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The rain beat on silver scales as the brothers sprinted through the forest, harried by an Orc with a glowing Greataxe and a suit of armor made from one of their kind.

He towered, even while running, he was taller than a great deal of Drakon. A species that were known for their height, of which the brothers were taller than most. And sported a pair of calculating and predatory red eyes, set in a green face, framed by mutton chops. Those eyes that flickered in the moonlight and looked almost gleeful. He was followed by a dozen of his race, shielded by heavy furs and hides, wielding a varied arsenal of weapons from bows to clubs, spears, and javelins. They drove forward, screaming after the brothers, letting loose arrows and setting spears and javelins free, whirring past and planting themselves in the ground. Charging up a slope as arrows and javelins landed near.

Asgar snatched up a javelin as they crested the hill, rushing forward as they clamored down the other side.

The downpour had reawakened a frozen stream at the base of the hill. The brothers blitzed down the slope toward it, nearing the torrent and leaping over it. Landing on the other side, Argus promptly about-faced, slamming his shield into the Oathbound Raider as it committed its own leap. Causing him to drop into the trepid waters with a splash.

Argus didn't take time to admire his handy work and took off after his brother as arrows continued to fall with the rain.

The Oathbound Raider burst from the stream, coated in water that sapped any heat he had left as he waddled onto the bank and started after his targets once more.

His followers attempted their own leaps across the stream with varying levels of success. They had become stragglers, and trying to keep up with their lead was nearing impossible.

The cold had to be wearing them down. Orcs were hardy, but they didn't have a White or Silver Drakon's affinity for the cold. It was raining heavily, turning their hide armor and cloaks into soaking, heavy burdens, dragging them down.

But the leading Orc seemed almost unphased by the weight and cold, chasing after them still. The predatorial glint in his eyes had shifted to one of rage.

The Orcs had been slowed, with the exception of their leader, but the brothers couldn't keep running. They had to take some other action soon, or they wouldn't have the energy left to. Lightning struck, revealing in the distance, nestled into a hill, what looked like a cave. Or perhaps merely a groove into the mound. Whichever it was, it would allow them to fight without being surrounded. So they fled towards it.

Asgar pulled the soaked scarf his brother had given him and wrapped it around the wooden javelin. Mumbling as he did, "I am making a torch, this is meant to be lit. I am making a torch, this is meant to be lit." almost like a prayer.

A few more arrows curved over the brother's heads. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, most of the Orcs and stopped attempting to shoot them. Possibly saving their ammunition, realizing the futility of trying to get through both leather and scale that protected the Drakon from this distance.

Asgar and Argus slowed to a halt as they reached the cave, backing into it with shields raised as the Orcs surrounded the entrance. Both parties stood staring back at one another, catching breaths in between seconds slowly ticking by.

It was a decent bottleneck, wide enough that four Orcs could get at them at once. But far better than the open terrain where they'd be surrounded.

Asgar raised his soaked impromptu torch above his shield and quickly asked his brother. "Can you light this?"

Argus-eyed the soaked scarf and pulled at his Sun, as Asgar pulled on his Mantle. The 'torch' lit, much dimmed by Asgar, then sputtered and snuffed out half a second later.

Asgar smiled, then turned to look at his brother.

"When I give the word, keep pouring into it. If it goes out, relight it."

Argus looked confused, then his eyes widened a fraction and laughed. A deep, full, belly laugh. "You'll have to be behind me. It'll take more focus from you than I."

Asgar nodded, stepping behind his brother, hiding his 'torch' behind Argus.

The Orcs looked weary. They hadn't expected the laugh from Argus. But they had seen the torch fail to light and how dim it had been. They had little fear of being blinded again, But their leader had not acquired such power by being reckless. He channeled his Oath into his weapon, emanating a brighter glow from the axe. Though it was sacrificing some of the Orc's superior vision in the dark, the Orc's eyes adjusted to the glow. There was no way they'd blinded by the dim light the two Drakon had produced. Even if the torch had been shoved in the face of himself or one of his men.

He limbered his shoulders and smiled. Giving a war cry as he surged forward, followed quickly by his kin.

All he needed was a glancing blow. One drop of blood, and it would be over. He would be able to finish his armor and reinforce it besides.

Asgar raised the torch above his head, just behind his brother, and spoke "Now!" and Pulled at his Mantle.

Argus lit the torch. In that moment, a small orange flame sputtered and flickered, threatening to go out. Still, for that moment, it flared, filling the cave with bright crimson-colored light before fizzling out.

Even with the aid of axes glow, the sudden light dazed the Orcs, but still, they dared to take another step. The light illuminated the cave once more. Another soon to die burst of orange turned into a great beacon of green light. It was made worse as it reflected on three sets of glistening wet silver scales.

The brothers were on them, Argus swung at the Oathbound Raider with his sword, who ducked back from the blade as it cut across his forehead. The wound spilling blood in twice blinded eyes. Asgar hefted his torch high, now strobing between colors as it was continuously relit. He slammed an Orc alongside its leader in the temple with his shield, causing him to crumple like a house of cards. The Oathbound Raider staggered back, pushing one of its lackeys forward. Argus quickly cut the new Orc down, pushing forward after the leader.

