The day of the Battle was here.

The Basin Fortress stood strong but the enemy had tens of thousands of soldiers both in front of us and still marching in reserve in the canyon beyond. I stood on the walls of the Fortress with Tiran and Irand as we looked out at the Warhost. We looked at the thousands of fires that the enemy had lit before us. Even Argan's usual mocking look was silent and sober now as he stood far down the wall, looking out at the enemy amassed before us. He had the imprint of a Fist branded into his cheek, a permanent remnant of his duel with Tiran. Sophia was in the infirmary encampment behind the Fortress with the other civilians ready with medical supplies to treat the inevitable injured.

The Soldiers had sealed up the gates of the Basin's dam a week prior and now a small pond had formed in the center of the Basin, fed by the slowly trickling summer stream from the canyon. The basin itself was half a mile across and walls had been built up along the edges of it. Ballistae and Catapults sat atop towers and I could see people scurrying across them prepping the war machines.

The Fortress served as a Dam and the entryway in and out of the Basin, heavy cranks that needed several men were the only way to open the gates. We stood atop the Main Gate, with the plan being for me to deflect any siege projectiles that they might launch but none had come yet. Ruhn and Raya were in the Fortress proper behind us, Ruhn had a duty to be here as King but Raya had elected to join him. Many assumed the Queen was a harmless maid who stood by the King side to be pretty but she was a capable duelist and in one on one combat she was not to be underestimated. Against a Knight or other professional warrior she would most likely lose but against the average conscript she would be fine.

I turned my gaze towards where the enemy soldiers were mustering at the far end of the Basin. Most of them were little more than peasant folk outfitted with a hodgepodge of armor and given spears. But among their ranks I could see those given proper weapons and outfitted with true armor. In the ranks before us I could see more than a dozen mixed in with the conscripts, and I knew many more were making their way towards us in the canyon and beyond.

But the ones who caught my eye were those who carried not spears or swords but tomes and staves. I had picked only five out but even from here I could smell Magic on the breeze from them. Mages and powerful ones at that. One stood at the front of the enemy lines, a Regal looking fellow with armor adorned with runes and a gleaming sword in one hand. He was their Prince, Prince Sairn of Harendel. He and his entourage had been the ones who had issued their demands. They demanded our surrender and our subservience to the Crown of Harendel. Any who followed the Church of Purity would be purged and the rest of us would be given over to a Regent Lord. Tiran and I had been present at the exchange and we had seen Ruhn issue the reply which came in the form of a Cordial refusal but when he turned to leave he had been fuming under his breath. The Prince had not accepted any bargaining and had told us the battle would begin within the next two days.

I had picked the Prince as my main target once the fighting began. I was our greatest warrior with Tiran and Mother close behind me. Even before the Invasion I had heard of Sairn, the Battlemage Prince of Harendel and the present heir to the Throne. He was a warrior of undeniable skill and he had bested many Paladins of the Church in their crusades to destroy his heretical kingdom. I honestly wondered when we would be deemed the same but for now Sairn was our enemy. He had even tried to convince Tiran and I to join him in his retinue and he had made some comments about my “Regal Beauty” and how I would make a “wonderful concubine”. Mother had hidden both Tiran and I’s Draconic features beneath a glamour and I had had to resist the urge to punch his perfect teeth out into the mud. I was going to show him how dangerous I was.

I looked away from the enemy lines as I felt a touch on my shoulder. Mother and Father had arrived, both in their armor with weapons at the ready.

“Anything?” Father asked.

I shook my head and we all stood upon the wall in silence for a moment looking out at what may very well be our deaths. It was a sobering experience, seeing all of them gathered against us. To think I had believed that I would be able to fight them all with the strength of a Dragon only a few weeks ago. True, I did still believe I could turn the tide of battle but… Well perhaps my confidence had been put in its place now that I was smaller than most of those around me.

“How are we going to fight against so many?” Irand asked as he rested the base of his shield on the battlements and looked out at them.

It wasn’t asked in despair but simple awe. Nobody answered for a moment but it was Father who broke the silence. He walked forward and placed a hand on Irand’s shoulder.

“By fighting smart. Look at their forces and tell me what you see.”

All of us did, even Mother, and we all stood in silence as we surveyed the enemy line with critical eyes. I noticed much the same as before, the many many conscripts with Knights and Battlemages mixed among them.

“I see many thousands of Peasant folk who have been given spears and shoddy armor. And a Handful of Knights.” I said.

“True. And what would said peasants do if all of their knights were to fall?”

“Potentially rout. I see your point but where would they go? There is a living wall behind them that will push them forward. Couldn’t Mother just drop the Canyon walls on them with her magic?” Irand asked as he frowned at the enemy.

