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POV Eris

August 15th, 0700. In the Sky, Somewhere.

"So, any of you boys ever ridden on a dragon before?" The three soldiers in back of me, bundled up in heavy coats, scarves and goggles and clinging onto the dragon for dear life shook their heads in unison, indicating to me that in fact, they had never ridden a dragon.

"Cool. Same here," I responded, before turning my head back around to face the wind. Up on Rigby's back, we soared high above not only the ground but also the clouds; they were just big puffs of snow below us. It was kinda scary, but my oh my, the view was fantastic!

I would've said that I was an excellent dragon rider, but I would be lying. The only thing that me and my friends in back needed to do was hang on tight. The Thitusan Copperback seemed to know exactly what to do on it's own.

"I've gotta give props to your general for this one, guys. Rigby is quite the navigator!" I paused for a moment, waiting to see if any of Ontako's stealth agents had anything to say. "I still think he's kinda insane though," I muttered. Okay, so maybe you guys aren't in a very talkative mood. That's okay.

After discovering the futility of trying to make conversation with the soldiers, I took some time to ponder what my life had come to at the moment in time. Yesterday, I woke up in the morning and made scrambled eggs for breakfast. Today, I woke up and rode a dragon. Ah, life! The never ending adventure!

In addition to this, the culmination of the high wind speeds and being high up in the atmosphere led to it being really cold. I was wearing at four thick layers, and yet still I was freezing my tail off. Granted, there was something strangely pleasant about the wind blowing in my face.

I had to admit: I was having a lot more fun with the experience than I would've let on at any time during the previous night. I used to complain to my father about wanting to do something to contribute to our nation's efforts, despite my portion of loyalty to my mother's kingdom of origin; as like my brother, who was currently situated as a spy and intelligence conveyer in Agu Morra. Although I often disagreed with both Miles and father, I considered their actions quite noble. Well, you wanted to get into the game. Welcome to the family business.

I smiled at the world before me. "Just another day!"

POV Aiko

1. Little Montua River.

I opened my eyes to see something that pained them to look at, but also filled me with a mysterious joy at my new disposition: the sun.

Upon grasping onto the first threads of consciousness, my mind still wasn't capable of processing anything. The very concept of my awakening just felt strange and out of place, as if I awoke from a deep, eternal sleep, both a thousand years too early and too late. What...where am I...when...

My senses slowly began to come back to me. I opened my eyes to a mere squint of visual reception, the bare minimum that I could force them open to. Above my position on the ground, I looked up and saw beautiful azure skies; only a few clouds blew across the horizon. Through me ears, which in comparison were perhaps the only part of my body that didn't feel completely broken, I could clearly hear the sound of water flowing, the wind blowing and the birds chirping as they fluttered through the air. Using what little strength I had left in me, I used my forearms to prop myself up. Every inch of my body either ached or stung with inflictions that I could only imagine the extent of. From what I could see, I laid just a few feet off the green, grassy shore of a river. Examining the other side of the river, I saw a wasteland of destruction and burnt trees. My side of the river, however fortunate, seemed to be untouched by destruction's menace.

Taking a look to the side of me, I found yet another figure of mystery; laying several yards away was a large, comatose tiger, with colors that looked as if they would be light and golden if they weren't covered in a complement of dirt, burns and other lacerations. His tunic was torn, and by the overall look of his condition, I estimated that I must not have looked any better. Who is he? I pondered. Closing my eyes and ignoring the searing pain that ruttered all throughout my body, I tried to remember the events that led to that moment. I was still trapped in that god-awful cell, courtesy of Rodlan. But what happened next...I must've been broken out, perhaps by the tiger. I studied him for a moment, as if unsure of his true purpose. His chest rose and fell with each gentle breath, underneath a black and gray sleeveless tunic, which was similar in condition to his body. I noticed that he began to stir, indicating that he might awaken. A moment later, my ears picked up a new sound; one that stood out from those of the natural environment: voices. From somewhere in the forest that I couldn't identify, the sound of a conversation lingered quietly in the air. In our current position by the open, grassy river, we were wide open to be seen by any passersby that might approach. Dammit! This could be bad.

