With the scene of the battle firmly in imperial control, the company regrouped at the entrance to Riverside. Once there, the coachman came out of hiding, and announced to both the company and the injured guards already on the carriage that he would depart for Ravens Hill in a few minutes.

Victor and Eric went on to stay in Riverside for the night. Life in the guild provided few opportunities to visit friends and families, even brief visits; the guildmaster wasn’t keen on his followers spending time away from duty on “feel-good frivolities”, as he put it. Eric instructed William to vouch for him and Victor to the guildmaster if he asked where they were, something which he reluctantly agreed to. And with that, William stepped onboard the carriage. Not long after, it departed into the woods.

Victor and Eric waved until the carriage disappeared behind the trees. They then bid each other goodbye for the day, and went their separate ways. Victor smiled lightly as he trotted back home. It was good to be back, even with the ominous sight of the ruined tower polluting the horizon. Passing over the dirt roads, he ran into a man whom he had never seen before in the village. His clothing was covered in dirt and stains, and there was a large gash in his trousers.

“Hello there, who are you?” asked Victor.

The man slowly lifted his head upwards. “None of your business. Leave me alone, please,” he said.

“...okay.”

The man’s head fell back down far quicker than it went upwards, and he speedily walked away, pretending nothing had happened. Victor shrugged. That was an odd, rather suspicious encounter. Riverside almost never received any visitors, but the ones that did come were kind people, for the most part. Why this man was so hostile, and why he looked so battered was a mystery, but not something Victor wanted to dwell on, especially not today.

The familiar gravel path crunched underneath Victor’s boots, as he stepped forwards to the entrance of his home. It was the same home he left behind; the two story peasants home made mostly out of wood, with a stone base and a straw roof. It was nothing short of a miracle that it, nor any of the other homes had caught fire. The divine works in strange ways. He stepped towards the door and tried to knock on it, but he felt very odd, as if something was off. It hadn’t been that long ago since he last was here, yet something major had changed.

Victor brushed the feeling away. This was no time for concern, he was making a surprise visit to his family. Why on Terris was he doubting himself? Without hesitating for a moment longer, Victor knocked on the door. There was no response at first. Victor knocked again. This time, quick footsteps came from behind the door, which opened moments later. It was Charlotte.

“Big brother!!”

Before Victor knew it, his little sister had jumped and wrapped her arms around his chest. He staggered a step backwards as a result, and finally realised what was happening. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the warm welcome his sister gave him. “Oh Charlotte, you little rascal. Did you miss me?” he said, patting his sister on the head.

“I wowv yw, bw bwowew” said Charlotte with her face buried in her brother’s neck.

Victor gave Charlotte a warm hug, and put her back on the ground. “Well then, shall we go indoors and say hello to mother? It’s rude to leave her out of this, don’t you think?” he said.

Charlotte nodded, and leaded the way inside.

“Victor! My dear, you’re back!” said Elizabeth the moment she laid eyes on her son. She walked up to him, and kissed him on the cheek. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been doing just fine, Mother. Did you receive the money I sent you a while ago?”

“Oh yes, we most certainly have. We haven’t spent any of it yet, though. Come, why don’t you have a seat, my little knight? I’ll prepare something nice for you… my little knight,” said Elizabeth. Victor couldn’t help but blush. My little knight… I can get used to being called that.

The flames of the hearth burned bright, as tonight’s meal was being prepared above it in a large pot. Elizabeth stirred the contents of the pot with a large wooden spoon; stew was on the menu tonight. Victor kept Charlotte company outside, playing a game of hide and seek in the onset of the evening twilight. Even though he found himself too old for a simple children’s game, it was a pleasure in and of itself to make his sister happy. Family time had become uncommon, and fleeting. Victor was determined to make the best out of what little he had.

After ten minutes of hide and seek, Elizabeth came outside and called for her children. Dinner was ready, something which they smelled and tasted even from a distance. Charlotte sped back to the house like an arrow, while Victor casually strolled back homewards.

The family gathered by the cosy hearth for their dinner. Mother Elizabeth had prepared a pleasant smelling stew, made from ingredients the family either grew on their land, or bought from the other villagers: Beef, carrot, potatoes, a little bit of onion, and a hint of salt to top it off. Victor dug into the stew with a wooden spoon. It was a decent enough meal, but nothing particularly special on its own, were it not for the fact that his mother made it. It was the thought and love that went into making it that counted, and so when his mother asked him how the stew was, Victor answered with “It’s really good, mother. I’ve missed your cooking.”

Elizabeth smiled. “That’s good to hear, my dear. As long as my children are happy, then so am I.”

Charlotte smacked away on her stew in a careless manner, resulting in some of the stew spilling onto her white linen shirt. “Oh, Charlotte...” Elizabeth said disappointedly, “How many times have I told you to be more careful when eating? Change your shirt after you’re done eating.”

“No, I don’t wanna!” said Charlotte.

“You can’t walk around in a dirty shirt, dear.”

“But I don’t wanna!!” Charlotte began throwing a tantrum. Elizabeth smiled. She had a secret weapon up her sleeve.

