Mak'Gora. An ancient tradition left from the old times, where two members of the royal family fight over the throne of Valeria to the death. It was first reinstated when a mad king ruled the land and the only way to beat him was to use his pride against him. Where Aidan first could've refused because I wasn't an officially recognized royalty, my flaming wings now proved quite the opposite. He was the usurper, not me.

Where before the journey had taken two days' time I now arrived just before dawn. The path I had taken wasn't densely inhabited, but those few that saw the fiery wings flying over their houses like a comet across the nights' sky immediately followed. The legend of the phoenix was still fresh in their mind and they wouldn't pass the opportunity to follow such a warrior. Even though they shouted at me with glee, admiration and vigour I didn't even spare them a second glance. No, my eyes and my thoughts were fixated on just one thing.

When Eagle's Fall came into view I could still see the smoke rising from the collapsed buildings but it seemed as if the rebellion had ended. The red and orange banners that before hung threatingly over the buildings had been removed and possibly burned to ashes.

As I landed in the midst of the arena of Eagle's Fall together with those that followed me, I looked around and saw that many had already gathered. It wasn't a surprise, for they could've seen the ball of fire coming from miles away. They watched me either in amazement or in fear as the entire arena was being warmed by the heat that was coming off of me. It didn't take long for the royal guards to arrive together with a patrol, leading their king to his challenger that was waiting all too eagerly for his arrival.

Before the whole patrol arrived Stefan appeared between them and walked towards me, his face covered with a worried expression. "Lyanna?" He stopped a few feet away from me, glancing at me warily when he saw the orange and yellow colour of my eyes. As I tried to hide from the emotions he stirred up in me, I only glanced at him momentarily before turning back in the direction where Aidan was supposed to appear.

"Lyanna, think about what you're doing." He tried to reason. He was wearing the tabard of the Stormrages, his usual uniform. Where before it brought me a sense of security, he now only awakened more anger in me.

"I have, Stefan." I glanced away from him quickly when he continued to stare at me. He was my closest friend, yet now I couldn't stand the sight of him wearing my brother's sigil.

"He's your brother." Stefan's brows drew together. "You grew up with him, that has to mean something." His words almost got stuck in his throat. I only glanced at him for a moment before turning away again. "You know I'll always support you but this is wrong." When I made no comments whatsoever he gave up, making him slouch his shoulders in defeat and return to his men. As more and more arrived, soldiers and citizens both, they took their places in the arena and watched in anticipation as the King's patrol arrived.

His soldiers walked around the edges of the arena till they were all surrounding me. "Aidan!" I yelled when he still hadn't entered my vision. "Show yourself, you coward!"

Clouds gathered right on cue, their colour darkening as they thickened threatingly and a low hum of thunder rang through our ears. The crowd tensed immediately and tried to shield themselves from the heavy rain that started to fall, glancing up in fear of the lighting that would soon follow. I, however, remained standing proudly with my burning wings behind me when Aidan emerged from the clouds and landed gracefully right in front of me.

He stood up just as proud as me, his grey/blue eyes narrowed as he stretched his wings behind him. Where before he had been my brother, he now only reminded me of his traitorous father. He had the same stern look in his eyes and grey wings, the same powers he used to oppress the people. Aidan looked around at the crowd that had gathered, seeing the banners they had already managed to collect that coloured the arena blue and red and sighed before he turned back towards me.

"Aidan Stormrage." I acknowledged him as I glared. In one swift movement I threatingly raised my wings and stretched them, flames dancing around me as I spoke. The rain didn't do anything but enrage the flames even further. "It's about time you showed up."

"Sister." He greeted dryly as he focused on me. "What is the meaning of this gathering?"

"You know very well why we are here, Stormrage." My lips were pressed into a thin line as I watched him.

Aidan bit his lip and casted his eyes down. He knew this arena was used for one purpose, and one purpose only. "I had hoped that it wouldn't come to this, Lyanna." He confessed as he started to pace. "We grew up together and while at first I hated you I came to care for you as my own sister." He stopped in his movements and glanced back at me. "But I'm afraid I can't accept your challenge for you're not a royal, nor is there any real proof of your royal heritage."

