That’s a lot of names to remember. Fercuil, Grimsranton, Nonnam, Laombigla, Dazomeus, Ephlomseestiph, Deviltail, Rufflered, Curly Beard, Harlequin, Frostwalker, Bad dog, Lovelace, Laughing Drakk, Porkbelly, Devilhound, Butterfly, Rubicante, and the Callipygian. Wait, wait, Deviltail gets me thinking about the other names. Ferciul? Ferciul is totally an anagram for Lucifer.

Wait, in that case, Grimsranton is an anagram for Morningstar. Then Sibil would be Iblis. Nonnam would be Mannon, that one’s just reversed. Laombigla must be, what, Malbolgia? Dazomeus would be Azmodeus, and I’m guessing the one with all the ph sounds is probably an anagram for Mephistopheles.

What the hell? Like, seven names that happen to be anagrams for seven words for devils, types of devil, a devil, the devil, or a location in hell, all from Fakeworld? The group happens to be named the Damnations? That can’t be an effing coincidence. Seriously. Can it? There’s no friggin’ way.

Am I in hell? I didn’t expect to be able to find so much love in hell, if so. Still—. I guess it could just be a coincidence. I mean, friggin’ hell. What the hell could it even possibly mean if it wasn’t? Ugh, I don’t have the brain capacity to conjecture on that kind of a level. What about the Evil Claws? Wait, Rubicante, Harlequin, Laughing Dragon, Curly Beard, those are totally translations, or names of beings in the inferno, the um, eighth circle of hell. What the fudge.

I don’t think I can afford to spend time thinking about any of this. I need to return to the evacuation effort. Shiz appears to be waiting patiently at the land-entrance to the aerie at this point. He wants to get headed back towards Attey. I think we’re both worried at this point.

Calling to the assembled, I request, “If any of you, ah, I don’t know how appropriate or inappropriate it is to talk about this, but some of you had asked already. If any of you know someone that would be willing to Conjugate the clutch of eggs belonging to Attraxiaz the Loud, the titled Thunderer, please spread the information around. Sorry if that’s an insensitive request, you all know I’m very unfamiliar with our draconic culture around here. I have to return to the evacuation efforts.”

Thinking that I should perhaps show gratitude, I add, “Thank you all for lending me your ears, or, well, listening to me. Those of you not working directly on traveling to help evacuate, please clear the aerie. If you can spare the time, help prepare the feasting hall to receive newcomers, greet them, get to know them, make them feel safe and at home. I love you all. Thanks again. Ready Shiz?”

Shiz nods, so we take off quickly winging westward towards Attey’s domain. Shiz picks up the speed a little bit, to make up for the time lost during my little bout with Hareslayer, and my spiel afterwards. It was really only a few minutes of activity, but if we continue with this pace, we’ll make it back to Attey’s domain three hours after I’d activated the beginning of my transformation, and then three hours later, when the transformation finishes, we’ll be returning again, having finished a route along the evacuation trail.

On the flight over, I let loose my panic attack. I’d been holding it back since the red eyes were brought up. They’re one of my strongest triggers. I suffer while Shiz carries me in his claws, instead of me risking falling off of his back. It’s a bad one. I’m fetal, weeping, possibly screaming in fear. I don’t know for how long, maybe half of the trip towards Attraxiaz’s domain.

The entire time I’m experiencing my panic, my vision is tunneled to the point of a pin. My tinnitus screams into my ears louder than the wind as well. And all the while, my heart hammers strong enough that Shiz can feel my pulse vibrating his talons from where he grips me. If ever there was a time that I looked vulnerable to someone that has surrendered to me, that time is now.

I’m hoping that things have at least gone safely and smoothly for Attey. The winds that we ride from Mount Solace to Mount Zurrikh afford us a degree of peaceful gliding for a long portion of the journey. It helps me to wind down that I’m not being jostled around constantly when I recover from the panic. If we’re lucky, that same degree of smoothness should also be applying to Attey’s evacuation efforts. We’ll also have the volunteers trailing us, however many that could make it this early. It’ll be something like nine am when we arrive.

