Realms

by Kit Bladegrave

  “What happened?” I yelled at her, blasting three spiders charging at us.

  “I don’t know. There was a sudden influx of soldiers. The trench was overrun and then Baladon, he was attacking, but then he was just gone. I thought he went after you.”

  “Not us, and the portal’s closed.” Where was he?

  “We’ve lost so many,” Sabella said as we were forced backward a few more yards, keeping a line of fire and light magic between the enemy and our people. “The gargoyles, they tore them apart.”

  “We’ll regroup back at the fortress—” I started.

  Sabella suddenly collapsed.

  “Sabella.”

  Before I could even reach her, Tristan was there, hefting her over his shoulders and retreating with the others. I took up a stance beside Forrest, but there were too many to hold off. Bear and Keanu joined the fight, attacking alongside Craig and whoever else was not too wounded or worn out to keep attacking. They were trying to buy enough time for the rest of our forces to retreat. It was a bloody nightmare that I feared would never end.

  Bear bellowed as ghouls leapt over the front line and attacked him, swarming him. Craig rushed in to yank them off, but it was too late. Bear lay dead on the ground. Keanu attacked the ghouls, but I couldn’t go. More spiders were advancing, and my starlight was barely enough to keep them away. More and more of the enemy launched themselves at us.

  I heard another scream tear through the fighting.

  “Danielle!” I sprinted toward her, snatching her hand as two trolls had hold of her, trying to drag her away. I clutched at her, holding on as I lifted a hand to blast them with starlight. One troll went down only to be replaced by another and another.

  Her eyes narrowed as she began to let go of my hands.

  “No. What are you doing?” I yelled as all along our retreating line more were snatched up by the enemy. “Danielle!”

  “Avenge us, Mori,” she yelled then her grip slipped from mine. She threw herself back into the trolls, fighting with everything she had. But it wasn’t enough. I heard her shriek even as I rushed in to try and save her. I blasted as many as I could, but the ritual had left me weakened. A red tint to my stars seemed to be affecting my power. I couldn’t last much longer in this fight.

  I found myself surrounded before long, yelling in rage as I attacked again and again, but each of my bursts was dimmer than the last. Several ghouls cackled, making ready to devour me for my foolishness, when a burst of dragon fire sent them running and then Forrest was there, carrying me out from their midst. He set me down further away and shifted.

  “We have to run for it.”

  He took my hand, and with us bringing up the rear of the pack, we set off across the field and into the trees. Ahead of us was what remained of our army, beaten and bloodied, a far smaller number than what we marched here with.

  “Sabella, where is she?” I asked.

  Forrest pointed up ahead, and we hurried to catch up to where Tristan had her thrown over his shoulder. She was yelling at him to put her down, but he refused.

  “Just stop. Baladon’s army, it’s stopping,” she yelled.

  We turned around, not ready to believe what she said, but his army hadn’t entered the forest after us—a forest quickly coming back to life as we watched.

  “Why did they stop?” Forrest asked confused.

  “Baladon,” Sabella muttered as Tristan finally set her back on her feet. Her face was pale, eyes wide in terror. “The fortress… he attacked it.”

  “What do you mean? Just now?” Forrest asked alarmed.

  Sabella bobbed her head, turning in the direction of the fortress. “We have to hurry before he kills them all.”

  None of us said a word. We took off again, catching up to the rest of our retreating forces, fearing what destruction had been wrought just when we thought we were finally managing to hit Baladon where it hurt.

  He just went and hit us right back.

  20

  Forrest

  No matter which direction I looked, there was someone wounded, or those carrying someone who was. We trudged through the trees, retreating toward Torolf as fast as we could, what with so many unable to move on their own.

  So many more beaten down and defeated by the frontline being overrun. By the innocents slaughtered at the fortress. Many got out, but only because those warriors left behind gave their lives so they could live. The army that had been growing strong enough to make a final push against Baladon was brought low. We hadn’t even reached the fortress, but found those who escaped running for their lives. Baladon had destroyed it, brought the mountain down on whoever remained inside.

  Now we walked to the only place we could think of that might be safe—Mori’s home in the stone maze.

  She tripped, and I steadied her, hating to see her eyes so lacking in light. The ritual and the fight had taken much from her. Her bandaged hands were wrapped around my arm, holding onto me as tightly as I held onto her.

  “Almost there,” she whispered, more I thought to bolster herself than me.

  “You’ll need to rest when we get there, recover your strength,” I insisted.

  “Once we tend to all the wounded, I will. But my realm won’t keep him out,” she told me, glancing around worriedly. “He’ll come for us before long.”

  “We’ll worry about that when he does.”

  It was a small victory, but with the portal sealed for good, Baladon would be weakened. He might have hurt us, but we took out a decent chunk of his army. If nothing else, Baladon knew just how strong we were. And that we were not going down easily.

  The forests near Torolf were full and green, filled with life. Mori led the way into the trees toward where the seam to her world resided. The opening lit up as she neared, and she lifted her hands, wincing as she tried to open it wider, until I gave her what strength I had. The seam opened into an arched doorway, and all those remaining walked through. Their eyes were unfocused and lifeless. What little hope we’d managed to stir was disappearing, and if we weren’t careful, we’d lose it all together.

