---

"The unicorn's body was found on the s-shore but the Regina.... Lady Serafina wasn't t-there. It's b-been rotting there for a w-week. No one k-knows what to do to g-get rid of it. Some of the p-priests set up scrolls to p-purify it and stop it from c-changing but its not working. P-Please, Lady M-Melgrove, f-forgive me for my slight."

Though Benedict nodded along to the information, Alashe was much less forgiving. Her anger colored her reaction and though she may have been right about finding the information from other people she was acting like a total hard ass (he liked that insult) over it. They needed to focus on the rotting-carcass-turned-possible-Kelpie.

"You are more soft-hearted than I imagined a cerberus rider."

The lady is right.

You should have killed him.

Kill him now!

Chase him down.

Chase him down.

Chase. Him. Down.

Benedict pressed his lips together and followed after her, narrowing his eyes at his monster. They managed to project their pent up frustration on him as he felt the urge to kill course through his body. They wanted a new plaything, a toy they would kill in due time.

But that's not until tomorrow, he thought darkly as they entered the inn.

The next morning the two riders were shore-bound with their animals in tow and hopefully Dae not far behind. He assumed that the siren-rider would have the advantage swimming from his position. Plus mermaids were usually friends with fish right?

"Alashe do we have the faery wood?"

Alasahe looked out at the shore and smiled a rare smile. Melgrove City, where she had been born and raised, was a port town. The scent of the sea was one of the few pleasant backdrops of her childhood.

And then the wind shifted and Alasahe had to wrinkle her nose. Fiir rumbled and beat his wings, driving away the foul stench drifting down to them from the north. Even the water seemed to tinge dark brown as she looked farther up shore. She could see where the Languinre priests had tried to set up their wards. It was a futile attempt. The monsters and their magic went beyond human power and comprehension.

You had to fight monster with monster.

"We do," she answered Ben, reaching up to unhook a few boughs of wood from Fiir's saddle. The dragon seemed to be impatient with their errand and while they slept, had found his way into the Faery wood and removed several boughs of wood. She worried about what repercussions there might be to that, the faeries were notoriously protective of their trees... "Fiir took care of it for us. Should we wait for Dae? He should be along shortly, shouldn't he?"

---

Dae was happy when he and Aquarian had finally made it out to sea. The sea was a far better place than the desert. He didn't have to worry about drowning in the water thanks to Aquarian and he didn't have the oppressive heat of the desert breathing down his back. He even had the cool misty spray of the ocean as they moved to keep them cool. All in all, it was smooth sailing the short distance to their destination and faster to. Aquarian really was quite amazing with his ability over the water. He propelled them over the waves and what normally may have take about 3 days, he cut down to a day and a half. He really didn't want to face a Kelpie and the longer they waited, the longer that became reality. And at last, they made it to the shore. They anchored and Dae and Aquarian hurried on their way. He really hoped he didn't get his crewmen involved in this.

Aquarian hurried ahead and grinned. "I see them! They are already on the beach."

"I know. I don't think we could miss that dragon if we wanted to," Dae grinned as they made their way towards their party.

Ugh, Dae could already smell the stench of the unicorn's rotting flesh. It made him want to gag. Death was awful in itself but with the unicorn, there was a far murkier smell to it and the open water didn't much help with the rot. It was so bad. They needed to get to the carcass quickly. He knew it was going to turn soon. He walked up behind the party then just as he caught the tail end of Alasahe's words. "You needn't wait. I am here," he answered. "It is good to see you both and with the wood. Good. Let's get to this carcass before it is too late." Dae started to hurry then, Aquarian at his side.

Unfortunately, they were too late. Dae skidded to a halt a short distance from the carcass as he saw an inky blackness bubble around the unicorn's remains. The unicorn itself had been left to rot and the natural process had mutated the once majestic creature. Nothing had come to eat it however so it was untouched by animals but that didn't stop the weather or purification. Bones were sticking out of the taut flesh and it was peeling from the horse's gaping maw. The bubbling liquid was coming from the deep wound in its chest where Dae had to assume the killing blow was struck. He could already see the unicorn was beginning to breath and twitch. Shit. Shit. Shit! "The wood! We need the wood now! Blast it with fire!" he called as he looked back to his party urgently.

Before the wood could be passed to him or thrown at the carcass however, the bubbling spread to devour the entire horse and it started to twist and pop. Slowly, the goop conformed to the outer contours of the horse and it got to its feet. A screech like that of the Night Mare fiend filled the air and Dae and Aquarian both covered their ears least it pop their eardrums. The goo that once covered the creature was sucked right back into the wounds as it healed and the decomposition had regenerated to living flesh though it didn't regain its healthy vigor. The once proud unicorn with hair of star dust now boasted fur the black-blue of a deep seeded bruise. It's main and tail crinkled to mimic the waves of the ocean and it to darkened to a misty blue but retained its deceptively silky texture. Its eyes brightened to glow as hot as embers and its horn molted into a pale blue fin that flattened against its forehead.

If one looked close enough, they'd discover that the horse's skin was covered in scales and its mane were tendrils of seaweed; sticky and slimy to ensnare victims that came close enough to touch it. The strands drooped limply against its skin and there was yet an air of death and purification about the reanimation. Thick poison oozed off its body like oil and muck and it killed whatever it touched. The ground it was standing on was already pooling with the greenish substance. Though alive, the creature looked sickly and twisted. It was thin and bony and the blakish color made it look as if it were still purifying. Even its mouth sported sharper canines and it gave a frightening grin, bone still exposed. Perhaps it was the kelpie people spoke of when they talked about the Night Mares that dragged souls to the underworld. It certainly would fill dreams with terror.

The kelpie snorted and kicked the ground with its foreleg, feeling the hostility in the air and knowing it needed to kill what stood in its way of freedom. Its goal was to reach the water. That is where it felt safest and where it could maneuver far faster and hide beneath the waves and drag any who dared to follow after. It gave another blood curling scream as it charged straight ahead towards the water. Instantly fins unfurled from its head and down its back as well as on each hoof for maneuverability. As soon as it reached the water, the hooves would change completely to strand like fins and the stories of old told how fast the horses could ride the waves and flee.

Dae's eyes widened and he quickly grabbed one of his throwing knives and let it sail through the air towards the horse. It hit the Kelpie in it's flank and it screamed but it didn't slow. "Aquarian! Stop it!"

Aquarian hissed, showing he truly wasn't human for the first time as his fangs extended and fins erupted around his ears and arms. He extended his hands and a wall of water rose up, pulling the water away from the kelpie and slowing its hooves in the mud. It neighed in frustration but it didn't stop.

---

"You needn't wait. I am here."

"Good timing," Benedict noted as he watched the two men approach.

The stench of the rotting unicorn permeated anything that once had life and curled around their seeped as though the oncoming fight would not be enough of a memory.

Too late.

Too late.

TOO LATE! Orpheus chanted, the three growling at the ensuing transformation.

For all of their uselessness they had a knack for detecting other monsters by scent and the Kelpie was no different. The once-majestic-then-tragic form now morphed into something worthy to ride the sea. Bruise-colored scales wrapped around the stag's body whilst tendrils of seaweed replaced the mane and bones stood out under the skin. It was no longer a creature of purity and life but a reaper meant to punish those who killed him in the first place.

It's poison!

The wood was useless!

Kill the beast before it reaches water.

The water protects it.

In one of Orpheus's rare moments of lucidity, they provided sound advice that prompted Benedict to light an explosive and fire it via slingshot toward the Kelpie. Dae and Aquarian had taken the liberty to part the seas so the tiny bomb would at least turn the beast their way (if not enrage it more). He had to be careful with his timing however. They didn't explode on contact they would be put out by the waters.