Mother looked surprised by him referring to her as such but she spoke.

“That's what we went to look at. The Mages deployed Siege Weapons on top of the cliffs. The ones manning them seem to have some degree of magic as well, their shots would have struck home were I not so gifted in the air.” She said, a bit of pride showing on her face as she spoke the last words.

“Well we need something. We have enough supplies to keep a mundane force at bay for a long while but… well if we lose our Siege Weapons we lose much of our fighting chance. We can’t be everywhere and it would only take one of their Battlemages getting behind the walls for them to breach the defenses.” Irand grumbled.

“Agreed. Which is why we will be split during the battle. Tiran I want you down on the right flank. Keep your Knights braced and readied and that section of the wall will be safe from threat. Ere… Love, you take point on the Left flank. With you there the Church will be too preoccupied with appearing weak next to you to rout before you do. And then Lady Greyson and I shall hold the Main Gate. Irand I want you back with Ruhn and Raya, should their forces break through have the Royals ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice. And before you object, yes I know you are skilled with a blade but someone must guard them and I would ask you to do so because I can trust you to follow orders and should the battlefield shift you are the most capable of addressing the changes as needed while I am unavailable.” Father said, turning to each of us as he spoke.

Tiran nodded and wrapped me in a hug before he headed off down the wall towards his men. Mother gave Father a kiss on the cheek and whispered something I very much wished I could not hear in his ear before she strode into the ranks of the Church Loyalists and they parted around her.

Irand stood stock still and silently stubborn as he stared at Father. Father took him aside and they spoke for a few moments before I saw Irand wrap him in a hug and when he pulled away there were tears in his eyes as he turned and ran towards the fortress proper. Father was misty eyed himself as he walked back to stand next to me.

“What did you tell him?” I asked.

“Well dear, I am getting on in years. As much as your mother would wish that I stick around for a long time yet, I think this may be my last battle and I would like to rest and enjoy my last twenty years or so of life. So I told Irand that I had put into motion the process for him to inherit my place in the House after this battle. Since I was informed that you would most likely not be bringing a Lord home.” He said with a chuckle.

I gave him a shy grin and he smiled over at me.

“And I do hope you plan on bringing this Odessa girl home at some point.”

I blushed and he laughed as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Listen, It matters not who you love or why. I just want you to be happy and I know that both of your Mothers feel the same.” I nodded and he continued. “Now then, I believe you planned on fighting that Prince yourself, no?”

I nodded and turned back towards the enemy, who were now brandishing sectioned ladders and I could see Archers taking position in their ranks.

“Yes. And it looks like the Battle is about to begin.” I said as I drew my sword.

Now was the time to prove that the strength I had gained was worth it. For all of those I loved, I would fight. And I would win.

Twenty Minutes. That's how long it took for things to go wrong. The Enemy advanced toward the Fortress and our Archers and Siege Weapons rained hell down on them. I saw a few flaming boulders fly from where Tiran was stationed, he had been using his newly discovered magic sparingly over the past days to prepare for this and now he was allowing our people to rain burning stones upon the enemy. On Mother’s Side I saw a few explode with Golden Lights and others that burst into molten rain on impact. Between the missiles and the Arrows that dropped dozens with every volley the enemy’s advance was slowed considerably. At least a thousand of them had fallen by the time the first attackers reached the Walls.

I swept my hands upwards and brought all my training to bear as the Water mimicked my movements and began gliding up the wall before vaporizing in a flash of steam that burned the first eager attackers. It wasn’t a trick I could do often, Twice more maybe before I would give out but to buy time for our defenders to brace their weapons at the top of the Enemy’s Ladders.

But for now I couldn’t not as I saw the Enemy Prince bounding forward and leaping far to high into the air to land upon the battlements before me. He smiled as I fully dismissed my Glamour and he could see my Draconic features in truth.

“Ha! A Dragon! I was right to offer you a place in my Harem, You could even have ruled as Empress by my side. But alas now I will simply have your heart. With such Pure Draconic Magic to enhance my power there will be none who could stand against me!” He said as he too a handful of steps towards me.

“Keep them out of my way.” I growled to Father as I rushed forward.

I had been expecting him to be as Strong as Tiran. I had anticipated he might be as strong as I. But no. Our Blades clashed and he threw me back. Not far mind you but still, even Mother was barely strong enough to do that in her human body. He grinned like a madman as he lunged at me, blade aimed for my throat. I shot to my feet and parried the blow, sending his sword tip into the stonework and dragging my own blade up his, ripping off the back of the plate covering his hand. I tried to swing for his neck but he shoved his shoulder into the path of my blade and it slid off the armor just barely missing his head.

