I wait for Laira to leave Breeze’s room.

“You can see her now.” She tells me walking by.

“Is she strong enough to fight?”

“She is. Even though I’m against it. You seem worried. Is something the matter?”

“Depends on what she thinks.” I answer.

“Is it that bad?” Laira asks me with a hint of concern.

“We’ll know in a minute.” I tell her knocking on the door.

“Yeah?” A muffled voice comes from the other side.

“I hear are you back to full power. Laira and Percival did a wonderful job.”

“Cut the crap.” Breeze is stone cold. No surprise.

“You were listening?”

“Do you need to ask?”

“Right. Well. Here’s the thing. The King has grown impatient. Apparently, your absence for the last couple of days caused some inconvenience for his Highness, he demands to be kept in the loop and to know exactly what your plan is. He thought if I was the one to deliver the message, you’d listen…”

“Sure, I will.” Breeze rolls her eyes at me. Thought as much. “What did you tell him?”

“That I’m not your keeper.” She smiles. Points for me.

“That you certainly are not.” She waits a moment. “Was that all he wanted?”

“No, he mentioned something else about the Masters not being pleased with the challenger series, I believe it was something about how it has caused a disruption in the training of the recruits.”

“Oh please, those children are learning more than they ever have.” Breeze waves it off.

“Sadly, the higher-ups do not share your point of view.” I shrug my shoulders.

“Idiots.” She growls.

“One other thing.” I look at Breeze, she nods. “The King does not trust you.”

“What?!” There we go.

“I know, it seems ridiculous but I thought you should know.”

“What an…” Breeze has a difficult time staying calm. “Fine. If that’s how he wants to play, tell him there will be a Mock Battle held. To see if his recruits are ready for the real thing.”

“Do I dare ask how you’ll pull this one off?”

“With a bit of help, of course.” Breeze gives me her psychotic grin. Oh boy. “Is that all?” She goes full iceberg on me again. I sigh.

“Yes.” I walk out.

“Is that all?” I ask him ice cold.

“Yes.” Is all I get as he walks out the door.

“Adamantis.” I reach for the warrior.

“Commander!” I feel the surprise.

”Is this a bad time for you?”

“No, not at all.” Adamantis is quick to answer. Good.

“I’m about to give out my first orders over the last half a century. But before I do, I need to ask you one question.”

“I’m listening.” The warrior does not hesitate.

“How long would it take to gather our fighting forces?” Rather what’s left of them…

“How fast do you need them?” I like the way he thinks.

“Would three days be pushing my luck?” I ask carefully…

“Give us five.”

“Deal.” I grin. “Oh, make sure everyone has a white band tied around their left arm. All will be explained why later.”

“Will do, Commander. “ He pauses. “Will that be all?”

“For now. Thank you.”

“My honor.” The warrior goes silent. Right. Step one – complete. Step two.

“Laira.” I reach for her.

“Yes?” She’s quick to answer.

“Mind coming in here for a bit? Bring Marcus too.”

The door opens and Marcus steps inside.

“What is it?” He asks me. Laira’s coming up the stairs.

“I need you two to do me a favor and pass down a few orders to the Royal Army.”

“Ok. “ Marcus doesn’t even blink.

“Does this have anything to do with Crile’s visit?” Laira asks me. I nod.

“It has everything to do with it.”

“Ok then, what do you need?” She asks again.

“In five days’ I will need every single member of the Royal Army to be in full battle gear and gathered in the field behind the training grounds with red bands tied around their left arms.”

“That’s weird. Why?” Marcus asks with a justified puzzled look.

“I’m having Adamantis gather our old fighting forces in the same manner. The king has grown impatient with my lack of appearances, so to shut him and a few other mouths up, I decided to have a Mock Battle between the Current Royal Army and the Former Fighting Forces. We’ll see just how well the rookies will do against seasoned vets.”

“I can understand how this idea seems promising but are those people even alive today? Even if. They should be too old to fight, no?” The Mage has a point. Well, a few to be honest, but this is the best I can come up with on short notice.

“We’ll see in five days'.” I shrug my shoulders.

“Perfect. These five days are exactly what your body needs.” Laira’s quite happy with that part the most, from what I can tell. Figures.

“Also, tell the others to be ready too. They will be participating as well.”

“Of course.” Marcus nods.

“Anything else you need?” Laira adds.

“Probably not.”

“Ok then, we’ll get to it.” Both of them get up and leave. Now for step three.