  The six of us were the last through the entrance, then Mori shut the seam behind her.

  “We’ll need to place guards right outside the entrance, as well as just within. To give us some warning at least,” she said quietly.

  “I’ll find some volunteers,” Craig said, as he and Kate walked deeper into the maze.

  Mori had lit the path leading to the temple for the others. There were many wounded to tend to, and we made that our first priority. A group walked back toward the entrance to keep an eye out and soon Mori’s temple—which had completely rebuilt itself since our last trip here—was filled from one end to the other. Several fires were started, and the people flowed out of the temple into the maze, taking up residence where they could.

  The hours rushed by in a blur. I longed to sit down and close my eyes, but there were too many needing aid. Or a comforting hand to hold as they came to grips with the atrocities they’d witnessed. Bear and Danielle, countless others had been lost in this last battle, and everyone felt the loss deeply. I saw Sabella crying at one point as Tristan hugged her, neither saying a word. I was weary of trying to think of ways to cheer up those around me. Of ways to remind them there was still hope.

  But really, what hope was there? The abyss was closed, but how many had we lost in the process? The war had to end… it had to end, before there was no one left to fight for.

  A warm breeze blew across my neck, and I turned in time to see Mori motioning to me from the maze’s entrance. I got up and followed her through the maze, knowing where we headed after a few turns. She led us off the main path toward the waterfall and the healing waters that flowed from it. Once we were alone, she sank to the grass and stared blankly ahead.

  “Mori, what happened out there, at the portal?”

  “I closed it,” she replied emotionless.

  “No, there was more happening, I saw your face. You were so frightened, bu
t your eyes were pure white. Were you seeing something?”

  Her hands dug into the grass at her sides as a single tear slipped down her cheek. “I saw everyone dead. Every last person dead and the realms burning. There was nothing left and you… you blamed me.”

  “It wasn’t real.”

  “I know, it was the darkness from the abyss, but those images don’t just go away easily, you know? I keep seeing your dead body when I close my eyes now. It’s too much. When does it end? When? I don’t think I can keep doing this.”

  Her face fell into her hands, and her shoulders shook as she broke down. I scooted closer and drew her close, holding and soothing her the best I could. The sound of the waterfall called to me and an idea formed in my mind. Nothing could make what happened magically go away, but those were healing waters, and Mori right then needed her strength back. I picked her up, somehow managing to get to my feet and as she asked what I was doing, I grinned and jumped into the water with her in my arms.

  She sputtered and laughed as we bobbed in the water, splashing each other. Before long, her light became pure again, and my aches and pains eased as the water washed over me.

  “We need to bring everyone else here,” she decided. “If nothing else, it’ll heal their wounds faster.”

  “Once you’re healed, we will,” I promised, slicing through the water to reach her.

  We enjoyed the serenity for a few more minutes, then both of us stepped out, our clothes soaked, but feeling like we might survive another night. I caught her hand when we reached the stone archway and kissed her, not sure when we’d get another moment alone. Hand in hand, we walked back to the temple and in small groups, brought everyone to the stream to wash and heal. A few appeared skeptical, but once the water washed over them, their faces relaxed, and they left the stream with new light in their eyes.

  The last four to enter were Tristan and Sabella, and Craig and Kate.

  “This was here the first time?” Tristan looked around.

  “It was dried out thanks to Baladon, but this is what the maze always looked like, prior to his arrival,” Mori explained. “Get in, the water is always perfect.”

  One by one they did, and Mori and I joined them. We stayed in there for a long while, talking about anything but Baladon and the war, pretending that we were just normal newlyweds and not the six destined to take on a god hellbent on destroying the world.

  21

  Forrest

  A full day passed in Mori’s realm, and we gathered in the main temple, working out our best options for attacking Baladon. There were no good ideas, and the six of us were adamant that no one was to march out there unless they chose to do so. Someone needed to live.

  “I will not stand by while the six of you go out there and face down Baladon,” Keanu argued hotly. “It’s not going to happen.”

  “I’m with him,” Hank agreed. “If this is the end, I’m going down with you.”

  I glanced around the room at the weary faces. Underneath their exhaustion was a grim determination to see this through to the end. I wanted to sit there and say we had the perfect plan to get back at Baladon and destroy him, but nothing came to mind.

  Mori had just opened her mouth to speak when an elf burst into the temple, falling to his knees.

  “Baladon, he’s come,” he blurted. “He and his army, they march against Torolf.”

  “How long ‘til they reach us?” Mori asked, already on her feet.

  “An hour, two at most… but he does appear weaker,” the scout reported. “And his staff, it does not glow as bright as it once did.”

  “This is it, then,” Craig growled, looking at Kate. “This is the final battle.”

  “He’s coming to our front door to greet us,” Tristan added. “Fantastic.”

  “Then I say we go out there and greet him like the gracious hosts we are,” Mori declared. “The time for hiding and playing games is over. This is our fight, and we will take it to him.” She looked at me as she reached for my hand, adding, “The six of us. Together.”

