Greggory watched as Lilly and Alayna came back a good three hours later. Lilly walked over to Greggory, and she did not seem happy. Something happened in the time she went after Alayna. She pulled Greggory away from the group, the Dire wolf watched from a distance, mistrusting Lilly.
"Did you know?" She asked.
"About what?" Greggory asked.
"How bad her Anxiety was." Lilly replied.
"I knew it got worse after you died." Greggory replied, "I did my best to help her through it."
"Did you know she tried to Commit Suicide?" Lilly asked, which took Greggory aback, Alayna swore that she wasn't, it probably should have been an indicator that she did that Greggory just didn't pick up on, but that didn't excuse it.
"No." Greggory replied, his tone shifted to be more somber, "I didn't"
This clearly only served to make Lilly even angrier. She slapped him across the face, being a foot and a half shorter did not stop her.
"Of course, you didn't!" Lilly exclaimed, the Wolf giving a threatening growl, but she ignored it, "Why is it that there's only ever one person aside from myself I can rely on?"
"Mara trusted you to take care of Alayna, and you just stood by and watched blissfully unaware that someone who looked up to you as a father tried to kill themself!" Lilly breathed a minor sigh of relief that they were out of earshot to everyone else.
"Lilly, I'm sorry…" Greggory replied.
"What if she succeeded?" Lilly asked, "What would you have done then? What would you have said to me when I came back if that happened? How would you justify it?"
"Mom, enough, it's my fault." Alayna said from behind Lilly, Lilly slowly turned to face Alayna, "I chose not to tell him, I was never going to tell anyone, not even you if you were there, I felt like no one would do anything to help anyways. He did nothing wrong, it's all on me, so if you're going to be angry at someone, be angry at me!"
Lilly fell silent. It was here that Greggory realized that Lilly had nearly worked herself to tears, knowingly or not. She Gave a deep breath, to calm herself down, and then she turned to Greggory.
"Get her back to Whitereach, I'll be along in a couple of days." Lilly said, "I'm going to convince these dimwits to leave as well, I'm going to cause some chaos in the ashlands, and force the troops home."
"You Literally crawled your way out of the pits of hell, Mom, why would you do that only to go on another suicide run?" Alayna asked, "I'm staying.
"As am I." Greggory said. It frustrated Lilly, but she led them back to the Ranger, the elf, and the dwarf.
"Listen up," Lilly sighed, "I'm going to enter the ashlands and draw the Betrayer's troops away from wherever in the world he is now, so someone very dear to me can rescue her husband and hopefully kill the Betrayer, permanently. I can't promise anyone a ride home, but if you're willing, the world really needs you now."
"The Betrayer took my family," Tarron said, "I'm not going to pass up a chance to stop him, Belette looked to the empty space at the right of Tarron, as if deciding something, and then looked back at Lilly.
"He took mine too," Belette said, "Of course I want him dead."
With that, Tarron, Belette, and even Alayna looked to Morvin, awaiting his reply.
"Why do ya even need to look at meh?" Morvin asked, "Of course I'm in, mah people may not have been driven from their home because of the Betrayer, but Even I know how dangerous he is."
"This may be our final hope." Tarron saud.
"Then let's not waste it." Alayna said.
Lilly led them into the mountains, Greggory and Alayna and the rest not far behind her. They started cutting through the enemy, who's hordes were already Exiting the gate, Alayna wasn't getting many kills, but she didn't need to, as Greggory Positioned himself between Alayna and the enemy, a tip Greggory took from Zathor when he was defending Amara.
Lilly on the other hand was not going for swift kills, she purposefully slashed at the enemy in parts that would give them mortal wounds, but would bleed out over extended periods of time, it made Greggory Uncomfortable.
An enemy about Greggory's size, leapt down from above with a Greatsword, Greggory used the grip of his Greataxe to block the swing, the Dire wolf Leapt onto the attacker, and brought him down, and several more leapt down, and they began to close in on Greggory and Alayna. Greggory once again positioned himself between Alayna, out of the corner of his eye, Greggory noticed Alayna was having another Anxiety attack due to the confusion and Bloodshed
Greggory couldn't turn his back on the approaching attackers, Greggory Prepared for several Parries at once, But He was then Pulled out of the way of the first swing by none other than Alayna, who had Scales forming on her skin, she was shifting onto a dragon again. Before long the Process was complete, and all Greggory could do was watch in shock. Alayna was a Magnificent young White dragon in this form, she was slightly bigger than the average young dragon, it was almost as if the gods themselves had increased her size and assumably her attack power.
Alayna gave a powerful roar as she attacked Greggory's (now her) attackers. She froze the first one with her frost breath, and with a claw attack, Alayna slashed down the two remaining ones, and then crushed the frozen one, the heat of the ashlands did not faze her. Greggory was Pulled out of the way of an attack from behind by Tarron this time, he Parried the strike, and cleaved the attacker's midsection.
"You're not dead yet, Greggory." Tarron said.
"Look," Greggory pointed to the top of the now closed gate, where Dolga the ritualist watched the battle from afar. Greggory couldn't make out his face, but his body language communicated displeasure, Tarron looked in that direction, and Dolga retreated inside one of the towers connected to the gate.
"Stay here." Tarron said.
"What will you do?" Greggory asked.
"Cut the head off of the snake." Tarron replied, and then ran and began climbing the gate.
Greggory returned his attention to the enemy and began fighting them again. Doing his best to weave around Alayna and not get stepped on, as did the dire wolf, as well as Belette and Morvin. Lilly was already much farther ahead than them, she was a better fighter than any of them.
