Sebastian could taste the blood in the air.

It hung around the battlefield like the clouds of smoke from the swathes of fires burning black patches into the grass. Both sides of the conflict were dwindling, their numbers dropping by the second. Dozens of Eldai, Shades, Redfangs, and Osedan soldiers on either side laid across the ground.

Most were dead. Some were simply hurt and slowly bleeding out from their wounds.

Those who were still on their feet continued to fight. Sebastian fought among them.

He staggered through the smoking grass, barely able to stay upright. One of his eyes was swollen shut due to a blasting spell that nearly tore his entire right side off. His shirt had been reduced to tatters, revealing the scratches across his abdomen.

Wincing, he soldiered on with Imogen at his side. Her dark brown hair stuck to her clammy face and she sported a few cuts across her face. Her leather jacket had been ripped in multiple places and one of her arms hung limply at her side.

"Keep moving!" Jorgen's voice called out from ahead of them. He was still swinging his vayrir at whoever dared to engage him. His heavy dreads flailed around his head like the tentacles of a monstrous kraken. Speckles of blood decorated his face like war paint.

Nearby, Naidini and Nuri—both assuming their tiger and jaguar forms, respectively—battled each other. Unlike their duel earlier in the day, there was no one to cheat for Nuri. Naidini had him pinned beneath her two front paws. He struggled under her weight, eyes flickering around like a tiny flame in the wind. Pathetic whimpers left his maw as he frantically searched for a way out.

Sebastian watched as the true chieftain of House Oseda roared in his face. The noise rippled through the battlefield, capturing the attention of everyone in the vicinity. They all stopped to watch the two leaders of the warring house.

Both Naidini and Nuri shifted out of their animal states. The woman had her hands clamped around his wrists, her gold-lined canine teeth bared for all to see. Lifting her head, she looked around at those around her.

"I am your chieftain!" she yelled. "Not this traitor. Those who wish to continue to follow Nuri Alnasi will meet their end by my hand."

The soldiers who had been fighting for Nuri removed their defaced helmets. Most held their heads in shame.

Nuri began to laugh. He grinned, showing off his bloodstained teeth. Naidini pressed her hands harder against his wrist.

"What is so funny?"

"You won't defeat him," Nuri coughed out. "He is not just a magician."

Sebastian took a step forward, his brow furrowed. What is he talking about?

"Silence," Naidini ordered.

"He possesses more power than any of us could dream of. He...he has ascended what any of us could ever become," he continued.

Sebastian turned to Imogen. She was just as confused as he was.

Out the corner of his eye, he saw Nuri's vayrir materialize in his hand. His grin widened.

"Death to all traitors," he spat. As he was about to drive his weapon into Naidini's side, she intercepted his hand. Her eyes narrowed and she placed her own onto his chest. A spell left her palm.

Nuri's head fell to the ground, his eyes wide open. Naidini stood above him with her chest puffed. She pointed at his body as she looked upon the soldiers around her.

"If you come back to our house and admit to your crimes, you will receive a fair and just punishment." Her eyes flickered from face to face. Everyone had their attention on her, captivated by her raw strength and command. "If not, then you will meet the same fate as your false ruler."

The rogue soldiers dropped their weapons to the ground. They then dropped to their knees.

Naidini smiled. "Excellent."

Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle. A brief wave of relief washed over him. Just like that, the rift between the house of woodland magic was healed. Her men and women were back on her side. With the newly added forces added to their team, they would have enough to overpower the rest of the Order.

Jorgen walked up to the chieftain. "We're not done yet."

She nodded. "Agreed." She glanced at her soldiers. "In fact, we're just getting started." She pointed at the part of the battlefield where most of the fighting was occurring. "Today we liberate Vashara. Today we defeat the darkness that has threatened to overthrow our house. Onward, brothers and sisters."

Cheers went up around them. The soldiers beat their weapons against their wooden shields. Then, all at once, they took off running for the rest of the Shades and Redfangs who remained in the field.

After nodding at Imogen, Sebastian and the Ordinaire followed behind them.

