Guard Backstories

Jaqah

"The fortress? And why would you be going there?"

Jaqah sighed, head in her hand. She hadn't expected her father to understand, but she didn't really care whether he gave his permission or not. She was well of age to strike out on her own anyways.

"I've got the initiation trials…"

"Initiation to what?" The grey-haired Oni narrowed his eyes at her. She smoothed her tunic, careful with her wording.

"It's a great honor to be selected to initiate for the role of dragon master…"

"Dragon master? You're going to go compete so you can work for the Baron?"

"Yes."

The Village Leader shook his head, disgusted.

"wouldn't have taken you to be one to follow the herd…" he grumbled as he continued winding the machine in front of him. Thin, strong rope came out of one end and he paused a moment to test the strength.

"You think it's a step down," Jaqah guessed dryly, and her father scoffed.

"I know it is…you're supposed to take my place as village leader…you wanna give that up to go let the Baron order you to kill yourself?"

"Dragon Masters make a difference in the realm…"

"A dragon'll kill you no matter what title you have. You never did respect the responsibility that comes with running a village…"

Jaqah stifled a groan, making sure her expression and tone stayed even.

"I mean….I get that it's important for this village…but I want to have more influence in the realm than bossing around a bunch of central province farmers…"

"Watch your tongue!" Her father snapped, and Jaqah's fists clenched as she dropped her gaze. Her father was angry now, the rope machine whirring faster as his winding picked up speed.

"You've always been a disgraceful wench…so sure, go ahead and go work for the Baron. He's not gonna accept your attitude…you just try to talk to him the way you talk to me." Rope poured out the open end of the machine. "The punishment will be a lot worse than a missed meal, I'll tell you that…"

"I'm going. I wasn't asking your permission; I just figured I'd let you know," Jaqah responded coldly. She stood and shouldered her bag, heading for the door of the large tent.

"What…now?" The machine came to a stop.

"Yes. Goodbye." She was ready, but for some strange reason she hesitated at the door and finally turned to glance back at her father. He was wearing a dry expression and he raised an eyebrow.

"Don't blame me when you're little fantasy comes crashing down," he finally muttered, and she frowned as her resolution hardened again. She pushed her way out the door and into the sunlight, headed towards her new life.

Jaqah collapsed in the armory, too tired to even stay standing as she removed her armor.

War was supposed to be… she sighed. She didn't exactly know what she was expecting war to be like…but certainly not like that. She yanked off the dented metal helmet, wincing. There was a good sized indent in it where the dragon's tail had hit it. She stared at her reflection in the sooty, scarred metal.

She hated that her father had been right. As bad as her villagers had been, the Baron's army was ten times worse as far as blind following went. And even after everything, they had only taken out two dragons today. How was that making any kind of difference? How would they ever win the war at this rate?

Someone came and plopped down next to her and she glanced over. The dragon master glanced at her helmet and gave a low whistle.

"Good sized dent on that one…" he commented and she sighed, not feeling like talking. The rest of the group was reveling in their victory, cursing dragons and placing bets on who would be bestowed with the trophy horns.

"I'll get it out," she said defensively, and he raised an eyebrow at her tone.

"No doubt…" he trailed off, scrutinizing her closer. "You're one of the new initiates, yeah? So this was your first battle…" he took in her glower and a small smile spread across his face. "Not exactly what you expected, huh?"

She felt a jolt of panic; what was she thinking, being so surly after a victorious battle? She cursed herself for drawing attention to herself. That was definitely not ideal in this army.

"Just a headache. From the hit, you know," she replied quickly, gesturing to the helmet dent before pushing herself to her feet. "But no, the battle…it was…"

She trailed off, not even sure what lie to tell. To her surprise, the man nodded as if he understood. He leaned in, voice low. "Dragon Master….kind of a disappointing role in the end, eh?"

She flushed, and shoved him away. No doubt the Baron had tasked him with weeding out the weak…and she wasn't about to give in.

"Speak for yourself," she growled. "What's your name anyways?"

He didn't seem bothered by her defensiveness, giving her a smile.

"Peder."

He stared at her expectedly and she finally sighed. She had really muddled it up on this one…not only did the spy know she was less than ecstatic about dragon mastering, he was going to know her name too. She thought about giving him a fake one, but for all she knew he already knew what it was and this was just another part of the test.

"I'm Jaqah. Stay outta my way."

