A/N: This is the action chapter as planned, a little obvious but yeah… I hope it rocks anyway…

Disclaimer: I don't own GoT, and I very much doubt I ever will.

Isabel

Gone? Uh-oh, I don't like the sound of that. It's impossible that any of the powerful members of the order escaped after Lathenia was killed, they dropped like flies!

Then Arkarian whispers a word that chills me to the bone. "Keziah."

I question, "The wizard?"

Arkarian grunts in reply. I vaguely glimpse Lady Arabella running into the trees, but do nothing to stop her; I'm numb from fear. What if he comes for Arkarian next to kill the 'one that got away'?

Arkarian goes after her, reassuring me as he does. "I'll be fine, Isabel. Remember your job."

Ah yes, guarding Rochelle. I move over to her with a genuine question in my mind. "Do you think it could be Keziah?"

Rochelle shrugs. "Could be. He's lost his mistress and his long life will end soon, so he has motive, but then so do all the other members of the Order." She says rationally. What a change from her usual cynical self!

"You're probably-" My sentence is cut off by a shriek from the forest.

"ISABEL! ISABEL!"

The desperation of it sends me sprinting to the direction of the sound as fast as I can force my legs to move. The scene before me is one of my worst nightmares.

Lady Arabella is kneeling at the side of Arkarian, who lays unmoving with one of Ethan's golden arrows nearby. She's trying desperately to get his heart beating again, while sobbing almost as hard as she had for Lorian. I try to get to them but some force-field is preventing me from getting any closer.

"Oh my god…" Ethan breathes, directly behind me. I look behind to see that the named and the tribunal have followed me. Even Athenia has. In fact, the only one who hasn't is Dartemis.

I rip my weapon of light from its sheath and strike the force-field, but other than a few sparks, nothing happens.

"Matt, can you get me in there?" I ask seriously.

Matt replies, equally as serious. "I'll see what I can do."

Then I hear it.

That earth shattering roar I've dreaded for so long now.

So not even Neriah's lightning weapon has killed the monster. I'm beginning to wonder if he can die at all. The monster! Just 'cause he made a mess of his life doesn't mean he can make a mess of ours! I project these thoughts so everyone can hear them; I mean, why can't he just die?

Calm down Isabel, I tell myself, you don't have to touch to heal now.

I try to heal him, but Arkarian's not breathing. Arkarian, my soul mate, is dead. I watch Lady Arabella tying to resuscitate him pleading to her in my thoughts. If she can just get his heart beating, I can heal him, then everything will be alright again. But I know, deep down, that Arkarian has taken Rochelle's place.

Marduke laughs a laugh that makes rage bubble deep inside me until Ethan's hands on my shoulders are all that's stopping me from throwing myself at the force-field and pounding it down with my fists so I can exterminate that beast for good. "You're wasting precious time on him, Lady Arabella – or should I say, Lady Charlotte?"

"What, like I wasted my time and breath on you? I think not." Lady Arabella replies, without even pausing for a moment.

"Your fears are about to be realised." Marduke taunts. "He will die just like your soul mate. Both father and son are destined for a fate of a similar nature."

"Don't listen to him Isabel." Ethan instructs.

It's that line that brings tears to my eyes. I just can't help but to remember when I was healing Shaun's damaged heart and Arkarian said: "Don't listen to the poison that flows from Marduke's mouth."

Another voice jolts me out of this memory. "You think?" The conflict in the force-field has my immediate attention.

The force-field is now glowing, so the figures are distorted, as are the words, but I can see that Dartemis is now kneeling by Arkarian's side with glowing hands that he presses to Arkarian's forehead, like he's transferring energy to his nephew. Lady Arabella is standing up to face Marduke with a long sword in her hand. Marduke just laughs.

"You're wasting your strength on him. You're not strong enough to resurrect. Not here. Not now." Marduke states. "Two here will die today, but I would just love to eradicate you, immortal. Shame about that immortal killing immortal rule, eh? What do you think Lady Charlotte?"

"I think there's only one here who's destined to die today, and that being is you." Lady Arabella speaks with an air of authority and confidence about her words.

Marduke launches a blow at Lady Arabella, but she parries it with surprising speed. She smiles. "And to think, I once trusted you. I think we all did at one point, but you abused that trust. Shame you won't see your daughter again, eh?" She mimics.

Their swords clash. Lady Arabella fights fiercely but it's obvious that Marduke is gaining the upper hand as she tires. My attention goes from them to Arkarian and Dartemis. Arkarian's chest is rising and falling but I find that I can do nothing but watch as Dartemis sustains his life.

Suddenly, Marduke laughs: his blade has pierced Lady Arabella's shoulder, and while I can heal her so she's unharmed, she's still unarmed, as the force of this blow knocked her sword out of her hand. Marduke pins her to him, holding his blade to her throat.

"Tell them, my lady." He commands. "Tell them that you're not the honourable, trustworthy tribunal member they think you are! Tell them your secret. Tell them who you really are!"

"They are my colleagues. They don't know everything about my life, as I don't know everything about theirs. They must know that I too was a Guardian before I became a member of the tribunal, but it's none of their business if I changed my name." She retaliates, choking as Marduke tightens his hold on her.

"Tell them why!" Marduke instructs, pushing the blade closer to her throat.

"Because I was on the run from the Goddess." Lady Arabella answers calmly.

"Why was that?"

"She knew my identity and I was on the opposing side."

"Maybe it would help you tell the truth if I told you my little secret." Marduke hisses, smiling lopsidedly. "It was I who turned you in to the Goddess, and watched you take your last breath, hours after the Goddess herself had left, before I carried your body back to the citadel as a hero!"

Lady Arabella releases a cry of rage that burns through my body more than the words Marduke spoke. She grabs something from behind Marduke's back, turning on him, to pin him on the floor with a sharp object to his throat. The object is one of Ethan's arrows.

"Now, I'm going to do the same to you." She says in an acid tone.

Dartemis calls: "Through the heart! It'll be more painful!"

With one swift, fluid movement, she pierces Marduke's heart with the arrow, then steps back as he writhes on the ground, his blood painting the grass crimson. He roars in agony before his beastly form finally goes limp.

The distorting force-field fades with the life of its creator. I sprint to Arkarian with Athenia at my side. I'm vaguely aware the figure beside my broken soul mate walking away as I take one of Arkarian's hands and Athenia takes the other. I become aware of another healer's efforts when I'm trying to repair the vast amount of damage. Then it dawns on me that Athenia is a healer too. I let her know with my thoughts that I'm glad of her help.

She lets me know hers even though I'm not a truthseer. I appreciate your help too. We'll do a better and quicker job together.

With Arkarian healed but unconscious, I go to give my thanks to Dartemis while Athenia watches Arkarian for me. But the silver-haired figure isn't Dartemis.

It's Lorian.

A/N: Who couldn't see that coming? Tell me if you couldn't; I thought it was a bit too obvious. And I know I didn't kill anyone but I need Arkarian and Lorian for the next few chapters… and Lady Arabella.

Next chapter: a bombshell is dropped on the Guard (Not literally (yet)). I think you can all probably guess what it is.

Review and tell me what you think of this chapter, and what you think the bombshell is.

:-p I'll try to update soon.