He pulled his blade free and with his free hand he delivered a blow to my chestplate. I felt the wind leave my stomach as I struggled to stay on my feet and barely managed to bring my own blade up to stop his from cutting into my side. It was the most powerless I had felt in a duel of blades in years. He wasn’t like Argan where he simply used brute strength, no he had technique and skill in spades. I cast a glance down the wall where most of our forces were keeping the attackers at bay, pushing their ladders from the walls and repelling them as best they could. Our Archers were still firing on their advancing forces and I could see Father standing over a pile of men slumped against the battlements as blood sprayed on his armor. He was holding but some of the Attackers were out of his reach and forcing their way through gaps in our defenses.

As I turned back to Sairn and bared my teeth at him I felt something I hadn’t before. A heat in my chest, burning and wrathful. He smiled as I sucked in a breath and forced it back out, wreathed in flames as a jet of fire sprayed past him and caught on the men who had just climbed over the wall. I could see them burning as I turned my gaze back to the Prince.

“Clever little Dragon aren't you?” He asked, pulling his blade back and thrusting the tip towards my chest.

I sidestepped the sword but fell for the feint as his fist collided with my jaw and sent me skidding across the stone. My armor scraped against the stone and everything spun as I tried to get my bearings. How was a human this strong? He was every bit as strong as Mother was if not more so. Didn’t matter. I had to stop him. Because no one else here could stand against his power, if he got past me then everyone here would die, either by his hand or his armies. I rose to my feet as I saw him strolling towards me. Strolling. As if he were on a walk through a Garden. If my sword hadn’t been reinforced with magic it would have snapped in my grip.

“Oh come now, I had been hoping for more Dragon! If your kind are so pathetic I can see why they were all hunted down. I had often wondered how they passed from memory but I see now. The answer is that I am simply stronger than you. Than all of your kind! Think of it! King Sairn, Bane of Dragons! Or better yet, I could take you with me! A beauty like yourself would be a wonderful trophy in my Harem! So come now Dragon, stand and address your Master.” He said cheerfully.

I glared up at him and his smile faltered for a moment as i swung my blade, aiming to drive the blade into his stomach. He parried the Blow but I felt warm blood spray across me as I saw another blade drive its way through his shoulder. I looked to see Father, using his blade to stop the Prince’s arm from moving as the blade had pierced my chest just below my heart. Not a death blow, but had the Prince continued moving he would have killed me.

The Prince roared with Fury and took the blade from his shaking hand and swung towards Father. I lunged to stop him and my Blade found its mark as it pierced the Prince’s heart, but it was too late for Father. The Prince’s blade had carved its way through his shoulder and down through his chest, nearly cutting him from shoulder to hip. I let loose a scream as I pushed my blade through the Prince and forced his wretched heart out the front of his breastplate. Sairn fell in a heap and I grabbed Father before he could fall.

‘MOTHER!’ I screamed into her mind as I pulled him back against the battlements and did my best to press the wounds together.

He coughed up blood and took a ragged breath as I held him there. His eyes met mine and I dove into his mind. It was unlike Sophia’s. Hers had been a tumultuous sea and his was simply our family home. He was sitting in the Parlour waiting for me.

“Father!” I cried.

He did not rise, he simply waited for me to reach him. Even here his breathing was labored and though he bore no injuries, he looked in such pain. He looked up at me as I stood before him, trying to think of something, Anything, I could do to help. I couldn’t mend wounds like mother could. I couldn’t use my magic to bind him together or keep his blood flowing. He saw my panic and through gritted teeth he smiled.

“Dear, there is nothing you can do here. I know. Not for me. That Bastard is dead and you have a fighting chance.” He said stiffly, hands gripping his old chair just like they had when the Late Lady Greyson had tended to his wounds.

“But you… What am I going to do without you…” My mind was racing but going nowhere, a mixture of Sadness and Anger had washed over me and I was holding back sobs and a string of curses in equal measure.

“You’ll look after your brothers. You will do your duty as a Knight of the Realm and protect our people. And you will make sure your mother doesn’t push herself too hard. She is very much like you, Naravie, she is an angry young woman but she is trapped in her past. Don’t fall into that trap as well. Help her confront her memories instead of running from them. Remember Geneva and I but don’t use us as Anchors. When you are lost in the tides of emotion and feel like you can’t go on, remember the two of us, remember all we taught you and stay strong my dear. I wish I could see you grow and become the beautiful young Woman I know you will be but this is where my story ends. Do not let yours end here. Rage against the World if you must, do whatever it takes but survive and push these invaders from your home.” He said, his voice soft and tender despite the pain he was in.

I had my hands resting on his, holding them tight as they gripped the gnarled old wood of his chair. He was already gone and he knew it. He was hanging on with pure willpower. I nodded to him and he smiled.

