Aydahar hid on the other side of the low rock fence with two goblins. They stayed as still as they could and didn't dare let out a breath. The necromancers were all over the small city, dragging people from their homes. Some were shackled, and others killed. Aydahar only had a sword, and no magic besides the lights he could summon. The goblins looked to him for protection and guidance though they must have known this city better than he. He breathed slowly. Then he sat horrified as he watched the dead rise. 

The dead rose and shambled slowly after the one who raised them. At her bidding, the dead then terrorized remaining citizens and tore them to pieces as she laughed. Aydahar threw up at the sight. Then he became furious. He summoned the light but it took on a new shape. No longer little balls It became large and colored like living fire in the shape of a dragon. He sent it out to seek the necromancer and it lit her on fire, and then as she screamed and hopelessly tried to put out the flames Aydahar took out his sword and swiftly lopped her head from her shoulders, the goblins then gleefully took turns stomping on her head until it was fragments of bone and gore. The dead dropped where they stood. Ayda wiped his sword on his robe and sheathed it.  

The grass died under their feet. Aydahar could see it spread quickly. He pointed to an empty boat stored on the shore and the goblins ran to it, he quickly followed, as an explosion rocked the center of Carmago City. Chunks of brick came flying and Aydahar jumped into the boat and the goblins quickly began paddling upstream. They were close to Elaa the freehold of the northern Dragon Hima. His home of sorts, and yet none of the things he saw on the riverside looked familiar. Hima has been gone too long, he chided to himself. He only hoped that the freehold had been spared the fate of other cities.

Everyone grew tired after paddling upstream for a while. They looked and the smoke covered most of the sky in billows of gray. It formed an oddly beautiful bloom over the city heights. Finally, they were all satisfied with how far from the burning city they were and moved the boat closer to shore. They decided to camp in the thick reeds with no fire. The boat pulled in with them so no one could see it. They meant to quietly scout the Elaa freehold before they entered to make sure it was safe. But for now, they desperately needed to tend to themselves and get some sleep before that could happen.

Aydahar laid down his outer robe for the goblins to sleep on, he considered them more like children than grown adults of their kind. Their small stature contributed to it mostly but their need of him to keep them safe added to the illusion of their childhood. Aydahar smiled as they quickly snuggled down into his robe and everyone fell asleep. Some time later he could hear rustling next to the camp, in the grass. He slowly rolled over and crawled to the edge of the reeds that hid them. There he saw several Elaa and at their lead was a silver colored one. He knew her or Hima did. He was overjoyed to see her.

"Zvarra!" Ayda cried out happily as he jumped from the reeds. 

There was a squeal behind him and the goblins rushed out and grabbed his legs through his robes. He lunged forward from their force, and Zvarra held a spear tip to his chest.

"How do you know my name?" She said sharply while keeping her eye on the goblins at his feet.

"It's me, Hima," He said then added, "Sort of. Let me explain"

Zvarra squinted and tilted her head then nodded and pulled the spear back a little. Aydahar breathed in relief. 

"I, he, Hima I mean was reincarnated in me. We are still trying to work out this shared existence," Aydahar looked hopefully in her direction. 

Zvarra put her spear at her side making a divot in the grass, "Explain."

"I don't know if I can," Aydahar shrugged.

"Let's take them to the village," Zvarra said as she motioned the other Elaa to take hold of them.

They walked silently in the dark with little noise under their feet or from their passing. The goblins were frightened. The Elaa were swift and the goblins were trying to keep up. Soon they reached the edge of a town, and they were led to a house and after they entered the door was closed and two sentries were put at the door and one at the window in the back. He watched from the window as Elaa rushed to put up sections of a wooden wall. The runes inscribed caught his attention. He saw Xander doing something similar back in Feren, with scales from his worm. He watched and as the wall was put into place the rune would briefly light up. Ayda had never seen such magic before. But Hima had. Hima had practiced it and taught it to his faithful. It was a tightly kept secret.

Ayda returned to the chair, sat down and looked at the bed and the sleeping goblins. He smiled. Part of him felt at ease, he was home. The other part of him fought down a sense of dread. He longed to be with his parents, especially now that the world seemed to have turned upside down but knew that Hima's need could not wait. He sighed and rubbed his temples. Then gently took a pillow from under one of the goblins and laid on the floor. He might as well get some rest. It would be a while, he knew, before the village was fortified against the threat of necromancy and then they would have time to worry about him and his companions.