Maestro Carlain had never seen anything so frightening in his entire life - as if the Aliscowri weren't bad enough. His men were unlucky enough to find themselves watching the fall of a god, Galenous, as he plummeted to the ground, closely pursued by a monstrous beast. The creature flew away towards the Grand City, which was now looming on the horizon.

Then a gust of air had ripped through the forest and nearly crushed his entourage with falling trees, a violent cyclone that seemed to originate from Galenous' resting place. Carlain's horse whinnied nervously, stomping on the ground, but the scholar patted the animal reassuringly as twigs and leaves pelted them both.

They'd been following the Aliscowri, those vile cannibals that first made their appearance at the Jade City. After three days, they finally caught up with the marauders, and Carlain was surprised at their orderliness as the Aliscowri marched northwards. There was at least two hundred of them. He kept his men at a safe distance, within eyesight but far enough they could retreat into the woods if the Aliscowri made any efforts to stop them. Carlain had been trying to figure out his next step when this happened.. this battle of gods and monsters.

After the cyclone passed harmlessly by them, Carlain called together his men - Jaster, Uskul, Ail, Ellard, Noisemaker, and Jonas. The others were patrolling or setting up camp. Carlain had insisted they increase their watch drastically, to make sure the Aliscowri didn't sneak up on them.

"I don't like the idea of camping here, so close to falling gods," muttered Jaster. "Look. Galenous just fell down not a mile from us. And there's the Aliscowri ahead. And now this damn tornado. If we stay here much longer, we're apt to meet that Val'nothe face to face."

Ail nodded his agreement. "We should go back to Jade."

Maestro Carlain shook his head. "The Val'nothe are converging here, so we should as well." Always eager to convert, Maestro Carlain took this opportunity to remind the men that there was a greater being than the four 'dieties' of Aleris. "My god will protect us."

"I piss on your god," Jaster mumbled. It was the same exact phrase he'd said when they met in the bar on that fateful evening. "And I piss on Galenous. But we shouldn't stay here, less they piss on us."

Just then, Halin charged up on his mount, his eyes wide. "Sirs, you have to see this. The Aliscowri have a new pet." Then he reared his horse around and charged off.

The men climbed onto their horses, curiosity getting the better of them, and headed off after Halin to a clearing where they could see the Aliscowri marching across the plains before the Grand City.

Sure enough, the Aliscowri seemed to have stopped, and were circling an interesting sight. Twice the size of a horse, a glowing demon with three legs stalked through the crowd fearlessly. The Aliscowri gave it space, but Carlain noticed it was keeping pace with a man at its side.

"What is that thing?" he hissed, straining for a clearer view. The creature glowed red and blue, and it seemed to be made out of energy, its skin nothing more than a cooling, hardened shell.

"Why isn't it killing them?" Ail offered from his left.

"Why aren't they killing it?" Jaster said at his right.

"I don't know. Look, they're moving, and they've changed direction."

The Aliscowri followed the man and his demon, heading west instead of north, towards the site of Galenous' fall. Maybe they were curious and simply wanted to investigate. Or perhaps there was something sinister awaiting them.

Maestro Carlain sighed. "We best watch from afar. Tell the others to help pack up camp, we're not staying here that long after all."

--

Blend led the Aliscowri across the plains, headed towards the place he'd seen Galenous and the Val'nothe come to earth. The Iltorian walked at his left, its head lifted high and proud as it strutted beside the sailor. The Aliscowri followed behind him. They were a frightening lot. The scariest were the children - Dead Seed, they called them. Sorcerers. They were conceived in the most horrifying of fashions, for their mothers had taken a man in combat and killed them, taking the dying seed from the dying men, thus giving birth to those vile monsters. It was said they grew a hundred times quicker than a man, and were born with ancient knowledge of dark rituals.

They led the Aliscowri, and he led them. They marched until they came upon the site of Galenous' fall. A deep trench had been carved into the earth where Galenous had crashed to the ground. Blend crouched to pick up a pebble. The stone had been hardened, warped, and Blend took the curiosity and placed it in his pouch. He started heading towards the obvious resting place of Galenous when he noticed her.

She was a stunningly beautiful woman, with hair the color of night and eyes the color of cooling embers. Blend felt insatiable desire swelling in his groin the instant he laid eyes on her. He knew the desire was as much due to the fact she had killed a god and now stood in his resting place as it was due to her curves and wickedly red eyes. He'd long ago come to accept that power was as attractive as a slim figure, and this woman was no exception to that rule.

She had noticed them and her vibrant gaze was locked with his. Blend walked forwards, the three-legged Iltorian at his side, but the Aliscowri stayed back, their wide eyes filled with caution and fear.

"My lady," Blend said in the common tongue as he approached her, bowing his head. "My name is Jelaephon Delai, but I go by the name Blend. I.. well, we.." he waved a hand behind him at the Aliscowri, "are followers of the great Tempesturo, God of Chaos, Lord of the Sun. His guardians sent us here... Why, I am not sure."

