FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 19

Keep them steady, don't let this place get to you. You're here for Lyyreth. He's counting on you. So, what if you saw yourself smiling at the lich? Just press forward. We can't afford to slip up again. Not like the ritual.

Infinity focused on the shallowness of her breathing and the sturdy ground beneath her claws. Small stones, discarded twigs, an occasional patch of grass. She would have called it normal except for the some bushes that coiled and twisted like serpents, barking like dogs as she past. Painfully she tried to keep her mind focused. Away from the mind chilling images she'd seen. Thankfully the twins hadn't pressed her further, content to let he contemplate.

She'd curl her head back to peek. They appeared to be just as unnerved as she was. Their eyes like troubled specters, watching the trees for anything to leap out at them. Especially after all her stories she'd told about the dark tower. The tortuous tests she was subjected to. Even just speaking of them made her wince, trying to shake the phantom pain of wounds long since healed. All save one that haunted her as she walked, that look in her father's eyes. The one from the visions. How strong they had appeared to be, that defiant fire that lurked within. Nothing like the dragon she'd slain, just a hallowed shell of what the dragon had once been.

And yet it doesn't make me feel any better about it.

The longer they walked the more she accepted her life might not have been filled with pain or tests. That for quite some time she'd been happy. At least, happy enough with what had come. She stared out to the horizon, watching a series of vultures circle overhead. Knowing this place, it was just another trick. She stilled as numerous questions gently circled her thoughts, like the breeze brushing her scales.

When did everything change? What does this Axton have to do with it? Why can't I remember?

"Infinity?" Lyyreth whispered, pulling her out of her deep thoughts.

"What?" She snarled when he asked again. She even flared up her wings.

"Hey! He was just asking!" Cordenth shielded his brother with a wing. "Don't need to bite his head off!"

She glanced to the younger brother, fear dancing through his yellow pools. She hadn't meant to do that. "Sorry." Her head drooped with ears pinning to either side. "I just have a lot on my mind...I didn't mean to..."

"We all do." Cordenth rose his head, eyes traveling from left to right before settling onto her. It was almost like he was searching for something.

Is he seeing something we can't?

She was just about to ask him when a squirrel with seven limbs scattered across the path. It reared up, gestured to them to follow. Then scampered off into the underbrush.

"I hate this place." Cordenth snorted, clawing at the dirt.

"Least you're not having visions." She rolled her eyes, trying to tempt him into spilling what he knew. "I seem to be the primary target. Count yourself lucky."

"Why would it even do that?"

Cause it knows I'm the weakest link?

She snuck a glance of Lyyreth with an aching heart. After all, if she didn't mess up. Then he wouldn't be in this predicament. Both the potions and now the ritual. She picked up the pace despite the tiredness in her limbs.

Fractured whispers surged forth around her, settling into a dull hum to everything else. Instinctively she tried to make them out. She caught glimmers of Axton, the one from the vision. Praises were being laid thick about him; such enchanting things that would make anyone's confidence grow. Then there were muffled screams of terrified mortals, growing louder and louder till they were stabbing at her ears.

The ground exploded around her, stone buildings rising from the flowers like towering monoliths. Dark shingled roofs, highlighted by the orange -red glow of a fiery sun. She found herself in a well traveled street, adorned with various banners overhead. Carts were overturned every few feet, their contents billowing out into a disorganized mess. Cobblestone clacked beneath her talons, the air smelled of burning timber mixed with underlying hints of copper. She recognized that one with a flick or her tail.

Blood.

From the roofs came the scurrying of talons. Her younger self was pouncing from house to house with a flutter of her wings. She curled around a steepled roof, sliding down with a happy warble and claws outstretched. She crashed into a green tabard wearing man, sinking her talons deep into his chest. Her jaw latched onto his bearded face. She thrashed wickedly as they tumbled together, breaking his neck with a sickening crack.

Two more humans emerged from side streets, brandishing wicked looking blades. They shouted for their friend, and her younger self bathed them both in plumes of cerulean fire. She leaped from the corpse beneath her with a throaty cackle, watching in glee as the men flailed around in terror. Eventually they crumpled lifelessly to the ground, flames consuming their flesh.

"Quite the balls on these two." Younger Infinity flicked her tail with an amused smirk. "Not exactly smart mind you. But you have to give them credit."