  “It won’t be easy, attacking him head-on,” I informed her. “He’ll throw every last one of his minions in front of him to stop us.”

  “Then we kill them all,” Keanu said, slamming his fist down on the table. “You leave his army to us. You have one job to do, nephew, no matter how many of us fall, you have to kill that bastard. Destroy him so he can never return.”

  When we stared at each other this time, there was no hiding the fear for what we were about to do, but at the same time, our resolve to fight until whatever end came, gave us strength. We would use that strength against Baladon.

  The war was going to end.

  Mori stood at my side, armed to the teeth and ready for battle. Sabella and Tristan were to my right, Craig and Kate to Mori’s left. We walked tall and strong in a straight line out from the trees to the army that awaited us. Baladon stood at their center, leering as he gripped his staff in one hand, shadows swirling in a constant storm around his legs. The stone at the top of his staff was certainly dimmer, but the god of monsters was still intimidating.

  We stopped thirty yards or so away from the front of his army, and waited, not saying a word. Baladon’s mouth opened wide, flashing his fangs at us, but he made no move to leave the safety of his troops.

  “How nice of you to come outside for me,” he called out, his voice making my skin crawl.

  None of us spoke, and that seemed to irritate him more.

  “Do you not wish to curse me for all those I’ve killed? For those lives I am still going to take?”

  Mori’s starlight pulsed once, yet we kept silent, waiting for him to make the first move. We needed him to push his troops so the rest of our army, which was hidden out of sight, could attack and pull them away from their master.

  “Fine, if you wish to face your deaths silently, I will gladly accept those terms.” He raised his hand, and his army readied for the charge. “Now that once you are gone, the rest of the world will know only darkness and I will rule over this world forever. Kill them!”

  Just as we hoped, Baladon was desperate to be rid of us, and his entire army charged as one.

  Every instinct told me to run, but I stood my ground, waiting as I held my breath. His army was just about to hit us when dragon fire exploded, halting them. Keanu roared another charge, and the rest of our army attacked, using the fire to split Baladon’s forces.

  Kate and I shifted at the same time, taking to the sky, and heading for Baladon’s personal guard. Three of the beasts, exactly like the one that attacked Mori—the one that had tendrils for legs—stood in front of him, taking the brunt of our fire. I had just long enough to catch a hint of fear in Baladon’s eyes, then I turned my attention to the fight at hand.

  Below, glimmers of starlight appear as Mori and Sabella fought side by side, pushing their way through the army. Tristan and Craig flanked them, and between the four of them, managed to make a wedge of attack aimed at Baladon.

  Kate and I kept up the fire attacks on the personal guard, taking one down together, burning him to ash. The other two attacked us, their tendrils shooting up into the sky, snagging our legs and wings, whatever they could grab hold of. One tug yanked us both from the sky, and we hit the ground hard. Kate managed to shift, and the Vindicar shield appeared at her left arm. She swung it wide, slicing through the tendrils holding her. I drew my sword, hacking and slashing.

  All around us, the battle raged on. Fires burned bright, lighting up the intense fighting stretching from one end of the field to the other.

  Baladon had not moved, arrogantly standing as if we could not touch him. As if we would not be the ones to kill him this day. All we had to do was reach him, the six of us, and unleash hell.

  The guard I fought against threw itself at me, taking us to the grass. I lifted my blade, aiming for its face. Those tendrils tightened their grip on my arms and pinned me down.

  “Goodbye, dragon king,” the creature hissed, its fanged mou
th aiming for my neck.

  22

  Mori

  I lost sight of Forrest as he fell from the sky. I cursed the ghoul coming at me, pulled on my power and sent starlight burning through the line of ghouls in front of me, burning them to a crisp before they hit the ground.

  Baladon’s personal guard had been near him, and as the forces in front of me parted, I spied Kate fighting one, and Forrest, the other. They appeared to be winning, until suddenly, the beast had Forrest on the ground.

  “No!” I charged through the fighting, not taking my eyes off him.

  Those fangs were ready to tear Forrest’s throat out.

  I raised my hand, shouting a battle cry as I blasted it off of Forrest. It shrieked as it sailed through the air. Grabbing Forrest by his armor, I yanked him back to his feet.

  Immediately, the beast was back, aiming for both of us. But just as Thorne said, together we were strong. Forrest held tightly to my one hand as I raised the other and a solid beam of starlight shot out, stopping the monster in its tracks. Its tendrils curling around it, the beast collapsed at our feet.

  A deep snarl came from behind us.

  Tristan—with Sabella on his back—burst free of the fighting and landed beside us. Kate finished off the other guard with Craig’s help. Craig drove Executioner through its head then wrenched the blade free, and they joined us.

  Baladon glared at the six of us, holding his staff parallel to his body. “You think you can kill me? Is that it? Because of what that half-breed saw?” he demanded, nodding toward Sabella. “You are nothing to me. Nothing. I am Baladon, god of darkness and monsters. I am the one who covered this world in darkness. I, who killed the gods.”

  “Not all the gods,” I reminded him. “And this battle is over, Baladon. You will not escape.”

  He opened his mouth, but I was finished talking. I was finished with watching him destroy our world.