Squatting at the centre of her web of rituals and wards, Raelea watched Pif creep through the grass toward the Fae Chanar camp with her scrying ritual. She was in a small carved out cave in the side of the deep washout she’d primed as a killing ground, holding the triggers of a area effect shield breaker ritual and a few others that would be used as distractions once Pif got the Fae Chanar to chase him here.

Once their shields were broken her curses would kill them quickly or that was the plan.

Pif popped up out of the grass and a small evilly hissing fireball flew from his hand, it splashed flame all over the tent’s wards which howled a warning then he screeched and ran off as fast as his stubby legs would push him.

Fae and Fae Chanar boiled out of the tents all over the camp weapons ready and shields glowing, looking every which way to see who was attacking them.

When Feroun and Dawn spotted the small Goblin dashing through the grass they laughed and waved their brethren and the Fae off. Their forms shimmered and a pair of wolves stood where they had been, nosing down they sniffed around before setting off after Pif with an easy lope.

What they didn’t see but Raelea did was Charlesetria shimmer as well then take off in the form of a large grey and black banded Eagle, following them.

In her hidden cave she cursed violently enough that her scrying wavered and almost failed. Charlesetria’s presence complicated things horribly because she’d never considered she’d have to deal with a flying target. She should have because the false god used to fly around regularly but she hadn’t, it was a blind spot.

The wolves were nipping at Pif’s heels when he suddenly flickered forward a dozen body lengths as he blinked. The transformed Fae Chanar howled and sprinted after him harder, this time he blinked long before they even got close, opening up a decent gap. He hurtled through the warded area covered by her rituals and wriggled into a hole they’d dug that led deep underground where a Chanter and her elemental waited to take him back to the Caverns.

Feroun and Dawn streaked toward her killzone and Raelea prepared herself.

The pair of Fae Chanar were almost into the killzone when an echoing shriek rang through the clear sky and Charlesetria dropped like a stone. His wings folded and burning with magic.

He hit wolf-Feroun between his shoulders and with a high pitched yelp the transformed Fae Chanar was driven to the ground, legs splayed.

Charlesetria’s nightmarish natural form shimmered into view standing on the wolf’s back, he was skinny to the point of emaciation but large muscles bulged under his pallid silver-white skin like knots in string.

Stepping off and reaching down he picked up Feroun by his furry throat, then closed his eyes for a moment.

When he opened them again Feroun shimmered and regained his Fae Chanar form.

Face placid Charlesetria said, “Now, you will give me your staff.”

Feroun started chuckling and said, “I knew this would come, that one of you greedy bastards would try. So I cut a deal with a Spirit Lord as long as I live they will destroy anyone other than me who touches it. Would you like it still? I’ll cheerfully hand it to you.”

“Interesting. That would be a problem... if I cared whether you lived.” Feroun started twisting and fighting to get free, “Yes, you should panic. Because I don’t care about the prohibition against killing my brethren past the censure if I’m discovered. Such a shame that Dwaris insurrectionists killed you just before I rescued you and Dawn from them. Oh, struggle as much as you like, it pleases me to know you’re helpless and your flailing panic is utterly delicious. You won’t regain your magic, I’ve blocked it and you’ll be dead before that block fades.”

Twisting his head around Feroun looked imploringly at Dawn and said, “Help me, heart of my heart!”

Ignoring him she said, “I got him to join the hunt and I got him alone for you. You’ll hold up your end of the bargain?”

Charlesetria said, “As amusing as I’d find your reaction should I betray you and torture you to death instead… and as little as you could do about it, I’ll abide by my word. You have performed admirably and delivered him to me.”

Shuddering she said, “All that remains is to complete the deal, kill him and everything held in his void storage becomes mine. I give you the staff and we’re done until it comes time for you to support me in my claim on his lands.”

Feroun’s jaw dropped and shock wrote itself across his face, he said, “h-h-D-d-d-Daawn why? W-why would you d-do this to me? To us!”

“Because I want to be free and in charge of my own life rather than having to accept your crumbs, as your partner I would never be free. You are weak, pathetic, only that staff propped you up and made you relevant. I've always been stronger than you and I resent that you had the luck of getting it. Now shut up your whining, you annoy me.” She gestured and a lump of ice jammed his jaws open.

