For what felt an age they ran, all the while Alladhiir constantly struggled with his weary wobbly legs and the horrific tiredness.

Every breath was a struggle, his lungs felt as though a cold, unbelievably strong hand held them in an iron grip.

Despite this, and how much heavier his armour was, Alladhiir was a good three metres ahead of Carlindil, who was struggling more than even Alladhiir. Alladhiir had always been a fast runner, even among the asur despite being of considerably shorter stature than most of his race. He was also much stronger and fitter than Carlindil due to spending many more hours than him working on physical fitness. Alladhiir was a dedicated warrior and martial artist outside of his more studious pursuits. Alladhiir couldn't help but wonder what Carlindil was before being conscripted into his grandmother's force. The word left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he couldn't think of any other that fit as well.

Carlindil collapsed, and Alladhiir stopped and turned back to the fallen archer, having to swallow the bile rising in his throat. Alladhiir allowed Carlindil a good ten minutes to recover as they fought for breath, but it was more for him than the archer.

Alladhiir felt like his lungs would burst, that his legs were made from grass.

He approached Carlindil. It was not far now, perhaps a bit under a kilometre, he still couldn't see the village through the hills, though.

As they start off again, it hit Alladhiir how insane this was. Here they were just the two of them running headlong into only Asuryan knew what. It was beyond illogical, what difference could they make? And on top of that it might not even have been the druchii, rather their daemonic allies.

But did it matter? Their people were in danger either way, they had to try, even if it cost them their lives.

That thought caused Alladhiir to straighten and he turned, grabbed the prone, exhausted Carlindil by the scruff of his neck and abruptly hauled him to his feet.

"We must move!" he snarled. "We haven't far to go!"

Alladhiir took a long swig of his flask and handed it to Carlindil, who managed a grateful nod before drinking it back, then they were running again. Alladhiir slowing to allow Carlindil to keep pace.

"I am sorry, Alladhiir," gasped Carlindil. "I am sorry for what I said."

He didn't reply, Alladhiir just clenched his teeth and kept on running.


They didn't make if very far before they were forced to drunkenly stumble the rest of the way.

After what felt like hours of this they the village finally came into view. Telleved was set deep in a large valley and was small, even by asur standards with a population barely over one hundred and fifty. Now it was all ablaze, the entire village utterly engulfed in a fire so intense it hurt Alladhiir's eyes, even from this distance.

For a while the two young asur could only stand, looking on such with overwhelming horror that their exhaustion was forgotten.

The stench was what brought them back to reality, the stench of charred, burnt flesh clogged in Alladhiir's throat and made his eyes water.

Dozens of asur dead were scattered all throughout the valley, numerous weapons laid everywhere. The locals must have taken up arms to defend their home but it was all for naught. Only a handful of druchii were scattered among them, much to Alladhiir's heartbreak.

Carlindil was the first to speak, "Alladhiir, we must look for survivors," the archer said his voice shaking and strained with emotion and he began to descend the hillside.

Alladhiir's eyes narrowed at Carlindil's back, why did he not do that earlier? But without further protest, he started after him.


Alladhiir paused to catch his breath and wiped the sweat from his face. He looked to the sky and again the Chaos moon. It was still four hours until sunrise and for Alladhiir, it couldn't come fast enough. He wasn't one for superstition but he was beginning to hate that moon and what it represented.

They had been searching through bodies for than an hour now and found nothing but dead upon dead upon dead. Alladhiir could count only thirty four druchii slain, the battle was ridiculously one sided and Alladhiir knew why, many of the asur had been burnt black and the fire was still raging away as strong as when they had arrived.

A sorceress was involved, she must have survived the battle on the pass. Her presence made the druchii remnants infinity more dangerous and their determination to hunt them down, even more insane. But just made it all the more important to hunt them down, all the more important they're stopped.

Alladhiir clenched his jaw and looked to Carlindil who was in the midst of checking another corpse.

"Carlindil!," he shouted over the deafening roar and crackle and pop of the witch fire.

Carlindil didn't seem to hear as he moved onto another body.

"Carlindil!" he yelled again, causing the archer's hooded attention to suddenly snap at him.

"We waste our time!" he roared, unperturbed.

The archer's expression darkened with rage so potent it took Alladhiir's breath away, but as quickly as it came, it was gone and his attention fell to the ground.

"W-what should we do?" stammered the archer sadly.

"We need to continue south!" he yelled. "This is Witch fire! There is a sorceress among them! Every second we waste searching here they gain ground to destroy the next village! We must move, now!"

Again, a expression of pure rage crossed Carlindil's features, but it was gone as quickly as came again. His wide eyes welling with tears

"Yes," he sighed. "I see the logic to your words, prince. I just pray that it will not be for naught."

Alladhiir couldn't help clench his jaw, wanting to say, it would be better if he did something rather than pray, but he held his tongue. He just hoped they would not leave anyone alive behind.


After scavenging the very few supplies they could, they were moving again.

In silence they set off at a brisk pace. Alladhiir dearly wished to run, but they were just too exhausted and they needed to conserve what little strength the had for the fight. He could only hope the druchii's numbers would slow them down enough for them to catch up.

Carlindil was annoyingly sullen, his attention set firmly downward, but he still kept up.

It wasn't until they were finally forced to sit down to eat, Alladhiir asked through gritted teeth.

"What...is...wrong?"

Carlindil hissed as though stung and his attention suddenly, finally snapped at Alladhiir. Glaring as though Alladhiir had just brazenly insulted his mother and he had to fight from withering from its intensity.

