The village of Brightwall was a charming little hamlet across a deep river gorge and nestled between towering mountain peaks and forest. Surrounded by a wall that wrapped around the village the only way though was a bridge over the gorge and through a towering gate. In the village were quaint brick houses along the paved streets and a market square where traders peddled their good and farmers sold their crops. The sound of a blacksmiths hammer on an anvil was present as she passed the forge. Children played in the streets as their parents worked, chasing chickens about. Some stopped to pet Ace as they passed, giggling as the dog chased and herded them. Ace barked happily, enjoying the attention he was getting. Some of the adults hurried their children along when they caught sight of Charlotte's Dweller clothing, assuming she was one of them.

Charlotte was glad for her anonymity among them. She didn't know how far Logan's spies reached and how long it would be for him to find her, if he was even looking for them at all. Thankfully there were very few guards posted around the village it seemed and none of them seemed to recognize her. It had only been a day since their departure from the castle but it felt like several in her mind. She made her way up the road to the top of the hill where the Brightwall Academy sat. She was amazed at how large the building actually was, and how decrepit it was in appearance. Vines and other overgrowth covered the stone. Many windows were boarded up and it appeared abandoned. What was Sabine hoping she would find here? Charlotte wondered if there was even anything left to find.

Pushing the heavy double doors open they groaned with disuse, and she stepped inside the academy. Instantly she was overwhelmed by the sheer number of books that sat on towering shelves just in the foyer. She was surprised at how clean it was. No cobwebs in any corners and all the books properly dusted. In the main room there was a single man hunched over a book on the counter with his head in his hand. She concluded this was the librarian she was looking for and made her way to him. As she approached him he did not look up once from his book but began to speak in a monotonous tone as though he'd told it a hundred times a day.

"The library is closed by order of the King. We don't serve drinks. We don't sell chicken feed. Please leave before the soldiers suspect you're gaining any real knowledge."

Charlotte loudly cleared her throat to get his attention. His head snapped up, clearly agitated and a little startled by the noise. Once he saw her his expression changed to one of genuine surprise.

"Sweet papyrus! A real visitor!" He exclaimed, standing up straight. He cleared his own throat nervously. "I'm sorry but I'm afraid I was speaking the truth. King Logan has closed the Academy. I'm little more than a custodian these days." He glanced over her shoulder to make sure there were no soldiers following her.

"I've been told you will know what to do with this." Charlotte said as she reached for the Guild Seal. As she brought it out the librarian's eyes sparkled with delight.

"By the holy bookmark! The Guild Seal!" He exclaimed once more. "I haven't seen it since the old Hero Queen last came here. Then you are…?" He looked at her curiously.

"The princess, yes…" She admitted rather shyly. He clasped his hands together, looking delighted.

"Oh my. Please, come this way your highness." He beckoned her to follow him and he began walking down the corridor directly behind him. "Your mother told me one day a challenger bearing the Seal would come seeking entrance to the Reliquary, but I never imagined it would happen in my lifetime. It was she who founded the Academy, of course. I often wonder how she would react to see it in its present state."

"I imagine she would drag Logan by the ear." Charlotte quipped, causing him to laugh.

"Yes, well. If only she were still with us." He turned into another room. There was a massive metal door with a locking mechanism made up of a rack and pinion. There was a round depression in the center that was the same size as the Seal. "Here we are. I can't tell you how many of our researchers and professors have studied this door, hoping to unlock its mechanism. But I knew there was only one thing that would ever open it."

Charlotte held up the Seal and slid it into the slot. The Seal radiated light once it was in place and the gears began turning. They squealed at first as they turned then there was a loud 'thunk!' as the door unlocked. It swung open by itself with a clang. There was a long staircase leading down into the Reliquary that she would have to descend. Behind her the librarian made an ecstatic giggle, clearly overjoyed by what he observed. She turned to him and he was nearly jumping up and down with joy.

"This is a most wondrous thing to have witnessed! Oh, please! Don't let me keep you! I should let you explore the Reliquary on your own." He hurried her through the doors. "Should you require anything, my name is Samuel."

"Thank you very much, Samuel." She said, looking dubiously down into the dim staircase.

With a heavy sigh, she began walking down the steps. She observed that the architecture was eerily similar to the style in her parent's tomb. As she set foot on the last step the hanging braziers came to life, illuminating the long hallway and vaulted ceilings high above her head. Shelves lined the walls with even more books. There were tomes written in a language she had never seen before. What mysteries lost to the ages they must have held? Samuel would be pleased with the new books to add to the academy, she thought. She continued on into a large chamber that dropped down into a pit. Some of the railings had crumbled away and it made her stomach churn uneasily at the thought of the long fall down it would be.