Other Axton was also close by, older by a fair number of years. His charcoal like robes flowed with his movements as he avoided a careful slash of another guard's sword. Icy blue eyes bounced in delight as he flowed through the man's strikes like water. With a trip the guard was down, ended with three blasts of blackened energy straight to his face.

"Apologies guy." The human sighed, wrinkling his nose over the amount of brain matter splattered against the street. "If only you'd helped father instead of standing in his way."

"Did that one have the thing?" Younger Infinity bounded over, looking proud of herself. Then she saw the splattered remains. "Only one?" Up went the little dragon's head, like this was a grand insult. "How is that even fair? I managed to at least get rid of a dozen of them!"

"You had to torch them?" Axton covered his nose. "You know it's ghastly."

The little dragoness rumbled, gesturing to the now headless guard with a wing. "I'd say you're not that subtle yourself. I think I see some brain matter still upon the walls your cleanliness."

Axton composed himself, "You could at least pretend to not enjoy the murdering."

Little Infinity shrugged. "But dear Axton, that would be disingenuous! They have good loot to be had. They make good sport...and if you must know." The dragoness grinned. "They kind of taste good when you burn them.... And question." She flashed the human a golden ring around one of her digits, "How does this look? Does it make me look dazzling? Stunning?"

"Where did you find that little gem?" Axton crouched, hand cupping the now rumbling dragoness.

"Robed guy tried to blast me with it...You can probably guess he wasn't fast enough. Which I have to ask." Younger infinity returned her claw. "Did you find anything good?"

"Just a potion or two."

"What do you even want?" Screamed a man along the city street. He must have been fought by her younger self, as he was holding bleeding claw marks along his neck.

"Oh damn. Missed one." Little Infinity sighed, then wagged a talon at him. "Do you realize how rude you're being right now? We're discussing treasures and how I look. And can you keep it down? You're going to startle the surprise for your friends!"

"Only if they get in the way." Axton tugged his robes straight.

"And I hope they have the stupidity to try!"

"And what others?" Axton's brow rose.

"That one." Other Infinity gestured to an archer on one of the roof tops, his bow knocked and aiming right at Axton's head. "I think he sees you."

Axton waved his hand as the archer loosed it, practically swatting aside the projectile with a transparent shield of blue magic. In response teen flung back a cloud of green fog that wrapped around the assailant like a venomous snake.

The archer collapsed shuddered and coughed, stumbling his way from the roof with bleeding eyes. He fell, landing headfirst with a sickening thwack.

"Show off." Infinity's younger self rolled her eyes, playfully shoving the more serious human.

"You let him take the shot!"

She shrugged. "And yet, you had it covered."

The teen rolled his eyes. "Ok, so I did."

Again, the wounded man interrupted them. "Aren't you going to ask me any questions?"

"Yessssss." Infinity pounced onto him, talons digging right into his chest. "Who knew for a guy you'd be this keen to be tortured? Cause really. I never see anyone lining up!"

"Maybe he gets off on it?" Axton shrugged.

"Ooooo! You think?" She kneaded her claws as the man groaned in agony. "Tell me human, do you get a sexual thrill out of this?"

Infinity backed away from the terrifying image with a shuttering heart. Ice tugged at all her senses as her younger doppelganger tormented and continued to slice and tear chunks of crimson gore. The man's tortured cries filled her every thought, pleading to be not killed. Eventually he had spilled everything he was willing to, including all the blood he could spare. Infinity stood paralyzed, breaths came shallowly, even the brothers nudging up beside her couldn't shake the shadow cast over her.

That was me. I did that.

When she couldn't think of anything worse that could be shown, she could hear Nigel's encouragement curling around her ears. His favorite student he said, his most delightful dragon. Every prideful praise was like a darkened spot upon her soul. She could already feel her limbs turning to jelly, begging to collapse out from under her. Run away and find a place that no one would ever find her.

"You served him?" Lyyreth sounded so hurt. "I thought you said you were tortured?"

"Or have you been tricking us this entire time?" Cordenth snarled, taking an aggressive stance. "I knew it Lyyreth! I always knew she was lying. This bitch was having a laugh!"

"Just a conniving dragoness that leads everyone to their slaughter."

