A few hours passed, and the column reached the large clearing for a second time. A halt order was shouted from the front. It was lunchtime. The column dispersed over the field. Victor and William returned to the spot on the wall they had sat against last time; the imprint of their backs was still visible. “Wait for me, guys!” shouted a voice behind them. It was Eric.

“Oh, you’re coming with us this time?” asked William. A gust rustled the trees surrounding the barren clearing.

“Yeah, wasn’t feeling it with the rest of the guild this time around,” Eric said. “So, how’s your day been?”

“Well, I fell on my face, and that wasn’t very pleasant,” William said. Victor reached for his supply bag to grab his lunch, and was about to pull it out, when a sharp sting came out of his stomach. He froze in a flash. The hairs on his neck shot upright, and his skin bubbled.

“Hah, it actually happened? You actually fell flat on your nose?” Eric let out a hearty laugh, and put his hands on his sides. “Life’s strange sometimes, man. Let me tell you!”

William shook his head. “Ugh, I don’t find it nearly as funny, Eric. I feel like a giant idiot right now.”

Eric covered his laughing mouth up. “Sorry man, just teasing ya! You know how I am.”

“I don’t get it. It happened even though I was trying to avoid it.” William shied away.

“‘s just a little accident. Don’t take it too hard on yourself. Gotta keep marching on, no matter what, that’s life in a nutshell.”

All the while they talked, the fire in Victor’s stomach intensified. His eyes flew wide open, and he glanced down below. The sensation spread through his body. It surged through his veins, through his limbs, through his other organs. Sweat poured from his forehead, as the sensation surged to the brain. The dread came back to him, stronger than ever. He tried to wipe the sweat off, when he finally saw it. On the horizon, against the great blue sky. A dark shape, growing larger by the second.

An ominous wind blew, and grew with power by the second. Victor dropped his supply bag as he rose from the ground, never for a moment letting his eyes dawdle off the shape in the distance. A bright orange ball emerged from what appeared to be a head. His heart beat furiously. His two companions stood up as well.

Eric tapped him on the shoulder. “Vic, what’s wrong? Do you-” his voice cut off the moment his eyes caught a glimpse of the danger fast approaching. The orange speck now fully covered up the dark green creature, and grew all the larger with every heartbeat. It then dawned on them what it was.

A fireball.

“Jump… JUMP!” Victor tugged on Eric’s arm, and jumped over the dirt wall. His body ungracefully fell into the ditch behind the outcrop. His eyes snapped shut, he shielded his head with his arms, and braced for the worst. Two more thuds into the dirt sounded next to him, followed by a red hot blast hitting the dirt wall. Dirt rained down from the sky, as if the gods wanted to bury them alive The hail stopped. Large wings made their presence known, as they flapped loudly in the clearing. Men shouted in panic.

“DRAGON!”

Victor threw himself upwards, and peeked over the dirt outcrop. In the clearing, men staggered away from a monstrous green dragon floating in the air. The monster was massive compared to a human; even on all fours it would soar above them. A scar ran across its snout from the creature’s jaws to the bridge of his eyes, which burned red hot with anger.

“IT’S TIME TO DIE, IMPERIAL SCUM! YOUR INSIDIOUSNESS AND TREACHERY WILL BE PAID WITH YOUR BLOOD!” the beast snarled, and took in a deep breath. Victor shivered in his ditch. His skin bubbled, as if everything contained within wanted to burst out and run for its life. The beast unleashed a stream of fire from its maw, aimed straight at a group of four terrified souls. Their screams filled the air as the flames engulfed them for a few seconds before they were stilled.

The rest of the guild quickly sprang from the ground. The beast readied its maw for another gout of flames. Someone yelled to spread out in time before the next group of four was engulfed. Two managed to jump to the sides and dodge, while the other two were incinerated, their screams mixing with the monstrous breath of fire turning them to ash.

Two charred remnants were left in the flames’ wake. The dragon pulled his head backwards. His throat rumbled, and he leaned forwards to unleash a terrifying roar, exposing his gaping maw for all to see. His razor-sharp predator teeth that could rip a man apart with ease, the pointed tongue, the strands of saliva running between the upper and lower teeth, the void in the back that already seemed crimson with blood.

An inside whose full terror wasn’t apparent without the outside. The horns, the green scales and the aged scars running across them, the slitted eyes filled with hatred. All set to the most bestial sound Victor had ever heard in his life. No creature was any further removed from humanity than this.

Men all across the clearing now hopped over the wall, desperately trying to escape the carnage. One of the guild members tried to strike the beast. It dodged easily, and swatted him with a claw. He fell to the ground, and blood pooled around his body. Another group tried to charge in. They too were in for a surprise; the dragon was far more agile than one would guess, and dodged their strike with ease. The beast formed its claws into a fist, and slammed it straight down on two of the men. They crumpled into the floor, and lay still.

