I sighed at the two girl's explanation. "I'm really sorry, but we truly don't remember, I remember how cold it was, and yelling. I'm really sorry, I wish we could help you but..." Lumin explained to me.

"It's... it's okay, I'm just glad I managed to pull you guys out on time. Things could have ended up a lot worse." I sighed with a smile on my face. In reality I wanted to punch a wall till my fist was nothing but a pulp. Any hope of learning the secrets of the Indestructible City were now forfeit, in the blink of an eye.

"Is something wrong?" Lumin suddenly asked, causing me to jolt a little as I noticed her hand was on my shoulder.

"I'm fine, thank you Lumin, but you are the ones we should be concerned about." I say as I gently took her hand and turned to face her and Shade. As I looked into Lumin's eyes though, I felt a wave of heat on my cheeks, but quickly turned away so no one could see. "So..." What was I talking about? Oh, right! "We should probably get you guys settled, come on, I'll take you to where you two will be staying." I said as I held the door open for both of them to walk out.

"Thank you." Lumin said as she walked through.

"Thanks." Shade said as she followed.

I sighed quietly as I led the pair to my little home, a medium sized building that when walking through the door, led to a hallway attached to a few rooms. "I hope you don't mind the guest-room." I say as I lead them to the first door on the right, there is a large open space where there's a desk and a bookshelf on the wall, on the side were a pair of beds with a couple pillows for each. "If you need anything then I'll be in the room at the end of the hallway, please make yourself at home-" I was cut off as I was suddenly wrapped in Lumin's arms.

"Thank you, for taking care of us." She said, her voice muffled as her face was in my cloak. I gave her a hesitant pat on the back as I embraced her.

"It was the least I could do." I say as I let myself lean into her.

***

"A vision would be nice right about now." I mutter as I lay on my back, looking up at the ceiling. It had been about a year since my last vision of Toucan's betrayal, maybe a vision could tell me how to get out of this mess. I sighed as I let myself try to relax under the covers. "Fuck..." I groan. "How the hell am I supposed to deal with him?" I ask myself as I roll out of bed and walk outside, still in my night clothes. I take a deep breath as I sit down and look up at the full moon ahead, was it Imperial, or was it Perception, did it really matter?

My breath hitches as I feel a hand on my side, and I look up to see Lumin standing there. "Couldn't sleep?" She asked, her voice was sweet, too sweet, what if she was a spy? No, no she isn't, not even a spy would throw themselves out to the fate of the Delta.

"Yeah... yeah I can't sleep, what about you?" I asked, doing my best not to grumble, and to not let the heat of my cheeks show.

"Yeah, it's been... I wanna say hectic but I can't exactly remember much." She chuckles.

I smile before looking up and then frowning again as I remembered what's probably gonna happen to this place.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked.

"To be honest, how I'm gonna keep this place, these people alive."

"Why, what's going to happen to them?" She asked.

"A rival city is basically getting rid of our trade, and if we can't trade, we can't survive and defend ourselves."

"Defend yourselves from-"

We were both interrupted by a loud bell being rung.

"Dragons!" Someone shouted as the whole town seemed to come alive.

"Lumin, get Shade and follow me, I'll get you guys to a shelter!" I command as I go back inside and go to my room, grabbing and attaching my crossbow module to my arm.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"But-"

"No time to argue." I say firmly as I run to the door and check outside, there was no fire, not yet anyways. Suddenly a line of fire appeared in front of me, the sounds of a roar drowning out the sounds of the screams. It was long and drawn out, more smooth than sharp. Skywing.

In the distance I could hear Rowan shouting at her guards. "Everyone get inside! Bowmen, aim! 3! 2! 1! Kill!" Following her shouts were the sounds of several crossbows firing, sending their whistling arrows into the air, only for the sounds of clanging metal followed by guttural laughter to answer.

"Shit! It's got armor! Where the fuck or my ballistas!" I yelled.

"River!" Shade cried out and pointed to a tower, where a Skywing was perched on top looking down at us. In its claws were the remains of the ballista that used to be on top of the tower, in her jaws though were the remains of what used to be the person who aimed it, pieces of him falling to the ground.

"W-what do we do?" Shade asked as we all started backing away. I then noticed an alley to the left that led directly to a shelter.