"LIAR!" As I yelled, the fire around me immediately grew wilder, turning the rain into a dense smoke. The crowd took in a deep, surprised breath as it warmed their faces and watched as their king froze in place. "Too long have we lived in this fantasy your father created for us. I say, enough." I hissed as the people hung on every word that came from my lips. "I have ventured to the graves of our heroes and discovered the truth of what really happened that day."

I saw how Aidan shuffled on his feet nervously and glanced around. "Why don't you tell them the truth, Stormrage?" I growled as I grasped my sword tightly into my hand. "Why don't you tell them how your father truly gained his throne?"

He bit his lip and nodded his head slightly but he didn't dare look up. He seemed so small, even though he was wearing the armour of a king. "Don't do this, Lyanna. You know me." Aidan glanced up, his eyes filled with sorrow but I wouldn't have it.

"Tell them what really happened that day. Tell them how your father, the man we trusted and followed, killed Anduin and took his throne!" The silence that followed was intense. Everyone glanced between me and Aidan as they held in their breath, afraid that when they allowed themselves to breathe they would set off a bomb. When Aidan didn't move a muscle, I glanced around at the people's faces and saw their scared, confused glances focused on me.

"They have been lying to you all those years, feeding you stories so that you wouldn't know what really happened and would follow them, while in truth they were the ones you should've abandoned." I spoke to them and then pointed at Aidan. "The Stormrages killed Anduin Fireheart because he couldn't kill his own daughter in a desperate attempt to kill Arthas Blackwing. They stabbed him in the back and left him to rot in the caves. Then, they returned here. Told everyone Anduin was killed by Arthas and then took the throne for themselves."

The crowd started to murmur and whisper when I turned back towards Aidan. "So, in truth, brother, you have no real royal heritage. You're but the son of a traitor and a usurper." He only glared back at me in response as the crowd turned against him. They yelled at him in anger, betrayal and cheered me on. I straightened my back and looked down on him.

"But I, I am the daughter of Anduin Fireheart. The last remaining kin of a royal bloodline that stretches over centuries." I pulled my sword out of its sheath and watched how the twin blades extended. "You should be grateful I'm even allowing you a chance to enter Valhalla."

"You're giving me no choice, sister." Aidan sighed in defeat and nodded in contempt, his own hand reaching for his blade on his belt. "I just hope you won't regret this after."

"Oh, I won't." I bend my knees slightly.

"So be it." He swung it for a moment and then readied himself, his gaze soon focusing on me. "I accept your challenge."

I blocked out the noise from the crowd, my only focus being him and my breath slowly steadying. I knew how he fought, I knew the techniques he always used and his weaknesses. While in the past he always defeated me easily, I now saw hesitation crossing over his features as his eyes saw the fire raging around me. He knew this would be a challenge.

We were watching each other like a hunter watches its prey, slowly circling around each other and watching every move of every muscle with our weapons ready. From the corner of my eye I saw Stefan carrying the flag of the Mak'Gora. He glanced between us, regretting the thing he had to do but then placed the banner on the ground, signalling for the fight to begin. While I was always patient and careful, Aidan was always impulsive and reckless. It was no wonder that he attacked first.

He shouted and charged at me, jumping up just a few feet before me so he could land a devastating blow from the air as he summoned lightning with his strike. Something happened though that I hadn't expected. As he flew in the air time seemed to slow, so slow that I could see the lightning strike slowly making its way to the ground. While normally I would've been struck down immediately, I could now easily dodge his blow by jumping to the side.

When I did so time picked up its pace again and I could see Aidan landing on his feet, glancing sideways in shock and surprise. He recovered soon after, now trying to land a blow from the side swiftly. I blocked it easily and took advantage of his weakened position by kicking him over, planting my foot on his chest and sending him flying over a few feet.