Sure enough, everything seems to have gone mostly fine, with Attraxiaz carefully positioning her several hundred remaining followers along the inside dead-end tunnels that can be accessed from above the Worldstorm. It’s disheartening that something like two hundred were conscripted by Mannon, err, Nonnam yesterday, heavy on the casters. We’re still evacuating nearly a thousand kobolds though.

Oh, hey, Farzee and Veril are closing in to join us. I’m proud of them. Good, they thought to bring objects that are essentially rafts that can carry a couple dozen kobolds if the kobolds pack in tightly and hang on tighter. I wasn’t sure how many would be able to hang on to the various dragons’ backs and such. I’d figured maybe three per appendage, and a few more on any backs, maybe fifteen per dragon per trip. This is a lot better.

Depending on how many volunteers we get, this could take as few as two trips. It seems like Atter’s going to be taking a couple dozen that are just tying themselves off to lengths of rope. It appears like we’ve only got about twelve volunteers with any real carrying strength, maybe twenty overall. I’m almost certain those two identical Fires are Ixeyla and Xayla. Their dragon forms are almost as gangly as their human forms.

Wait, one of them has scales that sparkle like emeralds. Leezahna? Maybe Ixeyla just wants to keep an eye on her for now. I wouldn’t really want to entrust a bunch of kobolds to her care right now. Or— maybe I should trust that I got through to her? I’m not sure. I’ll ask those three to wait til last so that I can look over them with Shiz on our return trip, since Atter is taking the fore, and Shiz and I are bringing up the rear. I’d feel more comfortable with Ixey and Zayzi under my protection than somewhere in the center of the pack.

Testing telepathically, I call out, “Zayzi? Ixey? Is that you two? Is the emerald one with you who I think she is?”

Zayzi responds, “Depends,” and I’d roll my eyes if it were anyone else. I know Xayla is a dragon of few words though. I do suppose it does depend on who I think it is.

Ixey answers for us, “Yeah, Princess just wants company, her flunkies are a bit scared to be around her right now because of what you said about kinda maybe killing anyone she’d ever talked to that listened to her. You might want to lay off the public speaking for a while Schism.”

Snrk. I can’t help snorting a laugh that becomes full-on laughter. I can’t tell if Ixey was teasing, or offering concerned advice, but either one is perfect, because I basically admitted to sucking at speaking while I was doing it. Then I admitted aloud how much I hated how I bullied Leezahna. Still, I want her to know that her safety is still being looked after by me, so I’d appreciate if you two would hang near the back of the pack for picking up refugees.

Xayla chatters telepathically my way, not exactly uncharacteristically, since they still manage to frequently be monolsyllabic, or terse, brief, or succinct. One such conversation is, “You didn’t come home tomorrow. Was worried.”

I’d be a lot more confused if it were anyone other than Xayla. They’re referencing how they made me promise to come home tomorrow after the first offensive. I apologize, “I’m sorry, our Lady kept me deployed in the field. Do you forgive me?”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Their response, succinct as always, is, “Sure.”

Smiling, shaking my head slightly, I try not to roll my eyes as I ask, “What’d you get up to for the days I was out in the field?”

After a brief moment, Xayla responds, “Dunno. Stuff. I guess. You?”

Oh Zayzi. So numb that your own life doesn’t even register as worth remembering the day to day? I wish I could help you. Lacking any ability to provide substantial help, I simply answer, “Fighting mostly. Offering mercy where I could. Do you want to hang out after we finish today?”

The fact that Zayzi asks, “Why?” would normally hurt me coming from anyone else, but for them, it seems like an obvious response.

I answer, “Because I enjoy being around you and was wondering if you’d like to talk more, when w—.”

Telepathically Xayla sends me the emotive expression of them nodding, and they interrupt to say, “Yes. Please. More talking. It’s nice. With you. Patient. Quiet. In my head. Feels nice too.”