His grin broadened.

"If you say so…but I think we may have a lot in common, you and I. If you ever wanna talk about it…"

She glowered at him and shoved past in order to get out of the armory. With any luck, she'd never see the fool again.

"Did he make it?"

Jaqah leaned forward as Peder leaned out the window, straining to hear what the Baron was saying. A moment later applause broke out, and Peder grinned.

"He made it alright." He squinted to get a better look. "Is he yawning? He is…" he laughed and shook his head in mock horror. "Trust Tolan to yawn while the Baron is bestowing dragon masterhood on him. What a munch…."

Jaqah didn't join in the laughter, her expression becoming concerned.

"Do you think the Baron will be angry? You know him…any sign of disrespect…"

"Nah, he's already moved on." Peder said, keeping a look out the window. "Besides, he was impressed with Tolan's skill. Do you realize my brother is the youngest person to achieve the rank of dragon master? He could probably get away with murder…." he glanced over at Jaqah and raised an eyebrow. "Which is just as well…you know how the kid is."

She finally cracked a smile, thinking about the lanky teen's affinity to share whatever came to mind.

"Do you think he'll be in our regiment?"

Peder shrugged. The assembly outside was disappearing now, and he finally hopped down from his perch.

"Dunno. Heavy Metal's been doing all kinds of readjusting." He paused, looking lost in thought for a moment. "I think something big's about to go down, Jaqah. I mean, you've felt it over the last few months too, right? Things are gonna be changing…"

She laughed, finally standing.

"Let's hope for the better," she commented. "Now let's hurry and get back to where we're supposed to be before someone finds out we skipped out on our rounds to watch your brother insult the Baron."

"Do you think that golden boy was lying?"

Peder glanced over at where Jaqah was changing the bandage around her upper arm. He used a stick to push the logs in the fire over before coming to sit next to her.

"I don't know. A union with the dragons? It seems insane…"

"One way to finally stop this stupid war, though," she muttered, and he shrugged, acknowledging the truth in the statement.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm all in favor for the war to be over, but is there really honor in just giving up?"

"I don't know if a union would really be giving up," Jaqah mused. Peder thought for a few more minutes.

"It would if it meant that we would be under the Dragons. I mean, if we let this Dragon Master guy take control of the Oni too, I feel like it wouldn't take much for us to be working for the Dragons themselves, you know?" He tossed another stick into the fire. "But that girl that was with him…"

"Keyda," Jaqah supplied, and he nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, a few days ago she was….what? A slave? And now she's more powerful than the Baron ever was…" he chuckled. "Now if that isn't inspiring…."

"But she's with the Dragon Master," Jaqah argued. "What's the difference between trusting him and trusting her?"

"She's actually an Oni, for one," Peder pointed out. "And…well she's got something going right, if she's unlocked all that power."

"Hey, Peder…"

They looked up as Tolan came running over.

"Heavy Metal's calling for a vote…."

Peder nodded and stood as his brother continued.

"Is it just me, or is it really weird to see him without the mask? Didn't even recognize him…though his face is hardly worth looking at. I know why he wore the mask, if you know what I mean…"

"Shut up, Tolan," Peder chastised good naturedly. "We're coming.

"Unified or not, we are a people who will be triumphant, not subjected. But it also means that we will give up our attempts at subjecting the Dragons. There is no going back."

Jaqah listened as Keyda addressed the crowd, and she couldn't help but feel that they had made the right decision after all. She turned to say as much to Peder, but he was staring at the new Oni ruler, eyes wide with awe. He seemed to feel her staring at him and glanced over, giving her a broad grin.

"Now that is a future I can get behind," he said, and Jaqah just rolled her eyes.

"Thought you weren't so sure about this union thing…"

"I wasn't. But we aren't gonna be under the Dragon Master….and I can't help feeling like we're on the brink of making changes, Jaq…making a real difference in the realm, like we've wanted."

She smiled and turned back to the woman at the front of the crowd.

"No going back…" she repeated softly. Keyda pounded a fist into the air. Peder, Jaqah, Tolan, and the others standing around them let out a shout as they too threw up a fist in support.

Retrevan

"The tunnel's collapsing!"

The large Oni turned at the cry, his face marred with dirt and soot. Miners rushed past him, trying to escape the approaching rumbling. Ret turned with them, leaving the cart of metal ore behind as he turned to escape.

