Flynn

RL83 - 30 VIG - 14 MND - 32 END - 34 STR - 14 DEX - 22 INT - 9 FTH - 7 ARC

Flynn

If there was one thing that brought me solace during the long, silent walk to the entrance of the Ruin-Strewn Precipice…it was that I made it there on my first try. Not because the walk was difficult - the strange gas sacs posed no real threat, in all truth. No, it was because that meant that, wherever Resa was, she was alive…that whatever wild quest Ranni'd put her on hadn't gotten the best of her yet. I could only hope that would continue to be the case, for her safety and for my peace of mind.

Eventually, the dreary ravine began to reach its end as sheer cliffs started materializing from the mists. Along it was all manner of scaffolding, ladders and rickety-looking platforms climbing high enough into the sky that I got vertigo trying to find the top.

"There he is! Flynn, over here!" My head snapped back down to the ground, following the sound, but I already recognized Tragoth's voice long before I laid eyes on him. However, I also laid eyes on someone else…Millicent. I'd completely forgotten that we'd directed here this way when last we met, but the two of them were huddled around a grace at the base of the precipice. They looked quite comical, the two of them together - the large, burly form of Tragoth with his monstrous hammer, contrasted by the smaller, more lithe outline of Millicent and her much more practical blade.

I approached, happy to get out of the rain and under some cover. "Oh, hey there…hope I didn't keep you waiting long, Resa and I had a couple things to wrap up before I could make it this way. She, umm…she's busy with something else right now, but I figured I shouldn't keep you waiting, if you were at all." It was hard to mask the uneasiness in my voice as I broached the topic of Resa's absence - Tragoth didn't seem to pick up on it, but Millicent's shifting eyes signaled that she knew there was more to my words.

Millicent shook her head. "We have been checking in periodically, but Tragoth and I have been scoping the surrounding area and eliminating threats. The Precipice should be all that remains in this area."

"The little lady's right - you haven't kept us waiting, but we're happy you made it when you did. Things were starting to slow down, but…you're here, and you brought that blade too. How's it treating you?"

I chuckled, slinging the massive thing from off my back. "Quite well, I do believe you got the worse end of our deal. It's got some strange sorcery in it…I'm sure you'll see soon enough. Good heft, too, though it's got nothing on your hammer."

Tragoth let out a hearty laugh in response, nodding. "Not a weapon in these lands does, and I'll keep using this until I'm proven wrong. Now, do you need a moment to rest, or shall we get going?" Both pairs of eyes looked at me expectantly, clearly wanting one response over another.

"Well, I've kept you waiting enough - no reason to keep doing so. Let's get to it."

Millicent gave a curt nod, standing back up. "Tragoth, lead the way for now - I'd like to catch up with Flynn for a bit, if you don't mind." I shuddered a bit hearing those words, but Millicent deserved the unmasked truth - we'd both been there to pull her from her pain. It only made sense she wanted to see Resa as much as me.

None the wiser, Tragoth gave a jolly nod. "No worries little missy, just don't go lagging behind too far. We've come to make a good team, you and me."

Millicent gave a smile, rolling her eyes. "That we have - we won't be far." With that, Tragoth started to ascend the first of several ladders, each rung somehow managing to support him and the incredible load that he carried on his back - it was a marvel of engineering that they weren't splintering under his weight.

Millicent turned back to face me, that smile immediately giving way to a neutral expression, those piercing yellow eyes burrowing into me, demanding answers with words unspoken. I sighed, nodding. "I'll cut to the chase. Resa is…she's helping someone I don't agree with, and who I don't think is safe for her. She's sticking to her convictions…and I'm sticking to mine. She's not - I don't think she's in much danger, if that's what you're worried about. She's just doing her own thing."

The redhead nodded, reaching for the ladder. "Only sought to know that you had not become separated. So long as you believe she is safe, I am content. Now come - Tragoth is a jovial man and a fearsome fighter, but there is not a single ambush I have seen him avoid in our time together. If this tunnel is occupied, we'd best not let him stray too far ahead."

"That…does sound like Tragoth, yes. Let's go." I followed Millicent up the ladder, reflecting on what I'd just said. Was I sticking to my convictions in leaving my sister alone to her fate? I didn't know, but I worried that Resa wasn't safe, or at least wouldn't be in due time…I knew my sister, and I knew that she'd sacrifice herself to something she believes in, same as I would. My fear was that Ranni knew that, and knew she could take advantage of that…and that I actually needed to be there to keep that manipulation in check. Now that I wasn't…well, only time would tell if I made the right call. For now though, I had other people depending on me and my blade…as worried as I was about Resa, I couldn't leave them.

