Black Rook Hold loomed before them, and its massive, shadowy facade sent a surge of anxiety through Illidan. They had succeeded and brought the prisoners back to the Hold, but when his own brother—his twin—was in their midst, he couldn't foresee this ending well. The expansive gates marking the entrance to the inner courtyard swung wide open, welcoming the group back into the Hold's dark embrace. Once they were inside, the troops dismounted without speaking a single word, handing the reins over to the stable boy. The air was thick with tension, and Illidan assumed that was what held the soldiers back from their usual banter. It wasn't difficult to surmise the reason why, and Illidan's gaze wandered over to where the prisoners stood, just behind the soldiers.
Malfurion.
Even though he had yet to verbally acknowledge his brother's presence, it was obvious to any who looked upon them that they were twins. Their hair was different shades, and their eyes glowed a different color, but the firm set of their mouths and their postures were identical. Both males towered above the other soldiers, save Cytheas, and the broad expanse of their shoulders cut an intimidating presence.
As they headed inside to face Lord Ravencrest, Illidan found himself wondering how he could possibly save his brother's life when all seemed to be hopeless. After all, Malfurion had been found in Broxigar's presence. Considering the way the beast had escaped, Illidan doubted that the commander would believe that his twin had been coerced into helping. Though he knew with absolute certainty that his brother would never give him up, a twinge of guilt shot through him at the knowledge that he wasn't quite sure whether he would do the same.
The price of freedom was always high, war or no war.
No.
With a firm shake of his head, Illidan dispelled that disturbing thought. Malfurion was his brother: of course he would do all that he could to ensure that his twin would remain free and innocent.
The soldiers flanked the prisoners while Illidan moved ahead to stand beside Cytheas at the front of the procession. They made their way into the Hold and back into the main hall, where Lord Ravencrest stood waiting. His flowing, turquoise cape offered a stark contrast to his armored silhouette, and he had his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, ever the picture of regal patience. However, his narrowed eyes, clenched jaw, and the way his other hand was tightened into a fist, spoke otherwise.
Along the walls of the room, a plethora of soldiers stood at attention, obviously to impose upon the prisoners the true force of Ravencrest's wrath. When the group stood just before the commander, Ravencrest sank down into his seat of stone, allowing him to look down upon them, even while sitting. He motioned to both Cytheas and Illidan, and they stepped forward to stand near the commander: Illidan moved to his right, whereas Cytheas joined the soldiers on his other side. The other five soldiers who had accompanied them on the excursion wandered off to join their comrades along the perimeter of the room, which left Malfurion, Broxigar, and the strange red-headed male standing before Ravencrest.
Before the commander had a chance to speak, two robed figures stepped forth from the shadows, displeasure marring their otherwise smooth complexions. So that the prisoners wouldn't overhear their discussion, they ascended the short flight of steps to stand just in front of Lord Ravencrest, leaning down to speak to him in confidence. Since Illidan was standing just to the right of the commander's chair, he could hear every word.
"My lord, we would still prefer it if you handed the prisoners over to the Moon Guard for questioning," one of the figures murmured.
Ravencrest made a dismissive motion with his hand. "You've already lost the prisoner once. If I handed him over to you, he'd simply end up back at Black Rook. I am doing the Moon Guard a favor by expediting the process."
The members of the Moon Guard glanced at each other, before looking back at Lord Ravencrest. Instead of giving them time to respond, the commander glanced up at Illidan and said, "I would hear from you, Illidan."
He straightened. "My lord?"
"Go on, then."
Illidan cleared his throat and finally looked at the three figures standing just below the steps. Malfurion had clearly been waiting for Illidan to look his way, for their eyes met almost immediately. With an almost imperceptible shake of his head, Malfurion broke eye contact and his eyes fell to the stone floor below his feet.
He received his brother's message as clearly as if Malfurion had spoken aloud. Do not tell them anything that will incriminate you as well.
That very same thought had flitted through his mind only moments before, and now that he was faced with the actual decisive moment, he knew he couldn't do as Malfurion asked of him. After letting out a quiet sigh, he turned back to Lord Ravencrest. "My lord, one of the prisoners is...my brother."
At that, Malfurion's head snapped back up and he narrowed his eyes at Illidan, who pointedly ignored his brother's gaze. Ravencrest chuckled—it was a low, nearly silent exhalation of air—and noted, "That is obvious to anyone who lays eyes on the pair of you."