Deciding not to take any chances, I used my fear as motivation and pushed past my physical boundaries to crawl over to the sleeping feline: an action that my nerves immediately punished with a spasm of tormenting pain. I briefly considered the possibility of just dragging him over to the forest for cover, but gave up in realization that my state of weakness and his heavy proportions amounted to the pure stupidity of the idea. You're already stirring; I should be able to wake you up quick. I violently shook him. "You need to wake up! Now!" I whispered harshly, desperate to bring him about. Slowly but nonetheless, he opened his eyes; they were a sea-like blue that glistened in the sunlight. "H..huh?" he muttered quietly. He propped himself up on his forearms and looked at me. "We need to hide. There's someone here," I informed him.

"What? Someone...who?" His eyes shot open and he sat all the way up.

"I don't know, but I suspect we'd best not reveal ourselves," I responded.

I must've peaked his interest, because he quickly got to his feet. I attempted to do the same, but ultimately failed and fell back onto my knees. The tiger grabbed my paw and forcefully yanked me to me feet. He placed another paw on my back and started propelling me forward to the trees; my legs taking quick steps with his chosen speed, whether they wanted to move or not.

Together, we ducked into the trees, taking cover behind some bush. Letting me go, he placed one paw on the handle of the sword that lay dormant in the sheath on his back. After a moment, he raised his other paw and pointed it towards a nearby cluster of growth. "They're coming from over there," he observed with keen senses. I allowed myself a moment of admiration; a moment ago he was asleep, and in just a matter of seconds he was wide awake and attentive, even with his wounds.

There were footsteps, and just a minute later, the figures came into view, prompting us to duck. I took a quick glance through my hindered vision at the two figures; both of whom were dressed in outfits that bore the dark, blood red colors of Wrothia with golden fringe. They were still lost in a conversation that although very faint, I could now make out.

"...and that's what I told him! You think I'd defy the general?"

"No, of course not, lieutenant. I was merely suggesting the possibility. We do have the firepower to advance our forces even further."

"Yes, I suppose we do...however, I believe that we've made quite the progress in a limited amount of time. Soon, the remainder of our forces should be finished with securing our position on the southern coast, in Alagora. We'll have control over the entire western half of Bælan."

"Y'know, it's pretty crazy to think that we've come so far, and in just a matter of weeks! Wrothia will once again be known for..."

The two soldiers began to walk in a new direction. I didn't need them to stay; I had already heard enough. My mind couldn't think straight; my thoughts were in a state of shock. No, no, no! How could they have possibly take half of Bælan already? If they've taken Alagora, that means they've taken Aurro too! Thinking about my family there only managed to bring up yet another element to add to my hysteria: my mother, back in Hakúmo.

"Shit..." I whispered. The tiger didn't look at me; he simply spoke. "We should get moving. The sooner we get out of enemy territory, the better."

"Wait, no! We can't just leave!" I said, my heightened emotions allowing my words to slip out bereft of whispers. "We've gotta go ge-" With a large palm, Bodey quickly clamped my mouth shut. "Idiot! Do you want us captured?" he asked harshly, prompting me to shake my head, as to indicate that my answer was no. He released me from his grip.

Fortunately, the soldier did little more than poke their heads in our direction in mere curiosity, then turned back to their origin course upon realizing that the noise was most likely little more than a small woodland creature, burrowing in the bushes.

After assuring their disappearance, the tiger turned to me once again; his eyes staring at me with hardiness. "Aiko, I'm not sure what's back there for you, but we can't go back. We're both in a bad condition, we wouldn't stand a chance. It's suicide." He paused as I calmed down, finally seeing the rationality in his words. "We need to get to Eastern Bælan."

"Alright. Let's go," I said, trying to stand up. The tiger once again gave me a hand. Wait a minute I thought. "Hey," I asked him. He turned around. "How do you know my name?"

He gave off a small chuckle, then quickly covered it up. "You told me, when I broke you out from the cellar. Remember?" he said.

"No, I don't," I responded, following him as he began to trudge through the forest. "I'm still having trouble remembering things...it'll probably come back to me though." I paused for a moment. "What about you? It's only fair that you tell me your name too."

There was a moment of silence, save the cracking of the branches beneath our feet. He sighed deeply, as if to clearly indicate that there was at least some component of disdain to my presence with him. Then he spoke. "The name's Bodey. If that's works alright for ya."

For the first time in many days, I smiled. That's a nice name. "Bodey works just fine," I said.

POV Eris

1. In the Sky, Somewhere (else).

We had been riding on our marvelous journey through the heavens for several hours. Although the beautiful attraction of the skyscape was entertainment in it's own right, there was something else that my mind was now beginning to swerve to: lunch.

