As the chaos of battle echoed throughout the emerald grove, Ikaron felt a whirlwind of emotions surge through him. The cries of his comrades mingled with the sounds of clashing steel and the guttural shouts of the goblins as he fought with determination to protect the refuge his people had found among the trees. But as he battled his way through the onslaught, his mind continually flickered back to the absence of Kefiel.
He had been so sure she