By the time Millicent and I finally caught up to Tragoth, the armored hulk was, in a word…ambushed. He'd managed to step on some sort of trap, a cloud of noxious gas billowing out from beneath him as several small creatures with jagged blades and chains came scurrying out from the shadows, leaping into the air as the jumped Tragoth. The man coughed, swinging his hammer around wildly as he tried to stumble out of the gas, but the increasingly ragged breathing showed that the poison had already taken. One wild swing managed to blindside one of his assailants, the smaller foe getting slammed into the head of the hammer and then promptly turning into paste but a moment later.

"I must have - overlooked something. A little - help if you - would." Tragoth was practically retching at this point, one hand over his mouth as he escaped the gas cloud. Millicent stepped in with a subtle shaking of her head, narrowing in one of our foes and leveling her blade at it. It leaped towards her, expecting a similarly unrefined opponent - but after a well-timed side step sent the foe flying aimlessly through the air, she spun around and slashed at it with a single slice from her blade, ending its life. I focused in on the other one, landing somewhere in the middle of my two companions - nowhere near as nimble as Millicent, but a good deal more aware than Tragoth. The small creature swiped at me with a serrated blade several times, clinking against my armor as I shoved my blade into the ground, jagged spikes rupturing from the earth around me.

As the cloud settled, Millicent's focus was on our ally. "Take a moment, Tragoth…that poison isn't going to wear off anytime soon. I'll take the lead for a bit, try to suss out any traps that might be lying in wait…might give us better odds."

"A good idea, missy…I'm surprised they got the jump on me like that."

"I…I am too, Tragoth." Another roll of her eyes showed that this was a conversation they'd had more than once before…Tragoth didn't know the depths of his lack of awareness. Millicent led on as I followed after her, Tragoth taking up the rear. We continued through an opening on the far side of the cavernous space, an elevator ahead of us. About halfway there, Millicent's head snapped to the left, her sword arm instinctively moving along with her. In one smooth motion she slashed at a ball that had been thrown towards her, continuing on to strike at another of the diminutive foes that had been hidden behind the barrel. The ball ruptured into a cloud of white smoke, obscuring the area but nothing more. Her eyes scanned, looking for anything else, finding nothing. "That's the last of them for now."

"Good eye, it was well hidden." I continued behind her, the three of us stepping onto the elevator and beginning to make our way up. We passed by more worked stone carved similarly to many of the ruins we'd seen in Limgrave - proof that this wasn't just some random, abandoned cave.

"I have the blood of a trained swordsman in my veins. It is mere instinct to me at this point."

"Speaking of blood, are you…still holding up?" The elevator continued its ascent into a narrower channel, brief bits of luminescent rock being our only source of light.

"Yes…the needle continues to keep the rot at bay, though it still roils and vies for control within me. There is still pain - but it is lessened, thanks to you."

"Speaking of, where'd you find that needle anyways, Flynn? I hadn't even heard a rumor about that thing, though Caelid isn't my part of my usual territory." Tragoth commented, the elevator reaching its peak.

"In the heart of the swamp, guarded by some man that could conjure illusory knights. It was a tough foe to take down."

"By Marika…you took down Commander O'Niel? I'd heard he'd fallen, but not who had the honor…you're a damned good fighter, Flynn. I also see you've picked up the late General's armor…have to say it looks good on you."

"Thanks…couldn't have done it without my sister, though."

"Well, I haven't been to the Plateau in ages since this tunnel got overrun…who knows what's waiting for us up there. Once you and your sister reconvene, maybe the four of us can try to do some good up there, I'm sure there's people that could use our help."

"Yeah, Tragoth…hopefully that can happen." My spirits sank, wondering if Resa even would come back…or if I'd managed to dig a bit too deep of a trench between us. I had to hope she would…we were family, after all.

"Careful - more foes ahead." Millicent kept her blade drawn, watching as several miners worked away at glintstone deposits within the walls. She had far less of an issue fighting them than I did, cutting them down one after the other as soon as they showed a sign of hostility. We continued forward, opening up from a cramped tunnel to a much larger room with a wooden doorway to our left, a staircase to our right, and the tunnel continuing straight ahead.

Millicent said nothing, but she held her one hand out at her side, blade pointed straight to the side. Tragoth and I halted our banter, letting the swordmaster do her work. "Two behind the pillars…and two to our left. Be on guard."

I looked to our right, at the pillar - it was built directly from the wall, with no way to see around that. "How can you be so sure?"

"I can hear them."

I paused, taking that into consideration…if what she was saying was true, it was an inhumanely incredible feat. "Remind me to never try to sneak up on you."

I heard a chuckle from ahead. "I dare say you couldn't. Your sister perhaps, if she was focused. Clear out the right, and I'll handle the left."

