The storm that had been moving in for a few days had now struck. The skies had been dark all day, and the start blotted out in the night sky. The little fox had smelled the rain when he went looking in the trees for the big one. Now, as the men of the enemy camp milled about, the slight hissing of rain evaporating as it kissed the flames of the few fires, could now be heard. Some of the men scrambled around to clear their things from the forest floor and stash them away in a dry place until after the storm passed. The General waited patiently at the makeshift table as his commander continued to pace back and forth in the soft earth. He had been doing that for the last few hours, ever since their spy had reported what was happening in the city. Their beloved captain, Raine, was down and out for a while at least, there seemed to be distention in the ranks, especially one of those that held one of the swords. Two of them seemed to be in good health unfortunately, if they could only find a way to bring the other two down, then they would be able to gather enough of their remaining strength to take down the city, and the battle would finally be over. But, the General knew better than that. His commander would stop at nothing if the city fell. It would not end there. His men would be sent to slaughter themselves at the doorstep of that keep further in the woods. He had already lost a great deal of men to whomever it was that resided there. It was something that he was not willing to give all the lives of his men for. The General could understand why his commander wanted to bring down the city of Eliy, but his obsession with the one in the forest went well beyond that. If they succeeded in bringing down the city...he would leave...and he hopped that his men would follow suit. It was just beginning to become too much for him. This war...no..this onslaught, this siege...was too much...too many men had lost their lives for this dark man's cause. The dark thoughts in the General's mind were soon mirrored by the thick and heavy rain that began to fall in earnest.

The rain fell in sheets upon the walls of Eliy. If there was anything unprotected, it was soon drenched in water. The rain fell unrelenting on those that kept watch upon the city walls. The night was dark, the rain cold, the silence foreboding. It covered the city in a melancholy state. There were no children running in the streets, no marketplace bustling with activity. The soldiers were disheartened for their captain had been in her quarters recovering for more than a day. Those that they had called the Destined were silent, their eyes never leaving the forest edge. It was too silent, and for all the rain pouring down around them...there was no sound.

Feyarie stalked the walls looking for Soren. She knew that he had left the city with D'Hara earlier that night, before the storm had come in. Raine had still not awakened from her healing sleep...though she and the healer had left her since sundown...she was beginning to worry. The Protector had said nothing to any of them in weeks...the enemy camp had been silent for too long. Something was bound to happen, and bound to happen soon, and if they were not able to stand together...this city would fall...It was just like the Reds that she had grown up with, if they did not unite and fight together...they were slaughtered by one...maybe two blacks. They were four, against how many? If Soren was gone and this other one had replaced him...how would they survive? The four of them needed to work together...cohesively for this to work...they needed to be as one for this city to stand up to that man that led the opposing army. This had to be done right...and it needed to be done now. D'Hara, Soren, Terror, Raine...if you can all hear me...we need to meet...we need to bring this all together...we need to act as one...or we will all fall to the madness begging brought on us by that madman. If you can, meet me upon the walls in an hour...we can go somewhere private and hash this out together. Please let me know that you all decide.

Raine was the first to answer Feyarie's call, I will join you. I have just begun to thaw and I can hurry it along. Thank you for your help. Her mind voice seemed to echo slightly as if it were relayed in the beginning and became stronger and clearer towards the end.

Rowan's long pointed ears flicked gently, his narrow red eyes searched his enviroment.
"There it goes again...I grow tired of hearing voices in my head."
[Heh he, perhaps your insanity is finally catching up with you.]
"Why don't you just die?"
[Calm down, I was just joking...someone has to lighten the mood a little. I recogized that voice, though I only got to know her briefly...]
"Well? Come on and tell me already."
[I believe her name is Feyarie, the fire destined as most would know her. We should head on over to the wall and meet up with the others.]
"Why should I?"
[It's the right thing to do, and the more cooperative you are. The sooner the fight will begin, so just play along for now. I know you have the patience...and please, behave yourself.]
"Hmph, talk to me like some damn child..." Rowan took off from the buildings ledge, and quickly traversed onto the rooftop of another, his sight was set on the wall of Eliy.

