The squad stared at Desmond unsure of what just happened. Nikolai was beyond stunned and amazed as he sat atop a dead ape man like an intrigued student. Keely was frozen in amazement. Kale was shocked and slightly annoyed that he was stuck underneath an ape man. Ator stood over his two kills and dropped to his knees in respect as he pulled out his prayer beads murmuring something to himself. Audra and Skivvy were stunned and were trying their best to say something, but could not. Aurora walked cautiously over to Desmond whose eyes and hand stopped glowing blue. Desmond looked at Argonak’s dead body and his bloody hands holding Light Wielder unsure of what just happened.

  Rilitar and the rest of the rangers slowly walked up and asked, “In all my years of fighting, I have never seen something as brutal and efficient as what, you sir, just did. Also, I believe Light Wielder blinded everyone temporarily when you did it, because I have rangers with burnt eyes from their scopes watching you when you sat up.”

  “What just happened,” Desmond asked himself frantically.

  Aurora put her swords away and tenderly held Desmond whispering to him, “It’s okay… It’s okay. Just relax and breath. It’s over. Look at me! It’s okay… I’m here. We’re still here.”

  “Okay… Okay,” Desmond said as his grip loosened and he carefully sheathed Light Wielder.

  He looked down at his right hand that was faintly glowing blue and slowly forming back into a small, pebble-sized glint of light in the middle of his palm. In that moment, he realized that both his gauntlets were burnt away from his hands. The rest of the squad walked forward and Ator was still murmuring prayers and scriptures to himself after he patted the two dead ape men who attacked him.

  Nikolai knelt down noticing the look on Argonak’s face. Most of the dead ape men looked to be in pain and shock. However, Argonak’s face was that of peace and content. Desmond slowly knelt down as well noticing the tear streaming down Argonak’s face. Desmond closed Argonak’s eyes thinking back on Prince Albert’s content face as he passed away.

  Desmond thought to himself, “Rest easy. You were a worthy adversary. I’m sorry that your kind was killed like this. Forgive me if you can. Your family still loves you I reckon. Rest now.”

  Desmond placed his right hand on Argonak’s chest as a dim, light from his hand shined for a brief moment. The light then turned into a shiny spec of ash as it flew into the night sky disappearing in the stars. For a moment, an image appeared in Desmond’s mind. It showed Argonak with his wife and kid happily playing in a field of flowers. Desmond smiled at this.

  Nikolai asked aloud exacerbated, “Sir? We’ll get back to whatever you just did and how you’re alive, because fucking rad! But… This one looks to be happy? Why is that?”

  “Who knows really,” Audra shrugged.

  “Respect,” Skivvy said. “It’s respect. That’s how I see it.”

  “Weird, but understandable,” Nikolai replied.

  Kale was still underneath the dead ape man and was calling for help. Ator and five rangers struggled to pull him out and when they did all of them flew a few feet backwards with Ator crushing the five rangers unintentionally.

  Kale shot up quickly wiping his legs saying, “Fawk me! Now I’m becoming Nicky. Getting crushed and covered in everything now. What the fawk, mate?”

  “You kiss your mom with that mouth,” Ator joked at him.

  Kale laughed for a moment and was overall glad everyone in the squad was okay. He also thought of Zylia and how she would be happy to see him again if they were to pass through Vorstock once more on the journey back. Keely finished loading her rifle and was struggling to light a joint. Tarron walked to her with a match and lit the joint. Keely gave him a shoulder bump followed immediately by a quick kiss on the cheek. Tarron immediately turned red and was a loss for words stammering to try to say thank you. Keely joked in Elvish, “Take your time, bud. You’ll get there. Thanks! Need that!”

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  Ator saw this from a distance and felt saddened. Audra walked over to him as he sulked in his armor hiding himself in his helmet. Audra looked over at Tarron and Keely laughing with each other and she made an “Ah” sound in realization. Kale noticed Ator’s demeanor and looked over at Keely. He also sat down next to Ator and said, “Don’t beat yourself up, big man… It won’t last. I know her.”

  “Kale… Never mind… Ator. You okay,” Audra asked.

  Ator sighed in response as he kicked the snow on the ground. Kale gave Ator a lit joint and patted him gently on the back.

  Audra hugged Ator’s massive right arm and said, “I know. I know you always liked her… For now, just be happy for her.” Ator grunted and lifted his helmet slightly as he smoked for a minute.

  Skivvy walked with Desmond as he was heading away from the dead. Skivvy asked, “So boss… Want to talk about that?”

  “I don’t know… No. Not right… Now.”

  “Okay.”

  “I feel pity for them.”

  “Yeah… Still interesting how you killed this one.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing really. Just intrigued is all. Not scared of you by any means, but I must say that it did seem like you rose from the dead and quickly killed that ape leader. I could have sworn those power kicks to your chest would’ve killed you at least.”

  “Thanks for the observation… I guess… No it can’t be… Damn, it does sting painfully though.”

  “Your chest or all over?”

  “Both.”

  “Got it. Audra! LT needs a heal or two,” Skivvy yelled out.

  Audra quickly ran over as her hands glowed yellow as she laid them on his forearms and chest. A cooling and warm sensation filled Desmond’s body as his cracked ribs, cracked sternum, bruises, and cut forearms all healed within a minute. Desmond graciously thanked Audra for helping as he walked back over to Rilitar and Aurora. Skivvy gave Audra a high five.

  Audra asked Skivvy empathetically, “You think he’s okay? I mean with what had just happened.”

  “I don’t know, Audra. I truly don’t know. I only know that he’s hurt and feels some respect for those ape men being true to their word of fighting to the end… Rather admirable really.”

  “I just hope his night terrors don’t bother more than it should.”

  “You truly are an empath aren’t ya?”

  “Shut up, Skivs! I’m just glad this is over and we can move on.”

  “True that,” Skivvy said adjusting his helmet as he scratched his neck.

  Nikolai was still inspecting the dead ape men and noticing how nearly all the intact bodies had the same black mark on their chests. At first it looked like a smudge of dirt or charcoal, but the more he inspected it the more the black smudge showed a black semi-circle with a star in the center. The marks were barely the size of a silver coin. Aurora knelt down next to him and asked, “What do you think it means?”

  “I mean… They did make a pact with the Dark One per the reports from Rilitar and the legend from the villagers… I guess it was a sign or mark indicating their pact, loyalty, or whatever equivalent… Strange though… The leader, that white haired one, seemed content if not relieved once he was killed. I’ve never seen a dead adversary look happy upon his death… I wonder if that means something?”

  “We’ll find it out… Not sure when,” Aurora said ponderously as she stood back up.

  Ator and Kale came by and decided to help out Nikolai as the rest of the rangers were checking the bodies and piling them up. A handful of them went into the cave to investigate. Rilitar was talking with Desmond about the clean up just as Aurora walked over to them.

  Rilitar asked Aurora as delicately as he could, “Aurora… I have a question I need to ask you if you are willing to expound upon it?”

  “Yes, what is it?”

  “Well,” Rilitar looked to Desmond with concerned eyes and Desmond shrugged unsure of what Rilitar was silently asking. Rilitar sighed, “Dear… You froze for a moment before you killed that one ape man and I – I mean we were wondering…”

  Desmond finally understood and nodded at Rilitar as he fully took his helmet off.

  Rilitar asked, “What made you stop for a moment? That has never happened before according to him and from what I remember of you for the past ten years.”

  “It’s… It’s no big deal, okay? Let’s just move into the cave and find things out,” Aurora said quickly brushing past the two of them.

  Rilitar and Desmond shared a concerned and questioning look at each other, but both sighed and rallied everyone to move into the cave.