Lyse and his companions, rode the hills of Koraki. The stings of the cold rain rejuvenated them, kept them aware. The gloomy skies almost distracted them of their troubles. But then they remembered what exactly tailed them. Their horses pounded the dirt road, their breaths themselves becoming deeper and more haggard. Despite how far they've galloped so far, they were not surprised when they looked behind them to see three figures, cloaks shadowing them into the night. Three Makhai wounded to an immeasurable degree, yet still, they pursued with purpose unmatched.

Lyse looked down at his mother, limply laying in his lap as they galloped along. She was still not awake, and those green veins still ran up both her arms, pulsing ever so slightly like poison running through her. Lyse tried to keep his mind off of the worst of thought and keep it on help. Any help. His arm felt better than before. He tried to focus on avra to heal the broken bone. A clean break won't take long, but the pain was still there as he jostled around. His eyes tunneled, trying to ignore the pain, focusing on the lights on the horizon.

The gap between them and the Makhai was lessening and lessening, closer and closer after each stride. And the horses started to slowly lose their momentum, no matter how much they urged them. They were at their limits, he realized. And the others knew this too. But the city was right there. Just a mile or two on the hills. The river passing just behind it and their ticket for salvation. But the Makhai still loomed and still followed. It did not take long before everyone yet again had blades in hands, at least those who had cared to sheath them. They were fully prepared to fight if it came down to it. But none of them were confident that they could, in fact, survive. They kept their eyes focused on either the Makhai or forward. Never noticing the large figures in the sky, fluttering on wings of black.

Another mile out, the gate was finally visible along with the high walls that accommodated them. And help. Stationed at the gate were probably ten guards and possibly a knight or two as well. The soldiers did noticed several people immediately on horses bulleting through the plains like madmen and the shadowy figure behind them. It was a bit of a confusing sight. But all things were made clear once they heard words being shouted ahead, audible and crisp even from there. The words echoed off of the hillsides to warn. The wind seemed to still, the only breeze coming from his back as Lyse took a deep breath.

"Rally, those of Koraki, for the enemy is nigh. Brace your shields and swords. Your heart and mind," shouted Lyse, his sword in the air and glowing. It was a call of action. To state where a warrior was from and where they served, they knew immediately what need to be done, and they began to mobilize. Some mounted horses to meet the party head-on, others on foot. Hope began to swell within each of them. The Makhai were practically at their heels blades out to clip their horses. The guards won't make it in time. Just a few letters away. But then, something unexpected happened. A flurry of black feathers descended on them all. Claws and beak. It appeared to be a giant crow, easily the size of a man, that had descended upon them. The Metal encasing all sharp extremities and was now ripping into the Makhai within the blink of an eye. It was the most blessed thing any of them had seen. One of the Makhai even had their sword drawn and just inches away from Gray's horse's back leg. Like that, the Thirians ripped through the already wounded Makhai, one even turning back into a human to give the final blows with clawed gauntlets. Lyse watched as several soldiers zipped past them to handle the them well, and they were only stopped at the gate by whoever was left there.

Lyse nearly stumbled off his horse, falling with his mother in his lap. The soldiers' sword s were still in hand, but after one look at his mother, they were far more hesitant to attack than to help. Edlund, Elena, and Gray immediately dismounted to help Lyse to his feet as each scrambled for whatever words came to mind. None of it probably made sense, but they did not care. They nearly barreled past the soldiers, only barely catching directions to the nearest doctor. They did not care for the splendor of the city, the looming black structure nestled at its center. To them, there only existed one place in this gathering of wooden boxes. Lyse carried his mother all the way. He ignored the pain and ignored the rushing in his ears. He kicked down the wooden door with one foot and rushed inside.

