The wind buffeted his face, the curls undone as the wind whipped against him. The sun was already starting to go down, casting long shadows through the forest. They wanted to reach their destination and move on to the next as soon as possible.

"What is it that Ferry knows!" Erica called out.

They were galloping on horse, the wind practically silencing their voices.

"What?!" Zilian replied.

"I said what do you think Ferry knows?!" She repeated.

"I don't know, but obviously something big." That is all he could conclude, it transpired all too fast.

"I hope he will be safe." She muttered, more for her own self assurance.

"Of course he will, he promised all will be fine." He assured her.

He still remember how the elderly man swung his legs on the horse and rode the opposite direction, his final orders were to fetch Mauris then meet up at Greyus. A tangy scent hung heavy in the, he almost knocked both him and Erica off as he did a sudden stop. As he sniffed the air, “strange, smells like…”

"That's smoke!" Erica finished his sentence.

Fear welled up in him. No, it can't be happening here too.

He sprung the horse forward through the brush, ferns and pines. Ignoring the stings that prickled when he crashed through them, then they burst into the edge of the city - Forest Mist. The entire set was set ablaze from the tallest buildings down to the small ones, explosions masked faint indiscernible cries from within the city.

"No." Erica whispered despairingly.

Erica's fears echoed in Zilian’s mind too, but he was not going to give up yet after going this far. He kicked his horse, racing to where Mauris shop was at in the city. He would be quick and see if Mauris was there. 

They passed bodies sprawled everywhere on the streets and entrances to the buildings, but no life seemed to be evident in the immediate area. He wondered if the citizens of the city surrendered, then the victors decided to raze the city. The place seemed to be no more than a ghost city

"Halt!"

Zilian halted the horse, and turned to see a Mountain soldier. Of course it was the Mountain! He thought.

"You are to be escorted into Mountain protection."

"As if!" Zilian yelled at him. Then more appeared to surround him, two stood in front and two behind. Nowhere he could go, and unable engage them either.

"If you do not comply," the soldier unsheathed his sword, "You are then to be taken into Mountain custody."

"I like to see you try." He eyed them defiantly, and will not allow them to bully him.

Zilian tenses as the soldiers were about to engage him in battle, until suddenly a robed figure came from an alley. He stabs the soldier in front of Zilian in the back, killing him. The soldier next to his fallen ally turned to retaliate on the person who ambushed them, The robed figure blocking his attack. Zilian did not wait to see how this will end. He clicks his tongue in the horse's ear, the beast reacting by rearing up and kick with its hind legs. The two soldiers behind the horse were kicked with a heavy blow, tossing them high and far in the air.

He then turns to see what action lays in front, but all he sees is the second soldier already fallen to the blade. The robed figure’s head was covered, the sword in his hands covered in blood. For a moment he was afraid he will will meet the same fate as the soldiers, he does not if he was an ally or a foe. Then he recognized who is behind the hood.

"Charlee?"

Charlee pulled back the hood, revealing his face from the cloak, "Zilian?"

Then Erica cried out, "Charlee!"

Charlee turned to Erica, he had a look of mixed expressions from surprise, shock and joy, "Erica? What are you two doing here?"

Zilian answered him, "Looking for Mauris, what you doing here?"

"I am here as a decoy, holding the troops back while the city finishes evacuating."

"How many citizens left?" He inquired curiously.

"Hopefully no one else is left, should be just me and big bro." Charlee alleged.

"So that means Mauris got out." He let out a relieved sigh.

A grim frown crossed his face, "Best if you follow me."

Charlee ran ahead leading the way, while Zilian followed him on the horse. He recognized this as the path that lead to Mauris shop, and shortly after they arrived at their destination. At the same time, they heard the clanging of armor of troops not too far away.

"Hurry!" Charlee urged them into the shop.

Erica and Zilian leaped from the horse and strode into the shop, while Zillian pulls the horse inside. Charlee then closes the door as soldiers came around a corner in a group of nine, with one soldier taking the lead. When they had moved a safe distance away, Zilian immediately got to the point.

"Where's Mauris?"

A sound popped from the back, "Yo little bro. That you?" A head peeked from behind a stall.

"Yeah big bro." Replied Charlee.

"I see you brought friends, why they didn't leave yet?" His big brother implored surprisingly.