After the hour has passed the rain seemed to be falling harder as the destined met at the tops of the wall. Raine was leaning heavily on Xellos and had a staff of sorts in her left hand to help hold herself up. Her face looked shallow but her eyes were still as strong as ever. She looked to her fellow destined, "What now?" The rain was freezing to her skin and she did simple movements to make the delicate crystals fall to the ground where they shattered.

The clouds were almost black now as the day descended to night. There were few sounds that could be heard over the pounding rain. The few fires that had been lit to ward off the cold had been drenched and were nothing more than wet wood now. The air was not chilled and it seemed likely that the storm would start to light the sky as the sounds of thunder started to make themselves known. The ground had turned to mud and the sloshing of footsteps could be heard by the person making them. The soldiers on the walls had leathers draped over their bows to prevent them from getting wet and they pulled their cloaks a little tighter to try to stay dry. A futile effort. As the men were being relieved they'd rush inside to dry and warm themselves before going back out to switch out again. They were doing all they could to keep each other dry, but it seemed pointless. The rain was unrelenting and would let none stay dry.

The epic walls loomed before the lone figure of D'Hara. "I will learn little... if I must keep coming... back to have these... conversations face to face. I thought the flight lock... was made for this?" He called out, Bellowing from below like some wounded ox. He seemed to be considering climbing the walls then thought the better of it. Looking up into the rain the face reviled by the cloak was annoyed at the least.

Answer me you git'z!

Raine looks down to D'Hara, "I'm not sure! Feyarie is the one who called the meeting!" She turns to Feyarie, "What is this meeting about?" She gingerly shakes her head and small icicles fall to the ground shattering. The storm was getting worse and Raine felt comforted by it but it didn't make the pain in her leg and shoulder go away. Granted she was healed but the new tissues ached and moan from over use in such a short period of time.

Rowan landed on the wall with a thump as he seemed to jump from no where and land between Feyarie and Raine. He slowly stood up from his squatting position that he had landed in and looked to the women smugly. "So what's this all about?"
[Hey be nice to them. They are our allies you know. If you're going to be a jerk to them I'm going to take back over.]
Rowan mumbled to himself "All right all right...baby."

Feyarie looked to those that had gathered,and turned her attention down the wall to where D'Hara stood looking up, "Your flight-lock might be good, but there is always the possibility that whatever it is that we are fighting could break into it. That's why I have called a meeting, so that we might hash out these details so we can put an end to this infernal mess." Her voice was calm but the heat of the Fire within could be heard plainly. Next she turned her attention to Soren. "You need to control yourself, whether you choose to stay as the Soren that I was told of, or this new version of yourself...I care not. But choose. If you do not, it may mean the death of the rest of us. If you can't control it, give up the sword and another will find us." To the rest of her companions she now focused her attention. "This needs to happen now...whatever it is, it needs to be done swiftly. The enemy knows you are wounded Raine, and he will use that against us. He knows that I am headstrong and he will use that against us. He knows that the Air destined is fractured, and will use that against us as well. As for D'Hara and the Dragon, they have never left anything to be guessed to our enemy." She took a breath and continued. "What we need to do now is unite as the Four Elements that we are, we need to use that against him, our unity will be his death. That is why it is important that you heal Raine, and you as well Soren. Your fractured mind..." She stopped, and looked to them all. "The only reason I called you all here was to make that point known out loud, for I am sure that we all know it in our hearts, but to say it, and let those words float on the wind, is the only way that we can accomplish that task. Raine you need to give up your position as Captain of the Royal Guard and focus now on being the Water Destined. I need to give up my contempt for being lead and ingrained hate for Terra and focus on being the Fire Destined. Though your intentions are noble, D'Hara, stop focusing all of your power and energy on the walls of the city and set your attention to being the Earth Destined. Soren, either heal your mind and become the Air Destined, or go and leave the sword to another. As for the protection of the city, The Protector and her guardians, as well as the Dragon are doing a great job at keeping the enemy at bay. We need to focus the elemental power granted to us and use it as one to destroy the enemy the next time he shows his face." Standing silent in the rain, Feyarie allowed her words to sink in, just like the falling rain. If they could not do this, then no one else could, and Eliy would fall.

