1

Durrgedenn and I lay on our bellies, peering over the crest of a hill. Belial's army was behind us, following our trail. They were too far away for us to make out individual demons. I sighed and glanced at my companion. "Okay. You were right. We are being followed. Any ideas how?"

The Clan Leader shook his head, his patchy beard waving in the breeze. If you looked close, you could see the scabs from where he tore his facial hair out. "I think we should try to capture one and make it talk."

"I don't see that happening, somehow. They're demons, remember."

"Good point. Let's find out if Lady Orwen has any ideas."

We crept down the back of the tor, and trotted to our companions.

"Are they following us?" Weijia asked.

"Yes. I'm willing to bet with this." I tapped the collar. I glanced at Adora. "Your Highness, can you sense anything about this thing?"

She reached out and touched her slender fingers to the metal. Her eyes turned white, and glowed. When they returned to their normal piercing blue, she shook her hand as if burned. "It's tainted by the Hells. It's presence here corrupts the natural world."

"Good to know." I nodded, scratching my belly. "But am I being tracked by it?"

She glared at me. "I was getting to that, Carter. A tracking spell is on the collar."

"Wonderful. Would you be able to remove this blasted thing?"

"Yes, I — "

A flash of light and a crash of thunder interrupted her. I was knocked on my ass, my vision fogging. I shook my head, and rubbed my eyes. I heard a familiar voice.

"Enoyreve, pots!"

I rolled to my feet, and saw her, my Rishka. "Dearbhaile."

She turned to me. Her face was ageless, neither old nor young, though in it was written the memory of many things both glad and sorrowful. Her hair, a fiery dark orange like a maple leaf in the fall in direct light; her eyes were emerald and in them a light as of the stars. Thought and new knowledge were in her glance which pierced me to my innermost secrets. The lady's grace was such she seemed to glide across the ground as she approached.

As I drank in the sight of her, I felt weightless like gravity had vanished. My mouth stretched in a goofy grin. She wore an electric blue robe trimmed in white. The way she moved had me sweating and my pulse racing. "Carter." Her poetic voice enraptured me as always.

A stinging slap rocked me on my heels. "What were ye thinkin'? Why did ye nae listen tae me when I said we could fin' another way?" Another slap made my ears ring, and sent her hair over her face. "Why did I have tae suffer fer two months thinking ye might have been killed?"

My right cheek was on fire. The eye on that side watered. 'Shit that hurt. How did she get here?' A third slap, on the left this time, snapped me out of my daze. The world snapped to a crawl, my perceptions shifted. A fourth slap came across my cheek, then a splash of blood struck her eyes as a meter long spike erupted from my chest. A demon was behind me. It had the lower body of a skeletal horse, the torso of a man, the head of a sickly ram with the face of a fly and had spiked bone for arms. One of those had been rammed through my back while Dearbhaile slapped me.

The world snapped back to its normal movement. I caught Dearbhaile's arm, and yanked her to the ground. At the same time, I side-stepped and spun. The demon's arm went through the air. My move had caught the fiend by surprise: the monstrosity almost toppled over. Durrgedenn charged the beast with his sword and a mighty cry. I regained my balance and drew my sword in time for his shout to be cut off with a sickening crunch.

I bellowed a challenge. The demon lunged, thrusting both its arms forward to impale me. I blocked one with my blade, cracking the metal, and the other with my bare hand, which got laid open to the bone. I yelled with the pain, and anger.

"Ezeerf!" Dearbhaile yelled. The demon made a sound I took to be laughter. The creature may have been asking her on a date for all I could understand the insectile noise. "Nrub!"

A gout of flame enveloped the demon's form. The monster waved its arms, clearing the fire like smoke. I tried to clutch my sword hilt with both hands, but had to release my left hand which burned too much. I almost dropped my weapon due to the intense pain.

"Snevaeh Eht Fo Ekirts!" A blazing silver fist erupted from the ground at the demon's hooves and struck it in the jaw with concussive force. The fiend was raised on its hind legs by the power of the blow. I ran forward and punctured its chest with my broken sword. The monster screamed and kicked me in mine. A thud echoed inside me and something crunched. I flew back and slammed into a tree. Stars exploded across my vision and I couldn't catch my breath. My sight began to fade. Before everything went dark, Lady Orwen leaped into the air and smote the demon's skull with a flanged mace.

2

I woke, warmth engulfing my chest, and my belly itching. I drew breath without pain anymore, and scratched. I opened my eyes to discover Dearbhaile's face scrunched in concentration. The glow followed the path her hand traced over me. I realized my head lay on her soft thighs. Almost of its own volition, my hand cupped her cheek. She turned her head, and kissed my palm. I traced her lips with my thumb and she captured it in her mouth. She nibbled on my digit, sending a wave of heat rushing through me. These sensations were brand new.