Afterwards, Ravencrest's gaze fell on Illidan's twin. "Though I am often here at the Hold, I do not remain oblivious to life in the cities. Your name is Malfurion, am I right?"
Malfurion inclined his head in respectful agreement to the question, and Ravencrest continued. "And you freed this prisoner?"
After a glance at Illidan, Malfurion replied, "I did."
"I would hope that you'd have a good reason for doing so; a reason that justifies the betrayal of your own people, for a creature none of us know to be an ally," Ravencrest commented.
Illidan cringed at the implication in the commander's voice. Ravencrest had never been one to dally with words, and if that was his impression of the situation—which admittedly, wasn't far from the truth—then clearing his brother's name would be more difficult than he'd hoped it would be.
Malfurion's gaze dropped to the floor, before he looked back up at Ravencrest again. "I'm not sure that you would believe the reason, my lord—even if I did tell you."
The corner of Ravencrest's lips quirked upwards, and he gestured at Malfurion. "So long as you are honest, we shall see what I end up believing."
Per the commander's cue, Malfurion dove right into the story. He spoke of his work with Cenarius, which took the rest of the elves in the room by surprise. Most of the elven people didn't believe that Cenarius actually existed. However, from there, his brother's tale became more and more fantastical; Malfurion spoke of the complications that had been happening at the Well of Eternity, and in turn, Zin-Azshari.
Once Malfurion finished speaking, the room fell silent. When Illidan looked around, most of the soldiers were looking at Malfurion with doubtful expressions; their eyebrows were drawn tight, they spoke in hushed murmurs, and many of them were avoiding eye contact with him. Illidan clenched his jaw, afraid that the worst would now occur. If Lord Ravencrest condemned Malfurion to the holding cells below, there would be nothing he could do for his brother—short of freeing him in the same way they'd freed Broxigar.
Lord Ravencrest conferred with the Moon Guard briefly, and the two sorcerers shared with the room that though the Well had indeed been more turbulent as of late, it was hard to discern the exact reason why. When Lord Ravencrest looked at Malfurion once more, he asked, "So then. What exactly does your story have to do with freeing the prisoner?"
At that, the red-headed male stepped forward. "I can perhaps answer that better than he can."
Illidan raised an eyebrow at the stranger, thinking that perhaps his input would hurt more than help. The majority of the Night Elves were suspicious of any outside races, believing them to have no business in their affairs. To his surprise, Lord Ravencrest seemed willing to listen to the stranger, and waved a hand in the male's direction.
The stranger—who looked so much like their race, and yet not—nodded, and proceeded to explain the workings of a portal, one which had brought both he and Broxigar there. In his opinion, the portal and the Well's disturbance were too closely tied to be a coincidence.
Apparently, that explanation wasn't good enough for the Moon Guard—considering that it explained the stranger and the creature's appearances, but not the reason behind Malfurion's assistance—and they suggested that an investigation be conducted by one of them. Illidan curled his hands into tight fists, distressed by that suggestion. The Moon Guard's version of an interrogation involved delving into the prisoner's mind, and searching through every memory for the piece of information they needed. Often, it left the prisoner weak and disoriented, and at an extreme, could turn them into a hollow shell of who they'd once been. He wasn't sure if he trusted these sorcerers with his brother.
Lord Ravencrest agreed with the Moon Guard on the interrogation, but to Illidan's surprise, the commander then turned to him. "What do you think, Illidan? Are you capable of proving to us that all your brother says is true?"
Illidan had faith in his abilities, but he'd never conducted an interrogation before, let alone on someone so close to him. Emotion could cloud his judgment and the spell could easily go awry.
He hesitated before answering, and it was then that one of the Moon Guard stepped forward. "All matters regarding magic are to fall to the Moon Guard! To have an unauthorized sorcerer—who is the brother of one of the prisoners, no less—do the questioning, is absolutely preposterous! Not to mention unlawful."
The sorcerer glared at Illidan in disapproval, and Illidan didn't hesitate to return the disdain in kind. When the other member of the Moon Guard stepped forward, Illidan darted past him, heading for Malfurion. If Ravencrest had offered, Illidan would no longer hesitate to protect his brother from unnecessary suffering. "I will do it, my lord. I will interrogate my brother," he agreed in a hurry.
