Gibbons and Iuke both approached the desolated practice field of the academy. They see bodies of apprentices strewn around, an undeniable wall of melting ice that blocks the southern route from the field and a large crater near the center of the field. Gibbons immediately got off her horse and ran towards the first body she spotted.

It was the body of Thompson that was shot by the goblin archer that ran with Iuke from earlier. As soon as she realized that wasn’t her sister, she ran to another body, and to another. Iuke also got down from the horses and started to look for a spot to tie them up at. He spotted a tree, so he took their reins and headed towards there.

Gibbons kept looking and looking, but none of the bodies resembled anything like her sister. She counted the bodies up, including the ones in the distance.

“Apprentice Winston, how many apprentices we’re in your class?” Gibbons asked, while looking for details that she may be missing on the bodies.

“Not including the instructor, there is only twenty of us in class, master magician.” Winston said as he continued towards the tree, and then stopped as he had remembered something that may have been of importance.

“Oh right, apprentice Lancelin was not with us during practice. I have no idea where he is…” Winston said as Gibbons was lost in thought.

“The instructor’s body isn’t here anyways, his coat is blue. You’re alive and here, so that’s minus you and Lancelin. If this is all the bodies of the fallen here, that means one other apprentice is missing.” Gibbons stated as she went back to the pile of scorched bodies and looked a bit closer. She noticed one of them, being a body of a female apprentice magician, was missing her head.

The body figure does resemble her younger sister, but she’s still denying it to be her. She still kept that hope up that her sister is still alive, somewhere. Maybe she is with Instructor Korahk elsewhere in town, fighting the goblins in the south. Maybe they are safe in a building after this battle, hints around the practice field, any magician that took part would be low on mana.

Iuke continued to walk towards the tree, he glanced around the field then back to the tree. Stomaching in his guilt, he tried to shake off all of his, ‘What if I stayed? Would I have made a difference?’ thoughts.

He reached to the tree and started to tie the reins to a branch, swallowing that bad taste in his mouth; he couldn’t help but shake in remorse.

He remembered what Sergeant Reeves told him, ‘We all joined the military of this country for many reasons; most of us have the same. Defending our loved ones is the most common one of all. So please, look deep down in your heart and remember what it is that made you join’.

Iuke fell to his knees and broke down in tears.

One of the horses started to sniff something that Iuke assumed was just a rock in front of the tree. He turned to face the silhouette, while wiping his eyes with his arm sleeve. He crawled to the rock and noticed, it’s not a rock due to its odd shape and the fact that it’s scorched up. He picked it up and immediately vomited to the side after dropping it.

It’s the corpse head of the younger sister of Gibbons.

“Oh what now? Can’t stand the sight of blood or dead bodies?” Gibbons said irritably while walking towards Iuke.

The head rolled into her line of sight, she noticed it’s a head but, couldn’t tell who it was. So she ran towards the head, dropped down to her knees, sitting on her back legs and picked it up.

She stared at the half scorched head of her younger sister for a while, slowly starting to cry.

After Iuke finished vomiting, he glanced over to Gibbons as she started to mutter to herself, more or less to her sister.

“Oh sis… My only sister… Diana Gibbons… To leave this world, like this… I know, judging that you’re the only one to be dismembered, that you have fought valiantly… You have grown into a beautiful young woman, studied very well in the arts of magic as it has been in our family history.” She slowly stood up, while cradling Diana’s head in her arms facing up towards the sky.

She walked towards Diana’s headless body, as the drizzle started to rain.

Iuke watched Gibbons walk towards her sister’s body, as the feeling of guilt weighs down upon his shoulders, gets heavier and heavier as she cuts her distance.

“You… Had many dreams that you told me of… Some of them, you have fulfilled. As for others…” She stopped before her sister’s body and looks down to her headless carcass.

“I’ll at least look after that boy and make sure he grows up to be the country’s proud arch magician that you wanted him to be…” She said before she knelt down on one knee.

She arranged her sister’s hood to hold her head in place to her neck. She brushed her sister’s hair and closed her eyelids, and then she gently kissed her forehead as if she was wishing her a good sleep.

Iuke couldn’t help but be moved by her unbreakable mind, until she turned around and revealed her deranged face.

Her eyes opened wide, veins on her face bulging and her hair started to appear as a mess. She stared at him with a killer’s intent.

“Apprentice Winston, you will remain here, by my sister’s side until I come back. If I come back or even give a damn about your wellbeing… Never to leave, under any circumstance… Do I make myself clear?” Gibbons said in a calm and eerily tone.

Iuke tried to remain calm but stuttered instead as he tried to answer.

“Ye Ye… Yes! Master magician!” He replied as he stood up immediately in the position of attention while saluting.

She turned her gaze from Iuke to the beast that is still rampaging through the town, toppling buildings and sweeping away fellow guardsmen. She makes her way towards the beast in the center of the town. Iuke remained still, until she left, then he started to breathe heavily. After he regained his breathe, he slowly walked towards Diana’s body.

His guilt came back to him as he looked upon Diana’s half scorched face. This time, the sight isn’t too gruesome for him to vomit.

“I’m sorry…” He muttered as a tear rolls down his left eye.

“I’m sorry for running away from you… From all of you!” He yelled as he looked around, at the other bodies that are strewn around.

He falls onto his knees and started to cry again. ‘Even if I stayed, I would’ve ended up like them… I can’t fight, my magic is a joke and I’m useless…’ He thought.

Shortly afterwards a guardsman, bloodied and bruised staggered from the south side of the town, spotted Iuke and yelled out to him.

“You! Yes you, surviving apprentice mage! I.. no we need your help! Please! We have many wounded civilians and soldiers that are on death’s door as we speak! Please help them, even if you don’t have any mana please help me tend to their wounds.” The soldier pleaded.

Iuke looked at him, then towards Diana’s face. The consequences of disobeying Gibbons’ orders did come to his mind, but he knew that he should help out those that are in need. After all, he has practiced healing magic, where else would his practice be put to good use?

Before the guardsman was going to assume that Iuke is traumatized to the point of no response, Iuke stood up and covered his head with his hood.

He looked at the guardsman with renewed faith in his abilities and said, “Lead me to them!”. He ran towards the guardsman and moved his arm over his shoulder, and they both went off.