My hand was slapped. I blinked, startled. Dearbhaile hadn't done so. Her left hand was on my upper body, following my ribcage and her right was on my head. I glanced to my right and discovered Lady Orwen had my other hand in hers, healing the limb. A sickly green-yellow pus dripped like blood from the wound. At the same time, I detected a putrid odor wafting over me.

I sat up. "By all the hells. What the fuck is going on with my hand? Why is my wound dripping this," I waved my limb, sending the noxious fluid flying, "instead of blood?"

"Carter!" Both women said my name. I turned to them.

Keeper Dearbhaile gestured for Lady Orwen to speak first. "You've been wounded by the spike of a Taurine demon. They ooze a substance which is toxic to mortals just in case they are unable to kill their target. Before the toxin slays the infected, they are half corrupted into a Taurine."

I think my eyebrows touched my hairline. "What would the purpose be?"

"Tae prevent th' victim from goin' to their god's side."

"This takes corruption to a whole new level. You seemed to be having difficulty healing this, Lady Orwen."

She ran her hand through her hair. By its rumpled appearance, I knew this wasn't the first time she had done so. "The taint runs too deep for me to heal."

"What about Azriel?"

"Neither he, nor Kellün answer my prayers."

'Oh shit. There are two possible explanations for this. What happened while I was out? What did —'

"What happened, Adora? What did you do?" I shot to my feet.

"Carter, wha—? I've done nothing."

"You had to do something. You had to."

"Nae, Carter, she's nae done anythin'. She's pure."

"Fuck!"

Both women stared at me. "What's wrong, Carter?" Lady Orwen's voice was steel.

Weijia approached with Durrgedenn's sword and shield. 'Thank god I don't have to answer yet.' "Weijia, why do you have those? Where is Durrgedenn?"

She glanced at the weapons and her chin quivered. She dropped to her knees and began to sob. I went to her and was joined by Dearbhaile and Adora. Human and half-elf wrapped their arms around the distraught half-dragon woman. I knew then. A hard knot formed in my throat. I tried to swallow a few times. "The demon killed him." My voice was thick.

Keeper Dearbhaile grasped my shoulder. My chest heaved. I already missed the wise Dwarf. "Come, Carter. We shouldnae sit here while Belial's army be nearby." She stood.

"Good point." I rose, and offered my hands to the others.

They took my hands and came to their feet as well. Lady Orwen kept her arm around Weijia. I took Dearbhaile's left hand in my right one.

"Where are we going, Carter?" Adora asked.

"Dunskillen Town. Anyone know the way?"

"Aye. Why do ye want to go?"

"Because we ended up there when we were separated." I scratched my belly.

"Carter," Adora said, "why do you keep scratching yourself?"

"For fun." The sarcasm was thick enough to cut glass.

She flipped up my shirt and spotted the pink moss which I used to patch my wound two nights ago. She gasped. Her jaw was agape, eyes wide and bulging. Her flesh paled and turned clammy to my touch. I shook her arm.

"Lady Orwen. What is wrong?"

"Carter, why do you have moss on you?"

"To staunch my bleeding from an attack in the arena. Why?"

"This is Tianarri moss!" Lady Orwen said. Keeper Dearbhaile gasped, and she shook free of me. I raised my eyebrows. "Now I understand why I can't heal your hand! Tianarri corrupts and warps healing magic."

"The moss grows in the Abyss, Carter, and be vile as a demon," Keeper Dearbhaile said. "An' worse, ye will be turned into one."

"Well, fuck." I bent and picked up the broken sword. I spun the busted weapon so the jagged end was pointed at my gut.

Adora grabbed me. "What are you thinking, Carter?"

"That I would cut the stuff out and take care of the problem. What do you think?"

"Carter, Rishka, this nae be the time for sarcasm." I flicked my eyes to my beloved. "Lady Owen means ye cannae cut the lichen out. It be bound tae yer bones, an' soul."

I blew out a breath. "Shit. I should have known."

"Maybe th' Wizard Cora might have some answers. Or ideas."

"Good point."

"We've got a long journey ahead of us." Lady Orwen rolled her shoulders. "Tonight will be miserable. I'm already stiff, and we have long miles to trek."

"Is anyone ever going to introduce us all?" Weijia asked.

My cheeks heated. I'd forgotten I was the only one who knew everyone. "Right." I gestured to my Rishka. "Lady Orwen, Weijia, this is Keeper Dearbhaile." I then introduced the other women as I scratched my belly.

Dearbhaile swatted my hand. "Scratching encourages th' Tianarri tae grow."

"Explains why it itches so much." I picked up Durrgedenn's sword and shield. "Keeper Dearbhaile, how did you get here?"

"A teleportation spell."

"Impressive," Weijia said. "They are hard to master."

"Why would you chance such a dangerous spell, Rishka?"

"The magic was nae that dangerous."