Dust shot past him, and he coughed as he struggled to reach the elevator.

"You aren't gonna fit, big guy!" One of the other's argued, and he hesitated. But then, as soon as it had started, the rumbling stopped. The mining slaves on the elevator paused mid-yank on the pully rope that was raising them from the dark tunnels.

"Must have collapsed in on itself…"one of the slaves muttered, while another coughed.

"I ain't staying here regardless!" he hissed, going to pull on the rope again. He and the other cried out in confusion as they found the pulley rope locked in place; the elevator wouldn't budge.

"What do you think you are doing?"

A patronizing voice echoed down to them, and the slaves looked up in anger and wariness.

"The tunnel's collapsing!" One yelled up, and they could hear the Warden scoffing.

"But by the sound of it, it stopped collapsing." he pointed out. The slaves on the elevator cried out as the rickety metal structure suddenly fell back down to the earth. Ret took a step back as dust shot out towards him, and he glared up the shaft.

"It isn't safe!" he called up, and the Warden laughed.

"You're slaves; your job isn't to be safe…it's to mine enough metal to keep us in the war. If the tunnel's collapsed, then you lot are staying down there till you've scoured every ounce of metal from the rubble."

Retrevan glanced around at the fearful and angry faces around him.

"You'll be risking losing us and the metal if you don't pull us up," he warned, but the Warden had already moved on. The large slave let out a sigh and turned back towards the cart full of earth-covered hunks.

"C'mon." he muttered to those around him. "Let's get this over with."

Retrevan scrubbed the dirt and soot off, but there was only so much he could do. He finally gave up, regarding his grey-streaked skin with a sigh. Another few miners jostled him as they reached for the dirty rags, and he left his own as he headed back to the small tent. He pushed the flap open, hoping to have a few moments to himself before everyone else got there. He glanced up and froze in shock as he caught sight of the large dragon master standing in the center of the tent. The Oni looked up from the scroll he was reading, glancing over at Ret. A smile cracked across his face.

"There you are. I heard they shipped you off to the mines…"

"Dohrn." Retrevan shook off his shock and came into the tent. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, obviously." The large dragon master was a head taller than Ret, who was considered large himself. Dorhn walked over to get a better look at him, putting a hand on the younger Oni's shoulder. "Not even happy to see me, cousin?"

Retrevan's expression continued to be guarded.

"Why were you looking for me?"

Dorhn let out a wry chuckle, shaking his head.

"Always were one to get straight to the point, eh Ret? The thing is, we're recruiting back at the fortress. Big changes are coming, and we need all the help we can get."

"We?"

"The Baron. He's preparing for war, and he needs dragon masters he can count on. People like you, Retrevan."

The younger Oni's expression didn't change as he looked at his cousin, trying to process the news.

"You want me….you want me to go to the fortress and become a dragon master?"

"Exactly." Dorhn released his shoulder as he pulled out a small bag of coins. "Heavy Metal provided me with more than enough to buy you off this shifty Warden…"

"You're serious." For the first time in years, Ret felt a spark of hope. "I'm…I'm going to be…"

"Free." Dorhn said, wrapping a brotherly arm around his cousin's shoulders. "Free to be of service, anyways. Things are gonna be changing for the better, Retrevan…the Baron's on the brink of something great. Can't really talk to you about it…but just know the Baron has a way to put us Oni back on top." He gave Ret a push towards the tent entrance. "So let's get you outta here already."

Retrevan walked into the cafeteria and couldn't help but pause as he looked around at the other dragon masters. He felt self-conscious; it didn't help that they still hadn't gotten him a uniform that fit correctly. He headed towards an empty table.

"Hey, big guy!"

He turned instinctively; he was used to be called that, at least. He noticed a lanky man with bright eyes waving him over. The woman seated next to him looked a little confused, and Retrevan began to slowly make his way over. A hand came down on his shoulder rather suddenly.

"There you are, Ret."

He glanced over at Dorhn, who was wearing his usual serious expression.

"Been looking for you…how about a training session?"

"I…haven't eaten anything yet, Dorhn…"

"There'll be food later. It's not like slavery; we don't have to compete to eat." He guided Ret back towards the door, his voice becoming quieter. "Besides…I can't have you seated among the weak…I'd hate for you to sink to their level…"

Retrevan couldn't help but glance back over at the pair at the table. They were talking now, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he had never come over.

