It felt tense going into the village, but that didn't hold back her awe of the place. The claws on her slippers tapped against the cobblestone street as she was inside, on both sides of the street before her we're various buildings built close by each other with narrow alleyways all made of either wood or smoothed stone. Directly to her right and left the closest buildings we're made entirely of wood and connected to the village wall, watch towers and maybe barracks she assumed. Her focus on the village interior was cut short when Astor got her attention. "Don't stop till we get to the town hall, tyrant." he said in an authoritative tone. Syra quickly nodded and walked further into the village, Fara was next to her while Astor was behind her, crossbow at the ready should she run. As she walked further into the town she started to see some people going about their day, children we're playing in the streets with their parents or older siblings keeping watch, others we're going about their business, in the distance Syra could see some vendors set up near the center of the town in a circular motion. She started to smell fresh food in that area, loaves of bread she had never tasted, cuts of fairly common meat from livestock, some unknown scents of fish and vegetables. As they got closer a lot of the adults and older villagers moved the kids out of the way giving a wide berth for the guards, some making audible gasps upon the sight of Syra. To the right of the group was a general store connected to a smithy where a lot of their items are crafted, Syra saw a blacksmith and his apprentice at work, the smith himself a dwarf, which surprised Syra seeing some outside her family's domain was hammering on a glowing hot piece of metal while the apprentice a large wolf-folk girl just a head shorter than Fara was holding the metal with large smithing tongs. The apprentice turned to Syra her jaw dropping in the moment, till the smith called out, "Oi! Focus on your work!" and she went back holding the hot metal, looking shaken up in the moment. As they made it to the center of town everyone was giving the group a wide berth, several gasps and murmurs we're let out in the moment as the guards tried their best to reassure everyone. Syra couldn't help but listen in on the various voices. "A tyrant! Here?" one called out. "You'd think they'd be parading it's head around, not the living dragon itself." "Should we grab some pitchforks in case it tries to escape?" "Shh, don't provoke it!" came a nasty whisper. Syra tried to keep herself composed best she could, not wanting to cause more chaos. She heard the voice of a girl just a few years younger than her and she turned her head to listen. "We need to go back home little brother?" "Why? I wanna watch the guards and the dragon they captured." The two turned to see Syra staring at them, the girl had a look of dread while the boy had a look of curiosity. "It's too dangerous, we can watch them some other time." The boy sighed, "Okay sis..." Syra turned her head away, regretting what she did. Making it to the center of town along with the crowd she was surrounded by the three largest buildings of Dorin's Rest. Behind her was the village tavern, incredible for it's size, upon examination it appeared to have been crafted by both dwarf and human, the architecture blending with each other. In front of her we're two buildings, to the left was a large cathedral with seven sigils along the entryway, the temple of the seven she must assume, where her parents here it would've been the first thing to be destroyed. She noticed two people running away from cathedral and towards Kal before they both embraced him. "By the gods where have you been!? We've been worried sick!" Kathra shouted, tears in her eyes. "Mom, mom it's okay, I'll explain everything when the time is right." Kyro turned to Syra then back to Kal, "What's going on? And why is there a Tyrant in our town?" "She's the reason I'm still alive in all honesty... I'll explain once this is all done." Kal's parents had a bewildered and shocked look on their faces before looking back at Syra. Syra turned her head away from Kal's family as she was escorted to the building on the right, the town hall, a large castle structure that went up four floors with large balconies at each floor that went around the whole structure, the fourth being the roof that overlooked the whole vilage. She was taken to the entrance before being stopped in place. Astor turned to one of the guards that was escorting Syra, "Summon the mayor and spread the message of Kalderwood." The guard nodded before running inside and closing the large steel door behind him. A few minutes passed there was a sense of apprehension to the whole situation that washed over her. The doors finally opened, emerging from the castle was a tall wolf-folk with golden eyes, well dressed with both a rapier and a hand crossbow at his hips. The mayor's golden eyes fixated on Syra's before the large wolf man approached her, he was half a foot taller than her but still held an intimidating posture. As the mayor approached the wolf sniffed, barring his teeth in the process, after a minute there was a pause before he finally spoke. "I don't smell any blood on you, so you haven't killed anyone yet." the mayor rested his hand on the hilt of the rapier, "All my years watching over the village, this region, I expected the arrival of your kind to not be so soon... yet you act much unlike them." Syra waited for him to resume his talk till he made a gesture with his free hand allowing her to speak. "I came here to begin again away from the rest of my family, I do not wish to bring their evil here." The mayor narrowed his eyes squinting slightly, "Such a tale is hard to believe... but given that you went out of your way to not torch the land on sight and helped our guardian home," he glanced at Kal who stood amongst the crowd, "It wouldn't feel right to execute you on the spot or lock you in the dungeons... but to believe you outright puts too much at risk." He put a hand on his chin, scratching it with his claws. There was an uncomfortable silence, Syra was unsure whether to speak or not, Kal felt the urge to want to interject but did his best to fight it. "No... it would be unwise to have you welcome in this land outright, if you truly wish to begin again and don't have any ulterior motives," he said sharply, Syra felt her heart sink at that comment remembering her goal, "Then you must prove it, under intense supervision." He motioned for her to speak. "What must I do?" "We will give you a set of tasks to complete, tasks to help out this village and Asgarna as a whole, under the watchful