by Ramy Vance
The two skeletons turned away from Abby and the rest of them and walked off into the sunset, flecks of blue ash floating from them.
Abby ran toward Anabelle and Terra. “Wait! Take us with you!” she shouted.
The skeletons stopped walking and turned to face Abby. They knelt, looking at the girl, and gently reached out.
Abby grabbed one of the skeleton’s fingers and clutched it as tightly as she could. She wasn’t going to let go, no matter what. They were going to take her with them.
The skeleton Abby wasn’t holding reached out and held up Abby’s chin as she cried. “I need you guys. Please,” Abby cried.
“No, you don’t,” Anabelle’s voice murmured.
Flakes of blue ash continued to come off the two skeletons as they began to fade.
Abby didn’t let go. She held on with every muscle in her body, every fiber of her being.
The skeletons collapsed, shattering into blue crystals as they hit the floor.
Abby cried as she held onto the skeleton’s fading finger, flecks of blue crystal surrounding her like a cloud. The skeleton’s finger shattered as well.
Another hand reached down for her, one covered in flesh. Sarah. “You’re gonna be okay, kid,” she said. “I promise. You’re going to be okay.”
Chapter Thirty
The main hall of HQ was filled with flowers from all over the Nine Realms. They hung from the ceiling and the walls in delicate and intricate patterns. Many of them were white.
Pews had been brought in, and hundreds of people were sitting in them. They spoke to each other quietly in somber tones, their whispers filling the Great Hall.
Drones floated through the room, offering refreshments to the guests who were seated.
Myrddin wandered around the room, talking to foreign dignitaries. He wore a beautiful pure-white suit from the elvish realm. He didn't look nearly as tired as normal, but his face held no joy.
There were a handful of drones in the back of the room, recording the proceedings. The funeral was being broadcast all over the Nine Realms. Creon was sitting in the back, watching the ceremony through a multitude of monitors.
At the front of the hall were two white caskets. One was decorated in traditional orc fashion. A pile of bones sat beneath the casket, and Terra's ceremonial axe, the Shaman's Hand, rested on the top. Cire stood next to it, singing the Orcish burial rites softly under his breath while pouring mead over the shining white box.
Anabelle's casket was beside Terra's. The flowers decorating it made those that decorated the Great Hall look paltry in comparison. They ranged from dramatic blues to pastel oranges. The flowers grew from the floor of the Great Hall, their vines wrapping around the casket like a warm, embracing blanket.
Abby walked into the Great Hall. Her nanobots had formed a black military uniform with the new Dark Gate Angels insignia on the chest.
Persephone was at Abby's side, her hand intertwined with the girl’s. Her flowing magenta gown, composed of individual pieces of mithril, swept across the floor as the two made their way to Creon.
As the newest member of the DGA, he wore the same insignia.
Abby rested her hand on the gnome’s shoulder, smiling slightly. It barely penetrated the sadness on her face. "Hey, how's everything running over here?"
Creon patted Abby's hand before he spun around in his chair. "Beautifully. The feed to the Nine Realms is working perfectly. Everyone will be able to pay their respects. How are you holding up?"
"Six months is a long time to grieve. We're sure the both of them would have loved this."
Creon nodded as he absentmindedly typed without looking at the screen. "Avoid Myrddin if you can. He's giving small speeches. Not that they're bad, but you know he's going to give another one once this is all over. Might as well brace yourself for that one."
Abby and Persephone chuckled. "Do you want to take a seat?" Abby asked.
Persephone craned her head to take a look at the rest of the Hall before looking at her comm watch. "Might as well. Everything should be starting soon."
Abby and Persephone approached the front of the hall where the caskets were.
Cire had moved away from Terra's casket and was standing a few feet away, his back facing the crowd. Persephone and Abby came up to him, and the orc smiled at the two of them. He looked sad but not defeated, and his eyes still radiated warmth. "I'm glad to see you two. How have you been?"