"You had no idea where I was, nor what the conditions were." Weijia gaped at me. Lady Orwen nodded, while a flush crept up Dearbhaile's neck. She stared at the ground and traced a semi-circle through the dirt with her toe. I narrowed my eyes. "Wait a minute. You had something of mine, didn't you?"

"Aye." Her voice was so soft, I had to move closer to hear. "I had a lock o' yer hair."

"A lock of my hair." She nodded. "Why did you have a lock of my hair? And when did you take it?"

"I wanted somethin' of yers to hold."

"Uh-huh. And when did you take it?"

"Our first night alone together by the river near Dunskillen Town."

I wasn't sure what to make of this. I glanced at Adora and Weijia. The Warpriest shrugged, and the troll-blooded half-dragon watched. I turned back to Keeper Dearbhaile. A droplet of water wet the ground at her feet. 'Why is she crying? Does she think I'm mad at her?' I pulled my love into my arms and held her. I ran my hand along her spine while whispering soothing sounds.

She gripped my deerskin shirt in both fists and started to sob. "Hey now," I said. "Shhh. Everything is alright. I'll make certain of it." Her shoulders hitched, and I caught a familiar sound. 'Did she just,' my shirt got a bit damp, 'blow her nose on me? Ugh!' I shuddered. Her head went left to right against my chest. 'Oh dear god. Can this get any worse?'

She tilted her head up. Her eyes were red, her cheeks blotchy. A small runner of mucus trailed from her nose to my chest. My stomach rolled. 'Who'd have thought? Confronted by my beloved bloody, beaten and unconscious doesn't rattle me, yet her snot on my shirt, and I'm ready to toss my cookies. Nice.'

In desperation, I tried to push my mind away from the thought of mucus. "Did you just blow your nose on my shirt?" 'What the fuck is wrong with me?'

Dearbhaile gave a watery giggle. "Aye. I be sorry, Carter."

I cupped her cheeks and brushed her tears away with my thumbs. "No need to cry, Rishka. You've done nothing wrong." I kissed her forehead, pulled off my shirt and allowed her to clean away the mucus. "Could we use the spell to return to Dunskillen?"

"Nae. The augury be single use only. To get me from the town tae you."

I sighed. "Oh course. Wouldn't want things to be too easy, would we?" I said under my breath.

"Sorry, Rishka?"

"Not important, Beloved." I turned to the others. "Let's get moving, eh?"

I turned to the woods, and tried to ignore the way Weijia was looking at my bare torso.

3

We entered a serene glade deep within the forest. Our entry was unexpected as there had been no indication from the trees or underbrush an opening was forthcoming. I glanced around, and was captivated by the sight of a young woman swimming nude in a small lake in the center of the glade. She turned towards us when we entered the glade. Her beauty was enchanting. She had long, copper colored hair, large black eyes, perfect skin and long, swept back ears. The young woman rose out of the water and approached our band without fear. Water dripped and flowed down her exquisite body. My breath caught in my throat when she locked her entrancing gaze on my own.

"Be careful, Carter," Lady Orwen whispered. "She is a nymph."

Her words didn't make any connections in my head. My gaze happened to follow a bead of water as it ran from the hollow of the nymph's neck, between her full, up thrust breasts, down her abdomen to where it was caught in her navel. I swallowed hard, feeling as if I had been punched in the chest by Angriz. The nymph continued forward until she stood inches from me.

"Who are you, and why are you in my glade?" She asked in a soft, haunting voice.

"I- I," I stammered.

Her perfect eyebrows rose. "Yes?"

My tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth. I tried swallowing a few times, but couldn't get any saliva flowing. Lady Orwen came to my rescue. "We were traveling through the forest and accidently came upon your glade."

The nymph's beautiful features warped in an instant to a look of pure rage. She whipped her head around to glare at Lady Orwen. "Silence, Warpriest!" She growled. Just as quick, she turned back to me, still pissed off. "Answer my question, now, Mortal!"

Dearbhaile slipped up to grasp my hand, reassuring me.

"My name is Carter Blake, nymph," I said, my voice frigid. "We travel through your glade on our way to battle Drago the Clanless."

In a flash, the rage was gone from her face, leaving serenity. "Thank you. Now, tell me, why should I allow you passage?"

I bared my teeth at her as I'd seen Angriz do with others. She gazed back at me without expression. I guess with normal teeth like mine, it didn't have the same effect as Angriz' fang filled maw would have. I ran through all I had ever read about nymphs in my head. "By all the hells," I said. "We go to battle a warlord who has orcs and undead in his thrall!"

For a blink, the rage flashed across her face before it went calm again. "Very good, Carter Blake. You have at least heard of nymphs and our enmity for despoilers of nature and unnatural things. I seek more than words."

Dearbhaile spoke up, "What about th' word o' Renline? Would this suffice?"

"I'm sorry, Rishka," the nymph said. "It would not. I need proof from the human."

