It had been 15 minutes since Temate's goblins had first engaged the dead. 15 minutes of endless wave after wave of the dead. A grueling fight for a normal person, but goblins weren't normal. They thrilled for the fight, and this was one hell of a fight.

  Never had one of these goblins fought in such organized, complicated ways. Never against such overwhelming odds. Which might be the problem.

  Things were going bad. And minute by minute they got worse. In the 15 minutes of fighting the number of marchers attacking Temate's lines had nearly doubled. Already one side was buckling and if they didn't pull back soon they would be surrounded.

  Yet behind them were the people of Bearbhaile, fleeing. Whether by some instinct, luck, competency or some combination of those, they stayed out of sight. Pressed against the wall and as quiet as possible. Children were stifled with paws and hands, held close by their elders.

  The one saving grace had been the goblins. As they fled and saw the fighting many seemed to be filled with their natural instinct. To fight.

  It didn't help that Temate extended [Dominion] toward every one he saw. Which seemed to break whatever influence the bears had on them as well. So while the marchers had doubled in number, Temate's small army had nearly tripled.

  Though that could also be why the marchers were getting more intense. Perhaps the Lich knew something was happening by the swelling of his numbers. It was because Temate was watching him closely that he saw the monsters demeanor change.

  The Lich raised itself just slightly and the marcher's push grew more violent again. Several of the marchers exploded into the weakened fnk and it popped. With a roar Temate charged in to fill it only to hear a matching roar from the other side.

  Cw met kanabō as the possessed form of Timbear crashed into the gap and smmed into Temate. He skidded back and immediately issued two orders through [Dominion].

  Detonate.

  Retreat.

  "I see. You think you can flee me?! I am death incarnate! I have leapt the gap of the Grand Ceil! None shall escape me, I hunger and you shall feed me!" The Lich roared as it reared up. "[Soult-"

  The shouted [Power] was cut off by three explosions from above. Hundreds, probably thousands, of pounds of earth and timber came crashing down as the goblins disengaged quickly. The Lich raised on hand and bone rose to deflect the falling rubble but was crushed beneath its weight.

  "Everyone MOVE! He's been holding back, now he knows you're running he won't, we can't stop him anymore!" Temate shouted an order to the frozen evacuee's.

  Their silent flight ended as they began to run. Shouts of panic and roars of fear as parents hefted children leaving behind earthly possessions. Under Temate's direction the goblins began to retreat in a quick, carefully organized manner. Temate joined their ranks as they moved as quickly as possible toward the surface.

  A rumbling filled the air as colpsed dirt burst away and the Lich came thundering out. His grinning expression was wild and hungry as he stared at the line of fleeing creatures.

  "[Soultide]!" One cw extended out and Temate instinctively activated [Spiral of Bone].

  What Temate could only describe as a mini event horizon shot out from the extended cw. It cut through Temate, through the calot, through the center of the goblins. It carved through a mass of evacuee's.

  There were only five things in its wake still standing.

  Temate, who felt cold and weak as he fell to his knees. A calot who had thrown a wall of pnt matter in front of himself. And three evacuees. Two young goblins. And an old, grey bear with three limbs. Beo stood on his hind legs with his paw out toward the wave and it crashed into him and vanished.

  "Quickly. Run." Beo gasped out to the others who began fleeing once more, the young goblins grabbing onto his legs.

  Two of Temate's goblins grabbed them up as they continued their own retreat. The calot grabbed Temate and helped him to his feet. They began to run again, the calot helping bear Temate's weight.

  Then the dead began to move.

  Bone burst from flesh as dead goblins and bears lunged at the fleeing. Temate swung his weapon with what force he could, the calot under his shoulder swinging their own conjured club. They bashed their way forward and out as a roar filled the air behind them.

  "More! More! I need more!" The Lich roared. It's voice was dripping with a vile hunger.

  Temate could feel the world shake as it began to lumber after them. It's colossal form wreathed in rotted, corrupted power. Now it was where it had been all those weeks ago. Temate sighed and tossed the calot off of him.

  "Go. If I die Toni is Chief." Temate ordered. The calot froze for only a second, then nodded and ran.

  Temate turned to face the oncoming bear. A distant shriek of terror rang through his mind as Toni began screaming through [Dominion] best she could. Begging him to come up. He faced down death once more.

  He'd faced down death so often in his life. His Ali'i, his father, the man who raised him and who he respected despite his deep greed, had made sure of that. From childhood, from the moment he could lift a club and use it competently, Temate had fought for his life. Death was a certainty for him, but never had he felt so certain he could not escape it.

  He was stronger, yet still he could feel the overwhelming difference in their strengths. Temate bashed his kanabō into marcher after marcher as the Lich came on. He focused on that thing, that monster. When his eyes caught something strange.