“Crile.” I reach for him in my mind.

“What?” A stone-cold tone answers me. For some reason it makes me feel uneasy.

“Tell the king that in five days' his majesty is welcome to come to the field behind the training grounds and observe the spectacle for himself.” I pause. “Please.” I add quickly.

“Is that all?” His tone is harsh.

“You will be leading the Former Fighting Forces in this Mock Battle.”

“Why me?” He asks.

“Because you are their Commander as well.”

“Meanwhile, you will be busy ordering the rookies around?” He mocks me ever so slightly.

“Yes.” I wait.

“Very well. What else?” He asks.

“You’ll need to wear a white band over your left arm too.”

“What for?” That throws him off a bit.

“All will be explained later.”

“Fine.” He goes quiet.

“Am I the only one who feels uneasy standing in between these two armies?” Burla asks.

“No.” Percival agrees.

“I wanna know what’s with the red and white bands?” Rixa’s anxious.

“Sit tight.” Jack’s words cut the warrior off like an axe.

“Yeah yeah.” Rixa mumbles.

“I’m rather curious to know why Shadowkill is on the other side?” Vestigo asks.

“All will be explained soon.” Laira answers.

“Have you always followed her around like a brainless mutt?” Culebra spits her poison.

“Watch it.” I warn her.

“Thank you” Laira whispers. I nod.

“So where is the lass?” Tonso asks.

“Over there.” Burla points to our right. Deathbreeze is riding Emerald. In her full armor. I smile at the memory of that sight. Both of them have same red bands around their arm and paw. She stands in front of the Royal Army and speaks.

“Today you will be participating in a Mock Battle. Today you will be fighting against troops who fought in the last Rebirth or are descendants of such soldiers. Today your goal is to protect the band on your arm, as well as steal the band of your enemy.” She raises her left arm with the red band over it.

“Today you will be fighting real people with real weapons. Any and all means are allowed except for fatal wounds. Your job today is to learn not to kill.” Breeze speaks loud and clear. Nobody says anything. She continues her speech as Emerald carries her side to side, parallel to us.

“Once a band has been taken off a soldier – he or she – is considered dead and needs to remove themselves of the battle field to where the flag of your color is.” She points toward the red flag swaying in the wind behind the troops.

“The battle will end once there is no one left on the field or one of the Commander’s falls.” So far everything is making sense.

“The aim is to test your restrain. Killing is easy. Question is – can you tell apart your friends from your foes in the heat of the battle? Will you be able to carry out your orders effectively? Can you work as a team? Or will you lose yourselves to rage, greed, bloodlust, fear and the thrill of the fight?” Breeze pauses. Emerald stops. I feel the tension growing.

“Lastly. Anyone who considers this to be a game and a waste of their time can leave right now and face the consequences later.” Breeze falls silent.

“She means the cubs, not you, woman.” Tonso speaks. Culebra mumbles something but stays put nonetheless. Nobody else makes a break for it. Ok. Breeze turns Emerald around, facing Crile with their old Army. We follow her lead.

“Charge!!!” Breeze screams out and a war cry echoes through the masses. We charge. So does the Crile’s side.

“Commander! Behind you!” Some shouts. I look around. Crap. Breeze has me in her sight. I freeze. Her bloodlust is too powerful. Now I understand how our enemies felt seeing that look on her that says “Target Locked.” She wants blood. My blood. I’m so fucked… I can’t even move. I blink once. Breeze charges me. I blink again and see a giant wolf come at me, at full throttle. Fuck! Snap out of it. Somehow my body moves. I go right for her. I grab a spear and throw it at Breeze. She jumps, changing midair. Vines slither around my legs. I quickly cut them off. Breeze comes at me again. This time with a couple of knives. Knives are my specialty but Breeze comes at me hard. It’s difficult to defend myself when Breeze is clearly out to get me. She switches back and forth between her wolf and human form, trying her best to throw me off. She’s made for battle. Hell is her domain and Chaos is her weapon. Back in the day we used to spar all the time, however, this time is different. It’s not like I’m pulling my punches, trying my best not to hurt her, Hell, it takes me all I have to fend her animal forms’ off me. Besides that – Breeze has picked up a few tricks over the past fifty years as well. Which makes her all the more unpredictable and dangerous. Just the way I like it…

“Guys! You seeing this?” I hear Burla call out.

“What is it?” I yell back.

