A tense early morning awaited Kanae and her companions as they prepared to disembark from Elusis. Everyone double-checked their equipment, stocked up on potions and elixirs, and made sure nothing was out of the ordinary. Kanae felt whole again with the Blade of the First Temptress and Cockcalibur in her possession again. However, she would much rather have Renya back in her retinue.

Archbishop Patrice and the Saint Priests had been searching for the dark elf's whereabouts but turned up nothing. At the very least, they found Petyr Stormcloud. Her strength helped even the playing field. Including…

"Hnnng! I slept like a log!" Sivvy Brenhallow, the Knight of Red, had woken up at last and joined them in the cafeteria for some grub. "Haven't laid on a soft bed in… shit. Years! I need some real chow though." She scooped a spoonful from her bowl and let it waterfall back in. "This gruel ain't gonna cut it. Hey, Necromancer. Summon a fresh undead for me. Some meat on the bones is nice, too, but I won't gripe over a blanched femur."

"What? Fuck off! You're not eating any of my skellies!" Edina glared, and her accompanying undead grunt holding her belongings cowered away.

"How's Elirashj? Any trouble?" Kanae piped in to ask.

The harpy shook her head. "Nah. She whispers in my ears sometimes, but just to ask about interesting things to add to her collection. She really wants a succubus though. Are you really gonna give her one? I wouldn't wish imprisonment like that on my worst enemy. Okay, maybe not my third or fourth worst, but definitely my first worst."

"Give her every single succubus in the world, I say." Petyr sneered.

Kanae wrung her hands together. Whoever it was going to be would be consigned to live as a zoo animal for Elirashj's enjoyment for the rest of their life.

"Amethyst, Red!" Saint Priest Delayn entered the cafeteria only as far as the door. "It's time. Archbishop Patrice ordered us to move out. Mystic Jahree's prepared us a ride, but we're going to have to walk there."

"Finally." Kanae gulped down the rest of her porridge and got up. "Amethyst Hall, let's go get our revenge."

"Aww, man. I want my own hall. I can't wait to start recruiting when I get back to Aidenhall," Red said while gnawing on a leg bone.

"What the? Hey!" Edina groaned after taking notice that her undead hobbled on a single leg and was missing the other.

The group made their way down the hall to the storage closet with a hatch leading to the surface. They passed by familiar faces like Shaheed, rescued refugees, and faithful followers of Ujit. Many offered nods of acknowledgement, and few wished them good luck.

Jahree grabbed Kanae's hands. "Boss Jofis' son Cosibi visited me earlier this morning agreeing to aid my cause. And Vivindra sent six representatives to parlay. Discussions are still on-going, but they look good. I'm not going to ask how you two achieved this, but I am eternally grateful! With luck, the revolution will sever the Harpy King's supply lines and starve out his army. Infused with an elemental or not, a soldier cannot march on an empty stomach."

"Good luck with your revolution. I know Ujit's smiling about choosing you as her successor. We'll do our best to stop him abroad. But Jahree." Kanae turned to face the mystic and looked him deep in the eyes. The seriousness in her expression startled him, and he realized he couldn't pull away from her grasp. "If we win and survive the flood, Elusis is going to need a new leader."

"Oh. What… or who do you have in mind?" He swallowed hard.

"There's a whole rest of the continent beyond Savir, and you happen to be acquainted with the Queen of the Commonwealth of Sin. I'll leave the rest to your imagination." She let him go and winked.

By the entrance to the storage closet, one corner of Archbishop Patrice's lips lifted. Kanae hadn't forgotten about the quiet plan they had discussed back in Aidenhall. The Commonwealth currently consisted of three large cities and many smaller villages. If she succeeded in including Savir, it could form an empire large enough to rival Ortesia.

But that was if Kanae succeeded in stopping the Harpy King. His mad march of conquest would destroy Avanesse and Bravost, and with Elusis flooded, Savir might very well be wiped from the face of the world.

Kanae joined her companions and descended the long climb down the temple spire. They emerged on the surface to a much larger crowd. People had raised tents, laid planks over the muddy ground, and ignited bonfires. Thanks to them, they were able to slip away unseen by patrolling harpy soldiers.

