Shark was running before the thought of intervening had fully cemented itself, and Dorothea was there step for step. They headed towards the source of the ice at the fort’s entrance, but not before meeting someone else on the way. Shockingly fleet-footed, Cerid bolted past them and lifted a hand in acknowledgement. In a flash of green and the perfect, bright white of his jacket, he was gone.

When Dorothea and Shark arrived at the scene, only Rhys was there, standing tense below the archway.

“Again?” Shark demanded. “Really?”

“This is new for the Ghurians, I’ll admit,” Rhys muttered.

“We won’t let them do here what they did to Equin,” Dorothea declared fiercely.

Rhys nodded, a flash of sympathy crossing his face. “Iree met the enemy in the forest when the front watchtower guard spotted them coming in. Cerid’s gone to join her. I was ordered to stay here on the off chance someone gets past them.”

Shark nodded. “I’ll go assist.”

“Me too.” Dorothea started after Shark, but they shook their head.

“No, Thea. Please hang back where it’s safer.” Shark didn’t like the idea of her being close to the fighting anymore. It would be Dorothea’s luck to get flattened by a fallen tree or nailed by a stray attack amidst the chaos.

“I can help.” She paused. “I have to get used to this.”

Shark knew they wouldn’t be able to stop her no matter how much they wanted to. “This is all a terrible idea,” they groaned, nodding empathetically at Rhys, whose eyes had widened at the implication behind Dorothea’s words. “But fine. I’ll protect you.”

Dorothea pursed her lips and nodded, staying safely behind Shark as they left. The first thing they felt was the chill floating and creeping in the immediate vicinity of the conflict. When they got closer, Shark saw Iree’s back, noticed she was leaning heavily on her right side. Her left leg had been punctured by a piece of ice, and the spear was still lodged there, its narrow tip emerging from the other side.

“Now that he’s here…” Iree, every word laced with triumphant contempt, nodded at Cerid, who stood between her and the enemy. “You don’t stand a chance and you know it. ”

“Ahaha…” The enemy laughed a familiar laugh, but this wasn’t Johanna Marley. It was a shorter, male version of her, though. Great. Just what they needed, more of them in the world. “I thought the Sacerians would have more to offer me. But if you’re their strongest… Man, I’m bored.”

“Why did your people attack Sirpo?” Dorothea snapped, coming to stand at Shark’s side; they put an arm in front of her to halt further advance.

“There she is! So it’s true that you’re an ally of Sacer now. Well, since you were kind enough to show yourself, I can do what I came here to do.” The man’s foot lifted and, when it tapped lightly on the ground again, thorns of ice bloomed from the soil. At the same time, a blanket of fog quickly descended into the area, and all was completely obscured in seconds to the point that Shark could hardly see their own hands. So there were reinforcements floating around somewhere…

Iree yelled out as smoke drifted from her fingers. “Creed!”

Cerid leapt towards the ice, dispelling it with a touch, before dropping to the ground in a crouch. Iree’s attack sailed over his head, the flickering ball of flame hurled from her palm bright like a shooting star in the white veil around them. Though the enemy couldn’t be seen, a sharp scream broke out.

Shark was able to track the bright shock of Iree’s hair and her magic towards the enemy as she lit the way in a hot pursuit. They felt Dorothea and Cerid there respectively behind and beside them and was relieved to see them once the group broke out of the fog. At the same moment full visibility returned, though, Shark saw a tidal wave of ice rushing towards them.

Before Shark could even drop to the ground to use their magic, Iree lifted her hands and let out a guttural cry as flame sprouted from them. Angry billows of smoke floated upwards as two elements fought for domination, multiplying in an endless effort to consume the other. The sight of them meeting, the glassy violet sheens of the shadowed ice colliding against red, orange, yellow, white and blue licks of heat, was like a sight from Shark’s dreams. Yes, this was battle. This was the ultimate chaos they had always remembered.

Iree glanced over her shoulder and nodded to Cerid, who took a deep breath before walking forward. Shark made to follow, but Cerid shook his head and showed them a wobbly smile. “I have to prove myself,” he said. “Please stand back.”

Shark nodded, dubious and ready to step in. They respected that Cerid was trying to become stronger, but it was still concerning. It didn’t make much sense for Iree and Rhys both to take less active roles in battle just to bet everything on Cerid. Unless, of course, that was deliberate… Of course. It made sense now, why Rhys had hung back so much at the border. The strong protected the weak until the weak joined the ranks of the strong; in this way, the future was safeguarded by building a larger force. Shark should have realized it earlier.

Cerid approached the barrier of magic Iree and the enemy were still keeping up, his hair whipping around in the stirring air it created. Shark saw his shoulders tense, a bracing travel up the boy’s spine as he drew his sword and extended his other arm straight ahead. His entire body had stiffened in an effort to control its shaking.