"Human?!" Lady Orwen exclaimed. "Do you not know who this is?"

The nymph's face once again warped into fierce rage. She raised her hand to strike Lady Orwen, but I caught her wrist before the blow could land. Everyone gasped. The nymph turned her gaze back upon me, her eyes glowing yellow. "Unhand me," she hissed.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"You realize you were about to strike a Warpriest of Kellün, don't you?" I said as I released her.

"Kellün?" She sneered. "That traitorous dog? I should slay you all where you stand."

Lay Orwen began to speak, but I raised my hand, forestalling her.

"Why do you say he's a traitor?" I asked.

"He told me an emissary would be arriving in my glade with orders from him. The next night, an orc vampire entered my glade bearing his banner. I made ready to destroy this abomination, but a treebeard stepped forward to protect it."

'That's what I was afraid of. The other reason he wouldn't answer Adora's prayers. He's gone dark.' She pointed behind me. I turned and spotted a blackened and dead tree. Seared into the bark was the shadow of an orc. I turned back to the nymph. She held her right hand out to a nearby pine. To my surprise, a branch began to bloom before my eyes. The bloom grew and grew, until it began to assume a definite female form. She had wild, almond shaped black eyes, wood looking skin and leafy hair. Otherwise, she bore an eerie resemblance to Keeper Dearbhaile. I remembered from my game playing days the description which told me this was a dryad, a tree spirit. They protected trees from those who would cut them down and had a symbiotic life cycle with the tree they choose to live within.

The dryad handed the nymph a piece of brown cloth which the nymph wrapped around herself, covering her nakedness. Just then, a small party of white haired elves entered the glade with a pair of orcs, their arms bound behind them. The orcs were shoved to the ground when the nymph turned to stare at the new arrivals. The white haired elves went on their knees before the nymph.

"Mistress," said one in a hollow sounding voice. "We caught these marauders in our forest. They are the only ones left alive. When they surrendered, we brought them to you for judgment."

Without looking at me, the nymph spoke. "Now is your chance to prove your words, Carter. Kill these orcs, and I will allow you passage."

"No," I said.

The nymph turned back to me, surprise all over her face. The white haired elves rose to their feet, drawing their weapons. "Why not?" She asked, curious. "You claim to be against orcs. Slay them to prove it to me."

"I will not commit murder to satisfy your whims."

"Carter," Dearbhaile whispered, "What are ye sayin'? We've been killin' orcs all along. Why be it now murder?"

I said to both females. "These orcs are non-combatants now. They have no weapons and are defenseless. Not only that, they surrendered. So killing them would be murder."

Dearbhaile subsided as the nymph crossed her arms. She gestured to the elves behind her after a few minutes of contemplating me. "Give them their weapons back," she ordered.

Without taking my eyes from the nymph, I said to the elf who had spoken, "Arm these orcs, if you must. If they attack anyone, you become my enemy."

"Explain yourself," the nymph ordered.

"Arming someone so they would attack innocents is evil. I will not allow evil to live."

"The orcs are evil, yet you would allow them to live," the nymph said, voice filled with triumph, thinking she had me trapped with my own words.

"As prisoners," I said. "You can begin the process of redeeming them."

The only white haired elf to speak burst out laughing. "Redeem an orc?" He chuckled. "You have to be joking, human."

"No," I said. "Though I do know this one about three orcs entering a tavern."

"Rishka," Dearbhaile said to me. "Please stay on topic."

"You are right as usual, Rishka," I said.

The white haired elves, nymph and dryad all gaped at us. Dearbhaile blushed. I grinned.

"Surprised a Renline would choose a human?" I asked, not needing an answer.

One of the white haired elves charged at me, a large club upraised.

"Wen, no!" shouted the first elf.

Ignoring his friend, Wen brought his club down at my head, intending to kill me. Before anyone could blink, I caught the descending weapon in my left hand. I stared into the smaller man's eyes. "Are you so bothered by the fact I'm human you'd rather I was dead than to allow her to be happy?"

"You aren't worthy," he spat.

"That's not for you to say, now is it?"

"She is promised to my brother!"

Those words gave me pause. "What do you mean?"

"I be promised tae no one!" Dearbhaile exclaimed.

"Fifty years ago, to forge an alliance between the Renline and Gorauch, your Keeper promised his successor to our chieftain's eldest son. You were at the ceremony. You agreed!"

I forgot about the weapon I was holding above my head as I glanced over my shoulder at her. "Is this true, Dearbhaile?" I left off the honorific for the first time since we had been reunited.

"It was, Rishka. But Corath was killed before th' Joinin' could take place!"

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Start from the beginning."