"Melgrove you already know this but I can handle myself," he said as he opened his backpack, "I restocked on bombs before we left the city so take what you need and I will provide support where I can."

---

Serafina was a bit... appalled about the situation. She had been so relieved that she was getting out but now her rescuers were fighting and bickering among themselves and the King of Amstra just... just started a tantrum. There was no other word for it. What else could this be called? The man was screaming and going in a blood rage and just hammering anything in his way because he didn't get what he wanted. The world wasn't black and white! There was grey in every action, behavior, and situation! Why couldn't this man see that? And this was not the time to do this! They were still in enemy territory and they could be overrun by bandits and mercenaries or whatever else was outside these walls and he was just making so much noise! They wouldn't escape if this continued. And what was worse was that Amir and Trytheus were actually fighting now. How was this going to help them any? They'd all be injured and be no use to anyone! Sure Amir had the phoenix but again, this was wasting time!

Serafina sighed to herself and leaned against the wall and raised a hand up to rub her face and try and clear her instant annoyance. They didn't have time for this! While they fought and wasted energy, her precious companion could be changing and what if he killed or hurt one of the other riders and her people? They would be the first to suffer from the Kelpie. If her dearest had to die a second time, she wanted to at least make sure the others had a cure for the poison. She couldn't get there without assistance. She didn't have a boat and taking a boat would take forever anyway. Amir's phoenix wouldn't be able to help her so she had to seek assistance from this child masquerading as a man. Maybe the iron suit was compensation for something because this was all just beyond ridiculous.

The young woman had hoped that once the man had gotten his energy out, he'd listen to reason. Amir would tire him because he looked quick and nimble, but such was not the case. Trytheus instead blasted a hole in the wall and the great griffin swooped in and... carried the iron man away. Her jaw fell open unceremoniously in her shock. He just... up and left them here! Why did everything she planned have to go awry? How would they get out of this mess now that Trytheus was gone? "No! Where the hell do you think you are going? Come back!" she growled and stumbled forward. Unfortunately he was far into the sky and he would not be able to hear her. "Bastard!" she huffed.

Serafina turned to Amir then. The young man had been hit by that man's hammer and the wall and she could swear she heard something break or pop under the weight of impact. She frowned and pushed her hair behind her ear as her eyes scanned her companion. [color#551A8B]"Are you all right, Amir?"[/color] she asked. "Where is your phoenix? We need your creature to heal our wounds and we need to find a way to find Trytheus or another way off Gnaji and get to Languinre. We have already wasted much time. I worry for all of them."[/color]

Alasahe started slightly as Dae and Aquarian rose from the waves, and then scowled. She hated being caught unprepared.

"You needn't wait," he said. "I am here."

Ben looked at them. "Good timing," he said.

Alasahe just wrinkled her nose and went back to unloading the boughs of wood from Fiir's saddle. "Finally," she muttered. She wasn't sure how much time they would have, but it wouldn't take long at all to start the fire and be done with the problem. Was it her or was the stink getting stronger, more potent by the second. She looked up from Fiir's side and caught sight of Dae's face, his eyes wide and his features suddenly pale.

"The wood! We need the wood now! Blast it with fire!" Alasahe turned, curious to see what must be causing such a panic in him, and almost dropped the wood in shock. A unicorn was a glorious creature to behold, whiter than white, luminous with something more powerful than light. With goodness. Now, it was something else, something more twisted and ugly and black than anything Alasahe had laid eyes on in her entire life. She whirled and raised the bough, bracing herself for the heat of Fiir's blast...

But it was too late.

The beast heaved itself to its feet, and without even a glance in their direction, headed for the sea.

Alasahe could see their future laid out before them. The kelpie was pure poison. Nothing could survive it, especially once it took to the ocean. The fish would die first. Thousands of fisherman for hundreds of miles in all directions would suddenly come home with empty nets. Then the water itself would begin to rot, noxious gasses rising up, choking unsuspecting sailors. Everything, every sea bird, every untouched beach, it would all die.

And it would be their fault.

Alasahe's eyes narrowed. Melgroves did not fail.

Dae acted first, sending Aquarian to pull back the waves while Ben struck out with hand-held bombs. The beast was turning, if ever so slightly back towards them and away from the sea. Alasahe dropped one of the branches next to Ben and slung the other over her shoulder, grabbing as many of the explosives in her hand as she could.

"Here," she said, stripping a few twigs from the branch as quickly as she could. "Wrap these around the bombs before you launch them. The fey fire is its weakness." She didn't wait for confirmation. This is what it meant to be part of a team. Ben was young, but he was a rider. She had to trust him to be able to do his job.

She threw herself into Fiir's saddle, reaching forward so that she could extend the branch. At the same moment, he turned his head and blew flames, catching the leafy edge of the branch. Fey fire burned bright and hot and Alasahe squinted. Fiir launched himself into the air, skimming just over the sand, snaking around so that they were blocking the kelpie's way to the water.

Amir was livid. Beyond livid, was there a word to describe a fury beyond livid because nothing came to mind as he watched the griffin rider get conveniently swept away by his beast leaving himself and Sera behind in the Cape. He wasn’t really sure what was worse, the fact that Trytheus completely abandoned them, or the fact Trytheus completely abandoned them while at the same time alerting all the criminals in the vicinity of their locations. If he didn’t die he was killing that man, he was gouging his eyes out and flaying his skin and he was going to make a fire god damn hot enough to melt that armor off the damn bastard. Fuck him, fuck him and not in the good sensual way, just fuck, fucking that stupid fucking bastard that fucking prick, fuck, fuck, fuck fuck fuck him.

At some point the internal rant became external and his head wiped in the direction of the unicorn rider as she started speaking to him. He rolled his neck, a sharp pain danced over his spine but he ignored it, an injury to that extent was ignorable considering the circumstances. Soon the criminals would begin investigating, Amir’s portrait was pasted all over this place, they were so screwed if they didn’t get moving. Hassan would not have enough time to heal him until they were free of this place. “I’m fine, it doesn’t fucking hurt. He’s going to fucking hurt when I’m fucking through with that fucking piece of shit. Fuck him, I’m gonna string him up and fucking beat the shit out of his shitty fucking face.”

He adjusted his grip on his sword and then looked the girl up and down. They wouldn’t be able to move as fast as he wanted, but she was injured, beaten, abused, a good reason to slow them down. Not Trytheus though, he was just a big baby that didn’t know how to deal with a conflict of interests and instead had mental breakdowns that made everyone else’s life harder. He motioned for her to follow him, this place had to of had a back door that spat people out into the back alley. No doubt there’d be people hovering around the building, but at least it’d be easier to fight with the volume bottlenecked in the alley.

He was right, as soon as he stepped out there were about seven people hovering around the building curiously. Probably a mix of Snake-Bite and other organizations that had heard the commotion. He didn’t hesitated to cut down the nearest man, spinning his body to connect a kick in another and then hit another with another slash of the sword. Then he used the bleeding man’s body to deter the others that stood in his way and ran past them, he trusted Sera to be able to keep up as they moved. Amir could hear the foot fall behind him of multiple people, some of them calling that the Phoenix Rider was present. If he had been by himself he would have been knocking things down to hinder their path, but with Sera behind him that wasn’t an option. “Unicorn, anything that looks tippable, hit it as we go. It’ll slow them down a little bit.”

He spared her only a glance to make sure she was actually behind him before picking up the speed and taking the next corner with a sharp turn. Three people were loitering and the boy didn’t blink as his sword struck the closest one, it sailed into their neck and the momentum sent the body tumbling into the others and he hacked into them before Sera even turned the corner. He paused on to look at the girl, eyes blazing before he continued forward.

