The two girls jolted away from each other as one, already beginning to race their way down the rest of the mountain. They had already descended most of the way, leaving them one long stretch to sprint. Their strides matched almost evenly, resulting in the pair running side by side. Devyn snatched glimpses of Aneira as they ran. The blonde girl's brow was furrowed in pure panic, and she couldn't help but feel as if part of that was her fault. She forced the thoughts from her mind. Keep an open head, she demanded internally, urging her legs to move faster.

They reached the foot of the mountain at last. Devyn's legs were already aching from the speed they were running, but she refused to allow herself to slow as they descended the final hills and sprinted across the flat section that separated them from the mountain and the place where their dragons were waiting. Aneira stumbled at some point as they ran, likely from exerting herself so much, but she grimaced as Devyn stepped over to help, and so the dark-haired girl left her alone.

The place where they'd set up camp the previous night finally came into view, and with it their dragons. Devyn stared in combined amusement and bewilderment as she saw that the two reptiles were curled up together, napping lightly as they basked in the last dregs of the evening sun.

"Get up, you useless brutes," Devyn snapped as she finally slowed to a stop. Her legs practically gave out beneath her, but she ignored the discomfort and set herself to getting Twyl ready to fly. While the affection between the two dragons was admittedly rather adorable, Devyn didn't have any time to waste fawning over the sleepy pair.

The bulky mahogany dragon grunted in annoyance, wriggling himself out of his position as Aneira's dragon's headrest. He spread his wings and gave them a few flaps before tucking them to his sides and examining his surroundings. Devyn watched as his narrow pupils dilated, then retracted, as he woke up fully and carefully surveyed everything within his view. His gaze caught on the flames on the horizon and he let out a displeased snort, as if recognizing their dilemma. Twyl finally stepped up to his rider, kneeling to allow her to mount. She climbed onto his broad back, situating herself between two of his blunt spikes, before glancing over at Aneira. The blonde girl had already positioned herself on Claer's back, hunching over to take off.

Devyn walked Twyl over to the dragon and rider pair. "Hey," she murmured, just loud enough for Aneira to hear. The blonde girl turned with a flinch, her eyes flashing with fear and worry that she quickly hurried to mask with nonchalance.

I get it. She's technically my prisoner. She thinks she just got caught trying to escape to fly to the stronghold. Devyn once more felt a tingle of guilt that she was unused to. She cleared her throat, hurriedly shaking her head before she had to deal with Aneira's worried expression any longer. "I'm not going to stop you. You need to help out; I get that." A hint of a smirk leapt onto her lips as Aneira's shoulders visibly sank with relief. "Whatever happens, I'm right here with you."

The blonde girl offered her a grateful smile, and some of the same emotions from earlier could be seen in her slate grey eyes before she turned and signaled for her dragon to take to the sky. Twyl did the same, launching himself into the air after a few strides to build momentum. Devyn tried not to think of anything other than the task that lay ahead of them as they flew at a brisk pace towards the burning Ledian stronghold. Still, thoughts and questions filled her mind, all pertaining to the moment between them, before they had seen the flames and raced down the mountain. We had gotten so close... There was this sort of longing that I saw in her eyes, and that I think I felt too... And then we both leaned in even closer, and it was almost as if we were going to...

She shook the thoughts aside. They would only distract her, and the last thing she needed in this moment was a distraction. It had been her downfall in one of the fights between herself and Aneira; her thoughts had led her astray, causing her to walk away injured. Devyn brushed a finger across the scar on her cheek as she remembered another battle of theirs. She shut her eyes for a second and promised herself that it would never happen again; she'd shove the thoughts and feelings as far down as she had to in order to avoid it.

They drew closer to the Ledian stronghold, Devyn gritting her teeth as the stench of burning things reached her nostrils. Shapes flitted from the clouds and back up as dragons and their riders darted in and out of battle. As the wind changed direction, Devyn could hear the echoes of shouting as commands were exchanged between captains and their soldiers. She gripped one of Twyl's neck spikes tighter in her hands as she mentally prepared herself for what was to come.

Flames still licked at the sides of the stronghold, turning the stone black with soot. Most of the fire must have been put out, and no one seemed to be focused on creating it anew. All Devyn could see as they flew closer were people: people fighting, people running, people... dying. There were motionless bodies curled up all across the field. Devyn shuddered as she saw that some were burnt or mutilated beyond recognition, likely the doing of dragons who hadn't been kept under control.

A few lengths ahead, Aneira and her dragon began to make their descent at the edges of the battlefield. Devyn signaled for Twyl to do the same, her stomach swooping as he made an especially short twist in order to land in time. As the two dragons came to a stop and touched down, Aneira barely spared Devyn a second glance as she rushed off immediately in the direction of the Ledian stronghold. Devyn didn't feel too hurt about it; she knew that Aneira wanted to go and check to ensure everyone she cared about was okay. It was a perfectly reasonable excuse to get away from her.