The Iltorian hissed and clicked, and the ancient tongue of the demon poured into Blend's mind - and surely Terra's as well.

"Who... What are you, God Slayer? Why have we been brought here?" The grating voice in Blend's mind sounded irritated as the Iltorian stared fearlessly at Terra with one alien eye.

Quinn Redmont was a listener. There were very few who knew that about him. His mother picked up on at after a while. She would notice how his attitude would change towards someone after a conversation that neither of them could have possibly hear. He would become quiet and just listen, conversations that most couldn't make out he learned to tune in to and could hear almost as if he'd been there with them.

Most people now took his silence to be a sort of "zen, at one with the universe" thing, however it wasn't. He was just focusing on everything around him. It was also how he was able to move a bit faster than most. He could hear the sound of swords being drawn and move to block before they left their sheath. The whole time Deanna had been making a scene with the guard in front of Alerion's door, he'd been listening.

Another thing most seemed to forget, at least recently, was that he was a werewolf. Deanna hadn't been the only one to smell Maxim Redmont, his brother, in Alerion's chambers, and he felt the shift in her emotions as soon as she'd noticed it. As Victor and Wish left the room, he watched Deanna and noted the cool welcome from the duo that they got. He hadn't expected much better from them. How could he? Both he and Deanna had threatened to kill Victor.

What had Quinn bothered though wasn't the way they'd parted from them, but the way Deanna had shooed him away like he was a child. As if he didn't know why she had done it, or where she was going. He went as if to follow Wish and Victor, however he didn't need to prime them for information, he already knew what they'd been tasked to do. He didn't do what most would have thought a mate would do either, he didn't follow Deanna. He knew where she was going, but decided to let her go. Things where going to get busy again soon, but later he'd talk to her.

The Redeemer wouldn't say that he wasn't worried about his relationship with his mate, quite the contrary. He was nervous as hell about it. Things had happened so fast between the two of them that he sometimes felt that De was having second (and third and forth and fifth) thoughts about it. When she was done speaking to Maxim she'd return to him, but how she'd return he wasn't sure. Would she still be his mate? Or would she have decided that she belonged with his brother? Only time would tell.

Unfortunately since he didn't have to follow the new guards to find out what their mission was, it meant that Quinn had a lot of time to kill. Oh, if only he had something more substantial to murder he'd feel much better. Of course that was when he found himself in the middle of the adage "Be Careful What You Wish For, You Might Just Get It".

The castle shook and the sound of falling stone could be heard, it wasn't that far away. A small smile played across his face as the last living Redmont took off down the hall. He passed two guards who stood stock still, frozen in fear, and as he rounded the corner he saw why. The remaining section of the hall fell down several stories as a tail larger than anything he'd ever seen finished swiping through the walls as if they were nothing.

Turning back around, Quinn went to the guards, grabbed their swords, "Thank you sirs, I'll bring them back to you if I can." he said, not waiting to see if they'd say or do anything before taking back down the hall. He twirled them so that he was holding them in a reverse grip, and just as he got to the part of the hallway that was falling, he saw the beast poke it's head in. The werewolf let out a battle cry as he leapt at the monster, his newly acquired swords flying out to dig into the monster's flesh.

The blades dug deep, however almost as soon as they pierced the skin, the wounds started healing. Moving quicker, Quinn used his swords to climb to the Val`nothe's back, and then once there to stay on. Working his way to the top of the monster's head, he stopped for a second, digging the swords in deeper. It was amazing, almost like riding the world's largest dragon. Now the question was, what to do from here. Sometimes it was better to think before acting. Damn, Deanna might be pissed.

Deanna made no attempt whatsoever to approach Maxim as the words began to pour from his lips. For once she remained perfectly silent as well, never interrupting, merely standing as motionless as possible, her hands clasped behind her back as she listened intently.

Before she even began her greeting to him, if one could call it that, she had taken note that gone was the crimson cloak that had become a part of him, only to be replaced by the verdant armor that she knew to be that of Jade City. She almost smiled at the thought of Maxim Redmont as a soldier for the neighboring City, though found it difficult to believe he was taking orders instead of giving them. No, Maxim was no follower, not at all. Deanna assumed he obtained a rather high ranking position from the Mayor himself. Indeed it pleased her to see him once more in the leadership role that he was born for, yet she did not smile.

If Maxim knew she was coming, and chances were excellent on that, he might have figured that Deanna would be spoiling for a fight, and why wouldn't he? There were countless times in their past tht Deanna had unleashed her fiery temper upon him whether he deserved it or not.

Not tonight.

She braced herself for the hurt that began to swell inside her heart, the pain that came from his chastisement (which was expected), and the immense guilt that she felt as a result (which was not). Still, Deanna managed not to visibly flinch as every word of truth he flung, lashed at her, stripping her very soul naked and bleeding to leave her vulnerable inside.

She could not allow him to bear witness to the turmoil of emotions that raged within. Her pride would not allow it. Not again.