"Mystic Jahree said the wagons will be painted in red. They are waiting for us parked outside of a bread store," Archbishop Patrice explained.

"Perfect." Kanae stretched her arms. "We can pick some food up before leaving—"

"Kanaaaeee!"

Everyone whirled around. Kara, Theena, and Seven rushed up to them as fast as they could.

"Oh, no…" Kanae put a hand to her face and knew where this was going.

"Well, damn. You don't hafta be a jerk about it!" Seven pouted.

"We want to join you. Please, let us lend our strength to fighting the Harpy King. For me, it's the least I can do to make things right," Theena implored.

"What about you, kiddo?" Camilla folded her arms in front of her little sister Kara.

"I made a friend who's out there part of the Harpy King's army. I'm going to go save him," Kara explained.

"We're not interested in babysitting kids during war. Get lost." Petyr hid her obvious concern behind a veneer of assholery.

Seven stuck his tongue out at her, but Kanae knew better.

"Let me guess. You guys are going to follow along even if we say no?" Kanae asked.

They nodded.

Kanae turned to Petyr and continued, "Something happens to them out there alone, that's on our conscience."

"Do whatever the fuck you want. I'm not coming to their rescue when trouble finds them." Petyr threw her hands up and walked off.

"You three can come, but you have to do whatever we say. Do I make myself clear?" she asked.

"Yes!" they replied in unison.

The now larger party hurried to the bread shop under the cover of awnings and shade covers, stretching from tightly-arranged townhouses. They caught glimpses of harpy soldiers flying past and occasionally peering in.

However, unless the patrols entered the streets themselves, the group only looked like part of the passing crowds. They finally reached a bakery operating within the first floor of a building. The smell of sourdough and honey-glazed bread tickled their noses.

When they entered, the door chimes played a pleasant tune. A large human man with skin as black as obsidian came out from the back, wiping his flour-dusted hands on his apron.

"What can I do fer… Ya folks the ones Jahree mentioned, are ya?" he asked.

"Yes, we—" Archbishop Patrice wanted to get a few words out but the baker lifted a hand to stop her.

"No talking. I don't want to hear a damn thing. Follow me to the back and be on yer way." The man beckoned to the door he had come out of.

They did as asked, quietly, into the bakery's kitchens where a dozen workers went about performing their jobs, kneading dough, stuffing uncooked bread into the ovens, and pulling finished ones out.

But something else went on while this was happening. Half the bakers cracked open crates, revealing not flour or eggs, but swords, spears, and crossbows. They closed the box up and pushed them into storage behind actual crates of flours and eggs. These folks weren't just bakers. They were Jahree's revolutionaries.

The big baker man opened the door leading into the backstreets. Workers unloaded cargo from five covered wagons that clinked and rattled with the sound of iron, then loaded back in boxes of bread.

"Soon as the last box goes in, they're leaving. There's one checkpoint exiting the city. Don't say nothing and let the driver do all the talking. Good luck," the baker said before returning to his bakery.

Everyone funneled into a carriage. Kara, Theena, and Seven in one. Archbishop Patrice and both Saint Priests in another. Kanae, Petyr, Edina, and Red climbed into a third. Just as the baker said, the wagon caravan wasted no time and took off after the last crate was thrown in.

Most of them were seated in the back along with the cargo. Red sat in the front with one of the drivers because. Out of all of them, she was at least able to pass as an Elusis citizen being a harpy.

The army stationed in Elusis was much denser around the exit checkpoint. Soldiers harassed drivers going in and out. They just needed to cross, and it would be the home stretch to the ridge.

"Hold!" an officer outside shouted, and their wagons lurched to a stop. "What are you transporting?"

"Bread and labor," their driver answered curtly.

Someone walked around to the back of the wagon. Kanae covered herself with a heavy cloak and pretended to be asleep, and so did Edina. Petyr rested leisurely leaning against a stack of crates, her hand hidden behind some drapes where her warhammer rested.

The flaps flew open. A harpy soldier climbed in and sneered at them. He walked past, slammed his elbow into one box to break it open, and pulled out a loaf of bread with powdered sugar for himself.