“Thats my Girl. And when you return home, tell Irand I am sorry I was not able to teach him. But he is clever and I know he will do great things. Tiran… I wish I could see the Man he ends up becoming. Look after them both, they are strong but you will all need each other. Now go child, unleash that fury and save your home.”

I nodded and rose on shaky legs as I took one last look at him. My eyes stung with tears but I could feel that rage roiling inside of me. It was like when Mother and I had been attacked in the forest but so much stronger. A churning tide of Magic.

“I love you Father. Say hello to Mother when you find her.” I said softly.

He nodded with a haggard smile and I pulled back from his mind. That tide of power… I was going to unleash it on the enemy army. I was going to make them fear me. This… they had attacked my home. Unprovoked as well. My hands clenched and I could see Mother charging through the fighting to reach us. I reached out to all our people in the Fortress and spoke in their minds an Icy Cold Hiss that all would understand.

‘Stay away from the River.’

And then I threw myself from the walls into the air. I flew for the Capital. I was going to need a bit more than a River for this.

Erenenya Ruinscale

I had barely managed to reach Naravie and Artur when she threw herself from the walls and took to the skies. She was gone before I could think of doing the same. I knelt beside Artur and reached out to his mind. He was hanging on only barely, half held together by the enhancements I had woven into him and his own stubborn determination. As I stepped into his mindscape I found him resting within his chair in the Parlour of the Greyson Manor.

“Artur.” I whispered as I ran to his side.

“Ereneya.” He Grimaced and I could see that pieces of his mindscape were already beginning to fade away.

The only things that remained clear and bright were the ancient chair he sat in now and the picture of his late wife in his hand. He gave me a pained smile as he looked up at me.

“I know I promised you a few more years but it seems I must break that promise. Apologies.”

“You old fool. Where does she fly to?” I asked.

“I do not know. But I could feel it, just as you described. An Overwhelming tide of rage within her. Whatever comes next, she will be unleashing the same power you did. Hopefully a bit more controlled. Hopefully.” He choked out a laugh as I saw his injuries forming on his mental body.

“I cannot mend a wound so deep.”

“I know. So I ask you this, will you look after my Children? All of them still need guidance. Tiran is still unsure of himself even after his duel with Argan. He doubts himself and it wears upon him. Irand is so wrapped up in his thoughts and he needs someone to give him a push to action now and again. I did my best but he needs more than I’ll be able to give I’m afraid. And Naravie… She needs protection. She cares so much for those around her. She cares too much. If she does not temper that care with due caution it will get her hurt or worse. So please…. Look after them.” He had to pause to take a few shuddering breaths to finish his words but he managed to get them out.

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I knelt by his side and clasped his right hand within mine.

“Of course, as if all of them were my own.”

He smiled, boundless thanks within it left unuttered.

“And Eren, do look after yourself as well. You shoulder such a heavy burden upon yourself. It has been nine centuries and counting. Let yourself live.” He said as the mental image broke down and I was forced back into my own mind.

In the waking world his body went limp and began to come apart but I gripped the shoulders of his armor and pushed them back together, using a trickle of magic to melt the broken pieces of his armor together. It wasn’t a clean fix but it would keep his body from splitting down the middle.

I knelt over him, the first man I had loved in nearly two centuries and the first person I had told my story too with no lies or half truths. He had died for his family. As he had guessed he would. I took a deep shuddering breath and reached out towards my sons.

‘Tiran. Irand… Lord Greyson has fallen. You heard your Sister, stay away from the River. Tiran give your men their orders and then make your way too me. I have an idea of what your sister is going to do and we are going to ensure she is not killed in the attempt. Irand take command. With Artur gone the soldiers need orders and direction. Do what you must.’

I felt the pain in both of them as they responded but they both did as they were told. They both understood there would be time to grieve later, now was the time for action. I raised a hand over the fortress and felt the stone of the damp riverbed below. I willed my magic into it, strengthening the Riverbed as much as I could before I felt it. A deep low rumble that grew and grew and grew. I saw in the distance a cloud approaching over the land and I could feel my Daughter’s approach.

Part of me was dumbstruck. I had thought she meant to drag the remnants of the River to her aid. But no, she had gone much much further. She had flown to the Capital and taken hold of the whole damn lake there. A cloud of Vapor spraying into the sky was the sign of her approach and it was rushing towards us with frightful speed. The men on the walls saw it as well and many were parting to give the main gate as much space as possible.

I felt a touch on my arm and I turned to see Tiran, armor coated in blood and sadness in his eyes as he gazed upon his Father. I picked Artur’s body up and cradled him in my arms. I turned and grabbed one of the soldiers nearby, who was already retreating away from the Main Gate which sat directly over the river.

“You, soldier. Take him to the fortress proper.” I growled.