"This is Zilian and Erica, remember? Just bad timing, but I guess it is also good timing. Came to find Mauris, he still holding on?"

"Holding on? What you mean?" Erica cried out, she widened her eyes in worry.

Charlee's older brother spoke, "Big man is a fighter, but even fighters find a match they can't win sometimes. He's here in the back." He led the way to a backroom.

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They both followed him to the back, passing a pile of Mountain soldiers bodies laying neatly in the back; they were busy. They pulled apart the curtains to the back, revealing the body of Mauris. He was wheezing and heaving in painful groans, barely holding on to life. The man was almost unrecognizable, and his clothes were drenched in blood as he bled from cuts that riddled his body. Zilian’s legs felt like noodles as he wobbled against a beam for support.

"Uncle!" Erica tossed herself on him, grasping him in her arms.

"Eri, that you?" Mauris rasped.

"Yes uncle, it is me." She wept as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her uncle grunted from the pain of being moved. However, he smiled as he recognized his niece.

"I would ask what you’re doing here..." Mauris coughed, "But I am too happy to see you one last time."

"Don't say that!" Erica started to cry, "You'll be fine, we'll get you bandaged and..."

Mauris cut her off, "Eri, stop. Right now, I can feel my strength ebbing." His coughing emphasized how close to death he is.

Erica let him go, sat back and wiped her tears on her shoulder. She grabbed his hand, Mauris clenching his hand in return. He could see the determination on her face that she was not going to give him up, that he could still fight off death.

"I want you to tell Ferry, I am sorry. And Eri... I want you, to know... we both, love..." His let out a final breath

Mauris hand went limp in Erica's hands.

"No. No. NO! Mauris!" She held him in her arms again, pleading for him to come back. She wept in despair.

Zilian shed a tear, but he briskly wipes the tear off and leaves the room. He stepped in front of Charlee, "What happened?" He demanded.

He explained, "Me and big bro were holding defense at one of the secret emergency tunnels, as the citizens escaped. Mauris was to blow up the hole from the distance so that the Mountain couldn't follow them in. He got ambushed shortly after detonating the explosives and we rushed to help, but we were quickly out numbered five to one."

"You fought fifteen on your own?" Anger welled up inside.

Charlee answered innocently, "Yeah, me and big bro are expert swordsmen, Mauris used the big hammer. We were lucky to get out alive. Well, me and big bro at least..." He peeked back into the back room.

"Man's strong," Charlee's big brother came, "Seems like he held on just to see Erica one last time."

"Zacke, time for us to go. We can't hold on here forever, they're razing the City to the ground." Charlee insisted.

Zacke conceded, "Yeah, we got to go. Saddle up, we are bringing minimal food and water supplies. We'll take the money and head for the next closest City." Zacke ordered. He then looked at Zilian.

Zilian knew what he had to do, he went back to the back room and as much as he hated to say it, he knew it had to be done, "Erica, we have to go." He gently urged her.

Erica sighed. She caressed her uncle’s hand, stroking it as if she could just rouse him from a sleep. Before he urged her again, she kissed her uncle on the forehead with her final farewell, "Good bye uncle." She whispered.

They went back into the main room where Charlee and Zacke were packing a couple of bags with canteens, canned food, fire starters and lamp oil.

"What are we doing?" Zilian asked.

"Packing your sacks with enough provisions for a week. We have ours already." Charlee replied.

"Anything I can help with?" Zilian asked.

"Nope, all done." Zacke replied, tossing the two bags in front of Zilian’s feet.

"And you'll be needing this." Zilian caught a small bag that Charlee tossed him, he took a look inside and found it filled with money.

"Why you giving me this?" He asked.

"That's half of Mauris savings, by rights it belongs Erica.”

“If that is so, shouldn’t it all be Erica’s” He insisted.

“Let's be a little fair here, we are being ambushed and I don't have any savings now, so I'll need some too. Consider it as escort fee." Charlee returned.

"Fair enough." Zilian grins, they needed to lighten the mood, "So what's the plan?"

"Well, I was thinking going out from the direction you guys came in from, since you seemed to have met little trouble from that way, that should be our best bet."

"Wouldn't it be faster to leave through the East?"

"Yes, but that's where they're strongest at. That leaves your entry point the next closest."

"You sure nobody left in the city?" Zilian implored.