Ace woofed at his master and began leading her down the staircase that wrapped around the walls. They came to a platform that stopped with a twenty foot gap away from the next room. A little blue sphere floated down from somewhere, trilling noisily as it stopped in front of her. There was an impression of a sword etched on it. As Charlotte reached out to touch it, Jaspers voice came in through her head, startling her so much she stumbled.

"Ah, hello, Jasper here again." He didn't seem to notice the fright he'd just given her. "I believe that amazing device is what is known as a flit switch. However, on the subject of amazing things, you will not believe what I have just found in the Sanctuary. You should come back as soon as you possibly can."

She obliged, curious as to what he found. On her return, she noticed the door to the left of the wardrobe was now opened. Above the door there was a plaque with the impression of a crossed rifle and sword. Since Jasper was nowhere in sight she decided he was in the new room. She entered and was met with more mannequins in little alcoves along the wall, this time holding weapons in their hands. Jasper was there standing next to one of them.

"It seems your mother also left you with some truly remarkable weapons – Heroic weapons- for you to use." He picked up the sword carefully, presenting it to her across both hands. "The book also told me that your mother forged these weapons herself."

That wasn't a surprise; her mother had worked as a blacksmith in her youth. Queen Sparrow even forged some of the finest weapons for the Royal Army's highest ranking officers. Finding something she had made and left for her, however, was its own surprise.

"Now admittedly, these weapons don't appear particularly impressive - yet. However, according to the book, they actually change as you use them, becoming more deadly, and developing fantastic properties. They are living weapons, and the way in which you fight with them determines how they evolve."

Charlotte stared in awe of the weapons - although Jasper was right, they were unimpressive- and she picked up the sword from his hands. The blade was long and somewhat dull and the grip wrapped in leather. Regardless of how ugly they appeared these were weapons her mother had used in her adventuring days. Perhaps they had looked different for her mother and changed with disuse. Testing the weight of it in each hand she gave a few experimental swings in the middle of the room. She grinned back at Jasper.

"That sword is certain to cut a swath through your foes. Sir Walter's training will certainly come in handy for you as well. Now that you have a proper weapon, you should be able to activate the flit switch by hitting it." He explained to her. "Now, off you go."

Charlotte teleported back to the chambers and swung her new sword at the flit switch as she had been instructed. The flit switch trilled and flew off into a slot on the wall across the gap. There was a deep rumbling sound as a slab of rock retracted out from underneath the floor, making a bridge across the gap. She quickly and cautiously crossed it, avoiding looking down as best she could. The room looked like an arena of some sort, with a curious bunch of floating orbs at the other end. Ace began growling at them, his hackles raised. Not thinking much about it, she approached the wisps. One of them darted from the rest, floating in front of her before shooting forward and landing in the ground at her feet.

Impossibly, a skeleton burst forth from the stone, dragging itself up and turning its attention onto her. It held a cleaver in one hand and had an arrow sticking out of its back. The skeleton roared and ran towards her, swinging the cleaver it held. She barely had enough to dive away from the blade as it sliced the air where she'd been standing. More of the wisps floated down from the group and raised more of the skeletons from the ground. She struck at the one in front of her with her sword, sending it stumbling backwards with the strike. With a few more strikes the skeleton's bones it fell apart, the bones scattering on the ground. The other skeletons began to swarm her so she charged up her fireball, sending a wave that knocked them back from her. She picked them off one by one but with every one she destroyed two more would rise up behind it. She hacked and slashed at them to the point of exhaustion, conjuring more fire spells to keep them at bay. With the last one defeated, she leaned upon her sword to catch her breath, and the bridge that connected the room to the next appeared like the one before it.

She traversed the walkways, finding a cavern where platforms floated up from the abyss as she walked on each one. Her heart nearly seized up in her chest when she realized it was the only way forward. There were three chests that she reached with the panels, earning herself a pair of gloves, a health potion, and a small amount of gold. Some panels seemed to activate another onslaught of the skeletons but they were manageable enough to cut down. From there she went down some stairs and was met with the broken edge of a bridge that dropped down into water below. She hesitated at the ledge, uncertain, and glanced around for another possible way down or around. Finding none, she mustered her courage and plunged into the frigid water below. Ace jumped after her, and landed safely in the water beside her. They swam forward and came to a circular door and another mark on the floor bearing semblance to the Guild Seal. Standing on the mark she charged up a fireball and hurled it at the door. It rolled away to reveal the next passage to their destination.

To her surprise she found the skeleton of a man who had found an alternate route into the Reliquary from the Mistpeak Mountains. He'd stolen blueprints for the architect who built it and was looking for treasure within. He died trying to solve a puzzle that opened the door he died beside. The note also told her that the things she had been fighting were called Hollow Men. She used her fire spell to light the braziers that lit her path and to her amazement it opened the door. The only thing inside however was a floating silver key that she pocketed for later examination.

