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“We're overrun! Fall back to the woods!”

I barely heard Venyran shout the retreat order when a Pcoratian blade tried to gut me. I shifted to the side, narrowly dodging the twisted dagger as the snakekin hissed at me,

“You will make a good sacrifice for his Efficienc-” they were cut off as I punched their throat with a silvered fist. They fumbled backwards and reached up to their throat to cough, which was quite the peculiar sight; seeing a snake cough. I stopped thinking about that and brought my glaive down two-handed over their head. Their eyes went wide as my blade cut into their shoulder down to their mid chest. I planted my foot on their chest and kicked their corpse off my blade, the glaive wet with crimson delight. I panted and quickly looked over the battlefield and saw we were losing badly. Really badly. Zugonia’s crimson and silver corpses greatly outnumbered Pcoratia’s yellow and green. Pcoratia finally invaded the Endless Plains, the Mad King hungry for our resources and land. Fort Locratia barely had time to amass a response force when Pcoratia claimed the entire East border of the Plains. Venyran was charged with taking eight squads of 10 warriors, just enough to slow down the invading force while the fort built a response. One decimation later, we were down to eight of us. I turned where I thought I heard Venyran give orders and saw him dueling with two soldiers. He blocked the blow from one with his shield, then parried a blow from the other soldier, back and forth. Venyran was a fiery tornado, twisting and cutting with every spin. He cut the leg of the raccoon Pcoratian when the other dinokin stabbed Venyran in the side with a long dagger.

“Ven- Preknet!!!!!!” I yelled as I saw my mate with a dagger sticking out of his side. He howled in pain, then quickly dispatched with the two soldiers in two deadly swings of his blade. I sprinted across the battlefield, arrows and corpses littered throughout the blood soaked grass. Screams of pain and war echoed throughout the corpsel-filled plains. Several Pcoratians tried to cut me as I dashed, my armor deflecting crippling blows. I ripped off my helmet as I reached Venyran. He had sheathed his blade and reached down to the dagger in his hide. He tried to remove the blade, but I stopped him.

“No! You'll bleed out!” I shouted as I hefted Venyran over my right shoulder and put my glaive in my left hand.

“It's not that bad, love…” he mumbled exhaustedly. He had bruises and cuts across his face and body where his armor was broken. I only superficially noticed the tip of one of his horns was now broken.

“Venyran will miss that…” I thought ruefully. The dagger wound looked bad. I quickly tried to recall what my mother would do. He needed surgery, but where in the gods good names would I find an OR? I wiped blood off my face from a cut on my head as we limped away. He was trying to run too, stumbling every other step. I heard arrows falling around us as we fled. I turned around and saw three soldiers about 60 yards away chasing us, weapons drawn. They screamed,

“For Pcoratia!”

“Gods dammit” I mumbled as I turned back to keep running around a hill. We kept fleeing around a hill when I saw Ven’s Scion, Dené, appear on the top.

“I'll hold them back, Sir!” she shouted, planting a bundle of arrows in the dirt as she drew to fire her bow. Venyran took a new Scion, and this was her first real combat. She was a Shepard dog with a white face and specs of brown and black throughout her pelt. Her white eyes were wide with fear as she sent arrow after arrow. Her tail was twitching erratically, throwing off her aim.

“Don't be a hero, Dené!” I shouted back as she opened fire upon the pursuing soldiers. She screamed as she fired volley after volley of pointed fury. More screams joined the dim of the battlefield as we ran. Venyran started to collapse more on top of me as we entered the treeline.

“Stay with me, Venyran” I murmured. Shadows enveloped us as we descended into the wooded embrace of the Dummon’s Forest. We dashed around trees, branches, and through brambles as I tried to lose the invaders. We ran for a short while when I saw out of the corner of my eye a washing machine. It was still broken and jagged in the forest clearing, clothes littered about.

“Huh.” I said, coming to a stop. It started bringing back memories until I heard a voice shouting through the trees

“They're here somewhere, boys! Let's go hunting!”

“That voice, I know that voice” I thought. Venyran’s moan told me I didn't have time to place that voice. We ran past the washing machine deeper into the woods. Our flight started to feel more like a haul as Venyran got weaker and weaker. It almost felt like the trees were bending down and pushing us into the ground. I thought about stopping when I heard running water. I felt my mind pick up with excitement as something Venyran always said while hunting popped into my mind

“All living creatures need water and shelter, Merrick. If you can narrow down where they could be, you'll know where they will be.” Venyran loved to hunt. Conveniently, he also was a living creature. So, quietly as I could, I helped Venyran towards the running water. I started murmuring meaningless assurances ritually to soothe him as much as me. The wound was bleeding heavily, blood dripping down the handle onto the ground. I felt my heart beating faster and faster as we ran to the river. I couldn't lose Venyran, not after everything I had been through to get him.