"Pretty sure, we scouted three times to be safe."

"Ok, when we're leaving?"

Zacke answered, slapped his sack on his back and buckled his sword in place.

"Right now."

~---~

Zilian rode on the horse with Erica hanging on tight around his waist, he glances briefly at his sides where both Zacke and Charlee flanked him. They did not have their own means of transportation, but are surprisingly fast and kept step by step alongside him. He could see where the road led to a cross-section, all they need to do was reach the end and turn right to be out of the city.

"Watch out!"

Zilian pulls on the reins forcing the horse to rear up, an arrow flew straight for his chest. Because of his quick maneuver, it pierced through the horse's chest. He fell off as the horse tumbled over, whining in pain. As Zilian rolls back onto his feet, he heard a warning cry.

"Ambush!" Charlee hollered.

Zilian grabs Erica by the arm and pulls her into a small enclosed stand, he barely reacts on time as a barrage of arrows streamed from behind them leaving a trail of arrows in their wake. He sees Charlee and Zacke made it safely, on the opposite side of the road. He noticed Charlee pulls an arrow off of his back but besides that, they seemed to be unharmed. Charlee conversed with his brother, and Zacke shook his head. The Big Bro poked his head around the beam, just enough to see so as to not to get hit by a stray arrow. He threw himself back quickly after momentarily peeking and said something to Charlee, Zilian could not hear what it was with all of the crashing of arrows. The arrows clattered and bashed as if it were a thunderstorm pouring on a tin roof.

Zilian tried to think of a way out of this predicament, he can not fight them with a rain of projectiles and staying here will mean a certain defeat. He checks back to see Charlee and Zacke, he saw they are shuffling among things in the shop they had taken shelter in. They both grabbed a side of a long table and out in the opening shielding themselves from the barrage of arrows, regrouping with Erica and Zilian.

"Here's the situation." Zacke explained, "We're outnumbered, twenty of them against the four of us and they're closing in slowly. Soon they're gonna corner us and finish us off."

"What we going to do?" Zilian asked.

Charlee answered, "We have two choices. Make a stand here, or Zacke and I hold them off as you guys get away."

Zilian didn't like the latter, "Of course we'll make a stand here. We not gonna leave you."

Erica also spoke up, "Yes, best if we all stay together."

Zacke and Charlee exchanged glances.

Charlee sighed, "Me and Zacke are not asking you. We are gonna die if we stick together, while we can take care of them ourselves if we did not have to worry for you safety."

Erica bursts in tears, "No! Not you too! Come with us."

Zacke looked around the corner, "Little bro."

Charlee ignored him, instead he reaches in his pocket and pulls out a necklace. Zilian recognized it as the one from the Festival except now it didn't only have a locket, it also has a heart-shaped ring. He handed it over to Erica, she is now bewildered as she held it in her palms.

"I will come back to see you wear that. I promise." Charlee said.

Erica seemed to be stunned.

"Now promise me, you won't forget I promised." Charlee said.

Erica did not even move a muscle.

"Charlee, it's time." Zacke called.

"Erica please." Charlee pleaded.

Erica still a little dazed regained herself, holding the locket close to her, "I promise."

"Good." Charlee stood up and released his sword from its sheath.

Zacke spoke now, "Run for the closest city, it has joint protection from both the Volcanic and Swamp. Heavily fortified, so you'll be safe there. Make a run on my mark."

"Will do." Zilian replied.

As they crossed to the edge to prepare themselves. Charlee held Zilian by the shoulder, "Listen, I also want you to promise me something."

"What is that?"

"That you will protect Erica, even if it means your life."

Zilian took a glance at her and back at Charlee, "I promise."

"Right, now I know you're a good kid."

He slid his hands off of Zilians shoulder as Zacke gave the word, Zacke tossed the table up high so that it gives cover fire for Zilian and Erica as they ran off. Zilian held Erica's hand to keep in pace as they fled, the dirt and grind mixed with the blood from Mauris.

Zilian took a final glance behind them as the turn around the corner, Zacke and Charlee fought valiantly and selflessly as they held their blades upright and true. Blocking the oncoming barrage and taking down the Mountain soldiers, until they disappeared behind a wall of debris - his spine went cold and shivered. A huge explosion blew up right next to them, his throat swelled from this last image. He has seen Charlee for the last time.