I nodded, ascending the stairs as my eyes scanned for what Millicent called out. Amazingly, she was right - tucked behind the pillar and crouched in the corner was another smaller figure, a chain and bola in its hands to catch any unexpecting prey. Fortunately, I was anything but - while still on the edge of its vision I pulled out my staff, charging up a sorcery from its tip.

"I'd forgotten you were a sorcerer too, Flynn. Not many people in the Lands that swing a sword like that and do all that fancy sorcery stuff. How'd that happen?"

I unleashed the blast of glintstone on the ambusher-now-ambushee, steering it towards its target to knock it down. I send another blast to finish it off, turning back to Tragoth. "Just chance, if I'm being honest. I - " My words faltered, realizing that neither Millicent nor Tragoth knew my past…and explaining it now just wasn't worth the time. "I couldn't find what I was looking for, and sorceries were the next best thing. I've taken a liking to them."

"Well isn't that a thing. Looks like we're all clear here, let's get back to the little lady."

I turned back, but then paused - Millicent had said there were two up here, not just one. I saw a couple miners that seemed to be on break, but they hadn't bothered to raise their picks at us. My eyes fell on a dark corner to the left, sandwiched between two pillars in the very back of the room. Could Millicent have really heard something all the way back there?"

I raised up my blade, purple magic flowing through it as I prepared to answer that question. I sent it slamming into the wooden platform that we were on as the burst of sorcery rocketed forward. Wooden splinters were sent flying as board were ripped from their nails, the shockwave traveling into that dark corner as fissures erupted from the earth. Sure enough, I saw a body get tossed around, impaled on a spike - I was still in shock that Millicent had heard it, all the way back there.

However, Tragoth was in shock of something else entirely. "That…I've seen that before. Isn't that gravity sorcery?"

"Can't say I know. I haven't learned anything like that…I just use it. Why, is there something special about it?"

"Well, the late General was one of most well known users. Between your affinity to sorceries and big blades, his armor, and gravity sorcery…you seem real keen to follow in the late General's footsteps, don't you?"

"I…well, it's not intentional, if I'm being honest." The two of us walked back down the steps, finding Millicent leaving the room. I could spot a slew of traps thrown into the center of that room - not a single one triggered. "More a matter of circumstance than anything else."

"No, no…lean into it. The General was well-respected. Many knew him as the strongest of the demigods - if you're gonna look like someone, he's a good choice. Isn't that right, Milly?"

"My…lineage had his quarrels with General Radahn. However, there is no denying that the man gained the respect of his troops and of the Lands as a whole. Tragoth's words are true - he is an honorable man."

I thought back - Resa had forged Radahn's twin blades from Enia, if I truly wanted to recreate the visage of the General. However, that felt too on-the-nose…if I even wanted to do it at all. "That's good to know…for now though, I just want to fight with what's comfortable for me. Turns out, that's a large blade in one hand, and a staff in the other. A shield as well…when it gets repaired."

"In any case, you're unlikely to sow disfavour from someone that sees that armor, so long as you do its former bearer justice. Let us continue - we've made considerable progress, but I'm sure we're nowhere near the top."

Millicent led us further into the mine, through a tunnel that actually managed to deposit us out in the open. A grace was up ahead, giving us a good place to rest while Tragoth recovered from the poison that had inflicted him earlier.

We were making good progress - when I looked over the edge, the ground was almost completely enshrouded in mist, showing just how far we'd ascended. However, a brief glance up showed just how much was left - the ruins had scaffolding all the way to the top, showing just how much was left. Most of it seemed to be outdoors from here on out, at least - though perhaps that was just a hint of optimism peaking through.

Again, my thoughts drifted to Resa - whatever was in that tower hadn't claimed her life yet. That one thought kept giving me hope, hope that I hadn't abandoned her to something she couldn't handle - and in the back of my mind, perhaps a shred of hope that Ranni wasn't abusing the trust my sister had for her.

After a brief reprieve we continued on our way, Tragoth's breathing finally returning to normal as we all took a chance to catch our breaths. Ahead of us was a short elevator to help ascend up the cliff, leading to a brief landing that gave way to a wooden staircase - the first of many, as we'd come to learn. Another one of the smaller creatures was up there - but this one seemed to be on guard rather than in hiding. Millicent paused for a second, contemplating if perhaps this was some sort of elaborate trap…but her ears must not have heard anything, for after a few seconds she came up and felled the unsuspecting foe.

"Careful up ahead…I think we have more to worry about than whomever's taken up residence here." We continued along the rickety planks, making our way to another staircase. At the peak - bats. Several of them were feasting on a recently-slain creature, the gnawing and gnashing audible even to me as we ascended. As soon as they laid eyes on us they ascended, four pairs of leathery wings beating to try and take us down.

