The Blackspire Riders(Orgoth)

The weather was fine, the bright sun beaming from a cloudless sky. Octavia sat astride her faithful Wyvern Saelie, enjoying the breeze as the majestic blue green scaled Wyvern sailed high above Lower edia. Soon they would pass over Edaria, before sweeping upwards towards Karem, on the look out for anything worth reporting. A week of paper work, to sore to do much more than pamper Saelie, had been Octavia's reward for her duel with Armagand. Hargen had been hard on her and kept her grounded for her insubordination, but had put a day ago decided to let her go back out early. Probably for wiping that smug look of Armagand's face when he failed to squish her as easily as he expected to. As far as she'd seen though, her insane gambit had worked. For the last week Eliza been left alone by the oaf, who was definitely pissed at her for stepping in but unable to do anything to get back at her because his actions from the night before the dual were being looked into by the Oculi's Internal Affairs.

Even if she didn't think Armagand would do anything to Eliza while Octavia was away, she had still dropped by her mother's house before leaving, to let Eliza know she'd be gone for a few days. She'd guessed that Eliza was there, because Grace was gone from the Kelari stables, and that usually meant she was out flying, or visiting her mother. Octavia flew over the house and her guess had proven right when she spotted Grace out the back. Octavia flew back around and landed in the front garden, careful not to disturb Narissa Tallus' flowers. Octavia dismounted and made her way around back where she was greeted by a sight she'd never expected. Eliza in a flowing gown and skirt. Eliza was striking in her armor, but this was something else entirely, and Octavia found herself staring for longer than necessary, her attention finally dragged away by Nerissa who immediately began berating her challenging Armagand, even though she admired the bravery. Octavia just shrugged, because she didn't really know what to say, told Eliza where she was going and said her farewells.

That had been several hours ago, and she had several more to travel before stopping for a break. Fortunately Saelie had packed on some muscle and gained stamina since they first met, and the Wyvern was in outstanding condition. It was just a pity she struggled to socialise with the other Wyverns. Even Karu couldn't get her to warm to him, and he had the demeanour of a giant puppy. Though she was flying in the wrong direction, Octavia considered visiting Sunshield hold on the way home. It would be nice to see Kairi, and if she was lucky Miral would be there too. leaning forward, she rubbed Saelie's neck. "You'd like to see Miral too, wouldn't you?" She asked. The Wyvern turned her head to peer back at Octavia in answer.

More time passed, and they landed for a rest and a bite to eat just north of Edaria. In Saelie's case, she made a meal of a poor deer who hadn't seen her until it was far to late, and hadn't a chance to run. Octavia picked away at her rations while the Wyvern roasted the deer with a few bursts of her fire breath before wolfing it down. "I don't know why you bother cooking it, when you don't even chew." Octavia said, and Saelie huffed smoke in her face in response. When they were done, and Saelie had a good rest, they set off again, north towards Karem. As they flew, Octavia turned her attention to the east, to the Kri'lak mountains. She didn't think she would get so close on this mission. Or maybe just seeing them at all was enough to bring back the memories of those terrible Wyverns and their heanta riders. She could see her mothers vibrant face, ash strewn, resolve in her eyes. She had sacrificed herself to destroy those heanta riders, and one had escaped. Octavia felt tears on her face, hadn't realised she was crying.

She looked away, but just as she did, she spotted a black shape in the distance rise up and vanish behind a peak. She turned back, watching the mountains, pulling gently on Saelie's reins to change her course. She flew towards the mountains, watching intently, but the shape never reappeared. After twenty minutes, she gave up. It probably wasn't even a wyvern. Hell, it was as likely to be an Astraea as the Heanta who killed her mother, given how large the mountain range was. She was just seeing what she wanted to see. Reluctantly, Octavia turned Sealie back on their original heading and- She spotted it again, out of the corner of her eye, a black shape flew up from behind the nearest peak before diving again. Octavia turned Saelie, who grunted in annoyance, this time locked on target. She urged the Wyvern to fly faster, intent on catching up to what she'd seen.

Saelie soared down towards the peak, picking up speed as they flew around it with a wide berth. As they soared over, Octavia spotted a black shape, rise up from the mountains to meet them. She prepared to fight, but as it took form, Octavia realised it was not an unknown Wyvern, but in fact a very large bird, angry bird. Saelie verred to the left, dodging the massive eagle like creature as it shot up, screeching at them. She'd never seen anything like it, but she'd heard stories of the Ruks used by the heanta, and this Majestic, angry bird fit the description. It let out a piercing screech and dived at them again, and Octavia steered Saelie into a roll, turning to the left to avoid the bird. Saelie let out a gout of flame as the bird shot back up, and it swerved away from them before diving again to gain distance from them. Octavia looked back at the big bird who had given up the chase, instead flying in circles as it watched them like a hawk. Octavia let out a relieved sigh, as she would have hated to have to hurt the majestic big bird. Though she found it curious that the flappy bird would be so far south. She was sure they were native to the Kyrias mountains.

And then she spotted the saddle on its back, and realised why it was circling like that. It was protecting something, likely a downed rider. Octavia brought Saelie back around and set her circling so that she could examine the area. The Ruk watched them but came no closer, letting Octavia think in peace. Something had gone down here, but she wasn't sure what. However it wouldn't feel right to abandon another rider, even if they were a heanta. She removed the straps on her legs, a plan forming in her head. She'd swoop low and drop from Saelie, who could keep the Ruks attention, while she went to investigate the scene. She didn't have much time to do more than think about getting low, as the Ruk suddenly shrieked and shot towards her barrelling past to slam into a black shape rising from below. Saelie spun to track the Ruk, and Octavia got a full on view of a Black Wyvern, horned rider on its back. What ever had happened here, no longer mattered. Killing that rider was the only thing suddenly important to her, and with and with a scream she turned Saelie into a dive. Saelie did as commanded and as the Ruk was kicked away by the Black Wyvern, she slammed into it, snapping at it's neck and clawing at its belly. Octavia drew her weapon, lashing at the horned rider with her chained kama, and landing a killing blow. The rider slumped back in his saddle, and Saelie kicked the other Wyvern away, ripping out its throat as she did.

Octavia watched the monster fall from the sky, triumph, rage, and adrenaline coursing through her. She had done it. But it was so easy. Too easy. Another shriek from the Ruk drew her attention, and Saelie was hit from below with a screech of pain. A massive head snapped at Saelie's neck, a head that made Galantus and brutus look small. Octavia lashed at the beast's eyes and it pulled away, and then the Ruk hit it from above, knocking the massive Wyvern away from Saelie. Saelie began to dive, trying to escape the Wyvern while it was distracted. The Ruk tore at the monster's face, but there was a loud crunch, and its screeching turned to pained cries of terror. Octavia looked back, long enough to see the massive wyvern ripe the Ruk's head free and send its body towards the snow covered earth. And then something hit them from above, driving Saelie towards the ground. A third rider, not nearly as big as the other, thankfully, but still bigger than Saelie.