Abby shrugged as she looked at Terra’s and Anabelle's casket. "You know, the usual. Work, trying to save the universe. How about you?"
Cire nodded as he returned his gaze to Terra's casket. "Rasputina and I are still working to solve the complications of Terra passing into the Netherverse with my soul, but other than that, business as usual."
"He's being modest. The research is going well, and his people are thriving," a voice said.
Rasputina approached from the side, along with Grok. The lich wore a long, sweeping cloak that seemed to be covered in dust. Grok, on the other hand, wore nothing but her leather armor. They stopped on the other side of Cire.
Abby saluted the two using the traditional orc gesture. "Glad you two decided to come. They would have wanted you here."
Rasputina pulled back her hood. "It's the least we could do."
"Sure your kingdoms aren't going to fall apart while you're gone?"
Abby looked over her shoulder to see Sarah walking down the aisle. Kravis was at her side but took a seat as she approached the hall's stage.
Sarah wore a similar uniform to Abby’s, although it was woven of nanofiber mesh instead of produced by nanobots. "Who's going to keep demons from trying to take over while you're gone?"
Rasputina smiled pleasantly. "There are no uprisings. They all know better than to challenge our rule."
Abby couldn't help but laugh to herself. Some things never changed.
Myrddin appeared at the front of the Great Hall and cleared his throat. "We are gathered here to honor the sacrifices of two of the bravest warriors the Nine Realms have ever seen, Terra and Anabelle of the Dark Gate Angels. They sacrificed their lives so the Nine Realms could continue existing, but I can only tell you snippets of what I learned from the two of them. Instead, we will honor them today by listening to their closest friends, those who fought side by side with these amazing women."
The wizard motioned for Abby to come to the podium.
The scientist took a deep breath. She had so many emotions and stories running through her mind, she didn't know where to start. The speech she'd written didn't seem to do justice to what she felt, or how much Terra and Anabelle had meant to her.
Myrddin walked off the stage and took a seat as Abby ascended the podium. She cleared her throat as tears began welling up. She rested her hand on the podium and took another deep breath.
"Belle and Terra were, first and foremost, my best friends. They were two of the strongest people I've ever met. Constantly growing, pushing themselves to be better. Without them, we..."
Abby tried to keep from sobbing, but she couldn't help it. She turned away from the audience for a moment while she wiped away the tears and tried to compose herself.
Two drones flew over the podium.
"Hey, dude, we said to make it sad but not like, crying-for-a-week sad," came a familiar voice.
A holograph of Terra's face projected from one of the drones. "This is too sad. I thought you were going to talk about how much I kicked ass or something. Maybe my haircut. Oh, or about that time I totally owned you in that ramen-eating contest?"
The other drone projected an image of Anabelle, who had her arms crossed and was glaring disapprovingly at Terra. "She might have gotten to that if you hadn't interrupted her speech."
Abby hiccupped as she laughed, her heart swelling the moment she saw Anabelle’s and Terra's faces. "If you two don't mind, can I finish my eulogy? This is streaming live."
Terra turned around to see the crowd. "Oh, crap. I didn't think so many people were going
to come to my funeral. And they're crying! Sick." She turned back to Abby. "Yeah, go on. Just remember, we're dead. Not gone."
The two drones flew off and landed near Persephone and Cire.
Abby cleared her throat. "As I was saying before I was interrupted. Terra and Anabelle were the two best friends I could ask for, and the love and loyalty they shared with me was what they gave the Nine Realms. I'll never be able to thank them enough."
Terra's hologram started clapping. "Hell, yeah! We were awesome!"
The rest of the audience broke into applause as the Anabelle hologram hung her head and shook it, laughing quietly.
When the wake was over. Myrddin magicked the pews out of the Great Hall, replacing them with circular tables and spindly, ornate chairs. The tables were filled with appetizers, and Abby's drones attended to a buffet table.
