Falling to his doom, Ban opened his eyes.

The unclean presence inside Kimpo unraveled and pulled away. The corrupted bond unlocked. What was severed was reunited. As two raindrops meeting on a pane of glass, Ban's etherlight flared red.

Whole.

Ban gasped as his body flooded with the golden warmth of ether. It poured into him from... elsewhere. He couldn't understand how it had happened without a bond forger and didn't feel he needed to. All that was taken from him that day was his again. Only his. And hers. As it should be.

He snapped out of his daze, grabbing Kimpo's scales and taking the rider's position. "Kimpo?"

The pause after he called out was the longest of his life. Waves, but the ground looked big.

"...Ban?"

"Waves take you, floundering lizard, heal!"

This, he hadn't missed so much. Life wrenched from deep within him. The wound he'd inflicted on Kimpo's neck sealed closed. She unfurled her wings and soared.

"Gah!" Ban cried out, nearly losing his last meal from the sudden lurch. "Your belly will have grass stains after that one."

"Ban?" Kimpo shouted again.

He laughed, long, loud, and joyous. He wouldn't have been able to stop even if he wanted to. Kimpo's rapturous laughter joined him, and she spun as she soared higher. Jubilant and free.

"Ban!"

"I'm here, love."

"It's not a dream? I heard you?"

Ban threw his arms out wide and raised his face to the sun. "You heard me!" he crowed.

"Elise?"

"Evicted from the premises."

"My Storyteller?"

"Ticked off, I'm sure, but a smooch or two will set it right."

"And our beloved?"

Ban's eyes went wide, and he put a lid on his laughter. The red etherlight in his sigils pulled back until it was just enough to fill the lines. It left behind crimson scorch marks over the black lacquer. "Waves and tides. Acting like a groom on his wedding day when there's a floundering battle to win."

He looked over his shoulder. The Sky Corps was still on approach, and they'd arrive within the hour. There was much left to do and little time in which to do it. If the army wasn't clear of the Melcians by the time those floundering contraptions arrived, Shan Alee was finished.

"You're not still bamboozled at all, are you?"

"I remember," Kimpo declared loudly. "I remember my family. You were right. Flames, you promised, and you were right! You lit the stars, love." She swung a wing to swat at his perch. "Blazing lout! You might have done it without tearing out my jugular."

Ban bit back a sharp retort. "We'll hash that out later. Elise is on Draxa and must have reached Enfri by now. What say we teach her to keep her thieving mitts off other people's bonds?"

"Oh ho, you read my mind, little warrior. I've a score to settle with the hag."

Ban leaned forward. His heart was pounding, and it felt... so floundering good. "Fly swift, my Huntress."

Kimpo beat her wings and flew through the battle. Dragons from both sides dove out of her path. As they went, Ban flared his sigils to show them all that Kimpo the Huntress had her true Ruby Knight with her at last.

"How did this happen, Ban?" Kimpo asked. "Enfri couldn't have forged us."

"Hard to say."

"Now see here, little warrior. Of the two of us, you're the one with an elder magic that provides answers. Your insight must be giving you a blazing hint."

"To be completely honest, I'm more concerned that I'm fresh out of swords at the moment." Ban chewed his lip. "Best I can tell, Elise never destroyed our bond. She just cut it out of me. When her hold on you went away, my soul-bit came back and brought our bond with it."

Kimpo frowned. "Which begs the question, why am I no longer bound by Elise?"

Ban looked at the battle around him. The renegades still fought with as much power as they had been. Elise must have still been alive, so it wasn't her death that had unlocked the bond. "I've got a bad feeling, love. Very bad feeling."

"We at least know Enfri's bonds still hold."

That much was true. For how long and how many others might fall defending the empress remained to be seen. Ban scanned the skies ahead for any sign. His eyes picked out each formation of dragons, searching for silver scales to guide his way.

"Hold on, what's this?" Ban muttered.

The renegade formations were forming up into a single flight. They went about it slowly, and many had to take circuitous routes around Shan Alee's formations. Downed renegades tried to force themselves to take off despite the wounds they'd received.

"I think they're getting ready to withdraw," Ban said with surprise.

"You don't sound pleased," Kimpo observed.

Insight notwithstanding, Ban didn't have enough information to conjure a reason for it. All he had to provide answers was everyday, human instinct. "Could be good. Could also mean they've done what they came to do. Whichever it is, we don't have the luxury of waiting to find out. Jin needs our help on the front lines, and the mighty can start lending help. Are you with me, Kimpo?"

She nodded her head as she banked towards the two armies. "I'm with you, little warrior, but you're unarmed. What do you mean to do without a weapon?"