  There, on a small outcropping of the cliff, right above the rubble from the colpse. Was a bird. A small, spherical white owl. Snowball.

  Which meant Voel was watching. Temate ughed and began to whistle a tune. At the very least he could make sure Voel was watching his st moments.

  The tune was nothing special, nothing from his heritage or his family. Just a straightforward rock rhythm. No particur song, just the vibe that came to him.

  A powerful cw smmed into his shoulder.

  He used [Ossification] to create a fragile barrier.

  It shattered as he flew several feet into the wall.

  The second cw he dodged and his kanabō came down on the joint only to shake his body with the impact.

  Then the cw sent him tumbling down the slope, further away from retreat.

  He y and looked up to Snowball on the cliffside. Snowball looked back at him.

  "Some escape, but the rest are sealed. I will have them eventually regardless."

  The lich was talking, but Temate wasn't paying attention. He looked at Snowball who seemed to gre intensely back at Temate.

  "I am going consume this continent. This whole world. And you-" The possessed form of Timbear shadowed Temate "-you are going to help me."

  Temate gred at snowball, who puffed it's chest and looked away.

  "Don't you fuckin ignore me." Temate growled.

  "I'm not. You must have quite the gift to organize so many disparate goblins so easily." The lich said as it's paw reached down to pnt on Temate's chest.

  Finally Temate turned his face to the Lich.

  "[Vicious Strike]! [Vital Sever]! [Bone Order] BREAK!" With a roar Temate poured everything he could into his attack.

  The kanabō arced upward and crashed into the Lich's head forcing the giant dead bear backwards. Temate barely lifted himself to his feet. A deep chill passed through his body once again. Power overuse, he was running out. That's what Kea had said.

  "I am Temate Temaku. Son of Wilford Temaku. If you want me to die do it yourself you cunt!" He swung his weapon once more and the Lich caught it in it's paw.

  "You're not talking to me." the Lich narrowed his eyes and then looked around. When he spotted the small owl his eyes widened and he snarled. "You again old friend? Pn on interrupting once more. You can't stop me here, not this time. The number I draw from is too great even for you!"

  Temate was pushed aside, stumbling to the ground as the Lich prowled towards Snowball.

  "But that's why you're just watching isn't it? To tell our lord what it is he faces? Or is it dy today?" The Lich chuckled.

  With great effort Temate forced himself up and began to stumble away back up the ramp.

  "Well? Like what you see? I'll let you watch while I turn this one, and then I'll destroy your friend here for my own peace."

  Temate grunted as the ground began to shake behind him once more. He couldn't run like this, he could barely walk as he was. Even that was half because he was using [Bone Order] to make the bones bend and move like he did with his arm.

  Then the ground exploded and Temate went flying forward. He turned onto his back and raised his kanabō in defense but saw no great dead bear atop him. He sat up and saw a... wolf? Wolf man?

  "Heh, and here I thought you couldn't get uglier ashface." The lupine figure growled as it stood from it's crouch. Thick bck fur glimmered in the afternoon light as they pced a hand on one shoulder and rolled their arm. Then they did the other.

  "Kezzik. Even you-" The Lich began.

  "I'm not alone, you always were dumber than you thought. Riddle me this giant punching bag." Kezzik yipped back to the Lich. Kezzik took an almost cssic boxers stance, then cracked his neck to one side. "Voel finds out you been lichified, then that they pn on killin thousands of poor mugs."

  Kezzik threw a punch in the air and a shadow coalesced. A massive, cwed paw easily as big as the Lich's possessed body, smmed into the Lich's side. The thunderous impact smashed the Lich into the wall.

  "You really think I'm the only one our lord sends to stop you? The Lights are all here, and we'll be damn sure one of our snuffed number doesn't do more damage then he already has!" Kezzik roared those st words with the fury of a man betrayed. "[Shadow Maul]!"

  And then it was dark.

  The entire area was covered in shadows, within which Temate could hear impact after impact. A few seconds ter and it was light again as a ball of shadow was falling into the main pit of Bearbhaile. The howl of wolf and roar of bear filling the air as it went.

  A massive, white winged owl stood where it had been moments before. A small red brown figure leapt off of its back and moved toward him quickly. As the figure approached they drew back their hood to reveal a red, smooth scaled face with a crown of small horns and no hair.

  In one hand they held a staff of gnarled wood, various crystals and flowers adorning it. In the other they held a small brass ntern which glowed with an oddly familiar, soothing orange light. They knelt next to him and his eyes met soft honey golden ones as they smiled and spoke.

  "Hello, I'm Ledle, please [Breathe Deep]." She said in a warm, almost motherly tone.