The heroes of the War for the Nine Realms were all seated together. Naota bickered with Creon and Cire while Persephone and Sarah chatted with each other. Sarah continued to drop hints about marriage to Persephone, who awkwardly tried to come up with excuses.
Abby sat closest to Anabelle and Terra. The three were engrossed in each other's conversation. It had been months since Abby had been able to speak to the two.
The month after Anabelle and Terra had sacrificed themselves had been difficult for Abby. She’d spent days in bed and had been inconsolable. But one day, she heard Terra’s and Anabelle's voices. She hadn't believed it, but she told Creon anyway.
Reopening the valves had caused the Netherverse to shut down between the realms, but what Abby was hearing could have only come from there.
Creon had told her he had no idea what was going on.
But Abby could still hear her friends. Deep in her bones, she heard them every day, and their voices grew louder and stronger.
Abby realized she was still connected to the Dark Melody of the Netherverse through her nanobots.
From there, it was as simple as figuring out how to open a portal.
Myrddin walked over and took a seat next to Abby. Terra waved emphatically at the wizard. "Hey, how is it going, my dude? I have to admit, your speech was pretty good. Not nearly as good as Abby's or Cire's, but a close third."
Myrddin smiled as he conjured himself a glass of wine. "I'll take it. How are my two favorite Netherverse agents doing?"
Anabelle pointed her finger at Myrddin. "I'll be doing a lot better once you figure out how to get the Netherverse access to heaven. Roy won't stop going on about not being able to visit Blackwell."
Myrddin sighed. "As I told you before, Anabelle, it's not that simple. Having all Nine Realms be able to access the Netherverse, hell, heaven, and every other potential universe is complicated enough. He does realize that Blackwell can easily travel from heaven to the Netherverse, doesn't he?"
Anabelle nodded. "Yeah. It’s weird how Blackwell can visit Roy in hell but not vice versa.”
“Not that weird. I mean, would you leave heaven once you got in? Especially when hell is your alternative.” Myrddin’s cheeks went red, remembering who he was speaking to and, more importantly, where she was.
Anabelle laughed. “It’s OK, I like it here. We all do. But like I was saying regarding Roy, he's complaining that he can't go visit Blackwell. I think he's jealous he got stuck in the Netherverse because he wasn't good enough for heaven."
Terra shrugged. "All this shit is mostly connected now anyway. Who cares?"
"Obviously, Blackwell hasn't let Roy hear the last of it."
Myrddin waved his wand. "This will have to do for the time being."
There was a flash of light, and Anabelle and Terra were sitting beside Abby.
Abby squealed and knocked the two of them over as she jumped on them to give them hugs.
Across the table, a gruff voice cleared its throat. Roy was standing wrapped in a bath towel, smoking a cigar. "Uh. Next time, you want to give me some warning?"
Terra pushed Abby off her. "I thought it was impossible for us to travel out of the Netherverse?"
Myrddin stood and smiled proudly. "It is. This spell will last for a few hours, and I probably won't be able to do magic for a week."
Terra ruffled Abby's hair and stood up. "I'm stoked to see you, kid, but I'm going to be honest—"
Abby waved Terra away. "Yeah, yeah, something gross about you and Cire."
Terra grabbed Cire and pulled him away from the table. She'd already ripped Cire's top two buttons off his shirt.
Anabelle and Abby sat together. "Missed you a lot, kid. The video chats aren't quite enough."
Abby nodded as she swiped away a tear. "Yeah, not really."
The elf grabbed a glass of wine and leaned back in her chair. "Good thing you're going to be the one stuck coming down to the Netherverse for all of our problems. Can't wait for our first catastrophe."
Abby looked up at the sky. "There's still the Light One. We have no idea where she went. That could always be the next big one. And who knows how us turning the Netherverse into a nexus could affect the balance of—"
Sarah leaned over the table and waved her hands in front of Abby's face. "Hey! How about we don't talk about work right now? We only got these two for an hour."