Ban shrugged. "I'll ask one of the Melcians for theirs."

Kimpo hummed.

"Politely."

She sighed. "Flames as my witness, if I lose you again, I'll be angry."

"In all honesty, love, we've got our work cut out for us. Our side's in a bad way, and Adeyemi isn't the sort to hold back when there's blood in the water. We need to hit them hard and fast, put the fear of gods into them while our people regroup."

"Melcians don't scare easily," Kimpo added. "In two hundred years, the Crescent Legion has never broken. Even Elise was hesitant to engage them."

"Like I said, our work's cut out for us." Ban took a bracing breath and leaned forward. "If you spot Jin, put us as close to her position as you can but still in the thick of the Melcians. We'll give Jin her opening by ourselves if we have to."

Kimpo furled her wings and dove towards where cerulean tabards met with dark green. The battle lines were becoming less defined, squads of Melcian armsmen driving deeper into the Aleesh formations. The army was on the verge of collapse, and things could soon turn into a rout if nothing changed. Already, spells were starting to pierce through wards. Whole companies were without arcane protection.

Many faces looked up as Kimpo's shadow fell over them. Her roar signaled a brief pause in the fighting, and her dragon fire fell upon the ranks of Melcian soldiers. The attack wasn't devastating— deflected by wards— but it stole their attention. Kimpo pulled up and continued around in a tight loop. She then dove headfirst towards the ground. Her claws hit the earth, and she swung her tail to scatter the soldiers around her.

Ban jumped from her back and landed beside her. His sigils flared with red etherlight as he picked up a fallen spear and ran at the nearest group of enemies.

"For Shan Alee and the Dragon Empress," he roared as he smashed into them.

His spear drove through the stomach of the first man, and Ban let it go. He took up the fallen man's weapon and swung it like a club, caving in another's helm. He heard Kimpo behind him, lashing out with her claws and tail, breathing fire at where the enemy was most concentrated.

The two of them were quickly surrounded. Their attack came as a surprise, but the Crescent Legion was well-trained and disciplined. The Melcians formed up and reacted with precision.

Kimpo changed forms to a huge wolf, five times the size of a regular animal. Large enough to be a terrifying creature to fight, but not so large that she would demand the attention of every archer inside a league. Her jaws crushed armor and shields, and her massive paws trampled armsmen flat.

Make this work, Jin, Ban thought.

He caught sight of a Melcian officer. The knight-captain was mounted with a crested helm and an Akazewi pennant on his lance. The lord spurred his horse and charged, the point of his lance aiming at Ban's chest.

Ban flared his sigils, then pushed even more ether through the lines. The etherlight exploded off of his body, becoming a blaze to rival the sun. His runes of speed and strength enhanced Ban's mind and body in ways that no other scrivener could attain without a dragon bond.

The officer seemed to slow to a crawl as Ban's perception processed everything in an instant. Ban deflected the lance with a mere touch of his gauntlet, allowing it to stab past his head by an inch. He lowered his shoulder and planted his feet. The horse collided with him, and it was like the horse barreled into a wall of steel. Bones cracked and shattered, and the rider was launched from his saddle.

Ban let the dragon flare die down as he pounced on the fallen knight. He smashed his fist into the man's head and grabbed at his waist. With a yank, Ban ripped the knight's scabbard from his hip and drew the blade out. It was a Melcian bastard sword, four feet and a hand long, slightly curved, with an extended hilt for wielding two-handed. No Altieri full blade, but it would suffice.

Sigils flared, Ban charged into the thick of the enemy. He didn't bother blocking or parrying, as no weapon was able to pierce his wards. He fought on, devastating each squad of soldiers he came upon. Once more, Ban Karst was a titan.

Ban gripped the bastard sword by the blade and struck at a knight-lieutenant with the hilt. The cross guard slammed deep into the knight's neck, killing him instantly. Once the officer was down, his unit broke ranks and fled.

More soldiers surged towards Ban, soldiers wearing green and gold tabards. His armsmen rallied to their head of house. "To the Karst," they roared. "To the Karst and his Huntress!"

The front shifted, surging forward to push the Melcians back. Armsmen from Karst, Ulthred, and Yora formed new lines with House Corwyn's veterans at the center. Ban and Kimpo were behind friendly lines within moments.

A horse galloped towards Ban, and he recognized Scorpion. Jin had a bleeding cut over her left eye but was otherwise uninjured. She reined her horse in and looked over Ban's etherlight, then up at Kimpo. When she looked at Ban again, Jin's relieved smile could have made the stars look dim in comparison.

"You succeeded," she said simply.