Raine had a solemn look fall upon her face and did a curt nod which made the newly formed icicles fall to the ground and shatter, "I need to talk to a few people, but you are right. I need to focus on healing and being the Destined that I should be. I will pass on my duties to another who is worthy." She had a look of understanding and put on a weak smile.

Soren looked to the other destined around him knowing that he needed to fix himself and responded, “I will heal myself. Give me by morning.” His face seemed determined as he turned and walked to the edge of the wall. He would heal himself alright. Even if it meant that he lost the mind battle. He was more of a danger when the others couldn't trust who was in control. He went to where the stairs were and walked down them and started the long walk to the cliffs. Maybe the constant wind there would help him free himself. When he finally made it he stood on the edge of the cliff and looked out into the rain and emptiness as he was subjected to the wind in his rain soaked clothes. He was cold but he wouldn't let that stop him. He opened his arms and closed his eyes and started the ensuing battle of his minds.

The area was dark at first until he could see the fires in the distance. He ran, knowing that was where Rowan was hiding. In his bad memories that he never wanted to experience again. It seemed like an eternity yet too quickly he was in his old memory again. Looking through the burning buildings trying to find Rowan. He walked by a few of the first buildings knowing that Rowan would likely jump from one for his first attack. A squeeze in his hand let him reassure himself that he had brought the wind sword in here with him. This time he could defend himself. This time it would be a real fight. Soren scanned the buildings one by one trying to find which one Rowan would jump from until he was in the center of the ever burning town. The pile of dead bodies was daunting but he had to reassure himself that this wasn't happening. He brought his hand to his head and rubbed his temples to try to remove the surging memories when it happened. Rowen came from behind the pile and started the fight. The sword had warned Soren just in time to block the attack for his head, and he had instinctualy lifted the sword for protection. No...the wind had lifted the sword for him. And for what seemed like hours the two personalities fought. Each gaining ground and loosing ground to each other. The ever burning flames being the only witnesses to the apocalyptic event. The fight would not end until one had complete control and had destroyed the other. There were no taunts, name calling, or words uttered in this battle. Only the sounds of harsh breathing and the clashing of swords could be heard in their shared mind. Each fighting for dominance of his own body, each thinking it was his right, and each knowing that only one would win. No compromises this time, no deals, no more of one being submissive. However the fight was in one personalities favor. Only one of them was a killer. At the end of the battle Soren lay on the ground holding the sword up for a last hope of protection from the sadistic personality. And as the final blow came down to smite him he vanished. Rowan cried out a long groan. His revenge had been stolen. Yet Soren was no longer in the body.

Rowan assumed full control and opened his eyes and saw in front of him a semblance of Soren in the Air in front of him... a spirit of sorts. Soren seemed to be smiling and Rowan reached out the hit him and watched as he passed right through. The sword glowed lightly as Soren's soul slowly dissipated into the breeze. Rowan frowned yet was happy. He didn't get to destroy Soren but he was gone. Now to do what he wanted to do.

Back at the wall the pounding rain dampened the words of the one below.
“Those truths needed to be said... I will continue now on my scouting mission... we must gain more information about our enemy... see if anyone can find historical information about this menace.”
“Raine! There is a young woman in your guard that seems to have a good handle on the current situation”... quietly to him self he spoke,“young,” the rock man laughs gruffly to himself, “what is young to an elf?” calling back to the walls edge “Any way she is of low rank... but she has been watching things... intently. I think she may make a... good lead for the royal guard. She also may be able to... deal with that fop of a king!”
With that, the statue turned in to the storm and lumbered in to the darkness stopping to call back to the herald of this meeting. “Keep moral up fire heart! This rain can kill an army just as easily as steel and arrows!” The water engulfed him with a swirl of mist and sleet and he was gone.

Raine listened to D'Hara's advice. He was a wise man and she could not deny the earth destines statement. She had been watching the woman for some time now. She knew who he was speaking of and with a quick nod to Feyarie, “Until next we meet.” She turned using her make shift crutch and Xellos as support she started to limp away. After a few steps she said into the darkness, “Tristan, bring me Illianna Dol. We have much to talk about.” One of the shadows wavered as it left and the man could be seen jogging through the streets after descending the wall. Raine smiled lightly then grimaced as she put weigh on her injured leg once again. Time for her to rest and let the healers try to finish the job. At least now she could move again. It was hard but possible now for her to keep her body from freezing over again.