"What do you mean?"

Dorhn chuckled darkly.

"You've got a lot to learn, cuz. Not all dragon masters were created equal, so to speak…"

Retrevan swallowed, feeling uncomfortable. Around him Oni jeered and laughed, but he didn't understand the appeal. He glanced over at his cousin, who was watching the display with an irritated expression. Ret felt a little relieved; he was glad he wasn't the only one who wasn't enjoying the fight.

"That outsider doesn't stand a chance!" One of the dragon masters jeered, turning to Ret for affirmation. Ret just gave a single nod, watching as the outsider in black went flying across the arena. He winced internally; the blue one had landed a good hit.

"Waste of power, if you ask me," Dorhn muttered, and Ret turned back to his cousin, eyebrow raised in a question. Dorhn shifted as he continued.

"The Baron's controlling these outsiders…and they obviously have a lot of power. Why is he wasting time and effort for this battle when we could be making headway against the dragons already?"

Ret shrugged.

"He enjoys the entertainment…maybe…" he mused, watching closely as the outsiders were powering up for another attack. There was a sudden flurry of movement and Ret leaned forward with the others around him as they watched someone come flying out of the Baron's office window.

"What…." Dorhn started, leaning forward as well.

Ret blinked in surprise as the Baron's scepter smashed, and he stood without thinking.

"Sit down," Dorhn commanded. "The Baron hasn't ordered us to get involved…"

Retrevan dropped, and they watched in sudden silence. Even Dorhn gave a gasp, though, as purple aura exploded out around the girl.

"By the ancients…" the large dragon master muttered.

"What's going on?" Ret asked as everyone stood. Dorhn didn't even glance over, muttering to himself.

"This changes everything."

Something stirred in Retrevan as he listened to Keyda's speech. He heard a scoff next to him and turned to see Dorhn sitting with his arms folded. Nearby Heavy Metal stood with an unreadable expression.

"You sure about this girl?" Dorhn asked softly and Heavy Metal stroked his chin.

"She's more resilient that she appears," the scarred man replied. "Out of all our options, this is definitely the best one."

"Then maybe we should be looking for better options," Dorhn muttered, and Heavy Metal shifted next to him.

"She's got power of her own; the Baron never had that," Ret pointed out. Dorhn shrugged in response.

"I suppose at this point all we can do is wait and see what happens."

"She's a fool."

Retrevan glanced up at the dragon masters venting on the other side of the armory.

"I thought we'd be headed to a better realm, but she's just rolling over and letting the Golden 'Dragon Master' make all the decisions." The other guard agreed. Ret frowned, trying to think whether he should say anything. Keyda had only been in charge a few weeks…how could anybody judge her as quickly as that?

"She's been in power a few weeks, for ancient's sakes. Where's your faith?"

Ret turned to see that a new guard had joined the conversation. He was a lanky fellow…Ret had seen him around. Couldn't remember his name though...

"My faith is in the Oni nation, Peder…not just one leader..."

"A leader who's making changes!" The lanky guard argued back. "She's doing better than people are giving her credit for…"

The other two scoffed and waved him off, leaving the armory. The one called Peder shrugged and looked over, catching Ret staring at him.

"Hey big guy!"

Ret glanced away, embarrassed, as he pulled the rest of his armor off. Peder came over, studying him.

"I 'spose that's rude…you got a name. Mine's Peder."

The lanky fellow held out his hand and Ret glanced over again.

"Retrevan," he said, accepting the handshake.

"Mouthful. Mind if I just call you Ret?"

Ret shook his head and Peder gestured to the armor he was putting away.

"Been out on enforcing duty, eh? How'd it go?"

Ret shrugged.

"Same as always; angry villagers that didn't want to give up their dragons…"

Peder nodded his understanding.

"Bit of a transition we're in now, huh?" He studied Retrevan carefully. "So, what do you think about our new leader, Ret?"

Retrevan frowned as he placed the last bit of gear in its place. After he didn't answer Peder smirked.

"Not used to having an opinion….or just not used to being allowed to share it?"

The burly guard chuckled at that and finally turned back to face Peder.

"She's doing alright, as far as I can tell. I don't know much about leading or leadership…" Ret trailed off, memories of his time in a tunnel shaft mine cropping up. "But she seems…I dunno…easier to support." He gave Peder a sideways glance. "You know?"