“DON’T CHARGE IN!” yelled another voice now, clearly shaking. A group of archers had assembled, and fired their first volley at the dragon. They clattered into the scaled side next to the base of a foreleg. Five arrows fell to the ground, and one made its mark; it stuck out between two scales.

The beast snorted with a devilish grin, as he yanked the arrow out with his other foreleg. “Pathetic imperial dogs! Divinity’s might won’t falter so easily!” he chortled, snapping the arrow in two and tossing the pieces at one of the men quivering against the dirt wall. He quickly prepared a new breath, ignoring the even less successful volley hitting him. His eyes widened, and he spat another blast at the archer formation. Three got away, the other three went up in flames.

* * *

The company watched on from the ditch, their hands trembling. The opportunity to book it into the woods was still available, given the amount of cannon fodder remaining. I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, but I can’t just leave my friends behind…! Victor shuddered. To remain was suicide. To leave was cowardice. And the Lokahnian people held little respect for deserters and cowards..

“G-guys, guys…?! What are we gonna do?” William said, breathing rapidly.

“I’d like to run away as far away from here as I can, if you don’t mind…!” replied Victor. His feet pressed into a ditch, ready to take off at a moment’s notice.

“W-what? We can’t just leave and let everyone else die, can we?”

“I know that, but we’re gonna die if we stay here-”

Eric inhaled a deep breath through his nose. “That won’t be necessary,” he said. He stared over the outcropping at the green beast, happily slaughtering the men whimpering before his claws. The protectors of the people. His friends. His eyes blazed with an angry energy. Passion.

“W-what do you mean, Eric?”

Eric pulled his head down. “Listen,” he said, in a tone of utmost seriousness. He was calm to his core. Little of it was visible to the uninitiated, but Victor knew better than anyone what Eric felt at this instant. Pure unparalleled hatred. “I have a plan. We’re going to slay this beast.”

“But how? How are we ever going to kill something like this?” William asked. At the same time, the beast smacked another guild member with his claw. He flew backwards against the wall, and didn’t move. Another life had been extinguished.

“That’s what I was getting to, Will. Remember what the Riverside Captain said? We have to trick this thing, and I think I know how to do that.”

“How then?” Victor asked.

“With this.” Eric held a rock up in the air, about the size of his hand.

Are you kidding me? Victor frowned. “A rock? That’s what you’re pinning our hopes on?”

“Got any better ideas?” Eric said. Victor became as silent as a mouse. “I thought so. Will, how many shots are in that crossbow you got?”

William bit his lip. “Well, five before I need to reload, which takes time.”

Eric nodded to him. “Good enough. Alright, here’s the plan. You stay here, I’ll get into position on the other side of the clearing. When I’m ready, I’ll fling this rock right at his head. When I have his attention, I’ll come running back, and then you fire all your bolts right into that monster. Got it?”

“Didn’t you see those archers earlier? Arrows won’t work!” Victor replied.

“Against the green they won’t work. The yellow they’ll pierce easily. Trust me, this is the only plan that’ll work.”

Victor shook his head. “You better not be bluffing here, Eric.”

Eric cracked a smile. “Oh let me tell you. If we succeed, they’ll sing about us in the taverns for centuries to come. If we lose, I’ll see you on the other side. Here goes nothing!” And with that, he ran off.

“Ugh, stubborn bastard. He’s going to get us all killed!” Victor pounded his fist into the dirt wall. He sighed, and peeked over the wall. “‘Keep your eyes on me’, sure, not that it’ll make a difference.”

William tapped his shoulder. “Um, Victor? What am I supposed to shoot? I’m confused.”

We’re finished. “...If I were you, I’d aim for either the neck or the heart. If you can’t aim for those, then aim for the yellow parts, not the green. Just focus on hitting the target, okay?”

William nodded back. “Okay.”

By now, the clearing had been transformed into a killing ground. Bodies lay incinerated or mauled all across, and the death toll increased with every eye blink. The living ran around in a panic, desperately trying to escape over the wall. Every breath of red hot death, every agile stroke of the claw, the Civil Defense’s total annihilation had come true. The guildmaster was next in line to burn. The beast readied his maw.

A rock slammed into the side of his head the moment his jaws flew open. The dragon staggered, and hacked and coughed the remainder of the flames at the ground. After exhausting his breath, he abruptly whipped his head to the side the rock hit. Eric made a run for it the moment their eyes met, and smugly gestured at the beast as he ran.

The dragon’s throat quaked with anger. “You slimy insect! Come back here, insolent little worm!” he roared, and took off in a burst of speed. He gained ground rapidly. Eric glanced back. His eyes lit up with fear. It had been a stretch to imagine him ever making it alive, but he had clung onto a slight hope. Foolish hope. The beast raised its claw. Raw energy burned in his eyes; he was prepared to crush this insolence.

