Arrival at Everdawn

Dust woke with a stiff neck and a ringing head. Visions of his dreams from the previous night were still flashing through his brain, and it was making his head hurt.

"Wow, Dust…you okay?" Fidget winced when she noticed that her friend had regained consciousness. "You look like a zombie that got beat up by a Trolk then stomped on by a Giant."

"I feel it…" Dust admitted grumpily, shaking his head in an attempt to clear some of the foggy pain. "Everyone else already up?"

"Ready to go when you are," Ash confirmed nearby. "Do you want something before we leave, Dust? Fidget's right. You look like death incarnate."

"Thanks," Dust grumbled. "And please…I think I need it."

"Can't have the hero jumping into battle when he's not on the top of his game," Kim commented, cleaning out his pistols. Dust suddenly felt sick to his stomach — noticing his barfing, Fidget quickly reprimanded Kim (this consisted her biting him sharply at the end of his nose. Needless to say, Kim made significantly less comments aimed at Dust and his abilities as well as the war in general from then on, at least if Dust himself was within earshot).

Ash poured out an additional mug of herbal tea and handed it to Dust — the hot liquid smelt sweet and soothing and when Dust drank it he felt his energy being boosted. It did nothing to calm the butterflies in his stomach, but it was better than feeling like the living dead first thing in the morning.

As Ash began packing up the camp into the pocket dimension she was so fond of using, Taka pulled out a map and began plotting the route.

"I scouted ahead earlier this morning," she explained. "King Julius' troops are stationed near the centre of the basin, here." She pointed out the area and both Fidget and Dust shivered when they noticed the proximity to Gaius' old camp. "The Moonbloods are closer to the Blackmoor Mountains, but their numbers are a lot smaller."

"Our numbers in general have been falling for generations," Ash winced. "We'd only just started to recover before this chaos started."

"It looks like the King's directing his troops around the Moonblood camp," Dust noticed, seeing the pattern that Taka had been drawing out. "We'll need to thin out the flanks before we go for the main base."

"Two sides…divide and conquer for this one?" Kim suggested. Dust nodded.

"Fidget and I will take the northern flank," he decided. "You three take care of things in the south."

"You sure you'll be okay?" Ash frowned in concern.

"He'll be fine," Fidget reassured. "He's got me and Ahrah, hasn't he?" Taka smirked.

"I'm sure we'll have nothing to worry about," she chuckled lightly. "I hear nimbats are quite the magic users."

"You've seen nothing yet," Fidget boasted. It earned her little more than a poke in the ribs from Dust. "HEY!"

"Dust…" Taka growled warningly. Dust shrugged with every ounce of innocence that a thirteen-year-old could muster. In spite of everything, he was still a child. "Our first priority is locating Dust's mother…what was her name?"

"Ginger."

"Our first priority is locating Ginger and getting her to safety," Taka continued. "Once she's safe, we'll go for the King."

"I would exercise caution," the Blade of Ahrah recommended. "The battlefield is not a place for the faint of heart, nor is it a place for the unprepared."

"Did you make sure to stock up on Revival Stones since we've been on this trip, Dust?" Fidget asked. Dust spluttered.

"Those things cost an arm and a leg apiece!" he squeaked. "No way I can afford one of those!"

"Dang…sounds like inflation really hit the economy hard in the last fifteen years," Fidget winced.

"Sereth's bound to be doing the rounds," Ash remembered. "Maybe he can give us a discount?"

"That guy is still in business?!" Fidget shrieked.

"So's Mordecai," Dust pointed out. "Maybe fifteen years isn't as long a time to adults?" he guessed.

"Well, you're not wrong, Kid," Kim shrugged. "Enjoy the teens while you can."

"Doesn't being eighteen still mean you're technically a teenager?" Fidget muttered, just loud enough for Dust to hear. Dust snickered and took relief from his friend's dry humour — the butterflies in his stomach had started to lessen because of it.

Happy with the preparations they had, the team decided to make their way to the Everdawn Basin via the Moonblood camp. There, at the very least, they would have a chance to restock and equip themselves with more battle-ready gear and possibly snag a discount on a Revival Stone or two, just to be on the safe side.

Dust was being overwhelmed with 'Sen-Mithrarin' this and 'Sen-Mithrarin' that from pretty much the moment he and his party set foot in the Moonblood camp. He was starting to wish that he had taken the satgat from the shop back in Aurora after all…or would that have made him more recognisable?

"If I have to ask one more person to call me 'Dust', I swear by the Overseers…" he mumbled dejectedly.

"Come on, cut them a break," Ash smiled uncertainly. "They're just excited that the reborn Moonblood hero is joining their ranks."

"Considering that this 'hero' is thirteen and only been aware of this whole thing for less than a week?" Dust pouted dryly. "Can we agree that this is just a bit much?"