He nodded, realizing who I was and he gently took Artur from me and moved as quickly as he could towards the fortress. Tiran looked up at me.

“What shall we do?” He asked, his voice shaky.

“Ensure your sister does not become the target of their Siege Weapons atop the cliff.” I growled, growing to my full size and feeling him leap upon my back.

I took off from the Wall and flew towards the cliff face. I needed to stay low enough that the weapons and their operators could not see me before I was upon them. A flash of magic caught my eye to close to avoid. I felt Tiran run up my neck and heard him muttering something before the spell vanished in a puff of steam.

Counter Magic.

Easier for Humans to perform than Dragons it was an essential magic for anyone wielding magic against other mages. I smiled to myself knowing he had indeed been paying attention these past weeks on how to wield his magic without burning himself out.

I had just reached the Cliff face when we heard the Fortress break. I whipped my head back to see the rear gate of the Fortress being ripped apart as the surge of water crashed through it. I ran my way up the final few dozen feet of the Cliff Edge and clawed my way over the edge. Sure enough there was a crew there readying a trebuchet. One of them turned toward us and I could see the sparks of magic flickering about his hand a spell forming in his mind. I let loose a growl before I opened my jaws and a torrent of flame shot forth. The siege crew and the mage were gone in seconds, reduced to ashes by my flames. I had only a moment to breathe before I heard Tiran.

“Look Out! To the Left!”

I turned and saw the last moments of the Ballista firing before the bolt slammed into my side. I gasped for breath as I looked down to see a Ballista bolt in the soft scales of my underbelly. It wasn’t a fatal wound by any means, painful yes but not fatal. It did knock the wind out of me though and I struggled to catch my breath as I saw them loading another bolt into place. I was about to take off when I heard Tiran casting a simple spell. It was one to conjure flame, one of the first I had been taught and the only one I had had time to teach him aside from Countering. He pointed his hand towards them and I heard the snap of the Draw cable as it glowed red hot for a moment at full draw. Two of the crew manning it fell to the ground as the cable snapped against them and the remaining crew scrambled to try and mend it.

They never got the chance.

I brought down my forelegs on the Earth in front of me and and stone spikes shot out of the ground beneath them, spelling a bloody end for all of them. I gripped the Bolt in my side and snapped it off, leaving a foot long stub protruding from my scales. I didn’t bother waiting as I took a running leap and began flying across the upper cliffs searching for other siege engines above the canyon. We found the rest in a shallow valley only a short ways beyond, it seemed the two we had come across had been overeager.

I dove at those on the western side of the Canyon’s edge and they did not even realize I was there before the full force of me slammed into their weapons, crushing them flat. Tiran leaped from my back as a handful of survivors attempted to recover some of their ammunition and drive it into me and I heard the choked cries of pain as Tiran’s blade met their throats. For an Honorable Knight he certainly knew how to fight dirty.

I took a running leap and soared across the Canyon to where the other crews were fixing their aim upon me. I dove out of the way of some and I let a few Ballistae Bolts graze off my upper scales as I shot towards them. A few fired arrows at me but they were too high to aim at my underbelly, and the only scales they could hit were the hardened ones upon my back and side. A few did plant themselves in my scales but I shrugged them off easily enough, far easier than Naravie would if they attacked her.

I let loose a Roar as I collided with their weapons. A Trebuchet snapped under the force of my assault, A Ballista was trampled underfoot, I sent many of their weapons sailing into the canyon below with a sweep of my tail. And then there were the soldiers. These were not conscripts but trained men. I saw them draw spears and Shields and take up a formation as I smashed the last of their weapons.

Cute.

I could see their mage issuing commands and I snarled at the soldiers as my Tail rushed forward and impaled him upon its bladed point. I brought the screaming mage up to my jaws in front of his men and growled an order.

“Surrender, and I will let you live.”

They did not respond and I snapped my jaws around the Mage’s upper body. A simple twist and the screaming stopped. I resisted the urge to gag as I felt the body glide down my throat. Humans were vile, far too bony and always clad in metal. Terrible for the stomach that.

The Soldiers remained undeterred and the first row of their formation leveled spears at me. I swiped my claws and sent half of them flying into the canyon as they screamed and the other half made no noise at all as they fell to ribbons before me.

I turned back to see Tiran pulling his blade free of the last of his opponents and just in time as we heard the roaring rush of water approaching. Down below the enemy army tried to retreat as the wall of water approached them. It was a terrifying sight.

The water moved as if it were alive, clawing itself forward and swallowing whole anyone and anything caught in its path. I watched as a Wickedly sharp draconic claw pulled itself up over a small clif and engulfed the soldiers who had been standing there. Others raced forward, carving grooves into the soil and stone beneath them. The heat coming off of the tide was intense. For my part I could handle it but I could see Tiran was backing away as jets of steam flew into the sky.

