Thrum!

The clear sound of a bow releasing an arrow vibrated and echoed across the clearing. The arrow shot through the air, its tip gleaming in the light. It embedded itself into a bulky man's heart, the exact center.

Halt lowered his bow, his eyes watery. His companions grinned and stepped back.

Time seemed to slow as the apprentice swung his head around, standing up. Halt sadly smiled as tears ran down Gilan's face.

"Gilan," Halt whispered, his tears finally coming down.

"Halt?" came Gilan's voice as clear like the night sky. It all came rushing back to Halt.

The two ran towards each other, meeting. Their arms went around each others, embracing the moment. Mentor and apprentice. They were reunited, and their relationship seemed stronger than ever. Father and son they were like to each other, a relationship that would never end.

"Halt!" Gilan cried, his salty tears rapidly coming down his face.

"Gilan," Halt murmured in reply.

Gilan breathed deeply as he smiled and let go of his mentor. It was truly then when Gilan was free from the darkness in his mind. Gilan's eyes lightened as a familiar neigh sounded.

"Blaze!" he cried out as he ran to his horse. Halt watched him go to his horse and readied another arrow from his bow. It was time to end the Amethyst Order once and for all.

His three companions made their way over to Halt, their weapons unsheathed. Bloise with his saxe and throwing knife, Genevieve with her long knife, and Aldren with his sword. They had tied the Skandians and Kyli up and left them on the ship and were ready.

"What's the plan?" Genevieve softly asked.

Halt looked at her. "No plan," he answered. "We just stay alive and avenge all of the sorrows we've had."

Aldren nodded. "Alyssa!" he shouted as he charged into battle, his eyes looking around for his sister whenever he had the chance. Bloise nodded and followed suit, his knives ready for some action. Genevieve looked around. She noticed that some of the children were searching the tents. She made eye contact at Halt and nodded before rushing to join them.

Halt looked back at Gilan, who was still talking to Blaze. "Gilan?" he called as his apprentice lifted his head to look at him. "You can catch up with Blaze later. It's time to put an end to this once and for all."

Gilan nodded, and without a word, Halt released an arrow and the two charged into the battle side by side.

>>>------------->

Milo looked around frantically. "Elaine?" he cried out. They had been pushed apart in the chaos. Fear overtook Milo as she didn't answer. His blood froze and he was as still as a statue.

The sharp sound of metal sounded, the noise echoing across Milo's head. He turned to see a purple-cloaked man swinging his sword at him.

He tensed, ready for his death, but not at all ready at the same time. Milo had often dreamt about his future. A future of laughter and work. He longed to be a scribe all his life. But that would never happen. Closing his eyes, Milo breathed deeply, but the blow never came. Reopening them, Milo found the cult member dead, a black haired woman standing over him.

"W-who are you?" Milo choked out, unsure if he should be afraid or glad.

The woman smiled, her green eyes understanding. "My name is Genevieve," she answered sheathing her knife. "And yours, young man?"

"M-milo."

Genevieve nodded and grabbed his arm. "Come on, Milo," she said leading him to another tent to search. "Someone like you shouldn't be in the midst of battle, especially with no weapon."

Milo gulped as he went to search a chest. "Why are you helping me? Aren't you apart of the cult?"

Genevieve softly laughed at his question picking up a small knife from a table. "Have you not heard? I arrived to help today. With Ranger Halt."

"You mean Gilan's mentor?" Milo widened his eyes, standing to face Genevieve, finding nothing useful in the chest.

Genevieve nodded and handed Milo the knife. "Here," she murmured. "For defense purposes."

Milo's hand shook as he looked at the knife. "I have never used a weapon in my life."

Genevieve looked sadly at the innocent boy. "And I hope you would never have to." She paused and looked around the small tent one last time before turning. "Come," she said. "We need to start tending to the wounded."

>>>------------->

Humphrey sweated as he disarmed someone with an axe. Taking it for himself, Humphrey swung it around, soon making his way out of the crowd of purple, slaying many as he went along. This was it. This was the day he would slay his father and avenge his family once and for all.

Humphrey looked around at all of the chaos, searching for his father. He didn't notice a man coming up behind him until to late. He gasped at the sudden pain of a cut to his back as he spun around, axe in hand.

He didn't have time to swing hid axe, for the man was already mid swing, but a silver blade of a knife stabbed into the man's side.

Humphrey jumped, his back screaming as the man fell forward, recognizing the leafy design on the knife. He looked to his left. And there stood a shaking brown haired girl reaching down to retrieve the knife.

"Elaine?" Humphrey choked out as he fell onto his knees, red flashing in his eyes. The cut in his back ran deep and was staining his shirt dark red, almost black.

Elaine turned to Humphrey, dropping the knife as she saw his wound. "Humphrey!" she cried, kneeling down to look at his back.

"I'm fine," he grunted as a flash of purple danced in the corner of his eyes. He ignored it, thinking it was an illusion from his injury.

An arrow flew in the air, and Humphrey saw it too late, for it struck at Elaine's back. She cried out, Humphrey moving, despite his back, to catch her as she fell.

Humphrey could tell the arrow was poisoned, and that it was a perfect shot. "Elaine," he softly called out to her.

She groaned as she faced him, tears trailing down her face. She knew it was the end. The end of her life. "I'm going to die, Humphrey," she whimpered, feeling the poison spreading in her body.

Humphrey shook his head. "No. You aren't."

The tears were now thick, streaming down her face rapidly. "I am!" she cried. "Just admit it."

Humphrey said nothing as he gently wiped her tears off of her face. A deep pain struck in his heart, but he did not know what it was.

"Humphrey?" Elaine choked out, her voice growing weak by the second.

Humphrey looked into her eyes. It pained him to see her in this state, but he could see that she wanted to tell him something, even if she wasted all her energy by doing so.

"Elaine?" he answered, his voice a mere whisper.

Elaine looked away from him for a slight second before gazing into his brown eyes. She breathed heavily, as if trying to gain enough strength to speak. "I," she started, "I love you." And with that, Humphrey watched her eyes green fade. Numb with pain, he embraced her body, everything making sense. The pain in his heart, and most of her actions towards him.

Looking up, Humphrey froze. His eyes met another man's eyes, Elaine's killer. It was Crow Man.

His father.

A/N:

I cried. I cried while writing this chapter. But I only cried for 30 seconds before I moved on.

*sighs*

Let us hold a minute of silence for our brave and caring Elaine. One who has brought us all joy and pain.

Anyways, was Elaine's confession coming from the blue? None of you have said anything about her actions towards Humphrey in any of the past chapters. ;-;