Songs of War: The 5th Song... Is A Person?!

Witness

Riza was in two places at once. She was in Sendaria, watching horrified at the destruction and death surrounding her in her black cloak. She couldn't help the tears streaming down her face as she saw Tygren practically torture information out of a man named Osivian, with Ria watching. Ria hadn't recognized her yet, thanks to the lond hood draping over her face. As Osivian's blood splattered on the furniture in Ria's room, she suddenly yelled, "Thalleous! Thalleous was here. He took it, I saw. Please, stop it." She ran towards Tygren and grabbed him from behind, causing him to drop Osivian to the ground and Ria to rush over, checking his pulse. Osivian's face was a mixture of confusion and hatred. How dare she give away Thalleous like that! How did she even know anyway?

"Yes, finally. The little bird speaks," he chuckled darkly. "Where did he take it?" He picked up Osivian again, choking him. "Where?!"

"I- I don't know! All I saw was him leaving Sendaria with Senn and the Prime! Please, let him go!"

"Lies!" Tygren squeezed the older man's throat tighter. "Tell me where or I'll kill him now!"

"I astro-projected, I don't know! You know I can't hear things when I project!"

"So you projected, against our orders?" Tygren simply looked amused, having caught her in a trap.

"I- I'm sorry! It won't happen again!"

Tygren snapped Osivian's neck and tossed the body to her. "Here's your punishment."

"No!" Riza held her fingers to his throat, trying to see if she could heal him. Her wrist bracers glowed, meaning they were blocking her magic. "Why won't you let me heal him? I'll take the punishment at Velgrin, I promise!"

Tygren shook his head. "I won't let you revive him. But if you take punishment at Velgrin, I won't let anyone else die tonight."

She nodded her head as she sobbed.

"My lord, the champion is here!"

"Distract him. Hold him off until I get there," Tygren replied. He turned back to Riza. "Take this one and bring her to the others. You are allowed to use magic to bring her there. I know somebody here knows where he took the Song, and I am going to get it!" He stormed out to meet the Sendaris champion.

Riza turned towards Ria, who was scrabbling away. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'll do my best to protect all of you."

"We don't need to be protected, traitor." she replied venomously. So she figured it out after all. She may be smarter than she looks.

With a wave of her hand, Ria was chained to a block and Riza teleported them to where the other Sendaris were, chained to similar blocks. From here, she could see Tygren, Thalleous, and Senn at the border. Senn was being confronted by a Voltaris with another mace. Riza teleported and slowed down the attack giving Senn enough time to move out of the way. She tried talking the Voltaris into attacking Thalleous instead, when the horse kicked him in the head and he fell, dead. As it reared back for a strike at her, she teleported back to where the other Sendaris were, who were forced to watch as Thalleous and Tygren fought, Thalleous having eliminated all the Voltaris who rushed at him. One Voltaris was playing "Look What You Made Me Do" after Tygren's little speech, and was immediately silenced by Riza.

"Play it to annoy him when we get back. It doesn't fit the mood of the fight right now."

Thalleous teleported awayusing his song and Tygren maliciously threw a spear with all his strength into Thalleous. There was a deathly silence and Ria turned pale. She sat on the burnt grass next to Ria.

"Get away from here," she whispered. "I can give you five minutes of invisibility, enough for you to make it past the river into the woods. Go to Ataraxia. Don't stop by Senn, you will see him when you arrive at Ataraxia." She handed her 500 gold and made an illusion of Ria still attached to the block while the real one escaped. She then stood and teleported to Tygren. He picked up Thalleous' sword and admired it, then tossing the Aggressium song in the river and keeping the Mobilium song for himself.

"Release the remaining Sendaris," he ordered. "Let them spread word of what happened."

Riza lifted her hand and Ria's illusion faded along with the invisibility and released the remaining Sendaris from their blocks.

"My lord," began a Voltaris. "Lucidius sent word back from attempting to intercept Jalkar."

"Attempting?"