“That!” She’s pointing at something. “Them!”

“Breeze is fighting Crile.” Laira explains it to me. Now that’s something I want to see. I stop my casting. Some other fighters’ have also stopped their fights to enjoy the performance. There’s no other way to describe the sight. A ring of spectators forms around them. The way those two move, resemble a dance. The kind of a deadly dance, where one wrong move can cost a life. I feel chills run down my spine…

“Damn that’s hot.” Rixa announces. “I’m getting a hard on just looking at it.”

“Moron.” Jack smacks Rixa over the upside of the head.

“What’s a “hard on?” Burla asks. Oh no.

“You’re kidding, right?” I look at her. She shakes her head.

“A hard on is when a man…”

“Don’t!” Laira cuts Percy off.

“Sorry…” The kid instantly shuts up.

“I get that Skyrider is out of this world when it comes to fighting but how the Hell is Shadowkill holding his own against a monster like her?” It’s a rare occasion when Vestigo speaks up but no one can argue with him this time.

“Experience.” Tonso answers.

“He’s right.” Laira agrees. “Years and years of it.”

“We have company.” Vestigo announces. I look to the left. The King.

“What should we do?” I ask Laira. “Should we stop them?”

“Ha! Good luck with that!” Tonso laughs.

“Absurd.” Culebra hisses.

“Breeze!” I hear Laira inside my head.

“Busy!” I answer blocking another kick.

“The King is here.” What? I look over Crile’s shoulder. Right. Time to end this. I grab a broken arrow of the ground and leap into the air, using Crile’s shoulder as a stepping stone for my grip and land right behind him. I’m about to slash his band off, with the arrow head, when a dagger appears under my throat. I jump back, Crile disappears into the shadows. His signature move. Easy to predict. I spin around with my one paw straight out and clench it around Crile’s throat, while tearing off the band with the other paw. However. At the same time Crile has his knife pointing downwards my own arm, right where the band was, with another knife going upwards straight into my lung. If he had stabbed me, that would have been it for me… Not to mention, he baited me into it. Damn. It’s a draw. The king approaches us.

“Well now. That’s quite a show you put on. Hope it’s worth the trouble.” Tahon mocks me. I grin.

“We’ll see.” I crash down to the ground, crossed legged. Crile remains standing.

“For your sake I hope this was not a huge waste of my time.” The king tries to intimidate me. “Regardless, as much as I would like to let you enjoy yourselves – we have urgent matters to discuss.”

“How urgent?” I taunt him. Fair’s fair.

“Very.” He growls at me. I stand up.

“Make sure everyone is treated. If the hatchlings have any questions, they are free to ask around. For more training they should refer to you guys. The other side was instructed to direct them towards you if anything. Besides that – everyone is free to mingle as they please. Let me know how it goes later, ok?” I tell Laira.

“Of course.” She nods. I whistle. In a few moments’ Emerald leaps over the crowd and stands next to me as if she never have left my side. Crile’s Celodian is right behind her. The king moves through the troops and we follow.

“So, what’s so urgent that you stopped our training mid-way?” I finally ask.

“My scouts have returned. They have spotted the first signs of the Rebirth.”

“What?” Crile beats me to it. “Are they sure? It seems awfully early.” He has a point.

“I’m afraid so.” The king sounds more serious than usual. Clearly, he’s not enjoying this.

“Skyrider, I dare ask, with all of the charades you have been playing around with my troops – are they ready?”

I hesitate. “Not even close.”

Tahon turns his horse around. “What?”

“They are nowhere near ready. Nobody can be ready for what comes entering the Castle of Despair.” I lock my gaze on his eyes. He must’ve have seen the horror reflect in them, he backs off.

“How long do we have?” Crile’s voice breaks the silence.

“If the calculations are correct – about a month, before the Rebirth is complete.”

“It takes how long to travel to the sight?” I ask the question this time.

“A bit over a week, on a horse at full speed.” Crile answers.

“We will leave in three days.”

“Are you sure?” Crile asks me.

“There’s no helping it. We need to move out. The training will have to proceed as we travel. We will take our time. Even if we keep a steady pace, that should give us enough time to get there before it hits.” I look at Tahon now.

“Your highness will have to pitch in and help with preparations, of course.”

“Whatever you need.” He’s too eager. Idiot. “As long as you guarantee me victory – you can have whatever you need.”

I move Emerald closer to him. We stand side by side. I speak calmly.