Sheets of rain washed over the slow moving stone as he glided through the mud. A small cantrip enchanted every step so that his mother would not bear the scar in her flesh that her son's feet would otherwise leave. He felt the nexus of power that was the balance keepers citadel deep within the forest, he understood that he could only feel it because she willed it to be felt, A silent caution “bring not this fight to me or I shall surely end it.”. The lumbering stone took a ubiquitous route keeping mind the wind and his sent, it may take a thousand blood hounds to determine that the lump of moving mud was any different than all the other non moving lumps but D'Hara was all things if not cautious. Silent heavy foot falls cushioned by layers of wet leaves and old roots seemed to meander the old feed trails, long abandoned by the wild life in this time of war.

The stones in his mind ground together considering the role of the balance keeper. If good was to win this engagement the balance would be kept, the death of the humans would sow seeds of revenge in the hearts of their fatherless children and evil would be dispersed, but still in plenty of supply. On the other hand if good was to fail in their attempt at survival the balance would be tipped... with the swords of the elementalist in the hands of a black mage, the whole world could be sent spinning in to a dark age of hate and power that even the balance keeper could fail to recover from. This realization worried the beast. If it was to come to that he had no doubt that the castle would awaken and the maelstrom that was lightning within would bring destruction to all sides wiping the slate clean and keeping the balance, as was her destiny.

Destiny.. that word reoccurred in his mind a lot lately almost as often as Illianna Dol. Two rune stones that when cast would leave the great earth general powerless as sand in the wind.

When Tristan returned he knocked on the door where Raine was being healed. Muffled grunts and moans of pain could be heard through the door as the footsteps approached. The door opened wide and an old tired man waved them in. Raine was on the bed against the far wall biting a strap of leather as the healers slowly convinced her body to heal faster. The frozen sweat on her forehead was enough to prove that she had been through a lot. Raine nodded to the current healer and he exhaustedly moved away to a table where 4 others were seated and looked just as tired. Raine pulled the chewed up leather strip from her mouth and adjusted the way that she was leaning on the pillows so that she was sitting up a bit more. She also was exhausted and was breathing heavily. She motioned to Tristan and Illianna to sit in some chairs which were probably used by the healers as they worked on her. Raine took a moment to recenter herself and looked to them both panting and gasping she choked out, “Illianna I hope...you know why I had...you brought here. I need to...give up my position...on the Royal guard. I'm promoting Tristan...and as such...I need a new...body guard. At least...until I heal. So I'm promoting you...to be my new body guard. Tristan...take your brother...as your body guard. You'll need him.” Raine took a moment to calm her breathing then said, “Tristan, report my decision to the king. He should know who is his protector. And if he says anything to the contrary of my decision, inform him that I am wounded and that I make this decision for his own good.” She nodded to dismiss Tristan and he got up and left. Then Raine turned to Illianna, “I've been watching you and I know that you have gone up the ranks quite quickly. I've seen you in battle as well and I think that you will do well at this new position. D'Hara agrees that you are the one that I should use. You start now. There's a uniform for you in the corner over there.” Raine points to a table in the corner near the door. On the table was the blue and silver uniform of the Royal Guard, a long sword, and mithril scale armor. “Dress yourself and show me that it fits. It was hastily sized for you but it should be good enough for now.” Raine leaned back as Illianna went to her new vestments then she looked to the healers and one stood up and walked over as Raine put the leather strip back in her mouth and prepared herself for the eminent torture.

As the night passed the muffled sounds of groaning filled the empty streets. Now and again a scream pierced the air that was quickly muffled leaving a sense of foreboding through out the city. The room that the daunting noises came from seemed to have water clinging to the door and walls surrounding the entrance. With every groan the water would vibrate then relax as the sounds died off in the sounds of the storm. Within the room Raine was covered in frozen sweat that turned her hair a frosty hue and would fall to the ground and shatter with every quiver of pain. She had long ago chewed through the leather strap that she had used to quiet herself.