Moving on she came to another gap between her and a walkway that winded up towards the top of the cavern. A little yellow flit switch trilled at the edge, this one with the impression of a crosshair instead of a sword or lightning bolt. Jasper informed her that she should once again return to the Sanctuary as he had found more weapons her mother had left her. This time he found a rifle and pistol, both as shabby looking as the sword had been. She picked the pistol, unsure about using the rifle as she'd rarely held a gun before. The pistol felt right in her hand as she held it. Returning to the Reliquary she aimed her new gun at the target. With a shaky yet confident hand she fired and hit the switch, activating the walkway up to the next level. She fought more of the Hollow Men all the way up the walkway with dogged determination, feeling she was getting close to the end.

At the top of the walkway there was a large chamber. It appeared to be the last room in the Reliquary. There was a cut out in the ceiling and she could see the sky above. The chamber only contained a dais sitting in the center of the room and something sitting on top of it. A dazzling pillar of light was shooting out from the top of the object into the sky. As she walked closer up the stairs the soft plinking sound of a music box reached her ears. The melody was rather simple but pleasing to listen to. This was what her mother built the Reliquary to hold? A tarnished music box?

Enchanted by the object, Charlotte placed her hands on the box and picked it up. As she lifted it from the dais it glowed brighter and the world around her stopped. Theresa then began speaking to her.

"You have done well, child. Now, step into the light. There is much you need to know."

Another of the white portals appeared and she stepped through. She found herself on the same road as before with Theresa standing in front of the gate.

"Congratulations, Hero. Touching the Guild Seal was an indication of what you could become. Reaching the music box has proven what you already are. No one but a Hero could have done it." Theresa smiled at her. "You have begun to learn what powers you possess, and there is still greater potential within you. But you have only taken the first step in your journey. Albion is crying out for a revolution, and for someone to lead it.

Winning supporters to your cause will be hard. Leading them against Logan will be an even greater challenge. But it is on you must accomplish."

"I will make him pay for what he did." Charlotte seethed, clutching the music box tighter in her hands. Theresa shook her head with a frown on her lips.

"This is not a matter of personal vengeance." She reprimanded Charlotte. "As long as your brother sits on the throne, Albion is in great danger. Open the music box. It will show you the truth."

The box opened itself up and Charlotte looked into the box. She was suddenly in the castle observing her brother pacing around the map table in his war room. He looked perturbed as he paced back and forth, muttering to himself.

"This is my Albion." He spoke, circling the table. "Its cities will bow to my law… or they will burn. Its mountains will bend to my will… or they will fall." He paused, and Charlotte could see the madness that reflected in his eyes. It took her a moment to realize her brother was alone, raving to no one but the air.

"This is my Albion." He whispered harshly, turning to grip the edge of the table, glaring down into the map. "Its people will do as I say… or they will die. Its future will be as I decree or it will end. I have seen what must be done, and nothing will stand in my way. We will be greater and we will be stronger, no matter what sacrifices we must make." He slammed his hands against the edge of the table, declaring loudly as he finished his soliloquy. "This is my Albion; and I will see it destroyed before I surrender it."

Charlotte was brought back from the vision and she stared aghast at Theresa. The Seer spoke. "If any part of you still doubted the necessity or a revolution, you have your answer. The kingdom will face its own annihilation under your brother's rule."

"Theresa, what is he going to do?" Charlotte asked.

The Seer dismissed her question and continued with her own speech. "Now, do what you must to gain your first ally, for you cannot lead a rebellion without followers. Sabine is a good man, and his people are strong."

Theresa disappeared and Charlotte was left alone. The gate to the next area opened and she went through. There were more chests to be opened now; a melee, a ranged, and a magic chest. She opened the chests and gained their powers. Entering the portal, she was teleported back to the main hall of the Academy.

Samuel jumped, throwing his index cards when she materialized in front of him.

"Blessed index cards!" He exclaimed. "You made it! This is cause for great rejoicing. Albion has a hero again."

"Thank you, Samuel. But if you could please keep this quiet? I don't need Logan's guards following my every move." She told him, wringing her hands together a little nervously.

"Yes, of course," He bowed to his princess. "If ever I can be of assistance, I will be honoured to serve you."

Charlotte smiled at him. Perhaps this is where she could ask for the assistance the Dwellers needed. "Actually, once I take care of the mercenaries in Mistpeak Valley, would you and your people be willing to share any extra food with the Dwellers in the mountains? They're going to starve otherwise."

"Of course, my lady. I shall call a town meeting to discuss it at once." He readily agreed, shaking her hand.