Aidan yelled in surprise but quickly recovered, extending his wings to slow his movement and recover his balance. As he stood on his one knee and leaned on his hand, he glanced at me warily, thinking about what just happened. But I didn't give him time to really realise what it meant, for I flapped my wings forward and send a huge wave of fire his way.

As the flames danced around and blocked him from our view the crowd took in a deep breath and watched in anticipation how the king would emerge from the flames. When they suddenly saw a sword coming down to the ground together with lightning, they flinched back in fear. It struck right before me and send me flying black as the sound rang through my ears violently.

I managed to regain my balance in the midst of the air, flapping my wings as I towered above him and the flames flew around me. The anger worsened and my vision reddened as I growled, my eyes narrowing at his small figure when he too flapped his wings to meet me in the air.

Before he could reach me I had dived towards him and yelled as loud as I could, colliding with him in the midst of the air and sending him back towards the ground so I could land right on top. He groaned loudly in pain when his back collided with the ground but then twisted us over, grasping his sword swiftly and trying to drive it down onto me as I was laying on the ground.

Luckily, I managed to block it right before it hit me, parrying his sword right above my chest. Our eyes locked and we both froze in our place. He seemed afraid, reluctant and downright lost when I looked at him. His eyes were glazed over, root and ashes covering his golden hair and red cheeks, tears leaving a clean path down his face.

"Lyanna." He spoke through gritted teeth as he kept me locked beneath his sword. "I don't want to do this."

I felt something besides the anger and it scared me. It crept up my spine slowly and seemed to bang on an invisible door inside my head, begging to be let it. "No, no, no." I spoke out loud and yelled in anger, using all my strength to push his sword away. The utter act of desperation awakened something new inside of me and when it came out it felt like I was something else entirely. I was lost in the flames and the only thing I could feel was its power surrounding me.

Aidan stumbled back slightly and his eyes widened when he saw how now my entire body was on fire. He took a few steps back and watched how everything transformed into flames, his body trembling and his hands shaking as they grasped his greatsword. "Lyanna, don't." His shocked eyes turned towards mine again when he felt the heat getting worse each second.

The only thing I saw on the spot that he was standing was Eric, covered in the blood of my father while holding the knife he had used. "I'm sorry, my friend." His words echoed through my ears, making me yell out in anger.

Just in time did Aidan wrap his wing before himself to shield himself from the flames I send his way, engulfing his entire figure. I could hear him yell in pain and I could smell the stench of burnt clothes but I couldn't stop the power that was flowing from my body. It was overwhelming, and it felt like something else was controlling my limbs. Even the part of the tribune behind him caught flame and creaked and roared under the pressure, collapsing as the stone practically melted.

When it felt like I was completely drained the rain of fire stopped, leaving a huge spot of blackened stone in its wake. In the midst was Aidan who tiredly unwrapped his wings and fell on his knees, his armor smoking from the heat it'd be exposed to. He flinched and dropped his now red sword, cradling his hands as they turned red. He was breathing heavily and I could see red spots on the skin that wasn't covered in metal plates.

With big strides I made my way over to him and kicked the sword out of his reach, watching as it clattered on the ground a few feet away. Standing still before him I looked down at the top of his head as he breathed heavily and coughed on the ashes that flew around him. After a few moments of silence, he fell on his other knee and looked up at me, his blue eyes more prominent than ever.

"Lyanna." He softly whispered, his eyes squinting when each movement ached terribly. "I'm sorry." He coughed, groaning. "I'm sorry about what happened. I'm sorry about what he did. Father was wrong, I know that. But I'm not him."

I only huffed in response, grasping my sword in my hands and lifting it to his neck, the metal touching the red skin right next to where his artery was. I could hear the crowd cheering me on, yelling for me to cut off his head right there in front of them and take his throne for myself. But I didn't care about any of that. I didn't care about the throne, about the crown of Valeria. I never longed for power. All that was on my mind was the image of his father killing my own.