Peder's grin widened.

"Do I ever."

The dinner bell rang and they both glanced towards the door. Peder gestured with his head.

"C'mon, everyone knows they bring out the best trays to the early birds."

"Heavy Metal says you haven't been training much, Ret."

Retrevan shrugged as he worked on sharpening his sword. Dorhn shook his head.

"Those guards you've been hanging around…they're idealists, Retrevan. Dreams aren't going to return this nation to its former glory."

The younger guard didn't answer as he continued his task. He finally glanced up at Dorhn.

"What do you think of Keyda?"

Dorhn raised an eyebrow and Ret finally finished the sword, placing it to the side so he could turn and face his cousin straight on.

"She's the ruler…and thus warrants our respect."

"Because of her title," Ret clarified, and Dorhn shrugged.

"The Hierarchy works. If we can't trust the system, what can we trust?" The taller guard picked up his own sword and gestured to the door to the training field. "C'mon, I'll hold you accountable for lost time…"

"Sorry, I already agreed to another night shift." Ret stood to go as Dorhn scoffed.

"With Peder and the rest, no doubt." He stepped in front of Ret, forcing him to stop. The smaller Oni met his eye, waiting.

"I didn't fish you from a mine so you could become some idle dreamer, Retrevan." Dorhn warned. "I brought you here to train you to be a doer. Someone who acts, making decisions that benefit the Oni as a nation."

"I am acting…or at least, I'm guarding a person who is. And she is benefitting the Oni as a nation."

Dorhn shook his head.

"What...by going soft? Ruler or not, she's disrespected the other leaders on numerous accounts and has been making a point to help those least deserving of it…"

"The Oni Nation is made up by more than just the elite." Retrevan snapped, and Dorhn fell silent. The younger guard sighed as he glanced away, and Dorhn shook his head, as if disappointed.

"I don't like this new you, Ret…"

"Because you'd rather I become another you," Retrevan argued softly, pushing past the larger Oni and out of the barracks.

"Assassination…and it almost worked, too."

Jaqah's head was in her hand, the mood at the dining table heavy.

"Well, her opinions aren't really that popular. Bound to happen sooner or later…" Tolan remarked, picking at a loaf. His brother slugged him nearby.

"You're hopeless Tolan, you know that? Thing is, I don't get why her personal guard wasn't on duty…"

"Five guards were given the wrong schedule….still not sure how," Omar interjected. He ran a hand through his curly mop. "They're saying Warrack hired the assassins…."

"Execution bells…." Tolan muttered, his voice echoing in the cup he was drinking out of. Peder glanced at Ret.

"Your cousin's pretty tight with Heavy Metal, yeah? Does he have any idea what happened?"

Retrevan shrugged.

"Never see him much. He's got his hands full, following the outsider around…"

"Oh yeah, I heard about that," Omar said. "How's he finding it?"

Ret shrugged again.

"Dunno. Like I said, I never see him."

"What do you think about the assassination, though? It could be just a one-time thing…but with these things you never know if there's some bigger conspiracy behind it." Peder pressed. Ret leaned forward.

"Like what?"

"If you ask me, it's sour grapes. Warrack was keying for the Baron's position—everyone knew it. He was livid when Keyda came out of the woodwork. I'd bet he's been planning this from the start." Jaqah interjected. She slugged Peder for good measure. "Stop making everything more dramatic than it is…"

"All I'm saying is that we best be on the lookout. An execution may stop further attempts…or it may just inspire someone to succeed where Warrack failed."

Everyone fell silent at Peder's words, lost in thought.

"Hey, Dorhn!"

The large Oni froze as Ret jogged to catch up to him.

"It's been awhile."

"Ello, Ret." Dorhn's tone was stony and guarded, and Retrevan couldn't help but frown.

"How are things? I heard you're still following the Outsider around…"

"Not for much longer." Dorhn muttered, and Retrevan's frown deepened.

"Heavy Metal's replacing you?"

"Something like that." Dorhn turned to go and Ret reached out to grab his arm.

"You doing ok, Dorhn?"

The larger guard turned, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm fantastic," he said dryly. "How's life in dreamland?"

Retrevan sighed.

"I don't understand you, Dorhn…you're always saying that you want this realm to change for the better…to obtain its former glory and all that. So why am I the dreamer?..."

"Because you're supporting a regime that only fantasizes about doing that…rather than actually doing it."

