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Blaise took an astonished step back, her sword slipping from her fingers – she no longer had the strength to hold it. If Jacob had not then grabbed her and lifted her she would have collapsed. She didn’t fight it but hung there loosely, staring back into Jacobs frightening eyes with a calm passion. Strangely, she wasn’t scared, but felt at peace almost.

Blaise searched for her voice, taking her time about it. There was no way she could betray Rosette, she would not let her die. Blaise didn’t matter, Rosette did. So Blaise said it. She said it with such truth that she even believed it herself. There could be now way Jacob could refuse her answer; the Forester only prayed Jacob could not find the real truth that was buried so far down. She took a breath and said it solemnly.

“You’re looking at her.” She said with finality, “Me.”

Blaise looked up dizzily as she was thrown to the ground. Just let it happen quickly, she thought, tired of the fight. But it still wasn’t over. Rosette was having one more go. Blaise could only watch in horror as she was run through and pushed aside. The Lieutenant shook her head in disbelief.

“No, Rosette, no!” she cried, “No, don’t, it’s not your fault. I swear it’s not. Don’t die. Don’t die on me Rosette! DON’T YOU DARE GIVE UP!”

Blaise pushed herself up, the wind and rain swirling about her strongly. If she pushed her elementals any farther she’d kill herself – but that didn’t matter now.

“You b*****d!” she shouted at Jacob, “She was the only one . . . who ever cared. You’ve killed your own sister! She told me about you, said that you were a dreamer, you were. Said that you had such a heart. She cared about you! She loved you! I can see now that you were far from deserving!”

Blaise lunged at him, forcing a gale storm towards him. The last she had and would ever give.

Blaise tumbled to the wet dirt as a shockwave rocked her. Her body slammed into the ground hard, knocking the wind from her. Her head had hit pretty hard as well, but by this time she hadn’t realized. Something strange was happening, Rosette seemed to still be alive. Blaise was too weak to even push herself over and look to see if it was true.

She was done, her body totaled. Blaise was no longer thinking right – more like a crazed lunatic. Where’s my squirrel? I mean, sword! Where’s my sword? I want to slice that jerk, Bobby, for . . . what did he do? Bobby . . . he uh . . . no! Jacob! He . . . ate my squirrel?

Blaise felt so cold, snow beginning to gently blanket her body, not enough energy left in her to keep her warm. Sleep, she thought, I’m tired . . . I want to sleep. Her last thought barely finished before she began to black out.

Kaden felt a tingling sensation in his abdomen. This was strange. He shouldn't have been feeling anything. He had been somewhere else. But where? He could remeber . . . remember later, someone was nudging him. He opened his eyes, seeing the familiar scene of a battlefield -- the same one he had left. He had left dead. What's going on? Am I alive?! Glancing down quickly he saw a bloody hole in his shirt but mended flesh beneath it. He was alive.

Another nudge caught his attention. Kaden gazed up to see another surprising sight. It was Eitan kneeling next to him, trying to pull him out of his daze. Eitan, alive as well, his body intact -- every bit of it.

"Kaden!" he shouted, "Kaden, get up!"

He was pulled to his knees, "Wait, what? What's going on?! How--?"

"Nevermind that, ask questions later." Eitan continued, pulling th youth all the way to his feet, "We have a lot of trouble on our hands."

Pointing to the other side of the empty indent that was the lake Eitan showed the Forester the scene. Kaden gasped loudly at what he saw through the falling snow. He shook his head in disbeleif. As the healed and ressurected stumbled about in a daze around him, Kaden bolted for the other side of the lake.

((Exciting))

Kaden stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Chrono change. It was incredible; what was this? Eitan stopped as well but did not sit and gape as long the younger Forester did.

"Come!" Eitan urged him, "Blaise and Rosette. We must get them away!"

Kaden shook his head and ran forward again. They were still a distance away and had to change their rout because of the battle that was about to take place. They could no longer come up from the side as they had been; they had to redirect themselves to come from behind. Rosette was grievously wounded and Kaden was unsure if she was still alive -- he could only hope. Blaise was near by, uninjured; something else had to be wrong, why would she have stayed down for so long? Eitan went straight for Rosette, lifting her to bring her to a safer spot. Kaden went quickly to Blaise, kneeling by her side and shaking her shoulder to wake her.

Blaise felt someone nudging her. Her stomach twisted with guilt as she began waking up again. She didn’t want to come back to the real world, she wish she could have just slept forever – especially after all the lives she had taken. She took so many lives, and couldn’t save anyone; not Eitan, not Kaden, not Rosette. This made things all the more hard to accept when she opened her eyes. Kneeling over her was Kaden.

Blaise jumped and scrambled to her feet, stepping away from Kaden. She looked around – the forest was back, Kaden was before her . . . Chrono. What is this?! She thought frantically. Blaise couldn’t tell if she was having a nightmare or if any of this was real. She thought she had lost her mind. What is this? Am I being punished? Punished for what I’ve done? For taking so many lives, for not being able to save anyone? They’ve come back to haunt me?

