Darion just kept moving, watching the carnage that Lilith painted the town with.  As each one fell to her rampant claws, and her insane slaughter, he couldn't help but feel that the deaths were well earned.  A slight evil grin spread on his face as he watched one beg for their life before Lilith ended its life.  How many Aviari had begged for their lives before they were mercilessly slaughtered?  How many children were laid out dead by a spear?  How many babies crushed in their cribs, or burnt in their homes.<br/><br/>All those ensured that absolutely no tears would be shed for the yahnus that were slaughtered.  He would have no nightmares about their deaths.  Each one was earned.  None of them deserved any honor for their actions.  They had none by what they had done by following their orders.  Though he may have some nightmares about the joy that Lilith was taking in it.  Their deaths were just, but the means became even worse.<br/><br/>Finally they reached the docks, and their escape, and as he saw at least that some of the Aviari had made it.  He could see the shadows of some of them flying over the boats, and could follow watching them wheel through the sky.  But knowing what had happened to them, and that he hadn't been able to do anything to save more of them… guilt and sadness filled him.  He feared most witnessing their sadness on the ships as they left.  And knew there was nothing he could do to comfort them.<br/><br/>Those thoughts filled his head enough that he was completely surprised by the words from Verita, in her own voice this time, not that ancient sounding one.  He just stared at her in disbelief at her words as she stroked his chin and overgrown hair.<span style="color: seagreen">“What are you talking about?  I can’t go with you?”</span>he began as he set her down at the docks and the boats.<span style="color: seagreen">“Someone needs to protect you, and I cannot…”</span>he never even got to finish what he was saying as Verita’s sobbing began against his chest.  And he couldn't miss how the blood from his wound was dripping down and mixing with her tears.  Even through one eye he could see it.<br/><br/>Soon after she began speaking up again, about the prophecy that that ancient voice had been saying, and he couldn't interrupt, seeing the tears, he wouldn't dare interrupt.  He didn't believe in the prophecy that had been spoken, but Verita’s voice, the way she spoke about everything, and to each person she was asking for help.  He knew there was war coming.  Most nations wouldn't let a tragedy such as this just go by.<br/><br/>Of course when she spoke about him, and about how he was supposed to die, he just stared at her.  He was standing here, if that wasn't proof enough that fate did not rule anything.  As he opened his mouth to deny what she was saying, he paused, and fell silent.  When the first thing he thought to say came to mind, a memory of the last, only god knows, how long by now.  He had come so close to death a few times in the battle.  The warrior he had ended the life of had been good, but had he mistaken his own luck for the warrior holding back?  At that thought, his hand went up to the deep slash across his eye, the pain was starting to surface as the fight was starting to drain from him.<br/><br/>A second time he had almost died flashed across him mind, though it was the first in actually happening.  That shot that had killed the young, innocent sister.  If the aim had been even a little different… he wasn't sure his armor could have stopped the magic.  Remembering watching the life drain from the younger sister, as the life slipped from her eyes...  it made him look away from the group he had been with and to the still flying aviary as they took off from the docks to the ships, or rode in the canoes across the water.  It also pushed him to reach into the pouch at the side of his belt.  He took out of the feathers of hers that he had pulled from her as he had tried to keep his grip on her while she fell.<br/><br/>Her sister, he hoped, was on those ships, along with how many destroyed families.  They were defenseless… and Verita was not as she went through the names of all the others in the group.  He was torn, but looking at those feathers in his hand, and the birds that were still over the boat, he knew he would not be able to deny what Verita wanted.<span style="color: seagreen">“You are right… I will go with them.  I owe it to them for not defending them better… not defending them like I should have…  Even if it means abandoning you, and a bit of my honor.  You saved my life in your village by leaving, I had promised to protect you…”</span>with that he looked up at donchen, and the others he had already met.<span style="color: seagreen">“Vow you will protect her.  If anything happens, I will come for you…”</span>as he said that he looked at Lilith specifically.<span style="color: seagreen">“Especially you if anything were to happen to her.”</span>He seemed to mark her as the strongest as far ad he knew.<br/><br/>After speaking to them he turned to Dal’tek, and didn’t threaten him.  In his fist, clutched were the feathers from Bethatha as if to prove his vow that he was about to make.<span style="color: seagreen">“I Vow I will protect your people with all my strength…  even to my death if you promise to protect that girl, even from her own naivety.“</span>As he spoke, he heard Verita say they needed to go, and with a glance behind them, agreed as their enemies were approaching.  He bowed to them, ignoring the growing pain in his eye before as he ran to a boat that had loaded the last fleeing Aviari.  He knew it was going to the ship that loaded most of the Aviari.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>