Arianna leaned over Renaldi's neck to look down at the carnage and gasped. Huge plumes of fire and roiling smoke consumed chariots and horses and half of the battlefield was covered in ashes and twisted bodies. Suddenly sick, she fought the urge to vomit as the horrid smell reached her nose. Ezra's golden eyes widened at the scene, tightening his hold on his isijula and shield. "What can create all this devastation?" He asked hollowly.

"My husband," Arianna heard herself say. "I can't believe- if so many are dead how can there be more?" She pointed at the Vulnairians swarming from the forest in confused masses, their generals trying to keep them in order. The bright red and black Vulnairians flag was battered and worn but still held high.

Ezra's mouth became a slim line. "Renaldi and I are going in first," he yelled to the troops who had circled back for his instructions. "Will! Take the Princess and keep her safe! Falcon positions, everyone! We'll make sure the Felinus never rises their ugly heads again!"

Arianna let out a small scream as she was swept off on Renaldi's back by the spiky tail of an earth dragon. Her world spun as she flipped breathlessly through the air, her feet towards the sky and her hair in her face, before strong arms plucked her from free fall and her hands clutched a leather jacket and pulled him close. When her world stopped spinning her eyes took in a smooth, dark face and a grumpy frown. She realized she had been clutching his chest in a very awkward way and scooted backwards in the saddle, pulling a strand of hair out of her face. "Sorry," she apologized in his native language. He snorted and jerked his thumb back, motioning for her to sit behind him.

She tried to quiet her wildly thumping heart as she carefully slid around him, her limbs shaky and weak. It was strange to feel the earth dragon's heavy wingbeats now that she was used to Renaldi's rhythm. She almost fell onto his wings as she slid behind her new guardian, her legs squeezing the saddle in a death grip. They started to descend and she got a good view of the battle.

The first row of dragons raked through the Vulnairans with an ear-shattering roar that was enough to make the bravest of men run with hearts full of terror. Her heart banged against her ribcage as their descent quickened, cold air pushing back her hair and pulling at her cheeks.

And then... Felinus.

They scrambled up the dragon's sides, their claws tearing scales from flesh, their harrowing laughs making Arianna flinch and her hand move to her ring. A few dragons quickly tried to gain altitude, screeching with pain as the cats tore them apart. Arianna watched as one wrenched a sand dragon Rider's head off, sending a spray of blood as the lifeless dragon fell to the earth, the creature laughing the whole way down. Soon more screams joined theirs as the Felinus ravaged the Riders, grotesquely tearing them apart as their dragons fell from the sky with dying screams.

Arianna's breath hitched in her throat. This can't be happening. Where was Jaydon? And dear Fraylon- they couldn't have... She felt sick and felt like screaming at the dragon to pull up.

The Rider held tight to his spear, sweat beading on his forehead as his dragon let out a horrible roar and grabbed a Felinus off an obsidian dragon's back, crushing it in its jaws before it could kill the Rider. It swooped down low, waving its heavy, clubbed tail over the troops to crush them or impale them on a thick spike.

Her throat seemed to swell as the horrible screams filled her ears and she tried to close her eyes and block out the horrible sights of dead bodies and the sounds of crunching bones and bodies. Her body shook as she silently screamed. How could war be this bad? She didn't even know if Ralem and Jaydon were alive or killed by those horrible.. Creatures.

Suddenly she heard a chilling laugh behind her.

She turned around, her bow in hand just as the cat lurched forwards, talons reaching for her neck. The spear blocked the blow as the Rider held it between two hands like a staff, pushing it back with a grunt. Arianna screamed as it drew back and slashed at his neck and he blocked it again, planting a kick on its chest.

It didn't move.

Arianna crouched down, afraid that if she stood up she would be decapitated as the cat and Rider battled back and forth, their movements not even distinguishable to the human eye. Clang Clang Bang! Arianna screamed as she felt hot liquid drip down her neck and the Rider stumbled backwards. The cat stepped forwards, laughing, its talons dripping with blood. Thinking fast, she lashed out with her foot and nailed the cat in the knee and shot it in the gut at the same time, giving the Rider enough time to retaliate, sinking his spear into the Felinus's chest. It's black smile curled up and slid over gleaming saber teeth. "Is that all you got?"

