Hallek

Old Grandfather Baulra was hard at work, his sun beating down on the battle's aftermath. The fight had left an ugly scar across the city but somehow, in the light of day, it didn't look so bad. People said that was because Baulra had blessed the victory against Dalluth and was using his light to make the rebuilding go smoother.

Hallek had no idea if that was true but he had to admit the damage didn't seem as bad as he'd thought. The buildings on either side of the Imperial Road were a total loss though, he felt a little guilty about that. He hadn't cared too much at the time about collateral damage he'd just wanted to kill Dalluth. But from his vantage point at one of the higher palace windows the people swarming like ants over the wreckage seemed to have things well in hand.

The fight was a strange, fluid memory, like a dream so surreal he couldn't forget it but he still couldn't remember the details. Weirdly enough Dalluth hadn't actually done him any damage. The bandages wrapped around his body were all to cover wounds Lekarik left him. He was supposed to be in bed, but he'd felt hungry and restless so he sat in the window, the bed forgotten behind him. In fact it was thoroughly claimed by a sprawling, unconscious microraptor. Well let her have it for now, Hallek was content to sit and watch the city try and put itself back together. The door behind him opened.

“You're supposed to be in bed,” Shylldra scolded.

“Couldn't sleep,” Hallek told her. “Wow, you...really look the part, huh?”

Shylldra was wearing another golden dress. The old one had been carefully set aside somewhere in the palace. It was going to be at least an Imperial relic, and he'd heard the temple of Maia was petitioning to have it declared a holy one as well. The sight of her in her bloody dress, defying monsters and storming into the temple, was well on its way to becoming legend. The dress would probably wind up displayed somewhere in the temple of Maia or the palace vaults.

This new dress was a lot less frilly than the old one was, but it hugged her hips and chest while it gave her legs room to move. She wore a golden circlet with an emerald in it now, and a pair of matching golden bracelets. Milkaamek's Axe was slung over her shoulder in a gilded sheath.

“It's not a part,” Shylldra said, joining him at the window. “If I'm going to be the empress, I've got to be the empress. So...here I am. I suppose I dress like this from now on.”

“I think they call that “method acting”” Hallek smiled. “But you look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Shylldra said. And since neither of them could figure out how to say what they each needed to say next, the stared out the window in silence together.

Verris

“You are leaving behind everything you know,” Ballum told Verris and Fylati. “Are you sure?”

“Not much left for us here anymore,” Fylati said. “The empress seems to have forgotten us for now, but I'm pretty sure once she remembers we're all going to get arrested.”

They were waiting for one of the canal boats that would take them to the coast. The canals were crowded, since quite a few had decided they'd rather relocate rather than rebuild. Ballum was planning to go much farther than that, though. And Verris and Fylati were going with him.

“Or get medals,” Verris said. “I did save that idiot Hallek at the last possible second. But she's right, I'd rather get out of here. And skip any stupid sanctimonious goodbyes Hallek comes up with. 'I knew you were a hero inside the whole time' blah blah blah.”

“I am returning to my people,” Ballum said. “To challenge the entire City State of Zys. Are you sure you want to be a part of that?”

“We can always leave if we change our minds,” Verris shrugged. “Besides I owe you a lot. And to tell the truth Ballum, when it comes to this city...” He gestured to the construction going on all around them with a grin. “I think I'm really starting to hate the place.”

Ballum laughed so loudly the other waiting passengers turned to look. He clapped Verris on the shoulder with one enormous hand.

“See?” he laughed. “I knew you were Kuraga!”

Krazzek

“I need a drink,” Krazzek croaked from his sick bed. “Could you give me a hand?”

“I swear on all the gods and spirits,” Dyryl glared, “if you keep making stupid puns I'll leave you in here.”

“No please!” Krazzek said. “Anything but that! Don't leave me in this plush feather bed with all these comfy blankets and beautiful nurses waiting on me hand and foot! Whatever will I do?”

“You're an asshole,” Dyryl rolled her eyes. The room they were in was almost identical to the one Hallek and Shylldra were talking in. It just held a very different patient. “Did you know the healers say you're going to live?”