“That fucking prick. Lectured me the entire time we’ve been together. Amir you are too cowardly, Amir you are too weak, Amir you bring ruin to everyone around you. Well you know what Trytheus? You can go fucking shove it!” He started speaking in a normal tone, running and mindlessly swinging the blade at any thing that moved in front of him, but by the end of his rant he was screaming. His sword hissed through the air decapitating the poor woman that dared challenge him. The blood rained over him and more criminals descended upon him with the fall of the woman. An arrow struck his shoulder blade, the blunt end of a sword buried itself into his upper arm, it left a deep gash that gushed immediately. The injuries only fueled his anger though, pain seemed to fuel the rage inside. He couldn’t even comprehend why he was so angry at Trytheus anymore. Did the man’s actions cause him pain? Could it be Amir had developed even a sliver of trust, and, painstakingly, respect for the man? It had seemed the rants and lectures of heroism and justice had seeded somewhere inside, blooming when confronted with Sera. So was this an emotional wound? Betrayal? Amir never imagined the man would freak out in the manor he had, never imagined he would abandon him. Was that where the rage that hadn’t ebbed originated?

He was brought back by searing pain, so bad it brought the boy to a knee if only for a moment. His left arm from the elbow down gone, discarded on the ground. The string of curse words that spilled from his mouth were indecipherable as he charged forward, there were a ton of men in the alley way. Amir wasn’t sure when he let it get out of control, it must have happened when he was on autopilot thinking about Trytheus. He shouldn’t have gone on autopilot, not when he was protecting the Unicorn Rider. The boy was sure she could handle herself in a fight, but probably nothing of this volume. He swung his sword and as the man in front of him was knocked away he spit into the eyes of the man right behind him. “You fucking took my arm, I’m going to fucking slaughter the god damn lot of you!”

He raised his sword high, it barely caught the light of the sun in the alley way, but it was enough. There were probably at least twenty men squeezed in the alley’s expanse in front of him, with a bleeding arm, a missing arm and an arrow in his back there was no way he could kill them all. He lowered his blade as an ear splitting screech thundered in the alley way. A huge plume of fire rained down on the men in front of him as Hassan reappeared after his brief absence. The bird rocketed through the group of criminals leaving nothing untouched with its flames. The heat was blistering, but nothing he couldn’t handle, though blood loss was starting to make his mind cloudy.

Not a single man was left standing as Hassan disappeared back into the sky, the close quarters of the alley making the fire attack three times more powerful than normal. He bent down to pick up his arm, sword clenched between his teeth as he retrieved the two golden bangles he usually kept on his left wrist. He shook the severed arm nonchalantly, letting the bangles clatter to the ground before discarding his arm to the side and picking up the jewelry carefully with his right arm, but his fingers shook and his right arm throbbed because of the deep gash in it. He struggled trying to get the bracelets around his wrist before turning to Sera.

“Umicore, can yub hep muee?” He asked, his voice muffled by the sword in his mouth and he shook his hand with the bangles on it. They slide on with little effort with the aid of someone else and he reclaimed the sword from his mouth in his right hand. He immediately started going forward, but stumbled a bit, his head swimming. Blood loss was a bitch. He murmured a soft shit before running through the carnage before them. It was hot and sweltering, and smelled absolutely disgusting. Brunt human flesh was nothing to be desired, the melted and fried flesh squelched and squished under his foot fall. The scene was so over powering that his eyes teared up, and the boy could barely keep from dry heaving. They had to keep moving though, the scene Hassan caused would no doubt draw even more attention so they had to get clear of it before more people came. The boy doubted he would be capable of putting up much more of a fight.

With nothing but willpower left the boy charged forward, the mental map of Tempress Cape driving his direction. Instinct guided his sword as his heavy arm and legs moved with only adrenaline left to keep him mobile. His breathes felt ragged in his lungs, and there wasn’t enough oxygen in the world to stop the ache they felt, there wasn’t enough blood in his body to ease his mind. The world seemed to tip on its side and all he could do was close his eyes and count his foot steps to keep from collapsing. Poison, definitely poison on the arrow embedded in in his shoulder.

It seemed a miracle that no one was by the breach in the fencing around the Cape they’d be using to escape. He kicked at the weak wood and it fell away without any effort. The boy turned to the unicorn rider, motioning for her to crawl before following close behind. Sweat drenched his body, everything hurt, but that was probably a good thing. When things stopped hurting then the boy knew he was in trouble. He motioned in a direction for them to move in before falling to a knee. The adrenaline seemed used up, “I need Hassan.”

Had he said that out loud? It was supposed to be a thought. He briefly noted the silver flash of the unicorn rider before it was blocked out by a warmth of red and orange. “I am here Amir.” The voice was reassuring and he felt himself sigh as the tension ebbed from his wounded body. The rush of cool that ran through him was familiar and welcome, his hammering heart slowing to a comfortable speed as the familiar presented itself. The throbbing in his head went away almost instantly as the cool comfort of the Phoenix tears rushed through his body. His right arm returned to strength and he reached around, grasping the arrow by the shaft and yanking it out his shoulder with a string of cuss words to follow. He leaned back against the wooden fence of the Cape, taking steadying breathes as his arm began regenerating. Limb regeneration was by far the worst thing the tears did. The nerve endings were the first to reconstruct and every bit of regrowth was felt vividly. He’d need something to take his mind off it.

With a sigh the boy stood, looking towards the unicorn rider and tilting his head in the direction he had pointed to before collapsing. The closest dune would put them out of sight of the Cape and then they would start looking for the rat bastard that abandoned them. “Unfortunately for us, the fastest way to get you back to that unicorn is the griffon. We’ve gotta find that child before it’s too late for your beast.”

Walking was much easier when there was enough blood in his body to function. Hassan perched onto his shoulder, and he was grateful his biggest concern was finding a dumb ass. Even the horrendous pain of his left arm being regrown didn’t compare to the priority of finding Trytheus. He hummed and lifted his right arm to look at the five bangles that clattered loudly on his wrist. It was too much jewelry to put on one limb and he actually found it annoying, but the bracelets were the only things he couldn’t allow himself to part with. He shot an unsure glance at Sera, he had saved her for all the wrong reasons, and he debated telling her the truth. Surely even just a few days or a week of that kind of constant abuse would leave scars. It would probably plague her dreams for weeks, months, maybe even years. He had never talked to anyone about his experiences. Though almost all of the permanent residents of Gnaji Town knew about what had happened, he had never confided in someone about what really had happened. The boy was still plagued with nightmares of that past, maybe if she knew she could talk to him he could prevent her from going through that.

“You know… You can talk to me if you need too… about what happened while you were prisoner.” He started unsure and cast the girl a soft look, he doubted she would want to talk with just that. He knew that he never had wanted to tell anyone, but he was pretty fucked up now. The eleven year old him might have been different, might have confided in someone he trusted, he wanted this girl to never become the way he was now. “You might think I won’t understand, but I will, I promise. I was in nearly the same situation as you, but I was eleven when it happen… And, ah, no one saved me from that hell.” He tried to keep his voice flat, unwavering and gentle, but just thinking about telling his story had his voice quaking.

---

Aquarian hissed in his anger as he pulled the water away from the Kelpie. Instead of trying to touch the distraught creature's mind, Aquarian had to use his abilities to glean information of where the damned horse would charge next just to keep the water away from it. If he failed, the Kelpie would get into the water and if he went after it... not even he would be able to stay away from the creature's poison. It would secret the nasty bile into the water and once Aquarian breathed it in, he'd be done for. He would not let that happen. He had no intentions of dying or put Dae at the butt end of Meg and May's tasks. If he died, the riders would be tasked to kill Dae just as they had been tasked to kill the unicorn's rider. So, he did what he could to keep the water at bay, perspiration already dotting his skin and his arms aching. There was a lot of water to move around after all and he had to do it quickly. The damn corpse was fast.

