"...What is it?" He replied, still staring to her.

"Would it be okay... if you kissed me?..." Grace asked, yet again trying to smile behind her teary eyes.

"...." Vaugn hesitates, but does as requested, and kisses her forehead, all while trying not to cry. "...I'm going to protect you..." He says, as he pulls his lips from her face.

"...Promise?" Grace asked, as her eyes grew heavy.

"I promise." He affirmed, but just as the words passed, so did she. Tears immediately escaped Vaugn's eyes realizing the life had left her body.

Both remained still in silence, not yet coming to terms that she was gone. Her body laid cold in Vaugn's arms, but he didn't dare move. He couldn't. There was no time to grieve however, rapid galloping came rushing their way without any given warning. Unable to turn, Vaugn couldn't force himself to face the approaching evil. Zyron however immediately saw the splatter of blood blast onto the wall, as the silhouette of the war crazed rider reared up on his mummified mare. The rider had split Vaugn's collarbone open with one of his spike grieves, before tearing off his head, and allowing the blood to flow all over the rider like some kind of ritual.

"Oh, YESSSSsssss!!!" The rider exclaimed, as he eagerly held the severed head over his face to drink the falling blood before discarding it to his side with a belch and twisted grin.

He dismounted his mare, to reach inside the hole of the body's neck to retrieve what seemed to be a still fluttering heart, that he clutched onto with his long entwining fingers. Red liquid coated it as well, dripping down like icing that the rider ingested into his fanged mouth with the aid of his long demented tongue, before taking a bite out of the heart itself.

Turning from the corpses, the rider faced Zyron, with Vaugn's blood coating onto his clothing as well as his face. The man seemed to resemble Jackyn, but it wasn't him. This monster standing before Zyron, was none other than Jehxal.

Zyron had the look of horror as he fell backward to his rear, in panic. He had never been so scared of anything in his whole life, to that of which he was witnessing before him this very moment. This savage Dream weaver still appeared hungry for the taste of blood, despite how fresh vision of Zyron's comrades deaths were, accompanied by a glimpse of it not far behind the madman.

"AHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" Jehxal cackled loudly, as he drew nearer. "You have no IDEA just how much KILLING really, I mean REALLY, gets me off. Hnhnhnh..." Jehxal's grin shifted to cold and serious as his blood covered face stared emptily at Zyron. "I don't even care who your friend was, he's dead. Now it's your turn, dog." Jehxal licked his lips, before shifting to a snake like grin.

Zyron scooted backwards, frantically trying to get himself to stand up and run, but he was too caught up in his fear to do so. Then he felt his back knock up against the cavern wall, he was trapped with no where else to run.

"End of the line, Poochy. Make peace with your maker if you want, I don't really give a shit what you do. Takes the fun right out of killing if I know how my prey is gonna react. I like the surprises of it!" Jehxal formed his Poleaxe from his pauldron.

"Why are you doing this?" Zyron whimpered, unable to move from the corner he backed himself into.

"Why? Pfft. Don't me laugh." Jehxal seemed unamused, as his gaze sharpened. "I'm one of the four riders, Jehxal, the one called War. Consider me the 'Dreadnaught' of the Cult. I do the dirty work 'round here, slaughtering whoever dares challenge the Queen. Though, there's a faint scent of my little brother on you, so you're allied with that pathetic excuse of a Dream Weaver then?" Jehxal grinned wide, to hold his poleaxe's sharp edge against Zyron's throat to lift up his chin, so he could get a better look at him. "I will kill EVERY last one of you." He stated, drawing the weapon back as he prepared to strike.

Zyron flinched, cowering as the weapon raised into the air. His eyes latched shut, fearing the end, and soiling himself in the process. He continued to tremble as his urine breached to the ground where he sat. This was really it. He was done for.

The sound of metal struck the air, and rang through his ears, followed by a surprised roar of pain. Zyron's eyes peeled open, seeing Jehxal scream out in agony as the shoulder connected to his right arm was lopped off. Blood was spaying out to where the limb had fallen, but behind him was a glimpse of a massive scythe coated in Jehxal's life fluid. Spinning around the angry rider formed a blood edge over his arm, slashing back at his attacker.

