"PLEASE LUXCIAN NOT AGAIN!"

The mayor desperately reached out for Alyze. He couldn't lose her. He couldn't, not like he did Alicia.

However he would never make it in time. Even he knew that. But he tried to reach her nonetheless.

The mayor's panic would have been eased however if he saw the tenebrage, Thestra's, face.

Upon finding the luxcian girl be taken hostage by one of her own she was filled with immense disgust. Despite hating luxcians more than anything in the world, the fact that one of them would stoop so low as to do such a thing filled her with disbelief.

Thestra was ready to kill the man that had taken the girl hostage, but suddenly something possessed her and she gave a little smirk and turned to strike a luxcian that was taking advantage of the fact that she was distracted.

As the mayor reached his most desperate point, almost at the point of despair, and Thestra was about to bring down her blade, light blinded both of them.

A scream of pain could be heard. When the mayor's vision finally cleared he was greeted with a sight that both relieved him and also sent him into a state of immense distress.

Alyze stood where she was unmoving as the man that had held a knife to her throat was on the ground holding where one of the arms had been. The mayor couldn't see the details in the dark, but the lump the guard held was scorched beyond imagination, and there were no remnants of the arm he lost for it had been burnt to a crisp.

Orbs of light revolved around Alyze as she held a look of indignation on her face, "I gave you all a chance to stop this useless fight, and this is how you treat me!" Her voice steadily rose as she spoke.

Just as she finished her sentence a guard fell at the hands of Thestra. She then immediately turned around and put her hands up defensively as if she didn't mean to do it.

Alyze didn't spare anyone from the wrath that still remained on her face and it showed no sign of fading, "Now stop all this at once, or you will all end up with more than an arm missing. Nocturnal, drop your weapons and leave here at once."

The remaining guards hesitated and some even backed away. The mayor was left speechless, he never thought he would see something like this.

Thestra was the only one that was not intimated, "You know I won't do that. Your light show doesn't scare me. You wouldn't be able to do anything to me even if you tried."

Alyze narrowed her eyes, "Is that so? If that's the sake then what about dropping them for the sake of the green cloak over there."

Faldrid had not moved at all from the time he had been thrown from the window of the mayor's house, and gave no sign of getting better.

Thestra, "tsked," and begrudgingly lowered her kukris and set them on the ground. Though her confidence or cool demeanor never suffered for it.

Alyze smiled when Thestra followed her instructions. The smile became permanent when the guards didn't attack the defenseless Nocturnal.

Though this peace came crashing down soon later.

***

Kagi had broken away from the guards that were attempting to skewer her. She dashed straight to the building that the general had walked towards. She saw this as her chance to raise her worth in the eyes of both Lady Morta's and Lord Mortis's eyes. Normally she would be terrified to do such a thing-which she still was-but from what she had heard he had been injured in a fight with who she presumed to be Thestra by her entrance a few moments ago.

Kagi knew that Thestra was a great fighter, probably the best she had ever seen. If the general had won against her she wouldn't even think about going against him, but it was Thestra who had hurt him. Kagi was confident that she had done a very good job at it, ensuring that Kagi had a chance now.

When Kagi approached the door to the house she hoped that she could slip into it unseen, then strike the general from the shadows giving her an advantage. She didn't have time to find another entrance, so she wrapped herself in darkness and went in.

Her hopes quickly crumpled at what actually happened when she entered the house.

The house was empty of any furniture except for a mattress in the corner. The house itself seemed to be old, with dust covering every crevice and the floorboards creaking so loudly that Kagi thought that people outside the house could see her.

She could see all this clearly because of the lamps. The lamps were everywhere. The stones inside them gave off light that illuminated the whole entire house, not leaving a single shadow. Kagi's darkness would not help conceal her here.

In the middle of the house sitting on a rickety wooden chair staring at the door was the general himself with a devilish smile.

"So someone finally came! I got to say, I was expecting another Hand. May I ask where she is? Did she think I wasn't worth her time!?"

Kagi walked around the man cautiously. Though the general didn't seem to pay her any mind, "She is busy outside at the moment, but I think you find me more than suitable."

The general looked back at Kagi unimpressed, "You!? Suitable!? You small little runt! How could you be suitable? So that girl is busy outside with guards? She chose guards over me?! The nerve! Did she really think that I wasn't worth the trouble?"

Kagi continued her walk around the general, "None of that matters. You will either be leaving this room in captivity or covered in blood. It's your choice."

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A broad grin broke across the general's face, "Is that so? I would like to see you try. You'll be a good warm up for the main event."

The general got up from his chair, cracking his knuckles, "I bet if I bring that Hand your head, she'll stop ignoring me then, and I can finally get some good entertainment. I can't use my halberd because of that girl, but you shouldn't be too hard to deal with."

Umbren burst through the door. He knew of what that monster was capable of and didn't want Kagi alone with him for a second. Even that was too much.

When he entered the house he was greeted with light that blinded his eyes for a brief moment, but when they assimilated themselves to the room he gave a sigh of relief as he was not too late.

Dilem stood staring at Kagi like she was some type of prey and Kagi readied her twin sai to confront the man.

Dilem eyed Umbren's abrupt entrance with a peculiar glance, "Why hello. If you don't mind I would like to deal with this runt first before you, so just wait over there for your turn, " He shrugged, "Though I can't promise that I'll be able to get to you. I have some other prey that got away, and I can't have that now can I?"