"Bet your last penny, I did," Ban laughed. He yanked his stolen sword free of the dead knight and slung it over his shoulder.

Jin dismounted and seized Ban in an embrace. She grabbed the back of his helmet and held him close.

You never cease to amaze me, Your Highness, Ban thought as he put his free arm around her.

"You are whole again, my friend," she whispered. Jin stepped back, holding Ban at arm's length and looking into his eyes. "You have seen the airships?"

"Aye. Now's not the time to press on the Crescent Legion. We should withdraw while we have an opening, or the Sky Corps will slaughter us."

Jin shook her head. "That is not possible, Ban. Uwe brought word of another army coming behind us from the south-east. I've already sent the reserves to guard our rear."

Ban nearly felt the need to sit down. "We can't catch a break, can we? Another army... Who in the name of tides is it?"

Jin grimaced. "Unknown, and they are moving swiftly. I have spoken with Josy and Maya. They are assisting the camp workers to evacuate our wounded, but I am unsure if there is time."

"Numbers?"

"No less than three thousand, all infantry."

"Waves save us," Ban murmured. He looked up as Kimpo padded to his side. Her jaws and fur were matted with blood, none of it her own. It made it difficult to tell where the blood ended and her red markings began.

"It is good to see you back where you belong," Jin said to her. "We missed you, Kimpo."

"You as well, Highness," Kimpo replied. "What's this about more fools coming to fight the mighty?"

"Do we know their intentions?" Ban asked. "Waves, but it's not Sasha, is it?"

"The king would not leave his city now, even for you," Jin said, "and reinforcements from Ecclesia could not have arrived so soon."

Ban furrowed his brow and held his chin in his fingers. "Then who could it be?"

His answer came in the form of horn blasts. Dozens of them, and they blared long, low-pitched notes that echoed hauntingly over the valley.

Jin frowned and looked east. "They are already past our reserves?"

"No," Ban said, and a smile grew on his face. "Three thousand, you say? Forget what I said about falling back. The empress wants to reach Melcia before summer, and by the waves, we'll do it. Send word to all officers. We're breaking the unbreakable Crescent Legion today."

Jin narrowed her eyes, but she gave no argument. "As you say, Ban. I will remain here while you see to the new arrivals. If they are indeed allies, I will meet you in the middle."

After Jin left on Scorpion to rejoin her officers, a Karst squire ran up with Arnln in tow. Ban thanked the girl and mounted up. "Don't take it personal, love, but I'll go with a horse for a bit."

Kimpo sniffed in Arnln's direction. Unperturbed, Arnln flicked his ears and paid no mind to her scrutiny. Waves, but Ban liked this horse. Stouthearted and coolheaded.

"As you wish, little warrior," Kimpo said. "I have it on good authority that wolves make for poor riding. Now, are you going to tell me who this new army belongs to, or shall I start guessing?"

From the east, a new sound rose up. It was singing.

Ban grinned and gave Kimpo a wink. "Rocker."

Kimpo shouted after him as he galloped towards the east. "Was that supposed to be an answer or an insult?"

"Both!"

"Blazing boy."

Kimpo caught up with little trouble. They raced along the front lines until they reached the eastern side of the battle. The newly arrived reinforcements were coming over the hills and charged the Crescent Legion from the eastern side.

The Melcians were unprepared for them. An army of fey smashed into their unguarded flank and broke through. Entire companies buckled and fell into disarray.

Ban raised his sword and angled Arnln to take him into the thick of it. Kimpo pulled ahead, scattering phalanxes of spearmen with spellcraft to give Ban a clear path. Ban gave over a few measures of strength and ether as they ran, providing Kimpo with what she needed to punch through to the goblins.

Can't believe it's them, Ban thought. Why'd they come back? Moon must have nagged Light Hoof about it all the way back to Altier Nashal until he gave in. But how did they convince the other tribes to come along to fight the white-scented?

Those would be the first questions he'd ask his blue when he found her. Right after he kissed her until she fainted.

Imagining how he'd greet Moon was put on hold. Ban and Kimpo rode up on a unit of Rangers. The elite soldiers were one of the few groups of Melcians that showed no sign of confusion. Their spears and shields were held in perfect alignment, and every last one of them was ready to stab Ban through the chest.

Holding the bastard sword wide, Ban used his knees to guide Arnln. Kimpo's spells were thwarted by a witch within the Rangers' formation, leaving no way through them aside from swordplay.

Fine by me, Ban thought as he jumped from Arnln into the midst of the Rangers. He used another dragon flare, only for a few moments while he dodged past their wall of spears. Ban drew back but kept the sigils at a regular flare. He was in close quarters and unable to swing his sword with full power. Instead, he gripped it by the center of the blade, striking around him with the hilt.

