A/N: Sorry for doing this to you, but I’m going back in time a little to flesh out some characters!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sival POV, during war council:

The generals had been arguing for quite some time. Viridi was tiredly rubbing her eyes, and we stepped out of the room for a bit. Recognizing that we had come with Veloth, a guard offered us a room to rest in. I accepted his offer, and Viridi just responded with her typical nod. We were shown to a room fit for any noble, luxurious and soft large bed, velvet drapes, and a fireplace of curvaceous design.

I lay with Viridi on the bed, and begin stroking her emerald hair, losing myself in thought. She reminded me so much of my little sister. She would probably be about the same size, were she still alive.

That dreadful scene crept into my mind again... My home was on fire, feathers and blood were scattered everywhere. I could hear the sound of a struggle as I hurriedly hide with my sister in a small space under the floorboards. My sister is crying, and I try to hush her, tears rolling down my own face, cries stifled by willpower.

The sound of struggle began to lessen. There was a scream, it sounded like father’s. Another scream immediately after. Mother… My tears flowed more freely now. It was becoming difficult to breathe in the tight space. I could feel my sister trembling in my embrace. I hear loud footfalls, coming closer, causing loose floorboards to squeak.

A foot fell on the carefully designed floorboard that concealed us. It was designed not to squeak, wobble, or give way to force. It failed in it’s design, and wobbled, probably due to the home’s foundations being twisted and torn by the fire. The footfalls stopped, and my sister trembled even more so. I take my hand from my sister’s mouth to cover my own, to suppress the terrified scream that wanted to find its way out.

That was a mistake. A small squeak escaped my sister’s own lips. I felt my heart skipped a beat, and the floorboard was abruptly torn away. There, stood a human, wearing the typical chainmail of a soldier, bloodied sword drawn and ready.

“Hah! ‘Twas no more than mice!” The human boasted, taking my sister by the collar of her shirt.

“Kyaaaaaa! NO!” “NO! LET HER GO!” She screamed, and I pleaded, striking the man’s leg. He was unfazed by my pleas or my strikes, and kicked me. Great pain found its home in my side, and my breathe was taken away, landing me on the far side of the burning room.

The man raised his bloodied sword. I knew what was coming, I struggled to stop him, I crawled forward, only moving agonizing inches, slowly.

“NOOO! SYRIE! SYRIE!” I cried out as I saw the blade move through Syrie’s small convulsing body. My heart shattered. My mind went blank. My tears stopped flowing. I was beyond thoguht or hope.

“Hmmm, you actually might be large enough to have a little fun with… Why don’t you come with me?” The man said as Syrie’s corpse was thrown aside. He approached me, picking me up by my collar. I was too shocked to understand what was going on, I did not resist. He carried me out of the burning building, and I was abruptly dropped to the ground.

Something warm and wet splattered across the back of my neck. I turn my head to the find the source of the sudden stimuli, to find the man’s throat pierced by an arrow. He clutched and clawed at the arrow, gurgling and choking. He fell to the ground writhing for a few moments more before one last convulsion.

“Over here! A survivor! Medics, quickly! Hey, you alright? Hey, hey! Stay awake! You alri-” The man large man who wore the armor of Wrath faded..

To be replaced by Viridi’s concerned face, “-ght? It’s ok, Sival, it was just a dream.” She comforted me, wiping tears from my face.

“Yeah… Just a dream... “ I repeated, trying to convince myself. As I finally began to calm down, I could suddenly hear the cheering of many voices. What’s going on? As I rose to investigate, The air suddenly began to shift and fluctuate, it became hard to breathe.

“KYAAAAAA!” Viridi screamed and covered her eyes, rolling off the bed and away from the shimmering air.

“Viridi!?” I called out to her, eyeing the shimmering air cautiously. Abruptly, in the blink of an eye, a figure appeared there. It wore an extravagant robe of crimson red and pitch black, and upon its featureless and eyeless face stood out a malevolent smile.

“Who are you!?” I take a defensive posture.

“Hmm… Heheh… You will do.” The figure raised it’s hand rather than answering my question, and my consciousness began to fade. I tried to fight it, this desperate feeling of despair that began to overwhelm me, and eventually I lost, succumbing to darkness...