Gazing around she saw Foresters and Dragon Slayers alike all alive and well, even the Dragon Slayers she had drowned herself. Blaise began to shake. What was happening to her? Was this some hind of hell? Kaden took a step towards her and she stepped back.

“Blaise, come on!” he shouted, “We have to go!”

Kaden took her arm and began to pull her away. She fought weakly in wide-eyed horror. Kaden didn’t understand what was wrong, why was she so distraught? He didn’t understand himself what had happened, why he was alive, but he was grateful for it. A quick thought passed through his mind and he understood what was the matter. This had to be traumatizing for her.

Kaden pulled her closer trying to comfort her, “Blaise, calm down, it’s me! It’s me!”

“No!” she yelled, shaking from the cold and fear, “N-No, let g-go! Please! Let go! You’re dead, I saw you die! You died in my arms. Just leave me alone, why have you come to haunt me? Just let go of me, why won’t you leave me alone?!”

Eitan had carried Rosette a safe distance away and was near the forest when he heard Blaise’s shouts. Laying the wounded girl down gently the elf hurriedly went to help Kaden get a hold of Blaise. The girl seemed to have completely lost it. He came up from behind her and took her weakly fighting form in his arms.

“Blaise, Blaise!” he said to her firmly, “Calm down, things are alright, you’re alright!”

Blaise looked up to Eitan and her eyes grew wider. First Kaden and now Eitan. This was too much for her to take. Her body went limp in his arms as she fainted. Eitan got a hold of her and lifted her up.

“Let’s go, we have to keep them safe.” He said to Kaden and the two of them turned and went to where Rosette was.

Kaden hurried behind Eitan as they approached the tree Rosette had been lain under. The elf set Blaise down a very short distance away then hurried back to Rosette. Kaden touched Blaise’s cheek, she was freezing.

“Kaden,” Eitan said sharply, “Help me.”

Eitan was kneeling over Rosette, a hand near her mouth to try and feel her breath.

“Is she alive?” Kaden asked worriedly.

“Yes, but only just. She’s not breathing well and her pulse is very low. I need you to find me supplies, anything that will help. Please hurry.”

Kaden nodded curtly and ran back out into the snow. He quickly found a Forester who was the field medic. This dazed youth wouldn’t have been of much help so Kaden just gently took his medical pack and hurried back. The Forester didn’t complain, just gave him a strange look and continued on wandering in a confused way. With a skip, hop, and a jump, Kaden was back with Eitan. Eitan Had pushed Rosette’s shirt up slightly to survey the wound.

“This is bad, she’s lost too much blood.” He mumbled softly.

“You can bring her back, right? Right? Do whatever it takes, just get her back.” Kaden said quickly.

“Alright,” he said thoughtfully, “Hand me some bandages and antiseptic. Cover Blaise up with something, the last thing we need is for her to get Hypothermia.”

Kaden nodded loyally and opened the medic pack. There were several bandages, bottles of medicines and three blankets. Handing Eitan what he had asked for he went to Blaise and threw one of the blankets over her. Eitan cleaned Rosette’s wound and tossed the bloody rags away. Holding his hand above the ground he willed plants to grow. The vines sprouted underneath his hovering hand.

Kaden recognized the herbs Eitan had summoned from the earth. One of them worked to make a wound numb, another to fight infection, and the last to speed up the process of replenishing blood and healing. The elf worked quickly, cutting up the vines and retrieving the natural balms and salves they oozed and placing them on the large gash in Rosette’s abdomen. Satisfied he placed several bandages over her injury and pressed gently. He would have to continue to apply pressure to stop the bleeding.

A Forester who seemed to have gotten his wits back raced up to them.

“Commander,” he said to Eitan, “The troops need orders.”

Eitan looked to Kaden, his expressions saying answer him, it’s your place.

Kaden thought for a moment before saying, “Pull everyone back. Back to the forest. It is not a retreat, it is not surrender, we claim victory. Our forces were the more powerful. The Dragon Slayers can think what they wish and we will not say otherwise. Go back to the Forester Post, help anyone wounded, keep everyone safe.”

“And you?” the Forester inquired.

“That does not matter, we remain. Give the troops our message. Make haste!”

The Forester ran out, pulling back together the troops and relaying the message. Eitan gave Kaden an approving nod.

“You did the right thing.”

“I hope so.” Kaden sighed, placing a blanket over Rosette but so it did not interfere with Eitan.

Kaden cringed at Rosette’s strangled cry of anguish. He and Eitan pushed back her shoulders and knees to keep her body straight, it would only hurt her more to be curled up.

“It’s alright, Rosette.” Kaden said soothingly, “Calm down, you’re safe. Just try and relax, we’re here.”

Eitan saw more blood begin to seep through the bandages he had held on her wound, “I don’t understand. This should be working, why is she getting worse?”

Kaden looked at Rosette’s pale form with a frown. A sickening realization caused him to flinch, “Oh no . . . Chrono.”

“What? What is it?” Eitan asked urgently.