We had plenty of food in our bags; each of us wore one on our backs. A lack of food was certainly not the problem. The problem was figuring out how to get it out from our packs and eat it without falling off to the endless abyss that was the earth below. Our hands were quite literally tied to the dragon as we held on for dear life.

Being the closest to the front, I spoke up to our chauffer. "Hey Rigby! Think that maybe we could take a pit stop and uhh, grab a bite to eat?"

Rigby snorted.

"Alright, so was that a yes, or, umm...what was that?" I said, chuckling to myself. From in back, I heard one of my fellow passengers groan. Rigby made some more dragon-esk noises in return.

I'm no expert in dragon, but I think he said "we're not taking a rest stop for a while longer."

Another growing concern of mine: using the bathroom.

My, oh my, did I have to take a go at the lavatory. Unfortunately, TH Dragon-Airlines didn't appear to come with it's own compliment of them, so I was left with the discomfort of sitting on Rigby's back, holding onto both the contents of my bladder and the dragon itself for dear life whilst simultaneously pretending that I wasn't starving to death.

I'll admit: it was a beautiful ride! I enjoyed it very much. But at that moment, I had decided that I had experienced quite enough for one sitting.

"Rigby, about how much longer until we get to our destination?" The dragon remained silent, but I'm pretty sure he meant "Beleive me, you don't want to know."

POV Aiko

1. Western Highland Forests, Bælan.

Several hours later, and we had made a decent amount of progress, given the circumstances. Of course, little distance was ultimately set to be made in our situation. We had run into several more patrols as we voyaged, but we managed to evade them with relative ease. My feet ached, my lungs were burning, and my legs felt like they would each snap in half if I didn't take a break. They were the first words spoken since we originally set out, as the exhaustion of the previous night had taken enough toll on each of us to prohibit the brainpower needed for a conversation. "I need to rest" I choked out.

After pushing a tree branch out of his way, Bodey paused and turned around. "Are you certain?" he asked boldly. I nodded, unable to form words to express myself otherwise. Bodey nodded back, demonstrating his understanding for my condition, then sat down on a nearby log. I backed up into a tree opposite him and ungracefully slid down to the ground. For a time, we simply sat and allowed our fatigue to dissipate. Across from me, my newfound acquaintance ruffled the sweaty fur on his head with a paw. His breathing was heavy as he panted out his message. "We gotta keep going. This wouldn't be a good place to get trapped for the night."

"There should be some safer ground up ahead," I recalled. "It's a meadow area, but with plenty of tree-cover in the area as well. If I'm correct, there's a small river there too; I camped out there once."

Bodey nodded, seemingly content with the plan. "Alright, let's go." He got up and brushed off some bark that was sticking to him. In an attempt to follow suit, I grabbed the tree that I was leaning on for support to pull me up. I made it just a few steps after Bodey until my I felt my legs fail and fell face-first into the brush.

The tiger knelt down and helped me up. "I'm sorry, I can't go on...I'm too weak," I explained. "You should leave me behind. Save yourself; Bælan needs you."

"No," Bodey said firmly, the warrior's stern face displaying authority. "That would be dishonorable. I will not."

"Okay then," I responded, somewhat sarcastically. "Any better ideas?"

The tiger hunched over and revealed silence. From what I could tell, he must've been stumped. I gave the moment some thought.

"Well, forget my status. How are you holding up?"

He gave me a quizzical look. "I've been better, that's for sure...but I'm holding up okay. Why?" he asked.

"Perhaps you could carry me."

Bodey's face went bright red at the suggestion. I marveled at his reaction to what I conceived to be a reasonable option. "What? What's wrong?" I asked. Bodey almost doubled over, hiding his face from me in shame. Then he raised his head back up and looked at me. "You want me to what?!"

"You could carry me," I assured him, mentally laughing and shaking my head at his exaggeration. "You did it to rescue me from the fire earlier, didn't you? How is this any different?"

"You were unconscious then! I was saving your life." His determination to undermine my idea was simply comical to watch.

"Well, if you're so unwilling to leave me behind, then this way you'll save both our lives! I promise, I won't say much. It'll be as if I'm asleep."

Bodey groaned and covered his blushing face in his paws.

"You could pretend that you're carrying a princess, if that's easier for you," I theorized.

"NO! Absolutely not that!" he exclaimed.

"Okay, okay! Jeez," I chuckled. "Just do it for me. We're kinda out of options anyways."