The Rangers were good, and Ban's charge didn't rattle them near as much as other, less experienced soldiers in their legion. They likely had a lot of fights with rune knights under their belts, but never one bonded to a dragon before. Kimpo lunged into the opening Ban provided. She immediately changed to her human form and stood back to back with her knight. Her fists struck like hammers, and she could more easily cast spells with human hands than with wolf paws. They fought as one, however they had difficulty inflicting any real damage on the Rangers.

"You could take one of their swords," Ban japed.

She scoffed. "Never again, I told you."

"You know, I almost forgot what it was like fighting alongside a naked woman. The mighty have been getting pretty good about keeping their pants on."

"Bah."

"Not that I'm complaining."

"Bah!"

The Rangers pressed in on them, and Ban thought it might have been a little overzealous to charge off as he did. He and Kimpo was outnumbered and surrounded by the best warriors on the Continent, but he didn't care. Ban never dropped his grin as he fought. He was exultant. Reunited with his Huntress, Ban felt able to challenge gods if they stood in his path.

He felt invincible.

A rhythmic thudding seemed to shake the ground. Ban looked to his right just as a massive figure ran up and swung a great, two-handed axe. Rangers were bowled aside. One of them was launched into the air to land ten paces away.

A huge fey, eight feet tall from his bare feet to his bald head, stood over Ban. He wore furs over mottled gray and lavender skin, and short tusks jutted from his lower jaw. Barrel-chested and covered in enormous slabs of muscle, the ogre looked down on Ban with a bemused look in his beady, black eyes.

"He is Death Fire?"

Ban and Kimpo exchanged a confused glance. The Melcians, meanwhile, edged away from the ogre.

"Err... That I am," Ban said.

The ogre tilted his head back and laughed uproariously. "I sight Death Fire before any other. Wager is mine! Come, Death Fire. White-scented slayers are ashen and must be cleansed, by blood or by making ours." He held out his enormous axe. "Prize for victor. Most slayers cleansed wins."

Ban raised his visor. His mouth quirked at the corner. "I have a head start, comrade."

"Makes the Game better. Offer prize, Death Fire."

"How about this?" Ban asked, holding up his stolen bastard sword.

The ogre gave it an appraising look. "A good knife. Good prize. Wager is made."

With a tremendous roar, the ogre barreled off to chase down other slayers. He left Ban and Kimpo to face a unit of befuddled Rangers on their own.

"What in the embrace of hellfire?" Kimpo breathed. "Ogres?"

Ban looked over his shoulder, as did the Rangers. It wasn't just goblins swarming down from the hillside. It was goblins, ogres, and even a floundering clan or two of orcs. Three different races of unseely fey poured down to join the battle.

Impossible. Ogres rarely strayed far from their mountain enclaves. And orcs... Well, orcs were weird. They made goblins seem downright sensible. How in the name of tides did Moon convince three thousand reclusive fey to march into the middle of Nadia?

"Kimpo?"

"Yes, little warrior?"

"I'm gonna marry that blue. Swear by the waves, I will." He shouldered his sword and stepped towards the Rangers, who all were looking more than a little anxious. "Tell you all what, how about you just sit down and let me call you cleansed. That is, unless you'd rather see what my kith comrade back there had in mind for how to do it."

Their grips on their weapons tightened.

Red etherlight flared off of Ban's armor.

The Rangers balked. Their spears, swords, and shields clattered to the ground.

Ban waved a hand in front of him in a solemn gesture. "It is cleansed. Now sit down."

oOo

Almo and Trell collided again. Claws slashed and raked, jaws snapped at throats, and broken scales fell from the sky. The Rampart's newly healed hide was much thicker than the Watchman's. Each of Almo's knobby scales seemed as thick as a tortoise's shell. Trell's claws had wicked, razor-sharp barbs, but they were unequal to the task of drawing Almo's blood. Black dragons were slender, their narrow builds meant for stealth and agility. Blues had speed, resilience, and power. One a guardian, the other a spy.

Krayson held on for dear life. Gravity magic or not, the fighting was savage enough that it was all he could do to stay on Almo's back. From what he could see, Garret and Cardin weren't having an easier time of it. A good deal worse, in fact, because their dragon was getting tossed around like a rag doll. Almo was far stronger physically than Trell.

"Blazing fool," Trell spat. "The Inamorata was too gentle with you. We should've known you'd side with the usurper."

Almo slammed his forehead against Trell's face, knocking a fang loose. "I don't side with Aleesh. You may have bartered away your freedom, but I value mine."