As the dragon striked, a blue object flew into view from the sides and rammed into Eric’s chest. All of a sudden, Eric rapidly picked up the pace and sped straight towards the two Initiates with inhuman speed. The dragon’s claw ended up nowhere close to his mark, to his great frustration. The beast roared, and pursued, shoving aside any unfortunate soul that was in his path.

“Now, NOW!”

William sprung off the ground, and pulled the trigger on his crossbow. The bolt sped through the air straight at the target.. With the speed of a fox, William fired his four remaining bolts, and sank back to the floor.

“AUUUGH!”

The green dragon sank towards the floor. William’s aim had been spot on; three bolts had pierced into the heart, one had hit the throat, and one landed into the border between green and yellow. The monster gasped for air. It scrambled and failed to raise back to all fours. “N-no, not like this...” it muttered. “D-divinity, save me…!”

Eric slammed his feet into the ground, and took his sword in hand.

“Attack!”

He charged at the green beast staring wide-eyed at him. Victor got up to do likewise, but stumbled over the dirt outcrop and fall forwards onto the ground. Eric let out a battle cry, and jumped straight at the creature’s neck with his enhanced speed. He ran his blade through the dragon’s neck, and rapidly stabbed the beast in the chest. The dragon coughed up blood and a death rattle, and gravity claimed his head. With a thud, it crashed into the dirt. The plan had worked. He had won.

Victor spat out the dirt from his mouth. He reached for his sword laying in front of him; it had slid out of the sheath when he tripped. He raised his head and glanced towards Eric, who had backed away from the dead dragon, and observed in disbelief at his triumph.

The survivors reemerged from the woods, staring in shock at the carnage that had taken place. Dozens of their friends, their brothers in arms lay dead across the ground. Some were utterly overwhelmed. Some cried as they found friends amongst the deceased. William hopped over the outcrop, his eyes focused on the enormous dragon he helped slay. That bastard actually did it… Victor wandered towards Eric, and tapped shoulder.

With a snort, Eric’s seriousness faded. “Heh, what do you think, Vic?”

Victor couldn’t suppress his laughter. “You’re a crazy bastard, you know that right?”

“I know. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.” The two friends laughed and hugged each other. Somehow, they had managed the impossible and cheated death. It had seemed so hopeless. Yet here they stood, alive and well, against all odds. “If it hadn’t been for that burst of speed, I’d be a goner.”

“We’d all be goners if it weren’t for that. Bless that blasted wizard, he’s saved our necks, and…” Victor peeked over his shoulder. “Where is he? ...Where is everyone else, for that matter?”

The two walked around the body of the dragon. The scale of his onslaught lay clear before them. People knelt at the bodies of their fallen comrades. They wept and poked the dead repeatedly, begging for them to come back to life. As if they were children trying to wake up their parents. But to no avail. They were gone from this world.

In the back of the killing ground, guild members had formed a ring around something. Victor and Eric approached them, sidestepping the bodies laying on the path. The guild members spotted them, and cleared a path for the two, so that they could see for themselves. A hoodless Roderick kneeling by the guildmaster, twisted and scorched on the ground gasping for air.

The guildmaster was on the verge of death. His body had been scorched; burns ran across his face, his arms, and the exposed skin once buried under his clothing. His formerly well-kept beard and hair had been reduced to tiny blackened strands. From his charred lips, the words “E-eric...” were muttered into the wind. It was painful to hear how weak he spoke.

“Yes, guildmaster?”

“Y-you h-have s-s-saved us all… t-thank y-y-you...”

“Thank you, guildmaster… that means a lot to me.”

“P-please… t-take… l-leahhh...” the guildmaster’s voice faded out with his breath. Roderick placed a hand on his unburnt cheek. He slowly turned towards Eric, and shook his head. The gesture’s meaning couldn’t be any clearer.

The wind howled, leaving a suspenseful atmosphere in its wake. One minute of no words. No motions. Dead silence. The guild members tried their damndest not to make eye contact with anyone. Those who mourned the other victims joined in on the silence after their curiosity brought them to the crowd. One glance, one headshake, another one awestruck.

Ten minutes went by. Roderick raised his head, and rose back to his feet. “Men… you ought to bury your dead.” He pointed towards the killing ground. “And Eric, I would like to speak with you. Stay here, please.” Without breaking their silence, those gathered shuffled towards the clearing, their feet kicking up dust into the air as they dragged them forwards. Victor didn’t move. He couldn’t bring himself to.

Eric breathed in deep through his nose. “Yes, sir.” he glanced over his shoulder. “Is it okay if Victor can listen in?”

Roderick shrugged. “If you wish.”

