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**Special Author’s Note**

“This is for the ones we lost!”

Skye and Zazzy looked up to see Tidas get stabbed in the hand. When the hilt had come into contact with his palm, he grabbed ahold of it, then hit Shane in his face. The bottom of the dagger’s hilt had lined up with the bridge of his nose, and shattered it.

Shane cried out as Tidas pulled the dagger out of his hand, then slowly pulled his short sword out..

“So who exactly is it that you’re trying to avenge?”

Shane’s eyes burned with animosity as he looked up at Tidas, and said; “Our fallen! That beast Killed how many soldiers?! It deserves ta be put to death!”

Tidas’ suspicion grew as he pointed the tip of his sword at the Reinbolt soldier’s neck, and replied; “Which Fallen? Give me a name of someone close to you that died. A reason for you to be reacting like this. Being angry about losing comrades is understandable, but Zazzy is Not a killer.. Unless we tell her it’s okay..”

“So,” Tidas rested his hand on the hilt to his long sword; “Who are you so upset about?”

.....

Eric recognized the nervous twitch that his brother got any time he was being dishonest in some way. His anger surged, but he kept it in check as he came to stand off to the side of the two. The moment his brother lied and said Teresa, he knew there was something more going on..

“Why are you lying? Why would you-”

“Shut up! I’m not lying! And any soldier worth a damn that respects their brothers in arms should be just as pissed off as I am!” Shane countered.

“The others don’t hold Zazzy responsible for what happened in the Old Capital. No one does but you lot, and Zazzy herself. She’s a good lass, and has far more humanity in her than a bawbag like you,” Tidas stated as he placed the tip of his sword against Shane’s neck.

Shane swallowed hard, then looked to his brother for help. Eric hesitated, which made his brother angry. As blood began to drip down from the hole in Tidas’ hand, Shane made what he thought was a subtle gesture to his brother.

Eric knew what he wanted him to do, but wasn’t dumb enough to try. The rotation of his right shoulder meant that he wanted Eric to attack Tidas, but he didn’t have a death wish. He was a prince, the RMC Commander, and the lead Pillar of Alcon..

“No, brother. This was a folly from the start, and I’m not about ta try and fight a Pillar..”

The look of betrayal that flashed in Shane’s eyes pained Eric, but he needed to understand that they were outmatched. Even if they went against Prince Tidas and won, which was impossible; the Highlanders, Princess Skye, and the dragon would kill them easily afterwards.

Shane felt hurt for a few seconds, then he switched over to outrage. Eric was his older brother, and Shane believed that they should always have each other’s back: no matter what. Eric did not see it that way..

When they were children, yes, but as adults: Eric had a wife and child that he was responsible for. Without him, they wouldn’t be able to survive. As their loving faces flashed before his eyes, Eric looked at his brother and said; “I promised my family that I’d return to them, and I Won’t break that promise.”

Shane stared daggers at his older brother as he yelled; “I’m your family First! I asked you if you’d back me up before we left! You’d betray your own brother?!”

“I’da stabbed ya as a bairn if ye had been me kin,” Angus stated before turning, and walking over to Zazzy and Skye.

Tidas kept a smirk at bay as he spoke; “And how are you not betraying your brother by trying to get him to Attempt to harm his Prince? That’s a guaranteed death sentence, but you were still eggin’ him on to do it.. What’s that say about you?”

As Shane’s grin turned cocky, he spoke in a conceded tone; “Who said anythin’ about us gettin’ in trouble? We’re doing a service, killing that thing..”

Shane’s voice was so low that he thought only Tidas and his brother could hear him as he added; “And you..”

In a flash, Tidas’ hand was around his throat. He pinned Shane to the ground, attracting everyone’s attention. As he struggled to breath, Tidas eyed him like a man gone insane..

“Did my brother order this?! Tell me the Truth! NOW!”

Shane’s eyes went wide with both fear and shock, and Eric recognized it. He wasn’t about to say anything though; he was currently frozen in fear. Praying that Prince Tidas was feeling merciful, and that his brother would stop being so stupid.

As Shane struggled, he managed to squeak out; “No! He didn’t, I swear! Prince Marco never said nothin’ to me!”

Tidas grew deathly silent for a moment as he stared down at him, then said; “I never said Marco.. Just ‘my brother’.”