Asgar blocked a blind stab of a wooden spear, then lunged forward. Weaponless as he clung to his torch. But no Drakon was truly weaponless. He tilted his head to the side, then bit into the Orc's shoulder. Whipping his head furiously and tearing a chunk of flesh from his opponent, bowling him over into the Orc behind him with a bash of his shield. Argus saw an opening and stepped backward, driving his sword through the prone Orcs on the cave floor.

The remaining Orcs began to flee from the cave. Mere seconds had passed, and twelve was whittled down eight, they were still blinded, and their leader was wounded.

The twins pursued, clashing with a pair of Orcs who were in the throes of recovery, their vision still blurred as they fought. Asgar and Argus stepped forward in tandem, shields defending each other as they lashed out at their opponents.

Held down by his position of joint defense, Asgar did not have time to adjust as another Orc came in from the left and stabbed into his leg with a javelin, splitting scales as it did. The Orc drug the weapon through flesh and scale, widening the wound into a gnarled gash.

Asgar roared in pain, reared back, and brought the point of his javelin-turned-torch down into the shoulder of the Orc. Argus struggled to hold the line as the Orcs shook themselves from blindness, and his brother stood wounded. Asgar drew his axe, leaving the still strobing torch in the shoulder of his opponent. Smashing into the defending Orc's javelin and shattering the weapon, mortally wounding its user with a pained warcry.

Arrows from a pair of Orcish archers began to strike them, now close enough to break leather and pierce scale.

Another Orc fell as Argus ran his sword through. With his attention on one, another struck him from behind. Slamming into his back with a heavy downward strike from its club.

He stumbled and turned, shoving the Orc away with his shield. Argus watched as the Oathbound Raider charged his brother, the glowing axe raised. "Asgar!" the brother's voice cried out

Asgar turned, forewarned by the light, blocked the axe's downward strike as sparks flew from impact with his shield. A cacophony resounded as an explosion of radiant energy flung Asgar back and into the ground. Argus dodged again from his opponent and ran to his brother, picking him up and dragging him back to his feet.

The Orc charged, the others backed away for fear of being hit by his wild swings, though it didn't stop the arrows or javelins. The twins charged forward to meet him. Argus dove forward with a stab as Asgar protected him. Argus's strike skidded off the Orc's armor as Asgar managed to redirect a blow away from his brother and respond with an arc from his own axe. Only to be met by the heft of his enemies weapon, then bashed in the side with the butt of the greataxe.

Asgar stumbled back, and Argus swung wildly at the Orcs head, who blocked the strike with his Greataxe once more. The Orc stepped up, kicking Argus in the leg and bringing him to his knees. He raised the axe up and swung down on Argus, who quickly lept backward, narrowly missing the weapon's path. But being unable to avoid a well-aimed javelin, that struck and pierced his sword arm.

Seeing the tides turning against them, the brothers began to retreat farther into the cave.

They backed up until a rumbling growl interrupted the combat, drawing the attention of Orcs and Drakon both.

The cave. It had a resident who had grown irate at the uninvited guests that brought all the noise and flashing light.

A bear, a Pallid Bear. Covered in bony protrusions that looked more like a stone than anything else. The bear chuffed, blinking its large eyes at the crowd lurking in its home, standing on its hind legs and dwarfing the combatants.

Asgar and Argus looked at the bear, looked at each other, and ran. The light of their Workings finally dying out as they fled.

The bear, regaining its sight as the flashes of color ended, locked its eyes on a softer glow. The still lit Greataxe.

The bear rumbled a guttural roar and descended upon the Orc, while he shouted out a command to his allies who dodged to the side to escape the charging bear. The ground muddy as it was, allowed no traction for the bear to stop as it skidded past the Orc. A trio of javelins and a pair of arrows followed the bear, striking into its hide. The Orcs exchanged terrified curses in their native tongue. The brothers hesitated at the fear in their voice, but their Oaths gave no compulsion to aid the Greenskins. And whatever natural sympathy the brothers may have had for the frightened orcs had dissipated at some point during the night's frankly terrifying escape from them. The bear turned, and for its trouble, met the glowing Greataxe of the lead marauder.

Reality screamed, and then the bear felt something it had perhaps not perceived in its entire life. Muscles failing as the Orc leader's Working took the bear's strength.

The brothers watched in creeping horror, looking back as they ran. The mountain of bear stumbled and fell from a single strike of the Orc's Axe, who then turned. Looked at them and made a motion of a slice across the neck.

That's when the second bear charged out of the cave, the Orc started, surprised by the bear's smaller mate as he lifted his axe and brought it down. Striking only the outer bone. The bear smashed into him, sending the Orc flying one way and his weapon the other. Then the bear was on him, mauling as he screamed in pain and anger. Punching at it.

His comrades, who had moved to go after the brothers or to finish off the first bear. Now turned and charged the second. Driving spears into the beast and shouting war cries, which had, and this point grew almost recognizable to the brothers.

The brothers kept running and were soon out of eyesight in the darkness.

As they did, Asgar laughed. His brother looked at him and then laughed too. They laughed as their lungs ached from laughing and running.