The Protectors watched as the undead fell apart before them. Jessica stood unmoved after killing Zeno. Samuel ran up to her.
"Jessica, what happened?"
"I had to kill him. I just wanted him to come back to me."
"You couldn't have known. None of us did. Mark, Paul, Rachel, none of us. We couldn't have known."
Jessica broke down and fell to her knees. Mark and the others rushed up to console her, and as they did they were all bombarded by violent visions.
"We are the Grey Huntsman. We know you have the Beacon Stone. The wave was felt by all the world. If you resist us, you are inciting war. We are coming."
They groaned as the vision faded. They looked at each other and all around. Sorrian saw the Beacon Stone and grabbed it, handing it over to Samuel.
"Mark, I've got the Stone. We need to make our way out of here."
"Where are we going to go? We have no idea where these 'Grey Huntsman' are coming from."
"It's most likely that there coming from the western wasteland. We need to get to Lionsgate at the very least."
"Mark, Samuel, listen and hear! The Pillars are at Necropolis, Lionsgate, and Helorion."
They were pained by the revelation, but they understood it immediately. The Protectors where off towards Lionsgate.
Axian, Killgroth, and Yangnifar called the other Huntsman. They gathered their supplies, dawned their armor, and set off. They planned to kill all of them if they could. But they each chose for themselves a target. Axian chose Samuel, Killgroth chose Mark, Vance chose Agripian, Yangnifar chose Cansoulian, Erridis chose Jessica, Zenitha chose Rachel, and Thorosian chose Sorrian. They raced off as fast as they could, ready to get the Beacon Stone and kill the Protectors.
The Protectors knew that they had targets, but they raced as fast as they could. They arrived at Academy and had to stop so the horses could rest. Almost as soon as they did the City guard, what was left anyway, saw the Huntsman approaching. They road with intensity and where soon to arrive.
The Protectors raced out and drew there swords, prepared to fight. The Huntsman dismounted and charged on foot, starting the battle. They fought ruthlessly, slashing with intelligence and the need to kill. Thorosian and Sorrian locked their blades.
"What's a pretty girl like you doing fighting with ugly men?"
"What's a bitch like you following them for?"
The two of them traded blows for a while, but Thorosian was getting the upper hand. Killgroth and Mark traded heavy blows back and forth, Killgroth taunting Mark for his inferior bladesmanship.
"You are a pathetic leader. Your friends will be slaughtered, and your homes will burn."
"Not if we stop you!"
The two continued to trade blows, but it was apparent Killgroth was the better swordsman. Axian and Samuel danced around each other, near equal in every way. Axian was stronger but Samuel was faster. Axian was more skilled, but Samuel was more intelligent and quick-thinking. They traded blows back and forth, no one gaining the upper hand. Vance and Agripian stalked around each other, sizing each other up as the battle raged around them. Both of them were calm and collected, only striking when ready. When they engaged, Agripian was quick to gain the upper hand, but Vance was crafty, dodging anything that could render him unusable. Erridis and Zenitha charged Jessica and Rachel. The four of them traded blows back and forth, no one ready to give up the fight. Cansoulian and Yangnifar battled tirelessly, being total equals, each strike being blocked or countered by the other. Then, the scholars from Academy were able to intuitively use magic to dismay the Huntsman. With that, the Protectors set off towards Lionsgate, but the Huntsman quickly broke free. It was now a race to see who would arrive first.