"Fifty years ago was tha qort, tha Time o' Strengthenin'. It be a time when Elven cast aside their differences tae make us stronger as a people. Renline had never taken part in it before because we were th' strongest and most numerous clan o' Elven in the Realm. We took part because Drago had killed so many o' our clan. At that time, we numbaired about a thousan'. We joined the Gorauch close to their mountain top home for the qort. As Wen has said, our Keeper did promise me tae his brother. I was nae adverse tae th' match because I found him fair tae gaze upon and 'twould make both o' our clans stronger. Corath and I be both romantics and decided we would travel tae th' Vaush-Tauric's home together so we could come tae know each other. Durin' our second day o' travel, we be attacked by a gaunt, a undead monstrosity which be created by th' half-demon Belial. Corath be killed by th' gaunt. A squad o' Gorauch be nearby an' came tae me rescue before I be killed as well. After th' funeral, I went back tae th' Vaush-Tauric."

As she finished speaking, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. It was the first white haired elf, or Gorauch I guess they should be called. He walked past the nymph, who now had her hands on her hips, and walked up to the three of us.

"I live, Keeper Dearbhaile," he said in his hollow voice.

She stared at him in shock. I took a good gander at the guy since he was so close. He was maybe three centimeters taller than Dearbhaile and maybe five kilos heavier. He had two different colored eyes: one grey, like his brother's and the other was grey tinged with red. Scars, I guessed were caused by claws, ran on a diagonal across his face from his hairline, across his red tinged eye, and over his jaw. He was dressed like the others in his party, in differing colors of green and brown, like a primitive camouflage. There was something unsettling about his eyes, but I couldn't figure it out.

"Corath," she breathed. "How can this be? I witnessed th' rites!"

"My father, in addition to being the chieftain, was also our clan's shaman. His grief being great that day, he created a false body and burned that in the rite. This body was placed in a stasis spell until he was able to discover a new resurrection spell."

That caught my attention. "What do you mean a new one?"

He turned his head to look at me. That unsettling gaze of his locked on me, sending chills down my spine.

"Ye were resurrected before," Dearbhaile whispered.

"I was. I had been killed by an orc raiding party when I was but a child," Corath said. "My father did not want to allow that to be my fate, so I was resurrected."

"How many times can someone be resurrected?" I asked.

"Only once," Dearbhaile answered.

"Any other time, yes," Corath said. "My father managed it twice. When our clan discovered me alive again, I was called an abomination, and my parents were killed. My brother and sister would have been as well, but I am a skilled warrior."

"I'm glad you were able to save your siblings," I said. "Family is important."

"Yes it is," Corath agreed.

"So, what about my brother?" asked Wen. "Will you keep your promise, Keeper?"

"I cannae. Carter be me Rishka."

"He's a human!" Wen shouted.

"Why is that so important to you?" I asked him. "Do you have something against humans?"

"They killed my sister! You cannot be trusted!"

"I understand your hurt, but it has nothing to do with me."

Wen growled and made as if to attack me again, but his brother's hand on his chest stopped him. "Corath, what are you doing?" He asked.

"Settle yourself. He is not like the others."

"How can you say that? He's like the others! Thinking our women are to be taken for their own amusement!"

"I cannot detect his life force," Corath said.

Wen stopped straining against his brother's restraining hand and locked his gaze on me again. "Have you Joined?" he demanded.

"None of your business," I said.

"That's not for you to say, now is it?" He took pleasure in throwing my words back at me. It was in his eyes.

"We have nae," Dearbhaile said, taking the air out of my sails.

Wen shot a look of triumph my way. I responded with a curl of my lip.

"There is something wrong with this one, Carter. He seems...unhinged."

'I agree, Weijia. It may have to do with his brother. The one that had been promised to Dearbhaile.'

"What are your thoughts on that? Do you feel betrayed?"

I didn't care for the eagerness I picked up from her. "Corath, what do you mean, you can't detect my life force?"

"After my second resurrection, the life force of the living became visible. I soon developed the ability to detect the negative force given off by the undead, and the malevolence of demon kind. I can see you with my eyes, but not with my other side. It's disconcerting to say the least."

I paused. This sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember why.

"You gained the power of Sympathetic Reflection," Lady Orwen said.

"Yes."

"Ye cannae see Carter because he's not of this world."

Wen leaped to attack me again. "Unnatural beast!"

"I don't have time for this." I thrust my palm against his chest and sent the Gorauch tumbling back. The nymph hissed at me. Weijia and Lady Orwen moved to stand before her. The orcs scrambled to their feet and tried to run. Hundreds of dryad exploded from their trees. The orcs were tore apart in short order, and we appeared to be next.

"Everyone stop!" Dearbhaile's scream echoed through the forest. All movement ceased - even breathing. I struggled to move, but was unable to. I couldn't even finish my blink. 'Holy crap she's powerful. Even the nymph is frozen.' She sank to her knees, clutching her head.