Never again.

Even as he stripped the armor away and left himself vulnerable, even as she was dying inside and felt the tightness in her throat, the tears that pricked at her eyes that forced away, she still would not break. Deanna realized that although she had allowed herself to love Maxim, and perhaps even allow him to express his love in return, she had guarded herself fiercely from him to truly let him in.

She couldn't out of fear it would destroy her.

Deanna understood the damage that had been done to her long before she even met Maxim. Sadly, he was paying the price for another's betrayal against the shifter. Had always paid the price. Deanna realized, perhaps the for first time ever, that despite her love for Maxim (and deep down she knew she would always love him), despite her closeness with him, she had never, ever, truly let him close enough to ruin her. Hurt her yes, but destroy her? No.

They never had a fighting chance, and it was not his fault no matter how many times she attempted to blame him.

It was hers.

Finally Maxim fell silent, gauging her reaction to his heartfelt confession.

For the longest time Deanna said nothing, merely regarded him with those fey amber orbs. He had gone through some terrible times, some worse than others, and there were moments that Deanna wasn't sure he would ever recover. Looking at him now, she knew that slowly, but most definetly, Maxim was healing and taking charge of his life once more.

He was moving forward in life, while Deanna was standing still.

This revelation was a crushing blow to Deanna, yet she could hardly lie to herself.

After several agonizingly silent minutes, she finally worked up the courage to approach him. Deanna studied his features as she stood before him, and even raised a hand to brush a lock of dark hair from his forehead. That touch alone caused her hand to tremble, but Deanna took a deep breath to steady herself before her lips parted to speak.

“You're right.”

If Maxim was surprised by her admission, Deanna didn't notice for she continued speaking before she lost her nerve.

“I made a mess of things, of us.” Her brows drew together as she struggled to find the right words to say. “I just thought....” Her words trailed off as she shook her head, a small tight smile was forced. “It doesn't matter what I thought. I was wrong, and I am sorry. I truly am.”

The pad of her thumb brushed along the edge of his lower lip before she leaned in closer and pressed her lips against his in a gentle kiss that was over before it even begun. Deanna drew away and stepped back, knowing if she didn't, she would be unable to keep up the pretense of a calm outward composure.

Her smile was sad before she turned on her heel and walked away, grabbing her helm in hand. She found herself near the stairs before she paused, her head turned slightly to the side for her parting words.

“Green was always my favorite color. It suits you.” Deanna would not wait for him to respond before hurredly making her way down the stairwell of the clocktower. When she finally stepped outside into the City, she slipped her helm on, though she made no move to head back to the castle yet.

Deanna took a few minutest to reflect upon her actions, her choice of words in response to Maxim. She wasn't sure if that was the bravest thing she had ever done, or the most stupid. There was no going back this time, for Maxim had made it painfully clear they could not keep torturing themselves. It wasn't fair to either of them. Deanna closed her eyes. She couldn't imagine a life without him, though. Would he forget about her? Find another to warm his heart, to make him smile, to share in the closeness that he reserved for so very few?

Deanna couldn't mentally debate over any of these questions, for it was then she heard the terrible sound of the world crashing down upon them.

Her head whipped in the direction of Alerion's castle, eyes widening impossibly wide as she watched with horror a creature she had never seen or heard of before begin its chaotic reign of destruction. When Deanna finally recovered from the shock, she felt herself propelled forward as she ran toward the castle at breakneck speed. Quinn was in there! For a split second she wondered if Maxim had heard the commotion as well, but never bothered to turn around to see if he followed.

She heard the screams before actually seeing those who were making the terrifying sounds. People were scrambling about wildly, madly, in a rush to escape the castle to seek shelter elsewhere.

Somewhere safer, if there was such a place.

Deanna knew there was nowhere safer as she began shoving her way through the frantic crowd. It was useless to scream Quinn's name since it was doubtful he would hear her above the sounds of stone and wood smashing and people's screams. The sword she had borrowed was in hand, though Deanna couldn't recall drawing it, as she sprinted toward the epicenter of the destruction, the hellbeast that mysteriously appeared was hovering above her.

The creature was as foul as anything could possibly be, its wingspan was wide enough that it nearly blocked the illuminating silvery glow of the moon. It was thrashing about wildly and Deanna had to throw herself out of the way of its incoming mighty tail that slammed once more into a solid stone wall, sending chunks of rock flying. Deanna cursed as she brushed debris off herself and managed to scurry to her feet and retrieve the sword that had she had dropped.

The sounds of Alerion's guard were heard shouting directions and orders. She could see some flooding the area, weapons in hand, identical looks of shock and horror on their faces as they were unsure of how to handle the situation and kill such a beast while avoiding their own deaths.

Then she saw him. Riding that flying behemoth like it was a bucking stallion. Driving his swords into its head. Deanna stared at him open-mouthed with equal parts of fascination, fear, and undeniable trepidation.