Immediately, two guards came to stop all of them at the door. But apparently, one of the soldiers actually did follow them as immediately shouted over them to back off as Lyse carried his mother to the back room. Another of the doctors, who wore a mask of a boar, shockingly looked at what had just entered the room. He was sitting at a desk, polishing his instruments when they rammed themselves in. But as soon as he saw the body in Lyse's arm, he wasted no words on questions. In fact, he helped Lyse lay her on the nearby table. Lyse collapsed on his back, his heart in his throat, and his breaths unceasing. But he kept his eyes on his mother all the while as others came in.

"Out, all of you," the doctor shouted at the guards, his friends, and the soldier. Then he turned to him. "You stay. I have something for that arm."

Lyse nodded faintly. He managed to prop himself on the wall, but everyone else was forced out this time by the guards. Worried looks filled the expression of his friends. Confusion amongst the soldiers and guards. And determination in the doctor and Lyse alone. Edlund Wanted to stay, be there for someone he has known for his entire life. But he knew that he wasn't needed at the moment. He is needed elsewhere, actually, as he saw the tension within Gray and Elena slowly unwind.

The soldiers were asking them questions then, the guards returning to their posts but obviously paying every attention to whatever spilled from their mouth. They knew to keep certain parts hidden, their intentions, and the performance acted by Celia in that thicket. But everything else was free game. They told them about the knights in the outpost dead, the Makhai, who shall be nameless assassins, ambushing then and chasing them, critically wounding two of them, and intending to end all of their lives. The soldiers took that all in and discussed amongst themselves for a few moments. They had been talking so much; they felt light-headed. Their nerves felt shot, and their senses out of balance. All they could do was sit in the waiting benches stationed outside the doors.

One of the soldiers came back, holding his helmet under his arm. "We have notified the Knights quarters of this," he told them. "Stay here. They would most likely like to have words with the lot of you."

"Of course," Elena said, nodding her head towards them. "We'll need to get our baring anyway. Appreciate your assistance."

The soldier nodded. "Stay safe, brothers."

With that farewell, the soldier left them in the empty room. The guards kept their eyes almost glued to them, but otherwise, they were alone in this large room. The air had that stale, sanitized quality to the air full of herbs. That seemed to be a common trait amongst all the doctors that they have met. There was no one else in this waiting room, and none of them remember seeing any patients either. Usually, doctors have a rotating door of such, but not here. This made the entire room awfully quiet just to sit within.

"Those were . . . Makhai?" Gray was the first to ask the question after minutes of silence. Both of them were looking at him now.

"Yes," Edlund told him. "Lyse and I encountered assassins before. But they were nowhere near as strong. Nowhere near . . ."

"They overpowered us like nothing," Elena said in a low voice, frustration boiling over terror. "Like we were children. And what I felt from that other . . . and what Ms. Celia did. What was that?"

"I don't know," Edlund said honestly, then gestured to the guards who still watched them. "We'll talk more when alone. Lyse promised you that. We'll . . . just have to wait."

(X)

Lyse watched as the doctor examined his mother, paying especially close attention to the veins pulsing just beneath her skin. He seemed puzzled, but all the same, invested in what was before him. Lye had never seen a doctor unable to help anyone. Whatever ability they had, it was extremely effective. After what seemed like an hour, he finally took off a glove to reveal a hand as black as night. With one touch, Lyse witness the veins begin to recede towards the hands and disappear without a mark. Almost. Faintly, he can still see the residual imprint the they left, much duller, and no longer throbbing. However, his mother did begin to breathe more evenly, and her muscles began to relax. Lyse did the same, giving a long sigh as he saw the stress leave his mother's body. The doctor, too, seemed satisfied with what he has done, although perplexed all the same of what he had before him now. Nonetheless, he immediately poured attention onto Lyse and his arm.

"I've seen that sort of injury before," the doctor had told him as he began to test exactly where the bone had broken, Lyse's wincing being the sensor. "Long time ago."

"Will she be alright?" he asked him.

The doctor received two splints. "I don't know. The last one didn't survive."