  Temate took a deep breathe, and as he did, she kissed him. Warmth filled Temate, and not just from the sudden intimacy of the kiss, or the strangeness of kissing a snouted, kobold like woman. It was deeper, more soothing. He felt strength return as she broke the kiss with a loud, sloppy pop.

  "Mmm, that's a good boy. Now [Open Wide]."

  Without thought Temate opened his mouth. She plucked a leaf from her staff and grabbed a small vial from her sash which cinched the blue tunic she wore around her waist. She spat into the vial, filling it with some sort of yellow orange liquid and pressed in the leaf. She shook it for a second and then poured the mixture into his mouth.

  "Swallow." She said, eyes still glued to his.

  He did.

  "Good boy. Now you'll be [Right As Rain] in just a bit, for now rex." She smiled and patted his head. "You've done very well, there there."

  "But the marchers." Temate weakly protested.

  "What marchers?" Ledle asked, tilting her head in confusion.

  Temate made to sit up but was surprised at Ledle's strength when she held him still. He looked around and saw... Nothing. There was no fighting. Just Voel petting the giant white bird at Ledle rode in on.

  "W-what."

  "My companions handled the clean up. Kezzik should be done with Ashton shortly, and if he's not, Filber, Polli or Hukre will help. You're safe now." Ledle smiled at him and Temate believed her.

  With a sigh he stopped half trying to rise and id back.

  "Who are you people?" Temate asked.

  "Oh? We are the Lights of Are, an irregur detachment from Occiden sent on the orders of Lord Are after Voel overheard your pns." Ledle expined, still holding his head in her p as she rubbed his head.

  "Hmm, convenient." He mumbled, half asleep.

  "Convenient? I should say not, do you know how much trouble this has caused our Lord? Especially with everything going on, having to send the majority of his forces out of the city? I have half a mind to spank you despite you being a grown man!" Ledle huffed and Temate noted the small spikes of orange smoke curling from her mouth.

  "Hah, not really my thing thanks." Temate said absentmindedly.

  "Oh not like that you naughty man, that we can talk about ter. For now where are your companions? The girl Toni I believe, and the small d, Pipuck?" Ledle asked.

  "Mmm, Safe, Surrender too, Pipucks a spiras not a d." Temate replied, eyes closing softly.

  "Very good, and where would safe be?" She asked. Temate pointed up towards the top of the cliff. "Good boy, now [Rest Well]. You've dealt with quite a lot."

  And Temate did.

  It was everything Toni could do not to immediately attack the man who carried Temate out of Bearbhaile. Only because his gear made him terrifying. Temate's new [Power] was still present, so she knew he was still alive. At least she hoped he was.

  She was also just slightly on edge, having just watched Temate once again turn to face certain death to protect others. To face the exact same lich, and to be saved by the exact same asshole who flew up to check on her an hour ago.

  She held Temate in her arms now, crying like a child while the armored man stood over her. His armor was simple, a gray padded surcoat over some form of hard grey leather. His helmet had been the strange part. A fully enclosed sphere of brass with several rge holes around the center, and dozens of smaller ones on the top.

  From the small top holes various strands of what appeared to be colored wax drizzled occasionally. While the rge ring of central holes always had two glowing bright orange. The reason why became apparent when the helmet was removed. The person inside had a dark grey, chitinous head, with bright glowing orange eyes.

  The dark grey composed the bottom half of their head and had no mouth, nose, or ears. The dark grey ended like a waffle cone, with strange ridges sticking straight up giving the head a conical shape. Inside that cone of a head bubbled a mess of some waxy substance which shifted in hue.

  This was apparently some means to communicate as Voel would often reply to the changes of coloration verbally. Often long strands of it would slide out to make sure they could be seen. This Voel introduced as Filber when he first raised the tent they now sat in. It had taken only a moment as well.

  He flicked what Toni at first though was a washcloth onto the ground. In less then thirty seconds, give or take a couple, it had raised itself into a huge, luxurious tent. The inside was carpeted with fold out beds and a small cooking station in the center. A fire already flickered in the space when they first stepped inside, warming the interior.

  The second guest in this tent was Polli. And she was just as strange as Filber. She wore a thick furred robe with patterns that reminded Toni of brilliant butterflies. It's thick dark red fur was dotted with bright red angur eyes ringed in white. Her face was completely white and her own eyes matched the ones dotting her cloak.

  Her hands and feet were long and cwed, covered in thick bck fur, and she had digitigrade legs like a lizard or Ledle, the third guest in the room. The only guest Toni didn't get annoyed talking to every second. Not that it was Filber's fault, they didn't communicate in a way Toni could process so... frustrating.

  "W-we really did d-do it r-right? We did g-good?" Polli asked, her voice had a buzzing, echoing quality to it that creeped Toni out.