"What is wrong with all of ye? We should be on the same side, not trying to kill one another. Yes, I be promised to Corath, and I loved him. That be fifty years ago. I thought him dead. I grieved, but moved on. It's not fair tae expect me to feel the same now that I know him tae be alive again. Wen, ye idiot, th' reason yer brother cannae detect Carter's life force be because Carter be th' Walker O' Worlds."

A creature with a broad, muscular body appeared behind her. Its four arms ended in weapons - two with clawed hands, two with powerful pincers. Its skeletal, doglike head was topped with horns, and its muzzle dripped with sharp fangs. Its eyes had a cold, dark, penetrating quality that suggested cunning and intelligence.

'Dearbhaile! Dearbhaile, look out!' Try as I might, I could not warn my love that a demon was behind her. It glared into my eyes as it thrust a pincer at the nape of her neck. 'Noooo... '

"Oooo!"

Somehow, I was between Dearbhaile, and the demon, my hands locked on its pincer, my love sprawled on the ground at my feet. I gave a mighty heave, and managed to throw the creature back a couple steps. I drew my sword and fell on the demon, a storm of blows coming hard and fast. As big as the monster was, it managed to keep up with me. Thumps sounded behind me. I feinted a slash at the monster's belly. When it retreated, I chanced a glance behind me. Thousands of demons beset the army of fey and my other companions.

The one I fought bellowed and thrust all four of its dangerous limbs at my body. I jumped backward and tripped over an errant tree limb. I landed on the ground with a jolt to my spine that knocked the wind from me. I rolled to my feet as the demon's pincers plowed into the ground where I'd been seconds before. Before the demon could free itself, my blade sliced deep into its neck. A gout of silver fountained skyward. I pulled my sword free, wondering at its new lightness as the fiend collapsed to the earth. The blade melted away. 'Well, that sucks.'

I turned to the rest of the battle. Corath carved through demons with ruthless efficiency, his brother laughed like a maniac as he fought a huge one. Lady Orwen and Weijia fought back-to-back. Adora swung her flanged mace with ease. The half-dragon hewed fiends like a logger with trees. My Rishka conjured something. A purple mist swirled between her hands.

A pair of orange, skeletal beings in wet looking plate mail moved to bisect her with their swords. I yelled, but knew that wouldn't be enough. I sprang forward, running all out. My scream ripped open my throat. As I ran, I noticed things getting slower. Combatants moved as if they were in molasses. Ebony blades, poised to slash and kill halted their forward movement. Purple mist swirled to a stop. Dust hung in the air and sound vanished as if someone turned down the volume.

I noticed only at the periphery of my consciousness. I was too worried about trying to stop the impossible. I slammed into the ground, something near my left hip digging into me. "Fuck!" I rolled to the right, and got to my feet, filled with pain. I tried to pull myself into a run, but my leg wouldn't cooperate.

I looked for the demons, wanting to make sure I recognized them. I wanted to be certain I killed them. No one else would stop me from doing so. 'The filthy creature's will pay for —'

I stumbled to a halt and stared. My mind took several seconds to accept what my eyes told it. Every single thing was frozen around me. Every. Single. Thing. 'Gawk later, you damned fool. No telling how long this will last.'

"Good point," I answered myself.

I gimped my way over to Dearbhaile's side. 'Okay, now what? Let me try...' I pushed one of the skeletal demons back, and found the creature tipped over in a nice way. I lifted my love and set her out of range of the other demon's slash. I looked to make sure I wasn't in the way, and waited for things to return to normal.

4

And waited.

5

And waited.

6

'What the hell is going on? Why aren't they moving again?' I tapped my fingers on my knee. I sat with my legs crossed for what had to be several hours, yet nothing changed. I hadn't even gotten tired, or hungry. I was getting bored as hell. 'Wait a minute. What if I killed the demons while everything is frozen?'

I rose, and my knee gave out. My left leg had fallen asleep. I groaned with the eerie sensation. I shook my limb a couple times, and then stamped my foot on the ground. Soon, it got pins and needles tingling telling me the blood was clearing out the toxins that had built up.

I spied a sword in the process of falling to the ground near a dryad that had her purple and green intestines spilling out as she fell back. Spots of yellowish fat deposits speckled her guts. Blackish blood sprayed through the air in a rooster tail. I claimed her sword and looked around for the demon that had split her belly open. I rubbed the back of my neck. No demon nearby could have done so. 'What the hell?'

"Never mind. Cut the others' throats while you can."

'Alright. Jeeze.'

I'll give this to the dryads: Their blades were sharp as hell. The sword sliced into the demons' necks like gossamer. I killed those that had threatened Dearbhaile without compunction, or hesitation, but when I moved to the one that Adora fought, I found myself moving a little slower. The sword grew heavier. By the time I moved to Weijia's side, my blade was carving a furrow in the earth. I only managed to cut through this demon's neck part way before the weapon fell from nerveless fingers. 'By all the hells, what am I doing? They're helpless. Am I no better than they?'