Bodey continued to make muffled sounds of disappointment. I grinned to myself. Aiko, I think you just might've won him over.

POV Bodey

1900.

Before that day, I thought I knew what discomfort was. I thought I knew what it was like to be in a situation that seemed to go on forever, despite my overwhelming urge to not be in it in the first place.

Then one day, the mysterious, jail-broken wolf named Aiko came along. That was when I learned of true discomfort.

"I like this part of the forest. It's pretty," Aiko remarked as he observed from his position in front of me, gently swaying in my arms as I stumbled through the forest.

"Hey, remember that part you said about not talking?" I rattled out harshly. Aiko simply shrugged, as if the memory had been handpicked out of his brain like an apple out of a tree. "Nah, not really. Plus, I figured you could use the company."

I grimaced. "Please be quiet," I stated insolently. "Okay," was his reply. He continued his forest-gazing adventure with a humble smile on his face.

I literally hate every single damn second of this.

Well, I'm sure it can't be all ba-

Shut up, positive thoughts! This isn't the fucking time!

Bu-

NO! I swear to the heavens! Y'know, maybe I should've left this twerp back there to die like he suggested!

"Hey, I have a question," Aiko said, once again intervening. "Do you ever think about th-"

"No. I don't," I said.

The wolf spoke up. "But you didn't even hear what I was gon-"

"I heard quite enough," I interjected. Aiko once again gave up his attempts.

"You heard enough"? Bodey, you hardly heard anyth-

Ugh...someone please kill me...

2200.

Later that night, we finally arrived at Aiko's destination. Although we still were at risk of being detected by Wrothian or Agu Morran soldier patrolling the area, the density of their appearances had become less than that of earlier in the day, and we had seemed to have found an area with decent cover. Finally giving my arms a break, I placed Aiko down in what was somewhat of a good spot to rest himself, but with enough stones and other intrusions in the ground around him to provide payback for the painstaking shitstorm that I had been forced to endure in the hours before. "I'll take the first watch, kid," I told him. "You get some rest."

"Hey," he commented. "What gives you the right to call me 'kid', eh?"

"It's what you are. And I'll call you whatever I want," I shot back. "Now get some rest."

Unable to find the energy to fight back, Aiko was soon to fall asleep underneath the setting sun. I laid back against a nearby stump of a since-fallen tree and began to assume my sentry duties that I was unfortunately forced to sit through for the next few hours before my own chance at sleep.

Goodnight, world. Goodnight, Aiko. I thought to myself, unwilling to say it allowed. Don't let the bedbugs bite...ouch! Dammit, seriously?! I thought as I apprehended the mosquito on my forearm. He wouldn't be the last.

And here's to a long, long night.

POV Eris

Outskirts of Akro, Eastern Uthalia.

"Hahaha! We finally made it!" I shouted to the starry night sky above me as three figures hopped off the dragon's back and ran into the forest, eager to get rid of the liquids that had accumulated in their bodies over the course of the long day. I for one knew that I would be soon to join them, after a quick moment of appreciating the beautiful night sky that I had not long ago ridden through. Ah, what a magnificent sight! I turned to Rigby, who would soon be departing from us to fly back home to General Ontako. I patted his nose. "Rigby, thanks a lot for the ride getting here! That would've taken us weeks to get past the Viscay, or through Sibian territory! We owe ya one." Rigby waited for a moment to appreciate my farewell, then took of; his giant, copper-colored wings swinging through the air with great power. I watched as he flew into the horizon. Man, that dragon...he sure is something. And I enjoyed it more than I let on at first. It'd be interesting, learning how to work with dragons more, sometime in the future. Maybe I could become a flight attendant?

I went to the bathroom and then reconvened with my comrades. "Heya! You guys wanna hit the local pub in Akro and fetch something to eat?" Three nods, and we were off.

POV X

1. Tatego, Bælan.

Brimson hated everything about the situation. It was in his nature; the general always had a strong distaste for anything unusual or unexpected: things that shouldn't have been, yet were. This was one of those moments, and now not only did he have to cope with it, he also had the misfortune of being the one to inform his own king of the severity of the situation. As he walked down the halls of the royal palace, all he could do was continuously ponder the pure and unsanctioned insanity of the situation. Several of the royal guards paused their everyday routines to observe the overwhelming grimace of the coyote's craggy face. He was third general in line with Bælan's military, only behind Bakla and Pakaro. Everyone knew that he wasn't a force to be reckoned with. Especially not when he was angry.

