"Commander!"
    Owlet looked up as the Teuthidan lieutenant ran up to him. "We've located Sky! He's currently on the turrets!"
    Owlet stared at him, then looked down. He slowly took in a breath, quiet for quite a long time.
    "Are... Are you gonna do it this time, sir?" The lieutenant asked. "Are you going to end the war?"
    Owlet smiled just a tiny bit, looking back at him again. "I'll try Ben."
   
Jade ran through the halls till she got to the armory, on the first floor around the corner from the right of the front gate. She ran in and Fells remained near the front door, keeping out of all the rushing recruits' ways. He observed that the room was much like a locker room, although the lockers were clearly only recently put in. Jade went to a locker and undid the lock quickly, like she'd done it many times. Out of it, she pulled a crossbow and a small dagger which she put on her belt. He sling a quiver of bolts over her shoulder and ran back over to Fells with her crossbow in hand. "Where's your staff?"
    "I can only call it when my intentions are to aid a human being."
    "Huh? Why human?"
    "Because I am a human Valkyrie, since I serve under Bodil."
    "Okay, well, you're protecting me and I'm human, so let's go." Jade ran out of the room. Fells followed her. "Where are we going?"
    "To the west turrets!" Jade replied. They reached a stairwell and went up, dodging a recruit and a Teuthidan locked in battle. They went up two flights, up to an area that was under the open sky, but still had big stone walls all around. The Great Hall. Normally such events as the annual Gala and diplomatic parties would take place there, but now, there was a battle.
    Dozens of people both human and squid fought hard on the wooden floors as Jade ran up the stairs to the top of the wall, by the turrets. She led Fells past the west tower to the far left side of the wall. Ladders had been set up and Teuthidans had climbed up to infiltrate the inside of the base. Jade raised her crossbow and fired at one that was just getting to the top of the ladder. It was a non-fatal hit in his shoulder, but he lost his balance and fell off the ladder with a loud yelp; whether or not he survived the fall, Jade didn't have time to worry about.
    She kicked the ladder back, so it fell over with all the squids climbing up it. She turned to Fells and saw him dodging blows from a Teuthidan attempting to attack him. Jade quickly lifted her crossbow, firing and striking the squid in the back. Fells quickly kicked her back and she too fell over the edge. Jade cheered and held up a hand. Fells stared at it.
    Jade stared back before she picked Fells's wrist up from his side and pressed it against her hand in a slow-motion high five. Felladere looked as confused as always.
    Then she heard a shout and she looked up. On the north wall was Sky and Owlet, the Commanders of the two armies, fighting each other on the turrets. Jade's eyes widened and she started running to help him, but a Teuthidan cut her off, engaging her in another fight.
    Sky dodged under Owlet's staff and shoved his shoulder into his chest, making him fall back. Owlet scrambled to his feet, backing away defensively as he held his staff readily.
    The two stared at each other, neither ready to attack. Owlet smirked half-heartedly. "I remember when I saw you up here. The day of your Coronation."
    "Yeah, I thought that exchange with going somewhere me honestly." Sky replied.
    "Well you thought wrong!" Owlet darted forward, slamming his staff into Sky's side. Sky grunted in pain, stepping away. He lifted for sword, just managing to parry Owlet's next blow. He swung an attack at the Teuthidan's side and he moved his staff to block it. Sky started gaining ground on him, pushing him back towards the inner edge. Then Owlet suddenly ducked under his arm and Sky swung, hitting only air. Owlet was behind Sky now and Sky spun around with speed he didn't expect. He only barely managed to hold up his staff with two hands above him as Sky swung his sword down towards his head.
    A resounding crack split through the air. Owlet fell back, as he now held a sharpened stick in each hand. Sky rested his sword by his side, the two staring at the broken staff in silence.
    Sky was about the call it off, about to tell him to just go home and end the battle, and maybe they could start thinking about a treaty. But then Owlet's eyes narrowed and he shot up, stabbing the now sharp edge of his broken staff into Sky's side.
    Sky let out a choked gasp and from the west wall, Jade gasped, clapping her hand over her mouth. Owlet looked up at Sky's horrified expression and his own face paled. He shakily stood, backing away, clutching the half of the staff he still had. His free hand was trembling as he backed up till he bumped into the turret behind him. He waved his arms around frantically, but the fell over the edge with a yelp, disappearing from sight.
    Jade finally pushed the last squid into the Great Hall as Fells flew the diagonal distance over to the north wall. Sky had fallen over when Jade got there and Fells was kneeling beside him. "Go to the Infirmary, get Seto!" Jade shouted to him. "It's by the lab on the first floor, remember?"
    Felladere nodded and spread his wings, leaping over the edge of the wall to get down to the first floor faster. Meanwhile, the Teuthidans had been ordered into retreat.

"Sir, if you don't mind my asking, what's going on?" Owlet's single General, Percival Maxwell, asked as he ran to his side. Around them, the rest of the Teuthidan recruits were marching home around them. Owlet stopped walking to talk to his first mate.
    "What do you mean what's going on? Isn't it obvious?"
    "We're retreating!"
    "We're - We're not retreating." Owlet said. "We're just... Advancing in the opposite direction."
    "Owlet." Maxwell sighed, pinching his nose. "What's with all this? We don't attack for years and we finally do and then it lasts ten minutes? Tops?"
    Owlet shook his head. "I stabbed their Commander... He at least will die. I wanted to quit while we were ahead."
    "Who would have lead the base if Dahlburg were down?! We could have taken the base! We could have ended this!"
    "Shh!" Owlet hissed as some of the passing recruits started to pay attention to their conversation. He pulled Maxwell into the forest so they could talk in a bit more privacy. "Trust me, okay?! I know what I'm doing!"
    "I've heard the recruits." Maxwell spat out. "There's a rumor of rebellion. There's a good ten percent who want to overthrow you and the number's only gonna grow."
    "I won't be overthrown!" Owlet said. "I've been a good leader haven't I?! How many recruits have died in the past six years?!"
    "Not that many, but that's only because we haven't been fighting!"
    Owlet gave him a look and after a moment, Maxwell seemed to realize some hidden truth in it. "You're... You're really trying to...?" Owlet nodded. "The Council won't accept this easily. You do realize that, don't you?"
    Owlet sighed. "I know, but... If we ever want peace, somebody has to try. Now go back and help the recruits."
    "What about you?"
    "I'll be along, now go."
    Maxwell breathed a sigh before he nodded and ran back onto the path with the rest of the recruits. Owlet could hear the marching through the underbrush. For awhile, he stared towards the sound, before he looked back in the direction of the base. He could just see the very top of the Nest over the trees from where he was. Slowly, he looked down at his half of the broken staff. His trembling grip on the shaft tightened and he took a slow, shaky breath. "What have I done..." He whispered.