eyes of our guards making sure you don't get out of line, complete this and I shall consider if your worthy of our welcome." He slowly drew his rapier, Syra felt herself tense up for a second till he spoke once more, "If your willing to serve and prove yourself, kneel." Dark thoughts started to creep into her mind, images of this wolf gagging for air, his own rapier skewered through his neck, and her standing atop the castle as people kneeled before her. She closed her eyes trying to take her mind off such violent thoughts, she noticed the mayor's look of confusion. "Your acting sickly, like before..." Astor spoke, showing a rare sense of empathy towards her. Regaining her focus Syra spoke up, "Forgive me, I have bouts of losing focus... a childhood ailment of mine." and she got to her knees, "I accept these tasks." The mayor tilted his head before shrugging and held his rapier out ready to tap her shoulders, he then froze sniffing the air. "I smell burning in the distance..." Suddenly through Syra's horns she felt a surge of various magics, fire, frost, lightning, and a strange magical substance, something... combustible... "The ones who attacked Kalderwood are fast approaching!" she shouted, turning her head towards the gates she came through, seeing a group of guards standing outside the barracks and watchtowers on the ground level as well as guards along the wall itself, she turned to Astor, "Your men are in danger! Get them away from the gate and off the wall!" The mayor and Astor looked at her, a sense of dread washing over the both of them. The crowd started to let out worried murmurs at what they heard. Acting fast Astor broke away running towards the entrance gate, calling for everyone to get to a minimum safe distance, but the message came to late... A massive blast of fire exploded from the entrance gate, obliterating the gate door and blowing up the top of the walls, the men closest to it we're engulfed by the flames, the rest where blasted several feet away towards the center of the town, the guards up top we're sent flying on top of the various houses of the village, as the flames began to lick at the nearby buildings and started to spread. Terror and panic erupted from the crowd as they saw a group of bandits riding on wolves infused with fire ice and lightning started striding into town. The guards caught off guard by this event we're frozen in place till the mayor spoke, "All citizens get to safety, all able bodied men and women protect the town and put out the fires now!" Without hesitation Astor dropped Syra's scabbard drawing his crossbow and started shooting at the nearest wolfrider, striking it in the neck. Fara joined the fray letting out a howl as her body started to grow with more muscles and fur started to cover her body and her features resembled a full on wolf folk as she entered a berserker rage and she lept towards the lightning infused wolf and it's bandit rider. Kal acting quickly shot several bolts of fire at the frost wolf, scorching it but only managing to make it more angry at him. As this all happened more bandits charged in along with the druid Syra and Kal saw earlier, her held out his hand and began shouting, "The end has come for Dorin's Rest and Asgarna as a whole! Kill all who fight back, take those who are weak! Leave nothing but ashes in the wake of our future rule!" As the druid shouted, the bandits that followed with him all started to glow with a dark maroon aura as they started to transform, one taking on the form of a grizzly bear roaring with flames, the others taking on the form of mountain lions whose teeth sparked with lightning, all the while more bandits poured in and spread throughout the village. Syra looked on in terror before looking back at the mayor who was staring into her eyes with a mixture of desperation and a glimmer of hope, "If your here to begin anew, help us!" he said shooting his hand crossbow which struck the rider of the frost wolf in the shoulder. Syra simply nodded moving away from the mayor and holding out her hand, her spellblade flew freely from the scabbard to her hand as she landed in the center of town where there was fighting and people running in fear, she took a deep breath before letting out a loud, deafening, dragon roar that lasted for five seconds, silencing everything else, everyone was staring at here, the bandits and dark druid in confusion, the civilians in fear, and the guards as well as Astor, Fara, and Kal in a shocked awe. Fighting stopped for a moment before Syra walked up her blade drawn and glowing with Cyan fire, her wings taking shape on her back, and her free hand turning into a dragon's paw, brimming with magic. "You made a grave mistake coming here! Only corpses and ashes will remain of you monsters!" The wolves let out a guttural howl while the druid just simply laughed at her, "I heard a tyrant was here, but didn't think they would be as pathetic as defending these-" "KONRATH!" she shouted, shooting doombolt at the druid knocking them on their back and cutting off their words, he writhed in agony, "Why-why you- kill her!" Upon hearing that order, the wolf riders focused on Syra, the frost wolf taking their focus off of Kal and leaping towards Syra. Raising her blade she thrust forward stabbing the large wolf in the mouth stopping just before biting her hand, cyan flames spread through the corrupted wolf burning it inside out. The bandit rider took a swing at her head, she caught it with her free hand, her claws digging into his arm and with a jolt surged lightning into her hand, electrocuting the bandit. The other two riders looked on in horror as both wolf and rider died. Syra turned to Kal, Fara, and Astor, "I got these guys, go take care of the rest!" The three looked at her before nodding, "Kal the fires are spreading fast take care of them and look for any survivors! Fara the rest of these raiders are advancing through other parts of the village, stop them and don't let any escape they're looking for victims to kidnap! I'll rally any of the guards who are alive!" The two nodded, Fara letting out another howl ran down another street to cut off the other bandits, Astor vanished in a puff of black smoke, appearing along the wall next to a large war horn which he blew echoing throughout the village and momentarily silencing the chaos. Syra looked back at Kal, "Take care of the fires I'll protect you!" she shouted before letting out a breath of lightning striking the fire wolf and their rider knocking them to the ground, she ran up and stabbed the rider through the next making sure he was dead. Kal acting quickly readied an orb of frost in his hand charging it up and shooting a