The Doctor flicked switches and turned knobs on the Tardis half-heartedly he flew the Tardis out into deep space away from the Milky Way. But not fast enough to escape his memories and loss of Amy and Rory he played the scene over and over in his head try to figure out how to save them even though he knew it was impossible.
With a force of will he tore his thoughts away from his newest mental wound and onto where he would go next. Reading the temporal display screen he noticed that today was the day that the medusas cascade walls weakened. He allowed himself a small smile "well come on old girl one last adventure then I am hanging up my spurs" he flashed a manic grin and rushed about preparing the Tardis for its jaunt into a new universe. "Geronimo" He bellowed as he pulled the final lever and the Tardis took off once more into the unknown.
James was panicking as a guardsmen of Hebarras a small port city in Surda he had seen his share of pirates, raiders and the odd empire raiding ship. But these where new sails coming into port battered and storm worn the sheared sail propelled the black wood ship closer and closer towards the bay. the port authority scrambled preparing a defense on one hand and a welcome on the other. But old James felt a cold in his bones that went beyond the sight of these strange ships a primal fear that came from the darkest recess of his mind. He knew as the ships drew closer that they could not hope to stop what came on those ships. Turning from his post on the wall he ran as fast as his ageing legs could carry him to the signal tower. Put up to warn of an attack by the Empire by sea. It must now be lit to warn of this new threat
As he ran the small town became more and more active as the same dread that James felt spread to everyone else .some felt the need to laugh at the fear other tried to ignore it but the cowards the wise and those that had seen death knew and did what they could to prepare for what no one knew. By the time James had made it half way to the tower the ships had landed and the screaming began. Pure feral screams they spoke of a terror long forgotten in the conscious memories of man but their bodies remembered the hunter of the dark that now surged past the towns defense and slaughtered all in sight the town had no chance and anyone who could was running to what they had no idea only one thought consumed them to flee the terrors coming from those black ships.
Finally James panting and shivering made it to the signal tower abandoned by the guard the fire was not lit struggling James pushed though the raged door and grasped the nearby touch and climbed the stairs the screams of the dead and dying echoing in his ears? An old feeling sustained him now just as deep as the terror that still racked his body. a defiant spark was still there in that old soul that had seen so much. The demons may take his home and his life but by what gods there was they would not take the new free lands of Alagaesia unaware. As James struggled with the latch leading to the signal room he heard a sharp sound of metal on wood as the door flew apart cut in 2 . with a strength born from fear as much as courage James lifted the door and struggled with the final mechanism the footsteps flew up the stairs with impossible speed he had seconds before the demons arrived. with seconds to spare he stabbed the touch into the oil well lighting the flames and the signal was sent glaring out the window he saw the confirmation fire go up at the other tower and smiled his work was done.
He turned slowly towards the door and saw the demons that send terror shivering down his spine . it was arrayed in a strange black armor arrayed at angles with leather straps connecting the plate of metal. Its chest armor displayed a strange symbol writing of some sort that made James sick to see. But worse of all was the helmet a strange helm angular and elegant it masked what lay beneath. The figure looked around. Paying the old man no attention instead focusing on the signal machine . it made an a amused grunt as it guessed what its purpose was. It turned to the old man sizing him up resigned to his fate James drew his sword and held it in front of him in a vain gesture of defiance. Ignoring the sword the demon reached back and unlatched its helm.
With a gentle almost poetic motion it removed it helm reveling the most disturbing sight yet it looked human for the most part the shape and color was right but it felt wrong . it looked female with long black hair that was tied up behind it the eyes where black it had a kind of slicking beauty like that of a sharpened edge of a descending blade. ,it smiled and said something in a strange archaic language when he did not respond it stepped closer just out of his sword reach and studied the old man then without warning smacked his sword away with impossible speed and grasped him by the throat vainly James felt for his knife . And as death came to him a powerful force tore through his mind every secret, everything he knew was on display to this monster that masqueraded as a human. and in being read he realized what it was just before he fell to the void his last thought where "by the gods there are so many of them…"
Legion allowed the old man's body to fall as she sorted what she had found in that defiant old man's mind. she smiled and looked town on the glorious carnage of the unleashed fury of her troops "shades hmm "she said slowly trying out the new words taken from her victim "an apt name indeed".