“I will do no such thing. You brought this on yourself by our own free will. As much as I hate the idea of leading those children into a living Hell – I hate the idea of losing this world to the darkness even more so. You will give my soldiers whatever they need. I will lead them and the only thing I will promise you, is to bring as much of them back alive as I can. Is that understood?” I glare at him. My blood boils. I see his hatred. The rage shakes his hands, forcing Tahon to tighten his grip on the reins. He spits out a single word.

“Fine.” The king turns his horse around and rides off. Only me and Crile are left.

“Breeze.”

“Don’t.” I cut him off. “I have troops to check on.” I turn Emerald around.

“That’s not what I was going to say.”

“What is it?” I ask him.

“Are you ok?”

“Never am.” I mumble and Emerald takes off.

“Damn it!” The words escape my mouth.

“Child?” Emerald’s low growl is full of concern.

“I’m fine.” I answer. She doesn’t say anything else. We rush back. My body trembles as I see the images in my head. Laira. Marcus. Burla. Tonso. Rixa. Jack. Vestigo. Culebra. Crile… I jump off Emerald. Laira runs over to me. The look on her face tells me the kind of a vibe I’m giving off.

“What is it?” She asks me.

“How bad is the situation?”

“Not too bad. Mostly grazes, bruises, cuts and gashes. A few bites here and there. Minor poisoning, some broken bones... In a few days most should be back in top shape. Within a week all of them…”

“We don’t have a week. Every single one of them needs to be ready to move out in three days.” I’m not even looking at Laira. My eyes scan the youngsters. I recognize a few old timers here and there as well…

“Breeze, what is it?” Laira stands firmly in front of me. Forcing me to face her.

“The king’s scouts have just reported. We have a month till Rebirth is complete. We don’t have time to train them anymore. I was an idiot. We should have gone on with the training from the start…”

“Milady?” I hear a familiar voice.

“Zaltem? What is it?”

“Oh, nothing, I simply wanted to thank you.” He bows his head.

“What for?” I ask him harshly. I’m on edge.

“The advice and training you gave us that time has been working perfectly. I am able to restore my mana almost effortlessly.” He smiles at me. “Thank you.” He bows again.

“I hate to admit it – but our Masters were wrong. Meditation is irreplaceable.” Aodynna walks up behind me.

“I see. I’m glad to hear it.” I try my best to smile at them.

“Then you should be even more pleased to know that we have made an official request, to make Meditation part of the official training once again.” Zaltem’s gloating.

“Is that so?” I look at Aodynna.

“Yes. We did some research and made the request. Moreover, we have been teaching others about it as well. Meditation became extremely popular after your challenger series began.” The young shaman gives me the break down.

“Ya see, girly!” Tonso rams his hand into my lower back. “They are learning.” He jugs some booze. Leave it up to him to have a pouch of liquor on him at a time like this.

“If you need convincing still – take a look over there.” He points behind him. A couple of Mancers’ are suffocating Culebra with their inquiries. Somehow that makes me smile. I look around. Marcus is also nearby giving out advice to those eager to learn. Rixa and Jack were showing off their moves. Even Vestigo’s lecturing his own tiny crowd. Not to mention the swarm of fans that surrounded Crile. Percival’s busy patching up anyone who had the misfortune to be infected by poison of some kind. By the looks of it – even his patients have a few questions for him, here and there.

“Breeze.” I look back at Laira. “We’re here for you.”

“Your orders, Commander.” Adamantis approaches me.

“You took part as well?” I ask him all surprised. He seems a bit ruffled up.

“Naturally. This is the most fun we had in years.” He smiles at me.

“He’s not wrong.” Freeter shows himself too.

“I’m honored.” I bow my head in respect.

“Right then.” I pull myself together. “Spread the word. Anyone willing to die protecting our world need to be ready to move out in three days. The Rebirth has already begun. I won’t take anyone who is not willing to go by their own free will.” I see everyone’s expressions change. Sheer horror rolls over them.

“As you wish.” Tonso’s the first one to walk away.

“Understood.” Adamantis follows. Freeter nods.

“We better get a move on then.” Laira turns. I hold her back.

“Not you.”

“Breeze. I’m not a child.” She gets out of my grip. “I’m part of Team Deathbreeze too.”

“What have I done…” I stand there frozen with fear.

“Something no one else could have ever pulled off – you brought the past and the future together.” Crile stands next to me.