"You were always a fool," Trell hissed. "Why the Bastion chose you as her mate, I could never understand."

"And I will never understand how a sniveling excuse for an Eldest could think he was worthy of her." Almo unfurled his wings but held fast to Trell's hide. The Watchman roared in pain as Almo's claws dug deep into his flesh and dragged him along. Almo forced him down and drove his body into the earth. They skidded a hundred paces, carving a deep furrow into the valley.

The impact was what spelled the end for Krayson's grip. He was bounced off of Almo's back and landed on his side. His instincts took over even as his conscious mind lost track of all direction. Guided by years of the Order's physical conditioning, Krayson tucked into a ball and rolled the moment he hit the ground. Pain flashed across his body, but he avoided debilitating injuries.

On second thought, Krayson amended with a wince. He was unsteady as he picked himself up and held an arm over his ribs. None of them had cracked, but he was having difficulty taking a full breath. One or perhaps two of his ribs were bruised.

Almo slammed his front claws onto Trell's head to hold him down and brought his fangs within inches of the Watchman's eyes. "I am sixty years older than you. You cannot best me."

Trell struggled but couldn't get his feet beneath him or push Almo away. "Sixty years is nothing compared with the bond, fool."

Garret and Cardin were in no better shape than Krayson after the rough landing. Unfortunately, they both had bonded dragons to draw healing from.

I didn't expect to fight two arcanist knights, Krayson groused to himself. He'd thought he would only need to face Garret. Daunting enough as that was, Krayson had been confident he could outwit the actor a third time. At least keep him occupied long enough for Almo to defeat Trell.

The two knights didn't work together. Cardin placed wards, but only around himself. Garret cast fire spells at Almo without any regard for his own defenses. They kept apart from each other and wouldn't be able to form a unison link even if they attempted it. Their antagonism towards one another hadn't lessened since the Sanguine Tower, and that could give Krayson an advantage to capitalize on.

Fighting against his desire to limp, Krayson ran towards Almo and Trell. He spoke an incantation to place a basic fire ward on the Rampart. More than that wouldn't be necessary, considering Almo's fire-resistant hide. As he invoked spirits, Krayson formed a three point single somatic. Wind, friction, and kinetic essences. The self-enchantment wrapped around his body and increased his speed. He also attempted a basic spell using bone essence. The restoration spell eased the pain in his ribs, but only somewhat.

Garret redoubled his attacks. He brandished his cane, and the small sigils along its length glowed with deep violet etherlight. Using those simple sigils as a focus for his wizardry, Garret's spellfire struck with greater force and heat. Krayson's ward deflected the larger portion, and Almo's scales withstood the rest.

Trell must have given over more ether, because Garret's spell's grew even stronger. The flames became powerful enough to force Almo off of the Watchman.

"Press the attack," Trell snarled to Garret. He bared his teeth as he got to his feet. "I'll deal with the blood runner. You, Moonstone, assist him."

Cardin sneered. "Knights don't take orders from dragons." He vanished from sight.

Krayson didn't think for a minute that Cardin had retreated. He remained nearby and was only waiting for an opportune moment to reappear.

Two against three. This wouldn't be an easy fight, but Krayson had no other choice. This time, he wouldn't run. No escaping or hiding. What power he had would be put to the test, and he could only ask the thunder spirits of his homeland that it would be enough.

Krayson wove somatics in time with his incantation. As he changed course to run directly at Trell, he placed spells of protection over himself. The Watchman used sorcery, his spell echoes pulsing at the edge of Krayson's awareness. The sunlight began to dim.

A ward, Krayson deduced. He's warding against light, darkening our battlefield. Trell favors skiamancy, and the lack of shadows around us is limiting his options. He's creating more.

It was a forbidden discipline, banned by the magocracy centuries ago. Shadow was a mysterious essence, and many hierarchs doubted that it was truly shadow being manipulated; shadows were nothing but an absence of light and should not have been an opposing force with an essence of their own. Skiamancers toyed with powers they didn't fully understand.

Krayson invoked the Ember King, creating pillars of spellfire to surround himself. The light banished Trell's darkness in a small area around him, stopping Trell from shadow jumping to within striking distance. Their battlefield continued to dim until the sky turned black. All Krayson could see were his flames and the baleful yellow glow of Trell's eyes. The Watchman turned away and became impossible to find in the blackness.

I need to stay in the light, Krayson thought. He couldn't see Almo's fight with Garret, could only sense the spell echoes. Of Cardin, he detected nothing.