Saelie squirmed and struggled, and managed to wriggle from benearth the other Wyvern before they hit the ground and Saelie managed to get her wings back out after righting herself. The black Wyvern and it's rider began to fly up again, and Octavia threw out a hand, launching a ball of energy. It hit the Wyvern, doubling its weight and the creature's wings gave out. With a screech it plummeted to the ground, where it smashed into the earth with a deathly crunch. Before she could even consider the massive Wyvern, something hit her in the back, ripping through her hardened skin into her shoulder. Octavia let out a scream of pain as she lost balance and tumbled from Saelie's saddle, down towards the snow strewn ground. Octavia managed to cast feather and slow her fall with a burst of air, but she still hit hard enough to force the wind from her lungs and knock her out cold.


There was a thunderous crash, as Saelie landed in the garden. The Wyvern could smell the Kelari that she liked, and knew that the girl her rider liked was here. Saelie began to stomp around, bellowing at the house, hoping she would come out, so she could take her to her rider, to help Saelie kill the monster creature. She let out another low call.


Octavia opened her eyes, which was surprise enough, and the first thing she noticed was pain. Her back was wet with blood. Her arms were chained to the wall, cold stone floor beneath her. An unconcious form lay across from her in a roughly 10ft square room. And then Octavia remembered The black Wyverns and their riders, and Saelie. She didn't know what had happened to Saelie, and though she knew the answer, seen what that monstrous Wyvern could do, she didn't want to think it. All she could think was that Eliza's mother was wrong. She wasn't brave. She was a fucking idiot.

Strolling briskly through Eapara City, Eliza Kor was brimming with anticipation. Although, no one would really guess that by looking at her as she hid it beneath her customary taciturn features. Her duties with the Elite Guard were completed for the day, and though she would normally be required to report to Divum Julianus Hargen for her joint-training session with the Sky Guard, Hargen had insisted that she take some personal time off in the aftermath of recent events between herself, her father and Octavia Velerius. It had started when she first met Octavia properly in the Eyrie while sneaking up to check on Grace, Eliza's Kelari friend. Armagand had gotten wind of her daughter's presence in the Eyrie, and confronted her in his typical brusque manner. To Eliza's surprise and concern, Octavia stood up for her. The young Wyvern-rider lambasted Armagand with seemingly no care for what he was capable of. The situation was swiftly de-escalated by Hargen, but the seeds of conflict had been sown. Eliza had been punished by her father severely for her new friend's transgressions, but Eliza was simply relieved that she was the subject of his ire, and not Octavia.

Things then grew out of Eliza's control as, to her admiration and horror, Octavia challenged Armagand to a duel at the homecoming gala for Bethany Merciallus, which Armagand accepted. Eliza could not overrule one of the Asentari people's most ancient traditions, despite her best efforts, and she was forced to watch as Octavia and Armagand went to war with each other. The duel was intense, and though Octavia held her own for a large portion of it, even landing a significant hit on the might Imperator, Armagand was simply to well-honed in the art of warfare. As Octavia began to tire, Armagand began to overpower her, until he had her in position to strike a killing blow. Eliza had made her move then, in a plan formulated with the help of her cousin Kora, and had stepped in using the rules of the arena and her position as a member of the Elite Guard as a shield to ward off her father's rage. Though she had managed to push Armagand to his limits, Octavia had been very lucky to leave with her life. Hargen had stepped up joint-training sessions from that point on, with the ulterior motive of keeping Octavia and Eliza safer under his watch as much as he could. For some reason that she had yet to work out, Hargen harbored a soft spot for Eliza, and had taken a vested interest in her wellbeing.

Which led Eliza to her surprise off-duty hours today, and she was determined not to squander them. So she had come to one of the few places that brought her genuine joy, and which didn't involve her punishing her body with rigorous exercises. Eliza had come home, to her mother. The visits to Narissa Tallus were clandestine in nature, due in no small part to Armagand's well-documanted animosity towards the Tallus family, but when she was here she felt freer than did anywhere else. In the relative safety of Narissa's estate, Eliza could partake in all of the activities and pasttimes that she kept hidden from the world at large in order to perpetuate her "Iron Bitch" moniker. These activities included flower arranging and gardening, things that Eliza proved suprisingly natural at. The freedom also allowed her to change up her attire, forgoing her usual combat outfit with the garments she now wore. The outfit was a colorful Eastern-style dress consisting of a flowy gown and dress in whites, pinks and lavenders, and it was finished off with a pair of roses worn over each ear.

Eliza regarded her armor as it stood on a display mannequin, deep in contemplation as she analyzed recent events in her mind. Her mother's voice broke her from her introspection sharply. "Eliza? Is everything alright, dear?" Eliza shook her head and walked out of her bedroom briskly, as if walking out of the tendrils of her doubt-filled mind. "Yes, mother. I'm on my way." Downstairs, a gentle breeze fluttered in through the open back door, filling the kitchen with a fluttery quality that made the atmosphere seem almost ethereal. Eliza walked outside and found her mother standing over an elaborate and colorful flower arrangement. Eliza knew it well, of course, for she had made it. At Narissa's side was a small Kelit who was sitting on the ground attentively, panting happily, no doubt just having ran around the garden a hundred times. Resting nearby in the shade of a large cherry blossom tree was a Kelari, again small by her own species standards. The two animals were both gifts from Narissa, because she knew that Eliza would looke after them and treat them well. Eliza gave her Kelari, Grace, a quick scratch behind the ears as she passed. Titus, as if he hadn't seen her in a thousand years, turned and ran at Eliza with unmatched gusto and tackled her. It took all of Eliza's strength not to be smashed to the deck.

Once she had persuaded her Kelari to release her, Eliza approached Narissa and looked at the arrangement her mother had been studying. The elder Asentari beamed with pride at her only daughter. "I think this might be your best one yet. Really. Great work, my love." Eliza smiled sheepishly, still uncomfortable with compliments despite her interactions with Narissa, Hargen and Octavia. But before she could answer, Eliza's attention was drawn to the flapping of wings around the front of the house. Titus took off immediately, charging into battle to confront the invader, while Grace simply raised her head with curiosity. Eliza looked to Narissa, who shrugged. "I've got a friend of Tessa's coming round to paint a picture of your flowers, but not until later." Soon, the mystery would be solved though, as Octavia Velerius rounded the corner and entered the garden. Eliza was about to warn Octavia away, as Narissa was still mad that the Wyvern-rider had nearly thrown her life away to prove a point, but she instead froze as she realized that Octavia was staring at her intently with a curious look in her eye. It occurred to Eliza then that Octavia had never seen her in her current outfit, and she suddenly blushed and looked away. "Does... Does it look bad?"