I’m honestly a bit impressed that Xayla was able to admit so much. It means they’re letting themselves feel, remembering why they do and don’t like certain things, even if some of those things might be trauma-informed. I flash smiles and nodding back to Zayzi telepathically in response.

Surprisingly, before I have to work to continue the conversation, Xayla asks, “Did you get hurt? Um. Are you okay? Good? Are you good? Safe? Um. Can keep going, even after two days gone?”

Fighting my grin to make sure my smile is as warm and comforting as it can be, I nod while telepathically answering, “Yes to all of those. Getting hurt’s part of the job, although I think I got the least hurt of anyone on either day, except maybe Shield and Aegis. I’m quite okay though, definitely. Also I’m safe and can keep going, for sure. Also definitely good, better than when I started the first offensive.”

Realizing things I want to say to Zayzi, I continue, “Things have been getting better and better for me, and I’ve been getting better and better, since joining the Order. You’re one of the reasons, our friendship is one of the things that has made things better. Did you already know that? I want to make sure I make you feel appreciated for your friendship.”

My heart’s warmed by Zayzi’s reply, “Mine too. Since you. Little less suck, like you said. Um, better. Every day since announcement, meeting you. Sorry, embarrassed now. Talk later.”

Sighing softly, then drawing a shuddering breath, I nod understandingly towards Xayla in telepathic-space. I wish there was more that I could do than simply make things suck a little bit less, but people don’t just heal instantly because someone talks to them, or anything like that. Xayla’s got a complex path to follow towards healing. Thankfully, I think they want to, and are willing to attempt that path. I hope I get to be there for them at the end of each milestone of their journey, to welcome them to the other side, to the new step of progress. I care about Zayzi so much th—.

Apparently Ixeyla had left her incoming walls down for my inane thought train, so she knows the thoughts I’d been sharing with Zayzi. Threatening me almost playfully, Ixey interrupts my thoughts, “You’re alright Schism. I’d still feed you to the storm if you hurt Zayzi, but I’m glad you’re our Hero, and not someone else. Thanks for caring about Zayzi. They have been getting better since meeting you. I can’t tell you how much that means to me. I miss my sis—bling, my sibling.”

With that conversation over, on to checking in with the two Dormir that are present, oh, three, I telepathically call out, “Farzee, Veril, Illy, can you make sure to stick in the front to protect Attey in case anything should show up? Shiz and I have the rear. Well, hopefully Shiz listens to me if I tell him to scram. I’m a lot more powerful without having to worry about hitting my allies. Anyway, I love you three, keep up the great work.”

Privately, Iylynila grumbles, “Gremlin-ass smurf-ass munchkin, just lumping me in with the rest of my Dormies, and not a single word after sleeping with me last night? And on the opposite side of this little convoy from you? You ass.”

Trying to fight my grin, I respond to Illy by teasing, “Are you done fixating on your favorite body part yet my lovely love? When we’re done, I was hoping you’d maybe accompany me down to my vault in Mount Verdimenn for an experiment. Should I spell it out any farther while my telepathic walls are down? You know, the ones that would have prevented Ixey, Zayzi, Veril, and Farzee, from hearing your private message a few seconds ago, if you’d have given me a moment.”

I feel a little mean for teasing Iylynila so hard, because she’s mortified. She whispers a hissed order telepathically to me, “Put them up!” so I do.

Apologizing to her, I start, “Illy, I’m sorry. I love you, I absolutely do. I didn’t know how much you might want the others to be able to piece together if I was doing things like turning off my network and keeping you close. I am sorry. Can you forgive me?”

Grumbling, Illy chokes on her telepathic words for a moment, “You, I, you ass! Ugh, yes, of course, I. I know I can be difficult Schism, um, Reggie. I’m sorry, I probably keep sending mixed messages. I don’t even know how to go about this, with how very public it is that you’re with my mother now. Not that many dragons are into monogamy or anything, but family members is a bit weird. I—. You know you’re my first everything, right? I don’t know how to do this. It’s nothing like our novels. Please— I know how that sounds. Please don’t tease me about it. I get that I’m as naive as a human schoolgirl.”