"All good back there?" the officer asked.

"Yes, sir. Everything seems to be in order!" he replied and took a taunting bite.

Kanae and Edina breathed a sigh of relief as soon as the soldier exited the back. However, just as the wagon got moving, it got stopped again just as quickly.

"What the hells is going on out there?" Edina picked up her staff.

"Hey, I don't recognize you, do I?" An interrogative male voice spoke up.

"Who, me?" Red asked.

All three of them tensed up. They squeezed their weapons, expecting things to get ugly. The Harpy King had Red imprisoned for years. It wouldn't surprise Kanae that some soldiers might recognize her.

"Maybe you do. I'm with the adventurers hall. Been in and out of Elusis guarding caravans. It's making me a lot of dough if you catch my drift!" Red joked, drawing laughter from the soldiers around the wagon.

"When you get back, you come right to me. Let me buy you a drink, eh?" he asked.

"I'm a busy girl, so we'll hafta see~" she flirted back.

They breathed a second sigh of relief once the wagon started moving.

"My bad!" Red peered in through an open slat. "What? You guys think I was gonna go ballistic on them or something?"

"It would've made things more interesting." Petyr scoffed.

The journey to Shamsir was fraught with smaller Elusis army outposts that served as checkpoints. Passing through them wasn't as tense as when they had left the city.

Kanae hoped that the army Arenade led into Savir hadn't made contact with the Harpy King's forces yet. If they did… Supreme One, help them.

Late into the night, everyone was beginning to nod off. Their caravan didn't run into any more checkpoints. It was quiet all the way to Shamsir. The wheels of the wagon crunched against the beaten ground of a marching army. From here, the next stop should be the ranching village called Shivarn.

They had helped the villagers when passing through last time, but…

A shiver ran up Kanae's spine. No, it should be fine. Shivarn was an Elusis village. The Harpy King should have no reason to inflict harm on them.

"Do you smell that?" Petyr sat upright and sniffed the air.

"Smell what?" Kanae asked.

"Cinder and smoke. I couldn't mistake it for anything else!" She threw open the window and stuck her head outside. A harsh gasp followed after. The paladin pulled back inside, grabbed a snoozing Edina, and shook her awake. "Your dragon. Now!"

"Huh? What? What's going on?!" Edina cried.

Petyr kicked the door open and jumped outside with the squirreling.

"Wait a minute, where are you going? The Elusis army could still be around!" Kanae shouted.

A burst of air erupted outwards as Edina's undead dragon crawled out of an abyssal portal and took off into the sky.

"Amethyst, what in the Supreme One's beard just happened?" Archbishop Patrice poked her head out of a wagon and demanded to know.

"It's Shivarn! We think it's under attack. Petyr and Edina just flew off. I'm going after them!" Kanae explained.

"I'll go with you, Amethyst!" Red hopped out and unfurled her massive wings.

Together, they launched into the night, chasing after a dragon much faster than them. From high in the sky, Kanae was able to see Shivarn in ruins.

Fields of desert grass were burned black and still smoldering. They had to shield their nose and eyes from the smoke. The cadavers of some livestock were burned beyond recognition. There should have been a lot more, from what Kanae recalled of the last time she came here. But many were missing, and the bodies didn't account for all of them. Homes were caved in from the rooftops, gardens trampled, and villagers huddled together. Their cries filled the night like wailing banshees.

Kanae was sick to her stomach, but she and Red didn't have time to waste. Harpy soldiers were still around, hovering above the village. They flew high to meet the undead dragon in battle. A blinding flash of light sent them plummeting to the surface, and the battle was over in an instant.

The two of them descended into the ruins of Shivarn. Edina and Petyr had already beaten them there. Kanae arrived shortly after with Red in tow. More Elusis soldiers stopped what they were doing and charged at them.

Petyr grabbed one by the skull and pummeled him into the ground. Two tried to attack her from the front and behind. She bashed the first coming at her from the front, but the soldier from behind plunged a sword into her chest. It caught on a plate. The high elf turned around menacingly, picked him up by the throat, and hurled him into a ruined home still on fire. She was like a wild animal unleashed to let loose her unbridled wrath.