Thankfully, Ben's bombs and the burning fae wood was doings its job thanks to Alasahe and the dragon. The horse neighed, rearing up on its hind legs when a well placed bomb went off in front of it. Another burst with a bit of fae wood hit its leg then and it gave another shriek in pain and building rage. The horse pawed the ground in its new found targets and charged at Ben. Ben was the one throwing most of the bombs and he was a smaller target. Always best to destroy the smaller ones before going after the bigger targets after all. Everywhere it stepped, it left the bubbling poison, littering the ground with its own traps. Clothes would prevent it from seeping in, but as soon as it touched skin, the poor sods would start feeling the weakness before they even realized they were poisoned.

Dae himself was trying to figure out the best way to stop this creature. It would be too toxic to get up close so his claw blades would be useless. As soon as he got close enough, the horse would drip its toxins on the blades and he was sure it would get on his body. He bet even the Kelpie's blood was poisonous so that wasn't an option. He he'd have to use his throwing knives but he had a limit. The bombs were doing more damage to the creature than his knives. He needed to stop it from charging though. It was getting too close to Ben and the Cerberus might try and bite it which would lead to both its death and Ben's. Dae quickly unsheathed two of his knives and hurled them at the creature; its legs specifically. He was rewarded when one of the daggers founds its mark and slashed the kelpie's leg just just as it pressed its hoof into the ground. The horse screamed as it tumbled, thrown off balance.

The Kelpie got to its feet, its eyes glowing and snorted, fumes shifting into the air and it changed its course to run straight for Dae instead. Oh shit. Dae quickly grabbed three more daggers as he shuffled back and threw them at the horse. One of the daggers embedded itself int he horse's shoulder, the second grazed its side as it sailed pass the horse and the third hit another leg muscle but this time, it didn't slow the horse. It was pissed and his knives were only enraging it. Since this tactic wasn't slowing the horse, Dae started to run. He knew he couldn't outrun a horse but maybe he could out maneuver it. Dae could hear other bombs going off near the horse so he tried to stay clear of anything that his companions were throwing.

The hair on the back of Dae's neck rose and he felt the icky sensation of ice crawling down his back. He could smell the hot dank breath of the Kelpie behind him, feel its presence just behind him and hear its hooves pawing his steps. He wasn't going to be able to get away. Dae tried to maneuver to the left to bring himself to the horse's left instead of its path but the horse screeched as it extended his neck and clamped its sharpened canines into his left arm. Dae cried out at the pain as he pulled free one of his last four throwing knives and stuck it into the creature's neck. The horse screamed and tossed Dae back and the young man stumbled backwards from the force and fell to the ground.

He heard Aquarian hissing and wanting to join the fray but Aquarian only fought with his claws and fangs or water. In this fight, all those things were useless. That was one thing the Kelpie didn't need; water. Aquarian just had to keep the water at bay and it seemed he had to pick up that task again since the horse was now rushing towards the water again to get away from all of its attackers. Dae knew he was in Alasahe's and Ben's line of fire but at this point, he'd rather die in an explosion than by poison. He scrambled to his feet to try and get away as he called out, "Blast it!"

---

Serafina sighed and nodded as she followed after Amir. Their bad situations had gotten much worse. She had thought that everything would be fine now that she wasn't bound but now they had to deal with the scum that Trytheus had attracted with his tantrum. Serafina was bruised and battered but she wasn't down for the count. She'd fight beside Amir and they would get out of this or die a glorious death amidst the enemies they had slain. They would always remember how many she and Amir took down before their deaths. She slid her rapiers out of their sheathes and twirled them in her hands, psyching herself up for the battle that would ensue. She rolled her head once to loosen before she headed after the younger male. Funny how Trytheus was the baby in this situation and not the younger Amir. Though he could improve his vocabulary, she had to agree with Amir's sentiment.

Once they were thrown into the fray, Serafina let out a battle cry as she followed the path that Amir cut for her and finished the straggles that tried to move in. She fought in a similar fashion as Amir, slashing her opponents in a chaotic flourish, but she did aim for weak points such as joints, necks, legs. She had a longer reach than Amir as well, and she used that to her advantage. She lunged forward and slit a man's throat and got the man behind him in the shoulder. As she withdrew her first rapier, she turned to bring the second down to slash the man down the front, spraying blood around them and all over her tattered clothing. The deep red was quite the contrast to her pale skin and clothing.

The warrior twirled, slashing those that managed to get between her and Amir and she effectively cut off most of the enemies that tried to get behind Amir and back-stab him. Unfortunately she couldn't help when the arrow pierced him. That man was too far away for her to reach, but she slashed the thug with an ax that had aimed for Amir's head. Upon realizing that Amir wasn't the only threat, some of the villains turned towards her as well and tried to bring her down. She was a whirlwind, using her twists and turns to confuse the enemy and prevent them from knowing which way she was going and who she was attacking before it was too late. She gave out another cry after killing three that surrounded her and ran forward at the fourth that tried to stand in her way. She stabbed the man through the chest with both rapiers and used the man's momentum to volt over him. It took her a moment to get her swords out of the man which earned her a slash down her right shoulder. She growled at the woman that had gotten close and gripped the woman's retreating hand to pull her close and stab her through the gut and twisted before pulling her sword free and hurried after Amir.

Unfortunately she was too late to stop the man that cut Amir's arm off, but the two of them were leaving quite the trail nonetheless and she was sure the phoenix would heal that right up for the man. Serafina would just have to make sure no one tried to take advantage of Amir's weak side. And it didn't seem entirely necessary considering the man called down the phoenix at that moment and burned the rest of the men that had come for them. She panted as she moved to Amir's side and whipped her swords at her side to get most of the blood off of them before she sheathed her weapons. They were quite the tattered duo. She couldn't help the smirk and the relieved laugh that bubbled up. They made it! They made it against the odds! Oh what a day. She couldn't wait to tell Everglade... her smile instantly fell. Everglade might not be there to tell. Serafina sighed and crawled out of the Cape with Amir behind her.

When the young man said he needed his companion, he hurried to his side to lift his good arm and tried to help him continue to walk. Within seconds the bird was there healing the wounds and she watched as Amir yanked the arrow away. She watched fascinated as Amir's hand began to slowly regenerate. It was fascinating... she was mesmerized by it for a moment. What if... what if the phoenix could use those tears to heal her unicorn? The unicorn was dead though... perhaps it would not work on the Kelpie that rose.

“Unfortunately for us, the fastest way to get you back to that unicorn is the griffon. We’ve gotta find that child before it’s too late for your beast.”

Serafina sighed and gave a nod. "Unfortunately, you are right. You have any idea which way he went?" she asked as she started to walk in the direction Amir pointed.

“You know… You can talk to me if you need too… about what happened while you were prisoner. You might think I won’t understand, but I will, I promise. I was in nearly the same situation as you, but I was eleven when it happen… And, ah, no one saved me from that hell.”

Serafina's eyes widened and she stopped her trekking to turn and look at the young man. Amir had been in a similar situation as her? And so young to... her heart went out to him. Tears filled her eyes suddenly and the tough warrior visage seemed to crumble as she moved forward and hugged Amir to her tightly. She wanted to hug him till all of their pain just washed away. No one should go through what they had been forced to endure. And Amir had been just a baby! Why hadn't anyone saved him? That was unfair! "Oh, Amir, I am so sorry that you had to go through that!" she said. She squeezed him a little more than was probably wise for the both of them before she pulled back and wiped at her eyes. She turned away, not wanting him to see her cry right now. "Thank you, Amir. Your kindness and mercy to me will be remembered. I don't really want to talk about it right now. And if you ever wish to talk to me about your experience, I will be an open ear and arms for you," she returned.