Shark wasn’t sure what possessed them, but, moved by this image of growth and determination, they yelled, “Go! Cerid!”

Cerid shuddered as he released a breath, and then he was standing taller than before all of a sudden. He dashed forward and, in a splash of icy stardust and puffing smoke, both magics were dispelled. In a blur of green and white, Cerid traversed the ruined earth and was upon his foe, negating every attack thrown at him. By the time the Ghurian turned to flee, it was too late. The blade tore into his side, ripping through as he screeched and flailed in vain. There were a few seconds to writhe and cry out wordlessly before Cerid provided a quicker, more merciful end with a quick slash to the neck.

They all waited tensely as a few minutes of stillness passed them by. When nothing else came at them, showing that what backup there had been had wisely opted to retreat while they still could, Iree and Cerid circled back to Shark and Dorothea. This was when Shark turned to check on Dorothea only to find that she had turned away and hunched over. Right. She wasn’t so familiar with this level of violence. To Shark, it wasn’t even something to flinch at. They crouched next to her, not bothering with words that wouldn’t be helpful, and rubbed her back.

Meanwhile, Iree and Cerid’s words drifted over. “Feel better, Creed?”

“Yes ma’am. Thank you for your support.”

“We won’t see you hesitating anymore, will we?” she asked, clapping his back.

“No. If I do, please see fit to remove me from your charge.”

“As long as we both understand.” Iree limped over to crouch in front of Dorothea. “Sorry. I know the first time’s always hard.”

Dorothea looked up at her in alarm only to lower her eyes shamefully. “No. I’m sorry. I’m…just glad that everyone is alright.” She almost turned back to view the carnage but stopped when Shark put a hand to her shoulder. “Um, what happens to the body…?”

“We’ll bury it when there’s time. Nothing to be gained.” Iree blinked as Dorothea slipped a hand onto her knee. The ice that had been lodged in her leg had melted, so her flesh had nothing blocking it from knitting back together with the aid of Dorothea’s magic. “Geez,” Iree laughed. “That tickled.” She took Dorothea’s hand and pulled her up to stand. “Thank you.”

“If I am understanding the situation correctly, the enemy came specifically for Miss Dorothea,” Cerid reminded them. “What shall we do?”

“Nowhere will be safe for us,” Dorothea murmured, looking into Shark’s eyes.

Shark nodded, grim. She was right. If the Ghurian attacks would only keep coming, they couldn’t simply restore their home and expect things to be peachy. What had just happened only further reinforced the choice they and Dorothea had already made.

When they returned to where Rhys was still waiting, his eyes went wide as he noticed the blood drying in streaks on Iree’s leg.

She smirked and spoke before he could. “Wipe that look off your face. I’m fine.” Her hand came down against Dorothea’s back in what was likely meant to be a friendly pat, but her target let out a squeak. “She fixed me right up.”

Rhys didn’t look at Dorothea. “Thank you.”

Dorothea frowned and looked at Shark, who nodded confirmation that they thought it was just as strange as she did. Again, just like the day before, Rhys was being oddly standoffish.

“You’d think fire would beat ice without a problem,” Iree continued, “but it went right through initially and then there was this huge chunk in my leg. I had a plan once I realized I just needed to raise the temperature so the ice would melt on contact, but I’m glad you came along, Creed. You too, Olyen and Atlin, though it was only at the end. Did we put on a good show for you?”

Dorothea nodded meekly, and Shark spoke for them both. “It’s reassuring to know what you can do, and even better to know that at least one Marley is dead.” Not that there weren’t bigger fish to fry, but still. One down.

Iree grinned. “Good, good.” She looked at Dorothea with eager eyes. “Your power is interesting. What can’t you do?”

“Many things,” Dorothea replied. “Many, many things.”

The rest not knowing she was trying to joke, Shark was the only one who laughed. They were more glad that she’d managed to recover from her gloom quickly enough, though it was definitely a brave front.

Dorothea cleared her throat, embarrassed. “It’s less healing than turning time back on a specific area of the body. Like any other magic, I can concentrate my output on a specific zone. It’s probably easier to just call it healing, but the state of your leg now isn’t so much healed as it is your leg before the injury occurred. Energy included.”

Iree bounced on her tiptoes. “Now that you mention it, I feel ready for another few rounds. But again, thanks. Really.” She offered her hand.

Dorothea grasped it tightly, the tops of her fingers flushing from the pressure she applied as they made valleys in Iree’s skin. “Commander Nobelis.”

Shark almost shivered. It was coming. Dorothea wasn’t going to ponder the options anymore. It was frightening, but a biting anticipation also spun in Shark’s chest. They were ready to face the past and create a new future, all with Dorothea by their side. Only if Dorothea was by their side.