Lyse looked at the doctor strangely, then back to his mother. And then his mind wandered a moment to the king, and what he saw of him. Could it be that the doctor had once operated on another godslayer? More than likely. And if it's true that this godslayer had died, it would indeed explain why those of previous generations are not able to use the powers of the pendant to an extent. Sure, there small displays of power that she may be able to do, at least because she was not as bad as King James at the moment. He promised himself never to let his mother hold that pendant. It was yet again a choice that he failed to weigh the consequences for in time. Yet another life nearly taken by his actions. And this time, his own mother. How much longer must he be this incompetent till all those around him cease to be in danger. First, it was that little girl, then his mother. Who was next. Perhaps an assault will occur in this city, That Plithos ripping through the city to find and kill the lot of them. Or indeed a massive incursion by an army of Makhai instead of just three. Maybe it'll be Edlund who will die because he won't make the right decision. Or perhaps Elena. Or Gray.

"Doctor," Lyse asked. "How do you cope with it? How do you handle it when every decision you make could take a life?"

The doctor paused a moment wrapping the gauze around his arm, but soon sighed in response. "I guess this is not something that they tend to teach knights these days, how to handle killing another human being, instead of a mindless beast with evil intent. I guess there is no right answer cause I have heard hundreds. Knowing that it is ultimately in my best interest not to pay too much mind to any person helps. I know I cannot save everyone, so I treasure those that I can save. For some other doctors, they treat each patient as if their lives depend on it. For some knights whom I have had the pleasure of conversation with, it is the opposite. They treat each life of their enemies as a farmer would see weeds infesting a crop. But those lives, where you have the option to save or abandon, are the struggle you must have been under, I must guess. That has no answer. Because no one should be able to predict the future."

"Should I give up then," Lyse said in a low voice.

The doctor finished applying ointments and tied the gauze neatly, cutting precisely with long pairs of scissors. "Indeed not. At least, I'm not . . . qualified to tell you what to do. It comes with experience, I must say. To be able to weigh what decision is right and wrong. You are wise to ask me these questions, but it is clear you are young to the world at large and will continue to make hard decisions."

Lyse's face soured, and his words became strained with a touch of unpointed anger. "So how long till I become that wise. How long till I can make the right decisions."

The doctor patted him on the shoulder, the void eyes of his ceramic boar mask, reflecting his agitated feelings. But the doctor's voice contrasted it with smooth and polite sincerity. "Only you can decide that young man."

The doctor turned back to his mother. "She will be fine. She just needs rest and a little food. Since you are a knight, that arm should be fine within just a few hours with my help. You are welcomed to stay by her side, but please do not disturb her."

With that, the doctor left him alone with his unconscious mother. The only thing that disturbed the silence was the brief words he heard the doctor give to his friends, and then silence. The steady breaths of his mother kept him company as he leaned himself against the bed. He replayed the events once more in his head. Everything that his mother could do, he could do and more. He could be far more powerful than he was now. If he weren't so helpless, none of what had occurred would have happened. It wasn't simply a decision; it was his utter lack of power in general that had driven them to this.

He remembered that he had promised an explanation to the others, who were no doubt in rabid confusion after what they just had witnessed, although in his state, he doesn't know how to explain it to them. He felt as though he was going to fall apart at the seams. He opened the door, apparently interrupting a debate going on between the three of them. Lyse could barely contain his anger as his fist slammed against the wall. It wasn't powerful enough to break through the solid wooden beams, but the entire building seemed to shake. He felt like crying but knew he was incapable of that at the moment. He was far more angry than actually sad.

"I never knew," he managed in a shaking voice. "That being so weak could be so frustrating."

They were all painfully silent as he tried to compose himself before them. The guards who were not twenty paces away seemed a bit startled but quickly looked away as Lyse gazed towards them.