"What are you talking about? I'm supporting the same regime as you!"

Dorhn's expression became even more guarded and Ret shook his head.

"Something's up with you, cousin…"

"I'm the same as I always have been," Dorhn argued, his face relaxing into a smile. "We're all doing our part to bring about the strongest nation. I suppose I'm just eager for changes to be made more quickly." He turned to continue down the hall, and Ret began walking in the opposite direction.

"Hey Ret!"

The Guard turned to see Dorhn looking at him with a conflicted expression.

"Yeah?"

After a few moments Dorhn's expression hardened once again.

"Nevermind. See you around."

Ret watched as his cousin disappeared into the shadows of the hallway. He sighed and shook his head again, glancing out a window as he made his way towards the barracks for nightly inventory. Moon was bright tonight, but they generally were on the solstices, anyways.

The Rebellion from the Head Five's point of view

The mood in the barracks was tense.

"I don't know if Keyda's going to be able to come back from this one," Jaqah noted darkly. Omar frowned as he polished armor nearby, and Peder spoke up from where he was shoving the last of his gear into the right places.

"So her little Outsider got carried away…but Keyda's still done a lot of good. Surely people recognize that…"

The group fell silent and it was all too easy to overhear the conversations around them proving the opposite. Tolan shook his head.

"Nah…I think everyone hates the guy. So, they probably hate Keyda too now…"

"I heard she announced a binding," Omar chimed in, holding up the helmet he was cleaning to check the sheen.

"A binding?! Of all things…" Jaqah muttered. "It's political suicide, that's what it is…."

"It doesn't matter what other people think," Peder argued. "We've always been the minority….what matters is what we chose to do. Ain't that right, Ret?"

The larger guard blinked and turned as he was addressed, his mind seemingly elsewhere. Peder repeated his statement and Ret smiled a bit.

"That's the way I've always viewed it."

"I'm not saying that I don't support her anymore!" Jaqah complained from her place on the bench. She was irritated enough that she hadn't even started to remove her armor. "I'm just saying that things could have been done a better way…"

"But that's Keyda for you," Peni pointed out in her quiet way.

The group fell silent once more and Jaqah finally sighed as she stood to start removing her armor. A voice suddenly chimed up over the crowd, and everyone paused and turned, not recognizing it.

"Fellow Oni!"

It was an older Oni…but he was hard to make out in the crowd. The chatter in the barracks died down as he spoke, and Jaqah got a twisting feeling in her stomach at his tone.

"It's time for some changes around here."

Tolan wove between the dragon masters, using both his blades to deflect blows. He didn't bother thinking about what was happening; when he fought, he didn't ever really think. He just moved.

Another opposing dragon master joined the fray and Tolan adjusted his technique to accommodate the change…but five on one were not really good odds. He didn't back down as he darted between the larger forms, annoyed that he mainly had to stay on the defensive. Soon it became too much to keep up with and someone shoved him from behind as he turned. He managed to catch himself, but wasn't able to block the blows that swung down hard to knock the blades out of his hands. He didn't bother diving for them; he knew that he was beat, and the only thing he'd be able to do is escape with his life. He tried to dart from his assailants, but they had closed him in. One grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him backwards. He closed his eyes, waiting for someone's blade to kill him, but instead he felt someone else grab his arm and start yanking him across the practice field. His eyes opened and he began to struggle in the grasp; if they weren't going to bother running him through then he wasn't going to go down easy…

"Calm down, Tolan…just letting you join up with the rest of your little dreaming misfit band…."

He grunted at the patronizing tone from another dragon master and began to thrash harder. They just laughed; his lanky form was no match for their broad ones, especially considering how many were on him.

"Always a little idealist, eh? Just like your worthless brother…"

He managed to connect his elbow with the man's gut, and felt a thrill of victory as the dragon master grunted. He was rewarded swiftly with a hard slap across the face, however. As his face stung he glared at those dragon masters who were making no move to help him or hurt him…they were just standing around, looking confused. He knew that many of them actually supported Keyda, but they weren't acting on it…

"You cowards!" he yelled, and the dragon masters holding him shoved him to his knees, binding his arms behind him. He fumed and fought, but a moment later he felt a blade on his back and calmed down. Beside him he could see Peni trembling, and within a matter of moments Omar, Peder, and Jaqah were similarly lined up. Tolan's heart pounded as he yelled insults at those who just watched them get bullied into submission; if there was something he couldn't stand, it was people who didn't pick a side and fight for it. The indecisive were bothering him more than the ones who now held knives to the backs of him and his friends.