Smiling Charlesetria said, “So cold-blooded. Just look at his eyes and that sweet look of betrayal in them, I thought I was a monster.”

She said, “You are and so is he and so am I, we all are. Every last one of us, monsters behind masks of honour, masks of politeness, masks of custom and habit. He got played by a better monster and it’s killed him, he should have been a little more careful. None of us can be trusted.”

“What if I’d betrayed you?”

“You would never have got the staff because I have a security enchantment on my storage. If I die or at any time I choose my entire storage gets dumped in one of three places, the Void Realm, Ireen's receiving room, or my own vault. I've been recording all of this so if you decide to betray me after I give you the staff, Ireen will know everything and even you don't want him as an enemy. I'd be stupid to try and blackmail you with any of this because I am well aware I'd be dead long before our brethren could stop you."

Charlesetria chuckled and said, “You are prepared and well. Shame, I was looking forward to your screams. Ah well there are always others.”

A flash of intolerably bright light and Feroun’s headless corpse fell to the ground as Charlesetria shuddered with a look of satisfaction on his face.

Reaching into nothing Dawn pulled out a plain looking staff topped by an irregular chunk of silvery metal in a cage of golden wire and handed it to him without a word.

With a last disgusted look at Charlesetria darkness covered her and she was gone.

Charlesetria gestured and writhing chains of ice and darkness tore Feroun’s corpse apart, scattering his remains over a large area.

A crackle and Charlesetria was gone as well.

Raelea lay stunned in her cave shocked by what she'd just seen and heard, how had these monsters lasted this long?

Still reeling she dismantled her rituals and wards before heading back into the caverns, they’d be fighting in a day or two doubtlessly, Feroun may have been disliked but there was no way they’d let a Fae Chanar death pass, especially one of the High.

` *******

The stone shifted out of the way with soft abrasive sounds as the Brandanbarg followed their Chanters through the darkness.

Fheargus’ helm clanged as the soldier beside him whacked it with her halberd. Marn, one of Hilde’s closest friends, hissed, “Get your mind on the fight rather than Hilde’s arse, there’ll be time enough for that later.”

Looking at her he dragged his eyes from the sway of his wife’s hips and grinned widely, completely unabashed he’d been caught. Her eyes remained flinty and cold until he sighed and schooled his face to seriousness, putting aside his lascivious thoughts. She nodded as the texture of the earth changed from greyish stone, through scattered tan clay and fragments of stone and into dull tan thick soil and finally as the light flooded the tunnel organic rich black soil.

They surfaced into bedlam.

The lead elements of their forces had hit the clustered camps of Carpacie's followers hard, trying to put as many of them down as they could before the rest could respond.

As the screams of pain, the grunts of effort, the stench of blood and guts and the chaos of battle surrounded Fheargus it looked like they’d succeeded. Dwaris warriors swarmed everywhere hammers and war mattocks rising and falling in a relentless rhythm as the Fae fell.

Reacting without thought he blocked a sword that came out of nowhere with the steel reinforced haft of his hammer, moving as lightly as a feather he passed the out of position sword and dropped a hammerblow onto the Fae’s shoulder. He was surprised to see the Fae crumple, his torso twisted and deformed around his caved in shoulder.

Taking a moment to calm himself Fheargus took two deep breaths and blew them out, his adrenaline was running much too high and that would get him killed.

The fight was long and the fight was bloody but they were cleaning up the first lot of Fae without too many problems. Leaning on his hammer and swallowing a few sips of lukewarm water, taking a breather he could see the rest of the Fae and their Fae Chanar leaders were readying themselves.

Over to his left the area around Carpascie himself and the few Fae Chanar who had stuck close to him was littered with dead and dying Dwaris. Any Dwaris who got too close had their charges blunted and had to fight just to stay alive, usually unsuccessfully. He really hoped the Witch started whatever she was planning to do soon or there’d be no Dwaris left.

Gods below! One of the Fae Chanar near Carpascie had spotted him, broken off from the fight he was in and was now heading his way. Fheargus set his feet and hoped it was one of the more martially inclined Fae Chanar or he was probably dead.