His face twisting in fear, the Rider jerked upwards on the spear, the gut-wrenching sound of wood tearing through muscle making Arianna sick. The cat's voice seemed to gargle as it leaned in, it's paws tightening around the Rider's shoulder as its lips brushed his ear. "If I'm going down... Your going with me."

The earth dragon bellowed, his desperate scream branding onto Arianna's mind as the cat struck like a viper, snapping his neck with his teeth, the spurting blood spraying her clothes with vibrant scarlet as the world tilted beneath her.

The cat and Rider tumbled into oblivion as the dead dragon flipped towards the earth. Arianna screamed and clutched the saddle horn, her feet dangling in the air as dragons flew all around her, their swirls of vibrant colors lost to her horrified eyes.

Right before impact into the forest, Arianna let go of the horn and let herself into free fall for a brief moment before the shuttering trees took her into their embrace. She screamed as the branches tore into her flesh and battered her body.

Just as quickly the shockwave hit her, throwing her forcefully from the thrashing tree to land in a heap of limbs on a mound of earth, created from the fallen beast. She laid there for a second as her vision blurred and a dull ringing silenced all of her brain processes. She stared at her hand, limp in front of her, dirty and speckled in blood. The nails were caked with dirt, her wrist bleeding from a branch. The ring shone dully from under the grime, secure on her finger. She smiled a little, thinking of another ring that would soon rest there. Arianna Blake. She ran her thumb over the gem, her heart lifting at the thought of him as the world slurred around her and faded to grey.

"Arianna," she heard a gentle voice say. It was Ralem's drawl, his gentle voice washing over her. She snuggled deeper under the covers, feeling his thumb trace down her cheek, rough from his work in the fields yet gentle. His lips brushed her forehead. "Arianna," his voice came again, "you got to wake up."

But I don't want to, she thought, her smile curling up again as she teased him with feigned sleep.

Suddenly he grabbed her shoulders and shook her heavily, almost rattling her brain. "Arianna wake up! Wake up now!"

Arianna shot up, breathing heavily, feeling a branch press into her cheek. Immediately her vision was taken up by a streak of red barreling towards her, the wind whistling from its descent. It was going to crush her!

She screamed and scrambled out of the brush, her dress tearing with a horrible noise and sweeping her onto her back as the dragon touched down not ten feet away from her. The tremor sent her flying twenty feet back, her back getting the brunt of the blow before she came to a rest right next to a tree. Blood dribbled down her chin as she fumbled through her corset for Jaydon's gretchshivisk. "Oh paska paska," he cursed, watching bulky black creatures lope towards her, hungry eyes fastened on the fallen dragons. Every muscle in her body screamed as she tried to stand but her knees twisted under her and she and fell back under the brush, her breathing shallow. She prayed to all the gods she knew that they wouldn't spot her as she curled her battered body under the cover of the fallen foliage, her bow aimed and ready.

Finally finding her precious gretchshivisk, she pressed it to her chest and took a deep breath. "Think, Arianna, think," she whispered harshly to herself as she felt the healing slowly seep into her. A small part of Jaydon's mind linked to hers and comforted her, helping her cluttered brain to focus. "Jaydon I need help," she said out loud as she gazed at the emerald dragon. "Is Ralem okay?"

It did not answer.

She polished it with her dirty dress as she felt the sticks underneath her dig into her body, the stink of war fill her nostrils. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the Felinus, tearing into the downed dragons with such feral ferocity she felt her breakfast slide up her throat but she forced it down, focusing on the gretchshivisk to keep her sane. More and more were coming to join in on the feast and she knew she was dead if she tried to move. "Jaydon please come get me," she whispered fervently, clutching it as her heart rammed against her rib cage. "Or send somebody. Anybody. Just please do it soon," her breath hitched in her throat as a single tear slid down her muddy face.

A crinkle of leaves as something pulled the branches back, flooding her with prying light. "Oh look what I found here," a horrible voice purred, making her entire body shake with a violent shiver. "A tasty little-"

Before he could finish the sentence and arrow sprouted from its eye and it bent over her, blood slipping down the shaft and sizzling onto her skin. She barely bit down a shriek as her boots dug into the ground, pushing her away from the creature as it began to twitch violently. She backed into a tree with bated breath, waiting for the others to find their comrade was gone.

She didn't have to wait long.

"Something got Sarah!" A raspy voice hissed and Arianna felt several pairs of malicious eyes focus on her. She strung her bow.

