Kayden stood upon Kaijin Base’s head, the unsheathed Mimicker held downwards at his side. To his right, Tham stared forward with a long black knife in one hand and a hardwood rod in the other. Hassah was next to Tham, equipped with Lawbending-focusing gloves and with her long hair tied up in a ponytail. To Kayden’s left, Merdilen slowly spun his black sword around, dressed in his black coat as usual. Behind them all Haroken laid, his massive body covering the entire top of Kaijin Base’s head.

Varokan had warned everyone that, most likely, Kaijin Base would be the target of a mass attack as soon as it entered into line of fire of Empire’s Heart, the Everbender’s fortress. The Skyfall Empire had recently started acquiring high-level technology, like cannons and ballistas, if the rumors were to be believed. And, with the massive amount of Lawbenders the fortress had at hand, chances were, they’d see Kaijin Base long before the Libertatum Brotherhood saw Empire’s Heart. They’d be ready.

Varokan had a life-long bond with the humanoid that was Kaijin Base. He wouldn’t let it die. So, as soon as the Libertatum Brotherhood hit the surface, it’d leave.

Everyone knew they had the upper hand. The hundreds of Unbound air vials would make them near-unstoppable. Even the ones who’d never evidenced any Lawbending potential had unlocked powers through the use of the smallest vial fractions. None of that lessened their fear in the slightest. Even so, they were all ready to fight.

“Arrival in ten!” a watchman called out.

Kayden looked at the others and smiled wryly.

“We’re the Skyguard to the end,” he said. “But let’s not say goodbye.”

“Nine!” the watchman said.

“We’re living through this,” Merdilen nodded. “I trust wholeheartedly in you guys.”

“Eight!”

“To many more adventures with you!” the Mimicker exclaimed.

“Seven!”

“I love you all,” Hassah said with a smile.

“Six!”

“It’s an honor to fight alongside you,” Haroken declared.

“Five!”

“Four!”

“Three!”

Tham finally grinned. “Let’s win this thing.”

“Two!”

They all climbed atop Haroken’s back.

“One!”

And as Kaijin Base slammed its fist into the mountainside of what made up Empire’s Heart, Haroken leaped forth with a roar and a trail of fire, reaching the pulsing rock alongside the hundreds of other men and women ready to fight.

Kayden with the Mimicker, Tham, and Merdilen jumped down from Haroken as Hassah stayed on top to aid the still-wounded dragon during the battle.

Kayden readied the Mimicker in sword form as an entire army of soldiers rushed down from the red mountaintop fortress’ walls. Cannonballs, oversized arrows, and an impressive array of strange ammunition shot towards Kaijin Base, which crossed its arms in self-defense as fighters continued to jump from it to the mountainside.

Varokan rushed forward first. Tham looked back at Kayden, hurried over to him, and pulled him into an embrace.

“We’re the Skyguard to the end,” Tham whispered, wrapping something around Kayden before dashing off behind Varokan.

Kayden frowned, looking down at his chest. Hanging diagonally from his left shoulder was a worn-out pocketed leather belt. Fastened into each of the frontal pockets were… ten full Unbound air vials.

What–? Kayden started thinking, but then ran off into the tilted battlefield. No time to think.

Nobody dies, he kept telling himself as he leaped into the mass of imperial soldiers, hacking and slashing back and forth but making sure the Mimicker always deliver non-lethal blows. Side by side alongside the rest of the Skyguard, blocking attacks directed at Tham, Timebending enemies towards Merdilen’s blade, and getting his back protected by Haroken’s fire breath and Hassah’s enemy-stunning sound distortions.

No matter how much they fought, though, soldiers kept coming in hordes, infinite and unyielding. Still they kept moving forward through the setting sun, step by step up the mountainside.

The Everbender was nowhere to be seen. She was toying with them, wasn’t she? Of course the Everbender knew they were here for her. She was playing hard to get.

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Kayden continued slashing back and forth, breathing deeply at every available chance and giving it his all. He wasn’t giving up. He was never… giving up… again!

It was about an hour of nonstop fighting into the battle that he realized he was alone.

Looking around, he could see no other members of the Libertatum Brotherhood, let alone of the Skyguard. He hadn’t even realized when he’d drifted off. Standing upon a tall rock for a tiny instant of rest, all he could see around him was an endless ocean of imperial soldiers swarming the mountainside.

…What? he thought, wincing.

“Where… are you guys?” he muttered.

“Kayden,” Tham’s amplified voice called out through the battlefield, trembling slightly. “We can’t risk you failing us again, or worse. This is a quest we need to complete. We can’t let you get in the way.”

Kayden froze.

“Goodbye,” Tham’s voice finally said.