Before Octavia could answer, the exact thing Eliza was going to warn her about happened, and Narissa launched into a sermon about how brave she thought Octavia was, but also how mad Narissa was that she had done what she did. Octavia seemingly had no answer for Narissa's concern for her, so she simply shrugged before telling them where she was going, and bid farewell. Eliza nodded and wished her good luck, before wrangling Titus before he tried to follow the Wyvern-rider and her steed. Narissa eyed Eliza curiosly as she returned to her flower arrangement. Eliza returned her gaze with a confused look of her own. "What's wrong?" Narissa sighed impatiently. "Did you not see the way she looked at you? Don't tell me you didn't because I saw your reaction, dear." Eliza's cheeks flushed again, but she shook her head. "I don't know what you mean." Narissa chuckled with amusement. "It's alright, Eliza. It's not as if you're the first person to get embarassed around someone you like." Eliza shifted uncomfortably, and Narissa dropped her line of questioning. "I'm sorry, I'll drop it. It's just..." Narissa reached over and a stray lock of hari from Eliza's face. "She seems to make you happy, and I want nothing more than for you to be happy." Eliza sighed with resignation and looked at her mother. "I know. It's just that, we don't have time. I have my duties in the Elite Guard, and she has her own work in the Sky Guard." Narissa nodded knowingly and produced a pruning shears from her apron pocket. "It may seem like that, but it's like I always say. If something's important you make the time."


Eliza dried her hands with a cloth as she gazed out of the window with satisfaction. The garden was flawlessly manicured and the flowers were neat and tidy. Then, the garden became disturbed as a large and familiar form landed with a thump on the lawn and began calling. Eliza looked at the Wyvern for a moment, wondering what exactly had possessed Saelie to return so quick... and without Octavia. That was when she noticed something else alarming. Saelie was wounded. The Wyvern continued its desperate calls and Eliza ran outside in a hurry. "Woah, Saelie. What's wrong? What happened?" Saelie nudged Eliza gently with her snout before making a movement as if to leave. Eliza knew then that Saelie had come to Eliza for help. Narissa appeared in the doorway and called to Eliza. "What's going on? What's wrong with Saelie?" Eliza nodded to the Wyvern and walked back into the house to grab her weapons. "I'm not sure, but she's hurt and Octavia is missing. She came here because she thinks I can help. So I'm going to try and help."

Eliza grabbed her weapons from the entrance hall and strapped them on, and Narissa started for the stairs. "I'll get your armor." But Eliza shook her head, and gestured to the door. "No time. I have to hurry." Narissa followed Eliza outside and threw a cloak over her and fastened it around her shoulders. "Good luck, dear, and please be careful." Eliza nodded and leapt atop Saelie with her usual grace. "I'll be back as soon as I can." With that, Eliza held on as Saelie took one bound and was airborne. Eliza narrowed her eyes and she felt the roses fly free from her hair as Saelie dived below the line of the islands of Edia and turned north. Eliza studied their route, and realized they were heading for the Kri'Lak Badlands. Eliza looked at Saelie and channeled healing energy through her hands and into the Wyvern, hoping to heal as much of the damage as she could before they got where they were going. If the Badlands was their destination, then they would need every bit of strength they had to survive.

The badlands were home to many things terrible and strange. From the vicious beasts and roving tribes of Keavna to the abominations of the deep, spewing forth from Medin Taji and hunting anyone one stupid enough to dare walk the coast. But in the Badlands mountain range, a spiny barrier that created a border between the freelands and the the badlands, lurked some more terrible than all those combined. They called themselves the tenth heanta clan, clan Xakoris. A small clan to be sure, Vesiera Xakoris' clan was an exiled offshoot of Clan Rakoris. Her Father, Draken, was driven from his home and heritage by her Uncle, Jakken Rakoris, driven into the freelands and exile to die. Her father should have died, but he had done something no other heanta had dared to try. He had tamed a Blackspire Wyvern. He had tamed the badlands, and made a home for exiled heanta who had been driven from Kyrias.

Vesiera was born in the badlands. She'd never seen Kyrias, but she'd killed the weaklings bred there. She'd taken down their Ruks and ripped them apart. She'd been hunting one, on her Wyvern Helios, when the other rider appeared. Her two squadmates fell to that woman and her fire breathing Wyvern, before Vesiera took her down. But, this was not the first time her people had been killed by Wyvern Riders from the south. A few years back, an entire squad barring her brother, Kazier, had been killed by them. And now, it appeared they had come back. Perhaps they were working with the Heanta of the north. Fortunately, Vesiera had captured both the Ruk Rider, and the Wyvern Rider alive, even though the Wyvern itself had escaped. She had not taken them to the main camp or her father. She needed answers before returning home. She would need as much information from the woman before telling her father what had happened, to appease him, since he would hold her responsible for the loss of two Blackspire Wyverns. A hefty loss, as they were not easy to tame.


Octavia took several deep breaths, composing herself. She had felt the world around her closing in, the darkness of the cell pushing against her mind, panic closing. She needed to remain calm, or she was as good as dead. The vague form across the cell, she assumed it was the Ruk's rider, hadn't moved since she woke up, but if it was a heanta it was probably healing from its injuries. Or they could be dead. Octavia heard footsteps outside, and the door burst open, light spilling into the room. A female with pure white hair and four horns stepped into the room, a pair of black clad warriors behind her. She gave orders in a language Octavia didn't recognize, but guessed was her native tongue, and the two guards grabbed the unconcious heanta roughly, shaking them awake before dragging them out. A deep male voice cursed in heantan at his captures as they dragged him out, fighting the entire time.



When he was gone, the female stepped into the room and stared down at Octavia. She asked Octavia something, and Octavia shrugged. Then the woman switched to common, and spoke again. "I would know the name of the one who killed two of my comrades and their Wyverns." Octavia starred back at the woman silently. "What, do you not speak this tongue either? Or did that fall you took damage your brain?" The female asked. Octavia glared at her. "I can understand you." She said. "Good. Then understand this, Rider of the south. Its in your best interest to cooperate. I require answers, and I am more than willing to torture you to get those answers. Who are you, and why are you working with that heanta." The female asked. Octavia said nothing in response, and the female shrugged. "Very well. Perhaps listening to your ally scream will loosen your tongue." The female said, before stepping out of the cell and slamming the door. The screaming started soon after.


Vesiera stepped out of the old orken watch tower, the screams of the heanta following her and turned to one of the guards there. "I want the watch doubled tonight. No one sleeps, no one eats, until morning. There might be more out there." She said, before walking towards Helios. She climbed on, before her massive mount lifted himself up and she urged him into the air. She would need to fly high and keep watch. Perhaps she would get lucky, and spot that Riders Wyvern. She headed north first, flying faas

Eliza had been into battle many times before, so she was well adjusted to the feelings a person experiences when in her position. There was a extra bit of pressure this time, however, as she had never been into battle atop someone else's mount. She had healed Saelie as much as she could before they arrived at what was unmistakably the Wyvern's destination. As they dove below the cloud cover, the barren expanse of the Kri'Lak Badlands stretched out below them, and the target of Saelie's desperate charge north became clear as a massive stone tower dominated the landscape. The tower was of a design which Eliza had only seen before in books, specifically of the now-extinct Orken race. Saelie hurtled towards it unerringly, which Eliza took to mean that Octavia was there.

Keeping her own silhouette as small as possible, Eliza waited until the last moment as Saelie spun to dodge arrows from the trio of archers who were atop the tower, before leaping gracefully from Saelie's back using her Updraft to slow her descent so she could land without rolling. Saelie continued through and grabbed one of the archers in her claws, draggin him from the tower two his doom as Eliza materialized a pair of daggers from her holster and threw one at each remaining archer with blinding speed and accuracy. Saelie returned to the top of the tower, sans archer, and looked at Eliza expectedly. Eliza drew her spatha and patted the Wyvern on the head with her free hand.