"I will make you a gift to my Onyx Knight," Trell growled. His voice seemed to reverberate from all directions at once. "We will bleed the bloodsong from your veins, and when my Onyx takes it, the bloodsong will increase my own power as well. Our stores are shared, and what empowers one serves to empower the other."

"Clever," Krayson said. He turned about, using his witch sight to try to catch a glimpse of Trell. The shadow ward hampered his ability to see ether. Unnatural darkness, more than simply an absence of light. "A dragon can't make use of a human bloodsong, but the bonds give arcanists all kinds of loopholes."

A wisp of ether off to his left was Krayson's only warning. He dodged, tucking into a roll and springing back to his feet. The ground erupted where he'd been standing, torn apart by massive claws. Trell merged back into the darkness. Krayson threw spellfire at the ground around him to ignite the grass, increasing the width of his small, illuminated area.

He's big enough that he could just rush in and squash me, Krayson thought. That he hasn't means he thinks I can harm him. Or, he's just toying with me.

Or there was a third reason. Krayson felt a slight pressure in his mind, familiar spell echoes. Wind essence, conjured by spirits. It was coming closer.

Trell feels it, too. He's on guard.

The first granule of a plan came to mind, and Krayson felt a smirk tug at the corner of his mouth. "You know, I've heard a lot about you over the last couple weeks."

"Have you now?" Trell chuckled. He lunged from the darkness again, and Krayson threw himself out of his path to avoid him.

After resetting on his heels, Krayson set more grass alight. He strengthened his fire wards to keep his clothes from catching as he passed over burning flames. "Certainly. Couldn't get Saveen to shut up about you."

"I imagine you were quick to twist her words against me."

"Waste of effort. She never said anything flattering." Krayson let a mocking note creep into his voice. "You might as well be made of glass, you're so transparent. The Eldest of the black dragons pined for the Eldest of the blues. He couldn't win her, so he tried again with her daughter."

Krayson dodged before he saw a sign of Trell's next attack. He was certain it was coming so didn't wait for a warning. More spellfire poured from his hands onto the grass, banishing shadows.

Trell gnashed his teeth. "Impotent whelp! You speak of things you know nothing about."

"Is that so?" Krayson forced a derisive laugh as sweat dampened his brow. "The elder Bastion's body hadn't even cooled before you stole her last egg. I'm sure you were very careful about incubating it on a low flame. Couldn't chance it being anything but female. Then once it hatched, you named her Saveen. If not one Bastion, you would groom yourself another. You kept her hidden away from the rest of the mighty. Kimpo and Deebee had no idea she even existed. She was your little secret. All yours, so no one could reveal to her what a wretched bastard you truly are."

"I rescued her!" Trell roared. Dragon fire swept towards Krayson, but his wards were sturdy enough to repel it. "The Teulites would have smashed her egg to shards had I not been there!"

"So why not deliver her egg to the Rampart?" Krayson called out, relocating and setting more fires. He did what he could to keep the roaring flames between him and Trell, using them to conceal his movements. "If you were so benevolent and wished nothing more than to protect her, why let her father believe she was dead? Why tell her she was alone?"

"Saveen was not alone. She had me!"

"A perverse coward. Selfish. Manipulative. Abusive. She'd have been better off alone. At least then, she might have had better to look forward to than a life as your plaything."

Trell pounced again, howling with fury, but Krayson had already moved on.

Most of the grass within Trell's ward was burning, and there were no shadow nearby for him to meld into. the Watchman turned his head from side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of Krayson's red robes as he wove between the flames.

"But I've been wondering something," Krayson shouted. "The elder Bastion! Did the Teulites happen upon her and her clutch by chance, or did they have help? Were they told when there would be only one adult dragon in the lair and not two? Answer me, Watchman! How deep does your treachery run?"

The dragon's wordless howls shook the air.

"First one Bastion rejected you, so you killed her. Now the other bares her fangs with hate whenever she hears your name. You're pathetic! Tell me which of us is the impotent whelp?"

"I'll kill you, Blood Runner!"

"I have no fear of you, worm."

Trell stood in the midst of a hundred grassfires. One patch of darkness surrounded by light.

Krayson swept flames aside and revealed himself. He stood in front of Trell, looking up to his skeletal face in defiance. "You disgust me. A wretched predator that only preys on the helpless. Even your magic is evidence to what a loathsome creature you are. You do nothing but lurk in shadows."

The familiar presence had almost arrived. Krayson didn't move a muscle as Trell lunged forward to loom over him.

"There's just one sure way to take your weapon from you, Watchman. One way to banish darkness."

Trell raised a claw to smash down on his head. Krayson formed a five point single somatic behind his back. He completed it by touching his thumb and little finger across the back of his knuckles.