I had no issue with killing them when they were able to fight me back, but this was simple murder. 'Even if they are demons.' I dropped to my knees.

7

"Oh. I should have known you were the cause of the time freeze, Carter Blake." A titanic, muscular, golden skinned bald man appeared before me. I raised my sword, ready to fight. He reached down and plucked the weapon right from my fingers. He raised the blade to his mouth, and used it to pick his enormous teeth. "Why thank you, my good man. You always know when I need something, don't you? I guess that comes with being the Walker of Worlds." He made a sucking sound and put the sword in the brown belt of his tan trousers. He looked around. "When is this?" I blinked, dumbfounded. "Oh! No wonder you're so quiet." He took a step forward, and was beside me, but only a half-meter taller than me this time. He draped a heavy arm around my shoulders. "I forgot: You've not yet met me. Sorry. I'm Kronos, the remaining God of Time."

I spun away. "What do you mean by all that?"

"Be a little more specific?"

"You're a god?"

"The technical term is Titan."

"A Titan. From Greek myth?" I narrowed my eyes. 'This has to be a trick of some kind.'

"No trick, Carter. I am a Titan. The last one to be exact."

I shook my head. "No way. Okay, so you pulled off telepathy, but that means nothing."

"Good point. Try this, then: Thousands of years ago, your kind – the Walkers of Worlds – were created to banish, or slay gods that became too cruel, or made war on other deities. You are different. You have the potential to be the most powerful Walker. Ever."

"So? You know a bit of history. Why is that supposed to impress me?"

Kronos – if that was his name – grinned. "I forgot how much fun it is conversing with you. Perils of Time Walking. I'm not yet going to convince you because of three things: A, you don't want to believe yet. B, if I tell you any of what you really want to know, it'll change your future. We can't have that. And, last, it's more fun watching you figure things out on your own." I scratched my chin. His smile faded and he placed both hands on my shoulders. "You're about to meet someone that is very important to me and the future. He is to be the father of a new race of Time Gods. Please keep him safe for as long as you can."

He vanished. I stood blinking, bemused, for several seconds. "How am I supposed to protect someone if I don't know who they are?"

A shockwave of sounds knocked me to my knees. I coughed breathing in a cloud of dust and smoke. A chorus of screams, and gurgles signaled the deaths of demons and dryads. Things had resumed.

8

I spun in place, checking on my friends, and – most important – my Rishka. All were surprised their opponents dropped, except Dearbhaile. By now, her handful of purple mist had grown to a massive ball. She threw her hands at a swarm of demons tearing through the forest. The spell hit them, swirled around the group, causing them to wave their hands, claws, pincers to clear their air, then they burst apart with a colossal thunderclap. All froze, and turned to see what had happened. I, being focused on her, was the only one to see her draw her hand through the air, as if unzipping a zipper. A yellow light appeared and coiled, snake-like around her.

She thrust her hand like she was conducting music. The yellow light followed her movements with elegant grace. Each demon it came in contact with was sliced to ribbons. 'Senbonzakura Kageyoshi - Vibrant Display of a Thousand Cherry Blossoms. She's got Byakuya Kuchiki's Bankai from the anime Bleach.' I laughed. 'She has things under control.' I still watched her. Dearbhaile moved like a ballerina, or a rhythmic gymnast. A L'Arc attempted to launch an aerial attack at her. I drew a breath to bellow a warning, and released it without a sound: The ribbon of light intercepted the winged demon and shredded it.

A familiar roar ripped through the forest, sounding as if someone was blowing bubbles into a thick stew, followed by amplifying the noise twenty times. 'Shit. This did not need...' The ground shook in a steady rhythm. Trees swayed. I spun in place, and detected more than one Lyxo coming in a hurry. Demons scattered. Dearbhaile's yellow light vanished. I ran to her side, gripped her wrist and pulled her over to Adora. Weijia, Wen and Corath joined us.

"Form a circle around Dearbhaile!" I shouted.

"She's more powerful than us, Carter!" Wen yelled back.

"She's squidgy!" Weijia replied.

The splinter and crash of tree trunks announced the presence of six Lyxo demons. The five of us were surrounded. "Wen, Corath, keep them away from Dearbhaile." Wen snarled at me. "She needs time to cast her spells." I turned long enough to cast a glare at the Gorauch. "If anything happens to her because you have a grudge against humans, I will peel the flesh from your bones." My tone caused my Rishka to blanch, and Wen to ready himself for an attack on me.

Corath placed his hand on his brother's chest. "Focus, brother. Demons are more important than he."

I didn't catch what he grumbled. I glanced at Adora. "A suggestion, Your Highness: Call on Azerith." I didn't know if the angel would come when his master was dark, but it was worth a shot.