“Gods if you're there…” I whispered feebly. I kept trying to follow the sounds of the water, but I started getting turned around. All the trees looked the same! I glanced frantically left and right when Venyran pointed ahead of us. I smiled and pushed us further forwards. We finally broke the treeline and got to the riverbed. I rushed Venyran to the water and laid him down on top of his shield.

“Mroaka, Eia, Pho, Grannaka…” I started rambling all the gods I could think of while I tried to clean the wound. We needed a healer, but I didn't have the foggiest clue where we were. I hurriedly scooped my hands down to get some water and brought it to Venyran's snout.

“Drink, Ven” I murmured as he parted his maw. His eyes were shut as he drank, his bruised and cut face shooting daggers into my eyes. I got another handful of water and tried to wash out the wound.

“How did they know we were there, Merrick?” Venyran said. I didn't look up. I continued to tend to his wound the best that I could.

“I don't know, there was too little time for plans to leak.” I said. The protocol, in the unlikely event Zugonia was ever invaded, was to feint a larger force to scare them back while the main force amassed. Pcoratia kept pushing. And pushing. And when they found out we didn't have any war machines, they pushed harder. It was by the gods will alone that we held the line against the innumerable force.

“Do you remember this place, my love?” Venyran said from above me. I look up at his gilded eyes and his characteristic smirk. I slowly took in the area around us and my jaw opened slightly.

“How could I forget?” I whispered, my mind sending me back to that frightful day. Has it really been ten years since I came to Zugonia?

“You were so beautiful that day, I just didn't know it yet.” He chuckled softly. He reached a hand up to my face.

“You are so beautiful now, Merrick. I thank the Gods for allowing us to meet, and for leading us to becoming mates.” He said. I smacked his hand away.

“Don't you act like that, Ven. I'll get you back to Locratia and they'll tend to you there, we'll push them back out of the plains and-” I started rambling. Venyran placed a scaled finger on my lips to silence me.

“You always say too much, Merrick. Just let me gaze upon the man I love one more time” He said. He moved his hand to cup my face, but this time I let him. Tears started to well up on my face.

“I can't lose you, Ven.” I bumbled as tears fell from my face onto his face. After all we had been through, was this how our story ends?

“Oh well isn't this a touching scene…” a voice sneered from the trees. I spun around, glaive drawn as five Pcoratians spread out on the riverbed. Their yellow and green leather armor flashed against the trees, bows drawn and ready to fire. I gripped my weapon and glanced quickly from Archer to Archer.

“Hold your fire.” The voice sneered again from the trees. It wasn't any of the archers, but I knew that voice. I heard a yip as a some wolfkin was kicked somewhere in the treeline. I wasn't able to control my face as Dené walked forward, hands bound and gagged.

“Dené!” I shouted. She was trembling as she shuffled forward. She was shaking her head frantically. I didn't get time to consider what she was telling me when a crossbow bolt punctured her throat. I yelled as she fell to the ground, voice quietly gurgling against the cloth gag. I felt my tear streaked face go red as fury enveloped me. Then I felt it pale as pure shock filled me when Brynst walked forward, hand crossbow drawn.

“Greetings, alien filth.” He sneered as I stared at him wide eyes. That couldn't be Brynst, he disappeared over a year ago! He flicked his black tipped tail as he sneered again at me, our ‘special’ time coming back to me.

“You're dead…” I stuttered. He grinned wildly at that, pleasure written all over his face.

“Clearly not, beknet. I couldn't go to Lommon’s domain without killing you first. And it seems the little traitor is with you too. His Efficiency will be pleased with me.” Brynst said. Pcoratia, of course that's where Brynst would go. His family disavowed him after our duel, but to turn against Zugonia? Then the conversation Ven and I just had popped back into my head.

“You betrayed your homeland, Scion.” I growled, my vision tunneling onto Brynst. He barked out a laugh.

“Betrayed my homeland? They betrayed me when they let YOU join the military. An alien, allowed to join the ranks of Zugonia's banner? If Zugonia hadn't grown so soft, maybe Pcoratia wouldn't have invaded the Plains. Not that it matters anymore what Zugonia has done, for I will now correct their mistake for them.” He aimed his hand crossbow at my head, his left arm curled behind his back. He had a rapier tied to his left side that had the emblem of Pcoratia on the hilt. I almost chuckled when I saw everything on his left side.