ray of frost at the growing flames, gradually extinguishing where it was at pushing it back. The third wolf rider dismounted and set the wolf out and it darted past Syra going for Kal, the wolf pinning him to the ground and readying it's jaws to bite down, Kal reached up grabbing it's muzzle the orb of frost spreading through it's muzzle, slowly freezing it. "Kal!" Syra shouted before she let out a yell of pain as the wolf rider brought down his axe on her shoulder, embedding an inch into her, "Got you!" the wolf rider shouted, Syra snarled as he pulled out a poniard ready to skewer her. Thinking fast she reached her head forward biting his hand, her sharp teeth piercing flesh. The bandit yelled in pain as he pulled his axe out of his shoulder to strike again. Taking the opportunity Syra grabbed the man and spreading her wings darted twenty feet in the air causing him to drop his axe. She looked down to see one of mountain lion druids charging towards Kal's location. Thinking fast she cast gravity magic on the bandit and his weight doubled, then with all her strength she hurled the bandit into one of the mountain lion druids with a powerful impact cratering the street and leaving both bodies in a crumpled heap. Kal had managed to fight off the wolf, freezing it to death as he resumed fighting the fires. Keeping at protecting him Syra flew down taking a deep breath as dark magic formed in her mouth, "Konrath!" she shouted as she unleashed a doombolt on the bear druid. She took a moment to shoot a bolt of ice on the roofs of some of the buildings, stopping them from spreading to other buildings but the already burning structures we're not taking it well. She landed in front of the second lion druid her hand and sword glowing with ice. Kal seeing how quickly the flames we're spreading he charged to one of the burning buildings shooting ice inside before going in himself. Fear gripped Syra hoping that Kal could make it out alive, wanting to go in and help him. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her legs as she felt vines with thorns on them had sprouted through the cobblestone, she looked up to see the dark druid had recovered from the doombolt she cast on him and trapped her in magical vines. The mountain lion bit her sword arm causing her to shriek and jitter as teeth and shocking pain shot through her, she used her claws to stab the lion in the head multiple times but it kept it's jaws latched to her. The bear began to recover from the doombolt and approached Syra growling. The dark druid laughed, conjuring more vines wrapping around her arms and pulling her to the ground as the bear was over her, before it had a chance to strike her a large steel maul struck the bear on the side of the head with a loud crack as the swing broke it's jaw. Syra looked up seeing the blacksmith from earlier wielding the maul and swung once more at the bear knocking it off her. She saw the blacksmith's apprentice close by charging the dark druid with a sword that was glowing red hot from being in a furnace and she swung at the dark druid cutting and cauterizing his arm. He let out a scream and lost concentration on his spell as the vines let loose of Syra. She stabbed the mountain lion one more time this time killing it and she pulled herself to her feet and freeing her hand. "You alright lass!?" the blacksmith asked, "I'll be fine!" she responded. The dark druid transformed into a lion then dashed away running in between the buildings to get away from Syra and the smiths who took up arms against him. To the horror of the three the front entrance to the building had collapsed trapping everyone inside, they could see smoke and flames building up on the bottom floor. They heard screams and coughing from inside the building. "Everyone get upstairs now! We'll get out of this yet!" Kal shouted from the inside, though his voice sounded on the verge of despair fighting back fear. Thinking fast Syra jumped swung her wings downward and launched herself to the nearest window smashing it open and entering the building. The upstairs was filled to the brim with smoke reaching the ceiling and intense heat building up from below, being a dragon it didn't feel as intense as it did for regular mortals. "Kal! Get up here with everyone!" "Syra!? he shouted back before making it upstairs, "We're heading up, everyone keep low from the smoke!" A few seconds that felt like an eternity passed as Kal came to the floor where Syra was, with ten people with him, among them we're the young boy and his sister that she saw earlier, and a woman with a baby she is shielding as best she could. "We need to get out of here!" one of them yelled, letting out a horrific cough from the smoke. "Working on it!" Syra looked outside, from the distance they we're at a jump could lead to severe injury for some and leave them to close to the building should it collapse, an idea came to mind, "Kal, ready a frost ray and cast it once I unleash my breath!" Kal ran up to her readying the spell. After a deep breath Syra let out a breath of frost, and Kal shoot out a freezing ray, combining the two together, the frost breath then began to freeze and take shape, creating a slope of ice that led to the street below. "Gods your a blessing Syra!" Kal exclaimed before motioning to the villagers behind him, "Women and children first, one at a time!" The villagers following that order did so, first letting the woman with her baby down, then the two kids, then everyone gradually followed, at the bottom of the slope we're the two smiths who helped everyone to their feet. When they got to the final person and elderly man they felt the building began to creek violently. Acting quickly the two helped the man onto and down the icy slope, before they could get on the building began to collapse on top of them. Thinking fast Syra grabbed a hold of Kal and wrapped her wings around him, some of the debris from the roof striking and burning her, before she leapt out of the building as it gave way with a loud and violent crash, Syra and Kal hit the street with a loud thud, Kal was fine overall while Syra had absorbed most of the fall. Everyone surrounded the two wanting to make sure they we're alright, Syra unshielded Kal with her wings allowing him to stand up on his own, while Syra lied their in pain. "A dragon saved us." said the young boy still standing next to his sister in awe of it all. Syra winced as she tried to sit up, her body was covered in bruises and scrapes from the rubble and debris. Before she had a chance to react the villagers that she helped rescued gave both her and Kal a hug. Syra blinked not sure how to react in this situation, she wanted