"No! That can't be it!" She spun around, heart racing as the brothers advanced on her. She'd never seen such vitriol in their eyes. Least of all for her. That thing that she was. What she'd done. "I couldn't have! I couldn't..." Words failed her as fleeting memories swirled all around her. Parts of the town they'd been in melted away like an ocean's waves, bringing memories with each passing motion. Continued images of her servitude. "It's...It's.." She couldn't bear looking at them. Any excuse she made was a lie. That was her life. She'd only forgotten.

"You're nothing but a murder. A monster that deserves no pity." Cordenth snarled, golden rings encompassing his eyes.

"Please Lyyreth..Tell him.."

But even he was drooping, recoiling from her snout. "I thought I could trust you." He whimpered. "But you only wanted to get me killed."

"No..I never!" She tried to get closer, but Cordenth cut her off with a snap of his jaw.

"Get away from him! You won't sink your talons deeper!"

Her heart shattered into tiny fragments of rational thought. She dashed away from them, down one of the many cramped alleys. She passed numerous bloodied messes that painted the cobblestone, some nothing more than charred blackened husks.

"Infinity!" Cordenth screamed in desperation. Next came Lyyreth with almost as much power.

I'm a monster. Nothing but a monster. Tears stung at her eyes as the cobblestone started to feel more and more like plants. Wet earth hung in the air where it should have smelled of smoke. That wasn't right. She came to a halt as a purple, waxy leaf smacked her in the snout. She stumbled over herself.

Dirt flew in her wake, rippling pain through her scales. Of course, it had all been an illusion. This place was_still_ manipulating her senses. She groaned and winced as it felt like she'd been dragged through miles of glass shards. She rolled to her back, getting a good view of the furry and teal tinted canopy above her. It swayed and rippled like it was breathing in anticipation, a predator waiting for it's kill. For such a dreadful thing, it didn't look so bad from down here. Almost pretty in a way. If only it wasn't trying to kill her.

She replayed the events in her mind. Herself groaning with every image she could recall. Always grinning and serving Nigel like a minion. Enjoying all the death she'd dish out. Then there was that Axton. Not her Axton by any means. He was more a product of his father, two twisted peas in a wretched pod.

She shivered with shaky breath. How could she age yet the teenager did not? He looked hardly older than eighteen. Even as the flashes of her memory where she continued to grow, he hardly appeared different! Her tail swished inquisitively as she watched a branch overhead release a giggle as several bubbles went flying out.

Regardless of this whole predicament, she was confused and downright convinced it was dreadful. She unwound herself from the forest floor and shook off white plants that had proceeded to stick to her scales. She scanned around at the bizarre trees, whole masses of crisscrossing bark that didn't seem to have any rhyme or reason. Was she lost? She could feel a chasm of gnawing fear form in her chest..

Oh no.

"Infinity!" Both brothers hollered, their concern bleeding through the trees.

She wrinkled her snout, fluffing her wings. Why would they call for her when they taunted her so? Didn't they make their thoughts blatantly clear? They weren't even wrong for thinking such things. After all, she did do those things. Kill and maim mortals for fun, steal their items and adorn herself out of draconic vainity. She slumped, ears drooping. Maybe she did deserve to be lost in this place.

But Matilda told me to accept every bit of me. Is that what the old woman wanted? To recognize my past? To embrace it?

"What kind of advice is that?" She snarled, slashing at one of the trees. "I don't like murdering them now." She lashed her tail and scowled at the icy eyed mockery of her Axton.

And he didn't even deserve to have that name. In her anger she came to a sudden realization, the pearls around her neck were gone, and so was the pack of Axton's things.

Panic replaced guilt as she spun around, nosing at every strange bush and plant she could find. Where had it gone? How could she lose it in the confusion? She found nothing but overturned earth and ravaged plants. "Nothing." She grumbled bitterly. Her ears perked up as a chorus of giggles resounded from the trees. From them came a little voice, soft and sweet.

"Looking for this dragon lady?" A tiny humanoid hovered from the trees. She was hardly a foot tall, with shimmering wings of a dragonfly. She was adorned in a tiny white robe, that sparkled like the moonlight. She held Infinity's pearl necklace in both of her hands, a grin about her thin face. This was a pixie.

"Yes!" She blurted out, relief coursing through her. She went to grab it from the pixie's tiny hands, but the winged female pulled back with a playful laugh.