Malfurion glanced up at Illidan, and he could see the relief in his brother's eyes as clear as the night sky. Ravencrest locked eyes with Illidan, and after a second, shook his head. "No, the Moon Guard is right; the laws will be followed."
At the commander's words, Illidan and Malfurion shared a tense look, and a wave of uncertainty and dread washed over Illidan. What if Malfurion didn't make it through the interrogation?
Looking smug, the Moon Guard sorcerer sidled up to Illidan, motioning for him to step back. With a sneer, he acquiesced and moved aside. touching his brother's shoulder briefly in an attempt to reassure him. Now, all he could do was hope that the Moon Guard wouldn't harm his brother—or worse, permanently damage his mind.
When the sorcerer pressed his fingers to Malfurion's temple, Illidan's brother cringed, bracing himself for the worst. The entire room knew the exact moment when the interrogation had begun, because Malfurion cried out, squeezing his eyes shut. Illidan clenched his hands at his sides, his jaw aching with how tightly he was gritting his teeth. Not many elves could survive such an invasive interrogation, but he could only hope that his brother was strong enough.
Over the next two hours, Illidan paced back and forth in front of Lord Ravencrest's throne, tense with concern for his brother's well-being. By now, the Moon Guard sorcerer was sweating with the effort of the interrogation. Malfurion was far beyond that, and looked ready to collapse at any moment. The only reason he remained upright were the guards standing beside him, holding him tightly in their grip.
With a harsh cluck of his tongue, Illidan about-faced and walked back in the opposite direction, his footsteps the only sound echoing throughout the main chamber. He was getting impatient and had reached the limit of his concern; two hours was far too long for anyone to be interrogated by way of mind invasion.
When he spun back around, he spotted Cytheas standing beside Lord Ravencrest. Eliana's friend had remained silent the entire time they'd been back at the Hold, and he was now watching Illidan walk back and forth across the room, his eyebrows pinched tightly together. When Cytheas tilted his head in Malfurion's direction, Illidan assumed he was asking whether Malfurion could handle any more. While the two of them didn't necessarily get along, he appreciated Cytheas' concern for his brother. Illidan shook his head imperceptibly at Cytheas, indicating that he didn't know his brother's condition, before resuming his anxious pacing.
After another few minutes, he turned with the intention of demanding that the Moon Guard cease their interrogation, when he was hit with a crippling sense of loss. It felt like the energy and strength that ran through his body had suddenly disappeared, and he was left feeling empty and weak, as though his legs no longer had the vitality to support his weight.
He clutched at his chest, and his breaths came in sharp staccato beats. Once the initial panic had subsided, he glanced at the other sorcerers; the one who was interrogating Malfurion now had his face pinched in concentration, as if the spell had become too difficult for him to handle. His companion was in much the same condition as Illidan.
A second later, the interrogater stumbled back from Malfurion, exclaiming, "That is outrageous! Surely not the queen!"
That put everyone in the room on their guard, and the other member of the Moon Guard dashed to his companion's side. They spoke in harsh whispers to each other, and when the first sorcerer tried to attempt the mind-melding spell again, it didn't work. He pressed his lips together in frustration and met his peer's eyes, narrowing his own in concern. After approval from Lord Ravencrest, the other sorcerer tried his hand at the spell as well, only for the same outcome. While they conferred possible reasons that the spell would've failed, Illidan took the opportunity to attend to his brother.
He rushed to Malfurion's side, relief flooding through him that the interrogation was over, despite the oddity that had just affected him and the other sorcerers. His brother was staring off into space, still lost in the void of his mind. Gently, Illidan touched his brother's shoulder, and Malfurion started, swiveling his head around to look at Illidan. When he didn't say anything, Illidan furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "Are you well, brother?"
The sound of Illidan's voice seemed to pull Malfurion back into reality, and he blinked a few times until his eyes focused. "I am, yes."
"It's any wonder you've still got a mind left after two hours. You should've given in!"
Illidan's twin shook his head slowly, gazing off into space once more. "Two...hours?"
He hummed in agreement, before watching the other sorcerers discuss with Lord Ravencrest what they'd seen in Malfurion's mind. When Malfurion touched his arm to get his attention, Illidan turned back to his brother, raising an eyebrow in a silent question.
"What happened, then? Why did they stop?" Malfurion questioned.