to hug them back but that was broken when two clerics wearing iron chainmail and the mayor came up to the group, the clerics immediately providing attention to the civilians who we're covered in soot marks and coughing. "See that she is taken care of as well." the mayor said looking at Syra. The blinked upon hearing that before the second cleric came up to her saying a quick prayer. She started to protest trying to tell them about her healing blood but they continued on, the cleric's hands began to glow with a golden light before laying it on Syra's bruises and the magic passed through her, and it felt like a day of healing had gone by and the soreness of the fall and sharp pain of the thorns had lessened, it will be gone completely due to her dragon blood soon. As the clerics assessed everyone's condition Syra looked on the ground seeing a few broken chips of a sort of red gem. She grabbed one of the pieces it felt hot to the touch, upon closer realization she realized what it was, redstone, a highly magical and combustible gem-like rock that could be found deep beneath the earth often found by dwarf miners. "I found what destroyed the gate, they're using redstone!" Kal, the two smiths turned to Syra with a shocked expression while the mayor had a grim expression. Just then Syra felt a surge in her horns as she sensed more red stone being set up to the west of them. Along the ruined section of the wall Astor appeared, looking strained and worn out, "The bandits have rounded up everyone in the residential district, most of my men have been severely wounded and-" Just then a loud explosion could be heard and all they could see was Astor's horrified expression. "More of the wall has been destroyed..." Thinking fast Syra flew up to where Astor was to get a view for herself. Organized chaos is the only thing she could think of to describe what she was witnessing. Several of the villagers homes we're burnt to the ground, many of the villagers themselves we're huddled together rounded up by the raiding bandits, with many villagers left lying on the ground bleeding with pitchforks next to them. A wall of thorns blocked off the entrance to the residential distract cutting off some of the guards from being able to get inside with some of them being caught in the middle trapped by countless thorns unable to move without extreme pain, in the middle of it she was Fara doing her best to cut down and break through the roots. Along the section of destroyed wall Syra saw her once more, the black knight and the druid leader rounding up groups of villagers with a squad of bandits and leading them through the open wall and fleeing into the woods. "Their kidnapping everyone!" Syra exclaimed before looking back at everyone with her, she thought fast trying to figure out a way to stop this, she turned to Astor, "I'll cut off their escape! That should buy you some time to get your men through that thorn wall!" Astor stared at her for a moment, "Alright," then he turned to Kal and the others below, "Kal help my men through the thorn wall, we'll need your magic and flames, clerics there are several wounded in need guard and villager alike!" Kal, and the clerics headed towards the residential district entrance. Astor then turned to the mayor and the rescued villagers, "Get these people and yourself to safety!" The mayor did so escorting the villagers back to the castle, Astor turned to the smiths, "I need more ammo for my crossbow if you have any to spare!" The apprentice pulled out a pair of bolts and hurled them at Astor who caught it and quickly loaded his crossbow, "Now provide what help you can and get my men through that thorn wall!" And the two ran off following behind Kal and the rest. Astor finally turned to Syra, for the first time speaking to her without any venom in his words, "I'll provide you support, let's go!" Syra dashed swung her wings back dashing herself forward towards the destroyed portion of the wall, bandits we're herding out groups of villagers at a time, the black knight and druid we're on the outside ushering each group through as they escaped through the wilderness. As Syra got close she took a deep breath readying a ball of fire and conjuring magic in her free hand, once she found a gap between one of the escorted groups of people she unleashed her fireball on the opening of the wall, then using magic she lifted her hand in the air raising the flames into a massive cyan fire wall blocking the entire open wall cutting off the bandits and halting their kidnapping efforts. Syra landed in front of the fire wall inside the wall, holding out her spellblade and surging lightning magic into her free hand, glaring at the bandits holding groups of villagers hostage. The closest bandit pulled out a crossbow and shot at her, barely missing and scratching her cheek. Without warning she charged that bandit stabbing him straight through the chest. Witnessing one of their own men get skewered the other bandits drew their weapons upon the villagers, some who have been taught magic readied fire magic aimed at the group closest to Syra, "Make another move like that and we'll turn this place into a killing field!" Syra pulled out her blade from the dead bandit, staring at the rest and freezing in place any movement risking harm to the villagers. Suddenly several bolts shot past her landing at the feet of the groups before exploding creating clouds of black fog obscuring the vision of all the bandits and villagers. "Dammit!" "What the hell's happening!?" Syra turned back staring up at the wall, seeing Astor at the top holding out his crossbow, his crossbow glowing with shadow elf magic emanating black smoke. "Now's your chance! Get them away!" She quickly turned back to the villagers closest to her, noticing Kal’s parents we’re part of this group and we’re about to be sent off, they had bruises and cuts on their bodies. She then looked in the direction of the thorn wall, seeing it gradually getting broken down from both brute force and Kal's magic, "Head to the thorn wall, the guards will be with us soon, I'll distract these raiders!" The villagers did so running straight to the thorn wall, staying outside of the magic fog clouds. Syra infused her spellblade with gravity magic, rearing it back with her left hand before throwing it, creating a gravity well to the left of Astor's fog clouds which pulled all the bandits out of the clouds and towards the sword pinning them to the ground. She ran side the miasma of black clouds, her dragon eyes allowing her to see in the clouds with only a haze in her vision, she saw many of the villagers we're injured and bleeding. She didn't have time to heal them so she