Serafina sniffled and scrubbed her face a little harder and put a smile on her face. "We should think about this another time. Let's go find the shiny baby," she answered to try and make Amir smile as she started walking.

Amir was more than embarrassed at even bringing up anything that had to do with his slave life. It had him reaching uncomfortably for the back of his neck and looking away from the girl. Talking about how he really felt was not something Amir generally participated in. He didn’t even notice when the girl had stopped walking next to him. He was more than caught off guard by the hug the girl initiated. He felt himself freeze in shock and stare down at her in disbelief. Could this have been the reason he never told anyone the details of his slavery? Was she… crying? Amir could not handle tears, or hugs, or generally anything that wasn’t unbridled hostility. The spectrum of human emotion he could handle went from rage to neutrality. Soft things, like this girl’s pity, were not things he could deal with.

He moved his his right arm awkwardly to attempt at giving her a comforting pat on the back before she finally released him. "Thank you, Amir. Your kindness and mercy to me will be remembered. I don't really want to talk about it right now. And if you ever wish to talk to me about your experience, I will be an open ear and arms for you," Amir was surprised by the unicorn rider’s words. He had set out to try and comfort her in some way, keep her from falling to despair, but instead she was offering him support. His wounds had long since closed, though the deep and present scars still remained as constant reminder, her wounds were still fresh. Actually, she literally had a wound that Amir hadn’t noticed until she had moved in to hug him.

“I told you about myself in hopes to give you support, not for you to pity me…” He sighed in frustration, it had come off more rude than he had intended, but he wasn’t really sure the right thing to say in situations like this. Talking honestly wasn’t something that came easy. He turned his attention to Hassan motioning for the bird to aid Sera’s injury. Honestly, he was surprised his phoenix hadn’t healed her when they had first left the Cape. Hassan had always proven to be much more charitable than his rider. The phoenix opened its wings to make the short distance between the two, dropping a single tear before returning to Amir’s side. She was still wiping tears from her eyes when she spoke again though, reminding Amir that they still had a task at hand. "We should think about this another time. Let's go find the shiny baby,"

He felt his eye twitch and his single hand clench. He had forgotten that he still had an ass to beat. The excruciating pain of the regeneration was nearly forgotten as a new wave a rage rolled over him, and it took all of Amir’s willpower not to go on yet another tirade over the armor clad bastard. Sure, it had been Amir’s fault for ditching the mission, he shouldn’t have done that, but Trytheus had way over reacted. Another eye twitch, he was going to kill him, he was going to kill that son of bitch so hard the man wouldn’t even know grammar anymore. Hassan left his shoulder as his body tensed, though the boy was grateful his beast already knew the objective as it flew off in search of Trytheus. However that now left Sera and him alone in silence, a silence that now felt incredibly awkward as the rage ebbed slightly.

With nothing to talk about Amir was suddenly hyper-focused on his regenerating arm. The rapid growth left an itch under his newly formed skin and pieces of what could only be described as mush fell from the stump every few seconds as unneeded flesh was purged from him. It hurt, imagine the growing pains you felt as a child amplified ten fold as his forearm reformed the lost skeletal structure. The white of the bone was already well past the reformed flesh. His nerves sparked angrily with every movement of his arm as the exposed nervous system was overloaded with direct contact to the world around it. It formed tears at the corners of his eyes and the boy brought the stump to his chest in an effort to shield it from some of the elements. The pain brought about a new wave of courage and insight to the boy, and he decided that telling Sera the truth about his thought process and motives. Anything to get his mind off the regrowth.

“As nice as it would be to be thought a hero, I’m really not. I didn’t save you because it was the right thing to do, or because we have been in similar circumstances. I saved you because when we were in that basement and you were tied up, all I could see was myself. When I looked at you my eleven-year-old self was staring back at me and all I could think was: ‘This was what I always wanted.’ I was using you as a means to give my past self what he had always wanted for the years I spent as a sex slave, revenge.” He dipped his head down and didn’t look at the girl. He wasn’t sure if the speech made everything more awkward or not, but he spent most of his time being selfish and cowardly like Trytheus had often shoved in his face, right now, with his arm regrowing and a deep sense of abandonment, all the boy wanted to do was feel slightly less shitty.

Hassan returned quickly, thank the gods, and it appeared that Mavegen had not taken Trytheus too far from the Cape. The red bird turned its beak in the direction to go and Amir turned so they were walking the correct way. As they scaled the next sand dune Amir froze at the top. A canyon laid out before them, the sand gave away to dirt and grass, but it wasn't the canyon that had him stopped, it was the slight glint of a shined metal that made fury bubble inside the boy. He didn’t even speak a word to Sera and he bolted down the sand dune. Hassan was knocked off kilter and forced to fly beside the boy as he dashed across the landscape. Sand gave way to dirt, which in turn gave way to a sparse grass. He could see the man now.

Trytheus was on his knees, Mavegen sat directly in front on him. The griffon realized his approach before Try even noticed, but it didn’t stop the boy. He rammed his body full force into the man, sending them both toppling over with his momentum. It hurt, a lot, to hit an armored man wearing nothing but rags. At one point they had been his clothing, but had taken such a beating they couldn’t even be called that anymore. “You motherfucking fucking fuck ton son of a bitch. I should fucking kill you! You are a fucking prick a damn piece of shit that should go rot in hell for at least eight years! You left me for dead back there! You abandoned me! You're a god damn shitty ass shit stick and you can go eat a cum filled cunt!”

By running at the man and them both falling Amir had been lucky to end up above Trytheus as he screamed at the top of his lungs. And- ugh, what the fuck, his eyes stung. No, that was so lame, the boy was crying too. What the fuck, this was awful. He was actually crying. Real tears. No doubt the man wouldn’t even take him seriously now, not that Trytheus had never taken him seriously, or respected him. Amir couldn't handle other people's tears and he definitely couldn't handle his own. They boy didn’t understand why he had even been surprised that Trytheus would leave. The man and him did not get along, they were not friends, they hardly knew each other. It must have been all that justice toting that had created an illusion, had lulled the boy into forming even the slightest sliver of trust in the man even if he hadn’t realized it himself. He rubbed his eyes violently with this back of his right arm before continuing.

“Look at my fucking arm! This is your fucking fault you dumb ass twat sack. You see the bone? It’s regrowing! My arm got fucking cut off and all I want to do right now is shank your dumbass face with my bone stub! I can’t believe you just fucking left! I cannot fucking believe you had a mental breakdown or that I even considered the dumb ass fucking idea that your cunt ass shitty ass could ever be mother fucking reliable ever! I can't believe you fucking left me there like that!” Was he having a mental breakdown now? The answer was a strong yes.

It was a curious thing, having to decide which part of ones nature was the flawed path. In his mind there were only three choices that presented themselves to him. He could head back into the town and slay the Unicorn-Rider, thus fulfilling the task laid before him by the Ladies Gemini but at the cost of what it meant to be a Forge Knight. Or, he could turn aside from the task, and help to spirit away his fellow Riders, braving the danger that the Ladies wrath would bring to Amstra, and undoubtedly it would be great indeed. Such destruction would weigh on him and him alone, and he would fail the very people he swore to protect. The third choice was of a far more difficult affair to be sure.

A chirp across from him drew his attention back, to where Mavegen looked skywards. He too looked up to see the phoenix flying above before swiftly heading off once more. So they had managed to escape then. A part of him had hoped otherwise, so that the terrible choice that was laid before him never had to be. He knew now what had to happen, there was no other way. Wish though he might for another way, there simply was none, come what may he would not fight it.

