As the wagon tumbled down, the four sat in silence. The wheels creaked, but the icy road was straight and down, with no snow to veer them off-course.

Keilan: “Look.”

They were almost at the gate. Sorn felt a rush coming onto him. So much had happened in the span of three days. He had thought his first few days were chaotic, but recently it had been on a whole new level. There was so much information to process. Well, less for him and more than everyone else. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the emotions running through his wagon mates’ minds.

Suddenly, a spear came flying at a rapid speed from the side. Oden only managed to notice it at the last moment, as he was the only one sitting with his face facing that direction. He had been staring at the gate however, and only had noticed the weapon when his head turned.

Before he could speak, the Spear turned into a human, and the wagon of ice suddenly broke.They all fell to the ground, a woman holding another spear glared down at them.

At a distance behind, Varian was floating above. Keilan noticed him first.

Keilan: “Shit.”

Varian looked down, his expression neutral.

Varian: “Keilan-”

Keilan: “I’m hearing nothing about our deal, Varian!”

Varian stood for a moment, muttering to himself.

Varian: “Goddammit Lyra.”

He sighed, raising his hand. Immediately, about a hundred spears materialized around him.

Varian: “If that’s the case, then fall to the rain.”

Like a rainstorm, the spears all fell at once, directed towards the small group.

Keilan: “Crystal!”

Crystal: “I know!”

Crystal already had a bow of ice out, as she began shooting the spears rapidly, breaking them. Keilan put his hands to the ground, and three ice wolves were summoned alongside them. They howled together into the air, releasing a small blizzard that obliterated any spears Crystal missed.

It took a few seconds for the air to clear, and Varian had remained in the same place. Except this time, a giant spear was above his head. To say it was massive would be an understatement. It was the size of multiple buildings.

Varian: “You have left me no choice. Let’s see if you can survive the wrath of the Ultimate Spear.”

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Crystal turned to Keilan.

Crystal: “What are we going to do?”

Keilan: “I don't know, I can’t stop that!”

Oden: “Sorn, your expl-”

He stopped upon meeting Sorn’s uncertain eyes.

The spear was launched at them, and Sorn closed his eyes in anticipation.

Crystal: “Sorn, Sorn!”

Sorn opened them back up upon feeling Crystal’s arm shaking his. He looked up to see bits of ice falling all across the air. A single man stood floating, with one arm missing. His entire body was covered in a thick layer of ice as he stood proudly, staring up at Varian.

???: “Wow Varian, still got it I see! Had to sacrifice a whole arm to block that behemoth of an attack!”

Varian: “You- you’re-”

Sorn: “Who’s that?”

He turned around, surprised to see Crystal’s expression. He had just watched her go from dead eyed, panicked, and now starstruck all in the span of ten minutes.

Crystal: “He’s from Dragan’s group. The only and first member of the Armor Subclan, Aaron!”

Oden was equally interested.

Oden: “He taught me how to encase my arm’s in ice when my sister first-”

His entire face dropped upon recalling the recent memory. Sorn put his hand on Oden’s shoulder, thinking of something comforting to say to him, but a voice interrupted his thoughts.

???: “Cryssssssstal and Keilan. It hasss been a while.”

Keilan: “Daryun?”

They turned around to see the woman who had broken their wagon dead with a thin needle through her heart. Behind her corpse was a whole, which Sorn had presumed the strange man had come from. Daryun’s eyes were far wider than what Sorn could perceive as normal, yet there was a cold and calculating aura retained.

Daryun: “Climb into that hole without asssking quesstionss. Then go to the secret hole, there will be people waiting for you.”

Varian: “They will be going nowhere.”

The head of the Spears had slipped past his first adversary and was now standing before the group with an intense glare. Suddenly, two large arms wrapped around his neck, putting him into a headlock.

Aaron: “Don’t underestimate me big guy!”

Keilan grabbed Sorn and Crystal’s arms.

Keilan: “Come on, let’s go.”

They all jumped into the hole in a final attempt to escape the fortress.

—————

Freyja stood on the porch of the Dancing Blade headquarters, biting her finger as she observed her Blades fighting the Spears. This wasn’t how the plan was supposed to go. What was Cedric doing?

Freyja looked at Kyren, who was standing behind her.

Freyja: “You don’t think that tattooed man lied to us, do you?”

Kyren shook his head.

Kyren: “Look at this situation. All these Spears here and not a single First Division member. Something odd is going on.”

A spear came flying in their direction, and Kyren created a mirror of ice, causing the spear to go into it and back towards the sender. The unfortunate soul was struck dead by his own spear.

Kyren: “Sorry to do that to you man.”

A flash of blue came from beside them, and they both turned around to see Varian’s failure son. Some odd blue substance that Freyja recognized from some rare heavy storms was apparent in the boy’s legs as he held three baskets in his hands.

Kaen: “Eight sent me. Where are they?”

Freyja: “Unconscious in the room behind.”

Toren: “Mother.”

He was standing there next to Aira as he looked blankly at his parents. A tear went down Freyja’s face as she looked at her little boy.

Freyja: “There’s so many things I regret. I should’ve spent more time with you, been a more loving and caring mother. But Toren. Remember. You’ll always be my baby boy. So go out, and grow up strong. Do something amazing with your life. Can you promise me that? Please?”

Toren: “I don’t understand what’s happening-”

He looked at his mother’s teary eyes and looked away.

Toren: “I promise.”

Freyja gave her son a tight squeeze and looked over at Aira.

Freyja: “Please Aira. I know he can be misguided at times, but keep an eye out for him. Make sure he doesn’t say or do anything wrong. If he does, it's your job to fix him up. Can you do that for me?”

Aira smiled and gave her a giant hug, and Freyja broke down into heavy sobs. Kyren, normally upbeat and joking, stared at his son with a flat stare.

Kyren: “Do good my little guy.”

Toren nodded, still confused but the emotions in the environment had also made him start to cry.

Kaen stood awkwardly at the side during this. He wasn’t one for sappy feelings, but his heart skipped a beat when Freyja turned to look at him.

Freyja: “Keep them safe, alright?”

Kaen: “Of course.”

Toren: “Wait, I still don’t understand what’s happening.”

Kaen shoved the basket onto his head, making him disappear completely. He then did the same to Aira with another. Kyren put his hand on his wife’s back and nodded at Kaen. Kaen nodded back and jumped off the building, disappearing from sight.

—————

A few hours later, Kaen approached a giant boulder with Aria, Aira, and Toren. Kaen looked at Toren.

Kaen: “This is the place?”

Toren: “I’m sure of it.”

Aria: “Let me do this.”

She gave the boulder a giant kick, and it flew off the island.

Toren: “Great.”

Aria: “Oops.”

Kaen: “It’s fine, let’s go.”

The four of them went down the stairs of the cave through the halls, stopping when they entered a strange circular room. There, sat Sorn, Crystal, Oden, and Keilan.

Oden pointed towards the empty seats around the table.

Oden: “Come on. We have a lot to talk about.”

End of Arc Two.