“If you do it, I might have some sweets for you later.”

“Okay, mama!”

Charlotte went right back to eating. It was typical behavior for her, something which her mother hoped she’d grow out of. Then, it became silent. Victor would normally laugh at her outbursts, but not this time. Not with what happened today still plaguing his mind.

The family talked on and caught up to speed with each other’s lives. Victor talked about his day-to-day routine, but omitted any mention of the expedition, or the tavern fight he got into. The less mother worries, the better. Elizabeth had nothing out of the ordinary to mention: Daily life until today had been the same, and the upcoming harvest looked promising, she said. Until today. Victor bit his lip. It was time to address the dragon in the room.

“Hey, mother… ” said Victor. “You and Charlotte weren’t harmed by the dragons attacking the village earlier, right?”

“Oh, the attack...it was horrible,” she replied. Dead silence. Elizabeth’s face bore an expression of pure horror, one that said more than a thousand words could. Victor was sure of one thing: Whatever she had seen had left a profound impact upon her. His mother had always been someone who worried far too much, but a reaction like this was extreme even for her. Little Charlotte looked equally frightened. Victor whispered in her ear that she could go upstairs if she wanted to, which she did.

After catching her breath, his mother broke her silence. “I had just woken up, when it started. I was preparing breakfast for Charlotte and myself, when I heard something beat against the wind overhead. Then, there was the sound of a large inferno, followed by men screaming in the distance. I peeked out my window to see these massive beasts incinerating the tower and the men stationed outside. I have not seen something so frightening since we fled the capital…”

Victor nodded his head. His mother’s story, although unsettling, hadn’t told him anything he didn’t know already. Bellona had already told him everything, and he had seen the aftermath. “Go on,” he said.

“Charlotte ran into my room crying... She was so scared, she had no idea what was happening. I didn’t want her to see any of what was going on, so I took her downstairs. We huddled together in the kitchen for gods know how long, just waiting for it to stop. Oh Divinity almighty...” Elizabeth said, staring into the hearth with a long face.

Victor crossed his arms. “You stayed in the kitchen the whole time? You didn’t move at all, even for a little water?” he asked.

“No, we didn’t move. Not even for a little water. We just sat and waited for it to end, which it thankfully did. There were these monstrous, painful shrieking sounds, followed by that beating sound again. Then it was over. I stepped outside to look, and the only dragon that could be seen was dead.”

Victor nodded along. That sound must have been the orange one being killed. “It’s good nothing happened to you. Nothing happened to our neighbours either, it looks like.” he said. A concerned sigh escaped his mouth. “Here’s to hoping they won’t come back. This first dragon attack has been more than enough already.”

Elizabeth took a deep breath, and stared Victor right in the eyes. “To be honest... this isn’t the only time I’ve seen dragons in the village.”

Victor eyebrows shot up. “Wait, say that again? H-has there been another attack?!” he asked, his voice shaking slightly all throughout.

“No, it wasn’t an attack. I don’t know how to tell you this, but...”

Victor laid a hand on his mother’s shoulder. “Just tell me what happened, and when. That’s all I need to know.”

“It was only a week ago that it happened. I woke up in the middle of the night, feeling really parched, so I went downstairs to drink some water. I stepped in the kitchen, and...” Elizabeth paused to gather her thoughts. “...have you ever had that feeling that you think you’re being watched?”

Victor nodded. “Yes, I know what you mean.”

“That was what I felt at that moment. As if someone was nearby, just watching. There was this feeling in my gut, telling me that it came from our farm, so that’s where I went after drinking a little. I stepped out the backdoor, and then I saw it. Over the river, obscured by the shadows of the trees, there was this humongous horned creature. Its eyes connected with mine, and we stared at each other for some time. I was scared, but… strangely enough, the creature looked scared, too. It eventually turned tail and fled deeper in the woods. I never saw it again afterwards.”

Victor pondered a bit before replying. “You said it looked scared… of you? Why would it fear you? ...do dragons even know what fear is?”

Elizabeth shook her head. “I don’t know why it would be afraid of me. But I know what I saw. It’s eyes were wide open, and it was baring its teeth in an unaggressive way. Then it ran away from me, like a frightened deer. That’s all there is to it.”

“Strange. What would a dragon need from us?” Victor said.

His mother sighed. “I don’t know, son. I’m not sure if it was a dragon at all, to be honest. And honestly, I’d rather not think about it anymore, if you’re okay with that,” she said.

“Sure, I don’t blame you one bi-” A deep yawn freed itself from Victor’s mouth, which caught him off guard. He desperately tried to cover it up, but to no avail. “...for feeling that way.”

Elizabeth snorted. “I think you should go to bed, dear. You look rather tired.”

“Yes, that sounds like a good idea. After everything that’s happened today, I’m spent. Good night, mother. See you tomorrow.”

“Good night, son.” said Elizabeth, as her son rose from his chair to leave the room.

Victor ascended the steep stairs up to the second floor. The floorboards of the upstairs landing creaked as Victor set his feet upon them. There were no windows anywhere in the landing: the only light getting in was from the adjacent rooms. Just one deep breath of the dust-ridden air was enough to make him cough; He had forgotten how cramped it could get in here.