Still, that left Devyn at the edge of a roaring battlefield with no idea where to go or where she would be needed most. Her hands clenching and unclenching in a nervous manner, she skated her brown-eyed gaze across the low hills that made up the field. Her eyes caught on one of the taller hills at a nearer corner. A figure stood atop it, gazing proudly across the field. While the figure was angled so that Devyn couldn't see its face, one look at the staff in the person's hand and the bird upon their shoulder was enough to connect the dots. Chancellor Kemble.

Devyn took a careful survey of her surroundings to ensure she wasn't throwing herself into battle before hurrying over to the man. He turned at the sound of her boots hitting the dirt. His dark eyes leapt first to her, then to the space to either side of her, as if he was searching for something. Or someone. A cold smile curled his lips upwards. Chysgod clucked curiously, tilting his head as if to mimic the man's stare.

"Ah, you don't have our Ledian friend with you anymore. I take it your quest went according to plan, then." Kemble stepped forward and held out a hand. It took Devyn a moment to figure out what it was that he wanted from her.

The weapon. He thinks I have the weapon that we were sent up the mountain for, and that I did end up sacrificing Aneira for it. She felt, briefly, a small tingle of dread go down her spine as she wondered what Kemble was going to do to her when he found out that she hadn't gotten it for him at all.

Devyn opened her mouth to answer, before pausing and rethinking. "Hold on, what's going on? I didn't plan this fight. Why... Why didn't you wait until I returned?"

"I needed to have it all prepared for when you got back," Kemble replied, his voice as smooth and cool as the stones a river polished. Chysgod ruffled his wings excitedly, as if he could feel the energy of the words as well. The man's smile spread into a grin that was all teeth. Devyn spotted a glint of giddiness in his gaze. "After all, the object I sent you to collect will be just enough to strike the final blow. And I needed to have everyone here fighting, out in the open, for that to happen." His hands twitched, as if he wanted to actually clap them together in his happiness. Devyn felt a mixture of disgust and dismay upon seeing how eager the chancellor was about this. The feeling of dread returned once more as the man's smile slowly began to slip. "But you never answered my question, captain. Where is the weapon?"

Well? Devyn asked herself. She knew she only had seconds to concoct a proper answer. What'll it be, then? A lie? Something to distract him from it again, to derail him from the conversation? Or do I dare tell him the truth, that I chose not to bring it for him?

She gulped as she sensed Kemble's patience beginning to wither. Here goes nothing, then. Devyn blinked to clear her gaze before staring up at the chancellor, who still stood at the very top of the hill, meeting his eyes with a stare she hoped was as smoldering as his own. Even though he was just barely out of view, she sensed that Chysgod was watching her, too. "I don't have it." Despite her best attempts otherwise, the words came out in a pitiful croak.

"Excuse me?" Kemble asked, and she heard a hint of genuine confusion in the question. Then he let out a soft bark of a laugh that bordered on hysteric. "You don't have it? Well, where is it, then?"

"Still on Mount Nyswell, in the same spot it's always been," Devyn answered, her voice gaining some strength now that her secret was out in the open. "However, I did break the offering bowl, so now there's no shot at ever releasing that terrible weapon."

Devyn hadn't realized she was standing so close to the man until she saw his eye twitch. He was attempting to hold in his storm of rage. She wondered just how long it would take until he released it all upon her. She forced her shoulders back and tipped her chin up; she'd take the words with confidence.

It only took a dozen seconds before the man exploded in a blast of words and movement. Chysgod took flight to stay out of arm's range and circled above, crowing with excitement as he watched it all go down. "How dare you, you insolent beast! You've been very lucky I've kept you at my side all these years, do you know that? Do you know how many times I've thought about just throwing you out altogether? How many times I've instead kept a patient demeanor with you?" Kemble began to walk towards her, the pointed bottom of his staff throwing up clumps of moist dirt each time it was forced in and out of the ground. Devyn stood still until he grew too close; she then began to back up, eager to keep space between the two of them.

"You're one of the only ones to ever pick up such a leadership position and this is what you decide to do with it? Instead of following my orders, which were clear as day, you decided to go against me? Against your own nation? Against Dreg?" His words were picking up speed and his steps soon did the same, until Devyn was nearly stumbling over her own feet in an effort to back away. "You have betrayed all of us! You have betrayed me!"

That made Devyn pause. "You're right," she growled, still backing up to give him space as he closed in on her. "I did betray you. Because you've kept me underneath you and not at your side, no matter how much you say otherwise. As a captain I deserve so much more respect from you. I want to work together, not as one of your underlings. But you treat me as if I'm some little puppet that you can just mess around with." She spat the words as if they were poison, and Kemble actually had the grace to raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Well, no more! I'm not bowing down to you and your cruel ways any longer! You can-"

The man interrupted her with a sound that seemed to be a mixture of a growl and shout, combined with a flash of movement. She realized that his staff was suddenly in the air, and all Devyn could think was that he was standing too close to her. She saw the pointed end of the staff. Too close. We're too close. It's going to...

