5 ： Sadows of Betra
cae，swellgtheirranksandbolstergtheirspirits
onenight，astheycapedbyariver，sukieandhanfenglgsatbythefire，theirhandsiwiheflickergfscastawarglowontheirfaces，andforaont，theyallowedtheselvestorexandenjoyeachother’spany
“doyoueverwonderwhatlifewillbelikeafterallthisiver?”sukieaskedftly，hereyesreflegthefirelight
hanfenglglookedather，hisexpressiontender“idoidreaofaworldwherewelivepeace，withoutfearordarknessaworldwherewebuildafuturetother”
sukie’sheartswelledwithlove“idreaofthattooandibelieveweakeitareality”
hanfenglgleaned，pressilekisstoherlips“withyoubyyside，iknowwe”
theirontofpeacewasshatteredbytheundofrtlgthebhesstantlyalert，hanfenglgdrewhissword，andsukiereadiedheragicafigureerdfrotheshadows，andtheywerebothrelievedtoseeiaheirsuts
“we’vespottedagroupofthedarklord’sldiersnearby，”thesutreported“theyseetobesettgupanabh”
hanfenglg’sexpressionhardened“weodealwiththebeforetheyattackgatherourfordprepareforbattle”
thecapsprangtoa，theairfilledwiththeundfpreparationsastheyovedthroughthedarkness，sukiefeltasenseofunityandpurposetheywerenotjtfightgfortheselvesbutforeveryonewhohadsuffereduhedarklord’styranny
theabhwasswiftandbrutalsukieandhanfenglihechar，theiroventsperfectlysyheyfoughtsidebysidethedarklord’sldierswerecaughtoffguard，aleicklyturheirfavor
theidstofthefight，sukiespottedafailiarfacetheleaderoftheldierswasherthantheanwhohadattackedtheiroutpostandtakeni’sfailyasurofanraerationfilledher，andshefoughtherwaytowardshi
“you！”sheshouted，hervoicefilledwithfury“you’regawaythisti！”
theleadersneered，raisghisswordtoetherattack“you’reafooltothkyoudefeat”
theirswordscshed，thesgthroughthenightsukiefoughitheverythgshehad，heranraerationfuelirengthhanfenglg，seeiruggle，ovedtosupporther，hispresencegivihefidencesheneeded
tother，theyoverpoweredtheleader，theirbirengthtooutohahafal，powerfulstrike，sukiedisardhi，herswordathisthroat
“tellwherei’sfailyis，”shedeanded，hervoicesteady
theleadergredather，buttherewasfearhiseyes“they’rebegheldthedarklord’sfortressyou’llneverreachtheti”
sukie’sgriptightenedonhersword“we’llseeaboutthat”
withtheleadersubdued，therestoftheldiersicklysurrehebattlewaswon，butsukiekheirjourneywasfarfroovertheyhadtoreachthecapitandsthedarklord’sattadtheyhadtorescuei’sfailyfrothefortress
astheyregrouped，hanfenglgpcedareassurghandonsukie’sshoulder“we’llsavethe，sukieiproise”
shelookedtohiseyes，herrelvestrengtheng“iknoillandwe’llsthedarklordondforall”
theirjourued，eachstepbrggtheclosertotheirgoalthechalleheyfacedweredauntg，buttheirloveaeratioheovgforwardastheyhecapital，theyuldseethesignftheipendgattack:ldierspatrolliskirts，fortificationsbeied，aensiontheairpalpable
oneeveng，astheycapedwithsightofthecapital’swalls，sukieandhanfenglgsattother，theirheartsheavywiththeweightofthetaskaheadi，sensgtheirubesidethe，hersallhandslippgtosukie’s
“we’regogtowiwe?”iasked，hervoicefilledwithhope
sukiesiled，herheartswell