He watched with mild interest as another Oni was forced to his knees next to Jaqah. He had seen the guy around… he had a weird accent. He didn't know much about him…but he respected that the guy had at least decided to stick to his beliefs instead of balking like the rest of these hoofer-hearted cowards…

Retrevan was the last to be subdued, but Tolan supposed it made sense; the guy was massive. The jeering dragon masters around them went quieted suddenly as the old guy from before held up his hands for silence. He looked over at the seven guards on the ground, and Tolan glared at the ugly old Oni with a dead eye.

"This all of them?" he asked, looking at the seven guards with amusement. "In all her forces, Keyda only has seven dragon masters loyal enough to fight in her name!?"

The cowards glanced away and Tolan immediately opened his mouth to say something biting. Peder was next to him and nudged him hard with an elbow.

"For once in your life, Tol…keep. quiet."

Tolan probably wouldn't have listened, but a lilty woman's voice suddenly echoed across the field.

"Are you even surprised? A little slave pretender spending months on the throne…it makes sense that most people are outraged. It's just these poor misguided Oni that seem to think there's something in her worth fighting for…"

The woman came into view—she was tall and skinny as a whip, with hacked hair at shoulder length. She must have thought it intimidating…but to Tolan it just looked like she had let some Night-Sniffer chew on her head.

"It's a pity really…seven talented and healthy dragon masters who picked the wrong side. I could have used you…but now you will all die tomorrow with the whole nation acting as witness."

Tolan glared at the ugly woman, and he could feel Peni shaking harder beside him. Ancients, that girl needed to stiffen up…she was making them look bad. The patronizing woman was still talking.

"But they will not die by beheading. Such a weak custom…no, by this time tomorrow they will be executed in the way of our ancestors: through the power of Hatred!"

There was cheering there, and Tolan scanned the crowd. Not all of the dragon masters were cheering…and his anger reignited. The woman seemed to be reveling in the cheers, and Tolan decided that he didn't care what Peder said…this wench needed to be put in her place. Just as he went to yell obscenities at her, however, a voice yelled out over the chaos.

"And how exactly are you planning on doing that, Adalaide?"

Retrevan scanned the crowds as he fought, but there was no sign of his cousin. His heart pounded as he blocked the various blows by the attackers; he could tell that this second battle was not one in which he and his friends would merely be subdued. There were too many going for the kill.

Among those that were attacking the hardest he spotted liveries and symbols from other fortresses. The other leaders must be in on this coup, then. As he kicked another Northern soldier away, he tried once again to find a hulking frame in the crowd. Deep down, he knew which side Dorhn would side with…but that didn't mean that he wasn't desperate to prove himself wrong.

Jaqah and Peder went back-to-back as they studied the next attackers.

"There're a lot of these that aren't even our guards!" Jaqah fumed, and Peder just gave her a wink.

"But it's only fun when the odds are against us, eh, Jaq?"

She just rolled her eyes and leapt forward to take on one of the attackers. Around them there was chaos, and as the fight continued she heard a sudden scream as a large explosion of power went off near the door of the barracks. Her heart stopped-had they killed Keyda!? Nearby she saw Peder glance towards the explosion with an expression of panicked concern and knew that he had had the same thought. But while Jaqah had already disabled her attacker, Peder's momentary distraction proved a mistake.

"PEDER!"

He wasn't able to block the blow from behind, and she reached him too late. Peder yelled out as the blade entered his body and he collapsed, and Jaqah reached the Southern Guard in a blind rage. The opponent went down quickly under her unexpected blows, and in the sudden stillness around them she dropped to her knees. Peder had been hit from the back, and he cursed weakly as she rolled him over.

"S'no use, Jaq….we both know this ain't the kinda thing you can recover from…"

He coughed, and she stiffened as she saw the blood in his mouth. Peder somehow managed to chuckle wryly.

"S'a little worse than a dent to the helmet…" he teased, voice slurring, and she wanted to shake him. Instead, she sat rigidly, looking down at him in disbelief as she tried to figure out what to do…what could she do….

