The field was a sprawling emerald sea, but as Reia and Uzak'me stepped into the center of the clearing, the illusion of peace shattered. This wasn't just a meadow; it was the hollowed-out ghost of a war camp. Massive, circular indentations—the size of small houses—were pressed deep into the earth where the Black Dragons had rested their heavy bellies. Surrounding these "dragon beds" were jagged holes in the dirt, the raw wounds left behind by uprooted stakes and heavy tents.
Reia walked to the edge of one of the pits, her eyes scanning the trampled stalks. "Nothing," she hissed, her voice tight with a jagged, rising anxiety. "No blood, no bodies. Just empty holes. Gods, where the hell are they!?"
"It's likely they're already hitting a town," Uzak'me said, kneeling to run a hand over the rim of a tent hole. He picked up a discarded leather strap, heavy with the scent of oil and smoke. "The dragons didn't just leave; an entire armored company moved with them. We saw the area where they were supposed to be—empty, but with footprints. They didn't die, Reia. They mobilized."
Reia tapped her chin, her boots crunching on the dry earth at the bottom of a dragon-dint. "Wait. If the dragons and their riders weren't here... what location would Civilar choose? Where would he go for this long?"
Uzak'me stood, dusting the dirt from his palms. "I'm not sure. But wherever they are, they're planning. I bet they've heard about the new kingdoms rising and the defeat of the Angel King. They're probably planning a massive strike." He paused, a flicker of memory crossing his face. "Wait. The old tower. Our first hideout, the abandoned one near the grey plains. We could check there."
"Oh my gods, yes!" Reia didn't wait. She spun on her heel, rushing toward the treeline. "Yes, perfect. We head there now!"
The journey was a blur of shifting landscapes. They passed through skeletal forests where trees clawed at the sky like broken ribs and crossed dried riverbeds that looked like pale wounds in the earth. They passed a ruined village, its houses collapsed inward, and a stretch of forest where the trees leaned unnaturally as if something massive had brushed through them recently. By nightfall, they reached a towering oak.
"We should rest," Uzak'me said, sliding down against the thick bark. Reia sighed, sliding down beside him. "Fine. But only for a bit."
The night air was cool, the silence of the forest pressing in on them. Reia looked up at the stars peeking through the canopy. "You think they're really planning something big?" she asked softly.
Uzak'me nodded. "Civilar doesn't stay still unless he's preparing for something."
Reia sighed, her hand resting on her sword hilt. "I hate that he's unpredictable."
Uzak'me let out a dry chuckle. "But you married someone who's also unpredictable."
Reia elbowed him lightly, a small scowl on her face. "Shut up."
They drifted into a heavy sleep shortly after. By morning, they were on their feet again. By afternoon, they reached the location. The plain stretched out—dead grass, brittle and grey, crunching under their boots. In the center stood the tower: a jagged tooth of grey stone. And there they were: Civilar, Ou'weii, and Yajin.
"...the village to the east," Yajin was saying. "We strike at dawn." Civilar nodded. "We need to crush these new kingdoms before they grow."
The trio stopped the moment Reia and Uzak'me stepped into the clearing.
"Hello, Reia. Uzak'me," Civilar said, his voice a sub-zero edge. "When we reached the dragon camp and found nothing but dints and holes, a thought occurred to me. Considering your relationship with your husband—a man who hates me—and Uzak'me's ties to the Ten Celestials... you both are likely traitors. For the dragons to simply vanish is weird."
The argument ignited into a scream of accusations. Reia's patience snapped. She unsheathed her black longsword, the metal humming. "Enough of this shit. You die here, traitor."
Civilar summoned his massive dual blades in a swirl of obsidian smoke. "I would never betray my group," he said coldly.
Then—a light bolted in front of them. A black cloak, white hair draped down his face, two katanas in hand in an X, and his longsword's hilt clamped in his mouth, biting hard. Eiden.
The world broke. A strike too fast to follow occurred. The first slash appeared on Civilar—a thin line across his eyelid, followed by a massive gash stretching from his lower right waist across his chest to his heart. The cut finally reacted, blood blurring out like a violent mist. Eiden brought his knee up, kicking Civilar in the chest and bolting him across the field.
"You... traitor!" Yajin yelped, drawing the Sword of Judgment. Eiden disappeared in a blink. His blade caught Eiden's reflection, but his eyes didn't. Eiden stood behind him, drawing a clash at Yajin's back in an X, tearing through his cloak and the muscle of his back.
Ou'weii and Uzak'me acted instantly, but before they could swing, Eiden appeared beside them, slashing their throats in two silver flashes. Both fell to their knees, clutching the wounds. He then bolted at Reia. She managed to dodge, but a faint slash appeared on her chest as Eiden stepped forward with a heavy stomp. A force blasted her backward against the tower.
"This is goodbye, Devils. This is what you all deserve for the lives you've killed. I will not kill you, but in the future, I will," Eiden said before disappearing in a blink of light.
Civilar managed to roll onto his back, gasping. He tried to use a black aura to heal the gash, but it didn't heal. He felt his magic weaken. Eiden... he carries Divine magic... since when?
"That filthy traitor, why... why!?" Reia yelped. She stood up, clenching her wound. "I will not stay in this worthless group of traitors! All of you!" She yelled, walking away.
Yajin stood up, grabbing the Sword of Judgment. "Civilar, you lowered your guard and didn't even sense him. You are weak!" Yajin said, walking away.
"Weak!? I simply didn't detect him arriving!" Civilar yelled. Uzak'me healed his own neck and then crawled to Ou'weii to do the same. They helped each other up, limping away without a word.
"HEY! DON'T YOU LEAVE YOU LITTLE SHITS! HEY!! HEY!" Civilar yelped. Finally, he gave up, staring at the sky as the silence of the grey plains consumed him. He was alone.