"I'll find her, don't worry. Just stay safe until we get back." Eliza then ripped the hatch from its hinges and leapt down, using her Updraft's remaining power to slow her descent so she could get a look around. There were four bandits here, in various states of readiness. Eliza shot a Gust at a bandit who was standing beside a window, toppling him through it. She then materialized a knife in her right hand and caught a man across the room straight in the neck with it, before confronting the remaining two, who had begun advancing with their scimitars drawn. Eliza shook her head in disapproval. "Please, choose to live." The men declined her offer and charged her, forcing her to sidestep and cut down one of them. The remaining man stopped for a moment, and Eliza pointed her spatha at him.

"I am here for my friend, a Wyvern-rider from Edia. Tell me where she is, and I'll take her and be on my way." The man looked incredulous as he absorbed her words. "Are you kidding me? Some bitch in a gown comes in here and thinks she can make demands?" He spat at her feet before raising his weapon. "Tell Necromor that Grunak sent you." The man charged, but with a quick parry to unbalance the man followed by a deft right forearm to send him to the deck, Eliza once again pointed her weapon at him. "Last chance. Tell me where she is, or I'll cut my way through your entire group to find her." The man stared at her in disbelief. "W-Who are you?" Eliza kept her eyes locked on the bandit's. "I am Eliza Kor, of the Oculi Draconis. You have captured one of my fellow Oculi members, and I will retrieve her at any cost." The man simply pointed towards the stairwell leading down. "She's in the cells beneath the tower." Eliza nodded and sheathed her spatha. "Understood. Thank you for your cooperation." She strode quickly towards the stairwell, before the man spoke from behind her. "My pleasure, Asentari." Eliza spun just in time to duck a swing from the bandit, before grabbing his head with both hands firmly and twisting sharply, breaking his neck with a loud snap. She shook her head and headed for the stairwell. It wouldn't be long before she would have to fight again.

Grob was alerted to the sound of fighting in the old tower above, and the heanta around him began grabbing weapons, rushing for the stairs. Grob wasn’t big, not like the trio of heanta pushed ahead of him, and he also wasn’t as bloodthirsty as his brethren. He was a former heanta slave, who had escaped Kyrias before being taken in by Draken Xakoris’ people. He owed them, and though he was scared he would fight. Drawing his long knife, he charged up the stairs, only to have the wall next to him be ripped away by the clawed wing of a Wyvern clinging to the outside of the tower. Grob had never seen a Wyvern like it, green and blue scales glinting in the torchlight as its head snake in the opening and caught hold of one of the three heanta ahead of Grob, ripping him out through the hole and tossing him away like a rag doll. The other two kept running up the stairs towards the disturbance above, as Grob screamed, and though he was terrified he charged the Wyvern. It looked directly at him, maw splitting as it released a torrent of flames towards Grob and down the stairs. He should have stayed in Kyrias, was the last thing he managed to think, before being cooked to a crisp, along with several heanta behind him.


The screams from the other room had stopped an hour ago. Octavia wasn’t sure how long they had gone on, but the silence was disconcerting. She wasn’t sure when they would come for her next, but she spent that last hour waiting in fear. She had tried to break free of her chains, but she only ended wearing herself out, and she had already been woozy from the wound in her shoulder. It didn’t help that none of her powers were not suited for breaking steel chains. She waited, but no one came as she started to doze, she was snapped back to awareness when the tower above shuddered.

She could hear the faint sound of fighting, screaming. Something was happening above, her first guess being, Heanta from Kyrias came to recover their man, which meant nothing good for Octavia. They’d probably take her north, if they won, and if not well, that woman would be back for her. Her dark thoughts were interrupted by the door bursting open, and two heanta rushing in. They were the same as the two men before, one of which went straight to her, drawing his sword. He stepped behind her, raising the sword to her throat, as his comrade stepped back from the door, prepared to attack the first thing to walk through it. Silence fell.

Eliza knew her element of surprise would not last long, so she moved quickly. Having learned that Octavia was being held in the compound below the ancient Orken tower, Eliza traversed the levels of the tower, running into stiffer and stiffer resistance as she went. By the time she reached the ground level, Her dress was covered in scuffs, and she herself carried a few nicks and bruises from the tougher enemies. She saw group of warriors advancing towards, but they stopped as shadow loomed from out of the small windows. Then from a large rent in the wall, a huge gout of flame rushed into the room, and Eliza took cover behind a fallen stone pillar as the men were immolated instantly by the scorching inferno. When the flames dissipated, Eliza moved forward slowly, and peered outside to see what the source of the flames was, and spotted a satisfied-looking Saelie looking in at her from the dusty knoll the tower sat atop. Eliza motioned to Saelie with a gesture of thanks, before heading down the last set of stps to the undercroft of the tower.

After stepping carefully over a charred body that lay at the bottom of the stairs, Eliza was confronted by a quartet of burly warriors who held menacing-looking axes and swords and stepped towards her slowly. The corridor was much larger than the tower levels above, so she wiped her spatha on her dress and sheathed it, then drew Decider, her mighty warsword. The front two warriors charged together, but Eliza was in no mood for a drawn out fight. She charged her weapon with energy, covering it with an aura of black flame with red lightning. When the warriors were in striking distance, she slammed the weapon into the floor with authority. On contact, the energy in the weapon detonated, exploding in a 20ft radius and blasting the two men off their feet, slamming them into respective walls behind them.

As the bodies slumped to the floor in bloody heaps, Eliza advanced towards the remaining two warriors, who ran to the end of the hallway and through the wooden door in the end wall. When the door opened, Eliza caught sight of a figure sat on the ground just before it closed, and she knew this was her target. Eliza advanced inexorably, and she knew the two warriors would be waiting inside with some sort of trap. When she reached the door, Eliza kicked it open, and ducked the weapon swing she knew was coming. With lightning speed, she materialized her last throwing knife in her hand and threw it into the man's neck, and he slumped to the floor. The remaining warrior was holding a sword to Octavia's throat. Eliza eyed him warily. He told Eliza to put down her weapons, and she acquiesced while her gaze remained fixed on the man, placing Decider and her spatha on the ground. The man then shoved Octavia to the floor and charged the seemingly defenseless Asentari. Eliza caught the man's sword arm at the height of his swing and used his momentum to drive him to the floor with an armbar locked in tight.

The man struggled desperately, until he revealed claws from his hands and managed to catch Eliza in the face, leaving a claw mark in her cheek. She twisted away before he could go for her throat, and he rolled after her with surprising speed, catching her across the back with another claw attack. Eliza caught the man as he came in again with a forearm to the jaw, following it up with a knee to the gut. As he doubled over, Eliza spun him around and grabbed him in a waistlock, before popping her hips and heaving him backwards over her head and dumping him on his own head with a sickening thud.

