Rata Sum

The entire city appeared to have been literally shaken down to its core. Not many terminals remained with any power at all. The Vidells arrived, with weapons ready, staying close together and looking around for anything that moves.

"Stay on your guard, everyone," said Violet. It wasn't even necessary to say that but she wanted to be more careful. Cautiously covering different areas of the city, no one else still living had yet to be found. "Kira, Charsi, Lynni... check below in the lower sections. Engie, Ellie... with me." Violet's team continued heading to the upper north side as the others descended down a ramp.

Engie wasn't convinced of who, or what, may have created the explosion. "UHoT couldn't have done this. They don't have the technology to pull it off."

"Not that we know of" Lynni said.

The trio got closer to the north area that normally led to the Lion's Arch portal. The portal gate opposing it, which was normally active but didn't actually trigger a map travel jump, was in many pieces. A few of those pieces still had tiny strings of white energy dancing across them but quickly faded away. In addition to the gate pieces, a number of bodies are laying on the ground close by.

Violet signaled on her communicator. "Everyone to my location. Hurry."

After Kira and the others got to her, the total body count stood at seven. Scarlet, Rytlock, Caithe, Eir, Garm were all dead. Both Watchknights were critically damaged and are no longer functional.

"No," Charsi said softly.

They re-checked all of the fallen for heartbeat pulses as Ellie examined what's left of the shattered portal gate.

"They could have helped us beat UHoT," said Engie.

Ellie approached Violet. "It was that portal itself that exploded."

Something about that was confusing to Violet. "How can that be? We heard it all the way from the Grove."

"There is nothing else here that could have done it."

"What can possibly make a portal explode like that?" Kira asked.

"Only one thing I can think of. An energy surge overload at a level far off the scale."

Lynni discovered something while they were talking a short distance away. "Hey! Overe here!"

The others went over to her and noticed two more bodies, both Asuran and face down. Lynni turned one over. It was Zigg. A fragment of the portal gate had penetrated his chest. Violet kneeled down and turned over the other Asuran. It's Diina and was still alive, barely. She has been coughing up blood for quite some time.

"He... saved...me," Diina said, referring to Zigg.

Violet realized she may die at any time so there was no time to waste. "Where are the bodies of Azeena and the Pale Tree?"

Diina coughed up more blood. "Bodies?"

"From the Grove! Their graves are empty! Where did UHoT take them?"

"Not...been there...since we... destroyed it."

Kira pulled out her fiery dragon sword and pointed it at her. "Liar! Maybe some burning scars across your face will get the truth out of you!"

Violet waved at Kira to put down her sword. "I believe her." She turned her attention back to Diina.

"Where is UHoT now?"

Diina is now struggling to speak.

"Di... vi... ni... ty..."

With her last breath, Diina's head rolled over to one side, dead with her eyes open. Violet stood back up.

"Divinity's Reach. They went back there," said Kira. "That was the first place you wanted to go but I talked you out of it. So sorry."

Violet just stood there, eyes closed, in thought.

A couple hours later, they finished burying all the dead bodies, including Diina and Zigg. There was nothing more to do at Rata Sum so the family was preparing to leave, salvaging whatever could be found to add to their weapon arsenal.

During the burial process, a new plan was forged. The Vidells have grown tired of this conflict and decided it needed to end very soon. They are going to Divinity's Reach for one final encounter with UHoT. And this time, only one side will be leaving alive.