Drawing a shuddered breath, and sighing sadly, I respond, “I’m sorry Illy. Anything you don’t want me to tease you about, I won’t. I hope I haven’t hurt you. I really, truly love you. If you don’t like that our relationship is built pretty hard on the foundation of mutual teasing, we can work to change it. As for the rest, well, I understand I’m your firsts for a lot of things. I need you to find out what you want, what you expect, what you need, and then to communicate those with me. Maybe I can meet only some of them, maybe not enough of them. I’d hope I could meet all of them, but, well, everyone messes up at least something small, at least once, sooner or later.”

There’s a long telepathic groan before Illy finally replies, “I—, I know. Thank you. Can you, will you, maybe please be patient with me? I like our teasing. I do. I, hell. I love it. I’m just feeling so friggin’ exposed and vulnerable. I’ve played matchmaker and drama instigator and all that for so long, and you know I was worried how I’d be if I fell in love. Stupid gremlin ass munchkin, stealing my stupid fool heart. Sorry. I don’t really feel that way, about you being stupid, or it being a crime, or stealing. I gave it. It might be because our Tenith was wearing me down, or you were so smooth, or, I don’t know. Crap, why am I trying to justify loving you? I do, that’s all. I just do. Let’s just get this done. Yeah?”

I start to whisper, “Oh Illy,” but she refuses to speak more at the moment. I leave my walls up for the rest of our return to Mount Solace, the entire contingent between me and Illy. Shiz and I bring up the rear, right behind two volunteers named Shapuackurt, and Lilmbrayur. Ahead of them are Ixeyla, Xayla, and Leezahna. We all drop off our loads of refugees, and return towards Atter’s domain. We’re making good time, so we should be loaded up, and headed back by the time the six hour mark hits.

I’m beginning to panic, unsure where I need to be for the few seconds I’ll have the form active. Luni wouldn’t prank me about something like this. Did I screw up by dealing with Leezahna, and doing the P R? Gulping, I gaze around, unsure where to expect the attack to come from. There are a few mountain peaks in the region, but it feels as if it’s an endless expanse of stormy sea in every direction, with no enemies in sight.

I’m gazing around at the moment, the six hour mark is within a few minutes now, and I’m trying to take stock of things. I’m here atop Shiz, Ixey and Zayzi are loading up, about to head out with Leezahna flapping nearby. Shapuackurt, and Lilmbrayur, and Heccinckethmorn are a trio that are loading up before Shiz and I snag the last load of refugees, we’d gotten enough volunteers by the second trip, that Shiz and I are able to pick up the last of the over eight hundred kobolds we’re relocating.

Instantly a hurricane hits as Shiz is taking off with his load of Atter’s kobold kinsmen. Rather, an entire mountain range arrives seemingly out of nowhere, and the mountain range is pushing deafening, terrifyingly powerful walls of wind. Of course, that mountain range is scaled, and winged. It doesn’t take a lot of brainpower to guess that something so enormous is a Damnation at its full size, or nearly its full size. Nonnam hadn’t had the chance to get this big before I drove him down into the Worldstorm.

Of fuggin’ course it’s a gorram Damnation, worse, six of the bastards. I almost can’t believe that I’d been able to prep for this. It’s only thanks to Luni, but even still, I get a whole six seconds, and it’ll be down for six months. The form will be up in a few seconds, then only last for six.

Six seconds? What the hell am I going to do in six seconds? It took six hours, all morning to prep this. I know the cosmic mite-hulk-king has some kind of incredible movement abilities, either teleportation or near-lightspeed motion or something too fast for me to perceive anyway. That’s if we even got the advanced biology right, based on the regular mite-hulk king biology. Even still. Six seconds? I’d better plot these suckers out.