The silver-haired Asentari kipped up to her feet and turned to see the warrior getting back to his feet with a sly smile, and lunging at her. Eliza was forced to duck and weave as the man showed considerable speed with his attack, but she was ready for him when he over-committed on a particular lunge. Eliza caught his arm at the bicep and floated around to his back with impeccable smoothness and used her other arm to lock in a chokehold, locking her hands together to maintain the hold and keep his arm captured. The man struggled, his other clawed hand digging into her thigh to try and force a release, but after a few moments the man stopped struggling and went limp. Eliza released him and stood up, rush-limping over to Octavia and helping her out of her bonds and to her feet. Eliza looked over Octavia with to see if she was injured, a concerned look crossing her delicate features and paying no heed to the nasty gashes on her face, back and leg. "Are you alright, Octavia?"

It wasn't a heanta who burst in the door and planted a throwing knife in the heanta's neck, but a silver haired girl in a flowery dress. Octavia didn't believe straight away that it was Eliza, because that made no sense. How could Eliza be here, when Saelie was dead? But no, it was Eliza, and ear splitting roar that reverberated through the stone walls, that was Saelie. The heanta behind Octavia told Eliza to drop her weapons, and she did before Octavia could protest. He threw her to the side and charged Eliza sword swing, but she countered him with an armbar, a move She'd caught Octavia with a few times, pinning him to the floor. He managed to escape, using the deadly claws on his hands to catch her across the face. The pair struggled back and forth, punching and kicking and clawing, until Eliza managed to get behind the heanta, before locking her arms around his waist, popping her hips and throwing him over her head onto his in a suplex.

There was a sickening thud, and Octavia thought it was over, but the heanta was back on his feet in seconds, resuming the attack. It was a testament to their resiliance that he was able to stand, however Eliza was ready for him and managed to catch him with a choke hold, squeezing like an anaconda until the heanta went limp. Eliza dropped him, before limping her way across to Octavia, asking if she was alright. "Is Saelie ok?" She asked in response. That was all that was important to her, that and the scratch across Eliza's cheek, the claw marks on her leg. "Are you ok?" She asked as Eliza freed her, placing a hand on Eliza's cheek. "You came for me. I thought..." She choked up, the relief of seeing Eliza, of knowing Saelie was alive. And then she seen movement behind Eliza, the heanta who had took a knife to the throat leaping to his feet, the wound nearly healed. Octavia pushed Eliza aside as he swung, his sword slamming into Octavia's raised arm. She spun, her tail cracked into his wrist, and knocked the sword from his hand. She caught it, and brought it around, driving it into between his ribs with a feral snarl. She ripped the sword free and stabbed him again in the throat, making sure it stuck this time. He slipped off the sword with a gurgle and fell still, blood quickly pooling around him.

Octavia dropped the sword and stepped back, breathing heavily. The exertion left her feeling light headed, and she stumbled to the doorway, leaning against the frame. After a few seconds she looked at Eliza. "Let's get the fuck out of here." She said, waiting in the doorway for Eliza to join her. Stepping out of the cell, she spotted her weapons lying on a desk, and scooped them up. "How did you get past the massive Wyvern?" Octavia asked, wondering if Eliza had somehow killed it, or perhaps another member of the oculi had come with her, and had dealt with that woman and her beast. But then she remembered Eliza was in a dress, meaning she'd come straight from her home. She felt a rising dread, as she asked, "Did you encounter a white haired female with four horns?" As if in answer, there was a thunderous roar outside. It sounded distant. A moment later, Saelie answered it with one of her own.

Eliza inwardly sighed with relief when Octavia responded prmptly to her inquiry, asking if Saelie was alright. The silver-haired Asentari nodded in confirmation. "She is. She's outside waiting for us." Octavia then asked if Eliza was alright, as she placed a gentle hand on her wounded cheek, before expressing incredulity that Eliza had come to her rescue. Eliza's face turned a notable shade of crimson in reaction to Octavia's touch as she explained. "She came to my mother's house to get help. Fortunately I had not left yet, so she brought me here to where she knew you were being kept." Eliza looked sheepishly at her now partially tattered outfit. "I did not have time to get my armor. I had to get here as quickly as I could."

Before Octavia could respond, she pushed Eliza aside and the Elite Guard member turned to see Octavia's tail whipping a sword from a man's hand, the man Eliza had nailed in the throat with a knife when she came in. Octavia then grabbed the sword and impaled the man through the chest, killing him definitively. Eliza returned to her feet, and retrieved the knife from his throat. She wiped the blood off using the man's trousers before stowing it in her holster. She then heard a clang behind her and spun to see Octavia struggling to stay on her feet. Eliza ran over and caught her friend to steady her, and a small smile crossed her features. "Not bad. I see you remembered some of the stuff I've shown you." Octavia then expressed a fully understandable desire to leave, and Eliza nodded as they left the room and re-entered the hallway.

Having retrieved her weapons from a desk outside of her cell, Octavia then asked Eliza how she had gotten past the massive Wyvern, and Eliza looked puzzled. "We didn't see one? The only enemies I had to deal with were the people in this tower." Octavia then asked Eliza if she had encountered a white-haired female with four horns, and a sudden feeling of unease filled Eliza. "No, I didn't-" A roar outside cut Eliza off, and she eyed Octavia with a hint of alarm, as they made it outside. Eliza had acclimatized to the pain in her leg so that she no longer limped as noticeably, but the roar of unknown origin that was followed by a roar from Saelie put some urgency in their steps. "Octavia? Who or what is that? What is this place?"

Octavia snorted. "I'm pretty sure I showed you that move." Octavia said in response. She looked at Eliza in alarm when she mentioned she didn't see a Wyvern or the horned female, and then the roaring started. Eliza asked what or who that was. "Bad. Very bad." Octavia replied. "Remember I told you about my mother's death? Well, I found the people responsible. Or atleast, one of their bases." Octavia grabbed both Kama and started walking towards the door. The roars grew louder, as the distant Wyvern grew closer. "These riders have Wyverns I've never seen before. There's nothing like them in Edia." Octavia stepped out the front door, into the night air. Saelie swooped down and landed beside them, and Octavia made a run for her. She noticed movement from the left, and Saelie jumped away as a beam of red energy shot between them. "I am not done talking to you, Asentari." The familiar voice of the white haired Female said from the ground, a few feet away. Her wyvern was in the air, hovering well above the ground, watching them.

Saelie circled overhead and landed on the side of the tower, watching the thing warily. "How many more of you are there?" The woman asked, "I doubt one girl in a dress and a scrawny Wyvern dealt with my men alone, right? You know what, it doesn't matter. You'll pay dearly for messing with Clan Xakoris." She said, drawing her tooth edged sword. With a high pierced whistle, her Wyvern dived at them, and Saelie launched from her Perch to intercept it. She collided, and the two slammed into the ground, crushing an outhouse beneath them. The Heanta charged. "Hold her off, I'll help Saelie!" Octavia shouted to Eliza before running for her Wyvern.