Charlotte left the academy, stretching her arms out in the warmth of the sun. It was early in the afternoon and she realized she'd spent nearly four hours in the Reliquary. A dull soreness settled in her muscles from using her sword. She was lucky to have found that health potion otherwise she would have been covered in wounds from the Hollow Men. With a contented sigh she settled her arms at her sides, finishing out her stretch. She spent the rest of her day exploring the village and around dusk she purchased a room at the inn with gold she acquired from her quest. Her stomach gave protest, reminding her she hadn't eaten in almost a day.

She ate dinner alone, a bland meal of mutton stew and bread washed down with watery ale. It was very different from the rich foods she was used to eating at the castle. The first real meal she'd had since leaving her home made her homesick. But she knew Walter had good reason for spiriting her away. Logan needed to be usurped from the throne. Theresa's cryptic message still left her confused. Yes, she'd seen Logan pacing his war room, the deranged words he spoke to himself. But it answered none of her questions as to why he'd changed from the kind older brother she once knew.

After her meal was choked down she retired to the room she'd purchased. The room was pleasant enough, if a little rustic. The bed had a nice, soft looking quilt over the top and Charlotte immediately sank into the covers. It wasn't like the plush bed at home, the quilt was a little threadbare and the sheets scratchy, but it would do. She was vaguely aware that she smelled of sweat and blood but was too tired to address the issue. Ace had settled himself atop the bed at her side, curling there and was fast asleep. Scratching him absentmindedly behind the ears, she tried to will herself to sleep.

Although fatigue settled deep into her body, her mind continued racing. Her entire world had been taken and shook about until it barely resembled anything she had previously known. From Princess to fugitive; looking for a way to take Albion's throne. She thought of everything from the past two days events. Of home, of the revolution Walter was trying to start, to everything her mother left for her to find. The faces of the innocent victims as she sent them to their deaths played in her mind.

Her last thoughts were of Elliot, his smile and laugh. The way he held her tightly on nights she had trouble sleeping, whispering sweet nothings into her ear as they drifted off to sleep.

She wondered how he was. Was he safe? Did he get away from her brother? Or was he captured and locked away, being questioned on her whereabouts? …Was he thinking of her?

Finally, after hours of lying awake in the dark listening to the sound of Ace snoring and crickets chirping outside, she slipped into a dreamless sleep.

Logan glared at the guard. The guard, who had just informed him of his sisters disappearance, stared nervously back at his King.

"Gone." He spoke after a long moment. "You're telling me that my sister has vanished?"

"Y-Yes, your majesty…" The guard swallowed thickly. "In fact we believe she's been gone for over a day… Sir Walter and Jasper as well, sire."

Logan growled and turned sharply away from the guard, clasping his hands behind his back and staring down into his map. His jaw was set tight, his teeth grinding together from the force. How dare they leave? How dare Walter kidnap his sister? How dare the people sworn to serve him betray him? He had had more than enough of their insolence.

No matter. He would simply send his best men out to find her. Without turning to face the man who was on the verge of wetting himself he spoke his orders. "Send for my elite soldiers. They can't have gotten very far. Tell them to terminate Sir Walter but bring my sister back alive. These conspirators must not poison the mind of our dear princess."

"At... At once, your majesty."

The soldier turned and nearly bolted out of the room.

Logan continued to stare hard at the war table, fear and anger conflicting within. He would get his sister back and he would protect her at all costs. Didn't she know all he did was to keep her and Albion safe?

After a moment he turned to his desk in the corner of the room. It would be another sleepless night. He had troops to maneuver.

The darkness was coming…

Three days passed and there was still no word from Walter. She decided to help around the village, everything from learning to serve drinks at the tavern to making pies to make some gold. She even went down into the valley to practice wielding her pistol and conjuring magic, getting used to the feel of her new weapons. She didn't shoot any of the forest creatures, opting to use to trees and bottles she collected as targets. Ace seemed to enjoy running freely through the underbrush, finding all manner of new things to sniff, dig, and roll in.

Charlotte rose with the sun on the fourth day, still feeling tired from her excursion underneath the Academy. There was a tin bath in the corner that she clumsily used to wash herself. While she bathed, the soreness in her muscles reminded of the first time she'd finished sparring with Walter with a real sword in her hands. How exhausted she'd been while he pushed her to work harder. She'd been unable to move properly for days after, but she'd never been prouder of her own progress.

She explored more of the village, talked to the people and helped those who needed it. It was around midday when Jasper's voice began to speak to her through the Seal.

"Hello, madam. I believe Walter has made some progress with the mercenary problem. He is waiting for you outside the local tavern."

"Thanks, Jasper." She quietly spoke into the Seal, still finding it awkward to talk to the disembodied voice. "Come on, boy. Let's see what Walter's found." She told Ace who woofed in response. They made their way back towards the main square. Just as they crossed the bridge into the square Walter's voice called to them over the crowd.

