While staring out the window, Nathan cannot believe his eyes.
In the distance, a monstrous silhouette can be made out through flames and smoke. The gate that once held steady no longer exists and a massive hole is in its place. Fire, smoke, and debris can be seen scattered along the entrance to Hammers Rise.
The fields around Hammers Rise are littered with what appears to be an army of different creatures. A massive dragon-looking creature can be seen in the middle of the army. Massive chains are crisscrossing along the body of the beast. The chains appear to be restraining the beast and can be seen pulsating a deep crimson even from the distance Nathan is located.
The beast can be seen thrashing its sinewy neck, attempting to break free from its restraints. The creature's wings are restrained by the chains confining them to the side of its body and the reddish gold scales gleam in the flames from the city.
The scales start to glow scarlet as it releases another roar. A massive fireball blasts through the air.
BOOOOOM.
Another explosion happens along the city's walls. Nathan takes a few steps back from the window unsteadily as the entire Inn shakes from the explosion.
Screams can be heard resonating through the air as people clamor about. Crying and sobbing can be heard from other rooms in the Inn.
"I can't believe an actual dragon is attacking the city," Nathan says in a shaky voice.
Scion's eyes glow in delight as she flits to Nathan's shoulder and takes a seat as she peers out the window.
"It looks like the Legion is bringing out the big guns against Hammers Rise. This place will be razed by morning." Scion says with a grin on her face as she swings her feet.
Nathan plants his feet and freezes for a moment to gather his thoughts.
"This is what we're supposed to be fighting? This is what the Legion is?" Nathan's eyebrows raise as he questions Scion.
"Of course," Scion says in a matter-of-fact tone. "What did you think fighting the Legion would be like? This is what the Plane wars look like." Scion pokes the side of Nathan's face as she pokes her tongue out at him.
"This is an actual battle! What about dungeon crawls, clearing out rifts, or farming mobs in a field for experience? This is crazy!" Nathan continues to sputter out complaints to Scion as the Legion army begins to advance into the holes in the walls created by the fireball explosions.
"I'd suggest leaving where we are and start moving. We can always steal from some shops before leaving Hammers Rise for supplies." Scion looks to Nathan with an expectant look plastered on her face.
At Scion's suggestion, Nathan awakes from his reverie and equips his basic leather gear.
Scion frowns at Nathan's attire and starts to pout.
"You might as well wear the good stuff, it's not like the guards or anyone else has time to do anything to you if they see you in your stolen gear. Besides, do you want to be handicapping yourself in this predicament?"
Nathan realizing that Scion's words make perfect sense puts away the basic set of gear and equips his magical set.
He makes his way to the door and throws it open. Kate happens to be in the hallway and after seeing Nathan rush out, stumbles backward in fright and screams while tripping over herself falling to the ground.
"Careful Miss Kate, it is me, Nathan," Nathan says to Kate as he extends his hand to help her up from the ground.
Kate looks toward the extended hand, to his visage, and then toward Scion perched on his shoulder and she scurries backward away from Nathan. Her eyes are dilated, and her breathing becomes heavy.
"Stay away from me!" She yells at him as she continues to scurry backward even further. She hits a table in the hallway and a vase with flowers falls to the ground and shatters.
Nathan steps toward Kate with his hand extended to her to give her a hand up.
'Why is she still afraid? The helm isn't that scary looking.' Nathan ponders over Kate's reaction.
"Kate it is me, you just had drinks with Kevin and me. I know the Legion is attacking, but you don't have to be afraid of me." Nathan tries to calm Kate down and help her.
Scion looks down at Kate from Nathan's shoulder with a predatory grin on her face. Her eyes flash red for a moment before turning back to her normal aqua blue.
Kate hears the words "Legion" come from Nathan's mouth, and has her breath hitch in her throat. She starts to hyperventilate. She moves her hand back to try to push herself up from the floor and gasps as her hand slices on a broken piece of porcelain. She grips the piece of porcelain in her hand disregarding the pain from it cutting into her palm and brandishes it at Nathan.
"You would know the Legion is attacking. You're a part of it!" Kate accuses Nathan as she gets to a kneeling position while still brandishing the broken porcelain at him in a defensive posture.
"What are you talking about? I'm not a part of the Legion, I'm here to fight against it." Nathan is bewildered and cannot understand Kate's train of thought.
He opens his arms wide in a placating gesture, "Kate, you're cutting yourself. Put down the broken piece of the vase and let me help you. We can find Kevin; he'll explain to you that I am a Planeswalker, and I am here to fight against the Legion."
Nathan takes another step toward Kate as he talks to her.
Kate leaps from her kneeling position and attacks Nathan with the broken piece of porcelain in her hand.
"Liar!" she screams at him. "If you're a Planeswalker, why do you have a sprite sitting on your shoulder?"
Kate continues making slashing attacks at Nathan while yelling at him.
Nathan dodges her stabs and swings with his footwork as he finally understands why Kate thinks he is an enemy.
"Oopsie, I guess I forgot to phase away in time to not let her see me Mr. Emblem." Scion puts her hand to her mouth and giggles at the situation she caused.
Ignoring Scion's comment, Nathan tries to explain to Kate that he is not part of the Legion and that Scion is not a bad sprite.
Another door opens and Kevin in his guard uniform, with a sword in hand, emerges from within. His eyes move to Kate, the broken vase, the shard in her hand, then to Nathan, and finally onto Scion who is holding her stomach laughing uproariously at the entire situation.
"Wait!" Nathan yells to Kevin.
As Nathan yells to Kevin to wait, Kevin advances and swings his blade in an overhead attack at Nathan while roaring.
With a thought, Nathan equips his Banesblade and blocks Kevin's attack with the flat of the blade. He forces Kevin back with the counterforce, Kate seeing an opening advances and stabs the shard into Nathan's leg.
A -3 flashes red and appears in Nathan's vision as he feels a pain in his thigh. Instinctively, he swings his blade down and chops through Kate's right shoulder blade. The slash continues to cut across the chest diagonally almost through to her hip.
Kate immediately collapses onto the ground in a pool of blood as it pours from her body. Kevin screams in despair as he sees Kate's life extinguished before his eyes.
"No!" Kevin continues to scream as his eyes turn bloodshot. He begins attacking Nathan in a wild frenzy.
Nathan is shocked at the feeling of having killed someone. His body instinctively protects itself from Kevin's wild flurry of attacks as he tries to mentally come to grips with what he did.
"I didn't mean—" Nathan begins to say in a soft voice, but Kevin cuts him off.
"Fuck you, I'll kill you, you Legion fuck!"
Eventually, Kevin connects an attack to Nathan's side.
A -6 flashes red in Nathan's vision. The loss of health and pain snaps Nathan out of his stupor. Realizing that there cannot be any reconciliation with Kevin over what happened, he switches to an offensive, instead of trying to only block the incoming attacks.
Kevin goes for an overhand attack and Nathan parries it, forcing Kevin off balance. Seeing an opening, Nathan quickly grips the sword with only his left hand, he forms an eagle claw with his right hand and delivers a claw attack on Kevin's Adam's apple.
Tears flood Kevin's eyes as he gags and chokes for air. He hunches over as he gags. Realizing the danger his posture puts him in, he raises his head to locate Nathan's position.
As he looks up, the last thing he sees is Scion on Nathan's shoulder with her eyes flashing in delight and a smirk on her face. Suddenly his vision of the scene turns sideways and then fades to black.