Quinn was digging his swords deeper into the beast's head. Was he fucking insane? Deanna wasn't sure how to proceed either. Every once in while, the dragon like creature would find itself close enough for Deanna to leap at it and strike at it with her sword, but her actions seemed futile.

She turned to glare at the Alerion guard, focusing on someone who appeared to have authority and snapped at him.

“Well? Are you just going to stand there and watch him attack it on his own? Let's go kill this thing!”

Deanna let out a battle cry which was soon followed by the guard as they rushed forward to aid Quinn. Now whether this creature was killable, was an entirely different matter.

Had Terra expected the company of the Aliscowri, Blend and the Iltorian? The Aliscowri for sure, but not Blend and the Iltorian. Perhaps, Terra thought, the undead creatures needed a guide. Either way, it did not concern her. Terra was going to take what she had come here for and no one was going to attempt to stop her, unless they wished for the same fate as the many souls she had already taken.

After Blend spoke, Terra tilted her head at him briefly, both curious and amused at his words. She sheathed her dual swords at her hips and then took a few confident steps towards the sailor. She stood silent for a moment, inspecting him and the Iltorian, raven colored hair blowing gently in the breeze before she spoke.

"Jelaephon Delai," she said repeating his name almost as if to remember it, "let me tell you a secret that the guardians did not tell you." With that, she leaned forward towards Blend, her cheek brushing against his own, her lips barely an inch away from his earlobe. She then whispered to him in a fashion as if she was his mistress or lover, which Terra was sure did not help the already obvious and apparent lust he had by just glancing upon her. Her words, nevertheless, were ones that Blend most likely would not want to hear or come to terms with. "There is no such thing as Tempesturo. You follow a false God; there is only me."

After this revelation, Terra took a step back from Blend, allowing the man to catch his breath. She turned her attention towards the Iltorian, the glowing demon, as it hissed and clicked at her trying to communicate. She knew very well what it was trying to say as the beast's words, annoyed and irritated, poured into her mind. It stared at her without fear and hesitation and she regarded the Iltorian with the same gaze.

"You have been brought here to bring me the Aliscowri," Terra replied. No wonder why even the strongest of the Aliscowri looked fearful.

Terra pushed past the Iltorian and Blend and stepped through the crowd of Aliscowri. Immediately, they parted to two sides, making a path that she could walk through. When she was past the ranks of the Aliscowri, she turned to face all of them. Her hands lifted into the air for a moment and she simply waved, beckoning the Aliscowri forward. All at once, the cautious looks on their faces changed. Those fearful eyes seemed to change into ferocious ones, their appearance hungry and insatiable which was not uncommon for the Aliscowri.

"I am taking them home now," Terra called over the heads of the Aliscowri, her voice reaching Blend and the Iltorian.

And just like that, she turned on the heel of her armor plated boots and headed in the direction of Grand City. She could see from a distance the city was already been rampaged and destroyed by the Val`nothe. Terra and the Aliscowri would add the finishing touches. Not for a moment did she ever think that Blend or the guardian demon would make an attempt to stop her. If they did, they would instantly regret their actions. She would have nothing stand in her way to return Aleris to the way it was as she once knew it so long ago - destroyed, dead and utterly abandoned.

Whatever Terra was, she had killed a god. Blend knew it was useless to defy her. Yet when she declared Tempesturo false, his eyes flared with rage and Blend had to bite back a cruel response. As she took command of the Aliscowri and began to head north, his temper was fueled further, and he finally wheeled on the Iltorian and declared "Who the hell does she think she is?!"

The Iltorian sounded amused as it responded. "She thinks she is a god. And it may be she is correct."

"But she said Tempesturo is a false God!"

"When was the last time you laid eyes on the Lord of Summer?"

"Well.. Never.. but I've seen the crystal bear. I saw Chaos. I saw you."

"You know as well as I that Chaos is ever changing. Perhaps Tempesturo himself has changed."

"...Could Tempesturo be dead, like Galenous?"

"It is possible that woman killed him herself." The Iltorian didn't seem bothered. Its tail flickered, sending off wisps of smoke that twirled towards the sky.

"Then shouldn't we take revenge?"

"Chaos will never die. These recent events that have evolved so unpredictably only proves this. Chaos is thriving."

Blend mulled over his words as he watched the Aliscowri march towards the Grand City. "Well, that certainly changes things.." he muttered finally, his head buzzing with confusion.

"It changes nothing. We are still followers of Chaos, like the Aliscowri. We have a purpose here. That woman is our purpose.. or so it would seem. We are the sword that will pierce the stone heart of that fortress. For her or for Tempesturo, it matters not."

"Then we'd best catch up. A sword's no use lying idle and forgotten."

--

Maestro Carlain watched with nervous eyes as the Aliscowri headed towards the Grand City. The Iltorian and his companion had caught up to the small army, and the cool glow of the demon lit the way as the frightening force prepared to attack the castle.

The sorcerous Dead Seed were at the front, walking with Blend, the demon and the God-slaying woman. They were followed by the deadly cannibals that birthed them, who marched more like an army than a band of monsters.

