I was going to post this as a one-shot, but it didn't feel right, so I'm posting it on this story as an interlude before chapter 2 (which is still under development… hopefully not for too much longer though.) Just a brief little short after the events of chapter 1, a bit of aftermath sort of.

Notorious T: Thank you for your review and I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter.

On a side note, the rating has been changed to T because yes the violence was kind of graphic but it wasn't that bad… at least it wasn't in my opinion.

Interlude: Not in Vain

One flung haphazardly against a wall with a hole in his chest.

One in a deadly embrace with his killer.

One torn to ribbons, her once pristine white and blue robes now in tatters and colored red.

One lying facedown in the mud in front of two halves of a giant goblin, his armor scarred and dented beyond repair and his stalwart blade still clutched in his hand.

One nothing but ashes in a giant crater.

And two, curled up together, sharing their final tender moment after a long hard battle.

This is what Bri sees two days after the battle as he wades through the remains of what was once the great City of Ortana. To think that it was just 7 years ago that all those young men and women had been bumbling around on the tower, wondering what the hell was going on.

But now they were gone, and he was still here. As a final favor, he would burn them all together, those that needed it anyway, and he'd scatter their ashes as one big group, maybe that way they'd stay together in the next life. They had served seven long years of service to him and his city, it was the least he could do to show them their deaths were not in vain.

-oOo-

Years later, after that fateful battle that left so many dead and homeless, a new party of six volunteer soldiers find their way to their new lodgings for the foreseeable future. In the next lot over there is a small shrine.

The party thinks nothing of it at first, but as time passes, they notice that there are several similar shrines all over the city, and that many people go to pay their respects every day. When the Thief of the party notices his eccentric mentor stop by the shrine to leave an offering, he becomes interested.

He watches as she places something in front of the marker and smile gently as if she were reminiscing on fond memories before leaving.

Waiting a few moments for his mentor to leave, he exits the small home and walks over to the shrine.

The shrine itself is nothing special. It's just a simple rock planted in the ground with an inscription reading:

On this spot, seven brave men and women sacrificed themselves in the defence of Ortana

Their actions saved the lives of many citizens and much of the city itself

May they find each other, as well as their lost companion, in the next life,

May their heroic deeds always be remembered,

And may their weapons continue to protect our beautiful city in their stead

Leaning up against a wall behind the stone sat a giant blade in the center, with a pair of swords leaning against it on either side, one dark and menacing, the other silver inlaid with gold. Next to the swords, there is a Staff on either side, silver on the left, and wooden on the right. Finally leaning up against the stone underneath the inscription, sits a pair of crossed daggers, one dark and leaf shaped, the other silver and thin.

Sitting in front of the crossed daggers however, is a carved figurine of a cat, it's eyes slightly droopy as if it were old and tired.

Come to think of it, his teacher had once told him that he reminded her of an Old Cat she used to know...