The minutes ticked into hours, as the sun descended on Thanalan, Gwen was resting her head on Torvan's shoulder, as Ari spoke on the phone with Jarik, Vael, and Elewyn.

"Corpse Brigade...records are showing that before the occupation, they were the personal guard to King Theodoric. They still declare loyalty to him, but their methods bring them into conflict with the other Resistance factions. Poor lass...can't imagine what she went through." Elewyn's voice trailed off, she wanted to help, help the Scions, help the Ala Mhigans, but she knew she couldn't do it all. Not alone at least.

"Ari, we can be out there quick, just say the word."

"Jay...Jarik. We can handle it. Babe. Trust me. I'm a big girl, I can handle myself. Vael, I'm sending you a picture of what Gundobald found, can you three take a look at it?"

"Sure, getting it now, hunting knife...map, where is this, crossing this with a map of the area...oh gods. That's Zanr'ak, that's the Amal'jaa stronghold. You need to get a move on, now! Find Gundobald, let him know what that is!"

Ari hung up the phone, and honked the horn of the truck. "Wake up guys! We gotta move, they're heading to Zanr'ak!"

Torvan shook his nap off, struggling to understand, "Who? Slow down Ari, who you mean?"

"Wilred!"

"We dealt with him, he's in the drunk tank."

"I bet you he's not, I'm going to check in with the Blades."

"Yeah, I'll head up to Gundobald's, see if we can talk to him."

Gwen roused herself awake, determined to help in any way she could. "I'll see if I can get anything out of Bertliana, let's go!"

Ari checked over her gear, preparing for another fight, as she approached the Blades, "'Scuse me, what'd you guys do with Wilred and his-"

"Processed, tossed 'em in the drunk tank a couple hours, tossed 'em out when shifts changed. Why?"

"What!? They were in there for a reason!"

"Watch yer mouth when you speak to me, not my prisoners, not my problem."

"Damn it! You're no help, you know that!?"

"Not trying to be, Scion. Move along."

She ran on to Gundobald's tent, trying to catch up with Torvan and Gwen.

"Zanr'ak you say? This is troubling. The Amal'jaa have a station there, likely a supply of crystals as well, no doubt enough for a summoning." Gundobald rubbed his eyes, trying to work the stress out of his head.

"Ari's checking with the guards now, making sure they kept Wilred and his boys locked up. If we could get through to them.."

"They only understand might, son. Their minds poisoned by that Masked Man's honeyed words. As terrible it sounds, the only way you can reach them is through failure. They'll fail to summon Rhalgr, and then it'll be too late."

Torvan looked to his side, watching Gwen speak with Bertliana, "You know that's only going to push them further, right? That's why we have to move. Try to stop them, something."

"Aye son, we'll search the camp, see if they-"

"Torv! Gwen! They're gone! Those fools released them! We gotta move, now!"

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Gundobald was taken aback, but not totally surprised, "Fools, the lot of them. The Blades won't help us, I'll round up any able bodies I have, you three make haste. I'll be behind you!"

The Scions ran for the truck, and Gwen blasted the horn at the gate guard until he let them through, as she turned the truck onto the dirt road leading towards Zanr'ak, the truck bounced as she sped up, Ari and Torvan ready to jump from the bed as soon as they reached their destination.

"Come on! Go faster, you old piece of junk! Oof! Good gods!" She struggled to keep control, bouncing on every crack that stretched the width of the road, as she neared the location, she sped up, hammering the pedal down as she finally got a straight stretch. The beat-up old pickup squealed as she cut the wheel hard, trying to aim the bed at a small bridge. As the truck came to a stop, the Scions piled out, ready to fight again. As they prepared to cross, a scream let out. They move to meet the voice, as they see all of Wilred's conspirators dead, and the Amal'jaa moving to attack him to finish the job. As Wilred closes his eyes to meet his end, the sound of screaming is all he can hear. Not his men's screaming, but a louder, more ferocious roar. He opens his eyes to see an elf, bloodied axe in hand, having just carved up the foes that slew his friends.