Illidan hesitated, unsure of how exactly to answer that; he could only assume that the other sorcerers had also been touched by the same disturbance that he'd experienced. He glanced at the Moon Guard before looking back at his brother. "You must've thought of the queen during the interrogation, because they became determined to see everything in your mind. They would've kept going, had the spell not failed. I don't think your mind would've survived any more."
"The spell failed?"
These two sorcerers from the Moon Guard were part of the highest ranks, judging by the flourishment on their robes. It was rare for such esteemed and talented sorcerers to fail in such a simple interrogation spell.
Illidan nodded in response, and in a low voice, murmured, "I think something has happened. I cannot sense the power of the Well any longer. I feel...empty, abandoned. It seemed as if the Moon Guard experienced the same sensation of...loss."
Malfurion's expression turned grim as if he'd expected to hear such dire news. "So, it's begun."
Concerned at his brother's ominous words, Illidan faced his twin sharply, his eyebrows drawn tight over his amber eyes. "What has?"
Malfurion shook his head, seemingly unsure of what to say. "I don't know exactly, but it cannot be good. Things in the capital are unstable, which I'm sure they saw, and if you and the Moon Guard have been cut off from the Well's power…" He trailed off and glanced at Illidan out of the corner of his eye.
"Then it is even worse than we thought," Illidan finished his brother's sentence.
It wasn't long before messengers began arriving at Black Rook Hold. Much to everyone's dismay, the news they all brought was not good. In fact, they coincided with Malfurion's ominous predictions a bit too much for Illidan's liking. Over the next hour or so, a messenger arrived nearly every other minute, and Lord Ravencrest stationed a few of his soldiers at the front gate just to help with the relay of information.
However, it wasn't until one specific messenger arrived—battered, bruised and injured so badly, that Illidan wondered how he'd made it to the Hold at all—that the room realized how dire things had become.
The messenger was missing armor in many places, and what little armor he still wore had seen more damage than it could handle: every inch they could see was tattered and destroyed beyond repair. No one spoke as he limped through the main hall, making his way towards them. When he was halfway across the room, he stumbled, struggling to rise to his feet again. Lord Ravencrest ordered a soldier to assist him, and with the soldier's help, he eventually approached the seat of the commander.
The messenger respectfully bowed his head, and without any further preamble, dove right into his report. "My lord, I bring news of the situation at hand."
"I thought as much," Ravencrest replied. "Where have you come from? I've been receiving reports from nearly every establishment in the immediate vicinity."
"I...I come from Zin-Azshari, my lord."
At that, everyone in the room sucked in a collective gasp. It seemed that what Malfurion had seen in Zin-Azshari, with Cenarius' help, was indeed true. The messenger's words supported Malfurion's claims, and though he was glad that his brother's word had been proven true, Illidan dreaded what that meant for their people, and the world as they knew it to be.
The taller of the two Moon Guard sorcerers, whom Illidan had learned was named Latosius, stepped forward to address the messenger. He crossed his arms and questioned, "Zin-Azshari would be a few days' ride at optimum speed. How in the world did you make it here so quickly in that condition?"
Clearly, Latosius was more concerned with the validity of the messenger's words than his health. Lord Ravencrest sent a scathing look in Latosius' direction, before demanding, "Let me the man speak!"
The messenger inclined his head again, looking grateful for Lord Ravencrest's faith in the truth of his words. He clutched at a wound on his arm that had begun to bleed once more as he explained, "A last effort was made by the Moon Guard at the capitol to send me here. With what little energy they had left, they pooled their powers together and opened a portal. I was warned that it might not work, but, considering what was happening...I didn't see that I had much choice. Unfortunately, the portal expelled me farther north, and I had to walk to the nearest outpost in order to commandeer a Nightsaber; I rode here as quickly as I could."
"For which we are grateful," Lord Ravencrest replied, and the rest of the soldiers in the room nodded their heads in agreement. "Well then, soldier. What is happening in Zin-Azshari?"
"It's...it's unlike anything I have ever seen, my lord. Things were normal, like any other day, until suddenly, these...these monsters emerged from the palace. They were horned and massive, and tore apart everything in their path, elf or building. There weren't many that survived; even the most hardened of soldiers didn't last long. The...the capitol is in ruins."
Illidan and Malfurion glanced at each other, sharing the same feeling of fear and uneasiness at the messenger's words. If the Zin-Azshari had fallen, what hope did Suramar have?