Vesiera watched her Wyvern dive, only for it to be taken from the air by the smaller beast. She was partially surpised by this, more surprised when one of the two women, the one she'd captured earlier, ran off and towards the two wyverns as they faught, leaving the other woman to deal with Vesiera. Girl more like, in her flowery gown. Vesiera wouldn't be seen outside of her carapace armor. She'd kill her quickly, before the rest of them, there had to be more, arrived to help. Vesiera charged the woman, swinging her vicious sword at the woman's head. She aimed several chops and hacks with the blade at the woman's neck and shoulders.

Octavia confirmed Eliza's fears that this area was not just a simple bandit base as she explained about how she had tracked down her mother's killers to this tower they now traversed. The downside was that Octavia had also discovered that the Heanta that operated this base had acquired the help of some unusually large Wyverns, the like of which Octavia had never seen before. As if she needed more confirmation that they were in deep trouble, Eliza witnessed one such Wyvern as they reached the exterior of the tower and saw what presumably was the four-horned Heanta that Octavia had mentioned earlier firing a red energy beam as she approached. Saelie landed nearby as the giant black Wyvern approached quickly, and Octavia shouted a request to Eliza to occupy the Heanta while she mounted Saelie to deal with the approaching Wyvern.

With no other option available to her, Eliza drew Decider and faced her enemy. The woman seemed to regard Eliza with complete disdain and superiority. It was clear she did not consider the Asentari to be a threat, no doubt influenced by Eliza's current garb, but this suited Eliza. She was more than happy to not be taken seriously as a danger. The Heanta female charged forward, attempting to decapitate Eliza with a series of savage chops aimed at her head and neck. Eliza deftly avoided the aggressive assault calling upon her training. On the last chop, Eliza suddenly brought her sword up to meet it at its zenith, nullifying its impact before it could gather momentum, and tried to muscle the weapon aside in an attempt to knock the Heanta off balance. Eliza then followed up by bringing her sword back across and attempting to decapitate the Heanta in return. She then reversed her momentum and brought her weapon back down in a diagonal strike, then raised the blade into a downward diagonal in the opposite direction before backing off while attempting to hide the discomfort she felt when putting weight on her wounded leg.

Octavia sprinted towards where the wyverns crashed down, the larger one turning over Saelie and pinning her as Octavia closed in. She activated the chains on her kama, keeping them in ace form before lashing repeatedly at the Wyverns side until one of the blows broke its scales, and the beast turned its massive head to snarl in Octavia's direction. That was enough for Sealie to slip free, snapping at her enemies' neck as she did. The Wyvern turned back and Saelie clawed it across the face with her wing talons before flapping back and away. The monster surged after Saelie and Octavia activated Feather before jumping, using several jets of gust from her feet to launch herself over the monsterous Wyvern and grab onto saelie's neck. She spun herself around Saelie and into the saddle before urging her into the air, where they shot up ahead of the larger wyvern that slowly started to follow.


Vesiera's strike was blocked by the woman infront of her with more ease than she expected, and she was even thrown off guard if temporarily as the woman counter attacked with an attempted decapitation. She blocked the strike with her arm, the armor turning the blade away, but the woman aimed another diagonal back down. Vesiera intercepted the blow with her sword before turning her free hand towards the woman as she backed off, before firing a red beam of energy at her. She then closed, aiming two vicious chops with her sword to the gut and chest.

Eliza's attacks were dealt with by her opponent, though the Heanta seemed to have been taken slightly by surprise by Eliza's skill and toghness. As Eliza retreated, she saw the woman hold up her palm to her, and she dive-rolled to the side to avoid the blast that came forth from the outstretched appendage. The Asentari grunted a little as she rolled over her damaged limb, and regained her feet quickly. Fortunaely, pain was something Eliza was very well-equipped to deal with, though ignoring it completely would also not be a wise thing. The Heanta closed quickly, and Eliza was forced to parry two savage chops aimed for her midsection with her weapon before she lauched another assault of her own.

Surging forward, Eliza summoned her one remaining throwing knife to her hand and hurled it at the Heanta, aiming for her throat. Then, just before she reached her target, Eliza's throat started to glow green and she let out a cone-shaped blast of wind that would deal Strong wind damage in a 35ft long by 15ft wide cone. Eliza then followed in her Dragon Breath attack with an overhead swing, then brought the sword back for a right-to-left horizontal chop to the neck, then let the weapon's motion carry the swing around her head and into a second identical swing, before backing off slightly to try and get a gauge of how Octavia and Saelie were doing.

Up and up they went, Saelie easily outpacing the larger Wyvern, until they gained considerable height. Eliza and the woman were specks below them on the ground. The black Wyvern was roaring up below her, and Octavia gave a light tug on the reigns before leaping off Saelie and plummeting towards him. The Wyverns eyes locked on to her as she fell, arms and legs spread wide to control her fall. He picked up speed, Maw opening to snap her up, and she swung her hand forward, firing a ball of energy into his mouth. They Wyvern let out a scream of pain and began to struggle in the air. At the same time Saelie shot past Octavia in a dive, slamming her back legs and tail around to smash into the Massive wyvern, sending him back towards the ground. At this height, he might regain his wings, had his weight not been doubled. Saelie swooped back up and looped around, flying under Octavia to catch her gently, their enemy plunging towards the ground.


Vesiera charged towards the woman, who caught her by surprise with a throwing knife to the throat. It drove deep, and Vesiera lost her footing, nearly falling. She ripped the knife free and slapped her hand over the wound, only to notice the woman's throat was glowing. "Fuck." Was all she managed, before being blasted away by the attack, coming to a forceful stop against a tree. Vesiera rolled aside as the woman came, the sword striking the tree. She Blocked one handed as the woman continued her assualt, and found herself very much on the backfoot.

The woman relented, looking up, and Vesiera attempted to counter attack, but then she noticed the scream of air, as something big fell. The tower behind them exploded as a large form smashed into it, sending rubble flying in all directions. Vesiera seen the long black tail snaking out of the wreckage, and knew. "No!" She screamed. Ignoring the woman she ran past, dropping her sword in the snow. "Helios!" Vesiera climbed through the rubble, up along Her Wyvern's side. He was completely still, his wings broken, his maw popped open, eyes lifeless. "You fucking cunts!" She spun around, face inches from the runt of a Wyvern, who roared, before spinning and slapping her from the tower with her tail. Veseira landed in a heap at the feet of the dark skinned Asentari.


As the Wyvern slammed into the tower with lethal force, Saelie dove to the ground. She landed with a thump, and Octavia looked to Eliza as she jumped from Saelie's back, making sure she was ok before looking back at the Heanta who had run to her fallen Wyvern. Octavia was surprised by the woman's concern for her Monstrous animal, and felt mildly guilty. But then she remembered who this woman was. Who these riders had killed. She let out a whistle, commanding Saelie to Fetch, and she did, lunging after her and whipping the woman with her tail as she spun around. She landed at Octavia's feet and looked up.  "I'm going to gut-" She said, and Octavia felt a surge of rage. She kicked her in the face. "Two years ago, your people attacked and killed my mother. Who was their leader?!" She demanded. "Fuck you!" She replied and Octavia kicked her again, hard enough to break her nose. "Were you there?! Was it you?" The woman spat blood on her feet, and smiled. Octavia lunged, pinning the woman's arms under her own knees and punched her once in the face, then again and again, her blows becoming more forceful and rapid, her breaths heavy. Blood soon began to splatter across her arms, and her own knuckles split from the impacts. She knew that if she didn't stop she would kill her, but Octavia only seen red. She was going to beat this bitch to death and she didn't care.