"Charlotte, over here!"

She weaved her way through the crowd to reach him. He appeared to be a little tipsy, leaning against the wall of the tavern she'd been staying at. He grinned brightly at them as they approached.

"Good you're here. You were successful then?" He asked her.

She nodded, "Yes, Jasper has the relic in the Sanctuary now."

"Bloody marvellous. You'll be glad to know I have some information on the mercenaries Sabine mentioned." Walter began walking up the steps on the outer wall of the tavern. "They're led by a man named Saker. He used to be a soldier, but always had more in common with bandits and cutthroats than military. His men are holed up in a small fortress in the mountains, so it won't be easy to get in. But I have a plan…"

They reached the top landing and Walter pushed open the door to the upper floor of the pub. He motioned for her to go inside. Charlotte entered and was met with the sight of a man passed out drunk on a table, still clutching his tankard in his hand. He was covered in tattoos and clothes that didn't match any of the villagers. She turned to Walter, a brow raised in confusion.

"One of the mercenaries. A cold-blooded killer. His name's Clarence, but everybody calls him Jimmy. He was drinking in the pub all day, and generally making life unpleasant for everyone." Walter explained, walking over to Jimmy's chair and kicking the leg. "It wasn't hard to get him completely picked. These young thugs… Bloody lightweights if you ask me." He chuckled. The mercenary fell out of his chair onto the floor, proving Walter's point.

"Anyway, take his clothes and you'll have a free pass into their camp. Just try not to think about what those stains might be."

"Hang on, Walter." Charlotte interrupted. "Your plan is to get me, a woman, dressed up like this mercenary, who happens to be a man, in hopes of infiltrating their camp? Just how much have you had to drink?"

"Well you won't magically look like him, not without a little extra effort. Just draw on the tattoos and find a fake beard and I'm sure no one will know the difference." He look a little hurt that she wasn't confident in his brilliant plan. "In the meantime, I'll find out who to talk to about getting food to the Dwellers."

"Try the librarian, Samuel, at the Academy. He's already pledged his support." Charlotte told him, looking down at the passed out mercenary on the floor, still trying to figure out how Walter thought this half-cocked plan was going to work.

"Good, that's good. Good luck infiltrating the fortress. I'm sure you'll have no trouble, though." He patted her on the shoulder and left her to take the mercenaries clothes. Sighing, she began undressing the man, feeling nauseous as she smelled him. He smelled as though he hadn't bathed in anything except booze and filth for weeks. She took the time to memorize the mercs tattoos in great detail so she could duplicate them later. Taking the clothes, she left the now half-naked man in his smallclothes on the pub floor and exited back through the door.

She remembered passing a barber shop on the way through the village so she stopped by and, rather embarrassedly, asked the barber if she could pay him for some hair clippings. Although he agreed with a bemused expression, when asked what she wanted to do with them she told him curtly that it was a long story. She then purchased ink to copy the tattoos and paste to glue the beard onto her face and then teleported to the Sanctuary to put her disguise together.

Jasper was a little startled when he saw her emerge from her wardrobe dressed as a mercenary. Hair tucked under a hat and bandana, tattoos drawn crudely on her arm, and hair glued around her mouth to look like a beard. She'd even bound her breasts to make them flat. The clothes still smelled and she crinkled her nose in disgust, but it would make the disguise useless if she had washed them. Hoping that the mercenaries were gullible enough they wouldn't recognize she wasn't their friend on sight.

Bidding Jasper a farewell and a wish-me-luck, she teleported via the map out to the valley in hopes none of the villagers would see and recognize her. The walk across the valley was simple enough. The sun was high in the sky and made for a pleasant walk. Ace enjoyed chasing the squirrels that were foolish enough to be on the ground. She hadn't ventured this far out but she now could see what Sabine meant when he said Logan was stripping the forest; the trees that had stood tall around her transitioned into stumps as she entered the open valley field. She began to grow nervous, however, once out in the open. Her palms began sweating as she approached the fortress gates. A head popped over the top of a watchtower, his raspy voice calling out to them.

"Hi, Jimmy. Back from killing some Dwellers?"

Oh, balls. She had no idea what Jimmy had sounded like or if he even spoke at all. He'd been too past out drunk to even realize she'd been taking his clothes. Hell, she was lucky he hadn't seen through the disguise so that was a good sign at least. She gave him a grunt as her answer, which earned her a skeptical look back. But he didn't seem to think anything about his 'friends' strange behavior.

"Come on in." The man said, raising the gate for her to pass through. He did seem to watch her every move as she strode past.

It was apparent as soon as she entered the camp that she was way out of her element. There were mercenaries everywhere. She felt her heart beating in her throat, the blood rushing between her ears. This plan was going to go up in flames and fast. What in the hell was Walter thinking when he came up with this?!