"Okay, you've got a point," Ash admitted. The group was sitting down in the main camp square, waiting for the next wave of attacks, and Kim and Ash had been kitting themselves out with some new gear. Kim had managed to create some new modifications for his pistols and Ash had been experimenting with her magic, managing to cast a powerful spell which, at first, hadn't appeared to have hurt anyone but further examination of the area had revealed some heavily electrocuted Cloaked Assassins around the camp outskirts. Needless to say, the entire camp was impressed, and Fidget was happy to see that Dust seemed to be particularly admiring of the event and hadn't shut up about it for half an hour.

"If I'm going to be honest, it looks like the Moonbloods have things under relative control around here," Dust noted. "They're not as in bad of a shape as I thought they'd be if there's been a battle going on up here for the past week."

The others agreed. For a camp that had sat out a week long battle already, it wasn't exactly in tatters. Water and electricity were all still in perfectly working shape (thank goodness, neither Fidget nor Dust fancied another trip through lava tubes to get pumps working again) and as far as they'd seen on the way up, supply roots hadn't been cut off either. It was strangely unnerving — whatever the King was planning, he must be certain that his attack would wipe out the Moonbloods in one fell swoop.

"We'd better stop him before he gets the chance," Kim said when Taka voiced this concern out loud. "With any luck, he doesn't even know that Dust is here, or that he has help. We've got the advantage of surprise. Let's use it."

"A tactful strategy if I ever saw one," a familiar voice sounded. The group spun around and were astonished to see Elder Grey-Eyes standing nearby.

"Elder?" Dust exclaimed, nearly falling off the stool he'd been perched on. "What're you doing here?"

"Word reached me of your return to the mountains," Grey-Eyes replied. "Princess Elissa informed me that you had also reached out to a friend of hers by the name of Jarin?"

"Yeah, what about him?" Fidget asked. "Don't tell me he actually went ahead and came up to the basin?"

"That he did, yes," Elder Grey-Eyes confirmed. Dust promptly stood up, walked briskly over to the nearest pile of crates and slammed his forehead down.

"Dust!" Ash shrieked.

"I told him…I told him…I told him…" Dust huffed over and over as he repeatedly slammed his forehead against the crates. Kim strode over and grabbed the boy by the scruff of the neck, lifting him away a few feet from the crates and putting him back on the ground before he gave himself a concussion.

"Okay, quit taking it out on the boxes, Kid," Kim said dryly. "What have they ever done to you?"

"Sorry," Dust mumbled, nursing his forehead where he was sure he was starting to turn red under his fur. He turned to face Elder Grey-Eyes. "Where's he at? I'm guessing you've seen him?"

"He is waiting just outside of the camp," Elder Grey-Eyes said. "He said he had an urgent message for you and you are the only one he will speak to."

"Guess you did make an impression on him, Shrimp," Taka smirked. Dust shouted at her again to drop the nickname but she ignored it and instead faced the Moonblood Elder. "I'm Taka, Elder," she introduced herself. "Met this bunch of misfits on the Plains."

"Once again, after you tried to…!" Fidget began when Dust cut across.

"We had a bit of an altercation due to a misunderstanding," he interrupted loudly, clamping a hand over Fidget's mouth. "Cleared up now."

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Taka," Elder Grey-Eyes bowed. He spotted the knives in her belt. "I see you wield the Starsheen Knives." Taka flinched.

"You know of them." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"Of course," Grey-Eyes nodded. "I myself was an Elysian Warrior a long time ago. I am well versed in origins of those weapons."

"Anything you can tell us, Elder?" Dust asked.

"Perhaps once this battle is over, Dust," Elder Grey-Eyes suggested. "Now is neither the time nor the place. Now hurry along — Jarin is waiting for you."

"Oh, right," Dust winced, dashing off. "Be right back, guys!" he shouted over his shoulder.

"Hey! Wait up!" Fidget squeaked.

Minutes later, Dust had made it to the edge of the Moonblood camp where a familiar white cat Warmblood was waiting.

"Took you long enough," Jarin huffed indignantly. Dust wasn't having any of the attitude, and he didn't care if he was a year younger than the noble-boy. He was at least five years older mentally.

"I told you to stay out of this," he groaned. "I want you to go home as soon as you've delivered your message, you hear me?"

"You can't tell me what to do," Jarin sneered. Dust and Fidget pulled faces — this again?

"I thought we already established that I'm the one with a nimbat?" Dust pointed out. Fidget smirked and crossed her arms smugly.

"Trust me, I will not hesitate to bite your face off if I have to," she warned. "I don't care if you're a mark…whatever."

"You wouldn't," Jarin gulped.

"Oh, she would," Dust nodded with a smirk. "I've seen her."

"Okay, alright! Fine," Jarin huffed. "I got some intel on the King's battle plans last night. I thought you might want to hear it."