"Petyr! Snap out of it!" Kanae cried.

"It wasn't supposed to turn out like this! We promised to protect them the last time we were here! Remember? Nona, Guel… Where are they?" Petyr shouted.

The paladin approached a group of three villagers huddled together and weeping in front of their burning house.

"What the fuck happened here?" Petyr asked.

"The Harpy King…" an Arkesian woman muttered. "He sent an army here and demanded we hand over as many livestock as we had. The elders agreed to give them everything, but… They didn't believe we did. So they… they… razed the village and picked us clean."

The rest of the caravan arrived. Archbishop Patrice, the Saint Priests, Kara, Theena, and Seven, too. They rushed into the village and gasped.

"This is… horrible," Kara stammered.

"Quit standing idle. Delayn, Camilla, Amethyst, and Red. Fan out and look for survivors! Is there a well we can draw water from?" Archbishop Patrice started doling out orders.

"I might be able to do something about the fires. Well, Elirashj might." Red flew up and tapped into the strength of the elemental lord within her.

A powerful gape swept through Shivarn. Where wind and air normally fed the fires, the mighty visage of Elirashj appeared behind Red's back. The elemental lord clenched her fist. Explosions of pressure put out the flames across the entire village.

Red collapsed to the ground. Kanae barely caught the harpy in time on her way down. She was covered in cold sweat.

"Sorry… That took a lot more outta me than I expected… Shit." Red leaned against a half-broken lamppost and pressed a hand to her head.

With the fires out, everyone scoured the village to help anyone still alive. Archbishop Patrice walked through the ruins administering healing magic as much as she could, imbibing mana potions every time her pool ran dry.

Kanae pitched in repeatedly casting Restore Mana. After all, a crowned Priest's healing magic was much stronger than a measly Flash Heal. With the help of Edina's undead, especially bone brutes and death knights, they were able to lift heavier debris out of the way and free those trapped under rubble.

"I was in Aidenhall during Ortesia's invasion of the Commonwealth," Archbishop Patrice began with a sigh, "which means I didn't have the pleasure of witnessing war beyond the attack on the palace. So, this is war. Visceral, brutal, incredible—"

"Pleasure? Incredible?" Petyr came up from behind Patrice and lifted her up by the throat.

Camilla and Delayn acted instantaneously. They were on the high elf paladin. Delayn had her staff prepped with a spell, and Camilla's rapier was levelled at Petyr's back.

"Let the archbishop go. I won't warn you again," Delayn threatened.

"It took almost eight of you to hold me back last time. What hope do the two of you have?" Petyr snarled.

"Perhaps… I chose my words poorly. 'Incredible' isn't always used… in a positive connotation… But I find it ironic that war disgusts you. If I recall… the warmonger Rook of Rotandrix was your ment—ack!" Patrice winced as the vise tightened.

"Archbishop, stop talking. Petyr, if you choke her out, we'll lose the strongest priest we have that can heal the injured villagers. Release her, or I'll make you do it," Kanae said, eyes glowing with magic and ready to cast Charm.

"Hey! If you guys are done beating each other off, I found the kids! North side of the village," an undead minion spoke with Edina's face.

Petyr finally let the archbishop go, and Delayn and Camilla stood down. The high elf pushed past them and raced to the other end of Shivarn. Everyone followed after her.

A squad of undead, Edina, and the Knight of Red were clearing rubble away from a stable. The roof had collapsed. Wooden beams and planks buried the building. Red hoisted a large crossbeam away, revealing a hatch underneath the stone ground. She pulled it open to the shock of everyone… and those inside it.

About two dozen people, mostly elderly and children, were below, cloths covering their soot-stained faces.

"Petyr, Kanae!" Nona, the dark elven girl, shouted from inside.

"Nona, thank goodness, you're okay!" Kanae smiled and helped her out.

"And Guel?" Petyr asked.

Nona turned back inside and extended a hand down to help her lamia childhood friend out. Unable to contain herself, Petyr pulled both of them into a hug.

"I'm so glad neither of you are hurt." Petyr squeezed the tears from her own eyes.