. He seemed quite offended at the mark as he found a place to plant himself, much to the awe and terror of those nearby.

“I ask that thou not insult me again. Otherwise my pride would demand retaliation.” He warned, though I felt no malice in his words. So, feeling lucky, I gave the arm nearest to me a few sympathetic pats.

“There there, I'm sure Hera will have all your wounds taken care of in but a moment-” Something hard whipped the back of my head, nearly sending me to the ground. I remained just standing though, and managed to catch the sight of the tail that had almost floored me after regaining my composure.

“Cheeky brat.” Thric muttered but said nothing more as Hera gave a light laugh besides me.

“Come,” Hera asked as she watched the soldier run about, “Let us see to their needs and be off from this place. We have a ways to go before we reach our destination, and time is not with us.” I gave her a nod, though after a moment I looked at the spider's corpse.

“What about that?” Hera followed my gaze, and spent a moment in thought before answering.

“I'll have Gael load its remains into a cart. Even if it is destroyed, it will fetch a pretty coin all the same, and these men will need all that they can get.” With that settled, I went back to work and helped where I could. It wasn't very long before everyone was gathered into their rank and files, and soon the march began.

----------------------------------------

It was a strange sight to see, this sea of soldiers crossing through this domain of silver and emerald. They were organized fairly well, at least as far as I could see. Groups of men and women armed with swords and shields surrounded and protected their counterparts armed with rifles. These groups then surrounded the carts and wagons loaded with their supplies and excess weapons. Lucky for this little army the trees, though large, were spread out quite a bit from one another.

Captain Gael led a group of his own soldiers at the front of the army, setting the pace for the rest. Wander, Hera, and I jogged alongside him while Thric, due to his large size, was casually striding behind the group. Honestly, with how starstruck many of the soldiers still were even after several hours into our march, It looked more like Thric was the one leading here.

“Hey Thric,” I pondered aloud, “I get why you haven't really flown much. But why aren't you doing so now?”

“Is this the only question thy fragile mind can ponder?” Thric retorted with another roll of the eyes.

“Don't be such a fopdoodle. You're a dragon aren't you? So why are you always walking everywhere?” I Inquired with some annoyance.

“I simply see no reason to fly.” He smoothly countered in his own tongue.

“You know, if you keep using these excuses, someone's gonna think you're afraid of heights!” I shoot back. Though the comment was meant to be snarky, I don't think I was able to suppress my annoyance as well as I hoped.

“Excuses she says! As if hiding behind thine amnesia isn't an excuse of thou own!” Thric growled back, and I could feel his anger begin to rise.

“Hiding! Why you-” I shouted before pivoting on the spot and with a great leap I quickly shot through the air and landed on the top of the dragon's head, clasping either side of it as I gazed into those dangerous eyes..

“Fly!” I shouted as the army around us slowly came to a halt, “Cease your excuses and bickering and fly!” In the silence that followed, Thric threw back his head and roared. For a moment I thought I might have made a mistake. That is, until I heard the sound for what it was. Laughter.

“Finally, my companion returns! For only Sith would be so bold as to command me to soar.” In that moment, Thric spread his wings and with a single beat that sent nearly everyone nearby sprawling, we fired through the air. Though the force was strong, I found it easy to hang on and reposition myself to the back of his head. In mere moments we cleared the treetops, blasting our way through the canopy with sheer force and mass. Yet we didn't stop there, higher and higher we climbed until we were swimming among the clouds.

Looking down below me, I found that the army we had left would soon be approaching a clearing in the woods. More interestingly, the clearing acted as a path, or perhaps a tunnel, that led out of these woods. It was an altogether beautiful sight, one I could have gazed at for hours.

“You didn't have to be such a fustilarian you know.” I told Thric as we continued our glide. “If you just wanted me to join you, you could have just said so.” Thric didn't answer immediately, seemingly planning out his next words carefully.

“When I first met Sith,” Thric slowly started, “The first thing thee did was latch onto my form and command me to take to the sky.” He sounded nostalgic as he recounted the time. “And anytime after she wished to take to the air, she would always make her wish known by recreating that first moment. Oh, what a strange yet lovely time that was.” Though I wished to offer a word of comfort, I couldn't find any, being the source of his woe. So instead I kept my silence and enjoyed the view as well as I could.

I'm not sure how long we flew up there, but It was relaxing in a way unlike anything I could remember in my short time.