"Shine bright, my Bastion!"

The fires flared all around them. They rose into the air, spinning into thick tendrils of ember-woven silk. They lashed themselves around Trell's limbs and throat, searing his scales and holding him firmly in place. With nowhere to meld into shadow and reappear elsewhere, he was held in place. Trapped.

"Ingtar!" Saveen roared. She flew into the shadow ward, flames wreathing her body. She streaked overhead like a burning star and slammed into Trell. The air cracked with thunder as if she were a lightning strike. Trell was thrown onto his back, and Saveen remained on top of his chest. Glowing orange ropes continued to hold the Watchman down.

Krayson's half-robe blew behind him. Many of the fires were snuffed out at the force of the impact. He kept his feet and formed a new somatic. He took hold of more ember-woven tendrils and formed them into a long shape before him. From fire, Krayson conjured a spear of flame, but it was far too large for a mortal to wield.

For a young dragon, however...

"Saveen," he called as he took the spear in both hands and threw it to her. His palms blistered from the heat radiating off it.

She caught the glowing weapon in one claw. Her fangs bared, Saveen stood on her hind legs, raised the spear overhead, and plunged it into Trell's chest. Blood and flesh sizzled as the spear pierced him. The Watchman roared in agony.

"I don't belong to you," Saveen hissed, putting her weight on the spear to drive it down further and into the ground. "I belong to myself, you disgusting bastard!"

Trell's howls caught in his throat. Saliva flecked with blood frothed in his mouth. He stared at Saveen through wide and wild eyes. "How could you, my Bastion? I raised you as my own."

Saveen let go of the spear and stepped down from his body, leaving Trell pinned in place. She held her wings out wide of her body, and they trembled.

"I kept you alive," Trell rasped. His voice grew faint. "You would have died without me."

"Kept alive isn't the same as being alive," Saveen said quietly.

The shadow ward unlocked, and sunlight poured over them. Garret was on his knees, gasping as Trell drew healing from him. It wouldn't save the Watchman's life. With the spear driven into his chest, the wound couldn't close.

"My Onyx," Trell groaned. "Assist me!"

Garret got to his feet, but he continued to stumble beneath the force of Trell's drain. It made it difficult for him to form somatics to keep Almo at bay. His spells sputtered and died as often as they cast successfully.

Krayson furrowed his brow. Something wasn't right.

"Garret!" Trell roared.

"You want me... to fight them all?" Garret panted. "I'm quite the wizard, dear sir, but I'm not a hierarch just yet."

Trell snarled. "Stop blathering and get this blazing spear out of me!"

It was all Garret could do to keep himself out of Almo's reach. Every spell he managed to cast was thwarted by wards or counter spells.

"Useless buffoon," Trell growled.

Garret froze in mid spell and screamed. The sound was agonized and rife with suffering. He held his head in his hands and collapsed to the ground, then Garret curled up into a quivering ball. Almo stood over the actor and looked to Krayson in Saveen in confusion.

"First Knight," Trell spat. "Weak, unworthy dullard. Swaggering fool."

Saveen gasped. She came to understand in the same moment as Krayson. With Trell and Garret's bond, it wasn't the knight who held the leash, but the dragon.

Krayson took a step towards Garret, unsure of what he meant to do. A ghost murmured something in his ear, and though it was faint, he understood what it tried to tell him.

This was what pity felt like.

He sent that ghost away without regret. If any mortal in the Five Kingdoms was less deserving of it than Garret the Merovech, Krayson hoped to never meet them.

As he wrestled with that unwelcome emotion, Krayson was taken by surprise. Arms seized him from behind. The cutting edge of a long knife knife pressed against his neck.

"What is this?" Cardin hissed. "What are you doing to him?"

Saveen rounded on Cardin but didn't make a move while he had a blade to Krayson's throat. Almo crouched and bared his teeth.

Krayson forced himself not to struggle and held his breath. Cardin's blade was pressed into his flesh, causing a thin line of blood to drop from the cut.

"Answer me!" Cardin shouted. "Release the First Knight."

Thunders, the daft fool is talking to me. Krayson would have swallowed if he didn't think that would open his throat further. "Use your eyes," he said calmly. "It's not our doing."

Saveen took a step closer. She became her human form and gestured for calm. "Don't you see? Elise made Garret a slave to Trell. Put the knife down."

Cardin shook his head. "No. She wouldn't do that. Not to..."

"An Althandi?" Saveen asked, raising an eyebrow. "They all deserve to die. That's what you told me."