"That green building is a shelter, you'll be safe, when I tell you to run..."

We all slowly started making our way to the shelter, watching the dragon slowly turn it's head to look at us, till the sound of a large whistle followed and a large spear shot past. The dragon avoided the ballista and turned to face the other ballista.

"Go now!" I yell as I push them away and head right.

"Wait! Where are you going-" Lumin cried but Shade grabbed her and dragged her to the shelter. "We have to go!"

I kept running as Lumin's cries faded as I went to the base of the tower, and stayed quiet as I loaded my crossbow with a grappling hook, with a hand in my pouch.

As soon as the dragon took flight to try and attack the ballistas, I shot it in a groove of the armor on her neck. I barely managed to hang on, and it didn't take long for her to notice either. As soon as she saw me though, she grabbed the line with her talon, forcing me to be right in front of her face. She let out a growl before opening her jaws, ready to throw me in, instead she got a vial.

The dragon let out a choking noise before it's wings started to sway and shake, before forcing us to crash on the ground. I let out a pained grunt as I fell to the floor and was sent tumbling against the dirt, my leg bent in an unnatural angle. But I looked back and saw the dragon spasming on the floor, shrieking in pain as black veins started to crawl up the dragon's body.

I stood up and limped my way towards it. It growled at me before starting to whimper and lower its head to the ground, trying to not seem like a threat. "You want mercy, don't you?" I ask I lower my crossbow, widening the slot to let the arrow fall. I put a hand out to the dragon's snout as it continues to whimper in pain and fear, its eyes filling with tears. She doesn't take long to press her snout into my hand, as if pleading. I take a deep breath as I fit a spear into the slot on my arm, the gears clicking as they connect. "I'll show you mercy." I say as the mechanism clicks, and the spear shoots into her eye, the dragon's head falls and the whimpers silence.

I hear a roar behind me and hear the flapping of wings, only for the sound of a loud tear following. I turn around just in time to be showered in the dragon's blood, as the dragon falls down, the giant arrow from the ballista shining in the moonlight as it impaled the creature's chest.

There was silence after the second dragon crashed, I noticed that some had crawled out of the shelter. Lumin looked horrified as she saw me in blood with my arm in the eye-socket of a dragon. I pulled it out and listened for a bit, no flap of wings, no more threats.

"Clear!" I yelled.

I heard tears of joy that it was over, and tears of sorrow for what was lost. "My lord..." Rowan bowed as approached me, her eyes wide as she spotted the dragon under my foot.

"How bad is it?" I asked as I picked up my grappling hook.

"Five dead, two are missing, four buildings have been destroyed and one ballista station."

"... And after this?"

"... I..." Rowan gave a long pause as he tried to think of a response but I just held my hand up.

"I understand, I'll... can we at least buy any more thanatos shipments?"

She shook her head.

"I see, give me the night, we'll discuss this in the morning. I need a shower." I mumble the last bit as I head towards the shelter where people were currently leaving, Shade and Lumin seemed to be frozen in either terror or horror. "Guys, let's go." I say, not stopping my pace.

"You... you killed them..." Lumin said in disbelief.

I shrug. "Yes, I had to lure the other one into fire, and it was easy enough to kill the first." I explain as I bring them back to my house.

"Do you enjoy it?" Shade asked.

I took a moment to respond. "Most would find glory in this type of thing, but all I can seem to find is hurt."

She gave me a hesitant nod before she went and hugged me. "Thanks for saving us."

"It's the least I can do." I said as I wrapped my arms around her.

***

The other two were quiet, I think they're asleep but it was hard to be sure. I stayed glue to my desk as I looked at the blueprints of the windwalker as well as some maps of the Rainforest. In my hand was a book of 'Everything we know about dragons!' The page opened to Forest Fangs. I knew there was more, especially since that whole debacle with Starflight.

I snickered to myself at that. I'm able to talk to dragons and we're still failing. I scoff at the thought as I read more about Forest Fangs. The way they can change colors to blend in their environment, the way they can breath acid and are apparently capable of bleeding the liquid, a fact I hope to never find out if it's true or not. They were no longer neutral, they had driven everyone in Hallow away, albeit peaceful.

And that wasn't even gonna be the tough part, cause if Forest Fangs were difficult, what about Sandwings?