Zyron was still a bit dazed, but he could see that Jehxal was struggling against someone with a scythe arm. "(Solitaire?...)" He thought, uneasily.

It was indeed the pink haired Morpheus fending off Jehxal with her bladed body, however with her preemptive strike over, Jehxal held the higher ground in this match up, even despite his missing arm. Solitaire was flung back, crashing hard into a stalagmite hanging from the web covered ceiling. Jehxal took this opportunity, while he reformed his pauldron on his chest, and prepared to impale her with the blood edge coating his arm.

Moments before his body moved, as screech came zipping his way and blowing up on contact with his opposite shoulder. Minerva had joined the battle, using what seemed to be explosive arrows. As the dust cleared, Solitaire appeared unharmed, but Jehxal was a battered mess. The Dream Weaver had the look of shock on his face, deciding immediately to make a hasty retreat. He quickly formed into a shadow to make his urgent escape out of the chamber, but not without leaving behind a massive amount of blood behind.

Solitaire scrambled to her feet, and rushed to Zyron, grabbing him by his shoulders. "Ronnie. Bleeding hell, are you alright?"

She looked legitimately worried about him, which made Zyron ease up from his overload of terror that was previously running through his veins. Without words, Zyron pulled her into a tight embrace, trying not to cry.

"Ronnie?" Solitaire asked, sounding scared.

"I'm fine... but..." His eyes lingered over to his dead companions.

"..." Solitaire glanced over to them, before looking back to him with a grimace. "Fucking wanker... He got to them? What about the others?"

Zyron shook his head in regret. "I don't know, but Grave and Vaugn are gone. Fuck." He cursed, feeling guilty about the whole ordeal.

Solitaire shifted herself so she could see his face. "A load of rubbish this is, but we can't give up... not now. " She said, behind furrowed brows.

Zyron reached his hand for her face, his expression full of doubt and concern. "I dragged them this way, trying to find you..."

"It's not your fault, poppet. You couldn't have known." Solitaire tried to comfort him.

"I know... but..." Zyron replied, guilt starting to manifest stronger.

Solitaire pulled Zyron into a kiss, hoping to snap him out of it, before looking to him seriously. "We can't change the past, so no more back chat."

Zyron nodded, pulling her back into a hug as Minerva quirked her brow over at them. She had been quietly observing but didn't intend to get between them in the moment.

"Uh Zyron? Something stinks." Solitaire pulled back, with a scrunched up face.

This made Zyron sweat." I.... May or may not have shat my pants." He nervously admitted.

"No. I'm pretty sure that's dog piss." She looked to him seriously, reaching her hand to her nose.

"Heh heh..." Zyron tried to laugh, but wound up with an almost grimace-like expression.

"On a more serious note... I did need to talk to you about something." Solitaire averted eye contact, seeming uneasy.

"I don't think now is the time, we can't remain here for long. I wish we could do more for our deceased allies, but it is far too dangerous during times like this." Minerva crossed her arms.

"Fair point." Solitaire nodded, sweating briefly. "Zyron, maybe could you maybe cremate them?"

He seemed unsure, before he nodded. "Fuck... Yeah best not to leave them like this." He said walking over to burn the bodies, however as he set them respectfully ablaze. They couldn't remain there long so they had to depart from their deceased friends. As they hurried onward however, his attention turned back to Solitaire. "What was so important though? Did something happen!? What is it?" Zyron anxiously gripped to her shoulders.

"Well if you must know... I think... I may be..." Solitaire seemed lost for words.

"May be what?" Zyron was becoming even more tense.

"Up the duff? You know... Uh... pregnant?" Solitaire blushed, looking to Zyron in concern.

Zyron had frozen there in his tracks, he was completely speechless, dumbfounded even. He was so astonished, that he couldn't stop staring in shock or even force out a reply. Minerva was right, now really wasn't the time for that talk.