escorted them out of the fog and towards the thorn wall. Turning back towards the wall she saw to her horror two figures walking right through wall of fire, unscathed. The black knight and the druid leading the raid have decided to take matters into their own hands. Astor took a shot at the druid aiming for the head, the black knight caught the bolt with their free hand before staring up at the elf, pointing their sword at him and whispering "Konrath." shooting a doombolt at Astor striking him in the chest, manipulating the magic to pull him forward with a jerk causing him to fall off the wall and slam into the ground, dark magic erupting from his body wounding his chest. The clouds from Astor's arrows vanished as his concentration was interrupted. Syra knowing the immediate danger Kal's friend was in ran towards the druid and black knight readying a firebolt, as she readied the spell she split the firebolt into four, empowered them both then unleashed, shooting four firebolts at once, two striking the druid and two striking the black knight. Their attention turned from Astor to her, the black knight held out her hand a large ball of fire forming in it and through the helmet her eyes glowed a fiery orange as she readied a powerful spell then hurling it at Syra. She didn't have a chance to react before the fireball hit her directly in the chest then exploded, blasting her back several feet away and scorching her body, though the burns weren't severe thanks to being a dragon. After a few tumbles in the grass Syra looked up to see a large bear brimming with electricity, the druid charged her at high speed. Syra took a deep breath and shooting out frost slowing the druid down three feet in front of her as it swiped it's massive claws at her. She rolled out of the way avoiding claws and teeth going after her, holding out her right hand towards her spellblade still stabbed into the ground and the gravity well wearing off. The blade answers her call and flew to her hand. The druid reared back going after Syra once more, she held her blade forward charging it with ice magic and shot out two large icy spears that pierced and pinned the hind paws of the druid trapping him to the ground. She turned back to the wall seeing the black knight standing over Astor ready to drive her blade through him. Thinking fast Syra flew forward and swung horizontally causing a wave of ice to shoot forward hitting the black knight pulling her attention away from Astor and to herself. Syra flew closer to the black knight and their blades clashed, raw magic sparking from their weapons contact. The two stared at each other as their blades locked against each other, Syra's blade began to glow with cyan fire while the black knights blade glowed with a carmine red light. Syra readied a doombolt in her free hand as the two pushed against each other's blades, but Syra felt a sudden surge of lightning strike her in the back causing her to lose her footing and fall over wracked in pain. The druid had broken free from the ice spikes and had a clear shot behind her. Vines started to wrap around Syra pinning her to the ground and disarming. "Reclaim our slaves, I'll deal with this one." the black knight said to the druid who followed suit rallying the bandits behind him for support. Syra struggled to break free readying a breath of lightning to shoot at the druid only for the vines to wrap around her mouth. The black knight raised her sword and it glowed intensely with that same dark red light before being brought down, striking her stomach. Pain wracked her body further, not just from the weapon cut into her but she felt intense burning pain, not burning from a fire but of raw magic as if the sun itself was harnessed and she felt it everywhere much like the doombolt but in an instant. Her blood started to work intensely closing the open wound but leaving a cut and burn mark on her body. "Interesting, most are dead after being smote by my strikes... perhaps I should keep you alive and unlock your secrets." The black knight spoke, holding out her hand as dark red magic shackles appeared in a flash, she wanted to kidnap Syra too. Syra saw from the corner of her eye some more crossbow arrows flying out at the bandit group and druid going after the villagers, clouding them in darkness once more. The black knight jerked her head back seeing Astor back on his feet as he turned his attention to the knight only to be met in kind as the knight struck him near the eye with her sword's pommel. "I gave you a chance to stay down and kneel, now you will die!" Taking her chance Syra transformed her hands into dragon paws and tore off the vines with her claws tearing the vines over her muzzle, she took a deep breath turning her head back to the black knight, "Konrath!" and she shot a doombolt from her mouth landing a solid hit on the knight knocking her over and away from Astor. She tore away the rest of the vines freeing herself, quickly getting back to her feet she threw herself at the black knight, only to be met in kind as her strike was blocked. Astor took his chance to go after the bandits and druid. The black knight held out her free hand, eyes glowing with fire readying another fireball aimed at Astor, Syra grabbed the knight's wrist and forcing it upwards causing the fireball to launch in the air before exploding. As the two grappled each other Syra got a closer look at the knight's weapon and she noticed that the blade right down to it's bone white color resembled a fang that was carved and shaped into a sword, and she sensed powerful magic emanating within, and along the blade's sides had runes with a subtle golden glow. The knight reared the weapon back as it glowed with dark red energy and swung horizontally, Syra backed away dodging the strike, taking the opportunity she lunged her sword forward piercing armor striking the knight's shoulder and scorching the wound with fire. The knight made nothing more than a grunt as she pulled back striking the side of Syra's head with the pommel hard and suffering from a rush raw magic burning through her body, Syra did her best to not succumb to the pain or becoming dazed from the strike as the knight kept at her swinging their blade which she blocked with her's. The knight swung aggressively at Syra, striking at different areas trying to get a hit on the princess, Syra managing to block each strike. After another strike that Syra blocked she forced the knight's weapon to the ground the tip of their blades digging into the soil, Syra charged her free hand with lightning and grabbed the knight's helmet, electrocuting her and causing severe pain. As the knight yelled fighting through the pain