"Better to die with honor than live a coward…" he continued, but a moment later his small smile faded as he looked up and actually made eye contact. Her heart lurched again at his suddenly concerned expression. "You'll look after Tolan, yeah? You know him…always running his mouth…and breaking the rules…gonnagethim…introuble…someday…"

His breathing was becoming more labored and she clutched one of his hands in both of hers. She wanted to say something…but her mind was blaring with panic and she shook with adrenaline. He coughed again, this time weakly, and his eyes started glazing over.

"Peder…" she finally managed, and for a moment his eyes cleared as he met her gaze. His characteristic smirk flickered across his features one last time before his eyes rolled back and he went limp. She squeezed the lax hand in hers, fury and heartache burning in her. But there was nothing she could do now…and no use in just sitting there. Yet she found that she couldn't pull herself away from Peder's lifeless form. She shivered suddenly; a mist had started rolling in, and she felt cold and hopeless.

She glanced over suddenly as she saw Retrevan barrel in to attack a few nearby guards. As he kicked one of them away, he looked over and met her eye. It only took a few seconds for him to take in the scene and register what had happened. As she watched his expression change Jaqah's eyes filled with tears for the first time. She didn't have the opportunity to react much more than that, however, because in the next moment something violet slammed into her. She screamed as pain seared through her body, and everything went black.

It took Retrevan a moment to orient himself as he came to. After shifting around, he realized that he was packed in a dungeon cell with an assortment of other dragon masters. He felt stiff, and wondered how long he had been out. Around him other Oni were stirring and talking.

"Wow, even when we fight on the right side we end up in jail. Does this mean the rebels won?"

The larger guard turned at the familiar sound of Tolan's voice, and caught sight of the youth sitting up against the wall a few yards away. Tolan scanned those around him and his gaze came to rest on one of the burly guard's near him.

"Oh, guess not, if your ugly face is down here…"

The guard sneered at him.

"Careful, Tolan…just cuz we're in here doesn't mean I can't end your miserable…"

He had been lunging towards the younger guard, but Retrevan got to the brute before he got to Tolan. The large guard ripped the bully backwards, basically throwing him across the cell. Tolan looked up with an eyebrow cocked.

"S'good to see ya, Ret. Anyone else we know in here?"

Retrevan took a seat next to him and shrugged. Tolan scanned the rest of the Oni and finally sighed.

"Guess not. Peder and the rest musta gotten stuck in another cell…wonder what they heck happened, anyways. One minute we're fighting, and the next moment I was out…."

"Some kind of power…." Ret commented, and another dragon master shuddered nearby as he spoke.

"I'm telling ya, it was that Outsider. Didn't you see him come running in after the explosion? He arrives and next thing you know, Oni are dropping like flies due to some mysterious force. I always knew there weren't something right with that yellow-skinned…"

Tolan rolled his eyes and leaned back.

"Whatcha think, Ret? Who do you think's in charge upstairs now?"

Retrevan didn't reply; there really was no way to know. He couldn't help but wonder where Dorhn had ended up, he never did find him during the fight...

He sat up suddenly as he remembered what he did catch sight of right before the power had knocked them all out. Tolan shifted as well, confused by his friend's sudden stricken expression.

"You think it's the rebels in charge? Then why'd they send all their supporters to…"

"Tolan."

Retrevan's voice was heavy and for once, Tolan shut up on his own accord. He studied Ret's face a little longer and finally leaned his head back.

"We lost someone," he guessed, and Retrevan sighed. The youth's face had become stony as he stared straight ahead. "Who was it?"

Retrevan hesitated, and when he finally spoke his voice was barely audible.

"Peder."

Tolan issued a swift punch to the wall he was leaned up against, his expression crumpling for a few moments. He finally swallowed and shook his head.

"The fool was always leaving his back exposed when he fought…sloppy footwork too…" he swallowed again. "And he wasn't wearing any armor…"

He trailed off, and Retrevan sighed heavily at the boy's statuesque posture.

"….Tolan…." he started gently, but Tolan just gave a half-hearted shrug as he looked away, staring at the dirty stone they were sitting on.

"We all die in the end anyways, you know? It doesn't matter…" He wrapped his arms around his knees as he continued to stare stubbornly at the floor. "Ain't the first time I lost people, at any rate."

Retrevan didn't know what else to say, so he fell silent. As the other dragon masters talked and argued, the large guard and the youth sat quietly in their place against the wall and awaited their fate.