"YOUR FIGHT IS WITH ME AND ME ALONE!!! FACE ME!!!" Torvan charges at the next group of Amal'jaa, as Ari and Gwen follow, fists, and bullets flying, the Scions finally getting to cut loose, and Gwen fighting to keep up. Ari dives into a trio of enemies, elbowing the first in the neck, following that up with a haymaker to each of the other two. As they get their bearings back, they move to stab her, as she anticipates the blow, deflecting one blade into the other, disarming the pair. She grabs one by the head, and drives it into her rising knee, shattering its skull.

As Wilred looks on the battle raging, a gruff voice calls to him, "Can you stand? Come, take my hand."

"Gundobald, you..."

"I understand your pain, but this was never the right way to go about saving our home."

Gundobald drew his spear, and dove into the battle along with the men and women he brought with him. As the realization that this was his own fault washed over him, Wilred cursed the Masked Man who put the idea into his head, who taught the group how to cause a summoning.

Gwen fired a volley at the Caster preparing a fireball aimed at the group. As her targets fell, she looked to her side, seeing Torvan catching blades with the blade of his axe, and returning their ferocity with his own, his return swings weren't pretty, they were intentionally heavy, trying to overpower his enemy, rather than elegantly dispatch them. Her focus returned to her, as she hears a target charging at her. She steadies her aim, and places a shot between the eyes of the attacker, felling it. She felt every bit the fighter as her comrades, she knew she just had to keep at it, and the battle would be theirs.

Ari and Gundobald have met on the field, working off of each other to bring down their targets, as Torvan and Gwen do the same, darting between the few remaining foes to reach Wilred. A horn sounds, and the Amal'jaa make their retreat with their few survivors, the battle was over as soon as it began. Wilred stood in shock, partially from the loss of his friends, partially from the ferocity of the Scions and Gundobald. He was ready to talk. He was ready to spill everything he knew.

"...yes. He taught us the means to summon. We wanted to use Rhalgr to crush the empire. To crush Ul'Dah for turning their backs on our people. But he used us, didn't he?

"You'd have been slaves to it, Rhalgr wouldn't have been more than a ravaging beast, it wouldn't have determined friend or foe. You would have been summoning a primal. You have to know that, right?" Torvan looked at him across the table, he was trying to talk sense into Wilred, but it was like Gundobald said, they'd only learn through failure. Now there's only Wilred left, the rest of his band the cost of that lesson.

The young man took the loss hard, and barely looked up, he knew he was the reason for the battle, and his friends' deaths. As Torvan clicked his pen, and closed his notebook to end the interview, Gundobald took him aside.

"I don't fault him, the lad wants to see a free Ala Mhigo, as do I. I wish there was more we could have given you, but, as you can see...it's hard enough getting one day to the next. I'm just glad you lot were here to help us. I had my doubts about you, admittedly, but, you showed us more humanity and care than anyone else has these days."

"It was no trouble, if there's any strings I can pull for you guys, I'll do so. Wilred's information on how they were going to pull the summonings off will help us, and anything I can get redirected to you guys out here I want to do so."

"Put in a good word for us, let 'em know we just want a chance, a chance to do more than beg for scraps from Ul'Dah's table. The young ones...they have no blood on their hands, they, and we, are not Theodoric. I know it's not that simple, but, you lot have been the first to hear us out, try understand who we are."

"Thank you sir, I can't say if we'll ever be back, but, I'll do what I can." As he walked towards the truck, Torvan looked back at the settlement. This was all this pocket of refugees had, they hadn't given up hope on Ala Mhigo. On returning home one day, and reclaiming their homes. He watched the settlement disappear behind the horizon as they drove back to Vesper Bay. Tired, tested, but alive, and having prevented a summoning.