she let go of her weapon and grabbed Syra by the neck, surging the lightning back to her. Syra yelled losing focus on the lightning magic and it wore off. The knight still holding her by the neck threw her to the ground. Syra coughed grabbing her beck before looking up, seeing the knight glowing with dark red magic, "Now you will know the way of suffering and anguish!" the knight yelled as the aura of red amplified and grew stronger, her eyes glowed the same dark red and the ground around her started to glow as if being scorched by that same raw magic. The knight approached her, the aura around her following and scorching the ground she tread. Syra crawled backwards trying to get back to her feet, she held out her hand shooting ice at her right in the chest, but it didn't phase her, she moved faster getting back on her feet pulling her free hand together she conjured gravity magic and throw a gravity well on the ground before her, but the knight simply tread through it like it wasn't there. Syra backed away further, "Konrath!" unleashing a doombolt and striking her, she stopped for a moment as the dark spell settled, and she resumed her march, this time starting to move faster. Syra looked back seeing that she was inching closer to the other bandits who we're trying to surround Astor as he was wrestling with the druid, both of them looking bloodied. Syra holding her spellblade reared back and swung horizontally unleashing a wave of fire at the knight, striking her legs and causing the doombolt's magic to erupt causing her to stumble. Taking the chance Syra turned back and dashed to Astor and the other bandits. Astor was on the ground in front of the villagers he was protecting as the druid and bandits started to circle them. "Are you seriously going to get yourselves killed for a bunch of future slaves, elf?" the druid said mockingly in his large bear form. Astor coughed trying to get back to his feet, "They won't suffer... as I-" The druid cut him off pressing his paw against his chest pinning him down, "Oh I know, slaves to one of the tyrants your kind is, but don't worry we'll take good care of these people." As Syra approached she held out her spell blade and shot five firebolts at the druid causing him to let out a roar in pain, she then let out a breath of frost at the bandits feet freezing them all in place. The druid turned back at Syra, snarling at her, "You again!?" Syra leapt to the air over the panic stricken bandits landing on the back of the druid, stabbing her sword into his shoulder, he let out a pained roar. Syra wouldn't relent as she transformed her free hand into a dragon paw and dig her claws into his other shoulder and twisted both blade and claws forcing him off of Astor. "Get her off me, dammit!" the druid yelled at the bandits, who we're struggling to break free from the ice. Astor got to his feet turning his head to see the black knight approaching with quick marching, still fighting the pain from the doombolt. Astor drew his crossbow shooting an arrow at the knight, striking in the shoulder with dark magic erupting from the wound, they simply stagger but kept walking, as the dark aura reached the bandits the ice instantly melted and the dark magic flowed through them emboldening them as they readied their weapons. "It is time to end this." the knight said, readying a doombolt in her free hand. Syra panicking as she struggled against the druid turned her head back to the thorn wall, to her relief she saw the guards, Kal, Fara, and the mayor have nearly broken through, just had one more layer of thorns to break through. "I agree, let's finish this!" and she took a deep breath and let out a breath of fire on the remaining thorn wall. The bandits and druid looked on in horror at what she had done. As the thorns burned away Fara was the first to break through and she let out a loud roar as the large half-wolf girl charged in and tackled the black knight knocking her to the ground, the dark aura coalesced around both of them Fara burned from the dark energy, she let out a pained yell but she didn't let up as she raised her axe bringing it down on the knight glancing against her helmet. Kal then emerged from the mess of thorns with two village guards, with a flick of his hand Kal summoned a dust devil in front of the bandits, with a swish of his hands the small twister moved into the group of bandits sucking two of them up into the vortex and chasing after the rest. "Dammit, don't run! Kill that sorcerer!" the druid yelled before letting out a loud roar as the guards started to pelt him with arrows from their crossbows. The clerics and two smiths emerged from the thorn wall, the smiths escorting the villagers away from the fight and back through the scorched thorns, the clerics staying and using their gifted magic to heal those who we're wounded so they could work, among those remaining we’re Kal’s parents. The black knight kicked Fara off getting to her feet and held her hand out readying a doombolt at Kal, before anyone could react Kathra ran up stumbling from her bruised leg and got in front of her son. "Konrath!" the knight shouted unleashing the bolt and striking her in the chest and knocking her to the ground. It felt like time had stopped in that moment as Kal, Astor, Fara, and Syra realized what happened. “Mom!” Kal shouted before unleashing a bolt of lightning on the black knight knocking her back and causing the red aura to finally vanish from the strike. "Such a waste," the knight said callously getting to her feet, "We've done all we can for now, we're not done yet." and she retreated back to the demolished wall with inhuman speed. Fara charged after the knight roaring, but the knight outran her. The druid finally kicked Syra and her sword off him and in a flash transformed into a massive hawk as big as his bear form and flew off, "Those we have taken will suffer for your defiance!" he shouted out of spite, till a final arrow pierced him as he retreated, shot by the mayor. The guards quickly surrounded the bandits who we're abandoned by their masters, all weapons pointed at them. Everyone else turned their attention to Kathra who was on the ground in pain from the doombolt, which amplified from her still hurting cuts and bruises which erupted from the dark magic adding even more wounds and agony to it. Kal and Kyro tried to comfort her best they could as the clerics tried to heal, but the doombolt undid their spell work erupting and opening the wounds back up with a splatter of blood and causing her to bleed out. Fara came back, horrified by the bloody mess. "Gods..." "Let me take care of her." Syra said slowly approaching Kathra, everyone else had a