“Chrono . . . he had this connection with Rosette. Don’t ask me to explain it because I don’t know how, it’s just this strange bond. Whatever fate or injury befalls one occurs within the other. If one of them is scratched the other gets that same scratch. Their energies seem to be shared – Rosette is feeling Chrono’s battle.”

Kaden gazed up to the sky at the terrifying battle occurring above. Things were getting out of hand, something had to be done.

“There must be some way . . .” Eitan pondered, “There has to be a way to help this. I know, I can sever the bond. Rosette will be able to heal on her own.”

“Let Rosette heal and Leave Chrono to his fate?!” Kaden shouted angrily.

“Kaden it is the only way!” Eitan snapped, “One of them dieing is not as critical as the both of them. Rosette is the Messiah. We cannot let her pass.”

Kaden was torn and now looking for some other way, “But if we sever the bond then Chrono will feel it, so will Rosette. Chrono will thing she has died and vise versa.”

“Kaden, please . . . there is no other way. I can tell Rosette that the bond has been severed, that Chrono is fine. I’m sorry, but there is no way to get the same message to him. We must act, Kaden. Rosette is dieing.”

Kaden sighed and nodded reluctantly. Eitan touched his shoulder then bent back over Rosette.

“Rosette, listen to me . . . hold on to my words, Rosette . . . concentrate. Rosette, I must sever the bond between Chrono and yourself. It is the only way you will live. Understand that if there was any other way we would have taken it, but there is not. This is the only way.”

Eitan closed his eyes. He searched through Rosette’s fading energies to find the thread that was strongest – the thread that was channeling such dangers through to Rosette. With a deep breath he broke the thread of energy and blocked it. Once he removed the block the thread would re-grow back into place but until then would remain broken.

Eitan was quite surprised to be thrown back by an unusual force. Kaden jumped back as well, unsure of what was happening. The next few events seemed to occur in accelerated time – one thing right after the other, there was no pause to it. Eitan got back to Rosette’s side quickly as she had become so still. Glancing up to Kaden he saw that Rosette was not his primary concern.

Looking to where Kaden had directed his gaze he watched as a terrible scene unfolded before him. Chrono was just about to make his move – just about to end one last life. When he was stopped by . . . a ghostly form of Rosette. The astonishingly large demon changed back; back into the Chrono they had all become familiar with. And all could only watch in horror as he was stricken by a blade near the heart.

Eitan snapped back to Rosette as she cried out. He pushed her back down gently and tried to hold her still.

“Rosette, Rosette!” he said, “Calm down, you will only make things worse for yourself. Chrono will be fine.”

Eitan looked to Kaden and nodded towards Chrono telling him to go. Kaden jumped to his feet and began to run to Chrono but stopped when he didn’t see Eitan following. Eitan sensed his hesitation.

“Go!” he shouted, “I must care for Rosette! She needs it just as bad as Chrono does. Now go!”

Kaden nodded and sprinted for Chrono. He skidded to a halt on his knees next to his fallen comrade – he was running out of time, Chrono was fading fast. Delicately taking the hilt of the blade buried in Chrono’s chest he removed it with one swift movement so he would not cause as much pain. But what now? Medicines would not heal this.

Looking around frantically he saw no one to help him. Almost all the Foresters had returned to the Forest, Eitan was helping Rosette, Blaise was unconscious. Kaden looked into his fallen comrade’s pain filled eyes. He couldn’t let him go, he had to do something. The Forester tore open what was left of Chrono’s shirt and concentrated. Placing one hand delicately over the wound on his chest, Kaden closed his eyes.

He had a memory . . . it was blurred and old, but still there. He was very young then; his finger had gotten cut. Someone took his little hand; he couldn’t remember the face but knew the woman had smiled. She closed her eyes, her fingers giving off a light blue glow. She took her hand away and his cut was gone. He thanked her as he toddled away happily.

Kaden had many memories like this one. He didn’t know why, but it was always the woman healing him in some way. He couldn’t help feeling that the woman was his mother. If his mother could do it, couldn’t he? Couldn’t he? Could he replicate the procedure he had seen so many times? Could he bring back that same feeling? He had to. Someone’s life depended on it.

Kaden never reached Mage Superior like he had expected, like he had strived for. He always wondered why. He was soon to discover that it was because he had a different power in him. Concentrating all his energy to Chrono’s wound he tried with all his might. It had to be done, there could be no failing. Kaden held his breath and pressed his energies farther. He could feel something icy beneath his hand . . . but his eyes weren’t open to see the blue glow.

The harder he tried the stronger the feelings got and the more energized he became. Soon, her couldn’t hold all the energy anymore, he felt like he would explode. The results were a lot less violent. He opened his eyes; a blue glow was beneath his palm. He removed his hand to see . . . a butterfly.

The brilliant blue butterfly opened and closed its wings slowly – every time they closed less and less of the wound could be seen. Soon the bloody mark was gone and the gleaming butterfly disappeared into hundreds of dancing blue sparks. Kaden looked at his hand in astonishment. Chrono’s wound appeared to be gone. He had just healed him.