"Flynn, Tragoth…this is where I have to take a step back, unfortunately." I nodded, already reaching for my staff while Tragoth unfurled a rather menacing crossbow he had tucked away on his back. The two of us opened fire, glintstone and bolt alike hurtling towards the bats, none of which were prepared for our retaliation. We picked them off one-by-one, peppering their wings until they could no longer manage to stay aloft.

I put away my staff as we continued, glancing over at my heavily-armored ally. "I didn't pick you for much of an archer, Tragoth, where'd that come from?"

"I had no choice after running into my fair share of flying nasties. Can't say I'm the best at it, but I can at least hit the broad side of a barn…maybe even the barn door, if I'm close enough. It does the job."

"Well, you seemed to find a weapon fitting your skillset. That's a pretty hefty bow you've got there - you'd think it'd have quite the kick to it, but you kept it under control."

"Gotta play to my strengths in a trade like this. Namely…my strength, heh. Anywhos…I'm not the only one that's hearing that weird singing, am I?"

I focused, trying to ignore the sound of the crashing waterfall below to pick up the faint melody wafting through the air - and in time, I did. It was enchanting, haunting…from this distance I couldn't tell if it was in a tongue I recognized, or if the words were being obfuscated by distance and din. "No, I'm picking it up too. Any idea what it could be?"

Millicent shook her head. "Nothing I'm familiar with, unfortunately. Be on your guard."

Another rickety staircase took us up to a much larger area. Crates of glintstone were scattered haphazardly near several large pillars, supporting a cavernous expanse underneath the cavern roof. A long plane of worked stone rose and then fell at a single angle, as if it was once the roof of some ancient building lost to time. The roof extended beyond the pillars, the dark Liurnian sky high above us. Millicent guided us that way after spotting several more errant packs of bats feasting in the corners.

After cresting the midpoint of the roof and beginning our gradual descent, we finally laid our eyes upon the source of the haunting singing, now definitively in a language that I didn't know. The creature was much like the bats that we'd just felled - in all but two ways. First, was the face - where there ought to be the visage of a bat, there instead was a humanoid head, bellowing out the song lyrics. Second, was the fur - or rather, the lack thereof. The creature was sitting very humanoid-like atop a raised platform, singing to nobody in particular. That wouldn't have been a problem, except for the fact that a ladder - the only ladder up - was not but a few feet from where it was sitting. Millicent pulled us back towards one of the pillars, blocking line of sight with the creature for the moment.

"What's the plan, little missy?"

Millicent grimaced, seemingly growing weary of Tragoth's cutesy names for her. "We can try to subdue it from range, but if that fails I fear we'll have lost the element of surprise. I can try to get into position at the base of that platform, and then you can try to lure it away from its perch. If its words are keeping these bats calm, we'll need to fell it in one maneuver."

"Distraction - you know I make for a good distraction, Milly. You get where you need to be and then give me a signal."

"Okay. Flynn, stay here as well and provide backup if we need it. She gave me a look, one that I guessed would go above Tragoth's head - we'll need it. I could only wonder what hijinx the two of them had gotten up to while I wasn't here…and how frustrated Millicent had been with someone that didn't understand the basic principles of stealth.

Tragoth and I waited as Millicent skulked forward, crouched low and moving just on the outer edge of the roof, far to the creature's left. She rounded the corner, coming in closer, staying close to the walls and out of sight from the bat-human. She was good…she managed to get just beneath the bat completely undetected, her blade poised and ready to strike upwards once it came her way.

And then there was Tragoth…constantly peeking out from behind the pillar in a not-subtle fashion, doing his best to see when that signal would be called. I had to wonder if it was even worth trying to hide him at all…simply standing in the open and staring would be less conspicuous than what we got instead. I had to wonder how he'd become such a respected sellsword if these were the skills at play, but a quick glance at that hammer and armor told me that he wasn't hired for infiltration or espionage.

Soon, Millicent gave the signal with a thumbs-up, and Tragoth began his move. He walked forwards, hammer slung over his shoulder nonchalantly. "Hey there, little batty…why don't you come closer so I can get a better look at you." Both Millicent and I raised an eyebrow…we really would need backup.

The bat stopped its singing, turning to look at Tragoth with clear mistrust. Walk forward was the last thing it did - instead it backed up, one beat of its leathery wings taking it to the air as it flung a small cloud of poison gas forward. Another couple flaps took it higher - and then it began flying forwards.

In a maneuver that could only be described as 'practiced spontaneity', Millicent launched herself into the air with incredible force, determined to strike at the bat she'd so expertly approached. One foot caught a crossbeam, another caught a support strut, and then there was one surge off the top of the platform, hurling Millicent two stories into the air. Her sword arm was outstretched, reaching skywards towards the bat as she tried to reach its elevation, and barely did. The blade made contact, a quick slash barely more than skin-deep all that she was able to manage before gravity started taking her back down. Still, it was something - and it was up to me to provide the rest before we'd have an entire swarm on our hands.