Much to Illidan's annoyance, the Moon Guard still didn't seem to believe the man. Latosius spoke to the messenger with a sneer on his face. "I don't understand. Why wouldn't the guards from the palace put a stop to this? How could these 'monsters' have possibly come from the palace?"
Latosius' companion questioned, "What did the palace guards do, soldier?"
The messenger hesitated, glancing at Lord Ravencrest before he said in a low voice, "They didn't do anything. In fact, they closed the gates behind the creatures and...simply stood there, watching the carnage. None of them helped, not even when the townsfolk screamed for their assistance."
At that, the commander's face tightened, and he pressed his lips together. "It is as we suspected, then. The Highborne is likely involved—especially if what you saw in Malfurion's mind is true, Latosius."
Illidan turned to his brother and murmured, "What did he see?"
His twin glanced at the Moon Guard before he answered, "Cenarius showed me how to be present somewhere else with naught but my conscience. I traveled to Zin-Azshari and saw...I saw Xavius directing something...unsavory at the palace. I tried to hide it from Latosius, but he pushed until he saw what I had witnessed there."
"Xavius?" Illidan echoed. "Why would the queen's closest advisor do such a thing?"
Malfurion shrugged, his eyebrows furrowed. When Illidan looked around the room, it seemed as if every soldier there shared the same expression, their commander included. Considering the consistent reports that chaos had broken out around them, Illidan assumed they would be heading for the capitol soon, to find answers of their own.
While Illidan and Malfurion had been speaking to each other, Lord Ravencrest barked orders at his soldiers, instructing them to prepare to head out. Some were directed to travel to each outpost and city along the way to the capitol, to investigate whether they needed aid, or might have additional information to the events that had occurred. Afterwards, he ordered the Moon Guard to accompany them—Latosius and his companion seemed rather irked at being commanded about, considering that the Moon Guard technically answered to the queen, and only the queen—in case of the event that their sorcery could be wielded once more.
The deafening clamor of soldiers rushing to prepare filled the room, and Illidan stepped forward, calling out, "My Lord Ravencrest! I wish to join you, as well. I still feel capable of casting some spells; perhaps I can be of use."
Lord Ravencrest nodded in agreement, turning to address the rest of his squadron until the red-headed male spoke up as well. "I believe that I may also be of use."
Ravencrest faced the stranger slowly, his eyebrow raised in doubt. When the redhead displayed his magical prowess by summoning a small blue ball of energy in his hand, the commander nodded, satisfied with the show of power. "Then you too shall come along."
From Illidan's side, Malfurion approached the commander and Lord Ravencrest sighed, facing his prisoner. "And do you also wish to offer your sorcery?"
Illidan's twin shook his head, causing his leafy-green mane to ruffle. "No, not sorcery. But the magic that my shan'do, Cenarius, has taught me."
Latosius scoffed at that. "Magic by a imaginary demigod? I can't see how that would be of any use to us."
Illidan glared at the Moon Guard sorcerer and spat, "He is not imaginary. My brother is not a liar."
Malfurion glanced at Illidan from the corner of his eye, and Illidan saw the thanks in his eyes. His brother addressed Lord Ravencrest again, and explained, "It is indeed not a lie; I have skills that may be of use that do not draw from the Well's power. In the event that our sorcerers cannot cast, it is then that I can step in."
Lord Ravencrest stared at Malfurion, presumably judging both his worth and his honesty. "Very well. If you believe that you may be able to help us, I will forget your past crimes for now. Elune knows that we need all the help we can get, and there are more important matters at hand than the question of your innocence."
"Thank you, my lord. Forgive me, but," Malfurion spoke, "I cannot help from here. I must go somewhere that is...quieter."
"Quieter? There are not many places within the Hold that could be described as such," Ravencrest replied.
"I must go to the Temple of Elune."
Illidan looked at his brother sharply, wondering whether he truly needed the peace and quiet that the Temple offered, or whether he was trying to use this as an opportunity to check up on Tyrande and Eliana. Either way, it was a clever tactic to get out of Ravencrest's hold.
Lord Ravencrest nodded in agreement. "Fine, go to the Temple if that is what you must do. Illidan, you will accompany your brother for now, and keep an eye on the prisoner—the red-headed sorcerer will come with me. We will meet you on the outskirts of Suramar by the end of the day. Malfurion, I can only hope that your plan can be executed by then."
"I will try my best, my lord," Malfurion replied, bowing in thanks. Illidan mirrored the gesture, and the twins, along with Broxigar, scurried out of the Hold.