Aidan winced as he felt the cold metal against his skin. "Lyanna, listen to me." He begged as more tears cleaned the ashes off his face. "I understand you're angry, I really do, but this is not going to solve anything."

"Shut up." I growled, but there was a gnawing sensation still at the back of my head that only seemed to get worse. I looked away from his blue eyes and towards the crowd, seeing their excited faces cheering me on. The confidence rebuilt in me again until I saw the jedi arriving in a hurry at the back of the arena.

Obi-Wan's eyes widened immediately when he saw what was happening and even from this distance I could see the worried look on his face. It was worse when it changed into a disappointed and scared one, slowly stepping back as he eyed me carefully and reluctantly. His hands went out to his lightsaber, making me remember how he had dropped it before. Yet now he seemed surer than ever as his thumb went to the button at the side.

"Whatever you find tomorrow, nothing will change who you are." His words echoed in my head like he was standing right before me. I could almost picture him sitting in the midst of that clearing, smiling softly as I tried to follow his lead in meditating and failing desperately.

Who was I, exactly? I wondered at that moment, the moment I was holding a sword to Aidan's neck while the entire population of Eagle's fall watched in anticipation. My eyes diverted from Obi-Wan towards Aidan, watching more tears fall down his cheeks as his blue eyes continued to watch me.

Honestly, I didn't know anymore. I was torn between who I was and who I should've been. I was the Val'kyr, living life to help those who needed it the most. Yet, that meant that I could find little time for myself and nobody ever helped me in return. It was a lonely life and a hard one. Now, I was the phoenix. An instrument of war and rightful ruler of Valeria. Loved by the people and feared by more. I could bring hope to the kingdom, lead them on my own towards a better future. Yet this power was something overwhelming and the rage was all consuming, it didn't feel like me. It made me something I didn't want to be.

No, that's not who I was. Maybe I was just a simple doctor, saving lifes where I could and doing my best to better the world in a way I knew how without hurting anybody. Always giving away love to the point where it felt like I was completely drained, hoping that one day I would find someone who could give me as much as I gave away myself. It was lonely and hard but it was the best I could do. For violence was always a last resort and I would gladly keep it that way.

Yet the image of Eric killing my father was still fresh in my mind and hurting me more than I can describe. The sword was pushed harder against Aidan's skin. He winced as he saw the troubled look change into a determined one, knowing what it meant. "It's all right." He whispered, closing his eyes and bowing his head. "I know you're a good leader, I've seen it."

The image of Anduin and Grace flashed before my eyes. How she spoke those words just before he killed her, before he decided to kill one of his loved ones. He was lost after, even though he did it in an act of revenge. She betrayed him yet killing her left him more broken than before. As I stood before Aidan I realised too late that I was repeating my father's mistakes. History was repeating itself and I was letting it.

It felt like I was thrown under ice cold water. The flames wavered and almost completely disappeared as I fell to my knees before him, the sword slipping from my hands and colliding with the ground with a loud thud. Aidan's eyes darted from the sword to me as I grasped the side of his face, tears welling up in my eyes as I realized what I had done. "Forgive me, brother."

He was exactly that. He was not Eric; he hadn't killed anyone. Maybe he didn't even lie to me on purpose. He had his faults but he was my family. He did what he thought was right and that was enough. Losing him, I realized, would break me more than I already was.

"What are y-" Aidan was cut off midsentence as I grasped him and pulled him towards me, wrapping my arms around his figure tightly and burying my head in the crook of his neck. He froze for a moment but then sighed in relief, wrapping his own arms around me and hugging as tight as never before. His hand wove itself through my hair and soothingly drew circles on my back with the other as he whispered. "I forgive you."

I opened my eyes slowly, watching as my vision was blurred with tears. Stroking them from my eyes I only then realised the huge crowd that was watching us silently. Slowly letting go of Aidan I stood up and offered my hand, looking down at him as I begged him for mercy with my eyes. "Together?" I said as I shook with all the emotions that whirled through me.