"Where's the ranger?" Belette asked.
"He went to finish the fight." Greggory replied, returning his gaze to the gate, and Tarron who was still climbing
* * *
Tarron continued climbing the gate that was once his home. It was almost on cue as it began to storm like it did when the gate fell. At the top was the key to Tarron and Festand's curse: The ritualist.
Eventually Tarron reached the top and walking through to the western part of the gate, appearing to be the ritualist standing, his back turned to Tarron.
"Be on your guard." Festand said.
"I have a gift for you, Festand." The ritualist said turning to Tarron, he Blasted a spell which threw Tarron to the ground. Tarron had a vision, it appeared to be Festand prior to his death
It was in a room, it appeared to be within the ashlands., Across the room from Festand appeared to be Belette as a nine-year-old child, also chained up. Entering the room appeared to be a man with Brown hair and green eyes, not unlike how the Betrayer had been described in his disguised form, he walked over to Festand and kneeled down to face the elf.
"You expended much coming after me for what Gwendolyn Dragon-loom did to Etras, Festand." The Betrayer said.
"The blade she wielded was of Etras make, and stunk of your filth, Craftsman." Festand replied, "How many more of our weapons that you handed out personally did you corrupt with your malice?"
"All of them." The Betrayer replied, "Even if you were to escape, Etras' reputation would have been ruined. You have no power here, Festand, lord of Etras."
"I'll destroy you." Festand spat.
"Will you now?" The Betrayer asked, "You're supposed to understand who your better is, Perhaps I should show you."
The Betrayer stood up, and turned around, and shifting into his armored appearance moved towards Belette, he raised his mace, and swung.
"ENOUGH!" Festand Cried in pain at the fear of his daughter's death, Tarron felt it too, Festand was relieved to see that Betrayer stopped inches away from Belette's skull, the poor girl was screaming in fear and was likely spilling tears.
"Good, now remember where your place is." the Betrayer said as the vision shifted to Festand on the edge of the ashlands with Belette in his arms, and two Etras elves.
"Take her to everlus," festand said, "This land is no place for a child."
"Father?" Belette asked.
"I will go find your mother. Go to your great aunt. You will be safe there until my return, ``Festand replied.
"Promise?" Belette asked.
"I Promise," Festand replied.
And then everything went back to the gate, as Tarron shot up.
"The betrayer gave you a second chance, to stand by his side," The Ritualist said, "But I make no such offer, you will stand by him, willingly or not, we will be sealed together in death.
"So be it." Tarron said as the ritualist raised his sword, but instead of cutting Tarron down, he used his sword to slit his own throat, Tarron backed away struggling to his feet.
"Return to me, Festand." he choked., and Tarron felt Festand pulled out of his body, Tarron's throat began to drip with his own blood, as it did when he was killed three years ago, Tarron sun around as Festand entered the space that The Ritualist's body occupies
Tarron blinked for a moment, and where Dolga and Festand were now stood the betrayer in his armored appearance, Mace and all, slowly he approached Tarron, and Raised his mace as he did when Threatening Belette, but this time he meant to strike true.
Tarron rolled to the left and avoided the strike, then he moved to strike again, and Tarron rolled out of the way, but now the betrayer had a good shot, And He swung towards Tarron, but Tarron noticed the blue glow of Festand beginning to hold him back.
"Quickly, strike him now, Tarron, I cannot hold him forever!" Festand exclaimed
Tarron used his sword and struck the betrayer's knee, bringing him to one foot, Tarron then gave the betrayer a Brief jab in the eye. Stunning him, and then Tarron took advantage of the gap in his abdomen, and Tarron thrust his sword into the abdomen, killing at least the ritualist underneath, Tarron noticed his neck stopped bleeding, and his breath returned, as did Festand.
Death should have taken him. But it didn't nor did he hear the voices of Aaron and Ireana. He felt alone, in the darkness of the storm
"It is done," festand said, "The Ritualist has died, he will be back, but we are free, we can return to our families."
"What about Belette?' Tarron asked.
"I don't think she sees me as a father any longer." Festand lamented.
"Why?" Tarron asked.
"She looked right at me before saying the betrayer took her family." Festand said, ``This is no longer our fight, I tried fighting him, it cannot be done, not by me."
"Could you really rest for all of eternity?" Tarron asked softly, "Knowing that you had the chance to stop him but did nothing?"
Festand didn't reply, but it was clear Tarron made his point. The light of the sunrise rose over the smell of rainwater, Tarron was able to see it, the gate wasn't situated In a north to south manner, it was situated in a northeastern manner, Tarron could see it, he walked to the edge of the gate, where Below Morvin, Belette and Lilly, Greggory, and Alayna were celebrating, the family with a hug, Morvin and Belette betting on drinks, Tarron leapt down to join them.
"So, Boss," Morvin said Jokingly, "first round on you?"
"I don't think it is." Belette said, "You have to move on now, don't you?"
"Eventually, yes." Tarron said, "but that is not this day. We're here to stay, and if we can, stop the Betrayer."
"Did the plan work?" Morvin asked Lilly.
"We're going to find out soon, we should set a trap, an explosive trap, and leave" she said.
They spent the next few hours doing that, they all took a Vantage point near a cave entrance blocked with Spider webs and watched as the betrayer's troops moved in to investigate, and Lilly launched her fire Arrow as the Blasting powder it struck true, and even Festand complimented her aim. The explosion was bittersweet. Tarron would never have his family back, and so, he was left to wonder if it would all be worth it. But he was steadfast in his interest in staying. He hoped he could save more lives than were ever lost, and that would be his mission, however it came to fruition.