Eliza scored a direct hit with her throwing knife, the blade sinking straight through the throat of the woman, who clumsily removed the knife from her throat in a shower of blood. This distracted her from Eliza's breath attack, which sent the Heanta careening into a the base of a large tree. The Heanta was not done however, and she managed to avoid and block Eliza's follow-up attacks with desperate strength. Both combatants' eyes were drawn to the sky when a large shadow loomed over them both. The large Wyvern that the Heanta had arrived on was hurtling groundward. Eliza's eyes were then drawn to Octavia falling rapidly alongside, though Saelie was soon on the scene and caught Octavia before she fell too far, while their enemy plummeted into the tower and demolished the whole thing.

The Heanta cried out inconsolably as she ran to check on her mount, but it became clear that the great beast was dead. Saelie landed nearby, and Octavia dropped to the ground with a glance at Eliza. Eliza sheathed her sword and watched as her friend ordered her Wyvern after the Heanta, and the Wyvern did so, lunging after the Heanta and tail striking her hard, knocking her tumbling to the feet of Octavia. The Asentari then cut off the Heanta's attempted threat, demanding to know of then woman's invlovement in the death of Octavia's mother. Eliza froze, watching the emotion pouring out of Octavia. The Heanta all but confirmed Octavia's suspicions, and something then seemed to snap in Octavia. The Asentari mounted the Heanta and began laying in hard strikes to the defenceless Heanta. Blow after blow rained down, reducing the Heanta's face to a bloody mess. But still blows came, and Eliza stepped forward suddenly and grabbed Octavia's hand. "That's enough!"

Blow after blow landed, and then Eliza grabbed her arm and shouted enough. Octavia ripped her hand free and went to strike again but something in Eliza's voice stopped her. The heanta's face was a bloody mess, and Octavia's hands shook as she looked at what she'd done. But the heanta wasn't dead, and laughed slightly, spluttering blood from her mouth. "Fuck. Me. I haven't been pounded like that in weeks." Octavia snarled and grabbed the top of the woman's chest plate and shook it. "Tell me who killed my mother!" The woman laughed again. "You're looking for my brother dearest. You'll find him at our camp to the east. Or you can wait for him here." She said. "Now, kill me!" Octavia considered it, then let go and jumped off the woman, stomping away. She heard her laugh. "Weakling." She called, and Octavia spun around. "Shut up!" She snapped. "You should just kill me, and call it even. You two don't stand a chance against the next Warlord."

She looked at Eliza. "You need to take Saelie and go. Get back up." She said. "You'll be dead before back up arrives." Octavia snarled at the woman again. "I don't care if he's the next God of chaos, I'm going to kill him."
"I don't think you understand what I mean by next warlord. Warlords don't ask nicely for the throne, they take it by force. They kill everything and everyone in their way, and I know for a fact my brother is stronger than the current warlord." Octavia stopped stomping around and turned to look at her.  "Kill me, and you get what you want. Revenge." She drew her Kama, and walked forward slowly, considering it.

Octavia initially ignored Eliza's command, shrugging free and chambering another punch. Something seemed to change in her however, and she ultimately relented. Octavia was shaking with a volatile mixture of emotions, and Eliza watched her carefully, knowing full well what damage unchecked emotion can cause, for everybody. The Heanta coughed up blood and then spouted some inane bile that Eliza ignored, before Octavia grabbed the battered criminal by the front of her armor and demanded to know who killed her mother. The Heanta revealed with no small amount of smugness that her brother had been responsible, and that he was not far away. She then demanded that Octavia finish her, but a determined Octavia refused the proffered bait, despite the Heanta's best efforts at drawing a reaction.

As the Heanta bragged about her brother becoming the next Warlord, Octavia turned to Eliza and told her to take Saelie and leave. Eliza regarded her with sheer incredulity at her insane plan. "I beg your pardon?" Octavia then hammered home her point, vowing to kill the potential Warlord. Eliza folded her arms and stared at Octavia in disbelief. "So your plan to avenge your mother... is to die horribly? Forgive me, but I fail to see the sense in this." The Heanta continued her diatribe, extolling the power of her brother in comparison to the current Warlord, Roth Vandel. Octavia stopped her pacing and regarded the Heanta as she once again tried to goad the Asentari into killing her. Eliza stepped between Octavia and her target, watching both carefully and noting that the blonde asentari had drawn her weapon. "That's enough. Stand down. Killing in revenge will get you nothing. Let her wallow in her own pathetic existence." Eliza did not take her eyes off the Heanta for more than a second, but she spared a glance at Octavia. "She may be weak and defeated, but if her brother is indeed strong enough to challenge Roth Vandel, then he will likely kill the two of us should he seek to avenge her."

Eliza questioned Octavia's plan and she turned to look at her. "No my plan is to rip out his intestines and hang him with them!" She snapped. The heanta on the ground gave a bloodchoked laugh. "You've got spirit, but no sense. Or a chance. Listen to your friend." Octavia glared at the heanta. Eliza told her to stand down, and Octavia considered it. "It'll make me feel better." She said, but she didn't move, because she knew that wasn't true. There was only one thing that would make her feel better. Eliza continued, pointing out that if her brother came seeking revenge, they would likely end up dead. This did get through to her, because no matter what she wanted to do, she'd never forgive herself if it ended with Eliza getting hurt.

But she was still sure of one thing. "He needs to pay." She said, not making eye contact. "I need him to pay, or I'll never be free of this rage sitting under the surface just waiting to come out. I've been off balance for two years, pretending i'm ok, pretending it didn't happen, but I..." She'd carried it around for two years, never really letting it show. It was only recently, when she'd met Eliza, that constant rage she had buried deep began to surface. "I'm slipping. And I'm scared I'll take that rage out on someone I care about one day. " Like Eliza.

Eliza was unsurprised at Octavia's initial response to her question, the blonde Asentari still being fueled by rage and hate, but Eliza was determined to make sure her friend would not take the dark path she now stood at the beginning of. While the Heanta continued her blood-choked ramblings, Eliza stopped Octavia from carrying out her decision to kill the woman, despite Octavia's claims that it would make her feel better. "It might do, for a very brief time. However, the long-term damage you will do to yourself is not worth it." Octavia did seem to relent, at least for the moment. Eliza listened intently as Octavia opened up about the rage she had been feeling since her mother died, and her worries that she may lose control and hurt someone she cared about. Eliza considered this for a moment, weighing her words carefully.

