Boaz could barely keep his eyes open as he rode Magma through Upper Ember. He turned to Sheraga, who appeared to have endless energy as he quickly rode his Komodo dragon throughout the region. They had been on the move all last night, not even stopping for a break. Having had a long and stressful day, Boaz was utterly worn out. As much as he wanted to rest, he understood the urgency of locating Jai.

He wanted to talk to Sheraga, but every time he thought of something to say, those intense amber eyes were all he could focus on. Sheraga physically seemed strong beyond his years. Although his wine-colored clothes and gold armor covered most of his body, one would have to be a fool not to notice that the DragonLord was all muscle. Something about the look in his eyes made one know better than to cross him. Boaz knew he was still in a foreign territory, so he had to be cautious. Magma had been trailing behind Sheraga and his dragon the entire time. The sun lightly kissed the horizon, signaling the start of a new day.

Sheraga slowed to match Magma's pace, "You don't talk much," he flatly stated, never looking in Boaz's direction.

"What's there to talk about?"

"There's plenty to talk about. How do you know Aqila? What details did she give you about this death vision? What her fiance is planning to do about her apparent disappearance? But you can start with, who the hell are you, and why should I be inclined to trust you?"

Boaz did not see a firing round of questions to come from the DragonLord. However, everything he asked was reasonable. "My parents are librarians in Theyra. We live in a village in the Theyran Desert and owe a landmark library. I work with my parents collecting, maintaining, and renting books. Aqila's mentor, Zeroun, started bringing her to the library when she was young to study various topics. We became friendly, especially since we are so close in age. As we got older, sometimes Aqila would just visit to talk about her reading material. We would give each other book recommendations and talk about them later. I didn't know she was an apprentice seer until much later."

"When she came to drop off her books yesterday, she seemed a little off, like something was bothering her. She didn't go into details about her vision other than saying the need to have a vision increases after leaving the area where Jai was. She said she was worried about having a death vision about him. Then she told me that she thought Jai was heading to Ember's border. Aqila didn't go into any details. The sight was becoming too strong."

"I'm not sure what Kavi will do or how he will find Aqila. But, after meeting him in person, I have no doubt that he will find her and bring her back home safely," he explained briefly, unsure how much information he should give him.

Sheraga shook his head, "Okay, good. I just need to know who I'm working with."

Boaz was nearly frustrated. He asked all of those questions for no apparent reason. Now, Boaz had a question for the DragonLord, "Why do you want me to come with you? I mean, you already know that tensions are high between Firehearts and Landkeepers. I don't see how I can be of any help to you."

"I don't expect you to be of much help either," Sheraga shrugged, "I brought you because if things did take a turn for the worst and Jai and some Flamethrower are injured, I'd be wasting time to make two trips. Since Tora really needs to stay put, thanks to your kind of folk, I didn't have much choice."

Boaz felt offended. He really thought Sheraga believed that he could be helpful at some point. But in a perfect world, he would have chosen Tora instead.

Sheraga turned and looked at Boaz, "But I might be impressed to see you make yourself useful. We aren't too far from the border now. For the love of the Universe, it's bad," Sheraga groaned, shaking his head in anguish.

"What's the problem?"

"Can't you smell that," Sheraga retorted sharply as if Boaz was ignorant.

Boaz inhaled and exhaled. He didn't really know what Sheraga was talking about.

"Smoke and tons of it, let's get going. Ash, charge!" The Komodo dragon darted in the direction of the border.

Boaz shook the lantern near Magma's neck, "Come on, let's keep up." He was surprised at how quickly Magma picked up speed, especially since she moved slower the entire trip. The closer they got to the border, Boaz's eyes began to sting from the smoke. The thick substance made breathing somewhat tricky. He could barely make out Sheraga's red hair. The deeper he went into the smoke, he began to feel lightheaded.

"Boaz, stop and let me clear the smoke some," Sheraga called to him, hearing Boaz go into a coughing fit. Using his first two fingers, Sheraga quickly redirected the smoke in another direction. When the smoke cleared, Boaz felt sick to see all the blood and dead bodies. The smoke clouded the atrocious sight and the stench of blood-stained earth. Aqila's death vision had already come to pass. The entire area seemed to be deserted.

"There's no one here," Boaz murmured.

"They probably all evacuated in the chaos of whatever battle happened here," Sheraga replied. "Arrow! Arrow! Arrow, it's your brother!"

Boaz called out, "Jai! Jai! Is anyone alive," he asked, trying to keep his voice from cracking.

They both dismounted their reptiles, and Sheraga ran to a pile of ruins removing the stones as fast as he could. "Sheraga, let me do that. It'll save some time." Boaz planted his feet in a wide-legged stance. He balled his fists tightly, keeping his elbows bent close to his sides, and lifted his fists. As his hands raised, so did the stones. He also turned his body to the right, tossing the stones in that direction.