Ail spoke up. "They're getting ready to attack. Look, over there. The archers on the wall. The castle is preparing a defense." But as the watched, the Val'nothe flew over the wall, crashing through the men that manned a defense. Bodies and stones tumbled from the castle as the Val'nothe screeched, before wheeling back to the fortress and falling out of view. From here, Carlain couldn't make out the man on the monsters back, Quinn nothing more than a grey speck.

"They're not going to be able to defend while that monster is loose," Maestro Carlain noted sadly. "An enemy within, and an enemy without."

"The Grand City is going to be rubble in a fortnight," Ail lamented. "We have to do something!"

Maestro Carlain nodded. "Send Halin back to Jade City. Ask for riders, tell them about the Aliscowri and the Val'nothe and Galenous."

"They'll take a day to return, at least, and their mounts will be unrested."

"If the city can hold out that long, I'm sure their help will be appreciated.. And if the fortress falls, then that Val'nothe and the Aliscowri will have won, and the city will be in need of liberation."

Ail nodded his consent, his bald head glistening with sweat. "Fair enough. I'll see to it." He turned away.

Maestro Carlain motioned over Uskul. The man was heavily built, with deep brown eyes and a frightening scowl that never seemed to go away. His armor was dented and scratched, but solid and finely wrought. Uskul's wife had been killed by the Aliscowri, and he joined Maestro Carlain with an eager glint of vengeance in his eyes.

"Uskul.. Take five men, and rally villagers from anywhere nearby. Halin will be going towards the Jade City. I know there are several holdfasts littering the roads between Joi and the Grand City - go to them, find anyone fit to wield a sword, and get as many horses as you can find. We'll want them soon too. Every minute we waste may be another innocent life ripped to shreds by that Val'nothe."

"When I saw its head from its body, I'll pick the innocent from its wicked teeth." Uskul made a gesture with his sword then headed off, barking out commands.

For once in a lifetime, Maxim Redmont was genuinely surprised by her sudden admission. It wasn't what he had been expecting, and it signaled that there was indeed an end of sorts coming. When he felt her warm fingers brush away a lock of dark hair from his ashen features, there was a brief smile -- it reminded him of better times.

It reminded him of the past, and he knew that the time for regrets was over.

"No, the blame can't fall on you alone, Deanna..." His words were cut off, and he fell silent as she continued to speak. This wasn't simply difficult for her -- he knew that ending something, even when it couldn't truly be defined by words, was always the hardest road... and often, the only one. When the first distant sound of thunder echoed through the nearly ruined tower, and she pressed her lips against his own in a last kiss suited for them, Maxim closed his eyes and glanced away for a moment. When he looked back, she was at the stairs, pausing to look back at him and utter those final words.

"Green was always my favorite color. It suits you."

And just like that, Deanna Di`Corvino stepped out of his life in a way that would only be understood by those who had endured the same thing.

We were over before we ever even began... I wonder if she'll ever know how much I love her, and always will. The thought remained there in his mind, no matter how hard he tried to focus on something else, and he finally lowered his head in defeat. Inwardly, he knew they'd still be close, as she was one of the few he trusted with his life, but something was irrevocably changed. He turned, and glanced around one final time -- the location was a bittersweet reminder of how many things had ended at a similar place, often by his hand -- and this time, he had no control over it.

Maxim finally moved towards the stairs, and the past was left behind with those last words that she'd never hear.

"I'm sorry, Deanna."

Minutes later, after a quick departure from that decaying tower...

"You promised me you wouldn't do that again, Maxim! You just, just... went dark on me. I can't explain it, but every time I sense that you're... gone, I don't know what to do. Why do you constantly block me out, like I'm still some enemy who you have to guard yourself fr-"

"I will do as I see fit. I'm rather surprised you haven't realized this by now," he interrupted, as he moved along the rooftops quietly. Well, as quietly as possible until his unlikely companion decided to show up out of a peculiar interest in his safety. After a moment, he stopped and turned back to glance at her, that jade-colored sash twisting and fluttering in the breeze. "When we formed this unlikely and rather dangerous alliance, I made it quite clear that I do not trust you and most certainly will not answer to you. Our past is one of several that I had buried until you reappeared, which is an issue you won't talk about. If you have your secrets, then so shall I -- and know this," he paused, actually going so far as to step forward and stand before her, "I may have forgiven you, but that does not mean I've forgotten what you did."

Her bright emerald-colored eyes were alight with both guilt and almost psychopathic anger as she brought one hand up and slapped him as hard as she possibly could -- and he barely even flinched. She tried for a second time, and this time his hand caught her wrist less than an inch from his face, far more quickly than she had expected. "I can't forgive myself, Maxim Redmont. Do you realize how long I've had to regret it? To wish that I could go back and undo it all, just because I can see what I was blind to the first time around?" There was genuine hurt in her eyes as she tried to express her honesty, and yet he just gave her a bitter, mocking smile.