She nodded, but we didn't get any further time for strategy. The large demons attacked. I charged the Lyxo before me. This one was like a chimera: The demon had the left head of a goat, the right of a dragon, and the middle one of a lion with six legs. The two in the front were like that of an ape, the middle two like a dog, and the rearmost ones were like a bear.

The monster thrust its left head at me, and struck with the right. I sidestepped the first bite, and ducked under the second by bending my knees and back in a crouch. The lion head bellowed at me, sending a fume of decayed carrion breath into my face. As my stomach rebelled, I punched the lion head in the snout. The demon recoiled and sneezed, covering me in a yellowish-green mucus. "Ugh!" I cried. I stumbled back a couple steps. A hit from behind sent me teetering into the demon's reach. Its slap slammed into my left shoulder and knocked me flying into a tree. Pine needles rained around me as I slumped to the ground. Four Lyxo demons leaped at me. I stared through watery eyes, and waited to die.

9

I blinked and a man dressed in green and dark brown leather armor stood before me. He had a lean and muscular build. Sable hair hung to his shoulders. A sword with a blue crystalline blade was held in his right hand. He glanced over his shoulder at me. Coffee colored eyes sparkled with mischievous humor. The Lyxo that was about to kill me drew up in surprise. Three heads sniffed the air, and then swung a massive paw at the newcomer. Without taking his eyes from me, he cut off the incoming limb. The demon bellowed in pain, and swiped at the mystery man again.

He turned to the attack, leaped on to the arm, raced up and stabbed the demon's dragon throat. He flipped through the air sliced the lion muzzle off, and then stabbed the goat between the eyes. As the Lyxo collapsed, he pulled the blade free, ran along it's chest, and flung himself through the air at the Lyxo that had Adora on the defensive.

Her flanged mace glowed with an eldritch violet light. Each time the weapon collided with the tiger paw of her demon, black sparks leaped into the air. The three headed demon Lady Orwen battled had heads like a bull, the torso of a tiger, and the lower body of a goat. The beast threw its paws at her just as the man in leather arrived. As she blocked the strikes, he grabbed the outer horn of the right bull head, twisted downward, flipped under and snapped the neck. Continuing his motion, the man stabbed the center bull head between the horns, pulled the blade free, and flipped over to the last one, stabbing it between the horns as well. The man hit the ground in a graceful tuck and roll.

His flashy appearance caught the attention of one of the Lyxos. The demon tried to stomp the man with its goat-hooved frog leg. He rolled under the assault, came to his feet and sliced the four legs off with a quick figure eight flourish. The ground shuddered under the impact of the demon's collapse.

A rain of arrows came his way. My jaw dropped when he cut the arrows down, blocked them with his sword, or danced past. He caught one and threw it back on almost the same trajectory. 'Why the hell did he do that?' The arrow accelerated to the point of invisibility. Several demons in a row blew apart in chunks and sprays of blood. 'Oh.'

An enormous bipedal beetle with a muscular brown body covered by a shiny, green-black carapace erupted from the ground. Its eyes were silver and bulbous, and its vertically-aligned teeth gleamed with a greenish-black saliva. Keratin spikes grew around the monster's legs and shoulders, and its forearms were covered by two-foot-long curved blades. With the exception of its coloration, the demon was identical to the bug I fought in the arena. The monster leaped for me. Without thinking, I brought my foot up. The bug's jump carried it face first into the bottom of my foot. I went back from the force, and the demon crashed to the ground.

I regained my balance, while the beetle-creature sprang to its feet. I cocked my sword over my shoulder like it was a baseball bat.

"Azerith, metrenome Zinthos!"

I was splattered with silvery ichor as I registered Lady Orwen's voice. The beetle, its skull crushed by a powerful blow from behind, toppled forward. I wiped the sticky, yet sweet-smelling fluid from my face and peered at the princess. "Did you really have to splatter the contents of its cranium on my face?"

She shrugged, and wiped blood and grime from her cheek. "You were standing still like you wanted to be killed." I grabbed her arm, yanked her against me and whipped my sword up. She planted her hands on my chest and pushed away. "Carter, you're attached." I rolled my eyes down to her, then back up. She turned and saw, impaled on my weapon, an ape-like demon with yellow horns curving from where its eyes would be. "Oh."

"You're welcome." I pulled my sword from the fiend's chest while she stepped away from me. I drew the back of the sword along the crook of my elbow, removing majority of the ichor that collected on the weapon, flipped the blade through a series of show-offy motions, and sheathed it.

She quirked her grimy eyebrows at me. "Was that necessary?"

"Not at all. But it looked awesome, huh?" That earned me a tired sounding chuckle. I looked around. The battle was winding down. The man in leather finished off the last Lyxo and sheathed his sword after a similar flourish to mine. "I like that guy. Whoever he is."

"I wonder why."

I jogged over to Dearbhaile and swept her into my arms. "I'm so glad you are safe, Rishka."

"And I, ye." She slantedher mouth over mine and gave me a deep kiss.