He heard Amir coming, the clattering of the golden trinkets were as much a give away as Mavegens surprised look. He could of stopped the boy he was sure of it, but instead he remained there until suddenly, and rather unexpectedly, the boy went crashing into him. He could only imagine how much that would have hurt whilst he was simply knocked over, a flash of red and white blinded him as his head crashed into the hard ground. He opened his eyes, yet his left wouldn't budge, the pressure there must mean it was buried in the ground. But the pressure on his chest could only mean that Amir had managed to sit on top of him, he could only begin to wonder how his head ended up in such a position then.

And then the shouting began once more.

"You motherfucking fucking fuck ton son of a bitch. I should fucking kill you! You are a fucking prick a damn piece of shit that should go rot in hell for at least eight years! You left me for dead back there! You abandoned me! You're a god damn shitty ass shit stick and you can go eat a cum filled cunt!" He allowed the boy his anger, who was he to berate the boy for that? Now of all times? And yet... the sound of pattering on his breastplate... The boy was crying? And when he talked once more it was with a shake and a quiver in his voice. What did this mean? The boy felt betrayed? He couldn't fathom it, as far as he was aware Amir would have been delighted to see the departure of himself, so why was it that the boy was being so emotional? "Look at my fucking arm! This is your fucking fault you dumb ass twat sack. You see the bone? It’s regrowing! My arm got fucking cut off and all I want to do right now is shank your dumbass face with my bone stub! I can’t believe you just fucking left! I cannot fucking believe you had a mental breakdown or that I even considered the dumb ass fucking idea that your cunt ass shitty ass could ever be mother fucking reliable ever! I can't believe you fucking left me there like that!" Trytheus steeled himself, he knew what had to be said. What had to be done.

"You are right, Amir. The fault, and the blame lies with me and me alone." He spoke softly and sincerely."You cannot understand why I acted so because you have not lived the life I have. You speak with a mouth that has known the freedom to speak as it wishes, you live in a body that has not felt the weight of responsibility. I have not had the luxury of choice that you have lived Amir. Trytheus Morrela is not a name or a title... It is... A suit of armour forged from a child. I did not have.. Do not have the luxury to chose how I wish to live my own life, nor have any of the others who bore this name who came before me. We are slaves dedicated to the protection of people we shall never meet, bound in chains of oath and servitude. You cannot understand because you are as free as the wind and I bound as my own armour." He breathed a sigh for now came the truly hard part, he did not doubt the boy had ignored him as he had so many times before. But this time, he would listen for sure. "But you are right. I abandoned you to die, and to die from a fate that was of my own making. I failed to control myself when my oaths were tested. Were any in my service to act as I have their lives would be forfeit. This, is your realm. I submit myself to your judgment, I shall accept what you deem to be my just punishment for my failings."

---

Serafina smiled at the phoenix as it came to her and healed her wound. She cooed to it lightly, always a lover of all types of creatures, and thanked it for its aid. She rolled her newly healed shoulder and wiggled her fingers. It truly was amazing. It had healed right up and Amir's healing arm was yet very fascinating. She could see every nerve, ever sliver of muscle as it grew back. She would have liked to study it, Amir willing, and take notes but now was not the time for such things. It was a thought for another time. They had bigger problems to deal with. She started walking with the boy at her side and rested her hands on her swords.

"I did not say those words to pity, you Amir. As you've said, I understand the pain you've gone through and yet, can I really say that? You've experienced much more curelty. And regardless of your reasons for saving me, I am grateful to you for it. You have given me this chance and I'll cherish it, regardless of how long it lasts." she answered considering the fact that when this was all over, she may still end up dead. Without her Everglade, Meg and May would have no use for her and she would be eliminate it. It did peeve her a bit that this was her fate but she understood. She'd be reborn eventually anyway. Hopefully stronger than before. She did like her currently life however, so she'd do what she could to keep it.

The rest of their walk was in silence, but she didn't much mind that. She peered up at the sky when Hassan returned and the two picked up their pace. When Serafina saw the majestic gryphon in the distance she gave a sigh of relief. She began moving forward only to realize Amir had rushed towards Trytheus. Oh dear. Were the two going to fight again? More fighting wasn't going to get them anywhere! It was what got them into this mess in the first place! What was wrong with men that they assumed everything was resolved with a fist in the face? Though she did have to admit, she had a mind to whack the man herself. Even if his tirade had been to get the others to kill her so he didn't have to do it himself, he had left Amir to the same fate. She would have to be wary around this man. He was not trustworthy. She was surprised the gryphon had chosen to side with someone as sneaky and conniving as this man. Or with a blatant stubborn ape. One of the two.

Serafina hurried to catch up and was panting lightly by the time she reached the pair; Amir already screaming and... tearing up? She sighed and crossed her arms as she listened to the two bicker like a married couple. Though Trytheus did seem to have... sort of given up? His words were troubling and instantly sparked an annoyance in her as well. She stepped forward to get the man's attention as well.

"You seem to be making a lot of assumptions about Amir's past and his responsibilities. You do not rule Ganji, do not know what he has been through and what lay on his shoulders. His age makes no difference. You are talking about this heavy weight of responsibilities, but do we not all have responsibilities? We all are devoted to protecting those we haven't met. You acted like a child back there. I understand full well your task and am willing to accept that but I may have a way to get us all out of this situation and you will no longer have to wrestle with your seemingly black and white moral dilemma. And you don't have a choice? We all have a choice! Our names are responsibilities we take up. You think that Amir and I don't have that mantle? We are riders to, Trytheus. It was always the destiny of the unicorn to be the fragile healer but I made a choice this time around to be different and brandish swords. You can choose and you know very well that consequences come from action and inaction. We are all slaves to that past and the choices our previous reincarnations have made but that doesn't mean you can't live, Trytheus. You are using it as an excuse." She cleared her throat then to get herself out of this lecture. There was sooo much more she could say but they didn't have time for this.

"We can have this debate later. Only the unicorn comes back to life which means my creature isn't dead yet. I am still a rider. Trytheus, you need to take me back to my homeland and get me to my fallen creature. I fear for my land and the other riders that have gone after him. I am sure that he must have turned kelpie by now and as the unicorn rider, I have the ability to understand and speak to creatures. Perhaps I can tame the Kelpie before it harms anyone. Then Meg and May can't say anything about me not having a creature to help future quests and if I can't tame him, well you won't have to kill me after all because Everglade would have done it for you. Even a kelpie can't stand up to all of you; especially the dragon and the phoenix since fire is its bane. Now get up and let's go."

"You are right, Amir. The fault, and the blame lies with me and me alone." Amir freeze himself in shock, a shiver running down his spine. This was not what he had foreseen Trytheus doing, being a reasonable person. He wasn’t sure how to respond, or how to retaliate. Before he could say anything though, the man continued. "You cannot understand why I acted so because you have not lived the life I have. You speak with a mouth that has known the freedom to speak as it wishes, you live in a body that has not felt the weight of responsibility. I have not had the luxury of choice that you have lived Amir. Trytheus Morrela is not a name or a title... It is... A suit of armour forged from a child. I did not have.. Do not have the luxury to chose how I wish to live my own life, nor have any of the others who bore this name who came before me. We are slaves dedicated to the protection of people we shall never meet, bound in chains of oath and servitude. You cannot understand because you are as free as the wind and I bound as my own armour."