The moon barely lit up the battlefield. Fallen bodies piled up all around Kayden. He fell to his knees, and he screamed. He screamed into the sky, in frustration, in pain.

The imperial soldiers formed a wide circle around him, confused, not knowing what to do and more than a little afraid. Kayden didn’t care. He had failed. He had once again lost it all.

Kayden looked all around the battlefield, searching for something, for someone, for anything. But there was nothing there for him. He continued screaming into the moon like a little kid, tears welling up in his eyes.

Not again, he thought. Please. Not again.

Kayden knew how this story ended. He’d be captured, imprisoned, and left to rot for a lifetime of torment. He’d failed, again.

All his friends would die. The world was doomed.

He looked far into the horizon, into the Skylands he’d once sworn so hard to protect. His home. They would crash into the surface. There’d be chaos, and there’d be war.

He could practically hear the Everbender laughing in his face.

It was over.

He couldn’t say for how long he kneeled, looking at the faraway Skylands. They were the lowest they’d ever been. They’d fall soon. The soldiers weren’t attacking. Maybe they knew he had been destroyed already.

Silence.

Darkness.

“Kayden.”

A voice.

“You can’t give up now, Kayden.”

The Mimicker, which he had dropped next to himself.

“Where did the Timeless go?” the Mimicker asked. “The Swordsman of Time?”

“He’s gone,” Kayden whispered.

“Is he?”

No, a tiny spark inside Kayden said. I made a promise.

“Is he really gone?” the Mimicker said. “Or does he just need something to pull him out of the deep hole he’s in?”

He needs something, Kayden thought, shutting his eyes.

“I know I don’t mean the world to you,” the Mimicker admitted, “but I know someone does. Someone who’s counting on you. Lauren Lerahen is still alive. You made a promise to her. Will you really let go?”

Lauren Lerahen. His main reason for living as a final reminder and testament to his existence.

“I can’t…” Kayden muttered with his eyes shut, “I can’t… die yet.”

After all, ever since Kayden had awoken again, so long ago now, he’d always been moving forward.

He’d fought his way out of the cavern-cell, through the dungeon, and down from the prison Skyland. Even though he’d said he’d retired, he’d kept living. Then, he’d returned to fight for what he believed in.

With Tham and the Mimicker, he’d gone through adventures he knew he’d never forget. The terror of the beowolf forest. The beauty of the Field of Memories. So much they’d marveled with the Wandering Wonderinn. How world history had shown itself in the Valley of Broken Statues, where they’d first encountered Haroken. The marrmaids, the giant man, the infiltration into Unbadda. It had all been tough. But he’d enjoyed it nonetheless. The thrill of adventure.

Kayden had been captured again in Unbadda, but he’d been saved. He’d made new friends. Tham had unlocked amazing powers, and… the Skyguard had returned. Kayden now had the Mimicker, Tham, Merdilen, Hassah, and Haroken as his friends. Was there anything he wouldn’t do for them?

Sure, not everything had been easy. Bakor had returned and died again. Tham had been blinded. They’d reached the Libertatum Brotherhood, and had faced the Skyfall Empire in a grand battle. Abner Chafter had died. Tham’s dad, Tandol, had died too. But hadn’t it been an amazing journey?

Wasn’t he glad to be alive?

I can’t die yet! Kayden thought to himself. I’ve made promises. We said we were gonna save everyone. His eyes snapped open.

And so we will!

Kayden got slowly to his feet just as the soldiers started approaching once again.

“I made an oath once,” he whispered, grabbing the Mimicker. “With the original Skyguard.”

“‘Rise to protect,’” Kayden said, pulling out three Unbound air vials with his free hand from the belt Tham had given him.

“‘Power to save.’” He downed all three vials of pressurized air as he raised the Mimicker to the sky.

He felt his every vein threaten to burst with power. “‘Live to guard.’”

Kayden’s every sense overloaded as the Timesight kicked in and revealed to him the trajectories into the future and from the past of every single soldier he could see. But he focused, clearing up and understanding.

“‘I will fight for those who are not here to try,’” he finished reciting as the air around him vibrated and his eyes started to shine.

He breathed out a tiny white cloud.

Even so, he feared. What if he failed again? What if he was too late? What if–?

Kayden looked up just in time to see a blond man dressed in black land next to him with a grin.

“I knew something was off,” Merdilen said, readying his sword next to Kayden and narrowing his eyes.

“Merdilen,” Kayden whispered. “I thought you had all left.”

“Heh. You’re facing quite the army here, Kayden,” he said. “Do you think you can take half of them?”

Kayden hesitated for a moment, but then wholeheartedly grinned as well.

“Yeah,” he nodded.

With that, Kayden Almerth and Merdilen Arthenmon dashed forth into the ocean of imperial soldiers, and with their swords at the ready, leaped straight in.