"Hey, Jimmy! Over here, mate!" One of the mercenaries called to her as she passed. She froze on the spot, and then quickly turned to them, remembering who she was playing. "Show Stilts here that thing you do. You know… the thing." The merc began snickering as his friend looked dumbfounded between the two of them.

Charlotte swallowed the lump that had lodged itself in her throat and did her best impression of a man, but it ended up sounding like she had a bad cold. "Maybe later, fellas. Gotta find the boss."

"Uh. Alright then. See ya later, Jimmy." The one merc who called her over gave her a suspicious look as he crossed his arms over his chest.

As she began to walk away, she could hear the two talking.

"What's wrong with Jimmy?"

"Dunno, he sounded sick."

She quickened her pace down the path, deeper into the fortress. She passed more mercenaries who were tormenting a wolf in a cage. Too wrapped up in yelling and threatening it she slipped by unnoticed. Ace had stuck close to her hell at this point, a low growl emanating from him, hackles raised. As she approached another gate the mercenary stationed at it recognized her as 'Jimmy.' He began chatting with her as he raised the gate, about how it was okay to drink alone. Not once did he seem to suspect that he wasn't who he thought she was. Giving him a nod she walked through into what appeared to be where they lived. Tents and a few cottages dotted the area and there was a cookpot over a fire in the center. Cannons and barrels marked as gunpowder were strewn about. Two men were fighting at the edge with their swords. The clang of metal on metal filled the little space and it set her nerves on edge.

No one had noticed her yet, so she steeled herself and walked towards the next gate. There were two men talking, one on the ground and one on the little porch of the ramshackle cottage. As she approached them, the one on the porch turned to her and furrowed his brows as he observed her.

"Jimmy? That really you? You look… different somehow. Were your eyes always that colour?"

Oh, balls.

"Nah, Jimmy's got periwinkle eyes, like a beautiful summer morning sky. That's not him!"

The two men drew their swords and she turned to run back out. The other men who were fighting caught sight of the commotion and darted after her, blocking her path out of the gate which had been closed by the man who let her in.

Oh, balls. Balls. BALLS.

She was surrounded quickly, everyone drawing their swords. Ace snarled at the men, snapping his jaws as they closed in on his master. Charlotte drew her sword, feeling outmatched. These men would be stronger than the hollow men; that much she knew. Her eyes darted from each of them as she gripped her sword. Her eyes landed on the cookpot next to her, an idea forming in her head. She kicked the pot and fire with all her strength, sending the contents flying at the mercenaries. The two that had chased her were hit with the scalding food and the one on the right was hit with the burning wood, catching his pants on fire. He screamed and danced around, trying to put the fire out. She'd been lucky her own clothing hadn't caught the flames.

The men behind her lunged, their swords ready to strike, and she blocked the attack with her own sword. Ace lunged for the one closest to him, his teeth grabbing the man's throat and tearing savagely. The man's screams turned into a gurgling cry as he dropped, dead on the ground. Charlotte and the other mercenary were engaged in a swordfight. He managed to hit her in the head with the pommel of his sword, promptly knocking the hat off. Her red hair spilled out and he stared a little dazed at her.

"It's a woman!" She heard someone call from behind her. More men had come from the gate and down to where the fighting was.

"Who cares? Get her!"

One of the tents had caught fire from the man who'd been on fire, effectively blocking some of them off from the fighting. Charlotte counted how many were left, about six, and cursed. This plan had gone to shit and fast. She ducked and rolled from an oncoming blade and drew her pistol as she rolled onto her knees. Firing the gun at the man who'd swiped at her, she took him down with a shot in the chest. The others advanced on her too quickly and she had to pick up her sword and take them out. Ace had made his way back to her side and latched himself onto the throat of a merc as Charlotte engaged with the other. Memories of her training with Walter flooded her mind, but it was jumbled in her head as the adrenaline pumped through her. This man also fought much differently than Walter, more aggressive.

With a determined cry, she thrust her sword at him, nicking his arm with the blade. He cried out and dropped his sword and that was when she drove the blade into his chest. She stared as the blood poured from the wound onto her sword and the light left his eyes. Everything seemed to drag on in that moment that she didn't see the other men who had moved behind her and attempted to grab her. One of them wrapped his arms around her, and crushed her to his chest. She struggled, kicking her legs and screaming.

"Let me go!"

"I don't think so. You're goin' straight to the boss, girlie."

She struggled, kicking the other man who tried to bind her with rope and smashing the back of her head into her captors chin and nose. The man cried out, dropping her and she grabbed her sword, smashing the man she kicked with the pommel and running for cover behind some sacks that had been set up. She pulled out her pistol and popped her head over the cover, taking down three. She didn't have time to reload so she cast a fireball that hit one of them in the chest, leaving a smoldering cavity in its wake. She casted more spells, flinging them all over the campsite and all the tents went up in flames, trapping the rest in the burning circle. She used that as a diversion to get past the gate.