I scanned the water and found her. A sapphire core in the water below, swimming at the front of the flood as the water took on the shape of a massive Dragon's head and it rushed forward. I watched hundreds of soldiers disappear under the water and the water was running red as it flowed further and further into the Canyon.

I tore my eyes away from the Carnage and took to the skies. Tiran started running on the other side of the canyon and I had to strain myself to gain a lead on Naravie's Tide. There was one more group. Artur and I had seen it while we were scouting. The largest collection of Siege engines was at the mouth of the Canyon and they had been assembling a strange contraption there.

It took moments but felt like hours as I raced forward. I could hear the cries and shouts of the Soldiers below as they were faced against my Daughter's Wrath. I crested a final peak and I saw it.

A twisted amalgam of metal and wood. A Mage stood on a pedestal at the center and it was glowing with a sickening crimson aura. They had a massive glass lens pointed at the Canyon where Naravie would be appearing in moments. I went into a steep dive and folded my wings in close. I was a several ton projectile aimed directly at the device and I was within only a hundred feet when my world went sideways, literally.

My head spun and the next thing I knew I was on the ground and my vision was swimming with spots as I tried to climb to my feet. A few seconds later and I could make out the Mage who had caused it, a young woman with Long Flaming Red hair and a gnarled black staff in hand. She was still chanting her spell but it was obvious she had used too much magic on the first spell to knock me down. I could see it, the black veins of ash creeping up her hands and spiderwebbing across her neck. I rose to my feet and bared my teeth at her and the soldiers who had been charging at me. The Soldiers to their credit continued and one managed to wedge the point of his spear into my scales, not enough to draw blood unfortunately for him. I raised my claw over him and he turned into a red stain on the ground beneath the force of it. The Mage’s spell was making me off balance but it was easy enough to stand still. The other soldiers didn’t even reach me, I let loose an inferno from my jaws and they were naught but ash in the wind and their weapons and armor were slag upon the ground.

The Mage fell to her knees and I heard the sound of Vomit hitting the ground as she retched, her staff blowing away in the breeze as her Magic consumed it. I rushed forward as her spell broke and barreled into the Machine that the Mage was standing within with my full weight. The Machine rocked back, ungodly heavy as I forced it out of its position. A Beam of that Dark Crimson aura launched forward and I felt my left arm and part of my neck erupt in pain as the far side of the canyon had a crevice several hundred feet deep carved into it.

I kept pushing until the machine tumbled over the edge of the canyon, the intricate metal twisted and shattered upon the stone below and it was little more than scrap when it reached the bottom of the Canyon. I watched as the wall of water that Naravie commanded swept over thousands of soldiers and washed away the remains of the machine. On the far side of the Canyon Tiran was igniting the last of the siege engines as Naravie swept past us and into the Plains beyond. The bulk of the enemy army was their, encamped and ready for a siege.

They never had a chance to evacuate. I stood upon the cliff’s edge as the Boiling Water swept over man and beast alike, the Horse Lords of Nathal were swept away alongside Harendel’s Army. I could see some fleeing at the far end of the camp and it looked as if maybe a few hundred at most might escape. The waters slowed and were merely flood waves as they grew distant from my Daughter, who had perched herself on a stone that rose higher than others at the Mouth of the Canyon. She let loose screaming roar after screaming roar, to the Soldiers they were the sounds of a Terrible beast but to my ears I knew different. They were the cries of a Heartbroken child. Once I had made them myself, almost a millennia ago. She would continue until her rage subsided and her voice gave out and I would have been content to merely wait and watch. Until I heard the pathetic whimpering of a mage. I turned my gaze from Naravie and focused on the young woman.

She was on her knees, the black of Manaburn still stretching across her skin. It had been a relatively common affliction among novice mages in my youth but with how the study of magic had become taboo now, I imagined it might be more of an issue. She was crying and I could hear what was definitely cursing in a language I did not know.

“You are beaten human.” I growled into her mind.

She looked up and to her credit she managed to stand upon her feet in defiance.

“I do not need your mockery, Dragon.” She spoke with a northerner’s accent but her common tongue was quite well spoken. Odd.

“Such fire for someone doomed to die here.”

“I would not have been here at all were it not for that Bastard of a Prince!” She spat a glob of phlegm on the ground and it sizzled as it boiled away into steam.

She was burning up from within but still able to stand. Not possible for a normal human in Manaburn. I crept forward and remembered the injury in my shoulder as my left arm gave out beneath me. I hissed and looked down to see that the scales had been blasted away and the tender skin below was a bloody mess. It hurt something awful but I spoke a simple spell and the skin closed. It would need more attention later but for now it was fine. I continued moving towards the Mage and she stood her ground. Perhaps because her legs were shaking so badly she couldn’t take a step.