Dawn was soon approaching and the healers were sleeping in their cots in the room as one by one they'd wake each other and take turns sleeping. Raine's eyes had the purple hue from the lack of sleep and looked haggard from the stress that she was going through. Illiana was sitting in her chair and seemed to be trying to sleep but when ever she started to dose off Raine would groan and wake her again.

Rowan left the city. Why should he listen to what everyone else wanted him to do...he was free now. He jumped from tree to tree, watching everything from a new point of view. By himself. The only thing that bothered him now was the damn sword on his hip. He had tried to take it off but when he touched it it seemed to drain the life out of him. The damn thing obviously didn't like him. He wanted to ditch it but didn't want to go back to those cowards in the city. Besides...who said that he wanted to be a "good guy"? He figured that he could sell some "information" to the enemy as well as the sword and get the hell out of here before all hell broke loose. As he neared the edge of the enemy camp the wind picked up and tried to blow him back. He shrugged it off and tried to keep moving. The wind sent gust after gust at him. One almost knocked him off his tree. So he climbed on the ground, scoffing at how easy it was to out smart the wind when it happened. A gale...no something in it...hit him in the chest sending him backward. Then he felt it. No him. Soren.

The dark assassin smiled grandly, handsome some would call him, if not for his eyes, forever doused in hatred for all living things.
"Heh, never knew you could do that. Been keeping secrets-" But before he could finish running his mouth, he felt the gust come at him again, powerful...but predictable. Rowan dodged as he laughed, taunting his weaker counter-part.
"Oh my, please you might hurt me." Then something happened. Something he should have seen plausible. A fool he had been, if only he had not let his guard down. The gust had split into 8 different forms. Each piece strong and nimble, and incredibly accurate. Rowan was taken and pulverized against a large tree, blood spurted from his lips and painting the grass scarlet. To anyone's eyes, he would have appeared to be embraced by death. But no, just stunned and quite utterly pissed.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE KNAVE! I TRIUMPHED AND YOU FAILED. YOU BELONG TO ME AND MY PROPERTY WILL NOT PUSH ME!" In a blink of an eye, Soren stood before him. A benevolent hero had a malicious titan, at his mercy.

Illianna stared idly at Raine's tortured form sprawled across the bed. She shifted slightly in the provided chair,
throwing her hip out at an angle as she shifted to accommodate herself more aptly within the confines. Once more a set of
dark lashes drooped, the edge of them brushing her cheekbone as sleep slowly encroached once more in an seemingly pointless
fashion. A muffled moan and the grind of teeth across leather dragged her from fathomless depths once more. A heavy sigh
escaped her lips in a exaggerated manner, her eyes immediately fixing on Raine, the muscles of her jaw momentarily clenched
as she looked her over. "Try this on?" she looked at Raine intently, a brow mildly cocked upwards in anticipation of an
answer, though the words that escaped her lips were mildly tainted with an inflection of exhaustion. She folded her arms
beneath her chest non-nonchalantly accentuating her bust as she waited.

Raine nodded and managed to mutter, "As my bodyguard you need to be properly outfitted. I would not have it any other way." The breath clouds that came from her mouth dissipated quickly from the heat being generated from the amount of bodies in such a small area. The mist that was in the room hours ago had been melted away. Raine's attention quickly went back to the pain that creased her face as she battled another series of screams.

D'lania sat with her legs crossed beneath her. Pain seared through her head as she fought to keep her head clear of the pain that she knew Raine was feeling. This would not do. Raine needed to be at full health in order of the Destined to be able to do what needed to be done. Carefully, D'lania opened her mind to her daughter, making sure to keep the shared pain at bay. Raine, if you can hear me, I am going to ease your pain and heal your wounds. You need to be able to stand and do your duty. I pray that this helps. She then reached out with tendrils of energy, probing Raine's body, searching for the wounds she knew were there. When she finally found them, she solidified the connection, allowing her healing magics to pass through. She knew that it would be painful for Raine, but it would heal her. The magic slowly knitted together the wounds that wracked Raine's body with pain. Once the wounds were closed and the body healed, D'lania allowed her power to flow into Raine.