Amir sat gaping, still frozen in shock, straddled over the armor clad man, not really sure how to process anything. So far all of their interactions had been hostile and aggravated aggression, he had been banking on that to continue, he could use a good wrestling match right about now, the boy had wanted to hit something despite just fighting for his life. What was worse about this was Try was conceding his defeat, the boy felt his mouth drop open in shock. The stubborn asshole was picking now of all times to not be stubborn, great. Now Amir couldn’t punch him in the face without being the bad guy, meaning he’d have to be the one to apologize. The boy let out a sigh and buried his face in his one present hand. The regeneration of his left arm was reaching his wrist, the hand was the worst part of the process. The intricate make up meant for precise and slower progress as everything got put back together correctly.

He was frustrated by Try’s words, for the entire time the man had been in Gnaji he had ignored everything Amir had said in the name of some bigger cause, or his duties, or being a good person. The boy was about to speak when Sera interjected and he turned to look at her. She had quite the speech, it was long and agreeable and that pissed him off all the more. After she finished it was tense, like really, really, really tense. The blond boy looked back at Trytheus, “What the fuck… Why would you pick now of all times to not be absolutely infuriating…?”

He sniffed loudly and rolled off the man, pushing himself to his feet. He looked awful, but he glanced between the two. Trytheus just submitted himself to Amir’s judgement, which he was pretty sure meant he had a free pass to have the man do whatever he wanted just this once. It was attempting, it was a lot of power, but with Sera alive if something big didn’t happen he was sure Meg and May would take the utmost joy in tearing him apart and eating his flesh. Over and over again with the aid of Hassan, that would be miserable. He cleared his throat, a sudden smirk appearing. “Then Trytheus, I judge that you go and take the Unicorn Rider to her beast and once we see each other again you can’t make one snide comment towards me for twenty-four hours no matter what I do. There, you are judged you dumb animal.”

Once more, Trytheus was forced to listen as he was berated. They did not understand, either of them. How could they? It was true what he had said, they had known a life where choice was as simple as thought, yet for him he had not had the chance to chose his path on life. He had lived a life where such freedoms were beyond him, he had a duty to uphold, one which could wait whilst he wished for a better life. And yet he had actually managed to stump Amir. Truly he had been ill expecting that outcome, it had been far more likely for the boy to continue his tirade.

Still he was glad when the boy actually decided to move from where he was sat on his chest, if nothing to be rid of his intimidate presence. He rolled over and up to his feet with practiced ease, dirt falling from his helm in clumps as it was dislodged in the motion. He turned as Mavegen approached him, he could see the sympathy in her eyes as she stood before him. The two pressed their foreheads together as a mark of companionship as Amir declared his decree.

"Then Trytheus, I judge that you go and take the Unicorn Rider to her beast and once we see each other again you can’t make one snide comment towards me for twenty-four hours no matter what I do. There, you are judged you dumb animal." He could hear the smug pride bleeding through the boys voice, no doubt he was delighted about the opportunity to give him a command. Frankly he was surprised the boy didn't want him to kneel at his feet and declare him his superior or some such filth. He didn't even look up from where his head was pressed against the mighty griffons as he spoke, with any luck cutting off the boy before he could make another demand.

"As you say. I shall take her to wherever her beast lays or the monster it has become roams. But once it is dispatched." He pulled away from Mavegen to lock Amir in his steely gaze. "I shall fly direct to my homeland and I shall not be returning to this accursed desert." With his own deceleration finished he made his way around to Mavegens side and climbed to the saddle. Mavegen did not simply take off into the sky however she did fix Serafina with a baleful glare to show her disdane of how the Rider had decided to conduct herself. It was clear she was unpleased with the virtual attack that was being thrown on her rider. Trytheus took the chance to fight against his fellow Rider words before they took flight, he knew that the wind would make all conversation impossible.

"I do not say I have no choice as an excuse, I am not saying it as a way of dodging the mistakes of the past. The Griffon Rider is not the same as you other Riders, you are individuals, free to live how you wish. You chose to take up the sword in the defense of your people. I had the sword placed in my hand. I was not born to name Trytheus Morrela, only one ever was and he was the first to begin our cycle. My birth name, my birth family, everything that would ever have been me was lost when the child that was was taken away. Do not speak of knowings one past. For me, there was none, only the path of Trytheus. Now come, I would rather we were away and be done with this."

---

Fae wood, right. That made sense. If they couldn't burn the ground they could burn the Kelpie with his bombs. Though they had a limited supply, the magic of the fae coursed through each strip which made it flexible yet rigid, sustainable yet volatile. It would protect them so long as they managed to position themselves correctly.

Let us go.

We won't disappoint you!

We'll kill him!

The cerberus wagged their tail with vigor as they darted over to fetch the wood and attempted to fling it toward the sea monster. Unfortunately Ben had the foresight to grab it away from the trio.

Human what are you doing?

Leave us be!

We will kill you!

"Kill me all you want but the fight will be lost if you all die," Ben hissed as he slung another bomb at the Kelpie.

It hit the monster's eye in conjunction with one of Dae's knives much to everyone's satisfaction, but the blast radius was a tad too close to the siren rider. They were quickly realizing that while the fae wood explosives were effective they were coming at the risk of Dae and Aquarian's lives. Ben didn't want any rider's blood on his hands but given the nature of their fight he wasn't sure how to proceed. Did he want to kill one to save the many? Would this blast be enough to kill the Kelpie in the first place?

He turned toward Alashe who was on the other side of the fight. They didn't have much of a chance to save him, even less if Alashe became too focused on taking down the beast but it was worth a shot. Using one of the more flexible twigs, he bundled several bombs together before turning to the Melgrove woman. They only had one shot.

"Be ready to pull him," he whispered to Orpheus.

The Cerberus grudgingly nodded as it grabbed the boomerang and tossed the roped object toward the duo. Though they held onto one end of the rope, the boomerang managed to catch onto the ground near the Kelpie.

"We're not letting you die so easily."

Alasahe saw what would happen before it did, not through any kind of foresight or premonition, but through the dread welling up in the pit of her stomach. This was the way of the world, the life of a rider. You set off on a stroll through your lands, and your unicorn was killed, prompting your kin to be sent to kill you. You head off on a seemingly benign mission to slay a beast, and die yourself. The life of a rider was flashy, brief, and ironic.

She locked eyes with Ben, and sensed that he would not do it. He fiddled with the bombs, and Orpheus tossed something to Dae. Alasahe narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. She would not falter. She would never tell anyone of the sick feeling that writhed in the center of her chest. Fiir knew, but he did not seem to notice. Mortality made one short-sighted, and she was much more mortal than he. He was used to her qualms and he carried on despite him.

Dae scrambled to his feet and cried out, "Blast it!" and Alasahe was already lining up her shot.

She took her bough of fae wood and reached forward, holding it aloft in front of Fiir's snout. The dragon heaved a breath and Alasahe turned her face into his neck, squeezing her eyes shut as flames erupted from his mouth. The flames shot like a pillar, straight and true, right at the Kelpie and Dae beside it.

---

Serafina looked between her two companions and sighed. She to couldn't wait till all of this was done. There was a chance that she and Everglade would not make it out alive but at least with their deaths, they could be reincarnated and everyone else would be safe. That was a comforting thought if nothing else. She still hoped that it didn't come to that however. There was much she wanted to live for and next time, she may not have the same drive that she had this time around. She sighed to herself and looked over at Amir and gave him a nod of thanks and squeezed his shoulder before she got up on the magnificent Griffon and got herself comfortable so she didn't topple off while they were in the sky. Huh. Trytheus could dump her in the air and she'd fall to her death, thus finishing what Meg and May wanted... she hoped that wouldn't be the case.

