Wills, sat alone in the dark, drinking the wine he liberated from what was left of the cellar of his old boss, Trynian. He wouldnt mind. He probably took most of it when the order disbanded and its not like he can drink it right now.

Yesterday he had visited the old vanguard base, in a salvage operation. To find useful items for the Aria of the Phoenix. The minute he saw the large castle looming out of the gloom ahead, he had begun to realise just how much things had changed. Neatherguarde wasnt a base. It was a home. The home of any vanguard who followed their rightious path without hesitation.

Wills stepped off the gryffon and walked down the slope of the Gryffon roost when he began to feel familiar... as if he returned to a place that longed for his presence once again.

* Millyana stood by the gryffons, looking out towards where the dark portal would be. She looked back at Wills. "what do you mean, beware for your soul?".

Wills looked at her, concern on his face. "This order is the best. There isnt any like it. But.... its methods are... different. To be defeat the darkness, it is often forced to be the darkness. You could be asked to do things that your conscience could not let you. When that happens.... even if Trynian himself gives the order... dont do it. A life may be worth sacrificing for this cause... a soul is not."

Wills walkie crackled as Bhrealice tried to contact him "This is Bhrealice. If i find any of you are late for training again or not taking it seriously, i will personally break your legs. over"

Wills sighed at the walkie. He really didnt like bhrealice. Her threats and volatile behaviour, as he put it, made her distrusted in his eyes. He took the walkie and sarcasticly said "With-all-due-respect, ma'm, i believe that threatening us with great injuries on the account of training is above your authority. over"

Bhrealice's angry reply came back. "Ormiston, you will talk to me with respect or else. Have you got that?!"

Wills sighed and switched his walkie off. Even from outside the keep he could hear Bhrealice roar out of irritation. He smiled, satisfied and got on the gryffon rider before Bhrealice would find out where he is. *

Wills opened his eyes. He was standing at the bottom of the gryffon roost, completely alone. He shook his confused mind and headed for the all too familiar tower in front of him.

Coming up to the front steps, he made his way up. There were not many steps, but each one took a century to him as he now felt the loss of what he had hardly thought about. He turned around to see the view of neatherguarde... and felt it call out to him.

* Wills stood next to Eliras, the wife of Trynian, among the other officers. Millyana, the fastest rising member of the order, Acrona, a complete mystery to Wills, and Dalar, the oldest member of the order and probably the wisest. In front of him was Aluuna and Trynian.... and at the foot of the steps were the Vanguards in all their glory, bearing the Winged Helm on their tabards. Wills himself wore a new cloak to show his new rank as Lieutenant. Second in command of the Second Division, under Captain Millyana... it was only a month or a little longer ago when Wills recruited her.

Trynian addressed the soldiers on the grounds, "Vanguards. i'm glad to see you all present. I am happy to announce that we have come into an alliance with two other major organisations, The Arcane Alliance and The Court Guard. This alliance is called the 'Coalition of the Dawn'. Now... High Commander? Is there anything you would like to add before training?"

Trynian turned to Aluuna, who cleared her throat. "Yes, thank you. Vanguards. The walkie channel for the coalition is... *

Wills climbed the long stairway that twisted upwards to the top of the tower. He could hear equipment being shifted and a chair scraping on the floor of the room above. When he finally got to the top, he turned the see what the noise was.

* The Vanguard officers were gathered facing the desk in the circular room. Captain Teranil was in front of the desk, addressing the leaders. Wills was a corporal, requested to attend for his relevance to this meeting. "Sorry i'm late", he said. Trynian simply turned and nodded. Teranil waved Wills over, smiling.

Teranil turned to the leaders again. "The ashinvale campaign will progress soon. We just need a few supplies, a date.... and a new sergeant for the second squad." He turned to Wills, smiling. "Congratulations, Sergeant Ormiston." *

Hectar stood there, sorting through any leftover equipment that belonged to The Vanguard Order. He turned to face Wills and smiled. "Hey there Wills. Thanks for coming to help me"

Wills returned the smile. "I wouldnt miss it, Hectar. Any excuse to see the old keep again. Besides, i'd bet theres still some wine in Trynian's cellar. You're not taking all of it."

Hectar chuckled and returned to sorting through the pile of alchemic junk on the desk.

Wills sorted through the books in the shelves, putting each one that sounded useful into his bag. "Poisons and medicines", "Encylcopedia of demons from the second war"..... "Humans and other scum"??.... that one stayed where it was. "Magical barriers". Hectar noted that he would need that.

Wills then came across a strange book. It had no title but had strange glowing symbols. He flicked it open only to be assaulted by a wave of aggressive and clearly corrupt emotions. He snapped it shut, peered at it curiously and put it in his personal bag.

Soon after, the two headed out and headed for the Northern keep. Wills stopped at its foot and looked up at the nostalgic image.

*Suddenly a huge blast, which cracked the walls and shattered the foundations of the North keep, blew Wills off his feet. He clambered up, and tried to see through the confusion and shock. His dizzy mind made it hard to think and the walkie, which had gone mad with noise, served more to confuse him even more. However, a few key words from the annoying mechanical chatterbox snapped him out of his stupor. "...feck.... a mana bomb....Gishna and Bhrealice.... inside...". Wills, without hesitation, charged straight into the keep, oblivious to the debris crumbling around his head.*

Wills looked at the tattered and dusty Vanguard banner that hung over the High Chancellors seat. It was to be another old relic that would be liberated by the two salvagers before some hater decided to defile it. Hectar and Wills then rummaged through the desks. Since the lieutenants and captains barely used their desks, the north keep desks were pretty much empty. They decided to leave with just the banner. Before leaving, Wills could not help but take one more look at the room.