"Ah, general! How good of you to see me at this fine hour," Bauxtaurus recited in his deep, calm voice as he usually did when his visitors came into the grand tall. Sitting on his throne, the king bestridden over Brimson with a force of power that seemed to waft through the air in abundance. Unlike the king, Brimson found it difficult to see any positivity to be gained in the situation. However, knowing that he was facing royalty prompted him to straighten his face to a more mild complexion. "Fine to see you too, your majesty. I bring the latest in news of our deeply troubling scenario."

The king leaned back and observed him carefully. "Alright then. Speak, General."

"Northern Alliance troops have pushed their way down to Alagora. They have forces situated all along the middle stretch of Bælan, and they are holding their position. However, they appear to have no current intentions of moving any further than they are right now. Although we have sustained somewhat heavy casualties, I believe that we still have the firepower if any further defensive measures are necessary."

"I see. And what of all of the west-side Bælanian citizens?" the king asked.

"A portion of Bælanians, mostly concentrated in the southern region, were able to escape before the invasion made it to them. Most others are likely being held captive by the invasion forces, your majesty," Brimson finished.

"Alright...I see. Very well then," the king said. The cougar bowed his head and stood up to pass down from his throne and see the general at eye level. He walked over to the general, and to Brimson's surprise, placed a hand on his shoulder. The king studied his face with his typical, modest affability; Brimson wondered what he might be thinking, with no answer to his avail. "Brimson, I've known you for quite some time," the king finally said, with a slight nod of his head. "And I believe that you are a very capable soldier. If anyone can avert this crisis from becoming worse, it's you." He paused for a moment, taking his hand off of Brimson's shoulder and circling to the other side of him. "As we both know, Bakla had the misfortune of walking straight into a trap up north in Agu Morra, and is thus most likely deceased. And Tokaro has his hands tied at the moment." Bauxtaurus stopped circling. "I think it's time we move you up a chair. You'll now serve as second general, and until further notice you will also have full command over the situation in the west."

The lanky canine nodded. "I am honored, your majesty. I will not fail you, you have my assurance."

"Excellent. Good luck hunting, general." With these parting words, Brimson bowed to his monarch and turned around, vacating the large castle of supreme nobility.

As Brimson's footsteps faded into the distance, Bauxtaurus found himself completely alone in his large chamber. Finding that it was rather late in the night, the king decided that it was time to retire into his bedroom, where he would rest his tired and aging body. He walked down the hall to the right of his throne with silent footsteps and the occasional tapping noise of his large, wooden staff, which served as a nice walking stick as it gently hit the ground with every few steps. He soon came to his sleeping quarters.

The inside was painted with valuables and various signs of his superior monarchical riches. The walls were painted with a royal purple color; it was one that didn't match Bælanian colors but did suit his personal preference. On the wall nearest the door, there hung a large painting of him and his family. He discarded his heavy robes and placed his staff next to his bed before laying down on his large, soft mattress. His head rested on his pillow as he suddenly had some troubling before-bed thoughts that he had kept from surfacing the moments before.

He pulled out the small, neatly-crafted wooden box from his pocket. It was where he always kept it, as it was far too precious to him to let it lay undisturbed in any other location. Aside from his own magical pendant of royalty that gently hung from his neck, this particular item was easily the most important facet of his possessions. The box had a very unique emblem engraved into the smooth oak-wood, and on the bottom there was a small keyhole; the counterpart to which he still pondered to daily. He held it out in his hands and simply took a moment to bathe in appreciation of the magnitude of its presence.

He looked at it with a grave expression. This is going all wrong...how could we be loosing the war, already? he thought, then shook the negative projections out of his mind. Brimson is a capable soldier. I'm sure he'll take care of this. Bauxtaurus traced his fingers around the three small symbols engraved on the side; each one representing either Thitus, Baukau, or Lacuorema, the three Great Guardian Deities of Theria. He's not who I worry about though...

As he always did, he began to contemplate the old accomplice of his. Although he used to be very close to Malcolm, he knew that his old friend had a tendency for the unexpected. Beyond the clever and cunning friend of his, there always laid the noble warrior. Nobility towards something that could be dangerous. Perhaps even fatal, if fate wasn't dealt with soon.

Malcolm Aráshvahr, I swore to the heavens, and I swear it to myself again every single night. If you've spilt a single word about this to anyone...I will kill you.