"Thanks, you've made yourself useful already," Sheraga thanked the Landkeeper. Sheraga turned the heads of every single body under that pile of ruins and pulled one body aside. As he looked for survivors, Boaz continued to remove stones, uncovering bodies every time. Under one set of ruins, a black-haired young man fluttered his eyes.

"Sheraga! He's alive, look," Boaz pointed to the young man.

Sheraga ran towards him and called, "Flame! Flame," the young man was coughing, gasping for air. "Flame, I'm going to pull you up," Sheraga lifted the young man with great ease. He gently placed him on the ground, laying his body straight out.

Boaz heard more coughing and saw someone moving. He slowly stood up and gasped for air. Their eyes met, "Are you okay? I'm here to help," Boaz asked and extended his hand.

The red-haired man didn't accept it but looked past Boaz at Sheraga, "Sheraga, Sheraga, how did you get here?"

Sheraga stood and bolted toward his fellow Pyrocean, "Arrow, you okay, bro?" Sheraga extended his hand like Boaz had done, and Arrow immediately accepted, staggering over bodies as the pair embraced.

Suddenly, Arrow quickly pushed away from Sheraga, "Yuuna and Beamer," gasping. He stiffly ran towards a red-haired woman and black-haired man who were not far off. Sheraga followed his brother, and Boaz continued looking for survivors. Arrow jumped back a few feet and covered his eyes.

"Arrow, calm down, let me look," Sheraga spoke.

"Beamer's dead, he's dead," Arrow shook his head feverishly.

Sheraga checked his pulse, but there was none. Beamer's bright honey-colored eyes were still open, and his last expression was one of shock. Sheraga sighed, slowly closing Beamer's eyes. "Thank you for your service," he whispered into Beamer's ear. He reached out for Yuuna, and she stirred. He turned to his distraught brother, "Arrow, place Yuuna and Flame side by side on Ash." Arrow followed instructions without a word.

"Sheraga, they are alive over here, but one is bleeding out now that the stones are gone," Boaz called out. Sheraga hastily made way to the three bodies Boaz had set aside. He recognized all but one. One of the twin girls, she was unconscious but clearly breathing. Then there was Jai. Something unusual was going on. His pulse was quick. Sheraga placed his ears near his chest and heard Jai's heart beating rapidly. But the man was as still as a dead man. The other man was brown-skinned and appeared to be older than Jai. He had a large gash in his stomach. "Whoever stabbed him tried to do him in," Sheraga mumbled. "Boaz, there are some medical supplies in Ash's travel bag. Bring all of it to me. I need to stitch and wrap him up," Sheraga instructed.

Boaz ran to the bag and brought Sheraga everything he could find. "Thank you, now keep looking for survivors with Arrow. Go easy on him. Some of the dead are people he knew well, his friends."

Boaz saw Arrow walking like a mindless man and headed towards him. "Arrow, let's look over here," he pointed to a young man in an open area alone. They walked cautiously towards him.

"It's Cahya. Could you check? I can't bring myself-"

"Yeah," Boaz checked his pulse, he was alive, "he's just unconscious. I'll place him on Ash, like you've been doing." Boaz lifted Cahya and steadily walked to Ash. Arrow thought he heard something and walked towards the sound. The closer he got, he recognized the sound to be ragged breathing. Arrow got closer to the survivor. A flicker of light came to his soul. It was Calida.

"Cal, Cal, it's me, Arrow," he called to her. He reached out his hand, offering to help her up.

She coughed, "I can't move anything but my head Arrow."

Arrow's eyes went wide. He slowly dropped to his knees and patted her matted black hair, "What do you need me to do?"

"Tell me where I'm bleeding," she replied.

"Calida-"

"Please, Arrow, just tell me," she pleaded.

He sighed and touched her left side near her ribcage, "The back of your head and your left side, let me get Sheraga. He'll stitch you," he turned to stand.

"Arrow, Arrow, this is well beyond stitches, and you know it," she whispered.

Arrow wiped the tears from his face, "Just let him try."

"Arrow, hold my hand, please," he took her small hand inside his, "I'm paralyzed, and I'm bleeding out. Listen to every word I'm about to say. I only have time to say it once. I need you to lead them, the Flamethrowers. You are my successor. This is a setback, yes, but the mission must continue. Jai needs our support. But promise me that you won't let my family's legacy die. Promise me that you will lead them," tears started at the corners of her eyes.

"I promise. I'll lead them. Trust me, for you and everything you are to me, I'll lead them," Arrow vowed.

"Thank you, you have no clue what this means to me," the tears fell from her face.

Arrow used his free hand to wipe her tears away, "I just wish I could save you," his voice cracked.