#

Sebastian grunted as he directed a lash of crackling, dark magic at a grey wolf. It struck the beast's side, eliciting a pain-filled howl from its throat. Dodging a wild swipe of its paw, the black-haired magician called upon his dagger and buried it deep between the wolf's ribs.

Its legs shook before it ultimately collapsed. Choppy breaths left its half-opened mouth as it struggled to breathe.

He turned away from the wolf and closed his eyes. He knew the Redfangs were horrible creatures, but they were controlled by their alpha. And their alpha was controlled by the Order of the Black Lotus.

He truly wondered if the lesser wolves had any say in what they were doing. Did they ever have any say or were they just pawns to be pushed around his father's wicked chessboard?

Sighing, he pushed the thought out of his mind. He couldn't let himself feel sorry for them. Not while he still had to fight to finish.

Fortunately, it seemed like things were dying down. Shades were beginning to shadowjump away and the Redfangs were dragging their dead and injured away from the battlefield. The Osedan soldiers lifted their weapons to the sky and cheered triumphantly.

"Is that it?" Imogen asked.

"I'm...not sure."

Sebastian wanted to believe the battle was over. He wanted to believe they had won.

But he couldn't. Nothing was ever as it seemed when it came to his father. The Shades never retreated, even if defeat was imminent.

Yet, they were leaving. Disappearing into thin air like the ghosts and shadows they imitated.

"Sebastian? You alright?"

He turned around to see Remy, Ajax, and Siren jogging up to him. They all sported a few small injuries but nothing major.

Nodding, he turned his attention back toward the emptying battlefield. He pursed his lips as he watched the last of the werewolves flee beyond the tree line. Shaking his head, he glanced at Jorgen and Naidini.

The two of them were in a heated conversation about whether they should continue their plan to return to the Eldenarian Palace. Now that Vashara was free from the Order's influence, there was no real reason for Naidini to leave. She had her house and her people back.

Still, Jorgen wanted her to come back with him to the palace. Sebastian didn't blame him. They may have won the battle, but the war was far from over. Thorian would come back. He would hit harder. Swifter. He would have more allies and more power.

Naidini would be safest at the Eldenarian Palace where they could protect both her and the artifact Thorian sought after.

"Please, Dini," Jorgen pleaded. "You have to come with us."

She shook her head. Her people stood behind her, their stares trained on the general. "I cannot, my dear. My people need me. Now more than ever. I must pick up the pieces that Nuri left. I must mend my broken house."

He grabbed her hand. The vein in his temple pulsed. "I need you to come with me. I...I can't lose you again."

"You aren't losing anyone." She caressed his face lovingly and smiled. "I'll be here for you after that bastard is defeated. I'll always be here for you."

Sighing, the man closed his eyes and leaned forward until their foreheads touched. He muttered something that caused Naidini to blush.

Sebastian coughed awkwardly and looked away from the pair. Beside him, Imogen watched the two elder magicians with a smile on her lips. After glancing at Sebastian, her smile widened.

He returned the gesture.

"Aw man, I can't wait to eat after this!" Remy exclaimed. "You have no idea how hungry I am. I could kill for a chocolate bar right now."

"You barely did any fighting Remy," Siren pointed out. "Ajax and I were the ones doing all the work."

"Hey, I did do some work. I provided moral support."

Ajax snorted and ruffled the boy's curls. "Ah yes, the moral support. Where would we be without it?"

Sebastian smiled at his friends. He released the tension that had been building in his taut muscles. For the first time all day, he could afford to relax a bit.

Everyone was in high spirits. People were talking and joking and laughing. Even the traitorous soldiers were easing themselves into conversations with their brethren. Naidini's warning to them promised punishment, but Sebastian supposed whatever she had in store for them was better than death. They most likely had been manipulated by Nuri as well.

Naidini's mercy was proof enough that she was the true leader of House Oseda.

As they all began to head back to the main sector of Vashara, Sebastian noticed the leaves shake. An invisible gale of air rippled through the canopies, bringing with it the sulfuric scent of dark magic and the cold, unforgiving sensation of death.

Sebastian froze. After a while, his friends noticed he had stopped moving.

Siren arched a blonde eyebrow at him. "What's wrong?"