She fought her way through waves of mercenaries –and even wolves – up through the camp. She and Ace had killed so many men that she'd lost count. The glue on her face had begun to peel away from her face. She wiped the rest of the false beard away on her sleeve as she continued on into the fortress. The final area was a large circular training arena, closed off behind a high wall. There were more of the mercenaries on the walls. As she walked in, the gate slammed shut down behind her. She was trapped.

One of the men towered over the rest of them, who she assumed was Saker; his height rivaling that of Boulders. The sides of his head were shaved leaving a little on the top. He wore the shredded remains of the royal army's coat over a bare chest. A lit cigar hung out of his mouth that he took a long drag of before removing it. It was clear he could snap her like a toothpick if he got those massive hands on her.

"Leave her!" He shouted to his followers after a few of them moved to train their rifles on her. "She's mine!"

His attention turned to her, one milky eye glaring from under a busy brow. "You've left quite a trail of bodies." He exhaled; smoke pouring out of his mouth like a dragon.

"I'm here to avenge the murder of the Dwellers!" She yelled up at him, barely concealing the quaver of fear in her voice.

He tapped the edge of his cigar on the railing to get the ashes off then replaced it back in his mouth. "You're not one of Sabine's Dwellers, that's for damn sure. But you'll die like one!"

Oh, balls she repeated to herself, clearly in over her head. He jumped down from his perch, and stood to his full intimidating height, cracking his knuckles. Her heart hammered away in her chest, fear racing through body as her face drained of all color. It was evident that this would not be a fair fight. He held his hands up, clenching them into fists and he swung them at her. She dove out of the way, inches away from getting her head knocked off her shoulders. Never had she been in a situation where her opponent used his bare fists to fight. She rolled and drew her pistol, firing it a few times. Only one bullet hit its mark and while she was reloading some of the men on the wall had jumped down to join in the fighting. Ace kept them away from her, moving between Saker's men and taking down those who swung or shot at his master or him.

Saker pulled a bottle out from his belt, and used the embers from his cigar to light the cloth that hung from the neck, and lobbed it at her. She was able to evade its trajectory and it exploded where she had been standing, spreading fire over the ground. Using her magic she sent a shock that traveled from each man on the field, knocking out or killing everyone except Saker. The crowd booed around them, and cheered their boss on. She realized he moved very slowly across the arena, and got as far away from him as she could. Taking aim with her pistol she fired at him, hitting him in the shoulder and leg. He recoiled from the bullets, but it didn't seem to slow him down anymore. He got close enough to her and punched - actually punched – the ground and it sent her impossibly flying back from the shockwave of it.

While she lay dazed, Ace quickly took to action; leaping onto Saker's back and sinking his teeth into the large man's shoulder. The rest of the mercenaries leapt down from the ramparts, and advanced on her, swords drawn. Quickly she jumped to her feet, drawing her own sword. She dispatched them quickly, coming at Saker with her sword. He had shaken her dog off and blocked her with his arms, the sword bouncing harmlessly off his thick arms. Taking the opportunity, he swung again, narrowly missing her head again as she rolled to the side. She charged up her magic, releasing a barrage of energy that came out as fireballs at her attacker. He was hit repeatedly by the spell, singeing his clothes and skin. He shook of the magic attacks, entirely ignoring the little flames on his clothes and closed in on her again. She was trapped against the wall.

He swung at her and she dodged, rolling left through the dirt and rose into a crouch. He just wouldn't stop and Charlotte feared she would live through this fight. She clambered to her feet fast as he rounded around her again. He was on her again in instant, sweeping outstretched arms in an effort to bear-hug the life out her. She ducked and rolled again. A new wave of terror rippled through her as she whipped around and drew her blade. She didn't know how much longer this fight was going to last.

The fight dragged on, both of them wearing each other down. The number of Saker's men dwindled as their stamina did. Charlotte panted hard, sweat dripping from her brow. Ace limped on the outside of the ring, whining softly as he licked his wounded paw; earned from a mercenaries blade when the man had moved too close to Charlotte for Ace's liking. He hadn't made it far before the dog had taken him down. They circled each other; blade in her hand and his bloodied fists raised in front of him. Both ready to strike.

She swung her blade, catching him on his bicep. Red poured down from the wound and he seemed to snarl like a wild animal at her. He lunged for her again. This time, she rolled under his legs and leapt onto his back. Her arms tangled around his neck, trapping him in a headlock. She squeezed with the last of her strength, listening to his choked gurgles. He fell to his knees as her strength ebbed away. She slid off his back to her own knees, sword gripped tightly in her right hand as she caught her breath.