"Somehow, I doubt your sincerity is anything but self-serving. I've had a very long night, and I don't need you with your suspicion and false pretense of caring for me," he finally snapped, shoving her hand down and shaking his head in disgust -- he was already bitter about something that she knew nothing about, and that much was rather obvious. When the first drops of rain began to fall and the sudden flash of lightning illuminated her completely, something he saw in her expression caused him to soften his attitude, if only a bit. "Trust is built and earned, not handed over suddenly simply because redemption is sought. You don't trust me enough to explain how you're here, again..."

She was quiet, and he could still see that she was silently enraged by the way she averted her gaze and folded her arms defensively, but their brief moment was interrupted by an unholy roar, and the sound of a massive crash as the Val`nothe came into view, smashing through everything in its path. The glaive was spun around and Maxim was already turning to face the scene of chaos and destruction before he felt her hands wrapping tightly around a part of his arm that wasn't protected by armor.

"No, Maxim. This isn't your fight, you have another responsibility with-"

"Wasn't it you who suggested I follow my heart and help defend this land? If there's a war coming, then it is my fight, and you know it. But now, as I agreed with your suggestion... do this for me. Leave now, and find somewhere safe, away from this. When it's over... we'll talk more," he finally stated, and she simply glared at him in response momentarily. When he turned away from her, she shook her head and clenched her fists, barely able to quell her own anger at his suggestion that she wasn't ready to fight alongside him.

"Fine. This time, I'll leave and pine for my dearest soldier who's gone off to battle. But I promise you this: you're going to wish you had me at your side, and I'm going to laugh when you have to admit that you needed me," she snapped, and before he could reply with a scathing remark of his own, she was already gone. He sighed, and watched for a moment as the monster began tearing its way through the city -- once he realized what path it was taking, he looked back at the spot where the woman had been, wondering if she had somehow drawn its attention...

It was headed straight for the building he stood on, and he couldn't help but be reminded of one of his first adventures when he was younger, when he had first met and befriended Verial Akilara. "Shades of the destruction of Oneiro... where is Verial when we need him?"

His reflexes were as sharp as ever; he ended up sprinting across the rooftop until he hit the edge, and he began to move along that ledge just as quickly -- when the Val`nothe's head crashed through it, Maxim lunged for the wing and dug the blade of the glaive into it. When he pulled himself up, he dashed across the creature's shoulder, and then stopped entirely when he saw who was also riding the unkillable abomination from Crystal Lake -- his own brother, Quinn.

"I'm going to bypass asking what you're doing up here, and instead... have you got any kind of plan, or are we going to have to make this up as we go along?" the undead Redmont asked, with a slight grin even as he used the glaive to keep steady as the creature twisted and crashed through every possible obstacle. Seeing the opportunity, Maxim moved a bit closer as he found he had something rather important to say to Quinn -- something that just couldn't wait, as far as the former slayer was concerned.

"She loves you, Quinn. Whatever you think of me is simply what will be, and I accept that -- but don't you dare ever hurt her... or there will be hell to pay, brother."

You're going to regret this, you know?

Oh, I don't doubt it in the slightest, but how can I not step in? If there's a chance that I could redeem myself for what happened back then in Oneiro, I think this would be it.

Well, if nothing else, it should be a fun evening, no?

An amused snicker of the dragon inside Verial was followed by silence. Verial was outside when the destruction of Grand City had happened. At first, all he could see was fire lighting up the sky and reaching nearly towards the heavens. Then as Verial used his raven feathered wings to get higher, landing on the roof of his cottage in the Villa, he was both amazed and stunned to see the terror that was wrecking Grand City.

The Villa was quite a distance off from the main city, but Verial was able to see everything that was going on. Buildings were being leveled, the castle was on its way to complete demolishment and his sensitive, elvish hearing picked up on the screams and anguished cries of people. There was no doubt about it - this was Oneiro all over again.

As Verial watched, reliving both past and present, he was unaware his hands were clenched into tight fists. His hands only un-tightened when he realized what he must do. The people of Grand City needed something that would defend them, something that was equal in size to the shadowy, nightmarish beast that attacked the city. Though this serpentine creature appeared to be nearly three times the size of Verial's dragon form, he found himself not being able to stand idly by any longer.

And so, changing into his dragon form and spreading black leather like wings, Verial took off into the sky that suddenly seemed to open up with rain and lightening. It did not take him long to get to Grand City; unbeknownst to most, his dragon was actually quite fast and something told him he would be relying on that speed after he did what he was about to do.

Hovering above the castle, he kept his distance for a short while, surveying the chaos beneath him. After all, he was sure the Alerian guard would try to attack him as well. Seeing a dragon circling the city as the Val`nothe was attacking would only top the whole situation off. Verial had to wait for just the right opening when not only an attack would be effective, but when he would gain the city's trust as well - when they would know he was not here to attack them as well.