"I know the anger that you are dealing with." Eliza looked down at her now-tattered floral dress, and compartmentalised her worries about those consequences later. Her friend needed her now. "But believe me, it will do even more harm to let it assume control. I have had to learn that lesson the hard way." Eliza regarded her friend with good-natured concern. "I have taken many lives in my career as a soldier, more than you might think, and certainly more than I wanted to. Every one of them cost me a small but not insignificant part of my own. The only thing that protects me is the knowledge that I did what I had to in order to save others or protect my home. You may feel the same about the lives you've taken. But the moment you take a life in anger or revenge, that protection is gone. Sure, it may feel good in the moment, but you will feel the damage to your soul as long as you live." Eliza pointed at the wounded Heanta. "That is what she wants."

Eliza took a deep breath and continued. "I am not saying that your mother's killer should not face punishment for what he did, but it must come from a place of justice, not of revenge. I give you my word that I will help, but if we are to truly succeed, we must confront him on our terms not his." Eliza noticed then that the wounded Heanta had not spoken for some time, and the sound of a clumsy shuffling movement behind her revealed why. The silver-haired Asentari sensed the movement more than spotting it, and she turned just in time to grab the wrist of the Heanta as she tried to bury a small dagger into Eliza's back. At the same time, Eliza threw a thunderous forearm that collided with the Heanta's jaw, and knocked her out cold. She turned back to Octavia, and gestured to the unconscious Heanta. "We need to bind her hands and feet. We will take her to Edia for sentencing."

Octavia listened in silence as Eliza told her all the reasons she shouldn't kill for revenge, and that she understood the way she felt. She resisted the urge to snap at her friend, because how could she possibly understand what it was like to lose her parents. Sure, her father was an abusive piece of shit, but she still had her mother. Octavia had no one, and she was within reach of hurting the person who'd taken that from her. Eliza was right about killing people out of duty, and while Octavia did feel bad about the lives she'd taken in Karcenak it had been for a just cause. But she also felt this was a just cause, though admittedly not killing the heanta before them.

Eliza promised her help, but they needed to do it on their terms, not his. She knew Eliza was right, but she felt immense frustration. They were so close, closer to finding him than she'd ever been, and they would have to leave. Octavia let out a sigh and sat down on a pile of rubble. "You're right. Annoyingly so. I'm just so... Frustrated. And tired. I think it's time to go." Octavia said. She went to put her face in her hands, when she spotted movement, and the Heanta lunged, knife raised to stab Eliza. "Lookout!" She said jumping up, but she'd barely moved a few feet before Eliza had spun and elbowed the heanta in the face hard enough to knock her out cold.

"Are you alright? Did she get you?" She said as she rushed to Eliza. It had happened so fast she wasn't actually sure, and she was suddenly very afraid that the heanta had hurt Eliza so much so that when she realised she was in fact unharmed, She grabbed the silver haired Asentari and pulled her into a hug, ignoring what she'd said about tying the heanta up. "I'm sorry! This is all my fault and you came rushing out here in that stupid dress to save me and I haven't even asked you if your hurt!" She said. "I'm so fucking selfish!"

After an interminable period of time, it seemed like Octavia was starting to come around to what Eliza was saying. She listened with concern when Octavia told her that she was just incredibly frustrated and tired, before shouting a warning as the Heanta made her move. Once the Heanta was dealt with, Octavia rushed forward to see if Eliza was alright. The silver-haired Asentari nodded, but couldn't respond any further before she found herself wrapped up in a tight hug. Eliza was unsure how to respond initially, but after a momentary pause she returned the gesture and allowed herself a smile. Octavia then went into a stream of words about how sorry she was and that Eliza had to come out to get her. Eliza shrugged most of the words off, but paused when Octavia mentioned her "stupid dress". Overcome by a sudden feeling of vulnerability, Eliza averted her gaze as she felt herself reddening slightly in her cheeks.

"I was helping my mother in the garden when Saelie came looking for me. Is... is it really bad?" In order to try and clear her mind of whatever it was that was causing this feeling to occur, Eliza limped over to the unconscious Heanta and untied her waist sash, using it to bind her wrists tightly, while using the ribbons from her hair to do the same for her ankles. Carefully avoiding Octavia's gaze, Eliza called Saelie over. "We must hurry. I don't know how much time we have before reinforcements get here." Eliza heaved her unconscious prisoner atop the Wyvern, before attempting to clamber up herself. Her wounded leg gave out however, and she slipped backwards and landed on her back with a grunt of pain. The wound on her back began bleeding profusely again, but Eliza doggedly tried to get herself aboard Saelie. Saelie helped as best she could, but Eliza found that her energy had been sapped by blood loss, and she was struggling.

Eliza averted her gaze, and Octavia realised she'd said something stupid. Of course. She put her hand on Eliza's shoulder as the warrior showed some vulnerablity, explaining why she was in a dress and asking if it really was stupid. "I'm sorry. I think you look lovely in it. It was pretty breath taking to see you burst in my cell door in it, and kick ass. But when I'm watching fight to the death, I'd prefer to see you in your armor." Eliza moved off to tie up the heanta and Octavia checked on her shoulder, which was starting to feel like it had been impaled by a spear now that the adrenaline was wearing off. Which it had. But she wasn't the only who'd been hurt. Eliza slipped as she tried to get onto Saelie, her leg giving out, and Octavia dashed forward to catch her but to late. Eliza got back up and tried again, and though Saelie lowered herself even further to the ground Eliza still couldn't manage. Octavia put her good arm around Eliza's waist. "Come on, take it easy let me help." She said, hooshing her up the last few feet and helping her get her leg over. Breathing heavily she strapped Eliza's legs into the saddle, and mounted infront of her.

"We need to bandage those wounds. Lets get out of this frozen hellscape first though." Octavia said, as she did her own straps, before urging Saelie into the air. "Hey, thanks for coming to my rescue. I think.. I don't really like people, to much involved in dealing with them.. But I'm glad I met you. And I'm not just saying that because I'd be as good as dead without you. Your my first real friend in a long time." She said. thankfully Eliza was behind her, because she was blushing hard as she said it. Saelie let out a bout of smoke in protest. "Ok, second real friend in a long time." She said, leaning forward to rub the Wyvern's neck.

The color in Eliza's cheeks subsided slightly, partially because of Octavia's words, partially because of blood loss. She nodded in understanding, it was a good point of course. Although if Eliza had delayed her departure to get her armor, things might have ended up much different. After she tried and failed to clamber aboard Saelie, Eliza suddenly felt an arm around her waist as Octavia grabbed her from behind and hoisted her up onto the Wyvern's back. Slightly taken aback but also grateful, Eliza watched as Octavia secured her before climbing aboard herself, and she nodded at Octavia's concern for her wounds, noting the wound on the Rider's shoulder. "I think we'll both need a bit of recovery."

Once they were in the air, Octavia thanked Eliza for coming to her rescue. The Silver-haired Asentari gave Saelie a gentle pat on the body. "It was mostly Saelie, to be fair. If she hadn't come to find me, I wouldn't have even known about it." Octavia then went on to say how she was glad she met Eliza, and that she considered her to be the first real friend she had made since Saelie. Eliza smiled, partially out of fatigue. "I'm glad I met you too. I am, and always shall be, your friend." Without thinking, Eliza wrapped Octavia in a tight hug from behind, and made sure to cherish the few sparks of hope she had in her life. Maybe having a friend wasn't the liability she thought it would be.