His mouth went dry. Suddenly, his tongue felt heavier than the iron gates of Nyghtmir. Sweat beaded on his temple before trickling down the side of his face. His heart threatened to jump out of his throat.

Imogen frowned deeply as she walked up to him. "Sebastian. What's wrong?"

"He's...he's..." He turned around and faced the desolate battlefield.

All the trees stopped moving. The last dying embers of the setting sun burned out. The sky darkened, revealing the sparkling moon that had been hiding beyond the afternoon clouds. Sebastian shuddered as he watched shadows stretching from the edges of the forest. They collected in the middle of the field, rippling and shimmering like a pond disturbed by a single rock.

Naidini's forces began to turn around, likely sensing it as well. Sebastian caught the eye of Jorgen. A grave look had befallen upon his face.

Oh no...

Sebastian turned back to the field. Rising from the shadows was his father. He wore his mask—the jackal. An omen of death. He wielded his scythe as he treaded through the sea of bodies around him. Everyone froze as they watched the man flit through the grass like a spirit of death.

As he went, magic poured from the ring wrapped around his finger. It wrapped around the deceased like the strings from a puppeteer.

"What in Terrun's name is that?!" someone yelled.

A Redfang rose from the ground. However, its eyes were no longer red. They were black. Empty. Soulless. More wolves climbed back to their feet. Dead Shades did the same, followed by the fallen Osedan soldiers.

They all possessed black eyes, darker than the pits in Nordor.

Sebastian flinched backward as the undead scuttled forward. A shiver, colder than ice water, trickled down his spine. Horrifying howls left the mouths of the wolves. The Shades held their hands up, preparing to cast with the same dark magic that had awoken them from their eternal slumbers.

"What is this?!" someone exclaimed.

Jorgen walked up to Sebastian and Ajax. He grabbed the boy's arm and jabbed a finger in his face. "You listen here, and you listen good. Take Naidini and your friends and get to the portal gate. Get them back to the palace."

"But—"

"That's an order, Sebastian."

Before he could continue arguing, Ajax stepped forward and nodded. "Understood, sir."

Sebastian gawked at the two men from House Brynjir.

There was no arguing with them, though. Not right now. Not with...whatever it was that was happening. He didn't quite understand how his father was doing it, but he didn't want to stick around to find out.

The general released him and stomped toward the battlefield. The last few Eldai from his squad who remained trailed him, followed by Naidini's soldiers.

With her hazel eyes wide, Naidini tried running toward Jorgen but Ajax held her back.

"Get off of me! Get off of me!"

"I can't do that, chieftain. We have to go."

She elbowed the ginger warrior mage in the stomach, forcing him to let her go. Once free, she sprinted over to Jorgen. "Come with us. My men can hold them off until we escape."

Jorgen offered her a weak smile. "I must lead this charge. If not, none of us will survive this."

Tears sprung in his eyes and furiously wiped them away. "Please...do not do this."

The man cupped her cheeks and wiped a tear away with his thumb. "We'll meet again, Dini. I promise." He then gently pushed her away. "Now go. The dead are almost here."

Before she could protest, Siren grabbed the woman's hand and gently pulled her away. "Come on, chieftain. We have to leave."

Sniffling, the woman reluctantly followed behind the blonde as they approached the forest. Remy, Ajax, and Imogen went after them.

Sebastian cast Jorgen one last look.

"Take care of them, Thauvin. And remember what I told you."

His throat tightened and he suppressed a sob. He then nodded solemnly at the general.

Jorgen nodded back and joined the rest of the warriors. After wading through the crowd, he emerged at the front. He summoned his weapon and held it to the sky. He yelled a spell and the black clouds parted. Neon green lightning rained from the heavens and struck his blade, charging it with white-hot energy.

"If you don't have the stomach for what we're about to do," he began, his face pointed forward, "you might as well die now."

No one moved.

"That's what I like to see." He pointed his vayrir at the horde of dead approaching. "Onward, brothers and sisters!"

The warriors shouted in unison as they surged forward.

"Sebastian, come on!" Imogen yelled.