As the Fae Chanar got closer his hopes were dashed when he saw the thick layered shield of Realm energy and the fact the Fae Chanar carried no arms and wore no armour.

But there was no way Fheargus Hannaogh Graemont was going to go down without a fight.

Gripping the haft of his hammer tight he set his feet and in a burst of speed dashed toward the Fae Chanar.

Plate creaking he bent sideways under a jet of hissing water and a golden globe of something tried to tangle his feet. Luckily his tattoos flared bright orange and whatever the spell was it didn’t bite.

He grunted as a small piece of stone moving fast enough to whistle pounded into his shoulder, the plate he’d heavily enchanted dented deeply but held as he twisted with the power of the blow.

Then his sight was stolen by some spell which his tattoos didn’t manage to defeat. But it seemed this Fae Chanar was an idiot, Dwaris spent enough time in the dark that it was an old friend and stupidly the Fae Chanar had not moved after the spell bit.

His hammer swung and he felt the sweet sweet feeling of the shield breaker enchantment on it firing and the Fae Chanar’s shield shattering. Shortly followed by his ribcage. With an agonised gasp the Fae Chanar collapsed around the still swinging hammer and his vision returned.

Then he heard raucous laughter behind him just before he was hurled to the ground feeling an icy sense of loss where his arms and legs used to be, no pain just a sense things were no longer where they should be.

A melodic woman’s voice said, “Brother, you truly are a moron. A monumental cretin, you almost got yourself killed by a Dwaris for all your vaunted strength as a mage.”

Fheargus felt someone crouch next to him and his head was turned by a calloused hand on his chin to look into the grey eyes of a Fae Chanar woman, all harsh angles and supernaturally handsome as all Fae Chanar were but not beautiful, never that.

She said, “I’ve decided to let you live, Dwaris. You’ve given me something to hold over my brother who believes that mages are the superior and crippled as you are by the loss of your arms and legs you will serve as my warning to every Dwaris who sees you.”

Patting the side of Feargus’ face she stood and hoisted the Fae Chanar he’d hit over her shoulder. He was gratified to see the damage he’d done to the man, half his chest was caved in and his face was contorted in agony.

From behind him he heard a roar of rage and a sizzling bolt of lightning flew over him, hitting the already injured Fae Chanar. Who was torn from his sister’s arms and thrown into the mud, smoking. Dead with empty eyes and every muscle relaxed.

His sister hadn’t escaped unscathed, she jerked hard and toppled over into the mud herself but she didn’t spend long on the ground. Rolling to her feet she glared venomously over him at whoever had thrown the lightning.

A voice he knew all too well, rough with emotion, growled, “Get away from him, monster.”

The Fae Chanar’s armour creaked as she grew slightly larger and small opalescent flames grew on her body. Her eyes became pure white light and without a word she vanished from his line of sight with a muted crackle.

A rolling fusillade of thunder sounded, flashes of unbearably bright light flickered, and then he heard a cut off scream as a solid looking beam of darkness flashed past where he lay.

The next thing he saw was what he’d hoped to since he’d heard her voice, Hilde’s face with tears tracking across her cheeks. She said, “You beloved fool. You almost kill one of them but let another sneak up on you, what would you do without me?”

A rueful grin twisted his lips, “I want to say I’d be fine but that looks a lot like it’d be a lie now doesn’t it?”

“Yea it does, you silly bastard. C’mon then up you get, I’ll take you back to the Caverns.”

Fheargus shook his head and said, “No, you won’t love. You’ll have yer elemental drag my stupid crippled arse back and you’ll go kill more of them. You realise you just killed one don’t ya?”

Smiling faintly Hilde said, “Two.”

Fheargus snorted and said, “I’m claiming the first was my hit what took his shield down and left him vulnerable.”

Hilde chuckled and said, “Fine, you can take that one. I’ll go kill a few more.”

“Good. Now give me a kiss and get Ragkkstag here, so you can get to it.”

Leaning down she took hold of his head and kissed him soundly, then she broke down and there were a few muffled sobs before she said, “I almost lost you, you aren’t allowed to go. Not yet, not til we’re old and grey and the great-great-grandkids drive us into our graves. Don’t you dare.”

“I’m not going anywhere love. Besides I can’t right now, I’ve got no legs.”