She felt a rush of air as something leapt to intercept the fatal strike, reaching it just before it could hit Devyn. It wasn't until the figure had already tumbled to the ground with a grunt that she recognized them. Rhona had thrown themself in the way of Kemble's staff. The man's eyes darted between the two as he retracted his weapon with a look of surprise, and he actually stepped back in his shock as he studied the bloodied end of it. Devyn glanced warily over at him, her heart hammering in her ears, and she rushed over to where Rhona's form lay several feet away.

Their tan skin was already slick with sweat, their face scrunched up tight with pain. Their hair had fallen out of its typical bun, splayed around their head like a halo. Their glasses had fallen to the ground a few feet away, and Devyn hurriedly moved to return them to their owner. As Devyn's gaze moved hesitantly down, she saw a growing patch of red right in the middle of Rhona's chest, their shift torn where the staff had gone through. Devyn fell to her knees beside her friend, her hands leaping up to cover the wound in the hopes of keeping in some of the blood that was already pooling out with surprising speed.

"Devyn," Rhona whispered roughly, their eyes fluttering open. They managed a shaky smile. "Did you see that? I did what every healer wants to do: I saved a life. I just saved your-" Their words were interrupted by a grunt of discomfort. They squeezed their eyes shut again.

"Shh," Devyn whispered. She moved one hand to clutch Rhona's, and her friend held it in an iron-like hold. "I know, I know. And don't worry, alright? It's going to be okay. We'll get a healer to you; they'll get here and they'll patch up that wound, and..." Even as she murmured the words, more to ease her own sense of panic than anything, she felt a growing sense of despair.

Rhona shook their head slightly, shivering with the exertion it took even for the small motion. "No. No, they wouldn't get here in time. But that's okay. It's okay." Their voice was quiet, shaky from the trauma of the injury they'd taken but still eerily calm. They opened their eyes again and, even though their gaze was slightly out of focus, looked up at Devyn. Nothing but softness and love filled their stare, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes at the sight.

Devyn didn't know what to say; she didn't know what she could possibly do to make sure her friend would be okay. Perhaps there was nothing she could do at all. She continued to hold their hand, even as Rhona tightened their grip to a painful level with each body-racking cough. She gritted her teeth as she spotted blood beginning to come up with each cough, a surefire sign of internal bleeding. They were both silent for a long time, neither daring to mention the grim fate that surely lay ahead of Rhona.

Then, suddenly, her friend's eyes shot open, staring up at Devyn with a renewed desperation. "You are my best friend. Just in case, or when, well, y'know... I need you to know that. You've always been the supportive family I've never had, and I love you so, so much." Their voice was so quiet and breathy that Devyn had to lean even closer to hear.

She felt a tear finally break free and streak down her cheek. "You're my best friend too, Rhona. I love you. I'm sorry I didn't show that sooner."

Rhona's eyes glimmered with similar emotions, and Devyn watched as they attempted to hold back another cough in order to maintain the proper mood of the moment. Their complexion had gone steadily paler, and though she hated to admit it, their skin was beginning to feel cooler. It was too late. Devyn didn't bother to look at the wound or the spreading puddle of blood to check if there was another way; she just knew. Rhona's heart was struggling to keep them going any longer. The strike had been meant to be fatal, and it was. Kemble's aim hadn't gone wrong.

Rhona shuddered again, a soft moan of pain escaping their lips. Devyn shifted and wrapped them up in her arms. She hated for them to have to suffer like this; if she had been any braver, she would have slit their throat for them to spare them the pain. Rhona clutched her tight and she could feel them shivering weakly in her embrace.

"Shh," Devyn murmured again, whispering the words in Rhona's ear. She blinked away tears. "It's okay. I love you so much, and I'm so proud of you for accomplishing all that you've accomplished." She felt a sob choking her throat and hurried to clear it. Rhona's grip was going steadily limper with each passing second; she could faintly hear their ragged breaths. "You're the best healer there is. Everyone has appreciated your work so, so much. You've saved so many lives, just like you've always dreamed, and now you've saved mine too. I could never repay you for it." She paused to think of more to say, before going still as she realized that there was nothing but silence coming from Rhona. She had heard them breathing moments before, but now that she realized it, she no longer felt them trembling in her hold, or felt the gentle grip of their arms around her. Devyn gripped them tighter despite this, holding in tears as she gave Rhona one last hug. Then she slowly unwrapped her arms from around them and eased their limp body to the grassy earth below.

Their eyes were already shut, and it seemed as if the pain Rhona had just felt had disappeared. Their face was slack in an expression of peace. It was almost possible to see a smile on their lips, as if they'd wake up and begin laughing like old times, like this was all one big joke meant to scare their friend.

Devyn sat back, plopping herself on the grass beside them and pulling her knees up to her chest. She held them tight as she lowered her forehead to the space between them. Sobs tore their way through her body, and she no longer cared about keeping them inside. She let her cries fill the air so that everyone around could hear the sounds of her grief.