“How's that arm, Brynst?” I said with a smirk like his own. His face paled for a brief second. He hardened his face and hissed,

“Fire.” I heard the hand crossbow fire. Bowstrings released. I thought about all the times Ven and I fought together, hunted together, kissed together. I thought about the lass kiss we shared in a small broom closet at Fort Locratia. That would be the last time, wouldn't it? I closed my eyes as I accepted my fate.

*SHIIING* my eyes snapped open at the sound of metal on metal. All of us stared at the rectangular sword impaled in the ground between Brynst and I. Brynst had a shocked expression, the hand crossbow empty and fired.

“What?!” Brynst sputtered out. I too thought ‘what’, but couldn't think of any explanation. I heard rustling of leaves behind me, and then I saw a wolfkin jump out of the top of the trees on the other side of the bank. They landed next to their blade and gripped it, second blade already drawn.

“You invaders have no place in the order of these trees.” They growled. I couldn't see their face, but they had a dark grey pelt and white spots around their ankles and hands. Tribal markings of purple and blue laced around their arms, legs and tail. They entered a parry stance and I saw the same markings on their blades. I had never seen a wolfkin like this before.

“Who…who are you?!” Brynst stammered. His soldiers formed up around Brynst as he placed his crossbow back into his other hand. He wound up the hand crossbow with his right hand and placed a new bolt.

“So that's how he worked around that problem” I thought with resignation. The wolfkin repeated menacingly again.

“You are not welcome in the order of these trees. Leave now and never return.” Their voice was high pitched but firm. Brynst seemed to get a bit of his characteristic bravado back, for he responded with a laugh,

“Do you really think I'm going to be ordered around by a pantless boy?!”

“Oh I wouldn't say that Brynst…” I thought. I didn't know this warrior, but he held himself with pride and obvious experience.

“Men!” Brynst yelled with panic in his voice. “Open fire!” I would have thought this new warrior would rush them or flee. Instead he crosses his blades as the arrows flew at him with zeal. With a spin of his blades, he deflected each arrow shot at him. It happened as a blur, his blades pointed to his right. He finished the deflection with a flourish while the Pcoratians stared at him with awe and fear.

“What are you doing?!” Brynst shouted with rising fear.

“Keep firing until he is dead!”

The Pcoratians drew their bows and fired again and again. The warrior brought his blades up again and started deflecting again. It was like a dance the way he rhythmically spun his blades around, deflecting each arrow with ease. While he spun his blades, he actually began to sing:

“Oh come on down, Korran Korran.

Come on down Korran.

Come on down, Korran Korran

Come on down Korran.

O the day is long, there's much to do

Stop climbing up and down through the yew

O come down, don't make me blue

You know that I speak true”

The ease at which this warrior deflected these arrows was a spectacle of dexterity. All while repeating the same tune. Not a single arrow hit him or us. I realized he was sticking his neck out for me, so I quickly laid Venyran down and took his shield from his back. The soldiers were firing in a fan-like pattern, Brynst in the center. I rushed the far left soldier, shield up as I pointed my glaive at her. The Velociraptor didn't even see me as I stabbed her gut and through her back. I ripped my glaive back and swung down at the next warrior's ankles. The wolf Pcoratian yelled and kneeled down as his ankles were cut open. I bashed his head with my shield and he laid upon the ground unmoving. I looked up for Brynst, but he was gone. I heard him running away shouting

“Men! Slay them! Slay them all!” I made to chase the puma, but I stopped when I heard Venyran release a massive sigh. The warrior was approaching the other two archers as they continued to fire wildly. As soon as they ran out of arrows, they drew their swords to strike. Not that it mattered, for the warrior parried their first strikes and sunk his blades into their necks. A fountain of blood poured out of their necks as he pulled back his blades and turned to me. That's when I found out that he was wearing a wooden mask that covered his whole face except his ears. It was made out of a dark cedar wood that came out angularly over his snout. The same colored lines drew out circular eyes and a jagged line for a jaw. He was also clearly naked, his ‘equipment’ out in the open. He wore leather straps around his limbs to holster his swords and other pockets, but nothing else. He even had a leather pouch on his tail! I've never seen anything like this in Zugonia's history, and I doubt Venyran would have either.

“Venyran!” I thought with despair as I dropped my weapons and rushed to his side. He wasn't moving and his eyes were shut. His breathing was short and slow.

“Venyran! Venyran!” I shouted, shaking him. He didn't respond. I started to cry again. The warrior came to my side, weapons sheathed. He reached out to touch Venyran's neck, an action I nearly stopped until I realized what he was doing.