In the small room where Raine lay fighting the wracking pain, the air seemed to crackle with electricity, and for a moment it seemed as though the storm had entered through some invisible opening. Raine's body spasmed for a moment, her eyes clamped down and her jaw tightened. In that instant it looked as though she was loosing the battle with her body, and she would fade. But as quickly as it began, it ended. Raine's body slumped against the cot on which she was laying. Slowly her eyes opened and they were clear of pain.

She nodded respectfully, her deep hazel eyes lingering on Raine's pain wracked form a moment longer before shifting intently to the ensemble arranged across the lap of chair, that was in rather close proximity to the one she herself sat in. Her fingers delicately stretched forth to trace the hem of the tabbard, her fingertips caressing the delicate silver threads that were bound together flawlessly into the intricate patterns spread across the sapphire hued raiment. She shuffled the regalia into neat piles, sorting the pieces into order, the scale flashed brilliantly in the dimly lit room, mirroring the lightning that struck just outside the confines of the walls. A distant roll of thunder resounded shortly there after, breaking the redundant echoes of screams and the sound of pouring rain, Illianna turned round casually, her fingers quickly working the ties of leather apart. Her fingers grazed over the simple steel studs that erupted from the body of the leather, noting the occasional gaps in the entirety of the suit, they were easily recognized by the exposed swatches of leather and tiny notches where the studs has once pierced through. Her fingers worked rapidly till she felt the bulk of the armor pull away from her chest and back, a heavy sigh of relief slipped forth from her lips in an note worthy way. The nostrils flared immediately as the smell of sweat and leather wafted off her skin, her eyes fell to the off white tunic that remained, her hazel orbs flicking quickly over her chest which stood out prominently once free of the confines of armor. She cast her mind in the direction of D'hara briefly, a flicker of a smile spread across her lips at the thought of him seeing her standing there so casually. She shed the remaining armorment, leaving her clad in a moderately dry pair of breeches and a tunic. She remained as such for what seemed like a lengthy moment, before reaching for the scale and donning it humbly. Her fingers once more reached for the tabbard this time taking it on as a mantle. She bowed her head respectfully, waiting for Raine to notice, her hand poised expectantly atop the hilt of the sword. She stood patiently anticipating a reaction when she felt the air shift, the surge of power crept up her spine and coursed through her veins in an instant, catching her attention and focusing it directly on the form of Raine, her eyes were riveted to the spot in a look of utter confusion, her posture slacking, no longer poised in a rigid, intent manner, "what?" in an exasperated tone. 

Raine breathlessly smiled and said in a tired but calm voice, "That looks nice... It fits well. I'm glad." She turned to the equally confused healer, "Do not fret. It is finished. You and your brothers may leave and finally get some rest. Go back to the castle and tell them that I am healed." The healer looked at her cautiously as if he thought she may just disappear. Raine smiled a tired, calming smile, "I just need rest. Go on now." The healer got up and motioned for the others to follow. They got up and opened the door to the raging storm. Raine took a deep breath and a trail of mist filtered in to her. She smiled then the door closed and there was a pleasant chill that entered the room. The turned to Illianna and smiled as she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Thank you...

Illianna stared vacantly at Raine as she dismissed the healers, her head slowly beginning to slope to the left. "Thank you." she said calmly with an even tone, her demeanor slowly shifting back to a calm, steady resolve. She pulled her eyes away from Raine, a silent sigh of relief escaped her as she regained her composure, her dark eyes panning the room in an interested sort of way, she closed them a minute as if searching somehow for answers, a bit of understanding, though nothing came to her, and all evidence of the prior occurance has ceased, leaving her dumbfounded and anxious. She looked over Raine one moment more before casting one last glance at the discarded armors. Hastily she gathered them, piling them neatly in her arms before heading for the door with all intentions of taking them to the armory and having them fit for another. She quietly opened the door with all respect for the now peacefully sleeping Raine, and slipped out into the downpour. Her new vestments quickly were drenched, but unlike the leather there was a lot less dampness associated with the scale. She ran from the enclosure towards the armories and barracks, wind tostling sleek dark hair into flurries, the raced, the sound of rain colliding with the steel echoed around her like wind chimes in a hurricane, and the cold struck her, sending a shiver of goosepimples cascading down her back. She moved with little impairment, a wild look of purpose and determination written across her face. Her mind raced with ambition.