Shane’s demeanor shifted from calm struggles to frantically trying to escape the prince’s hold. He had let go of the dagger when he’d gotten pinned to the ground with Tidas’ right hand. Now Shane grabbed for it like it was his last chance at life..

Tidas saw what he was reaching for, and moved his hand away towards Eric. He hadn’t realized it until the man was pulling the dagger from his hand. As Tidas’ flesh tore, he looked towards the brother.

His expression held no anger or malice, just worry. He’d only taken his eyes off of Shane for a moment, but in that time, a random soldier had tossed him another dagger. Tidas heard the metal of the sword thud against the ground, and moved his head to the side just in the nick of time.

A minuscule amount of blood trickled down the side of Tidas’ cheek as Shane attempted to slide out from underneath of him. He still had a grip on Shane’s throat, but that only lasted until he kicked Tidas in his groin.

As the prince fell over, Eric watched his brother scurry up onto his knees, then lift the dagger up. As he swung down on Tidas, Eric yelled at his brother to stop..

A gut-wrenching crunch resounded through the strath as Skye ran Shane through with one of her short swords. Her eyes were pitiless, and her hold steady as she turned the sword slightly, then pulled it out in one quick jerk. As the black blade slid out, Shane flopped over with a heavy thud.

Eric went to his brother’s side, and propped him up in his lap. He coughed up quite a bit of blood as he tried to keep what was spilling out of him inside with his hand. As tears welled up in his eyes, he looked up at his older brother, then said; “I’m gonna die, aren’t I?”

“...I think so.. What did you expect?! Why did you-”

“You know why, Eric.. Sue needs the money.. Will ya help her? She’s so sickly.. She’s always been so..”

Before Shane could finish his sentence, he coughed up a large amount of blood. Skye had heard his words, and became curious as to ‘the money’ part..

“Who paid ye ta do what? And why?” she asked with a surly expression.

Shane just glared at her at first, bur Eric convinced him to tell her; “Prince Marco paid me to kill the dragon.. And he said there was a bonus if I could at least hurt Prince Tidas.”

Skye huffed testily; “Yer a fuckin’ idiot fer exceptin’ his offer.. Were there any witnesses to ye two meetin’? Did ye do it in public or private?”

Shane’s breathing became shallow as he answered; “Twas a private meeting with one of his guards. A beautiful woman..”

Skye internally cursed. She hated the fact that her friend was wrapped up in it, but continued with her questions; “Did they pay you already?”

Shane shook his head; “Half of it. My wife’s medical bills were piling up.. She’s not long fer this world.. She’ll be goin’ to a far better place than me when she dies.. Wish I..could’ve seen her..”

When Shane stopped breathing, Eric started to panic. Skye sighed heavily, then put her hands on Shane to heal him. His heart was still beating, so he had a chance if Skye worked quickly enough.

She really didn’t want to heal him, but she had to get answers. As Skye got him sputtering again, Tidas walked over with a very pissed off expression. When he tried to yank Skye’s hands off of him, Zazzy stomped over, and nudged him away from her.

Seeing he was outnumbered, Tidas through his hands up in a defensive manner as he said; “Fine! Save the bastard! He only tried to kill me!”

Keeping her calm as she worked, Skye rebutted; “Na, husband. He’s merely a manipulated tool.. I wanna know Why Marco wants Zazzy dead.”

Tidas quirked an eyebrow at her; “Probably because it’d be easier ta get to you if she were gone. Plus: she’s a dragon. She’s basically a small army wrapped up in a tank. Even my father found her a bit concerning at first, but Marco wanted to either kill her or take her away since day one.”

“What will happen to my brother now? Will he go to the dungeons?” Eric asked in a slightly sheepish voice.

Skye looked at Eric, then back to Tidas; “He won’t live long if we do that. Marco will see him as a loose end that needs cuttin’..”

Glancing down at Shane, Skye added; “You need ta run away.. Far away.”

“We can take ’em in,” Wallace stated.

Angus scoffed from his spot by his side and spoke with heavy sarcasm; “Oh aye! We be happy ta take a murderer into the fold.. Murdoc, Amara, and the others’ll love that.”

“What will I love? Who dares ta speak of me heart!” Murdoc called out in a jovial manner as he and Amara came outside.

As they saw the blood and drawn weapons, Murdoc grinned and added; “Looks like all the fun’s happenin’ out here..”

As Amara stopped by Wallace, Angus, and Zazzy, she asked; “What’d we miss?”