*Galvon stood opposite Wills. Both had a look in their eyes which had not been seen before. Galvon showed a mixture of hatred and grief while Wills had a feel of sympathy but cloaked with a desire to be profesional. "Galvon. I know why you're acting like this, and i'm really sorry for your loss, but you have to put it together. I wont tolerate you endangering the lives of your fellow Vanguards."

Galvon glared at him coldly. "You could not fathom the grief i have been through. i could not care what you order me to do, 'Lieutenant'. I dont recognise your authority."

Wills suddenly burst out in anger. "Damnit, Galvon! Do you know how hard this is for me? To try and look after each of the vanguards under my command? Dont you think i feel bad about her loss as well? Not just that she was a friend but that it was my failure that killed her?!"

Galvon's eyes narrowed. "Your failure?"

Wills looked down in shame. "Its my fault. It's my failure that killed Estrid. I was meant to look after her and i failed."

A long pause followed. Nothing could have been as quiet as the atmosphere of that cold room, teeming with fury and grief. Suddenly Galvon punched Wills, who flew across the room with enough force that he smashed the desk he hit.*

</strong><strong>Hectar climbed through the broken scar in the cellar door, damaged by a fight shortly before the dispansion of the order. Hectar jumped over the damaged staircase while Wills used his magic talents and 'blinked' past the dangerous wreakage. On the floor of the cellar were masses of broken bottles. "Bloody waste" Wills couldn't help but wonder aloud.

"Maybe theres some decent survivours." They searched the mess on the floor but found little more than cheap Pinot Noir. All the good wine was now in the drain. Hectar cut himself and, cursing, kicked the wall. Against the odds, he somehow opened a hidden compartment. Concealed inside was some of the oldest and highest quality wine either of the boys had ever seen. Two wide grins and careful sacking later, the boys made their way out of the cellar. Wills, once again, 'blinked' across the gap and turned around to his companion on the other side.

*"Jump! Take my hand!" Wills screamed desperately to Galvon who was down the cellar. The whole cellar and ground floor was on fire. The unstable stairway gave signs of getting ready to collapse at any excuse. Galvon fought with Enaya amist the flames, attempting to rid the order of a persistant enemy and sadist. One of his blades struck her staff and the other headed for her hip. She quickly moved her staff to block the second blow but the first blade headed for her neck. The blade cut through thin air, however, as Enaya teleported past both Galvon and Wills. Galvon turned to the exit, frustation of being cheated out of his victory passing his face. He charged up the stairs and lept over the gap. He barely reached the other side.... but it crumpled under his weight. Wills watched with horror as Galvon fell into the inferno below.

Wills turned to Enaya, pure hatred in his eyes. "So torturing me wasnt enough was it?"

Enaya simply laughed. "Oh no. Certainly not, though i would love to do that again." Wills charged at her, spinning his battle staff and swinging it at Enaya. Enaya's own staff blocked his blow. However, Enaya's skill was focused on her magic spells while Wills was experiance with the use of his staff. A flurry of moves put her off balance and she staggered back. Wills, without hesitation, charged towards her, his anger blinding his judgement. Enaya glared at him and prepared a spell. Just before Wills connected with her, a portal appeared between the two.

As Galvon climbed out of the pit, with minor burns, and looked at the battle, he saw Wills charge straight into the portal, which disapeared.*

Wills walked out of the North keep.

*The keep, damaged from the mana bomb, collapsed behind him. He fell forward and put the unconcious Bhrealice down. He then rolled over and coughed. He coughed and choaked again and again until he started coughing blood. Then he continued coughing blood until his grip on conciousness slipped away. Gishna bent down to help him.*

Wills and Hectar knocked on the portcullus of the South keep. A dwarven neatherguardsman peered through the steel gaps, recognised the ex-vanguards and welcomed them in. It seemed while many of the people of the Eastern Kingdoms had either forgotten or scorned the existance of the men and women of each race of the alliance who had risked their lives to bring order in their own way, the soldiers of Neatherguarde certainly hadnt.

They made their way through the keep, heading for the staircase. They passed the entrance to the dungion. Neither of them spoke a word at this point. The enchanted door represented the darker side to the order. It stank of dried blood and scorched flesh, and an aura of evil reached out, forcing its way into the minds of those who think about its events for too long.

*Only hate filled the room. Katrien, chained to the wall, hated the Vanguards. Trynian hated Katrien for the death of his unborn child. The present vanguards hated Katrien for what she was, a cultist of the scourge. Wills hated absolutely everyone for their horrifying actions this evening and their willingness to do them, and Dragmar hated Wills for his naivety.

The scene was grotesque. Every soul in the room had lost the foundations of their character, becoming creatures darker than that which prowl the neather. Wills lost his respect, love and understanding, creating a well of turmoil in which, in each of the people around him, he no longer saw the good side in them, seeing them only for their sins and labeling them monsters, and therefore becoming one himself. Trynian was simply emotionless, not even hearing the voices around him, his only goal being to inflict as much pain on his prisoner before she dies. Eliras stood there, a void filling the feelings of love that formerly swelled from her shattered womb, and Katrien, longing for the pain of torture if only to enjoy the wave of hatred that lashed at her, giving her satisfaction not often fufilled.

Deaf to the protests of Wills and the encouragement of the Vanguards, Trynian strode forward with a large fire poker.*

An uncontrollable shiver crawled down Wills spine and he decided he'd better hurry upstairs.

((to be continued))