At the man's words, she arched an eyebrow. He wasn't using it as an excuse? He was different from the other riders? He had a sword handed to him at a young age and thus couldn't be an individual? That didn't make sense to Serafina. They all had responsibilities, titles, expectations to live up to. They were all riders and held the previous riders' legacy on their shoulders. It was a heavy burden and one she knew well just like Trytheus. She was upset that she couldn't connect with the man right now. She thought she would have gotten along with the noble knight of Amstra. Right now, she only found his logic muddled. Had she not been handed herbs and the healer's staff so that she would become the next healer? Everyone had been set on her being a medicine woman just like all her predecessors before her. She had to fight that destiny to get where she was now. She had still taken up the craft but that hadn't stopped her from becoming a swords-woman and living differently. It had been a hard rode to get over the assumptions and expectations but she had done it. Trytheus could do it to if he really wanted to. But instead, he found himself in learned helplessness. For now, Serafina just shook her head and kept her mouth shut. She didn't want her fear of being dropped to become a reality.

---

Dae looked over when he heard something hit the floor beside him. He thought it was a bomb at first and tensed but then saw it was a boomerang with a rope tied around it. He dove for it as the Kelpie jumped over his falling body. It neighed and reared up on its hind legs. It was intent on getting at Dae since Dae had kept stabbing at it and it wasn't happy. Orpheus started to pull him just as Alashae lit the wood and bomb and tossed it towards him and the Kelpie. He squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't feel the heat of the bomb however. He frowned and opened an eye to see he was wrapped in a bubble of water. Aquarian had saved him from the explosion. Aquarian wasn't about to just let his rider die after all. And since the water wet the rope, the rope didn't burn from being so close. It allowed the three headed dog to pull him away from the screeching horse. When he was safe, he gave a sigh of relief, the bubble of water evaporating around him. That was close. He wince as he moved to sit up and touched his bleeding arm. The wound was already looking nasty. He hadn't felt the poison yet but he knew he was going to feel it soon.

The kelpie itself was panting and neighing in its pain. The last bomb had done a number on it and did much to sap its energy. The poor thing turned towards the water again and pawed the ground, the water nearby snaked towards it then. The creature was desperate to wrap it around itself like armor. Aquarian wasn't having any of that. He hissed and started to draw the water back. The two then started a water version of tug-a-war. Thankfully, that didn't last for very long. Serafina and Trytheus were fast approaching the scene. As soon as they neared the land, Serafina leaped off of the griffon's back.

"Everglade! Stop!" she cried. The horse turned its head, letting go of the water enough that Aquarian was able to completely pull the water away from the burnt horse. The kelpie neighed and galloped towards Serafina who ran towards him as well. The two stopped abruptly and the Kelpie reared; past memories and new personality causing it to be at odds with its wants and desires. The horse whined and pawed the ground around Serafina but didn't quite attack. Serafina's heart was throbbing for her companion and she reached out to gently and placed a hand on the horse's snout. The kelpie reared again, threatening her to keep her distance. The horse was about to turn away but she hurried to grab a hold of the creature's lead. "You will stop this instant! You are better than this, Everglade! I know you don't want to do this. Calm yourself! I demand you get a hold of yourself and stop leaking your toxin all over this world! You are sworn to protect it!"

The horse neighed and tried to pull away but it was quickly weakening against her command. A wild kelpie was tamed once its bridle was grasped and it must do the bidding of the one that snared it. Everglade panted and snorted at its rider and pawed the ground a few more times and blinked at Serafina before the command finally settled in place. The horse dropped its head and leaned forward to rest it on her shoulder. Serafina smiled. It worked! It really worked! She couldn't believe it! A smile colored her face and she hugged the horse's neck and nuzzled him. He did smell foul but he didn't smell as bad as decaying flesh anymore. He just smelled like seaweed gone bad. "There, there. I am here now, Glade. I am here."

Dae watched the two connect a bit surprised. He hadn't realized a kelpie could be tamed and here the unicorn rider made it look so simple. None of their attacks had killed the creature. They had only weakened it. It almost made the whole fight look foolish. At least with the kelpie on their side, they had another creature that no one would want to trifle with. Dae got to his feet then and swayed where he stood, suddenly light headed. Aquarian was instantly at his side and helped Dae keep to his feet. Dae winced when Aquarian let a tongue of water wash over the wound to clear away the sand and dirt. It stung badly and the rider was already beginning to perspire as the toxins began to do its damage.

"Lady Unicorn rider, are you certain the kelpie won't continue to poison what it touches?" Dae asked then.

Serafina looked over at him and shook her head. "Once the kelpie is tamed it will do as asked. The toxin it secrets is a defense mechanism. Now that he isn't being attacked, he won't harm anyone. Is everyone all right? Has anyone been poisoned?"

"I have been bitten," Dae confirmed.

Serafina's eyes widened and she rushed over to the rider and all but dragged him to the ground. "You mustn't exert yourself! It will only make the poison spread!" Serafina rushed away from the group to head to the tree line that harbored blossoms as white as moon beams. She picked a few before she hurried to Dae's side once more and ripped the rest of his sleeve off. She plucked the petals and rested them on the wound before ripping pieces of her own dress to dress the wound. "That should keep you stable for now. These blossoms are the only thing that the kelpie's venom doesn't pollute. You are still going to get sick since these weren't applied right away, but you won't die from the poison at least. When we have a moment to rest I'll make a paste to rub your wound with to help the rid your body of the toxins."

"Thank you. I appreciate your aid."

"Of course! I would never leave someone to die, especially if it is because of me." Serafina got to her feet and glanced behind her to see the kelpie standing behind her. She turned her attention then to everyone else then and made a small curtsy. "I am the queen of Languinre, Lady Serifina Constantinescu. The uni-er... kelpie behind me is Everglade. It is a pleasure to finally meet all of the other riders of this generation. And what are your names?"

"Dae Valen, Chief of Sui Generis. The person beside me is my companion, the siren Aquarian."

Aquarian gave a bow and a smile to the lady. "Pleasure," he purred.

---

The next few moments happened in a flurry of bursts. First was the blast of the bombs, then Orpheus's well-timed obedience, and finally the presence of another rider.

Kelpie friend.

Who is the white one?

Why is she saving the beast?

As quickly as Orpheus managed to save Dae, they dropped the rope in favor of running up to the Kelpie and white-haired woman to bark at the duo.

Land killer!

Land killer!

Land killer!

Kill the land killer.

Though Ben would have normally told the trio to relax he had his own reservations about the strange creature.

"You're the old unicorn rider," he stated as he untied the boomerang.

It made too much sense as he observed the scene unfold. She grasped the bridle and it seemed to calm from there, being tamed. The unicorn rider had become a Kelpie rider. It seemed almost too convenient.

Honestly he had to wonder if this as Meg and May's intention from the beginning. Benny was young, but not stupid and he knew that the twins were a cunning sort and the riders were far too scarce to merely throw away. They had a special power to them that nobody else could touch. Plus it would take too long to grow another pair. Look at Ben. Ben only kept up due to his prodigal status. Well that and the fact that his set of riders were all great in their own right.

He pulled out a small notebook and began sketching the image of the now-tame Kelpie, writing a few notes on the poison (thank you Lady Unicorn Rider) and then moving onto the woman herself. She, like past unicorn riders, had a formidable look about her while exhibiting a delicate aura. It reminded him of a toxic flower to be honest. Roses were too cliche and not pretty enough.

"Of course! I would never leave someone to die, especially if it is because of me. I am the queen of Languinre, Lady Serifina Constantinescu. The uni-er... kelpie behind me is Everglade. It is a pleasure to finally meet all of the other riders of this generation. And what are your names?"

He watched her curtsy.

Yeah roses were definitely not pretty enough.

"Benedict Trish," he said plainly, "and my beast should be..."

Evidently Orpheus had been following behind the Kelpie and barking at the water-horse before moving onto the owner.

Traitor!

Can we kill her?

She helped the Kelpie!

"Ah yes. That's Orpheus."