"How about this?" Another pixie laughed, slowly rising Axton's leather bag and shaking it. "Don't see many dragons with bags. Must be pretty special!"

Infinity's tail curled around her hinds. What did Axton's books say about them? Known for their tricks. Evidently this seemed to include dragons at least one hundred times their size. She wasn't in moon for games, especially with Axton's things. "You will be giving those back!" She demanded with a stomp of her claw. "And yes they're important!"

"And we want to play a game!" A gaggle of pixies emerged from numerous branches, watching on with interest. They fluttered around the pair with her things, before darting in different directions. "Which does the dragon like more?" The hollered back to her in mocking voices. "Shiny gems or stinky leather?"

Both were equally heartbreaking. Didn't they have any sympathy at all? Her blood poiled through the cold permeating her heart. She roared, bounding after the satchel. "If I catch you. I'm going to rip those wings off one by one!"

You'd like that wouldn't you?

Shut up me. They started it.

Does that make it any better?

Questions for later as she bound after her choice. The necklace was just shiny objects, they could be replaced. Axton's things could not. She closed the distance, bounding over truffle smelling logs all covered in sap. She swore an eye or three blinked open as her talons scraped them, but now was no time for that. "Get back here you little devils!"

"Ooooooo! What's inside?" The diminutive bully cooed, unfastening the leather strap. "Must be valuable to choose over shiny strings!" The pixie started to circle a few trees, leading Infinity on a infuriating chase.

The dragoness snapped and snarled lashing out with her claws and ripping purply bark from their homes. "Give...It...Back!" She roared. She didn't want to hurt the little thing, but this was getting rather ridiculous! Always just out of reach. Next, she tried to lock it's wings with magic but the creature brushed off the enchantments as if they were nothing. Did Axton mention something about them being resistant to magic? Her brain hurt when the mocking little woman cackled back at her.

"Using magic on us? What kind of stupid dragon are you?"

"One that isn't in any mood!" She cursed, missing the pixie yet again with the broad side of her limb. "And after meeting you, I'd rather not repeat the experience!"

"Aww why not? This is quite fun!" Up went the bag, denying Infinity yet again. "Almost got it there! You have to be quicker she dragon! Maybe next time!"

With blood passing through her veins Infinity batted when she could, the urge to simply breath flames upon this little creature only grew with each passing miss. Shivers cascaded down her spine at the thought. Was that her true self poking through? Thrashing and writhing to regain control after so long? Was she more terrified of losing herself, or losing Axton's things?

"Give it back! That means a lot to me!"

"And this game means a lot to me!" The pixie laughed, blowing her a raspberry. "Tricked you dragon! What laughter the others will have!"

Did this fey not understand? Her battings were starting to be more forceful; her claws would splinter the trees, cast up dirt, all the while narrowly missing this winged devil. But still this vile thing kept dancing around her with fluttering wings. She'd taunt by making fun or her ears, or how her stupid spines moved. When she could take it no more, she let her magic flow through her. If magic wouldn't affect _them,_she had an idea. With a flick of her tail and spread of coolness, she was invisible.

The pixie stopped, voice cracking as her eyes grew wide and scanned around. "That's a good trick dragon! No fair is what we say! Too bad your stench is so vile that you smell like you've rolled around in a pile of animal droppings!

She doubted that as she spun around and she smacked him with all the strength she could muster. The pixie crashed to the ground like a swatted fly and a pained shriek. She slid over with a confident smirk, plucking up the satchel with her teeth. "I'll be taking that thank you."

Red cheeks, a soft groan, the pixie tossed upon the ground, weakly gasping for air. "You tried to kill me over a game? What's wrong with you? You're nothing but a big meanie!" Up she shot, arms crossing her diminutive chest.

Infinity rolled her eyes at the irony, not even sure the pixie knew what it was doing. She spun around, fighting the urge to cast dirt all over her tormentor's form. She didn't care when the fey started throwing insults at her. She had her satchel back. The pearls while tragic, she could part with. They'd outlived their usefulness the moment she freed herself from the tower.

"Infinity!" Lyyreth called from the forest, perking up her ears.

They were still looking for her? Up went her head in his direction. He sounded close. Maybe she wouldn't be trapped after all. She breathed in relief through her nose. So much for the danger told to her. Heck, maybe they could fly after all. She called back to him. Her head rose in triumph as the pixie cursed and called her more names. Like heavy feet and tarnished scales, and even mushroom butt. Where they got that one, she didn't know, and didn't care. Let them sit and sputter. When it returned to mock her she spun around with a growl, flaring out her wings.