With some of her strength returning, she used the sword as leverage to help herself up. She stumbled backwards, and then held the sword to the point of Saker's throat. He looked her in the eyes, mortal terror in his eyes. His mouth began to move but it was not what she had been expecting to hear.

"Stop! Stop…" He exhaled, exhausted. His chin dropped to his chest as it heaved. "You've won. This battle is yours."

Surrender had not been an outcome she expected, not from someone who fought as hard as he did. She stared at the defeated man, and realized that she had been doing no better than what they had done. Killing in cold blood was not something she wanted to do.

"Kill me or let me live. It's your choice and my men will honour it. We may be nothing more but mercenaries and thugs, but we have our codes, like any other soldier. We'll leave the Dwellers be no matter what you do. That is a warrior's promise."

She heard the disapproval from his remaining men, but it barely registered past that. Something spoke deep inside her mind, a little voice that told her this was wrong. She took her blade away and put it in its sheath. When he didn't look up at her she tapped the side of his face and his cigar dropped out of his mouth. He looked up, stunned for a moment, like he expected to see a blade poised to strike. What she did instead was extend her hand to help him up. He stared at her, picked up his cigar in one hand and then placed the other in hers.

She hauled him up onto his feet and he seemed surprised at the strength she still possessed.

"Thank you. I won't forget this." He said with a genuine smile across his face. He turned to his men and yelled out. "Let the stranger go!"

"Saker," Charlotte spoke in carefully measured words, hoping she would not overstep the bounds of this tentative agreement. "I may need your help the lead a rebellion against King Logan. Will you help?"

"You've shown yourself to be an honourable warrior. We are no friend to the king and we are at your mercy. We will fight at your side." He said, holding his own mammoth sized hand out for her to shake. She shook his – her own dwarfed in comparison – to seal the arrangement. Some of his remaining men booed to this, but their noise was stifled when Saker glowered at them.

When Charlotte took her hand away, the world went grey and still around her. A portal appeared to her left. She knew Theresa was waiting to speak to her on the other side. She entered and was teleported back to the floating path.

"You have taken another step in the road to rule." Theresa said as Charlotte appeared through the light. "Sparing Saker has won over support of his followers. Word is already spreading of your compassion, and your strength." A ghostly figure of Saker appeared next to Jasper's.

"I barely made it out of that fight," Charlotte said. "I don't think strength factors into this… just dumb luck."

Theresa offered her a kind smile, but offered nothing more to ease her worries. Theresa disappeared into thin air. The next gate unlocked behind her and Charlotte went through to claim her rewards. Afterwards she exited through the portal back to the real world. The gate was raised for her to leave and she and Saker left the arena to put their agreement in writing.

Not only did he pledge his remaining men to her, he also pledged his allegiance to her when she becomes queen so long as she would allow their criminal records expunged and for them to receive trade and set up shops. He also promised he would help protect the valley from Logan's men until her army was strong enough to go up against him. Once the document was copied and signed, Charlotte left the fortress and teleported back to the Sanctuary to change out of the grimy, blood-soaked clothes.

Jasper met her with a relieved smile, and an equally scrunched up nose at her smell. "It is a momentous occasion, madam. Your first real victory in battle. I'm no expert in personal combat, but I would say, based on the fact that you're not dead, you acquitted yourself rather well."

Charlotte laughed at him, peeling the disgusting garments off one by one as she left for her wardrobe. She felt lighter from the agreement, and yet heavy with regret… All those men's blood on her hands…

Jasper speaking interrupted her thoughts.

"It's hard to believe just a few days ago I was rousing you from a comfortable bed…"

"And now I'm killing and forging alliances. Where does the time go?" She said to him, trying to lighten her own mood.

"Ah, madam?" Jasper called out to her from the main room. "What would you have me do with these clothes you left here?"

"Probably best to burn them."

"Very good, madam."

She dressed herself in the only other outfit she owned besides the Dweller outfit. Teleporting from the map to Brightwall village she made her way to the inn where she had been staying. She bathed and mended all of hers and Ace's wounds with healing potions. Thankfully she hadn't received anything too serious. She noticed some of her wounds had healed on their own or were on their way to healing. She was far too tired to seek out Walter and explain the situation. He would just have to wait to hear the details of her little mission. No doubt he would hear about her exploits beforehand.

She lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling to watch the light from the candle flicker across it. Ace settled himself at her side, vigilant and loyal as always. She gently rubbed his ears as he was lulled to sleep by her ministrations. Slowly sitting up to blow out the candle, she flopped back onto the creaky bed frame. In the darkness she continued to stare at the ceiling until the exhaustion of the day caught up to her, washing over her in gentle waves as she herself fell asleep.