"Come in, we do have some things to talk about," he was far from actually composed, but it will have to do for now. They all followed him inside, Edlund locking the door behind them as he sat on one of the chairs next to each of the beds. He wiped a hot head with his hand, trying to put together the right words for them. They all seemed shaken in all sorts of way, especially gray, who seemed ready to vomit, but seemed upset more than queasy as he waited for Lyse to speak. Elena was more composed and quizzically examined Lyse much the same as Edlund, who seemed to pay little attention, and was more concerned with Celia than what Lyse had to say to the other two.

"I uh, I told you about who kidnapped my sister," he said. "And that they were very dangerous and maybe after my mother and me."

"Dangerous," Gray scoffed at that. "They were not humans. Couldn't be. We would have died back there if your mother didn't come and . . . what did she do? Is she a mage or what . . . "

"Yeah," Elena told Lyse. "We are a little disgruntled about these people who attacked us, but we are far more concerned about you and your mother. The trees Lyse, they bent to her will. Is she a mage or or . . . or what?"

"No," he said hesitantly. "No, not a mage. She's just a sage. However, she . . . we can do things that normal people can not normally do."

"How so?" Gray asked. "You mean when she and you go off at night? What is that?"

Words seemed to become harder and harder to form for Lyse. "It's a magic . . . sort of. We can do things like . . . well what she did back there. And it's because of that that they are after us. It's not like the magic that the mages of Torlak practice. It's something else."

"Well, that certainly explains a lot?" Elena sighed, and Gray gave her a sideways look.

"Does it, though?" he asked. "I mean, what about that other one. The hooded man with the wings. If I had just a little less strength, my own sword would have been embedded into my heart. Is he just another one of these . .. uh-"

"Makhai," Lyse told them. "My mother called them Makhai. They are warriors of this guild and are quite terrifying. That's all I know about them so far, I swear to you. My mother may know even more, but that's all I have for you."

A lie. He knows much more. More about Talin, and more about what was hanging within the folds of his clothes as well. But he didn't want to put them in any more danger than they currently were under now. Edlund knows as well that he was holding information off, especially about the pendant and the ramifications of its existence. Edlund wished that Lyse just had a fever dream when he explained it all to him. To think that beings out there so powerful that they influence the very forces of nature was just a little outside his realm of comprehension. But this must all be important, he realized, if Lyse was willing to lie about it. Lyse had always been upfront about his every action and acts as though he is justified in what he does. But that pain in his eyes he rarely sees was plain as day. Elena and Gray might not know Lyse long enough to see it, but he can. He grew up with this man.

"We should move into an inn a soon as possible," Lyse sighed. "They won't stop hunting. Next time they'll send more and something else much more powerful than the Makhai."

"Like the scary birdman?" Gray asked. "When I embarked upon this journey, it was mainly to protect the only friend I know. And in one of the first times where you as our 'leader' has to make a decision, she nearly has her throat slashed. Lyse, I know you are a good man and wise. But if you're not going to put our lives in some sort of priority, then we will have to."

"We are the ones who agreed to come along," Elena told him strictly. "It wasn't as if he asked us. And I know he cares enough about our lives to make the decision he knows will save us, right?"

That hurt him, deep inside, but he nodded. And much worse than an actual lie, was the uncertainty of whether it was or not. "I promise that I will never get us in that sort of situation again. You are all my friends, and I'll never do something to hurt you, any of you."

Gray didn't seem all that convinced, but he did nod, looking at Elena with a bit of concern as she did not hesitate. Edlund clapped his hands together, sighing as Lyse stood to leave.

"With that out of the way, we need to tell you that we are waiting for a knight from eh local quarters to come and question us," he said. "They advised not to leave Lyse. Besides, with that broken arm, I doubt you should be."

"I feel better already?" Lyse gave them a vacant smile. "I'll just be walking around for a bit to get my bearings back; I'll be back within the hour."

"And if you're not back within the hour?" Edlund asked. "And the other knights show up before."

Lyse paused at the door, looking at the three of them. "Then tell them I've gone out for a stroll and will be back shortly. I'm not so dull that I'd get lost, you know. I can at least do that much."