I already had my staff ready, charging up a glintstone shard that I launched the bat's way. The strike wasn't enough to slay it, but it was enough to drop it closer to the ground…but at that point, the gig was up. I could hear the flurry of beating wings coming at us from all sides, six or seven more bats joining the fray. "Crossbow up, Tragoth…we've got company."

"Damned it…I thought I did pretty well, too. Guess it's smarter than I gave it credit for. Here goes!" Tragoth unfurled his crossbow, aiming it at one of the many incoming bats and puncturing a hole in its wing with a single strike. I followed suit, one or two glintstone shards being all it took to take down each one - but that was rapidly draining my reserves, and we had quite a few more bats to take down.

We kept going, striking them down one after the other, but it wasn't without some cuts and scrapes on our part as well. Nothing major - if Resa were here it'd be a simple healing incantation to restore, but thankfully we all had crimson flasks to wipe the pain away. Tragoth and I rejoined with Millicent, standing over the corpse of the strange bat-human that she'd taken down.

"Sorry there Milly…plan didn't turn out quite like I hoped it would. If we see any more of those nasties, I'll try a different approach."

"Actually, I was thinking we should try a more head-on approach…it seems to fit all of our skill sets quite well. Stealth was worth a try this time, but…it's not for everyone."

"Well if you wanna charge in head first, you won't hear any complaints from me. Anywhose, lets keep going - you want to keep leading?"

I stepped in, interjecting Millicent. "Actually, I'm fine to helm for a bit - I can try to pick anything off before we even have to deal with it. Sounds good?"

Millicent nodded. "I'm agreeable to that. Lead the way, Flynn."

I ascended up the ladder, leading to a winding and narrow shelf along the precipice walls that was home to no shortage of creatures. Multiple bats - I quaffed some of my cerulean flask to regain my reserves, and then took them out from afar with sorcery. Other creatures were a sort of…ball of tentacles, a small beak-like mouth protruding from the mass. They didn't pose much of a threat, and I opted to take them out with my blade instead.

As we traveled along that shelf though, the enchanting singing started to fill the air once more. There was a large ladder up ahead, in the direction of the singing. "Be careful…not sure what's waiting for us at the top."

I ascended, reaching said top - at first, nothing that raised an alarm. A couple more tentacle balls, but the several large pillars blocking my vision showed that there could be more that I wasn't seeing quite yet. The singing came from behind one of the pillars - and as I strafed to the side to get a better look, I saw another one of the human-like bat creatures. No, not one…two. The second seemed to be wearing some sort of shawl across its back, unlike the other and previous one which had been ungarbed. Perhaps this was the leader of leaders? Only one way to know.

"Still thinking of charging in head first?"

Millicent nodded, assessing the situation. "There's no silent way up…I don't think we've got another choice. On your signal, we move."

I looked at the large pillar up ahead - if it had blocked our line of sight, it would block theirs too. Ideally, we could use that to mask our approach - but that assumed Tragoth didn't give up the act early. No, it was better to simply rush in. "Alright. Let's move."

I rushed in, the other two keeping pace with me - surprising, given Tragoth's load. Both bat-humans noticed us immediately, taking to the air - that was fine. Like before, the garbless one unfurled a poisonous cloud from somewhere, forcing me to hold my breath as I approached and charged through it. The other one, however - it crushed something in one of its claws as three glistening blue lights began to spring into existence, launching my way - pure glintstone.

I raised my blade to the side, absorbing the beams but still feeling a slight residual burn from the impact. I came in after that, raising my blade up as high as I could to try and tag one of the bats, but coming in just a hair's breadth too short.

"Tragoth, be ready." Millicent once again propelled herself into the air with surprising efficiency, finding purchase along the cavern's outer walls to leap higher than should be possible. With blade extended she managed to sink her sword into a wing as the intertwined creatures began falling to the ground. Upon landing, it was Tragoth's turn - a lifting of his hammer, a locking of his foot, and gravity did the rest. Millicent recoiled at just the right moment, the hammer slamming into the now-prone bat. One strike was all it took - most of the bat was still stuck to the head as he brought it back up.

That only left the shawled one - it flew even higher into the air after seeing what happened to its comrade. It let out a shrieking wail as black flames began to form around it, six in total. Each one had the visage of a skull within it, seeking each of us out - some sort of sorcery or incantation, if I had to guess. "It's not going to come back down…any easier ideas than to start blasting it?"

Millicent looked around, spotting another elevator lift at the far end of the platform. "I…no, not me. Flynn, that shockwave your sword emits can travel through the air, right?"