“You call your Prince a Bastard. Traitorous words.” I growled as I stood just before her.

“He is not my Prince. He is my Torturer! Conquered my tribe and made me one of his Concubines! Me! The Daughter of the Sun Seeker himself! If I am to die I will burn that Bastard before I do!” She cried, anger pouring through her voice.

I tilted my head… Sun Seeker… Sun Seeker… It sounded familiar. Too Familiar. I racked my brain while she shouted a string of curses at the sky. She wasn’t a threat to me. Not at this moment.

It came to me after a moment. The Sun Seeker! They had been the leader of a group of Nomads to the North of my Home! They had dwelled in the Mountains and been famed for their mage craft! And they had been Masai’s… A low growl escaped my chest and the Woman turned to me, as if she had forgotten I was there in her rage.

“Child. Are you one of the Stone’s Children?” I asked.

She looked taken aback as I said it and she shook her head.

“We have not called ourselves such in Centuries. Only the Eldest of the Seers speak of that name now. We are the Cloud Weavers. As stated by our newest Sun Seeker, some three centuries ago. Who are you to know of us, Old Wyrm?” She said, her rage fading for a moment.

I nodded my head as she spoke. Of course they didn't have the same name now. I had known them almost a Millennia ago. I looked down at her and I could almost see Masai’s face in hers. No doubt there. I let loose a long breath as memories of my Old Friend rushed into my mind.

“I knew a Sun Seeker of ages past. She was a friend. Masai of the Undying Flame.” I said slowly.

“Elder Seer Masai perished so long ago. She was a Sister to one of my Ancestors… She was my inspiration when I took up the study of Magic from the Seers. One of our greatest wielders of the Old Powers in our time of need. She was the first broken link in the Sun Seekers… It was a dark time when she passed, or so the Elder’s claim.” The Woman said.

“Yes well, I owe her for my failure to save her in the hour of her greatest need. So I will pass that favor onto you.” I said as I pressed my claws into the ground before her.

The stone cracked beneath her feet into a runic circle, one that had been burned into my memory by Masai herself during my studies. A Cure for Manaburn that Masai and the mages of my Father’s court had discovered and that had been lost when I had destroyed them all. Save for my own memory. I called forth my own magic and the runes glowed and I saw the Ashen lines on the Woman’s body fade, not fully removed but she would not succumb to Manaburn now. She looked down at herself and then up to me as she gaped at the now faded lines upon her skin.

“You stopped it? Impossible.” She whispered.

“Not impossible. A forgotten memory left by Masai herself. Yours to use now. But I ask that you leave this kingdom in peace. You would find its defenders well equipped to deal with a single mage in any regard.” I said and she stared up at me as if I held all the answers.

“I would be compelled to fight under the Arrogant Prince’s banner. He holds the power to end my Clan’s lives at a whim.”

“The Prince is dead. Slain by my Daughter’s hand.”

The Mage staggered a bit at that, as if she could not believe I spoke true but could not fathom a deception.

“If he is gone then I bear no obligation to fight. But I will not be able to return to my people. Not so long as the King of Harendel rules from his throne. But… without his Champion Prince he will not be able to wage war as he has. I will return to the Capital and inform them that this Kingdom holds to much power to be conquered. The other Royal Children are more tempered than their arrogant brother… Perhaps one of them…” She trailed off as she mumbled to herself and I could only imagine what schemes were running through her head.

I let loose a growling smirk as I remembered how Masai was much the same. Perhaps Reincarnation was real and this girl was my old friend reborn. One could hope. I rose from my seated position and made my way to the Canyon’s edge. The Flood had stemmed and I could see a force of maybe a hundred on its far edge, a handful of miles away beyond the boiling, flooded plain between us. The waters were evaporating and I could see the devastation now, Thousands of bodies that had been swallowed up by the rushing water now motionless and ruined in the plains below. Tents, wagons and all manner of supplies scattered among them. Naravie had gone quiet below and I looked down at her perch to see her still faintly screeching but now with a lack of spirit. She was succumbing to Slumber. I doubted she had been conscious for the last neck of her flood and now she was simply screaming out of instinct.

I looked back at the Mage and found her still rambling to herself. I rolled my eyes and flew down to collect my daughter as Tiran stood upon the far cliff and looked out at the Devastation his sister had wrought.

And then the rain began to fall.

Naravie Greyson

I awoke in my bed within Mother’s home. I felt a horrible aching in my head and my body felt even worse. It was that same weight that I had been wracked with after pulling the river with me but now it came with pain as well. As if someone were crushing me while the weight pressed down upon me. I bolted upright and the room swam with colors as my stomach churned with it. It was the worst I had ever felt in my life and it took a moment before I was able to look about without wanting to retch.