“When did you get into the habit of spreading life’s wisdom?” I mouth off to him.

“I would prefer to spread something else entirely…”

I look at him. He grins.

“However, this is the best I can manage at the time, so it will have to do.” He stares at me. I see it. Plain as day. The spark in his eyes. I have no witty come back. No snappy comment. Nothing. I simply stand there holding my breath. Waiting.

“Get some rest. We have a long journey ahead of us.” He smiles at me softly and walks away.

Three days go by as if it were an hour. I didn’t sleep all night. I have everything packed for the trip. Emerald’s on my right and Storm, with the dragons, is on my left. I tried my best to convince all of them to stay behind. All my effort was in vain… One by one I hear guys step outside and line up. I don’t say anything to any of them, nor do I bother turning around.

“We’re ready.” Laira speaks behind me. I get on Emerald’s back, Storm and the dragons take off and we move out. Crile and the rest of the team meet us by the stables. Nobody says anything. Per my request, our troops were supposed to gather in the same training grounds, instead of the Main Square. I have no clue how many of them will be there. If there will be any. My, so called, order was “anyone willing to die”, however, the king’s ambitions are a different story. I wasn’t sure if he didn't threaten the kids into going somehow. That's a very likely scenario. I wished that the field would be completely empty. We approach the hill slowly. Tahon’s already here. I do not like his happy expression.

“Well done, Chieftain. I’m impressed.” He nods. I park Emerald on Tahon’s left. Crile’s on my left. Next to him Laira with Marcus, Tonso, Rixa and Jack, Vestigo, Burla and Percival with Culebra finishing off our parade. I stare in front of me. The field is packed. With a single line dividing the troops in the middle. I cannot believe my eyes. I scan through the faces. They are a mix of the current Army and the previous one.

“What is this?” I ask Tahon.

“Two days ago, Adamantis and Freeter made an official request that anyone from the youngsters who do not wish to take part in the endeavor, would be replaced by someone willing to die instead…” The king answers me.

I let that sink into my mind. “Is there anything you wish to say?” I address the king again.

“By all means. Please.” He gestures to the Army.

I’m not sure if I want to say anything. I feel like I’m supposed to… Yet…

“Move out!” I call out a single order and step down the hill, leading Team Deathbreeze down the middle line. As we walk by, the soldiers turn about-face, row by row. I get to the last row and see some of the old timers’… I feel as if I traveled back in time. They're exactly the same. It takes another moment for me to register that it’s the children or grandchildren that I’m looking at. The youngster on my right approaches me and hands me a letter. He doesn’t say anything. He simply holds it out to me. I take it and nod. The Cornutese boy smiles at me and gets back in line. Emerald walks slowly forward. Crile aligns himself with us. Laira, Marcus, Tonso, Burla and Percival are on my right, with Rixa, Jack, Vestigo and Culebra on my left, right next to Crile. My hands shake holding the letter.

“Child?” Emerald speaks to me gently.

“Yes?” I try to sound as calm as possible.

“Read it. I know the way.” She says to me.

“Ok.” I answer her and open the letter.

“Commander,

We – your former subjects – wish your current fighting forces the best of luck.”

That’s all the letter says. I smile. Right. No time to waste.

“Laira.”

“Yes.”

“I want the troops divided into classes in an ascending order. I believe the Mancer one should be the smallest one. For now, let’s leave it at that.”

“Yes, Commander.” She turns her Celodian around and gives out the orders. As a standard, everyone were issued a Lector Stone. But I don’t want to use it. I hear the rustling behind us.

“Culebra.” I speak loud enough. “You should have it the easiest. I know it’s a pain but you knew what you were signing up for. Once the classes are divided – I want you to take charge with the Mancers. You will be their Commander till we reach the Castle. Try and see if you can make them lower mana consumption as much as you can. Your Mancers will be more on the defensive rather than offensive. If there will be any Conjures’ who wish to fight close range – send them over to Rixa. Is that clear?”

“Crystal.” The Mancer’s the first to separate from the team.

“Vestigo. You and the hunters will be part of the Ranger core till further notice. For now – see to it that your core is combat able. Focus on archery mixed with sparring. I want them to be able to draw from any position, at any time. Crossbow or longbow. Any Trackers with companions will be our provisional core for the duration of the trip. That’s all.”

“Understood.” Vestigo moves away.