The rain continued to fall in sheets from the sky. Those that had donned dry clothing were soon soaked to the bone, and the small tents that were erected to help stave off the water did little to aid. No dry wood could be found in order to light fires of any kind. The army that sat in the forest could only wait out the storm. Celahir paced in his tent. The water that had taken residence in his leather boots made the only sounds in the tent as the dark man walked back and forth. The report that he had recieved made him smile. His little traitor was doing their job well. That cursed Water Destined still lay useless in her military cot, the bold Fire Desstined did all she could to raise moral in the water-logged troops of Eliy, the broken Air Destined fought his own battle that kept him out of Celahir's way. It was the Earth Destined that had him most worried. Him and the silent Protector. Those two seemed to be the only ones that posed any threat. This D'Hara and his dragon kept his troops at bay and the forest in which they waited wanted nothing more than to devour them.

Celahir stopped pacing as a brilliant idea flashed in his mind. His body shaking with the prospect of it, his mind basking in the simple beauty of it. The Earth Destined was a simple minded fellow, knowing only what he had learned from the earth. If he could waylay and bring this lumbering Destined to a stop, there would be nothing in his way. Once the mind of the Destined was focused elsewhere, he could deal with the dragon, and the city would finally be his.

"Bring me the traitor. I have a new assignment."

Soren's vague figure towered over Rowan. The droplets of water that fell from the sky, trickled down Rowan's face, giving his skin a mortal shine. Words were not necessary for this final confrontation between good and evil. Both men knew that two conflicting souls could never share the same body, and that their destinies would be forever intertwined...unless death severed their fate. Rowan sighed with annoyance and braced himself for the last duel between his weaker half. It would either allow him to begin his life anew...or have it end in his prime.
The rain fell harder, plunging into the wet earth with quiet little thuds. The two men's eyes locked, and it began.

He stood at the edge of the camp among three large rocks that embraced a tree. In the mud and rain he seemed to be yet another rock. The enemy camp was a picture of order. D'Hara could keep time by the alternating shifts of guards. He could mark the passing of seconds by the runners delivering messages between the different company's. They even had a rotation for defecation and urination brakes so as not to have a guard leaving his post for any reason. D'Hara chose this spot because it was the farthest away from the command tent. As much as he wanted to engage this evil scar of a man on the field of battle it would be stupid to lose his life that way. "must be a little after noon" He thought to his friend who flew above the storm. "I'm being pissed on."

The second argent of first squad thought nothing of the strange new rock that added itself to his favorite pissing spot... truthfully he didn't even notice it had moved its leg at all.

D'Hara rethought his spot of vigilance and moved to a deeper local within the trees that hid him... and harmed his enemy's.

CLASH! Soren was pummeled and tossed, limp like a corpse. His body skidded upon the ground and tumbled and span on his head until the force that knocked him finally died away. Blood erupted from Soren's mouth but even more precious life poured out of his chest. Three lethal wounds, a diagonal slash a few inches below his neck, an unfathomable stab born next to his first wound, and internal injuries that made it difficult to breathe. Rowan licked his blade, acknowledging the different taste of blood. Their permanent separation was almost complete.
"I think it's about time you died you weak little bug, already you have little influence inside my head." Rowan waited for him to make his move, he wanted Soren to struggle. But he did not.
"I have grown bored of you, and seeing how you can't even lift a finger to stop me, I'll offer you death." Rowan sheathed his weapon, making this kill personal. He wanted to enjoy this. Rowan stood over Soren and dropped to his knees, using his weight to force the air from Soren's stomach. Soren gasped with pure pain and his small voice was cut off by the cold hands that grasped his throat and squeezed.
"Haha...I've wanted this for so long my weaker half. Ever since you came to be, my life has been limited and demeaning. Nevermore, now sleep...and cry in eternity." Rowan's maniacal laugh echoed throughout the halls of his mind, and it continued, and continued...then was cut off. A death cry rang in the air.

The City of Eliy