I was in my room. Dressed only in fresh small clothes and there was a note resting on the bed at my side. Small and simple and clearly scrawled with haste in Mother’s handwriting.

‘I shall return shortly. If you awake while I am away, there is food downstairs. I know better than to try and tell you to wait in bed. - Mother’

It took a few moments to swing my legs out from under the blanket but I managed. I braced myself against the wall as I slowly walked to the door and made my way down the steps beyond. A Deep gnawing hunger clawed at my insides and I desperately wanted something, anything, to eat as I stumbled down the stairs.

I tried to remember why I was so tired. It was blank when I tried to recall, I had been at the Fortress the enemy had begun advancing and I… I had fought the Prince. And nearly lost. Until… Until… Father.

I felt the emotions wash over me as I remembered that. No, not wash. This was like a Waterfall had come crashing down on my head. I stumbled and dug my claws into the wall to avoid falling as sadness flooded my mind. I had failed to protect Father and now he… He was gone. And I had… I had… I remembered the rage and the rushing water. The bodies floating past me as they drowned or were cooked in their own skin by my boiling tide. I was glad I was alone because I felt the smile creep over my face as I remembered seeing them.

The Human Fools who had dared attack my home. My People! They had gotten what they deserved. It was a cruel thought but… one I was willing to allow as I kept descending down the steps. Perhaps Mother had managed to save Father. Perhaps. I knew it was false the moment it entered my head but it was a small comfort.

I reached the main cavern and I found a table set with a handful of dishes mainly comprised of fruit and bread. I made my way there and tore into it. Nothing seemed to quell th hunger in my chest but it was better than nothing. I finished off the plates that had been laid out and sat there waiting for the hunger or the pain to subside.

Father was gone. Lord and Lady Greyson were together once more. That thought brought a small smile to my face and a few moments later I was crying. Tears ran down my face and I didn’t even try to stop them. Father was gone, the man who had taught me damn near everything I knew was gone. I don’t know how long I sat there bawling but when I managed to reign in my emotions and dry my eyes, Mother was there, a gentle hand resting on mine. Tiran and Irand were there as well. Sitting across from us as both of them gave me sad smiles.

“You remember then?” Mother asked, her voice a whisper.

I nodded.

“All of it?”

I nodded.

“I am sorry, Hatchling. But you protected your home.”

“None of our people were killed by your flood. A few were injured when the gates were destroyed but they were minor and everyone should make a full recovery.” Irand said softly.

“And Father?”

“Gone before I had even reached him. His Funeral was a week ago. We tried to wait for you to wake but…” Tiran trailed off letting the implication hang in the air.

“How long was I out?”

“Nearly two weeks. I had expected you to remain in slumber for another month. But you began stirring a week ago. You recover magic quickly, Child.” Mother said softly.

I nodded as I looked to my Brothers.

“Is he with Mother?” I asked.

They both nodded, a sad smile on both of their faces.

“And the enemy?”

“Ruhn had us round up the survivors. Less than One Hundred and fifty survived and many were badly injured by the steam and the boiling water. Argan and I were tasked with capturing them and… Well many were unwilling to accept aid. We allowed them to return home to their King with an official warning and an unofficial one. I think maybe eighty of them will survive the trip.” Irand explained.

“And Ruhn acknowledged House Greyson’s contribution. We have all the territory surrounding the Western Mountains under our banner now. And only House Tarand, House Nalthair and House Sanver support the Church. So maybe things will get better.” Tiran said.

“Maybe. But for now you must recover child. Your body is still weak from Slumber and you will need your strength for what is to come. If you are willing we make for the Southwestern Desert at the start of the Spring next year.” Mother said as she pulled me in close.

“Spring? It is barely Fall now. Surely we could leave sooner. I am ready. We could go and…” I stopped when I saw them all shaking their heads at me.

“No. You need time to recover. I need time to get the affairs of the House in order and we all need time to mourn Father. And Tiran needs to spend some time with his ‘Betrothed’.” Irand said with a small chuckle.

Tiran’s face turned scarlet and he punched Irand’s shoulder.

“You said you wouldn’t say anything!” Tiran cried.

“I know I know but we needed to see that embarrassed look on you again. Its priceless!” Irand said with a laugh as Tiran gave a few gentle punches into Irand’s arm.

I felt Mother chuckle slightly and I gave a half smile.

Father was gone. It would take some time to get used to that but… I think we could manage to carry on from here. That's what he would tell us to do anyway. I looked around at our little family and I felt warmth in my chest as I braced myself for what was to come.

We would face it together. As we always had and always would.