  "Yes Polli, you did very good, good girl." Ledle said with a smile and a pat on the womans thigh.

  Because Polli would have stood a head taller then Temate, so there was no reaching anything else. Especially not as she rubbed two hands together in front of her chest while the other two held the robe up to cover her mouth.

  "A-yes, Kezzik this is Toni, Surrender and Pipuck. A-and now that we are all here." Voel said as a final person walked into the room.

  A huge, bck lupine man stooped into the room. His body was battered and scarred but he grinned with a savage joy. The same joy Toni had seen on Temate's face a few times, right in the midst of a good fight.

  "Ahhhh hold your feathers Voel, I just got in lemme sit down before we start yappin about pns." Kezzik growled.

  "How are your wounds?" Ledle asked.

  "Fine fine, don't waste your [Power]." Kezzik waved her off as she ran her hand along a wound on his haunch.

  "Hmmm, very well. Good work today." Ledle said with a pat on his thigh.

  Kezzik grinned at the compliment and stepped over to sit down on a bed. Pipuck came up to him and held out a hand.

  "Pipuck, I can patch up those wounds if you'd like." They said as they shook Kezziks hand.

  "Nah, really not worth any power to heal." Kezzik grumbled.

  "No power necessary, I make a 'ealing salve, if you'll allow me?" Pipuck held up one of his tubs. Kezzik raised an eyebrow, but gestured to go ahead.

  "Well thank you Pipuck, I'll have to try and get that recipe out of you sometime-" Ledle smiled to Pipuck who nodded back. Then she turned back to the group. "For now, to important matters."

  "A-getting you, and this now rather sizeable tribe, a-back to Occiden." Voel said.

  "W-wait, the goblins are coming? I thought-" Toni began.

  "Yeah, Lord Are wasn't very happy when Voel came back all like 'A-oh and they won't leave the goblins!'" Kezzik said, puffing his chest up as he mimicked Voel's voice.

  "A-I didn't say it like that." Voel said with a huff.

  "No, but you did imply that the goblins were unimportant, and you know how Lord Are feels about treating others as 'unimportant'." Ledle said with a low rumble and a puff of smoke.

  "Well they're goblins. By their nature they're-"

  A bde of wax slid up to Voel's throat. Thin strands of wax, flowing red orange and white floated through the air.

  "You're new Voel. So I won't agree to Filber slitting your throat right now, especially since that's not how we handle that Filber." Ledle growled with an intensity Toni did not expect from a girl Surrender's size.

  Surrender didn't either from the whistle of appreciation she let out.

  "A-Very well. A-My feelings on goblins is of no import right now. A-What is, is there are too many to transport."

  "I-I could take a f-few y'know." Polli muttered.

  "How many and for how long?" Ledle asked.

  "Mmmm, 50? I c-could get all th- all the way back, we'd j-just take longer." She replied.

  "If you stayed with the tribe, could you spur them on the ground?" Ledle asked again.

  "O-oh of- of course I could, that's... I mean o-obviously th-t-thats a better pn. I'll do that." Polli mumbled as she pulled her cloak up to her eyes.

  "It's alright Polli. Filber and I'll stay with you. Voel be a dear and take Kizzik and the rescues back to Occiden?" Ledle looked to Voel who simply nodded.

  "So, Kea, Polli, Fillber and myself with the tribe. That Chiel, he's the second for Temate right?" Ledle turned to look to Toni.

  "Yes, yes he is." Toni answered bnkly.

  "Good. We'll talk with him and work to get the tribe migrated up toward Occiden. Voel takes Temate, Toni, Surrender and Pipuck back with him to get settled. Any other thoughts?" Ledle looked around the group.

  "We have a lot of gear." Toni pointed out ftly.

  "Ah- yes. Voel?"

  "A-A simple solution. They have a hanging tent, open it, fill it with all the supplies and we can carry that beneath us." Voel replied.

  "Good, anything else?" Ledle looked around once more.

  "Rose." Toni added again

  She'd forgotten for a moment, amidst all the death, the once more near loss of her partner. She had to assume they were with the goblins somewhere.

  "Who?" Ledle asked.

  "Rose. The flower person. They're probably with the goblins. They have to come with us or I'm not going." Toni stated.

  "Oh, five is kind of the limit on-"

  "They're coming." Toni said again.

  "A-I can figure it out. A-I know who she's talking about, and I would not separate the two. A-I'm curious how it happened in the first pce." Voel huffed.

  "Okay... Fine. Anything else." Ledle huffed herself.

  "Temate's armor." Toni added once more.

  "Oh for the love of- Tell me everything you can think of and we'll go through them one by one!" Ledle snapped and everyone in the room ughed.

  Everyone except Toni, who sat holding Temate and felt empty. Absolutely empty.

  Force2reckon