Jason jumped off and flapped after him,grabbing Fatespeaker quickly as she almost was taken off as well. He soon ran with Ash,wings folded in and making sure to keep up. He was used to running from dragons bigger than him and humans at least twice his width,but this was a lot different than running through alleys and flying rapidly through mountains and forests.

They ran for the fort, hearing the scraping of claws behind them. Ahead, through the great wooden doors, there was the darkened interior of the room. Sunlight slanted through holes in the roof, spilling over a strangely luminescent floor. As they drew closer, they could see that the ground was completely carpeted in white, bell-like flowers, which glowed softly in the dim light. They grew on the walls and even covered the ancient furniture lying around the room: a wooden table, a cupboard, a few simple cots. Everything was also covered in snow and ice, as the roof was full of holes. Ash pulled him through the opening, crushing flowers underfoot, and threw his weight against the doors. They groaned, reluctant to move

Jason,breathing quickly,saw how Ash tried to shut the door and shoved his shoulder against it. He pressed to it,flapping harder than he should have with his wings condition. Fatespeaker jumped at the door and grew to half the normal size and began shoving at the door as well,little Shade shaking in the hoodie pocket still.

They closed slowly, creaking with age and time, and the wiremen were no more than twenty yards away when they finally banged shut. Ash threw down the bolt, then pressed both hands against it and sheathed the entire gate with ice. No sooner had he finished than the first blows rattled the wooden door, resounding through the chamber. The ice shivered and tiny cracks radiated through the surface as more blows shook the gate. It wouldnt hold them for long. Ash drew his sword. "Get back," he told her as the door rattled again. More cracks shot through the ice. "Find a place to hide. Theres an alcove behind that statue against the wall--you should be able to fit."

"Ash,I can't watch this happen again.Not again." He replied,shaking his head and flicking a hand that caused Fatespeaker to grow full size. He let little Shade do the same,shaking his larger body out and growling at the door,though his eyes scared.

Ash glanced back at him and frowned. "Jason, theres nothing you can do for me. You stay! I'll hold them as long as I can. If something happens to me, find your way to the Summer Court or go back to your home!" A great chunk fell out of the door as a curved wire claw tore it away. The hole widened, as metal talons ripped and clawed at the wood. and the first of the wiremen squeezed through the crack like a giant spider. Claws flashing, it lunged at Ash, who was waiting for it. His sword arced through the air, shearing the spindly fey in half. Another skittered toward him, and he whipped his blade around to slice off a flailing arm. The wireman collapsed, twitching, in the flowers, shredding the delicate blooms like paper.

The cracks in his neck deepened a bit and Fatespeaker growled and lunged at the next attackers,serrated ice claws lashing out. He didn't want to lose Ash again,but he didn't want to anger him. He shivered but spoke to Shade and Fatespeaker. "Fight,don't way back please." He said to them and,silver pooling his eyes,backed away,wings shaking wildly as cracks shuttered through them.

Ash couldnt get distracted. More fey poured through the opening as they tore the gate to shreds. Ash was forced back, giving ground to prevent the wiremen from flanking him. Finally, he stood against a broken pillar, his back to the stones, as the Iron faeries swarmed around him, slashing and clawing. There was a noise above them, and a shower of stones and ice tumbled to the ground. A metallic form suddenly crawled through a hole in the roof and crawled along the ceiling. Ash didn't notice; he was too busy fighting off the fey surrounding him

Jason saw the threat from up above and growled. He flew up and and used what ice he had left as a sword and attacked,using his tail as a weapon and balance. He threw himself at the form,wings flapping hard and tail swinging. The two ice dragons attacked harshly,Fatespeaker putting herself between Ash and as many of those metal things as she could,screeching and swatting with deadly ragged talons. Shade started hopping about and smashing who he could,snapping his jaws around some and throwing them as he swung his tail swiftly. "Eeeee-!"

Ash was grateful for the help but he couldn't express it. The wiremen surrounded him in a chaotic blur despite Jason's efforts. He could barely be seen through the forest of slashing claws. Suddenly he leaped straight up, over the heads of the Iron fey, to land on the upright half of a broken pillar. His coat was in tatters, one side of his face was covered in crimson, and more blood dripped from numerous wounds to the flowers below. The wiremen resumed their attack, crawling up the pillar or dropping from the ceiling.

Something big and black hurtled through the smashed door, diving toward the battle. It screeched as it slammed into a wireman, knocking it off the column, and the rest of the fey looked up, startled at this newest threat. It wheeled around to land on the pillar across from Ash--a giant black raven with emerald-green eyes. Very familiar emerald-green eyes. The bird disintegrated, vanishing in a swirling black cloud. A new form rose up from the explosion, shaking feathers from his fiery red hair, a wide, familiar grin spreading across his face.