The door to Charlotte’s room stood ajar, letting in just enough light into the landing to see what was what. Victor pushed the door open further. “Big brother? Are you there?” said Charlotte, as the door creaked backwards into her room.

“Yes, Charlotte. I’m here.” said Victor, now standing in his sister’s room. Charlotte had also decided to sleep early tonight, as was apparent when Victor saw her sitting upright in bed without someone else forcing her prior. Talk about a miracle.

“So… are you okay? After what happened today, I mean?”

“Yes, I think I’m fine. It was scary, but I didn’t see much,”

Victor gave a confident nod. “That’s good to hear. I was really worried about you, you know.”

“Hey, brother? What’s that little stain on your nose?” Charlotte asked, pointing at the bridge of Victor’s nose.

“Stain, what stain?” Victor wiped at the bridge of his nose with both hands. There was no stain of any kind.

“Ha! Tricked you!”

Victor rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner. Another one of Charlotte’s pranks, that he kept falling for. One brutal battle later, still the energetic prankster. “Oh, you little tyke, you. Guess I’ll just head off to bed, then.”

“Wait, are you staying with us for now?” asked Charlotte, her eyes visibly sparkling.

“No, I will have to go back tomorrow. Believe me, I would love to stay, but I can’t,” Victor said.

Charlotte slouched in her bed. “Will you come back again?” she said, in a tone that sounded similar to the beggars in the alleyways of Ravens Hill.

“Yes, I’ll be back again eventually. Don’t worry about it. Good night, Charlotte.”

“Good night, big brother.”

Victor stroked his sister’s cheek once, and then left for his own room, two doors removed from Charlotte’s room. Nothing had changed since the last time he was here; His bed, drawers and desk were still in the same place, nowhere near as cluttered as usual. He took off his shoes, and stepped into bed still wearing his armor. With a smile on his face, he closed his eyes. Sleep overtook him not long afterwards.

* * *

A dim light emanated from the candle on the General’s desk, the sole light in the entire study. Within the little spark’s grasp wasn’t much, but the desk it was seated on, and the faces of Agatha and Sanctullator.

“Did I hear that right? You’re telling me they got two of them, and there are survivors to tell the tale? Please tell me you’re not joking,” said Sanctullator. His eyes stood wide open in disbelief.

“Yes, my darling general,” said Agatha, bearing a slight smile on her face. “We finally have a victory, even if it’s only a small one.”

Sanctullator gasped excitedly, and held his hands before him in amazement. At long last, he got the reprieve from the constant stream of bad insurgency related news he had prayed for. Agatha smile grew rapidly the longer she beheld the happy general in front of her. Sanctullator leaned back in his chair, and stared at the ceiling. It couldn’t be seen now due to the lack of light, but painted up there on the ceiling was the crest of the Justitian Empire: The golden gavel, surrounded by a wreath of purple roses.

“It took a damn long time, but the dark clouds appear to finally be dispersing,” Sanctullator said once his euphoria wore off. “So, it would appear that someone has discovered the trick to killing dragons. Is that person here?”

“Yes, they are here. Well, they’re in the vestibule still, but I can go fetch them if you like, ” Agatha said.

Sanctullator rose up from his chair, and slammed his hands on the desk. “What are you waiting for? Get them in here! Quickly!” he yelled at the now shivering baroness.

“Y-yes sir!” Agatha shuffled her way out of the study. In her panic, she forgot to close the door behind her. Great, as if it wasn’t cold enough in here, you rickety old crone… Sanctullator thought. Indeed, the study grew colder moments thereafter. Sanctullator let out a defeated sigh, and grabbed the report Agatha had given to him moments earlier, which he had tossed haphazardly on his desk. The study was quiet, dimly lit, and devoid of people that weren’t him. And he wouldn’t want it any other way.

Sanctullator read his way through the report. Even the most delusional inhabitants of cloud nine would have their moods dragged into a bog if they read these reports, as they contained nothing but negativity most of the time. Sanctullator had specifically ordered for most of the minor positive news to be let out, with occasional exceptions here and there. He believed that a deluge of good news would make him and the imperial administration become decadent.

Footsteps echoed into the study midway through the report. Sanctullator tossed it back on the desk, and sat himself upright, as a hazel-eyed, brown haired woman wearing a battered captain’s uniform walked in, her left arm covered in bandages.

Sanctullator addressed her in Justitian. “Greetings. State your name, and your rank.”

The captain saluted the general, before answering. “The name’s Captain Bellona, of the Riverside Regiment. It is an honor to meet you, General Sanctullator.”

Sanctullator smirked. “So, you are the one responsible for the recent developments in Riverside, correct?”

“That is correct, General. Thanks to my quick thinking, the Riverside garrison avoided total annihilation, and we have two dragons less to worry about.” Bellona slowly lifted her arm up to her chest. “The beasts will have to do better than this if they hope to win.”

“Well, make yourself comfortable on one of those chairs, because you are needed here for quite some time. I want to hear every detail of what you’ve accomplished.”