“Cynthia~” A voice echoed out as I was beginning to nod off. The cold, whistling air was surprisingly soothing as I laid upon Thric’s neck. So it was perhaps no surprise that the noise had me nearly jumping off my ride.

“Yes, Thric?” I Inquired with a yawn to my scaly friend. “What do you want?”

Thric’s body shivered slightly from head to tail as he responded. “That was not me.” His response was strange.

“Then who was it?” I pondered while cocking my head to the side in thought.

“Now now my dear Cynthia, who else could it be but I, Hera of Heva.” She stated with amusement and an internal chuckle.

“Wait, you jumped on to? But then where are you?” I asked as I began to look over the dragon's body for any sign of my companion.

“As if I would do something so crude.” She exclaimed as I continued my search. “No, I simply set up a telepathic network between you, Thric, and I.” She concluded with a huff. I nodded in a way I hope showed that I understood what she was saying, even though I most certainly did not.

“That's pretty cool.” was my fairly lame response.

“Indeed.” I could feel my eye twitching at her knowing tone, “Now that that's out of the way, Wander wants you to return. Says something about to happen that you should be here for.” I didn't like the sound of that, though I was equally confused as to what that meant as well.

“Did he say what exactly was going to happen?” I held my head in my hand as I inquired back.

“He says that you should be able to see it from where you are.” I looked down from my perch in the sky, and though It took a moment I spotted it soon enough. The trees to our east, there was an area where they were shaking, as if something was pushing them to the side as it moved its way through the massive silver and emerald canopy.

“Yeah,” I whispered back, “We're on our way.” Thric needed nothing said, the moment I finished we were sailing back towards the army we left behind. They had crossed half the clearing when we arrived, but they had seemingly halted their advance. We didn't land in front of Gael and his unit, more so we crashed and skied to a stop in front of them.

“What did you see up there?” Gael questioned without a second's waste, and while his voice was even the concern he was holding back was obvious to my eyes.

“Something large was making its way over. Large enough to push the trees to the side as it passed.” I told him with haste. Though even then I kept my eyes to the tree lines where the thing might appear from.

“Would this happen to be one of those Devastation Vermin Mr. Wander?” Even if he was the one to inform us, I was surprised to hear him turn to Wander instead of Hera; especially with his hands behind his head and relaxed expression, he seemed to be as comfortable as could be.

For a moment he said nothing, but with a sudden smirk he nodded to a point in the tree line.

“You tell me.” He cheekily replied.

The roar of a beast I could never have imagined passed out of the tree line, and barely a second after the thing that made it passed through it themselves.

It was a beast of unbelievable size that pushed it way through. The word mammoth came to mind, though I had no idea if this was the creature that held the name. It was a quadruped with columnar legs, its forelegs larger than its back. Its large head held two backwards curving horns protruding from its top. Its mouth sported teeth that resemble that of a mans, though larger and quite unsettling to behold. The four large tusks that spiraled from the sides of the creature's mouth were imposing, bearing upon them barbs like that of a rose. The creature's gray, rough skin was reinforced with brown plates covering nearly all of its head and feet, as well as seemingly other random spots around its body.

It was also easily a good sixty-feet tall, and I could feel the ground shake with every step it took, even as I remained upon the dragon's neck.

“Gods above,” Gael muttered as the soldiers around begin to form a firing line, “What is-”

But the creature wasn't alone.

It was a good hundred feet from the tree line when four other creatures rushed out, and they couldn't have been more different. Though not as impressive in size as the other beast was, these… saurian were still a good twenty feet or so tall, and a good forty-six feet long. They all possessed an oversized head with forward facing eyes, huge muscular jaws, a large powerful tail, and taloned arms about half the size of its large, muscled legs. Even stranger were the large vibrant feathers covering the creature's body in colors of red to green to yellow. I would even call them beautiful, though the way they began circling the beast took away from that beauty somewhat.

“It seems we've stumbled upon a tyrannosaur pack. How quaint.” Hera commented as the now aptly named tyrannosaurus began their attacks. They were slow and methodical in their approaches, for as fierce as they seemed they were still vastly outsized by their opponent. The beast was frantic in its own attacks, swinging wildly with its tusks while attempting to use its immense legs to crush the lizards.