It also became apparent that he needed to get some of the folks off of the Val`nothe before he could attack. Some people, rather crazy ones at that, had jumped on the back of the monster and were making an attempt to attack it, namely going for its head and wings. These advances enraged the beast, but Verial was not surprised when he saw who was directly engaging the creature. Maxim and Quinn. Part of Verial wanted to laugh, but he needed to get them out of there. Verial thought that if Quinn and Maxim were killed, he might have to deal with Deanna's wrath as well, which was something he did not fancy doing.

Seizing an opportunity, Verial swooped in and grabbed up Quinn and Maxim in his talons, setting them down on one of the nearest walls that still surrounded the castle and wasn't destroyed. Without another word, Verial turned around and using as much speed as he could, flew back in the direction of the serpentine beast. Thankfully, the Val`nothe had been too busy rampaging the castle and city that it had never noticed Verial diving towards it.

Verial latched on as best as he could, digging his talons into the flesh of the creature. Even as he did that, Verial could feel the beast trying to slither and lash away, whipping and twisting its snake-like body around. The impact from Verial hitting the Val`nothe sent the two of them tumbling away from the city in a vicious frenzy of claws, teeth and wings. Buildings that were already on fire were leveled as the two rolled towards the edge of the Hinewai Harbor.

Verial was aware that his scales had been sliced and cut up, but thankfully the wounds were not too deep and were easily able to be healed. Nevertheless, as soon as he thought this, the Val`nothe had swept its head around and clamped onto Verial's side with its teeth. A roar coming from Verial's throat broke through the night air, one that was both wounded and at this point, enraged.

Focus. Don't worry about it.

Easy for you to say.

As the two gigantic beasts came to a rolling stop at the edge of Hinewai Harbor, Verial kicked the serpent off of him with his back legs, flipping it into the air. Verial felt more scales rip from where the creature's jaws were once latched on his side. Holding in a pained breath, Verial pushed himself back up with his wings and turned to face the shadowy monster. It seemed to wear a near victorious glint in its eye and smirk on its face, if that was possible at all.

Verial wanted to rip that grin right off the Val`nothe's face, but he needed to do what his dragon had asked him to do. To focus. Before Verial knew it, he was sucking in a much needed breath and converting that air into something else inside of him. When he released that breath aimed towards the Val`nothe, what was first a roar turned into an energized blast. One usually expects fire from a dragon, but from Verial came some dark and unexpected magic, black and purple crackling energy that formed in a shape similar to a comet. The energy shot out towards the Val`nothe, hitting it square in the face and part of its neck. The smirk that was once there was wiped from the creature's face as it was thrown out a few miles into the depths of the sea.

Part of Verial was stunned, as he had no idea he could do such a thing.

Well done.

Why didn't you tell me I could do that sooner?

You didn't need to know sooner.

The obsidian colored dragon watched the dark seas that surrounded Grand City. For now, the creature was quiet beneath the water, but Verial was damn sure the Val`nothe was not dead. He was pretty certain during the whole fight that the beast was healing itself somehow. Verial's attacks might have been basically worthless. His side was bleeding, but Verial dared not to shift back as he would be worse off in his more "human-like" form. The rain poured over his scales trying to wash away the blood, but like a vigilant protector, Verial kept his odd colored eyes on the ocean. Hopefully he had bought Grand City some more time to prepare for a second attack.

They certainly needed it - and so did he.

After Victor and Wish made it down to the castle's armory, they spent a few minutes chatting and walking about debating what to take for their trip to Joi. This shopping trip was momentarily paused as the two were distracted by each other. In the armory, Wish and Victor both fell onto the comfort of a dark blue couch that was lined with velvet. Wish was lying on top of Victor, her legs straddled about his waist and their lips locked together when the world around them basically exploded.

Victor looked up at her, both of them pulling their lips reluctantly away from each other, his hands still burrowed beneath the fabric of Wish's shirt, his fingertips on her skin. Wish listened hardly believing it. Victor wasn't the only one who had heard the noises. Not far off, frequent explosions and the sound of stone crumbling to pieces could be heard. The castle was under attack.

"It wasn't my fault," Victor said.

Wish nodded, but in the same instant she was pushing off of Victor, his hands sliding away from her chest, and helping him to stand. It was evident that they were no longer safe in the armory. However, she wasn't quite sure what was going on, so as she was fixing her shirt and smoothing down her clothes, she raised her gossamer-like wings and flew over to the one small window in the armory.

It didn't take her long to find the source of the disaster. Outside in the night was a black, serpent-like creature attacking the castle and the city. It was perhaps the biggest beast she had ever seen, easily three times the size of an adult dragon. Fire was blazing in the castle's courtyard and its towers were also aflame. Wish imagined the city was no better off. If Victor had been watching her, he would be able to see that her mouth was open in horror, which she eventually clamped two hands over. She noticed her hands were shaking slightly, mostly due to all the death, screaming and destruction suddenly around them. As a healer, you sometimes felt death and pain from the souls of others more strongly. This was the case for Wish.

What a great time to sign up for Grand City's army.

