Concordia, Six Hundred and Eighty Years BeforeThe changing mood of the crew as they left open ocean for Concordian waters alerted Thaelen and Harithen that they were close, and they left their cabins to stand on the top deck as captain ran up the Greibron and Alden trading flags under the Estreau flag. The sky was overcast and grey, but not all the cloud was weather. Smoke rose from the land in thick plumes.There were many ships flying the Alden flags in the waters around them, and the water was littered with debris. Thaelen could see the cause - a ship slowly slipping into the water. He heard the outcry of the sailors as bodies washed up against the hull.A vampire, clinging to a half drowned human child, caught hold of the netting over the side. “Help me!” She pleaded.They hauled as many survivors as they could aboard as the Alden ships drew closer.“Take them below,” Thaelen told Harithen. “Into the holds. Out of sight.”“They would have seen us pull them on board,” Harithen rep

Concordia, Six Hundred and Eighty Years Before“This is…” Harry sat on a rock and pulled off a boot shaking out stones and dust. “Ridiculous. You mean that a lot of your people make this walk annually?”“Traditionally,” Thaelen sat beside him and looked down over the city. Memories overlaid a green, lush land of grass and forests, in which the fortresses of the vampires were islands of stone and wood. Now it was the green that was an island amongst the stone and soaring towers of the castles. Both memory and present were beautiful in different ways… except the present was marred with smoke, fire, and destruction.There hadn’t been another attack since they’d begun the walk to the temple, but the land was not peaceful even in the absence of the flying machine. The burning wreckage from recent attacks, the movement of light through the city, and out to the bobbing ships in the bay.Thaelen sighed heavily. “Traditionally, it was a journey taken over several days, no one walking faster th

Concordia, Six Hundred and Eighty Years BeforeThaelen watched as the ships tied up to the dock. “Five,” he said with satisfaction. One of the vessels was Captain Ruther’s ship, returning for a second load of passengers. “As soon as they dock, have the water and food ready to load,” he gestured to the vampires waiting nearby with the supplies. “As soon as that’s stowed, we’ll begin loading the passengers and get these ships back out…” He trailed off as a woman walked down the gangplank.“Meguitte!” He cried out. “Meguitte!”Her face lit as she saw him, and she ran the distance between to embrace him. “Oh, Thaelen,” she mourned. “What have they done to our beautiful home?”Thaelen released her and looked to the sky. “Your sparrows?” He asked.“Mmm?” She glanced over her shoulder following his gaze. “I did not bring them, Thaelen,” she told him. “They would attract too much attention.” She did not meet his gaze. She feared bringing them into a warzone, he realized, and could not blame h

Havermouth, Present Time“Sit still as statues whilst we have our chat,” Aislen watched as the werewolves expressions changed to alarm under the realization that they were prisoners of their own bodies and incapable of moving or speaking of their own free will.“Yeah,” she smirked. “I’m not a witch,” she told them. “I’m your worst nightmare. A hormonal, tired pregnant woman with the ability to control your minds, who is really, really pissed off with you. Like REALLY pissed off,” she walked around the table to pull the breakfast trays and coffee towards her end of the table, popping the croissants and egg and bacon muffins onto plates before setting them next to the empty chairs.“Sit down and eat something,” she told her men. “We’re going to have a good chat with the big wolves now, so we might as well get comfy.”“What the f-k?” Rohan demanded of Heath in confusion. “Can they really not talk or move?”“Nope,” Ailsen helped herself to a croissant.Rhett leaned over the table to pour

Havermouth, Present TimeCameron stood against the wall and watched as Talen and Aislen supervised Phillip’s announcements whilst Heath and Rhett escorted the council members to their rooms. He should help, he thought, but it was a bit intimidating, and no one seemed to need him.“I believe I am free to go?” Connery joined him at the wall, his eyes on the doorway and the two hefty guards that still blocked it. “I don’t want to be here any longer than necessary. Already I’ve left Meguitte alone for too long. She is… somewhat in need of morale support.”“I guess so,” Cameron was dubious, his eyes returning to his mates. Heath and Rhett had returned. “Ten more minutes won’t hurt though, right? Everyone’s pretty busy…”The door opened and Rohan entered looking flustered, before taking the hallway down towards the brig. “Come on,” Cameron pushed away from the wall. “Let’s go see what’s going on?” He led the way across the room and into the hallway, a little thrilled that no one tried to st