“Jack. Rixa. You two will be responsible for our Fighters. Mainly you’ll be sparring with our Casters. They need to be able to handle themselves. Magic or no magic. Same goes for Rams’ and CCs’ – how to fend against non-weapon users. Keep both sides on their toes. Bear in mind, there can be some Casters’ who will be joining you as well. It’s your job to figure out how to make them useful.”

“Roger.” Jack answers.

“As you wish.” Rixa follows.

“Percival. Take your Cleansers and get moving. Your only goal is to make sure their response time is fast as lightning. Join the Fighter core to build up stamina.”

“Yes, Commander.” The boy replies.

“The Assassins will be focusing on accuracy. I don’t need anyone stuck in a wall.”

“Certainly.” Crile moves to the back as well.

“Laira. Have the Druids divided up into Beast types and Ravos. The healers know how to use their Vines. Make sure they realize their full potential. Focus on strengthening the defensive powers too. Leave the Beasts to me. “

“Absolutely.” With Laira gone it was only Marcus and Tonso left.

“Marcus. You have it rough. Your Caster core is the largest. However. As I said – there might be some Fighters. If so – give them to Rixa and Jack to deal with. Any earth, stone, sand and ice users will be our main defenses. Shields. Have fire and wind Mages mingle with the Hunters. See if you and Vestigo can put them to good use. Working in teams is no news to you guys. See if you can come up with anything that will surprise me.”

“Sure thing.” He nods and rides off.

“Tonso. You won’t have it any easier than Marcus. So, I’ll make it as simple as it gets. Those kids only need to learn one thing. Overtake. The duration of it is limited if used at full strength – make sure they can go in and out of it swiftly. Air and Water will double as healers and fighters. Any who wish to remain solely healers – can join Percival’s core. The rest will be put on the offensive as Fighters’.”

“Ay.” The old Shaman goes off to the side.

“What do you want me to do then?” Burla asks me.

“Go with Marcus. Learn from the Mages there. Even as a Shaman, you resemble a Mage more. You can also ask Percival for some training in healing. The more versatile you are the better you’ll handle yourself.”

“Ok.” She nods and takes off. There’s plenty of noise behind me. I keep moving forward. I am not needed. I am a symbol of the past. A mythical thing…

“Breathe, my Child, just breathe.” Emerald’s growl echoes through my mind.

“Do you think this is a good idea?” I ask her.

“The way I see it – there’s no helping it.”

She’s right. One way or another people will die. I don’t know how much of a fighting chance we have…

“Breeze, they need you. The Beast core.” Laira snaps me out of my doubts.

“Right, let’s see what we have.”

It is believed that one druid is capable of harboring up to five animal souls’ inside of them. The idea of it is that as Nature Spirits, druids are supposed to be very much like animals, therefore, we should be able to have a form for one of each: land, air and water. As well as be able to provide protection for others, our attack form, and to be able to hold our own against the enemy, if need be, ergo the defensive form. Ideally, all five spirits would have the best characteristics, suited for one of the five spots. I have four. My runner is my protector. That works because it’s a Wolf spirit. Other runners, such as a lean gazelle, cannot be a protector. Nonetheless, they have other uses. Every animal is born with a predisposed purpose in their lives. As druids’, our job is to resurrect the spirit for a second life.

Usually that’s the case but there are spirits’ who become so attached to the idea of reliving that even after the druid’s death, they choose to merge with another druid shortly after. Those kinds of spirits are called Ancient Ones. You can tell them apart by the runes on their body after the druid turns. The more druids’ a spirit has been merged with, the stronger it becomes. Making it a very powerful weapon. Once the body is taken over by the shape, they are able to control their movements but if given into the primal, animal instinct, letting oneself to be completely taken over by the spirit – that is where they can be their most powerful. However, the Ancient Ones do not give in easily to simply anyone. Most of them choose to become Guardians of the Afterlife for other spirits. They become like a beckon that attracts same breed spirits to one place. They create a nest that never stops growing. Making it more difficult for a druid to find a lost spirit to merge with. That is why, the Ancient Ones are so rare these days. The youngsters are too ignorant.

On a different note, to some, the possession of more than one soul is next to impossible. As crazy as it sounds, there are druids’ who possess five shapes. The only thing is, it’s a lot easier to master how to control one or two shapes, rather than five. There is also the pain-trigger. Every time a druid shifts, they break every bone in their body in order to re-shape themselves into the creature they want to be. Not a lot of youngsters’ dare to deal with such a pain more than necessary. Going from a creature with four claws to a creature with a pair of talons and wings is rough. Not to mention, the transition needs to be as smooth and swift as possible. That, I dare say, is the biggest obstacle for a Beast Druid. However, that does not mean it is impossible to achieve. Given enough time, one can get used to broken bones…

“Your orders, Commander?” One of the druids approaches me.