“They told me that,” Krazzek said. “And Shylldra was in here earlier. I'm sorry, the Empress was. She offered me a job. As a kind of spy and security man. I think I might take it. There's a lot of dangerous people out there and I'd hate to think our new ruler was under-armed.”

“I mean it about the puns!” Dyryl glared. “Do you realize you could have died?”

“I'm kind of surprised I didn't,” Krazzek said. “I was sort of expecting to when I pushed you. Actually, thinking back I was kind of hoping I would. It had sort of occurred to me there was no proof the people Dalluth ate were actually dead...”

“Stop it,” Dyryl said, shivering. “Just...stop. I don't want to think about it. He's dead now. I just...thank you.”

“Maybe you shouldn't,” Krazzek pointed out. “I wasn't really thinking. I just kind of moved.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“I know,” Dyryl sighed. “You never would have been that brave if you'd been thinking. I know you, Krazzek. You're a coward. But you're not so bad.”

She sat down on the bed beside him.

“She offered me a job too,” Dyryl said. “And I do plan on taking it.”

“Okay,” Krazzek said, looking up at her. There was a long pause. “Uh, listen, I kind of know what's expected of me here and I'm not trying to make another joke, but if you're waiting for me to pull you in for the kiss...”

He waved his bandaged stump at her.

“Oh right,” Dyryl grinned. “Sorry.”

She rolled on top of him in the bed and pressed her lips to his.

Dalluth

Try to imagine the court of the gods.

You can't. Not really. The gods are beyond. Beyond us, beyond the universe, beyond everything. Their bodies are made of stuff we cannot understand, their idea of a building involves geometry we can never know. But try to picture it all the same. Let your mind conjure a great amphitheater, the steps covered with beings. For the gods we've met already, you can picture the forms they've already used. They'll do as well as any other. It might be best if you pictured some kind of special box, down near the bottom, where Baulra sits with Maia beside him. Maybe it has banners on it. He's the one in charge here, after all. For the others thronging the seats picture anything you like. There are a lot of gods, old and new and being born and reborn all the time, so any shape you picture probably fits.

As for Dalluth, standing in the middle of the amphitheater with all eyes glaring down at him, it would perhaps be best if you didn't try to picture him at all. If you must try, picture an endless river of flowing flesh, now a dinosaur, now a human, now some obscenity not worth describing in print.

“Dalluth,” Baulra said. “God of Twisted Flesh. We have called you here to pass judgment.”

“I did it!” Dalluth jabbered. “I did it! I knew I couldn't die! I knew I was one of you! I'm a god!”

“We all are!” Ikkek called out, and the other gods let out a nervous laugh.

“And gods can't die,” Dalluth said. “So you can't kill me!”

“Gods can die,” Maia said sadly. “But you're right, we won't kill you. None of us here have the power. But we can't let you run free.”

“Even here?” Dalluth laughed. “Even here, I'm surrounded by sanctimonious idiots. Too scared to take risks. We are gods. We could create wonders.”

“We tried it once,” Baulra said. “We tried to control the mortals, instead of guide them. That was how Pangea was lost. And how the first of your brethren were born.”

“And what do you call this?” Dalluth sneered. “Me, here, now. I can see it all. You're the ones who set it all up. You were there, forcing them to fight me. How much tampering, how much controlling did you do so that I'd lose?”

“When we saw your ascension among the coming futures,” Maia said, “we sent young Hallek a bird, and we sent Shylldra a vision. And when she called on me for help I granted it in accordance with the power of her spirit, as I would for any of my priestesses. A few words of guidance, to show them where to go. The rest was only their own strength and skill.”

“That's it?” Dalluth gaped. “No. NO! That can't have been all you...”

“Put the right mortals in the right place,” Baulra said. “And let them take it from there. You weren't beaten by the gods, Dalluth. We just put the mortals who could stop you in the places they needed to be.”

“And now we need to put you where you need to be,” Maia said. “For what it's worth, I'm sorry. Even though it was your own choices that brought you here, I'm sorry.”

“Fine,” Dalluth laughed. “Send me to the hells. I don't care.”