"Arianna!" The name was drenched in her rough native tongue, worry spiking every syllable. Her heart reached for the clouds. "Daemon! I'm here, Daemon!" She blurted, struggling to her feet. "I'm here!"

The next few second were a blur. Fraylon zoomed down from the sky, shooting ice spikes and impaling three of the Felinus as Daemon threw a bomb at the four farthest from Arianna, blowing them to little meaty bits that created a fountain of blood and gore. When he circled back for another round, Arianna noticed a humongous tiger striped cat crouching in attack position, it's muscles bunching.

She had seen too many Riders go down with those incredible pounces. "Daemon, stop, go higher!" She screamed at the top of her lungs but he didn't seem to hear her.

It lunged, it's talons thrust forwards to sever Daemon's head from his body. Fraylon reacted quicker than it thought though and twisted sideways, his wing snapping out to bash the Felinus in the head.

It bellowed in fury, it's grasping claws shredding Fraylon's wing. Fraylon snapped his wing back, shaking it off but it was not without losing his balance and dipping sideways. He frantically tried to make up for the sudden dip by flapping hard but his torn wing twisted him off balance. The cats followed him, drooling, like house cats waiting for a wounded bird to fall. Fraylon weakly shot a few icicles before landing choppily on the ground, his body shielding Arianna from the Felinus. Daemon readied his lance as his dragon pranced sideways, his eyes icy cold.

The Felinus crouched down on all fours, a guttural growl thrumming from their chests as they made a half circle around the ice dragon.

They attacked first. A monstrous jet black cat pounced, sinking its fangs into Fraylon's leg. Fraylon screamed in pain, jerking his leg away and shredding his muscles in the process. "Fraylon!" Arianna screamed as Fraylon limped away, breathing heavily.

Daemon shot her a glance, the meaning in his ice blue eyes making her blood turn to slush. "Daemon, no, please!" She cried. She got out her bow, determined to help when an ice spike shot out of nowhere and impaled her dress to the tree behind her.

Daemon felt the sting of pain from Fraylon's wound but didn't let it show. He wasn't going to desert Arianna, not this time. He impaled a Felinus on a lance before drawing out his bow and arrows. They hissed in the air before digging into a hulking cat's neck. The cat shrieked, spraying black blood all over Fraylon's scales before it shot forwards and it's jaws clamped on the ice dragon's neck like a bear trap.

Daemon fell off the saddle as Fraylon jerked sideways. His vision was a blur of snarling figures and steady, pulsing red. He could feel the sweaty bow under his fingers, his heart beating a thousand miles an hour.

"Daemon!" Arianna's cry shook him out of his trance just in time to see a Felinus pouncing on him, jaws extended to end his life.

He felt the sticky feeling of frost creep up his hands and quiet his thumping heart. If he froze completely the cat wouldn't be able to hurt him... "No!" He yelled out loud, stabbing the arrow into its open mouth. "Not this time."

As that cat fell dead ten more rose to take its place. Arianna watched, her voice fleeting, as he became lost to view under the swarm of snarling creatures. Wordless tears fell down her stricken face.

Daemon twisted like a hurricane, unstrapping his twin swords from his back and slicing through the air to sever a cat's arms from its body. Twisting sideways to avoid a charging beast, he let its momentum impale itself onto the blade while he dealt a nasty sideways blow through a humongous creature's ribcage. Fraylon shot an ice spike at the back of an approaching cat's skull while snapping his tail like a whip, cracking another's spine.

They worked as the ultimate team, their moves artistic, practiced, and deadly. Daemon ducked as Fraylon snapped open his wings to hit a Felinus upside the jaw like a club. After he snapped it back in Daemon was already shooting up, his twin swords whistling and spraying black blood.

Suddenly he heard the meaty sounds of torn flesh and froze, only to look down at a huge paw, heavy claws running through his gut and emerging out his back, gleaming with scarlet blood. He coughed, blood dripping down his lips as the cat began to laugh. "Did you really think you would win, Rider? After I kill you, we'll eat that little Ice dragon as an appetizer, then your Princess for desert." It held up it's other paw, the claws fully extending to end his life.