Cardin took a step back from her, dragging Krayson with him. "Maybe she did reverse their roles." He gave a short laugh, but there was a desperation behind it. "I wager it was a good idea. I never trusted that blustering cockroach anyways." He briefly took the knife away from Krayson's neck to gesture with it towards Trell. "Him though. The Watchman's a loyal dragon. Aye, no one better to keep watch over him. We'll need House Merovech's resources to beat Althandor. Elise needs to keep Garret under control, so she needs Trell alive. Take that spear out of him so he can heal, and I won't drain the bloodsong out of the blood runner."

Saveen stepped forward again. Her eyes never left Cardin. "I'm not going to do that."

"Don't test me, Saveen."

"I already did, in Sholis. You failed. I thought you were better than them." She took another step and held out her hand. "You still can be. Let him go."

The knife shook in Cardin's grip. Thunders, but that stung.

"You don't know what the Althandi did to me," he whispered.

"And you're starting to realize what you're doing to us. Weren't you the man who wanted to turn Fellowton on its head when you thought slavers were after me? Didn't you want to rescue me from all that? It was true, Cardin, only the slaver I was escaping from was the woman you call an empress."

"But... the mighty are meant to serve the..."

"We're people," Saveen said forcefully. "No different from you."

Trell thrashed as he tried to pull the spear out of his chest. "Saveen! You can't do this to me. You owe me your life. Everything I did was for you."

Saveen threw a scathing look towards Trell, her lip curling with disgust. "I've been a slave all my life, Cardin, but there is one thing I'm grateful for about what that thing did to me." She looked towards Almo, and her eyes grew sad. "I don't think it would've been much different if he hadn't stolen my egg. Better, certainly, but still kept hidden away. A protected daughter or a groomed mate. One way or another, I was going to be locked away by someone who looked at me and saw a different Bastion."

Almo lowered his eyes. Ashamed, but he heard the truth in it.

Saveen looked back at Cardin. "If not for Trell, I'd never have met Kimpo. I would never have been bonded to Krayson. I'd never have found my real empress. That Fate thought he should give me this path is horrible, and I ought to thump him upside the brain, but I choose to find meaning in it. Everything that happened to me was important, because it brought me where I needed to go. I've become who I want to be. I don't care who they are or what's in their blood, no one can ever take that away from me."

The knife didn't press so hard against Krayson's neck.

Saveen took one last step. "Can't it be the same for you, Cardin?" She touched her fingers to his knife and gently moved it aside. Her voice became hopeful. "I'm still looking for my Sapphire."

Before Krayson could blink, he was thrust aside. He pawed at his neck and took a deep breath of relief. When he looked up, he blinked in utter shock.

Cardin had Saveen in his arms and was kissing her. More shocking, she returned the embrace and kissed him back.

"Wha...?" Krayson exchanged confused looks with Almo. Then he shrugged. As always, romance was something Krayson didn't think he'd ever quite understand. The Rampart seemed to be having considerably more trouble coming to grips with this development.

Saveen had her arms around Cardin's neck. Her eyes were closed, then she furrowed her brow. She pulled back, a worried look on her face.

Cardin averted his eyes. "I'm sorry, love. I can't."

She touched his cheek. "Why not?"

He looked at her, his expression grieved. "I left a long time ago."

The color bled from him. His skin, his eyes, his armor. Cardin's body became dust and was taken by the wind. Saveen stood in place, hand touching to where he'd been only a moment before. Rather, where he'd appeared to be.

"Tangible illusion," Krayson murmured. "A simulacrum. He must have worked out the manifestation from when he saw Starra do that."

Saveen sniffed. She stood straight, but it was plain that she was determinedly doing her best not to cry. "I can't make his choices for him. I just... I wish he'd make the right ones." She clenched her fists. "Blazing ruffer. It's not my job to fix him if he can't be bothered to."

Krayson went to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

Saveen looked over at Trell. He wasn't struggling anymore. Nor was he breathing. The Watchman was dead. Garret lay panting and weeping at Almo's feet, perhaps broken by the torture his captor inflicted on him before the end.

"I felt you," Saveen whispered. "I felt that lost magic of yours. You came back for me. You make a habit of that."

Krayson scoffed. "Don't worry. It won't ever happen again."

She snapped her eyes to him, looking on the verge of being hurt.

"Because I'm done leaving," Krayson said. "From now on, you're stuck with me."

Saveen smiled. The sight of it caused a curious sensation to emerge in Krayson's chest, something akin to warmth.

"Come on," Krayson said, urging her to follow him. He gestured for Almo to pick up Garret and join them. Whatever else came of this day, Elise would no longer have the services of her supposed First Knight. "Let's find our empress."