I looked at my blade, shrugging as I blocked another blast of raw glintstone. "It…might? Can't say I've tried."

"Time to find out then. Take the lift up - see if you can catch it unawares."

"I like that plan. Just hold tight for a second." I moved over, making my way over to the lift. I'd have to time this right - but if it worked the way Millicent was hoping, it'd knock the creature from the sky in an instant.

I stepped on the lift, the bat turning to focus its attention back on Tragoth after he launched a bolt at it. The lift began rising, I grabbed my blade and held it to the sky, waiting for just a brief moment before beginning the Ash of War. Purple energy began crackling and thrumming along the blade as I called forth the powers of gravity - and then in one slamming thrust, sent that power flying forwards.

The blast of energy caught the bat squarely in the wings, the force of gravity amplifying upon it as it was sent hurtling to the ground. As I ascended higher, Millicent and Tragoth were waiting below to seal the deal - blade and hammer alike gave it a swift end once it was on the ground.

I sent the lift back down once I reached the top, delighted to see another grace waiting for us at the top. It was quite a sight, looking out at all of Liurnia - I didn't dare try to look for the ground, lest a slight breeze catch me unawares and send me plummeting towards it. Still, there was quite a bit to see. The Divine Tower stood proudly along the skyline, erupting from the mists below. Perhaps Resa was already there…I wished I had a way to know for certain.

The one piece of architecture that stood out was much, much closer than that, however. An impressive stone structure carved into the rockface on the other side of the ravine stood five or six stories high. Multiple statues stood out front, most notably two horse-mounted riders, each one holding a battleaxe and a shield. Multiple other statues were set on various tiers of the structure behind them, all of figures standing proudly, looking out. Numerous battlements were erected on the trail leading there, including several trebuchets. It looked like a heavily fortified place, whatever it was.

"The Lift of Dectus looks quite different up here, doesn't it?" Tragoth walked over, taking a seat near the grace and looking out over the horizon with me. "Capital forces have kept people from getting close for ages now, not that anyone could even use the damned thing. The Lift key's been lost for a long while now…but I guess better safe than sorry."

"Why are they keeping people out of the capital?"

"Beats me…I haven't been there since it all happened to know if something's changed. But that's all gonna change now, real soon. We've gotta be getting close to that wyrm now…we're almost at the top, by the looks of things. Once that's dead, we should have a hidden way into the Plateau."

"You don't think it'll be guarded?"

Tragoth shook his head. "Probably not…place's been overrun for ages now, and we're the only ones brave enough to try and do something about it. Not too many travelers these days, not unless you're looking to become the next Lord. Capital's got better uses for its men than to have them guard some long-abandoned mine."

"Hmm…are you trying to become Lord?"

"Me? Not a chance. I'm a fighter not a leader. What about you? Or how about you Milly? You're good at hiding, but not from conversation."

"Millicent chuckled, coming to sit next to us. "No, becoming Lord isn't my goal. I simply wish to return home for now…once I'm there, I'll figure out my next steps. What about you, Flynn?"

"Well…" I'd already taken down two Shardbearers - three, though Rennala's shard remained with her. "I'm not sure. I'm not much of a leader either, but it seems like the current one's not done much recently. I feel like something's gotta be done."

Tragoth clapped me on the back, nodding. "Don't discount yourself - I'm sure you could do it, if you tried. It's not like there's no fighting when you're Lord, at least I think. It's just that you also gotta make decisions and be a leader, too. The late General would have made a good Lord, Flynn…you would too."

"That's…very kind, Tragoth. I'll keep that in mind."

"He's right, Flynn. The kindness you have shown me alone is something this world lacks. You carry the strength to rule with an iron fist, but a heart to know not to. If that is your goal, I would aid you in achieving it."

I couldn't help but smile, turning to face Millicent. "Again…thank you. That's a ways out, though, if ever…for now, let's focus on the task at hand. We have a wyrm to slay, isn't that right?"

Tragoth nodded, standing back up from the ledge. "That's right. It's gotta be close now, I can feel it. Don't know what to expect once we find it, but I'm sure the three of us can figure it out. I take it you're ready?"

I took Tragoth's extended hand, getting back to my feet. "Let's do this. I'll lead."

We continued along the trail, entering into a small tunnel, but only briefly. It opened up into a much, much larger chamber. Small pieces of the ruins littered the floor while a moss-covered pillar stretched out into the center…but I couldn't see anything, not yet.

"If I was a wyrm, I think I'd like a place like this to settle in. Where are you, little dragon?" Tragoth put away his crossbow for now, gripping the massive hammer with both hands, ready for a fight. Millicent as well kept her blade at the ready, much like always. I led both of them deeper into the chamber, holding my blade at the ready.

