There is a pressure in her side that grows sharper and stronger as she begins to wake until she jerks with a shuddering breath.

The sounds of the night draw his attention, but they can be easily dismissed. Fluttering wings, chirping bugs, and the hoot of an owl can be ignored. The Empire’s soldiers announce themselves with the sound of chains grating against each other and the snapping of metal armor as they march.

“General Evie,” General Redbeard calls from below. She spots him in the crowd easily. His grin is feral, its why she nicknamed him the mad dog. “I was wondering how many more would have to die before I finally got to you.”