“He's checking for a pulse…” I thought, remembering what mom taught me. He did a brief nod, but then started shaking his head. He turned to me and said

“My home close.” My mind reeled at hearing someone else speak English for the first time in years. For some reason, I trusted him.

---

I felt my mind sluggishly come back to consciousness while I opened my eyes. Everything was out of focus and my body ached. Especially my right side. I was trying to collect my mind when memories started to strike my head. We were fleeing through the woods, Brynst lived, the strange warrior, Merrick fighting the archers-

“MERRICK!” I shouted trying to get up. I howled with pain and fell back onto the cot, scrunching my eyes shut. I tried to get up again only to be met with pain again. A pair of hands appeared as I struggled to get up.

“Venyran, peace please! You are badly injured!” She was wearing a mask made of oak with deer antlers poking out around the mask. The mask had red designs drawn over it similar to my own color. She was also wearing nothing, her breasts small and plump.

“Merrick… I have to find Merrick…” I mumbled as I feebly attempted to fight back against this person. We continued to wrestle when I saw the tent flap to our right fly open as a human appeared.

“Venyran! Venyran you need to calm down.” Merrick soothed at me. I immediately started to calm down and feel the pain in full force now. I groaned in agony and scrunched my eyes.

“Of Falling Leaves, please you have to have something for his pain!” I heard Merrick insist. I writhed for a few seconds before I felt a hand hold my jaw

“Open.” She commanded. I opened my maw and felt a cool liquid pour down my throat. I coughed and gagged at the flavor, but swallowed it down. The acrid liquid burned as it went down. I continued to breathe heavily with my eyes shut for a short time. Eventually, I started to feel the pain begin to subside. I opened my eyes and saw Merrick leaning over me, his face washed with concern.

“Ven?” He said hesitantly. I reached a hand up to his face. He placed his face in my hand without protest as we stayed there for a moment.

“I was so scared, Ven” Merrick began to sob.

“They didn't know if you were going to wake up or if you'd even survive and I was so concerned and-” I pulled Merrick down and kissed him to silence him. It hurt to kiss him, but doing so made me feel so happy. I heard ‘Of Falling Leaves’ scoff as she said

“Call me if he is in pain again.” She turned away and left the tent in a rush, the tent flap flapping wildly.

“She doesn't like me very much.” Merrick admitted as we parted our kiss. The tent we were in was a small tent, big enough for a couple of beds and a chair. The beds were on the ground, which was surprisingly soft for the ground. A single candle burned from a small stool next to the chair, illuminating the tent. I couldn't even lift my head up, so I rested my head on the pillow as I looked at Merrick.

“Merrick, what happened? Where are we?” I asked, reaching a hand down to where I now remembered the dagger was. It hurt to touch it, but I could feel stitches and a cloth covering the wound. I also realized that I was completely naked, which I became grateful for the blanket covering me. Merrick continued to kneel next to me.

“We are in what the people here call Crashing Branch. You've been asleep for a few days since the invasion began. They let me stay next to you when I can, but Falling Leaves sends me away when she tends to you. They don't like outsiders here.” Merrick said, sitting down on the ground. He reached under the blanket to hold my hand. I graciously grasped back. We stayed there for what felt like an eternity, thankful for each other's presence.

“But they're okay with me?” I asked. Merrick shrugged.

“Rain had a lot to do with that. It took a bit of convincing, but you were on…death’s door when we got to the village. I almost thought he was going to fight an elder when they finally relented.”

My confusion grew as my brow furrowed.

“The rain…wanted to fight an elder?” I questioned. Merrick chuckled.

"The warrior who saved us. He's called ‘Where Rain Falls’, but he goes by Rain. He guided us to this village, helping me carry you here.”

I nodded, shuffling a little to get more comfortable. I tried to recall what I could about the fight on the Plains, but only got glimpses. Ordering an assault, the waves of Pcoratians against my men, fleeing through the woods, seeing Dené gagged-

“Dené!” I shouted, bolting up. “Is she okay?”. It hurt like the hells, but I only found Merrick and I. Merrick started looking aside.

“Dené is dead, love. Brynst killed her.”

The sorrow I began to feel was washed away with shock. My eyes bulged as I relearned that Brynst was still alive.

“Peace, Ven, Peace. Don't shout. I don't know how he's still alive, but he still doesn't have his left arm so it's definitely him. But he's alive. And Pcoratia has invaded Zugonia. What in the gods names are we going to

do…”