surprised look at her offer, all except for Kal who quickly got out of Syra's way for her to do her work. Kal's parents flinched back as she got closer to them, "Don't worry, I know how to handle this type of magic, you'll be alright soon." she said drawing out her blade and laying it on the palm of her left hand. "What are you doi-" Kyro tried to ask before she sliced, blood oozing from her hand. Syra set her sword down and with magic drew out a large portion of her own blood coalescing it into an orb that turned a teal green, "Hold still." she said softly to Kathra before letting the orb float from her hand and into one of the large open wounds filling it, and then a teal green glow started to appear on all her cuts and they all began to close, and in a flash all that remained we're scars from where the wounds we're, but the bleeding stopped. Everyone looked at Syra and Kathra amazed at what they had just witnessed. Kathra tried to sit up but felt a surge of pain from the doombolt's effects. "Don't try to get up just yet, that dark spell is still in you but it'll pass in a few minutes, just take it easy for now." Syra said reassuring her. An hour passed after the attack on Dorin's rest, the fires put out, the dead, bandit, beast, and guard alike given a funeral pyre. Those who we're still alive we're assessing the damages and dealing with the villagers who we're spared being kidnapped. Syra helped out with the efforts in restoring what they could of the village, the flames finally died down after much effort, and those who we're wounded bore witness to Syra's healing powers helping the clerics the best she could. After helping the people of the village for the last few hours many around her went from being overwhelmed with fear to showing respect and appreciation for what she had done, though there we're still those who we're sceptical of her motive, perhaps viewing it all as a ruse or a false sense of security. Syra sat along the edge of the street after expending much of her blood she felt weak and vulnerable, a worrying thought crept to her mind, if those who didn't trust her we're to ambush her now she couldn't recover from any wounds and could die. She tried her best to push that thought away, wondering if any of her other family members felt such fear in their lives? Is this why they we're so brutal with their rule? While these thoughts continued to invade her mind she looked up to see Kal's parents approaching her along with Kal, Kathra was no longer suffering from the doombolt. "Our son told us about what happened," his mother spoke, "His magic mishap, how you saved him more than once and brought him home, and discovering this incoming raid." she got closer to Syra, a wave of nervousness still washing over her, Kyro following her spoke up, "We still have our reservations about you... but for all you've done for us, saving our lives and doing all you could for the village that counts for something." he held his hand out offering it to Syra. Syra looked at him slowly taking his hand and she is helped to her feet. Kathra then moved closer to her and pulled her into a hug, Syra blinked surprised at this before slowly returning to hug to her. "Thank you." Kathra said softly. The two broke the hug, "I don't think we've been introduced yet." Syra brought up. Kathra spoke first, "Kathra, mother of Kal." "Kyro, his father." Kyro said after. "I'm Syra." "That's a pretty name." Kathra said with a smile. Syra grinned appreciating the compliment. After this some time passed as the damages we're assessed, most of the damage was around the southern entry gate and the residential district, a third of the houses we're burned while the rest we're broken in to round up the people. It could all be recovered but the matter of those who we're taken we're the biggest concern. Syra found chips of red stone along the fields and collected some clumps of the stone, knowing that even these chips when used together could be useful. Soon Astor and Fara met up with them, Fara's rage finally calming down as she took back her normal half wolf form. Astor looked at Kal and Syra. "The mayor has summoned us to the town hall, come." Syra and Kal followed behind the other two with Kathra and Kyro following them to the center of town, a couple of straggling villagers began to follow behind them till they made it to the castle entrance. Astor, Fara, Kal, and Syra we're let in with the door being shut behind them and the four we're in the entrance hall nicely lit with various torches along the walls with doors to two rooms in front of the group. Astor led the way leading the other three down the right side of the hall turning around the corner leading to a stone spiral staircase. Syra couldn't help but be reminded of home slightly, except if it we're designed entirely for human use and not for dragons that could change form and size at will. They made it to the second floor which had a hall similar to the downstairs that branched off, on the left of the hall was a door to a room which Astor approached and opened slowly. "We're here." he said before turning and ushering the other three inside then shutting the door. They we're in a large dimly lit room with a large round table, several weapon and armor racks along the walls, on the wall in the back we're two maps, one south Kasgara and the other a map of Isvarla itself, the mayor was staring at the wall deep in thought. Syra couldn't help but look at the map of Isvarla, not used to not seeing it covered in her family's banner marks. "During my whole life as mayor I never expected a day like this to come, a descendant of one of the tyrants arrives here... only for you to be one of our key protectors of a raid not long after... and..." the mayor choked up, "Half the village has been kidnapped for who knows what..." Syra felt a sickness in her stomach, remembering what the Black Knight and Druid said back in the ruins of Kalderwood. "I know, you've already done a lot today, but we need your help again." the mayor turned around the face the four, "We can't leave those who we're taken from our village or Kalderwood to suffer under these raiders. After this attack the rescue party we had set up and a large portion of the guards we're obliterated, we can't risk leaving Dorin's rest undefended." he then turned to Syra, "You have done a lot already, enough to prove what I expected of you before wrong in my eyes, but given the current circumstances I have to ask you to do so again, and help these three save our people." After that Syra finally spoke up, "I've heard straight from that knight's mouth a hint of what they have planned for those they took, I have no intention of leaving