He turned to join them. Then he heard Jorgen's bellows of agony rip through the air. He whipped back around, eyes wide with terror. He spotted the general surrounded by five Redfangs. They circled him like bloodthirsty sharks.

Ajax arrived at Sebastian's side, his green eyes wide.

The two boys watched helplessly as Jorgen fended off the undead creatures. One brave wolf leapt at him. He batted it away with his hammer-axe, sending its face into the dirt. Another jumped onto his back and bit into his shoulder plate. The man cried out while grabbing the wolf by the scruff of its neck and throwing it to the ground. The rest of the wolves converged on him. They brought him to the ground in a flurry of gnashing teeth and paws.

Jorgen continued to fight. He threw the wolves off of him. He buried the axe part of his vayrir into the head of one and smacked the hammer part into the face of another. After getting back to his feet, he raised his weapon and yelled.

He dispelled the energy within the weapon. Bolts of green electricity struck the wolves and vaporized them until their smoking pelts were the only things left.

Breathing heavily, Jorgen dropped to his knees. Blood covered his face. Bite marks decorated his armor plates and blood seeped through the holes in the metal. Exhaling, he fell onto his back.

Ajax and Naidini rushed into the battle. Sebastian was hot on their heels with a horrified expression etched into his pale features. The others stayed behind, their faces struck with terror.

"Ajax!" Sebastian yelled. He struck down any undead creature that approached him as he chased after the boy. "Ajax!"

Both he and Naidini were calling Jorgen's name. The chieftain got to him first. She screamed as she cradled his body. His eyes were barely open as he laid feebly in her arms. Ajax stood by her side, his face twisted in anger and disbelief.

"You're gonna be okay, sir." His voice quivered. "We're gonna bring you back to the palace. The medics...they'll fix you up. They'll—"

Jorgen reached up and grabbed the boy by the collar. His bloodied hand left a red print on his shirt. He shook his head, his jaw clenched shut.

"No. No, no, no."

"You have to lead them now," he whispered. "It has to be you. It was always you."

Sebastian's eyes widened.

Sniffling, Ajax wiped his nose with the sleeve of his shirt. "What...what if I can't?"

"You can. I know you can."

Ajax rubbed his eyes with both hands before stepping away from the man. Sebastian stood behind them all, his gaze trained on the fallen warrior.

Jorgen looked to Naidini with nothing but love in his eyes. Her body trembled as she sobbed. Tears streamed down her face like two angry rivers. As she hyperventilated, the general brushed a hand against her cheek.

"You have to get up," she pleaded. "Please, you have to get up, Jorgen. You cannot die here."

Coughing, he pressed a finger to her lips. Blood trickled out the sides of his mouth as he tried to smile. Pain flashed across his face as more coughs assaulted his body. "You have...to get to the palace. You can't let Thorian get your amulet. Put the mission first."

"Screw the mission. I can't leave you here."

Jorgen coughed again. His eyes fluttered. He gripped Naidini's hand. The color was quickly fading from his face. Sebastian could feel the life slipping from his hold.

"You have to. Please, Naidini. You have to go."

Ajax pulled the woman to her feet. She cried into the boy's chest.

From the ground, Jorgen looked to Sebastian.

Even though no words were spoken, the message was loud and clear.

Jorgen drew one last breath. He closed his eyes slowly and his chest stopped rising. Then he dropped his head to the earth, never to be lifted again.

Sebastian held his head and clenched his hands into fists. In front of him, Ajax released Naidini and passed her over to him. The ginger warrior knelt next to Jorgen's body and whispered a prayer to their house's patron spirit, Ghalion. A shimmer of green light encased the general for a moment before disappearing.

Ajax rose to his feet and face his friend. "Take her back with the others."

"What are you going to do?"

He faced the battlefield. "I'm going to end this." Summoning his double-bladed axe, he released a guttural battle cry. Lightning crackled around him and his weapon. It jumped from his verdant irises, which were brighter than usual.

Sebastian watched him in awe.

He had seen drawings of this before in his textbooks. It was supposed to be a myth. A legend the warriors of House Brynjir told themselves around their campfires. But Ajax had proved it was real.

Ghalion's mark was real.

With the lightning running up and down his skin, Ajax charged into battle.