While Dilem spoke Umbren pulled his hood as far down over his face as he could. The last thing he wanted was to be recognized, it was as if some unknown fear told him that it was dangerous for him to know who he was.

Fortunately for Umbren, Dilem turned back to Kagi disregarding his existence. Umbren thought he was mad for doing such a thing, but Umbren soon found that he couldn't get his feet to move. However, Dilem had no part in this. It was Umbren's own fear that held him back. At the thought of the possibility of Dilem's influence he veiled his head in darkness and imbued it with his soul.

Kagi followed his actions as she prepared to attack.

Just when she was about to jump at Dilem he rushed at her like a bull. Kagi barely was able to jump out of the way, but Dilem was able to backhand her at the last second, sending her flying across the room.

Before she was able to recover Dilem dashed to her and kneed her in the rib cage. This time sending her into a wall. As she rebounded off of it he grabbed her by the neck.

Umbren was astonished by the sheer speed and how nonchalant he was in executing the attacks. He still couldn't move his feet but he could still move his arms.

Dilem raised his fist to end the fight against Kagi who looked dazed and bloodied. Just before he was able to, he moved his hand with blinding speed. The next instant a blade protruded out of his palm.

Dilem glared at Umbren with a mad grin, "I gave you the chance to live a little bit longer, and this is how you treat me in return!? You really are just a simple ungrateful little beast!"

Dilem threw Kagi to the ground, and ripped the knife out of his hand. Though his stare remained on Umbren, "I guess I'll just have to repay you for how you have treated me."

Dilem rushed at Umbren before he even knew it, "If you want to die so badly then I guess I just have to oblige!"

Umbren reached for another knife, but then the only thing his hand grasped was air, and he once again cursed his luck.

Right before Dilem reached him he was able to roll to the side unsheathing his kukri

Noticing this Dilem came to a stop and spun towards Umbren.

Umbren slashed his kukri across Dilem's gut.

Before the blade reached, Dilem reached out and grabbed the hilt of the blade stopping it, then darted forward and brought his elbow down on Umbren's arm.

He grunted in pain and let go of the weapon. Dilem then kicked him across the floor. Sending him into many of the lamps scattered about.

Dilem eyed the weapon in his hand and grimaced, "Disgusting," throwing it down on the ground

Right after this Kagi jumped on him from behind. Dilem spun and thrust his arm out catching her.

"Know your place, beast," he slammed her into the ground, sending the sound of cracking bones throughout the house.

Umbren stumbled to his feet. His back burned from where he had hit the lamps, and a cool sensation went down his back. He looked down and noticed the shards of glass on the ground and the glowing stones that no longer had a lamp to be placed in.

Dilem was currently rising from where Kagi now laid on the floor. It appeared that she was no longer his main concern at the moment.

Umbren looked down at Conai in its scabbard at his waist.

Fear was what made him want to use it against the monster. It was his last defense against him. Though a greater fear kept it in it's sheath. A fear of losing it, or using it in such a way that would disgrace his former master.

As Umbren thought these things Dilem stared at him with a broad grin. This brought him out of his trance like state, and he instantly realized that the darkness that covered his face was gone. Dilem's last attack combined with his inner turmoil of whether to use the sword must have broken his concentration.

Worse however, was the fact that his hood was down.

***

The guards had put down their spears out of the fact that they feared Alyze more than the Nocturnal in front of them.

The mayor gritted his teeth, "Alyze we can't just let her go. She's dangerous! Look what she did to all those guards."

The corpses laid on the ground, some still bleeding into the earth.

Alyze stared daggers at him, "That is all more of a reason that we should let her go."

The mayor grasped for words but none came to him. There was only his last resort, "Don't you remember what happened to..."

The balls of light encircling Alyze brightened to a blinding degree, "Don't you dare say her name! How dare you bring her up at a time like this. Using her as an excuse might work for you but it doesn't for me."

The mayor was caught speechless. He truly had no words. He wanted to say many things to her but there were no words to get them across. To defend himself, to apologize.

Alyze looked back at the guards, "Let the Hand of Morta leave here. She is no harm to us if we don't provoke her."

The guards backed away, some quicker than others, making a way for Thestra to leave.

She nodded at Alyze as if to say, "bye," but Alyze didn't spare even Thestra her harsh gaze.

Thestra walked as if she was in no rush at all to Faldrid. Once arriving she kneeled down next to him.

The green cloak himself appeared to have seen better days. He was bloodied and battered. and from what Thestra could see his nose was at least broken.

She started to shake him roughly but abruptly changed to be a little bit more gentle.

Faldrid slowly opened his eyes.

"Faldrid, you need to get out of here now. I still have to get my kukri back. I'll be damned if I let them have it. There's also that general too."

Faldrid didn't seem to hear her as he just mumbled something as he reached for a bundle a little ways away, "Night."

Thestra narrowed her eyes at the bundle, "What...there's no way."

Suddenly the sound of a door splintering rang through the night. All eyes were drawn to it.

General Amian stood over a black cloaked figure with an overjoyed expression, splinters of what used to be a door surrounding them, "I can't believe it! With you here I can knock out two birds with one stone!"

He seemingly realized the scene in front of the other house, and looked over. Somehow despite the darkness of the night and the distance between them, his eyes landed on Thestra and Faldrid and his face brightened.

His grin slowly twisted into one of confusion as he tilted his head, "What are you all standing around there for? She's right in front of you isn't she?"