them to suffer that. I accept." Astor and Fara looked at Syra surprised, Kal was beaming at her, while the mayor had a look of relief on his face. "Thank you, succeed at this and you will be welcome in Dorin's Rest." The mayor turned back to the wall taking the map of south Kasgara and laid it out on the table for them to look at, "Now, let's try to pin down where their operations might be." The five looked at the map, "Kalderwood's raid was fairly recent probably about a day, probably opperating somewhere to the south, though their influence seems wide reaching." Kal spoke before pointing along the eastern peninsula, "My spell mishap sent me here, along the way back along the river that connects to Kalderwood an abandoned keep was filled with those corrupted animals." The mayor narrowed his wolf eyes at that, "And one of those leading the charge was a druid, there is a grove directly south tucked away near two of our other neighboring towns Arthastead and Ivargrove, the latter neighboring the druids grove, but why would a druid be involved in something so vile? Unless they've all turned down a dark path?" "From what we we're able to gather he turned his back on his people, wouldn't put it past him to have slaughtered them all and joined this knight." Kal added. The mayor turned his head down taking a deep breath, "What a shame, the druids we're kind people." A thought came to Syra's mind, "Do one of these villages have a mine by any chance?" "I know there is one in Arthastead, why do you ask?" Syra pulled out the chips of red stone and laid them on the table, making sure to be gentle with them, "This is what they used to destroy your walls and likely what destroyed Kalderwood." Everyone looked at the red stone, Fara picked up one of the chips holding it in her hand, feeling a faint bit of warmth from it. "Don't think I've seen anything of it's like." Astor shifted uncomfortably, "I have unfortunately. Mined from the deep places of the earth, usually found along with veins of adamant... as red as the blood it cost to harvest it." Fara put the piece of red stone back on the pile as all four turned to Astor noticing his discomfort in the moment. Syra felt a sickly feeling, learning more about Astor just from that wording alone, which of her family members did he flee from she wondered. "Don't dispose of it, we can still use it." Astor said once more. Syra nodded in agreement before turning back to the map trying to get the discomforting thought out of mind. "It is likely they are operating in Arthastead making use of the mines and harvesting what resources they can get, likely using those they kidnapped for the labor." Astor walked forward laying a hand on the map dragging his finger along the roads, "Our path is clear, we'll head south and dismantle this operation piece by peace, we'll check Kalderwood first to make sure they aren't regrouping for another attack, then we'll head to Arthastead and put an end to their mining operations, following that we'll take care of Ivargrove clear the bandits out and make sure the people are safe. With that we should be able to find out about where this duo is operating from and take them out for good." "We'll work on rebuilding our defenses and getting all able guards on watch, and we'll rebuild all the homes we lost and then some, will be expecting some refugees to arrive here if they we're left in the same shape as Kalderwood or worse." the mayor said. Another thought came to Syra's mind which she spoke up, "I am unfamiliar with a lot of the world outside of where I was from, but I noticed something strange regarding the black knight." The rest turned to her curiously and she continued, "When I faced her she had this aura of dark magic about her, it reminded me of my family in a way, but I didn't know mortals are capable of using such powers." "Unfortunately there are people whose hearts are just as wicked and capable of such cruelty as you have witnessed." the mayor said softly. Syra nodded, "I can see that now, it's just... shocking to me given where I was from." she shook her head getting back on topic, "there we're two more things I've noticed, one of them was I took a strike from her weapon," she pointed to the black mark on her midriff, "But with it I felt like I was being burned inside and out with the full force of the sun, what sort of magic is that?" The mayor had an intense look in his eyes, "So, she's a paladin who betrayed her own kingdom, betrayed the seven." Syra remembered Kal mentioning paladins when talking about the people who wielded magic, she turned to him curiously. Kal obliged her, "Knights who devote themselves to one of or even all of the seven to protect the world they saved and in return are blessed with a fraction of their divine power that they infuse in their weapons and strikes." "This black knight broke that oath to the seven, stole what they bestowed to her, and now uses it to conquer the land they swore to protect... betrayal and blasphemy." the mayor added. Syra blinked upon hearing that, someone outside her family who would also spite those who killed their eldest. A final thought came to mind and she spoke up, "Also while I was fighting the black knight I noticed the weapon she used looked unlike any I had seen, it was white like a bone and it's shape was similar to a fang." Upon saying that she immediately noticed a wave of discomfort wash across the room, the mayor had a look of veiled terror, Kal had a glint in his eyes that indicated that he knew something about the weapon she mentioned, Astor and Fara we're standing in an uncomfortable silence. Realizing what she said sparked this discomfort she spoke up, "What's wrong?" The mayor finally spoke up, "If what you said is true then this knight has her hands on something incredibly dangerous, a powerful artifact that was meant to be kept locked away and used only by those worthy." "What artifact?" Syra asked, wanting to know about the dangers. This caused the discomfort to intensify in the room. "There is no easy way for me to explain what it might be, especially to you." the mayor said. Syra tilted her head at the mayor before turning to Kal, who looked hesitant to speak about it, she turned to Astor and Fara but they remained silent, she could sense their fear... fear of how she would react, and she turned back to Kal. "If you know what this weapon might be please tell me." Kal looked away for a moment before looking back into Syra's eyes, he took a breath before speaking. "With what you described we believe that she has..." he froze for a second. Syra put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him and he resumed. "She has a fang of Xyrak."