"You still haven't yet guessed?" he said.

Alladhiir could only purse his lips and shrug, taken aback by Carlindil's ire and finding himself unable to understand.

Then, much to Alladhiir's bemusement, Carlindil barked out an abrupt laugh, a bitter, patronising laugh.

"It is funny," he said. "For someone who claims to be so smart, they can be so stupid!"

"Well...please...enlighten...me," Alladhiir growled, fighting the urge to punch Carlindil in the face again. Something had upset him, something about that village and he gaped as the realisation hit him.

Carlindil smiled and shook his head, "yes! Finally! That was my village, the place where I was born and raised! Now do you understand?"

Alladhiir could only stammer syllables and it felt like an age before he could finally manage a, "I-I'm sorry."

Carlindil just glared at him and from then they ate on in silence.

It was Carlindil who was first on his feet.

"As much as it pains me to admit," he said. "You are right, prince. We must head on, we must stop the druchii before they claim more innocent lives."

He stared down at Alladhiir with frightening intensity.

"I will have time to mourn and pray for my mother and father,in the future," he said as he held out his hand, that Alladhiir hesitantly took and Carlindil pulled him to his feet.

He had to fight the urge to say, "assuming, that you're able to live that long."

"That is our duty," said Carlindil, his eyes narrowed meaningfully, although Alladhiir couldn't understand. "As sons of Asuryan, is it not?"

Alladhiir frowned, "I would say it is our duty as civilised asur, but I digress."

Carlindil grimaced but before Alladhiir could respond, Carlindil was moving onward.


After the short rest and some food, they were able to move all the faster.

Carlindil's face was set in determination and Alladhiir couldn't help feel a stab of envy. When he had found his grandmother, dead he had broken down. But Carlindil whose entire village was destroyed was just carrying on, without even shedding a single tear.

Despite his faults, Carlindil seemed an asur of integrity, an asur with a strong sense of duty.

Alladhiir could not help believe he would make a far greater prince than he ever could.

As they walked, Alladhiir felt as though he should say something of comfort to the archer but found himself unable. Utterly unsure of what to say and how to say it. So he kept quiet and so did Carlindil.

It was not long before Alladhiir found his mind begin to wander, to think on what he dreaded the most, far more than the potential confrontation with the druchii. The prospect of him having to rule, the mere thought of it caused his stomach to twist into knots and a lump to appear in his throat. He was not ready, no way in hell was he ready. He had neither the will, nor the social intellect.

He started to wrack his mind to try think of a way to escape that fate, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of anything, short of him dying.

It was when an idea finally hit him, a particularly dark idea that Carlindil's hand suddenly clasped his shoulder. Causing him to flinch and forcing him back into reality.

Alladhiir stopped, and turned questionably to Carlindil.

The archer's face was as hard as steel and without a word, pointed westward.

Alladhiir looked and saw a few kilometres away, a very faint column of smoke rising from the grassy hills.

"There is no village in that direction," said Alladhiir, the first words said in at least an hour.

"No, there is not," agreed Carlindil, his tone as steeled as his expression.

Alladhiir furrowed his brow in confusion and spluttered, "but surely, surely they wouldn't be so...They wouldn't be so...Surely?"

Carlindil glared at Alladhiir, "I wouldn't know, but surely you would, being so much more educated, surely?"

Alladhiir's face turned as hard as Carlindil's.

"Look," he growled. "I do not know what I did to invite such ire. Perhaps it is my lack of faith. Perhaps it is something else, I do not know. But we must put aside our enmity and work together, now let's go."

He didn't wait for a response, as he turned away and began toward the smoke.

"You are a coward, Alladhiir."

The words stopped Alladhiir in his tracks and he looked back to Carlindil, anger abruptly raging through him like a wild fire.

"What?"

"I said that you are a coward," Carlindil reiterated harshly. "That is the reason you invite my ire."

Alladhiir sniggered and shook his head.

"I do not know what you talk about. I, in my first taste of battle did not baulk. I stood true and did not hesitate! I…"

Carlindil's sudden laughter interrupted him, "do not get me wrong, prince!" He said 'prince' like it were a curse. "You are not a coward in battle, I saw you fighting, you were like a whirlwind, in fact I would say it looked as though you were enjoying it! A bit too much for my liking!"

He shook his head, "you are a coward toward your responsibility! You are terrified of having to rule! And you are genuinely contemplating of a way to run from it!"

Alladhiir gaped, shocked into silence unable to find a reply. How had he figured that out? How?

"I...I do not."

Carlindil laughed again and shook his head, "you are a terrible liar."

"Yes I am," snapped Alladhiir, managing to regain himself. "That is why I would make a terrible politician and so, a terrible prince!"

"But you will learn!" said Carlindil. "Once, as you had earlier stated, once the druchii are ousted and we are at peace. The Phoenix king would surely have someone aide you! Or you could even appoint someone…"

"How about I appoint you," interrupted Alladhiir.

Carlindil straightened and after a long pause said, "what?"

'How about you become that advisor," said Alladhiir.

"Surely you jest?"

"No I do not," said Alladhiir. "I can see you are an asur of character and integrity. You seem to be able to read others well."

"I hope you do not include yourself in that!" exclaimed Carlindil. "You are as easy to read as the simplest child's book! I am certainly not a mind reader."

Alladhiir shrugged, "just think on it."

Carlindil could only nod.

Alladhiir nodded back, "now, we mustn't linger any longer."

Carlindil nodded again and quickly started toward the smoke.