Deeper and deeper we went, stepping through puddles formed by water pouring from the ceiling. Each footstep reverberated through the chamber…and then I noticed a much louder, more prominent splashing.

Out from behind the pillar came that wyrm - there was no mistaking it. It was low to the ground and walked on all four limbs, more lizard-like in appearance than draconic, but some vestigial wings on its back betrayed its true heritage. Despite that posture, it was massive - I was eye level with the top of its back, the creature easily stretching thirty, fourty, perhaps fifty feet long. Its scales were black and sharp, giving its entire body a threatening presence. Most curiously was its weapons…I had never really known dragons to even carry weapons, but this one wielded a long, curved blade in one hand of a truly terrific size.

"Eyes up, there's our target!" Tragoth charged forward from behind me, hammer at the ready. The wyrm was equally ready to fight, lava pouring from its mouth as it rushed forwards, stomping through the waters towards the three of us. I moved to the side while Millicent stayed at the rear, Tragoth remaining head-on as he reared back, delivering a powerful initial blow straight to the beast's head.

Unfortunately, it was a dragon…one blow would hardly be enough. The dragon continued on its rampage, possessing the strength to knock over Tragoth and continue stomping over him in its inexorable advance. It wasn't until it had passed me that it spun around, Millicent deftly leaping over the tail that was sent flicking her way. It came charging at me again - after seeing Tragoth's gambit fail, I simply rushed to the side, letting it pass by me once more.

It came to a stop, spinning around as the three of us started to spread out. The beast reared back its head, lava once again pooling from its mouth as it formed a great ball of magma, launching it in my direction. Lava consumed me - and for a brief moment it was not pain that I felt, but longing. Longing for when I used to do this to myself, to surround myself in lava as I burned my enemies to pieces…but those times were behind me. I scrambled out of it, my footsteps slowed as I went.

"Into the water, Flynn, cool yourself off. We'll handle this!" Millicent came in to intercept as I freed myself, briefly throwing myself into a nearby puddle. I drank from my flask - it stifled the burns somewhat. I downed my crystal flask as well, feeling the restorative mixture slowly knit my remaining injuries together - if wading through lava was something I'd have to deal with, that constant attention would be invaluable.

The wyrm lashed out at Millicent as she approached, pulling that imposing blade back before sending it crashing down in her direction. She threw herself to the side, but managed to get tagged by the wyrm pulling the curved blade back. She stumbled, trying to gain her footing…but by the time the beast went to swipe at her again, she was prepared. A deft leap over the sword, followed by a strike against the head. Now was the time…we'd managed to close the distance, and we needed to fight.

Millicent's movements were similar to Resa's, though the red-haired swordsman seemed to carry more practice than spontaneity compared to my sister. Each strike was well-aimed at the juncture of multiple scales, time and time again slipping through the cracks to strike at the flesh underneath.

Tragoth's movements were also practiced, and yet the difference between the two of them was staggering. Each strike of his hammer caused the sounds of scales crunching to reverberate around the room, somehow surpassing the noise of battle. Each strike made its mark, crushing scales and fracturing bones wherever he went. The sheer gravity of his strikes tended to draw the beast's ire, but Tragoth's armor was as thick as his hammer. Multiple times he was hit solidly with the blade of that curved sword, and each time it seemed like little more than an inconvenience for him.

Then, there was me…I channeled the power of gravity through my blade as I swung in wide arcs, striking at whatever I could find. Scales were ripped off rather than crushed, revealing the flesh underneath. After carving a swath out I'd move on to another area, giving Millicent an even better target to work at. I found that the crushed patches that Tragoth left in his wake were easier to rend off the beast, creating a sort of cyclical pattern between the three of us.

All the while, the dragon kept swiping at us with its blade and trying to subdue us with lava. However, it was three on one…it simply lacked the means to clear all of us away at once. Whenever it slashed at one of us, someone else was there on the other side. Whenever it spit lava, we backed away and let someone else come in. It felt…too easy.

However, dragons were intelligent - I knew that more than anyone else dating all the way back to my days with Seath. This dragon, too, knew that it was outmatched, and it knew that it had to fix that if it wanted to continue living. That was why it gave a mighty beat of its wings, fledgling though they may have been - and with great effort, began to stand up. As it did so, a dribbling stream of lava began to coat its blade, seeping into the scale-like texture of it and heating it up until the weapon was red-hot.

It swung its blade again - and rather than a meager lunge forward, this was a mighty slash across its entire front. Tragoth and I were sent stumbling backwards, only Millicent having the reactions to charge forward, inside the blade's arc. The heat of the blade singed my armor as I splashed into the water, scrambling to my feet to get back up.