The pixie shrieked and darted for the treeline.

"That's right." She chuckled, returning on her path. But when she went to move her claw she found it stuck. "What's this?" She peered down, finding a root had somehow grown over her appendage. No, this wasn't a root. It encased in a pink, viscous fluid and coated in tiny spines ending in a red bulb.

Like fire had been lit on her leg, she was stung. She whined as she thrashed, using all her strength to rip her limb free. Up she reared, tears in her eyes as another one wove it's way around her hinds. Again came the mind splintering agony that brought life to her roar. One after the other more came to coat her scales. They curled around her forelimbs, her shoulder, her flank. Every part of her had a sticky, burning appendage pulled taught. If she wasn't screaming she could probably hear the sizzling of her scales melting.

"Graaaaah!" She roared, pulling herself free with herculean strength. No doubt from the adrenaline coursing through her. The pink appendages snapped one at a time, like loose twigs upon a path. She stumbled forward into the now shifting dirt, gasping for breath as everything felt fuzzy. Like she'd fallen asleep for far too long and was _just_waking up.

"Infinity!" The brothers called out in unison, as if sensing her peril.

Where were they? They sounded so ever closer. She tried to stand on shaky limbs but fell right back to her scaled belly. She crawled through the shifting dirt, trying to not stare as more of those things slithering through around her like pink snakes. But the longer she did, the fuzzier her limbs felt. They came for her again and she weakly slashed out at them, even in her state draconic claws proved well enough to slice them in two. She was soon coated with the dying flails of her enemies, a thick slimy liquid that smelled of applies mixed with cinnamin. Why did their insides have to smell so sweet?

She struggled and thrashed on the ground, catching fleeting glimpses as blackened structures rose around this patch of earth. Large enough for at least four dragons to fit inside, and she was somewhere in the middle. They reminded her of the edges of a plant called a venus fly trap from one of Axton's books. She roared out her panic as the tenticles seemed to duplicate in number, more of them pulling taught against her flailing limbs. How much longer could she rest? Already she was gasping for breath, eyelids threatening to droop. Why was she so sleepy?

Down they dragged her to the coiling dirt, igniting the fire in her scales once more. She was too weak to roar or fight, the black dragoness whined and weakly pawed in defiance. But it was no use, her strength was gone. The tendrils dragged her towards the center of this dragon eating plant. She only had another idea. One that had her fireglands swell to life.

She bathed everything around her in cerulean fire, waving her snout around to catch any hint of pink. Tendrils leapt away like wounded beasts, withering away into blackened ash before her eyes. She was granted a brief reprieve to pull herself through the dirt, eyeing the ever growing teeth. They'd risen far taller than a human at this point, ever growing towards the sky. Would they trap her within? She tried to flare her wings, but it was like a giant was resting on them. She winced, flying would be out of the question. She tried to leap but they were too tall, her bulk pressed uselessly against the waxy teeth. This couldn't be the way it ended! Just another meal for some twisted plant! Infinity whined and scrambled through the dirt, uselessly slashing to free herself.

"Cordenth! Lyyreth!" She screamed out in a desperate plea as the tendrils once more slithered towards her. Like an answer to her prayers the brothers came, leaping over the teeth with a flare of their lime green wings.

Flames burned in their sunflower like eyes as savage hisses and snarls rumbled through the air. Cordenth was the first to smack aside the tendrils, spitting flaming magic from his maw. Lyyreth meanwhile was quick to her side, offering Infinity a caring shoulder to lean on. No time for welcomed embraces as the tendrils neared, followed by pillars of pinkish rotten skin sprouting through the ground. Magic sparkled about them as the smell of applies rose ever higher.

"Come on!" Lyyreth pulled her along as Cordenth summoned fire and acid to battle away the dragon eating plants. Lyyreth patted the teeth, "Can you climb?"

She wasn't so sure, barely able to stand. Everything was so dizzy now. "No."

"Then turn smaller." He replied, turning to his brother with a worried look. "I'll carry you out!"