"Not... Today," Daemon managed as Fraylon's tail wrapped around its neck like a python before his spikes snapped out and impaled it. Daemon coughed bitterly as he felt the claws rip through his body before falling back into the blood strewn grass. His sword dropped into the ground as he clutched his stomach with one hand, his surroundings fading to a grey hue. The sun was so bright... So bright. He looked down at his hand, covered in blood. What a beautiful color....

Laughing, all around him. His eyes hardened as he remembered. Remembered why he was fighting. He saw them, creeping towards her with those horrible smiles. "Im not... Going to fail you this time.." He said hoarsely, forcing his numb limbs to move. He felt like he was fighting against the current back in Grunde. The screams faded to a pulsing sound, booming in his skull and bidding him to sleep.

I'm not going to sleep. He reminded himself. I'm staying awake. For Arianna. He lifted his shaking sword and watched as a cat turned around, liquid black eyes bidding him to hell. It took a step closer chuckling amusedly at the human who dared to defy him. Daemon grit his teeth and plunged his sword into its chest. It growled in surprise and grabbed the handle of the sword, trying to pull it out but not before Daemon fell to one knee and jerked the sword up to its heart. He slid it back out as it tumbled backwards, coughing speckles of blood onto the streaks of black on the blade.

Grinding his teeth, he shakily got to his feet and stumbled towards the last one, once more raising his sword.

"Daemon- no!" Arianna's cry penetrated his growing dimness as he faltered, swaying like a branch on a windy night. The cat pulled back its lips in a fanged smile, it's claws snapping out.

Then it looked down to find a curved blade sticking out of its chest. A mighty twist and the cat fell over sideways, revealing a familiar face. "Daemon? Daemon, we're going to get you to safety," Ralem's voice- the voice he hated so much. "You fought well- hang on Daemon, look at me!"

Daemon's sputtering blue eyes lifted slowly and he smiled a little as blood trickled down his chin. "Ralem.. Please... Take care of her for me. She always loved .... You." His hand clenched on Ralem's arm as he took a shuttering breath as if trying to hang on to life. "Promise me."

"I promise. But you're not going to die, Frosty!"

Then Ralem's heart clenched.

Fraylon was limping towards them. His gorgeous frost encrusted wings were shredded. His brilliant diamond scales slathered with blood. Two legs hung limp as he struggled through the mass of bodies.

Four cats were fastened to his neck. Dead.

He stumbled forwards and with great effort tried to move his head to Daemon. Ralem immediately understood and helped him move his head to Daemon's lap, where his brilliant blue eyes gazed at his Rider for one last time.

Ralem turned around, his breath wheezing in his throat as he fought a massive block of emotions building in his chest. Arianna sobbed in the forest, her whole body shaking with the effort. "No! No Daemon you pahuksen boy!" She lifted her watery eyes to find three cats gathered around Fraylon's marred body, one tearing into the flesh of his leg. "No!" She screamed breathlessly, fighting the urge to vomit. "No-Ralem do something!"

Ralem spun around. His eyes hardened in anger when he saw the situation and hatred rose in his throat like bile. He lifted his hands and all three were suspended like puppets on a string. "This is for Daemon!" He yelled. At his words he sucked all the air out of their lungs, making them writhe mid-air as they struggled to inhale. "And this is for Fraylon!" Almost simultaneously lightning fingered out of the sky with a tremendous bang, illuminating the outlines of their bodies for a glimmer of a second before consuming their hulking figures with sheer power.

Arianna ran out of the woods, her dress torn to shreds and her face muddy and stricken. Tears cut through the grime on her cheeks, her eyes were red with sorrow. "No no my little Fray- Daemon." She choked, crouching by them and shoving Daemon's shoulders. "No!" She screamed. "You can't be dead- you can't be- you idiot I hate you. I HATE YOU!" She sobbed, her hands clenched on his frozen shoulders.

Ralem gently pulled her away. "Arianna, I'm sorry."

Arianna shoved him away. "No it's not true, Ralem! It can't be- he's just faking, see? He's faking!" She yelled hysterically at him, her fists clenched.

"Arianna," he said softly, his arms wrapping around her. She tried to pull away before she gave in, melting into him as sobs wracked her body. Ralem ran his hands up and down her back tenderly as he raked over the carnage with his eyes. Thirty Felinus were strewn across the field, some still barely clinging to life. He felt a wave of respect for the fallen Rider. His voice was raw when he spoke next. "He was the real hero here."