“So, he’s actually gone...” Eric sighed. “I find it hard to believe, and yet here he lies.”

“My deepest apologies for all this.” Roderick looked away. “I’ve learned so much about him these past couple of days. He’s been at it for decades, keeping the peace here. Only for it to end so suddenly.”

Eric rasped a breath through his teeth. “I don’t get it. We’ve never marched with any imperials until now, we’ve had nothing to do with the war going on, and yet we were attacked? Why? What did we ever do to deserve this?” he shouted aggressively at Roderick, who bit his cheek in response.

“I’m afraid to say that there’s no such thing as neutrality anymore.” Roderick shook his head. “Especially not after yesterday.”

Victor stepped in. “What in the abyss you mean? Is there something about those bandits you never bothered to tell us?”

Roderick sighed, and nodded. “That they were with the dragon cult, yes.”

Wind swept through the area, carrying leaves along with it. Eric was awestruck. Victor’s eyebrows contracted into a frown. “Are you serious? You never bothered to tell us that the band of road robbers you wanted us to put down were actually a part of the war?”

“I can explain-”

“You should have explained a whole lot sooner! You blithering fools, we never asked for...this...” Victor stopped ranting to self reflect. It felt good initially to blow off some steam, yet the pointlessness of it now became clear all of a sudden. No amount of yelling would set the clock back, or revive the dead. Roderick stared him straight in the eyes, a flicker of magic visible within his brilliant jade. “Yes, explain it, please.”

“Listen, this is something not to be taken lightly, and don’t tell a word of this to anyone else, yes?” Roderick said. Eric and Victor nodded. “The simple truth is that those scoundrels are far from the only cult affiliates infesting Lokahn. Almost every form of organized crime has ties to those dragons. I’m not making this up, every small group of bandits, or thieves, or black market dealers, or swindlers our troops roundup has connections with the cult!”

Roderick fell silent. He breathed heavily into the wind, as if he hadn’t finished speaking at all and the words simply didn’t reach his audience. Victor glanced over his shoulder. Men dug away at the ground, creating graves and rolling the deceased within. “Do you understand?” said Roderick. Victor’s sight fell back upon the red-haired wizard, who struggled with every breath still. “Do you understand now, why we use our methods? Why we brought back the public executions, why we seek to bring those still blissfully neutral under our wings?”

Wiped away in a flash… Victor lowered his head. “Yes, I do.”

“No doubts about it. You’re doing the right thing.” Eric stepped in front of Victor, and stomped the ground. “Murdered like swine for wanting to make my home a better place…”

“And for what reason?” Victor said, as he stepped sidewards. “Why would-”

“MONSTERS!”

Eric’s scream echoed in the trees. The clattering of shovels against the dirt paused. Victor staggered further aside. Eric’s face burned with an anger powerful enough to set the whole Nightsilk Woods ablaze. “They want to kill us, they want to kill us all! Just to satisfy their own bloodlust! Did you hear that beast speak? It enjoyed what it was doing, all of it! The screams, the pain, he relished in it! And after slaughtering us all like a ravenous animal, he wouldn’t hesitate to rip our bodies apart further! He wouldn’t have hesitated, not. one. BIT. I hope he rots in the abyss, where he belongs!”

Victor watched on speedless. Eric’s flare of passion, this anger, he had never seen him like this. The wind howled ominously again. He searched the skies; no dragon in sight.

“Never again, I swear to Justitia. Never again!”

Roderick laid his hand on Eric’s shoulder, and gave him a confident smile. “We’ll make sure of that.” He tapped the shoulder and shrunk back.

Victor bit his lip, rasping in a breath between. “So… what now?” The wizard and his newfound apprentice turned their heads in his direction. “How will we go on, now that the guildmaster’s dead?”

“I’ll let you decide.” said Roderick, nodding towards Eric. “You heard his final words. He wants you to take over.”

Eric closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. His eyes flew back open, and he stepped forwards. “I want to bring the Civil Defense into the fold. We’re at your service.” Didn’t think he’d relinquish his leadership that quickly.

“Hmm.” Roderick put his hand on his chin. “I will have to bring you to a talk with the high command in that case. They demand to know of such things when they happen.”

“Fine by me.”

“Also, would your men support you in this decision? You were only a normal member a few minutes ago.”

Eric turned and took a step towards the men still digging away in the field. The men who noticed his newfound attention for them responded with a wink and a wave. “At this point, something far stronger binds us than mere ranks. Don’t you agree, Vic?”

Victor nodded. “Indeed it does, Eric.” Indeed it does. First they menaced my family, now they killed my friends. “Count me in on whatever you got planned,” he said with a dazzling smile.

Roderick grinned. “Good to hear that. That’ll make pleading your case all the more simple. Now, let’s finish giving the unfortunate their rest, and let’s go home.”