It managed to catch one of the tyrannosaurus with the side of its tusk, drawing blood and knocking the creature to the ground. Alas, another of its pack took it as an opportunity and sunk its large serrated teeth into one of its legs. It seemed to have found a gap in the creature's brown plated armor, as the beast yelled out while, with an impressive display of strength, the tyrannosaur forced the creature to kneel. Another swipe of its tusks forced that particular saurian away, though the one it had knocked over was now upon its feet again, and used this opportunity to jump up and latch onto the beast's neck.

The weight of the tyrannosaur nearly brought the beast fully down to the earth. The rest of the pack used this opportunity to bite and claw into the sides of the beast, and with a weak but terrified roar it finally collapsed. The pack wasted no time in finishing it off, and was soon feasting upon their now disposed prey.

“How awful…” Came the mutterings of a nearby soldier as we all watched the feast in equal parts fascination and horror. One of the pack climbed on top of the creature, the one that had been first tagged by the beast I realized, and seemed to be looking for a spot to dig in. But then it looked up from its meal, and with a growl that I heard from here it signaled to the rest of its members that we were here. They all slowly bore their eyes into our group, and after a moment the one on top released a mighty reptilian roar.

Then the trees parted with a snap and the roaring tyrannosaur disappeared.

I thought I had seen all we could here. Oh how wrong I was. For the new saurian needed only a single step to reach the pack and its meal, and with one bite the tyrannosaur disappeared into the monster's jaw. Having now fully emerged from the trees it nearly tore from the earth, I could say it was easily one-hundred and eighty-feet tall, and six-hundred feet from tail end to terrible maw. Its red veined-basalt skin was devoid of the colorful plumage its prey bore. Though it resembled the tyrannosaurus, it also bore an extra set of smaller arms, as well as six large spiraling horns that splayed around its head, resembling to me a tyrant's crown.

With one very audible gulp its food disappeared down its gullet whole. Looking down it found the rest of the pack having already fled away into the trees, though it didn't seem to care. Instead it reached down with that impossibly large maw to grab the remains of the beast. But then, like once before, it noticed us. Slowly it turned towards us, and I could hear the panic from the soldiers behind me as the monster’s six eyes observed our group.

“Steady! Steady now!” Gael called out, even as he seemed a moment away from panicking himself. In apparent response to the captain's comment, the creature drew itself up to its full height and roared. Trees were blown back, dirt and rock were blown away and scattered as those around me began screaming in pain as they held their bleeding ears in a futile attempt to block the roar. Though it was loud, I didn't find the need to block it out like the rest, and neither did Thric, Hera, or Wander.

Thankfully the monster's roar was relatively short and, after asserting its dominance, it reached down and grabbed what remained of the beast. Its corpse easily fit into that great maw, and without another look it tore its way back into the silver woods from which it came, each step shaking the earth in a way that had me wondering how we never heard it coming to begin with.

That single roar had thrown the entire army into disarray, and it seemed that it would take awhile to not only heal those that had their eardrums blown out, but to get all the now panicking animals back into position. I could already feel all the work that needed done, as did Gael it seemed. He had already recovered thanks to Hera, and was attempting to contact the few mages in his company.

“So a Swamp Strider, Tyrannosaur pack, and a Regisaur walk into a clearing…” Wander commented as the army began the process of reorganization. Hera gave him a good smack in the back of the head, not that he seemed to care.

“Is that what they were?” Gael questioned after he finished giving out his orders, his eyes darting to where the monster had left.

“The tusked quadruped was a creature locally called a swamp strider. They don't usually live this far north, but it's not unheard of either.” Hera explained while waving towards the scene it all took place in. “They’re used quite often as both war beasts and beasts of burden by the southern Orrucs.”

“The Tyrannosaurus is a far more wild species, with not many places domesticating them. We should also move out soon, as it's possible that the pack might come back with reinforcements.”

“There's more of them!?” Gael yelled out in panic, a first from the fairly leveled captain. Though I suppose the news was quite a disturbing thing to hear no matter who you were.

“While Tyrannosaurus usually hunt in packs of three to four, they actually live in groups of ten to twelve.” Hera informed the exhausted looking captain.

“Right. Of course they do.” Gael muttered while holding his head in his hands.

“And the Regisaur is an old monster of the giants, one we simply happen to share a plane with.” Hera finished with a slight shrug.

“What have we gotten ourselves into.” Gael whispered under his breath, though I heard it all the same. Hera seemed to as well, because she gave him a reassuring pat on the back.

“Welcome to Eden.” Wander commented with a smirk, and soon after the army moved out once more.