It became clear that the wyrm wasn't exactly accustomed to standing on only its hind legs, but that only served to make its movements erratic and unpredictable. It went to swing its sword forward, but it would stumble - and while that might be a vulnerability on a lesser swordsman, with a blade as large as this it only served to throw even Millicent off guard. Each strike now was far more threatening than before, the searing heat that seemed to manifest in its weapon posing a danger to even Tragoth as the heat seeped past his armor and into the person inside. Approaching the wyrm was more dangerous, its range of motion greatly enhanced now that its arms hung down at its side.

We reapproached the fight with a great deal more respect for the dragon-kin, wary of its movements. Millicent was the most consistent to slip past its guard, but also the most threatened by a stray hit. Tragoth struggled to get past its defenses, but remained in for longer. I started to hang back, relying more on my staff and less on my blade…the beast seemed to forego the use of its fiery breath now that it was upright, meaning that striking from range was far easier to execute. My magic was nothing special, especially compared to such a mighty beast - but every bit counted.

After a particularly nasty blow to the side Millicent was sent reeling, stumbling well out of the beast's range while she recovered. She came over to me as I hurled another shard of glintstone at it, drinking from her flask. "We're taking too many hits, and I can't keep this up much longer. Tragoth might not show it…but I fear he's in a similar situation."

I nodded understanding what she was asking for. "Okay…find me an opening, and I'll see what I can do."

Millicent said nothing, instead starting to approach the wyrm strafing to its right. She was diverting its attention elsewhere, pulling that hulking sword further and further away from me. She made a move to charge in, one I figured was a feint - but the subtlety of the maneuver went unnoticed by the wyrm. It brought that blade back and swept it towards her, leaving itself wide open for my approach.

I saw the opening and I took it, rushing in with reckless abandon. Due to my passivity and the constant healing from my crystal flask, I still had energy and life to spare - and I needed to use it. I crashed into the dragon blade first, stopping just short of it and slamming the weapon into an already-tenderized underside. Gravity sparked and crackled at my command as fissures were jettisoned from the ground, striking wide swaths of battered scaly flesh.

The dragon bellowed, gripping the blade in two hands as it attempted to crush me with it, but a timely swing from Tragoth's hammer managed to knock the weapon off-course slamming down only a few inches behind me. I continued my reckless assault, now striking deeper at the wounds of the drake, pulverizing everything that I could.

My arms started to burn, hurling the heavy weapon around with such force. My swings were growing slower, duller…but my blade wasn't my only weapon. I dropped it and grabbed my staff, immediately following the motion up as I conjured a sword at the tip, precision in my hand as I slashed the sorceric blade at it. I kept going, following that up with a blast of sorcery from the ground. Even that was starting to wear on me, my arms…growing…tired.

The dragon slumped down on top me, just as my muscles began to burn from simply swinging the lightweight staff. Thankfully, I wasn't crushed by the mighty beast, the immense weight only temporary as it began to fade into dust. I was exhausted, my chest heaving as I stopped for air.

"That was…well, a damned good show, Flynn." Tragoth walked over, picking up my dropped weapon and extending it to me. "Can't say I've ever seen someone put their all into a fight like that. Close, sure, but…that's the winner right there."

"Sadly I can't say the same, but…you are a terrifying warrior, Flynn. We needed you for this fight." Millicent came alongside me as well, a hand resting on my shoulder.

"We needed all of us…any two wouldn't have been enough. Tragoth's strength, your speed, my endurance…all three played a part in striking down that wyrm. This tunnel should be safe now for travelers…the way to the Capital is open again."

"And I'll make sure it stays that way." Tragoth looked around, nodding. "Someone needs to watch this place, otherwise other beasts are going to try and set up shop here. I can do that, at least for now. What's next for the two of you?"

"I intend to continue my journey north, and return to the Haligtree. I don't know all that that will entail, so I imagine my journey will leave me in the Plateau, at least for now. What about you, Flynn."

That was…a damned good question. Even if I was worried about Resa's safety, I didn't have a way back to her…and if she still intended to further Ranni's mission, we'd only have the same confrontation again. I had nothing else I needed to do…but perhaps I would uncover that as I went.

"I'll head up to the Plateau and see where the wind takes me from there."

Millicent features changed to a soft grin, gesturing towards a stairway near the back of the chamber. "If we're traveling the same way, why not band together?"

I echoed the expression, nodding. A traveling partner would be nice…with Resa around that wasn't something I ever had to consider, but now, I finally did. Millicent shared a lot of similarities with my sister - lithe, agile, a penchant for lightweight blades. If traveling together was going to be more than a short-term plan, I wouldn't have to adapt much to the change in companion. Nothing could replace Resa to me, of course…but Millicent could at least make the attempt.

"Yeah…let's get going."

I never thought I'd have a chapter where one of the twins was just gone…in my mind, they were inseparable, and yet here we are. More to come - November's only beginning.