I'm among my brothers-in-arms. We're all standing at attention, the unrelenting rain soaking my fur down to my bones. We face a large balcony. Each of us wears identical uniforms: black armor with three red claw marks across the chestplate, paired with matching gauntlets and boots. Commander Shadewind stands above us, flanked by priests from the Church. We are the Wardogs, the newest unit in the Keyonian Military.
I blink, and the rain is no longer there. I'm crouched on a massive tree branch, surrounded by oversized leaves that blot out the sky above. Glintwax and Stonehedge squat on nearby branches. Below us, a caravan of five carts passes. Each cart is drawn by large, furred beasts with antlers, guarded by Elenonian Guards clad in star-patterned cloaks. Silver blades hang from their horses' sides. A sharp whistle cuts through the air—the caravan halts. I know they've hit our blockade—a tree we felled on the road less than an hour ago. Glintwax, Stonehedge, and I nod to each other, then leap from our perches. I shadowstep into the center cart and slit the King of Elenona's throat before he can react. Just as swiftly as I entered, I shadowstep out, reappearing beside my comrades who stand amid the slaughtered guards. Blood soaks into the dirt like water. A door creaks, and a small green-eyed girl with blue hair peers out of one of the carts.
Everything shifts. I'm standing on a stage, at a party full of nobles. I recognize a few faces, but that doesn't matter—they all remember me. Commander Shadewind approaches with a golden medal in his paw, pinning it to my uniform. In the crowd, Brownclaw raises a glass. His smirk causes my face to flush with warmth. It'll be a year before he asks me out. Two before he proposes.
"Dad!"
Glimmer's scream jolts me out of my sleep. My eyes snap open, and I lurch up, wincing as pain shoots down my spine.
"Hey! Hey..." Renald eases me back down, his voice as steady as his hands. "Don't move. You're badly injured."
Glimmer clings to the bars of the metal gate, his blue face streaked with shimmering tears. He's fixated on another snargle, far across a massive colosseum. A blast of blue energy flashes, slamming into the snargle, who slides back before batting the energy away with his bare hands. A crowd roars.
"What's happening?" I ask, grabbing Renald's wrist. "Where are we? What happened to Ironvine? Why is Glimmer crying?"
Renald glances toward the gate, a flicker of sadness in his otherwise stoic eyes. Then, with a resigned sigh, his expression hardens. Renald leans in, his voice low but insistent.
"How do you shadowstep?"
"What? That's a national secret; you think I would tell you something like that?" I bristle. Renald's question feels like a betrayal, yet there's something in the way he asks: a quiet desperation that makes me pause.
"I don't have time to explain." Renald's tone sharpens with urgency. "Just tell me—does it involve magic?"
"N-no." I stammer, caught off-guard by his sternness and my honesty. "We're guildmates, but I really shouldn't have told you that."
"Good." Renald grins. "The prison's antimagic defenses can't stop you then. With your injuries, how many times do you think you can do it? "
"Once. Maybe." I say. "That'll probably push me to my limit."
Renald pulls his arm free and marches over to Glimmer, ripping him away from the gate. Glimmer struggles, his eyes glued to the fight.
"Let me go! I have to save him! I can't just stand here!"
"And do what?" Renald cuts him off, stern but calm. "What will watching accomplish?"
"I don't know!" Glimmer shouts, eyes wide. "But I have to do something! I can't just sit here and wait for Vanhiel to kill him! He's my dad, Renald!"
"I know." Renald pulls Glimmer into a tight hug. "However, freaking out won't save him."
Glimmer thrashes, a desperate, hopeless fight—until his strength crumbles, leaving him sobbing in Renald's arms. Renald holds firm, a rock he can lean on. I'm stunned—I've never seen Renald act like this before. After a while, Glimmer's tears subside. Renald gently releases him and crouches down so Glimmer won't have to look up at him.
"Do you want to save your father?" Renald's voice is steady, but beneath it, I hear a new urgency, almost pleading.
As if uncertain of his response, Glimmer nods slowly.
"Then ask."
"Please…" Glimmer's voice is soft.
"Huh? What was that?" Renald cups a hand to his ear.
"Please! Help me save my father! " Glimmer shouts, rage mixing with the remnants of his tears.
"That's all I needed to hear!" Renald grins, his golden eyes blazing. "Team, I'm sorry if I haven't been the best leader as of late, but I need you to trust me now. One last time."
"What's the plan, wise leader?" I wince through the pain but laugh.
"We're shadowstepping into the colosseum." Renald says, as if it's the simplest thing in the world, though we all know it isn't. "You can leave the rest to me."
Glimmer nods, faster, more sure. Walking over to where I'm lying. Renald grabs one of my paws and touches Glimmer's shoulder. Glimmer grabs my other paw.
"Glimmer." Renald commands. "Once we're in there, protect Whisperclaw with your life. I'll handle Vanhiel."
"Uh…" I interject. "We don't have any weapons."
"Trust me." The blue light illuminating the cell begins to darken as Renald answers. "We have all the weapons we need."
Renald's pupils narrow to predatory slits, gleaming in the dim light. His canines extend with an audible click. As his wings unfurl, the air around him thickens, charged with the primal energy of a beast preparing to strike. His tail flicks around behind him wildly. Renald doesn't need to say anything more.
"Alright!" I yell. "Hold on tight!"
I was already lying in the darkest section of the cell, so all I have to do is let the darkness take me. I slip into it, pulling Renald and Glimmer down with me. We fall backward, down into the Abyss. All we can do now is trust each other, no hesitating.