She was about to turn around to Victor and tell him that they needed to get out of the armory and the castle when the walls around them were broken through. The armory was burst open and the stone walls came crumbling down as the Val`nothe swung its tail toward it. This explosion had Wish and Victor tumbling out of the way, avoiding stone and falling rock the best they could. Weapons and armor fell from shelves and clattered to the floor. In all of this, Wish was ducking on the ground, her arms over her head, olive colored eyes searching for Victor wherever he was.

"Victor?!" she tried to call out over the noise caused by debris being thrown everywhere. However, her attempt to find him was promptly cut off when a sword that had fallen plunged through her back, impaling her through the stomach. For a brief second, she let out a wounded cry and then she was silent and unmoving as her blood poured onto the armory's floor.

Wish had thought she was dead. In fact, she could have sworn she was on the receiving end of a black wave washing over her. Then strangely, her eyelids were fluttering open and she was wearily reaching for the blade that was lodged in her back. Evidently she couldn't reach the hilt, so she just grabbed the sword by the blade and pulled it out, the weapon clanging noisily to the floor. Sure, her hands would be cut up pretty bad, but at the moment, she didn't know what else to do.

It took her a few minutes to realize just what was happening. The reason she had awoken from her "death" was because her body was healing itself. She felt the hole that had pierced her stomach and back slowly start to close, the blood no longer flowing. When she looked at her hands, the gashes she had made when grabbing the sword were also gone. Wish's body had never involuntarily healed on its own and then it dawned on her that Deanna's saliva, when the therianthrope had forced herself on Wish on the roof to heal her, was still present in her system. Though Wish's body rejected that therianthrope virus, it was certainly using its restorative properties to its advantage.

Thank the Gods for Deanna, Wish thought.

Now, however, was not the time for cheering. As the world of the living once more came flowing back to her, Wish's thoughts were on Victor and she found him laying on his side across the other end of the room. Since the Val`nothe had diverted its attention elsewhere, Wish hurriedly moved across the room to him, sliding back down onto her knees next to his side. Wish shook Victor lightly and then gathered him up into her arms, looking him over.

"Victor, are you okay? Wake up," Wish said her voice partially caught in her throat. "Please, be alive."

Wish's attention was briefly diverted from her lover as she heard a loud roar parting through the shouts and screams from the Grand City residents. Since nearly the entire armory had been leveled and there was a now large open spot on one end of the room, this gave her a much wider view of the destruction going on outside. Wish's mouth dropped open; the roar that had sounded came from an obsidian scaled dragon that was currently knocking the Val`nothe out of the way.

Though she had not seen him in quite sometime, Wish knew that dragon from anywhere.

"Verial."

The sun was setting, and the sky was burning with crimson and gold. Smoke drifted from the turrets of the besieged castle as fire spread within, ignited by the chaos that the Val'nothe spread. A bird flew across the sky, oblivious to the massacre going on below.

Chaos.. It's so fickle.

One moment, there is life and beauty. The next, death and disorder.

Ternal the Kharl'at reflected on these things as he drifted through the ocean near the Grand City. The last of his kind, the creature had spent nearly six hundred years drifting through the cold oceans of Aleris, and his breed was evolved for speed and agility to hunt fish. The flightless oceanic dragon was black as the deepest parts of the seas he'd spent his life in, and red spines protruded down the length of his spine and along his brows. His right wing had been partially damaged, but the tattered limb hardly affected his swimming as he weaved gracefully through the water. The dragon worried less about his healed scars and more about Chaos.

He was reminded of the images of good and evil, life and death, even the seasons. Often they were wheels or spirals, ying and yang, the forces connected and reliant on each other. Chaos was everything those images implied.

It was predictable, then, and in a way that made Chaos a part of Order. After this destruction, there would be peace. In fact, it was inevitable. The only question was how long?

He wondered also about Tempesturo. The revelations Djarin showed him revealed nothing about the purpose of the god and he was drowned in questions. Was Tempesturo really the god and therefor creator of all chaos? How would one prove that? How does one prove that chaos is even real? How does one measure chaos? Is it simply the absence of a pattern? Which pattern?

No wonder Tempesturo was known as an insane god. Every thought Ternal had led to another mystery.

His thoughts were broken as the Val'nothe flew overhead. Smoke roiled off its flesh as it plummeted towards the ocean, clearly stunned by Verial's attack. Ternal didn't have much time to think. This was it! He whipped his large eel-like tail of ebony and crimson and flapped through the ocean, charging.

Under the water, the sinking Val'nothe appeared stunned. It dwarfed Ternal, but the Kharl'at unleashed a blast of sorcery from his roaring mouth regardless. The dragon produced frenzied, violent magic - all matter of energy and material was unleashed. Ternal didn't want to give the Val'nothe a chance to react. He swept towards the stunned beast and aimed to sink his teeth into its neck, sorcery still pouring from his mouth.

Gods be good, Ternal thought as he got closer. Its eyes are opening..