“You don't understand.” Ballum said. “The hells are for evil gods, or for wicked mortal souls. Good and evil are a part of the cosmos, necessary for the great balance to exist. You tore a wound in the universe. You twisted yourself free of all existence.”

“Twisted?” Dalluth said. “Then I'm...I...”

“And so to keep that wound from festering,” Ballum said, “we are forced to banish you to the outer darkness. With the rest of the Twisted Gods.”

Ballum waved his hand, and suddenly Dalluth was falling. He was falling up and down at the same time, spiraling out into an endless blackness. There was no light, no sound, and Dalluth learned in that moment that silence could scream.

Iikwii

Picture the meeting breaking up, now. The gods leaving to go about the business. You can picture them walking, flying, or fading out in glowing light if you prefer. It all applies here.

In the thinning crowd, Iikwi in her gleaming feathered dress (as far as you know) caught up to another goddess. She was depicted in the tapestries as caramel skinned, with a dress that hugged every curve (and in the tapestries she always had the most amazing curves) and a gleaming circlet of golden berries hanging from around her head. It will do as well as anything.

“Oh-ma,” Iikwi said. “I need a favor. There's one last thing to take care of down there.”

“Why ask me?” Oh-ma, goddess of love asked. “I didn't even get to choose a champion. The romances here were kind of nice to watch, but everyone was so busy they didn't get to spend much time on them. Now if I'd gotten to choose a champion, we'd have had some fun...”

“Listen,” Iikwi said. “Those two mortals are idiots. Awkward, awkward idiots. I don't want you to mess around, just give them a little...push. They're so close, but if you don't they'll never get around to sorting themselves out.”

“Which two...oh. Them. I see them now. Are you sure? Before this whole mess I had this sailor she was going to meet. If we change it now, that man's going to get into all kinds of trouble...of course there's an interesting partner waiting for him at the end of that too, if he survives. But still...”

“Don't you think they've both earned it?” Iikwi said. “A little? I like them. Besides, they're still taking care of my champion down there. I know I don't need her anymore, but still. I picked her.”

“Oh alright,” Oh-ma said. “Just a little push. You're right, that's all its really going to take...”

Shylldra

Hallek started coughing.

The silence had been going on for a while now, the two of them staring out the window. Shylldra probably had places she needed to be, but she didn't want to find out what they were. She wanted to stay with Hallek. If only she could think of something to say. And then Hallek started coughing.

“Are you alright?” Shylldra said.

“Yeah I'm...” Hallek shook his head. “I'm fine. I don't know what happened. Must have breathed in a feather.”

“I should get the healers in here,” Shylldra turned to leave.

“No!” Hallek said, grabbing her arm. “Wait. I...” he took a deep breath. “I don't...I want to stay. With you.”

Shylldra blushed a little.

“Because gignaotosaurs mate for life?” Shylldra asked. “Or because you're in love with me?”

“They're the same thing,” Hallek said. “I finally figured that out. I'm both Shylldra. I can even have the dinosaur body again for a while, if you want. So why I feel this way doesn't matter. I just...do. And I'll never feel the same way about anyone else again.”

Shylldra bit her lip.

“Are you sure you want to stay?” she said. “Not just with me, in the empire. It's not going to be easy. Some of the local lords aren't going to accept an empress they've never heard of just like that. There's going to be trouble. Maybe even rebellions.”

“All the more reason for me to stay,” Hallek said. “If you want me here. I can be your bodyguard.”

“I've got Illuth for that,” Shylldra said. “She's out with troodons right now. But it would be nice to have you looking out for me too and...I did look it up. There are other nations out there with queens and empresses. They've got this thing they call a “prince consort” that could be your official title. That way...”

“No one could try and say I was really the emperor,” Hallek said. “Thanks. I'd rather fight Dalluth again than be in charge. Seriously.”

“Good,” Shylldra said. “Good. I...”

And then Hallek, having two good arms, did what was expected of him. A soft tug was all it took to pull Shylldra in for the kiss. She practically jumped into his lap.

There was a whole empire to rebuild, but it could wait for one afternoon. And after a while, they both remembered Hallek was supposed to be in bed. T'challi complained, but by then they didn't care, so the microraptor left the humans to each other while she settled down in the warm sunlight of the windowsill.