So, she did the required paw movement, flicked her tail. In her mind she pictured herself smaller without focusing too hard on how swarmed Cordenth appeared to be. All at once she started to shrink and change, until she was just the size of a smallish dog. So fuzzy was her senses, that she hardly felt Lyyreth's claws when he grasped her on either side.

"Come on brother!" Lyyreth called, flaring his wings and taking flight as twin beams of enchanted ice flew from his eyes to freeze several tendrils solid.

Infinity drooped in his grasp, everything a blur. She thought she saw him thrash upon the ground as Lyyreth flew higher. The blackened teeth were almost closed now, just large enough for Lyyreth to slip outside. He hovered above, calling for his brother to take flight.

"Get out of here brother!" Cordenth roared in pain, tendrils wrapping around his limbs. "Or else this was for nothing!"

"But we can't leave-"

"Yes you can!" Cordenth's voice was shaky and strained. "Get her out of here!"

What was Cordenth doing? Why wasn't he coming? "Tell your brother to stop playing, and get along." She giggled.

But Lyyreth didn't go back. He flapped his wings and soared towards the path. He was sobbing, mournful cries that lingering on the air. She could feel him shutter and shake with every beat of his majestic wings.

"What are you doing?" She called out, trying to get a look of the blackened dome below. "You're leaving him behind! Lyyreth!" She tapped at the green's claws. "You're leaving your brother behind!"

"I know." Lyyreth cried, nearly crashing through the canopy and collapsing on the path. The dragon released her with shaking claws, spilling his heart out onto the ground. He shook and trembled with every heave, tears coming soon after.Lyyreth coiled on himself, covering his head with a wing. "Why was it him? Why couldn't have been me?" The dragon quivered, staring at his claws. "I was to die anyway..."

Ice curled up Infinity's scales, creeping down her spine. This was her fault. Yet again another person paid for her mistakes. If only she hadn't run into the forest, or chased after the pixies for Axton's things.

Cordenth would still be alive.

_ _A dagger plunged into her heart. Sure, he was hotheaded and confident...But he didn't deserve that. She started to change back to her size, shaking almost in time with Lyyreth. The demon's words replayed in her mind, how everyone around her was destined to suffer.

Left alone like always. Your friends will suffer and know pain. They'd be better off without me. Axton...Now Cordenth.

She turned to Lyyreth, knowing how he felt. Part of her wanted to spring back in there and rip whatever that thing was to pieces. But she knew better. If there were more of them, or it got them again. Then whatever sacrifice that Cordenth made would be for nothing. They'd _all_be dead. Her whole body shivered as she pictured that brave dragon dissolving away into nothing. She cried and sobbed for yet another soul dead to save her. Spasming with every accusation her brain could concoct.

With trembling paws, the weight of everything proved too much. She collapsed to the ground in a whimpering pile of scales. Out went her wings, covering her and shielding her from the world. She didn't deserve to be saved. She brought nothing but misery and death. At least if she was killed she would have been reunited with her son.

The air filled with the sounds of both dragon's pain, the constant wail or sniffing the only sign of life. Then the sky crackled open with bursts of lightning and darkened clouds. Rain pelted down from above, splattering every inch of their scales.

"I'm so sorry Lyyreth." Infinity wailed, every heartbeat stabbing her chest. She met his eyes as he crawled over, resting his snout next to hers and pulling her tight with a wing. Within his yellow pools she saw a perfect reflection of herself. A dragon consumed with pain and misery. The dragon that she knew to have saved her once before, nothing but a hallow shell of his former self.

He shook harder than before, squeezing his eyes shut, intertwining his tail with hers. With another crash of lightning their misery twisted together. Never again would they hear his voice, feel his playful nudges. How they wished this were but a dream, but every waking second was proof that it wasn't.

"I'm so sorry." She repeated more times than she could count, but he never replied or chastised her. The green dragon simply whined and held her closer. Then there was lingering silence between them, only broken by the rain pelting around them. His only reply was a simple demand, but still surprised her.

"Please don't leave. I have no one else."

"But..." The pain bubbled about her soul as he gazed upon her not as a monster, but his only light left. How could he do that? After everything that happened? "It's all my fault...If I hadn't gotten scared..." But he didn't let her finish, simply holding her ever tighter and nuzzling her snout.

*

Anyone who read Darkened skies knew this was going to be coming. Still didn't like to write it. But alas, things happen. Now the question remains how the pair will continue on without Cordenth to help them?