Once they were outside, Illidan pulled the reins of a Nightsaber loose from the post, and turned to Malfurion to ask, "What exactly is your plan, brother?"
Gathering the reins a saber for his own use, Malfurion replied, "It might be a long shot, but I'm going to try and do what I did before, and see what's happening in Zin-Azshari right now. I might be able to stop whatever spell it is that's holding back the Well's power."
"Do you really think that to be possible?"
Malfurion shook his head, gazing out past the Hold's open gates. "I don't know for sure. But I have to at least try. In addition to that, we can check on Tyrande and Eliana. I do not know how far these creatures have gotten, but I am worried for them."
Illidan studied his brother's profile, sighing in response. It seemed as if the entire squadron was going off of hope alone, and he wasn't sure whether it was stupidity or desperation that fueled their actions. On the other hand, Malfurion was right about heading to the Temple. It had been some time since the plan to free Broxigar had been put into motion, and he too was concerned for the females' safety.
From behind them, Broxigar grunted, and Illidan realized that they'd forgotten about the prisoner. With an irritated sigh, he faced the beast and motioned to a nearby Nightsaber. "Can you ride, then?"
From atop his own Nightsaber, Malfurion reprimanded, "He is not an animal, Illidan. Broxigar is a warrior in his own right; he can manage on a Nightsaber."
Broxigar, clearly miffed at Illidan's statement, clambered atop a silver-striped Nightsaber. Once he was seated, he shifted from side to side in the saddle in an attempt to get comfortable. "I can ride, sorcerer."
Illidan scoffed in disdain, and nimbly hopped up into his mount's saddle. It was then that the doors to the Hold burst open and Cytheas raced outside, heading in their direction. Illidan let out a groan, turning his Nightsaber to face in the direction of the approaching elf. "What now?" he mumbled under his breath.
When Cytheas stood just before them, he leaned over and fought to catch his breath. After a few seconds, he straightened and looked into Illidan's eyes. "I'm coming with you."
"What for? Doesn't Ravencrest want you in his squad?" Illidan questioned as his Nightsaber shuffled impatiently under him.
"Lord Ravencrest won't miss me in a sea of other soldiers. I told him I wished to return to the city, and he approved my request. So, I'm coming with you." Cytheas turned, loosening the reins of another Nightsaber for himself.
"Let me guess. You're coming with us because you wish to see how Eliana is doing?" Illidan sneered. On his other side, Malfurion tsked in disapproval—they didn't have time to argue.
Of course Cytheas wished to see how Eliana was doing. After all, they'd been friends for years, and as much as Illidan hated to admit it, Cytheas likely knew her better than he did. Cytheas had every right to be concerned for her welfare, but it made Illidan burn with unfounded anger nonetheless. He'd planned on checking up on her, not Cytheas.
The subject of Illidan's ire raised an eyebrow at him. In a sly, knowing voice, Cytheas asked, "Don't you?"
He didn't wait for a response from Illidan and raced off through the Hold's gates, kicking up a cloud of dust and dirt in his haste. Illidan let out an irritated huff, and spurred his Nightsaber forward with a squeeze of his thighs. With Malfurion and Broxigar right behind him, he flew through the iron gates, and they headed into the thick of the forest.
Once they caught up to Cytheas, the four of them made haste back to Suramar. Though he wasn't overly religious, Illidan desperately prayed to Elune that both Tyrande and Eliana were still safe, and that the city was untouched by the imminent chaos.
A/N:
Heh, as always, forever later, here's an update. I really wanted to get at least one chapter for this out before the end of the month, and I barely made the deadline! If any of you have read the book, you'll have noticed that this chapter follows the events really, really closely. I just tried to offer a bit more insight into the situation, and peek into Illidan's mind. With the next chapter, we'll be returning to Eliana's POV and I have to admit that I miss her! It feels weird writing too many scenes without her!
The invasion has officially begun and the coming chapters will be much more action-packed. We're about halfway through the events of the first book/first installment in this trilogy as well :) Thanks for sticking with me, you guys!
Since it's been awhile, I just wanted to thank everyone who has left a review and/or fav/followed. It means a lot to me that people are still interested in this. I've just recently finished one of my four ongoing WIPs, so I'm hoping to get another chapter out for this sooner rather than later! See you guys next time!
On an ending note, many thanks to Arenoptara for beta-reading :)