"I'm listening," Dust urged.

"He's planning to make a move when the sun is at it's highest point in the sky," Jarin explained. "No say on what that move is, but it's supposed to cause a complete wipeout of opposing forces." Dust glanced at what he could see of the sun — surprisingly, the clouds above the Everdawn Basin were a lot clearer than normal.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"Only that he's hoping that…er, what was the name?" Jarin thought for a moment. "Zen something or other…would make an appearance."

"Sen-Mithrarin?" Dust sighed dryly without thinking.

"Yes…how did you know that?" Jarin frowned.

"Never you mind," Dust growled in frustration. "Why's he hoping on that?"

"Something to do with that red-headed fox Warmblood who as brought before court a few days ago," Jarin recalled. "You said she was your mother?" Dust nodded, his fist growing tighter around the Blade of Ahrah's hilt. "Is this Sen-Mithrarin guy anything to do with you?"

"I said never you mind about that!" Dust snapped. "Is that everything?"

"Umm…yes?" Jarin frowned.

"Good," Dust said firmly. "Then go home."

"Hey! I can fight!" Jarin protested as Dust and Fidget began heading back into camp. "I can lend you guys a hand…"

"We've got things covered," Dust insisted. "Go home."

"Please, just give me a chance here…"

"This isn't a game, Jarin!" Dust snapped. "I can't afford to give you a chance when you could very easily die out there. In case you haven't noticed, that's a chance I can't afford to take!"

"But you're going to fight, aren't you?" Jarin pointed out. "And you're barely older than me."

"I'm different," Dust said shortly.

"How are you different?"

"He said never you mind about that!" Fidget snapped. "Now drop it and stay out of this. Go home."

She and Dust left Jarin by the edge of the camp before he could make any further protests. Dust stormed back over to the rest of the group, face thunderous in frustration.

"I take it the brat gave you a few issues," Taka grimaced.

"He only wanted to join the fight," Dust growled. "No matter how many times I told him to stay out of it he kept asking. He doesn't know what he'd be getting into, the absolute…!"

"Dust, stay calm," Ahrah spoke. Dust took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

"Do any of us really know what we're getting into?" Ash asked nervously. Dust and Fidget cast her a look. "Even you two."

"Ash is right, Dust," Elder Grey-Eyes said. "You may have indeed fought in great battles in your previous life, but this is something none of us could have imagined. It would be a lie to say that anyone was truly prepared."

"Well, we know when the King is planning to make his big move," Dust explained. "Jarin got word that the King plans to do something when the sun is at its highest point." He frowned with worry. "We also found out that the King's the one who has the Eye of the Life Thread." Elder Grey-Eyes froze for a moment before sighing.

"I feared as much," he said. "Then we must only hope that he does not know the names of your dormant souls, Dust."

"Look, we're going to end this before the King even gets a chance to try anything with that Eye," Fidget promised. "No one's going to be using any ancient soul-Voodoo on Dust on my watch!"

"Thanks, Fidget," Dust smiled despite himself.

"Not on our watch, either," Ash grinned, clenching her fists with determination. Elder Grey-Eyes chuckled fondly.

"Well, with the display of power you showed earlier, I have no doubt that you will greatly aid Dust in the battle to come," he smiled. "I thought that the Flameless Light had long been lost to Moonbloods, but you, Ashelin, have proved otherwise."

"Wait…Flameless Light?" Ash blinked in surprise. Dust's eyes went wide in amazement. He vaguely recalled mention of the old Way of the Cynthak, and that it had been lost to the eras. "What I did was…?"

"And I thought your magic was already impressive," Kim smiled proudly. "Your dad would be proud."

"I certainly am," a voice smiled from behind the group. Ash spun around and her face lit up in a mix of joy and amazement.

"Papa!" she greeted, running over to Sanjin as she saw him. "What are you doing here?"

"I was called up from Denham to help with the war effort," Sanjin explained. "I must admit, I was expecting to see you lot here sooner or later."

"They've got my mom here, Sanjin," Dust said. "I can't sit back and do nothing." Sanjin nodded in understanding. "Looks like things are relatively under control here."

"Well, we could still use the help," Sanjin said. "We have better weapons than last time we faced battle, but the King's armies still outgun and outnumber us ten to one."

"Bah," Fidget smirked. "We've got it covered."

"That's good to hear," Sanjin chuckled. "We plan to form the next wave of attack soon. The soldiers are nearly ready to go again."

"We're going to have to make this wave count," Dust said. "The King's planning a huge move at midday, one that's supposed to wipe out the opposition in one fell swoop. We have to make sure he doesn't get the chance."

"The Moonbloods look to you, Dust," Sanjin nodded. "We are right behind you." Dust forced a smile which came out more as a grimace. You couldn't blame the kid for trying, though.

"Right. Let's not keep them waiting."