She barked a startled laugh and said, “Like that’ll slow you for long, you probably already have something worked out so you can keep making trouble. Wait, you do! I know that look in yer eye.”

Fheargus grinned and said, “Yeah I do but later! Get to war Miss.”

She spoke a few harsh words and a grinding shape of stone appeared scooping him up and slipping down into the earth with him.

The last thing he saw was Hilde’s shield of darkness and lightning reappearing as she set off with a determined look.

*******

Frowning Surore kicked a dead Dwaris off his sword and looked around the battlefield, noting the bodies, something felt wrong, very wrong. The tunnel-scum were still fighting, about half lay on the ground dead or dying and still they fought on, they should have broken by now. It was almost as if they had something giving them hope, something keeping their morale high.

That idiot Carpascie and his followers had been driven away by mere Dwaris so he’d taken the field after the Fae engaged to make sure the Dwaris were defeated soundly, it would not do for them to have any win no matter how minor.

But still something felt wrong.

Abruptly his enemy divination enchantment screamed at him and reflexively he threw himself into the air.

A dirt and sweat streaked blood spattered tribesman woman was standing there scowling up at him for an instant before she vanished from sight.

What? The Witch was here and fighting for the Dwaris? Suddenly his feelings of wrongness made sense, and in that moment he realised, the Dwaris did have hope because Fae Chanar were dying. Spaendt had said the Witch could break their shields and that the curses which still ravaged his body and left him on the verge of death were hers.

Enhancing his voice he bellowed, “Brethren! To me! We return to the Capital.”

Landing, a Dwaris rushed him hammer raised, with barely a thought he kicked the squat heavy form away and kneeling threw up a brightly glowing ward. His people could pass the barrier because they carried his token, anyone else would burn.

Only Fil, Larmot, Krackanova and Mantlert of his eight followers had made it before one of Carpascie’s arrived, armour battered and blood dripping from her twin axes.

She stopped just outside the ward and said, “Surore, I seek succour and have news of import.”

Reaching out and making a few minor adjustments he said, “Granted, enter freely Jotern.”

She stepped through and said, “My thanks, I owe you a service.”

“What is your news?”

She said, “I’d lost myself in the feel of my axes in my hands and flesh under their blades, and only recovered my sensibilities when you shouted. I cannot contact Andiye, Dalschimie, Kellek or Carpascie himself. Only death or a dimensional barrier could block our communications and I doubt they’ve made a quick trip to the Realm of the Unmentioned. Not willingly anyway.”

Surore nodded, he was now worried because he could see only Dwaris outside his ward.

Looking at his followers he said, “Have any of you seen Larmont, Permiss, or Bek?”

Krackanova, bearded, blood spattered and robed in thick leather said, “I was fighting alongside Bek, then he looked at me with disgust and said something about if I got too close to him he’d put me down. Now we aren’t exactly friends but I’ve fought alongside him before and not had a problem and he’s always been neutral toward me. I didn’t pay it too much mind at the time because I was busy fighting but now thinking back it does seem, strange.”

Fil in his soft whispering voice said, “I can search.”

Surore nodded.

After a moment Fil said, “There are none but Dwaris outside your ward or within my range.”

Cries of shock and disbelief met his pronouncement and a babble of voices were raised in questioning how.

Surore said quietly, “That is a very good question. But it is not one we can answer here and now. You are sure Fil that none of our brethren remain?”

Eyes narrowed Fil nodded his head and said, “I am certain and I don’t appreciate the questioning of my competence.”

Surore said, “I’m not. I’m just as shocked as the rest of you and I apologise for the unintended insult.”

Fil drew back eyes widening and said, “I accept your apology.”

Distracted Surore absently nodded and said, “There will be a reckoning for our losses this day, but it will not be today. Ready yourselves.”

He gestured and carried them through the bone chilling Dark.

When the light returned they were in the Grand Plaza of Haalnas, seat of the Winter Court.

He said to his followers and Jotern, “I will be calling for a convocation of the full court, our brethren died to Dwaris today and Ireen’s expedition to chastise Valard killed all except him, the Fae are rising and must be dealt with. Go, rest and think on what you saw and heard, our brethren need a clear accounting.”