Calida laughed, "Arrow, you did save me. You saved me the moment we met. Those three years have gone by so fast. You believed in me, my family, and our mission. You fought for it like it was your own. You brought joy and happiness to my life that I would have never had without you. You fought for me and with me through so many obstacles for so many victories. You always freed me from anything that threatened to shackle me. You brought the Flamethrowers honor by leading Jai to us so we could continue our pledge to the Universe to support our Legend. All the things my parents taught me about love, I heard it all, but I really learned to love because you loved me. We made each other better people. It wasn't easy, but that's what made it real: we both fought to love each other."

"I love you too," tears from Arrow's face fell onto Calida's. He went to wipe them off.

"Don't! I can't even feel your hand right now. I just know that it's there. These tears are the last things I'm going to feel from you. Please leave them," her eyes began to flutter. "And be sure to take my necklace. You'll need it."

The pair sat silently for several minutes, gazing into each other's eyes. Calida sighed, "I love you, Arrow."

Arrow looked into her honey eyes and mustered a smile, "I love you too."

"Thank you for everything. And Arrow," she paused.

"Yes," he held his breath.

Calida mustered a smile, "Don't be afraid of anything that reminds you of me."

"I promise."

"Good, keep all of your promises," she whispered. Her last breath was a whisper before her honey-colored eyes became still. Arrow sobbed, squeezing her hand. He dropped his head into her neck and cried.

Sheraga watched his brother in the distance with a broken heart. Boaz came from behind him and looked at him hesitantly. "Leave him. He's not ready to let her go. He needs to have that moment."

Boaz nodded. Sadness crept into his heart watching Arrow cry over the body of the woman he obviously loved. He turned away, unable to watch. He and Sheraga continued to search for survivors. Sheraga told Boaz that Jai, Alena, Cahya, Flame, and the man with the critical wounds were on Ash. Suvan, Yuuna, and Arin were on Magma. Arrow staggered towards them, his eyes red and puffy from crying. He was wearing a thin chain with a ring on it. He was not wearing this before.

"I'll take Calida and Beamer and bury them in the Flamethrower gravesite. Where should I meet you later tonight," he asked Sheraga. Sadness lingered on every word.

"Meet me at Tora's house," Sheraga gently touched his brother's shoulder, "I'm sorry about Calida."

Arrow wiped his eyes once more, "Thanks, bro, I need to get going." Arrow walked away, finding a cart. He lifted Beamer's body into the back before gently lifting Calida and placing her beside him. He put a chaste kiss on her forehead as he closed her eyes.

"Will he be okay, going by himself?"

"Yeah, he'll be okay," Sheraga replied.

Arrow put a black hood over him to cover his face.

Sheraga watched his brother with a heavy heart, then looked at all the bodies surrounding them, "Boaz, I'm going to stay back and bury them. I'll tie a fire light onto Ash, and he will follow Magma back to Tora's place. Go back exactly how we came, so no one sees you. You should get back sometime in the afternoon. Tell Tora that Arrow and I will be there by evening."

"I will. You can trust me," Boaz nodded.

Sheraga smiled, "I know that now. Thank you, go ahead and get going."

Boaz ran to Magma while he waited for Sheraga to set up the firelight. He attached it to Ash's neck and spoke some words. The Komodo dragon walked toward Magma.

"He's ready, go ahead to Tora's," Sheraga instructed.

"I'll see you later," Boaz called. He patted Magma, signaling for her to go. Boaz was off riding a reptile with several unconscious bodies following him. He didn't expect this to be the outcome. Aqila went missing yesterday, and it was obvious that this attack happened at some point yesterday. Boaz felt frustrated. This is what he wanted to prevent.

Ila appeared before him. Her semi-transparent figure took a seat beside Boaz on Magma's back. "This is not the end. You were a valuable asset today."

"I don't feel that way. Maybe I was too slow. What if I took too long to get help? If only I was paying more attention, Aqila would have never been kidnapped. She could have saved them," Boaz looked away from Ila.

"As I see it, Sheraga would still be removing stones if it wasn't for you. The longer they stayed under the ruins, the less chance anyone had to survive. Like Ila said, you proved to be a valuable asset," Basir appeared, "Also, I have a revelation. This event no one would have stopped it from happening. Something was going to happen here yesterday. Maybe it could have been fewer casualties, but something was going to happen anyway."

"How do you know that?"

"I am irrevocably connected to the Seers, but now is not the time to tell that story. My connection to them is how I know these things," Basir answered.

"You are here for a reason Bo. The journey ahead won't be easy, but I promise it will be worthwhile. The longer and harder the battle, the sweeter the victory," Ila smiled. Just as they came seemingly from nothing, Basir and Ila disappeared. Boaz felt better after talking to them. They always came to him when he needed them most. For the first time, Boaz felt that everything was going to be okay. He wasn't sure why he felt that way, but he felt it in his bones.