Music blared from the speakers in the Great Hall. Abby looked over her shoulder and saw Terra kissing Cire.
Abby stood up as some of the tables were cleared for a dance floor. "How about we party instead?"
Anabelle downed her glass of wine as she and Sarah stood. She looked at Grok and Rasputina. "That means you too."
Grok crossed her arms. "I don't dance."
Rasputina cast off her cloak and stood, then grabbed Grok's hand and pulled her out of her chair. "Come on. We're with friends."
The music pumped louder as Abby stepped onto the dance floor, the lights streaming overhead.
This party wasn't going to last forever, and that didn’t matter to Abby.
Not one little bit.
The End
The First Human Rider
A Middang3ard Series
Have you tried the Dragon Approved series from Ramy Vance and Michael Anderle? Book one is The First Human Rider and it’s available now from Amazon and through Kindle Unlimited.
Dragonriders are all that stand between Middang3ard and total annihilation.
But their numbers are dwindling.
With every passing day, more and more Dragonriders are falling under the scourge of the Dark One.
The forces of humanity and their allies are desperate. They need a new hero to step up and turn the tide.
Myrddin, the resistance’s leader, thinks he might have found that someone…on Earth, of all places.
Word has just come from the east that the Dark One is launching his largest assault yet, but there is still time to stop him. If, that is, they can find someone good enough to take him on.
Alex Bound just might be the rider they need.
But a human has never been accepted as a Dragonrider.
Let alone a blind human...
Alex isn’t someone to step away from a fight.
Not now, not ever, and she has no plans to start—even if she needs to ride a real dragon to make it happen.
Grab your copy of The First Human Rider at Amazon or through Kindle Unlimited
Author Notes Ramy Vance
October 2, 2020
Most people don’t know this about me (truth be told, most people don’t believe me), but I didn’t touch alcohol from the age of 21 to 34.
Not a drop.
There wasn’t any real reason for it, except I found that when I was such a lightweight that a night of moderate drinking usually ended with me praying to the porcelain bowl.
Drinking just wasn’t worth it.
Besides, I never needed alcohol to lower my inhibitions. That bar was set pretty low from the get-go.
Then the Egyptian Revolution happened and everything changed.
You see, I’m half-Egyptian, and lived most of my life in the Midd
le East. So when the famed 18 Day Revolution began, everyone and their mother called the one Arab they knew – aka: me – and asked what I thought would happen.
I made predictions carefully crafted from my studies of Middle Eastern History, my decades of immersing myself in Arab culture and my keen, finely-honed senses.
And every prediction I made was wrong.
Not just wrong, mind you. It was as if the divine powers that be listened in on everything I thought would happen, and did the exact opposite.
I didn’t get a single thing right.
Not one.
But there was one prediction that I was confident in. President Mubarak, the dictator that resided over Egypt for the better part of 4 decades, would never step down.
Never.
I was so confident of this particular prediction that I proudly proclaimed that should Mubarak fall, I will start drinking again.
I still remember the day it happened.
I was penning a manuscript that still hasn’t seen the light of day (Samurai vs. Vampire – ahem, Michael!). CNN was on mute in the background. I looked down at my manuscript, writing the very last sentence to a particularly violent fight scene, and when I looked up, the headline read: Mubarak Stepped Down.
Needless to say, I had made a promise. To my friends, my family…the universe.
A Vance always pays his debts. Standing from my desk, I searched my apartment for alcohol. Sadly, the only thing I found was two bottles of warm cider in the back of a cupboard.
Resolved to my fate, downed those two bottles and laughed my ass off as, later that afternoon, prostrated myself before the porcelain bowl and offered tribute.
13 years of abscondence ruined by hubris and the human spirit to fight for something better. Such was my fate. Such is my joy.
Author Notes Michael Anderle
October 5, 2020