His eyes cleared and a soft smile appeared around his lips. He took my hand, letting me pull him on his feet. "Together." He said and laid his hand on my shoulder. His eyes then drifted to the crowd, watching as they all looked down at us in confusion. The words got stuck in my throat until I saw Obi-Wan looking at me, nodding his head slightly.

"An Alliance." I spoke, my eyes still focused on him. The crowd silenced, listening carefully as I looked up and turned to look at all of those who had gathered. "That's how this kingdom started. At first there were Blackwings, Stormrages, Timeturnes and Firehearts all living separately and in constant war. Millions of people died each year in a mad scramble for power, like a wheel that kept on turning each moment there was another one at the top. It went on for more than a thousand years and it never stopped, not even when entire families went extinct and forests burned, turning the skies dark."

"But all that changed when we were invaded. We realized that alone we couldn't fight this enemy. We had to work together to overcome it. So, we formed an alliance between all royal families in hopes of defeating a common enemy. A treaty in which all were equal and all had the same rights. There wasn't a sole leader, but a representative of each family that decided together."

With each word I spoke I became more confident, my voice carrying with the wind. Aidan looked at me with a proud smile and straightened his back, knowing what I was going to hint at. "They all dropped their grievances and fought together, side by side like brothers, and they won." My gaze fixated on Obi-Wan as he slowly seated himself, listening with a smile playing on his lips. My heart warmed immediately and I stopped for a moment, longing for his soft caress yet knowing that now was not the time.

"Now, we can continue to fight each other in hopes of exacting revenge, gaining power or to settle some pointless dispute but it won't do nothing but hurt all of us in the end." I seemed to speak to him as I drew my eyebrows together and sighed deeply. "I've seen brother killing brother, husband killing a wife, friends killing friends but I say no more. We put all off that behind us, all our grievances and hatred, all those emotions that put us against each other and instead focus on how to build a better future. We form an alliance just like they did hundreds of years ago. We focus on what went right in the past and learn from their mistakes, so we can prevent any further wars."

I turned back towards the crowd and took in a deep breath, taking Aidan's hand in mine. "We are Valerians. We are more than a country full of war and violence. We are proud, we are strong, understanding and we stand together for the greater good. We are a symbol to those that need it. Hope. That's what we are supposed to stand for. That's what Anduin Fireheart meant for all of us all those years ago." I narrowed my eyes in determination. "But Arthas Blackwing is here to take that away from us. He means to destroy our way of life and cause more war and violence than ever before. We have to stop him and we will do it as before. Together."

As the crowd started to cheer softly, agreeing with the words I said, I stood up proudly, extending my wings behind me and feeling the familiar heat warming my body. But it wasn't anger like before that fuelled the flames. It was hope. Hope for a better future, hope for defeating Arthas and ending the war.

"So, I ask you, as the phoenix; fly, as fast as the wind can carry you, tell all your brothers and sisters to come. "The people started to stand up from their seats, chanting excitedly and already unwrapping their wings. "Tell them the phoenix calls to them. Tell them that we will fight and bring an end to the war." The crowd started to cheer loudly, almost drowning out my words as their battle cries filled the entire arena with hope. I chuckled softly and watched in wonder while Aidan scoffed in amazement, his eyes gliding over the seas of people as they cheered.

"Go, now." I spoke softer than before but each and every one of them listened closely. When I had spoken the next words, everyone yelled louder than ever before. "And get me my army."

 I told you it was going to be fine.

Anywaaaaaaaays I hope you enjoyed this little piece of dark Lyanna because that's about all you're going to get. I'm not gonna fuck up her character like D&D did to Deanarys, I promise you. 

Next chapter we'll have some Obi and Lyanna moments again (does anyone have a ship name?) so get ready and get some chocolate, cause it's going to be sweet AS FUCK. Yeah, I'm excited. I hope you are too.

Just wanted to also tell you how much I enjoy talking to you guys so please don't be shy and comment, or send me a private message, I don't care. I just like getting to know you, and knowing you're all right in this time of chaos. 

Let me know, and I will see you next chapter!