“For the time being I need you to rearrange yourselves into single-shape – first line and two-shapes - second line” I give the order. The youngster rushes back in line and informs others of my request. To be fair, not much training of any kind can be done while on the move. So, we must improvise… Can we do it, though?

“We’re done, Commander.” A different troop comes over to me this time.

“Good. Single-shapers can form blocks of predator and prey. Land, air and water accordingly. Other’s will wait for now.”

“Yes, Commander.”

I hear the commotion behind me. I turn around in my saddle. I watch the hatchlings move around like chest pieces. I give them time. One of them, from the front rows, comes over to confirm they are all set.

“Very well. Now then. All of you will disperse yourselves amongst the other cores. You will be their providers, protectors, as well as their support. We will be traveling for about a month. There are plenty of things to do. The hunters cannot possibly provide for everyone. Not everyone can carry their gear and tents long distances. Medical core needs supplies as well. We cannot be prepared for everything but we sure as Hell can come close to it! Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. As Beast Druids you have the advantage of utilizing your animal spirits in nature to their full potential. That is exactly what I want you to do. Work in teams, as a team. Learn to rely on others and learn to be reliable. Bear in mind. I am not ordering you to simply run errands. As Caster types you need to use your mana wisely. Yes, there are ways to recover it but that is not enough. All of you witnessed my full and half forms. Do not be limited by what you think you know. Let lose. You’ll be surprised by what you can discover. Same goes for the rest of you!” I raise my voice to reach them. Nobody says anything. I’ll take it as a good sign. I go on.

“Every night at dusk we will have one hour to set up camp. Every morning at day break we will have one hour to pack up and move. Spread the orders. Go!” Nobody even blinks. In a few moments the bigger portion of my core is gone.

“Two-shapers! For you, I want to see two groups for now: with and without water types. Go!”

It doesn't take them long to split up.

“Any three-shapers or more step forward!” Let’s see what happens here… A handful of druids walk up to me. With slightly confused faces. Far too less than I expected...

“Any water types?” I ask them. A few step to the side.

“How is the pain tolerance for you all?”

“Difficult, but manageable.”

“Hurts.”

“Rather not shift from form to form all at once…”

Of course not. Yet.

“Your mission will be to master your shapes – in and out of them one after another as quickly as possible. The key in shifting is – the faster you do it – the less pain you feel. It is difficult to master but you all have three shapes at least – meaning you all are already ahead of most of your comrades here today.” I speak louder next.

“A Beast type’s strength is determined by how many shapes one holds and how quickly they can shift through them. Right now, unfortunately, the water type will not be able to practice much, however, druids cannot shift while carrying more than their armor on their body either. So, for now, I need you to work together and help each other out. Those who can, will shift between their shapes as much as possible, without stopping, to cut down on time shifted and increase the pain tolerance. As well as lessening recovery time. Those of you who can only shift into one form, because of the lack of water, will have to build up your strength by helping your fellow soldiers carrying their gear.” I pause as I fear an uproar will be caused with the ought most dissatisfaction. I wait. Nothing happens. Either they aren’t listening or they are simply afraid to defy me. Seeing how only Noxians can be druids… I go on.

“As unfair as it may seem – we do not have another option right now, so Water Types – I ask you to bear it for the time being.” No response. Alright.

“For the moment you will be able to build up your strength – that will help you later on as your time will come. How you will arrange yourselves, I leave it up to you to decide. I will expect to see results soon. That is all.” I turn the right way in my saddle and stare into the distance. A roar echoes above our heads. The Dragon Trio lets us know they are close by. Somehow, I feel more at ease now…

“Are you sure it’s ok to give them that much freedom.” Emerald’s low growl rings in my mind.

” I can’t simply be giving out orders all the time. These children need to learn to work together, to trust one another and solve problems, not cause them.”

I feel Emerald chuckle under me.

“What’s so funny?” I ask her a bit offended.

“You called them children…”

“Because they are. Most of them. Compared to them – I am ancient. I belong in a library or something.”

“You have plenty of fight left in you.”

“Fighting is all I have…”