"Any signal?" asked Commander Bowen as he watched the mountain through the spy glass.

"No, they must not have found them yet," replied Azkadellia, unable to keep the worry out of her voice. She again stared down at the tracker in her hand, the one linked to DG, and was frustrated by the cool weight of the disc.

"Oh wait...what do we have here?" she heard Bowen mutter and leaned over his shoulder in an attempt to see through the glass. He jumped slightly at the press of her against his back, moving it over so she could look through. Azkadellia could see what appeared to be a procession of people trudging through the snow. It was a rag-tag collection of people... some dressed in fashions she had never seen before, others in summer wear. She placed her hand over the commander's to redirect her view.

"There are some in Royal Army scout uniforms," she stated, continuing along the group until she spotted two familiar figures being assisted by scouts up the hillside.

"Mother and Father!"

Azkadellia released the Commander's hand and he nearly dropped the glass before catching it again and putting it to his eye.

"The General is in the back of the grouping, but I do not see Princess Dorthea with him," he said, worry tinging the edge of his words.

"You must be mistaken. Cain would never...unless...Oh no... Oh, DG, what have you done..."

"Your Highness?"

"Ready the men Commander, we march out to meet the General."

"Princess-"

"Hurry Bowen, we have not a moment to lose. My sister has exchanged herself for these people and we are not leaving without her. We must get these civilians out of harm's way and lay siege to the Mountain."

Azkadellia made move towards her horse but was stopped by Bowen stepping into her path.

"If he has her, all he has to do is kill you to take the throne. You must wait here for me to ride out."

"I know what the general said but-"

"And I will not defy a direct order from my superior."

Azkadellia sputtered in disbelief.

"I...out...rank...him!" She yelled.

Commander Bowen gave her an apologetic look.

"Technically, yes, but if Princess Dorthea is gone and something happens to you, Cain is going to shoot me. A lot. In places that will hurt."

"He wouldn't."

Bowen shot her a skeptical look.

"I fear the General far more than I fear you, my Lady," he stated, his tone grim,"Just wait here. Please?"

She didn't answer but he seemed satisfied she would stay put and mounted his horse to quickly assembling his lieutenants. She was near enough to lock eyes with her mother when all hell broke loose. Gnomes erupted from all around, leaping at the royal army. Azkadellia leaned low over the neck of her horse and urged him on towards the captives. Using a great deal energy, she threw down a large shield above and below the hundreds of people, effectively sealing them in a a protective shell.

She slumped over, giving herself a moment to recover when a gnome erupted in front of her horse, causing it to rear up and toss Azkadellia off its back. The snow broke most of her fall and she pushed herself to her feet just to be immediately tackled. The gnome raised a rock in its hand, intent on bashing in her head. Azkadellia pulled the knife still in her belt and plunged it in the opening between the plates and twisted. She released it as blood started to pour from the wound. The creature snarled and withdrew the knife, raising it over its head in its fury.

The crack of a gunshot rang out and the gnome fell lifeless onto her. She struggled to push the weighty thing off as Commander Bowen ran up, holstering his gun. With an unmistakable look of alarm on his face he pushed her coat aside and frantically ran his hands over her chest and abdomen searching for a wound. Azkadellia slapped his hands away and the Commander backed up, hands raised and face suddenly flushing a brilliant shade of red.

"It didn't stab you?"

"No."

"Oh, alright then-" His eyes were suddenly drawn to over her shoulder and he fired at the newly approaching enemies.

"Come on," she yelled, "We have to find Cain!"

After stopping to retrieve her knife from the fallen gnome, she took off in the direction she last saw the General, skidding to a stop as new creatures burst from the snow, their hulking bodies leaving large craters in their wake.

"And now fucking Trolls," she heard Commander Bowen mutter from his place just to her right. She managed to conjure a shield just as the grotesque creature brought its fist downward. The Commander fired a volley into its hide and it howled. Azkadellia drew on her light, sending a forceful blow outward and though the troll stumbled, it remained upright. This time Bowen steadied his aim sending one bullet directly into its eye. It collapsed forward and Azkadellia had to leap sideways to get out of its shadow. The immediate threat resolved, she searched again for Cain. She found him carying a collapsed civilian over his shoulder as he unloaded his his revolver into another troll.

"Gener-" she had started to yell when a violent shaking of the earth kicked her feet out from under her. She felt the snow underneath her start to slide and she along with it. Her body was gaining speed when she managed to find purchase on a thin tree, hooking her elbow around it. She lifted her eyes to see Bowen tumbling toward her and she reached out, managing to catch his coat. His other arm caught a branch and he pulled himself in as Az put a shield up, the snow breaking around them. The earth continued to shake and her grip started to slip, one hand shaking loose. Bowen reached out, shoved her forward again, and moved around to sandwich her between himself and the tree. The shaking was becoming almost unbearable and a loud crack echoed across the valley, near deafening in its intensity. It reminded Azkadellia of a the sound she heard as a child while her father played a game with a stick and stone orbs on a green table.

'Why do they call it pool?' she had asked. 'There's no water involved.'

And then, as suddenly as it had all started, it stopped. They stood frozen for a moment, Azkadellia becoming acutely aware of the Commander's breath on her neck and his chest pressed up against her back. After a few more seconds, he stepped away from her.

"Great Ozma..." he breathed and Az turned to follow his line of site and gasped. Where there had once been solid ground, there now was a canyon to rival the great Crack of the OZ.

Azkadellia ran toward the mountain where the new gorge originated. She knew from the cursing behind her, Bowen was following. After a hundred feet she found Cain, still holding his unconscious refugee and helping one of their own to their feet.

"Cain! What happened? Where is she?"

The Tin Man went to speak when a large explosion erupted from the mountain and Azkadellia instinctively covered her eyes from the heat that brushed against her face. When she looked back, whipping flames were steady pouring out of a newly made hole.

"Bowen, take get these people to safety," shouted Cain, his eyes never leaving the scene before him. He handed his burden to the Commander before turning away, reloading his gun as he went.

"I'm coming with you!" shouted Az as she fell in step beside him. He acknowledge her accompaniment with the barest of nods. As they sprinted toward the fire, she took in the man's profile. His face was smudged from dirt, a bruise darkening his left cheek. Blood dripped from his sleeve from an unseen wound. If it hurt, he gave no indication.

"Cain-"

"He took her. We're getting her back. That's all there is to it," he growled.

The flames had stopped coming form the mountainside by the time they reached the passage. Azkadellia coughed as she followed directly behind Cain, waving away the soot and ash. She nearly collided with his back as he came to an abrupt stop as the passage opened up. The night sky could be seen through the holes in the roof of the cavern but it wasn't enough to properly see their surroundings and Azkadellia conjured her light wisps. Scorch marks covered every wall and some rocky out croppings still glowed with warmth from their flash heating. The canyon that had been visible outside split the room, running from one side to the other.

Cain still hadn't moved, his eyes darting around as if looking for something.

"Where is she?" asked Az.

"I... I don't know."