Sylnoa runs down the street toward the sounds of battle. She sees Ava’s lightning strike. She stops, fumbling for a healing potion. As she drinks it, she realizes someone is behind her. A hand with long fingers wraps around her throat. She tries to turn, but the grip is like iron, “Be still and be quiet, girl; the show is about to get interesting.”
Sister Maen yells from further back, “Release her or…” The person holding Sylnoa replies, “Or what.” He turns, holding Sylnoa out in front of him. The blast of psionic force from him is so intense that it makes Sylnoa feel like her head is about to explode. Whatever hits Sister Maen sends her flying backward through the supports of a porch, and she hits the wall next to the door, falling on the porch with a thud. Then, the roof collapses on her. Sylnoa can see her hand dangling out, not moving. She cries out, “Nooo…” The voice laughs, “Not as tough as I thought she would be.”
Night Talon slashes at Kara’s legs, but she jumps over the slash. Seeing his allies starting to fall, he steps into a dimension that will take him away to safety, but Kara is ready. She grabs onto him.
Kara and Night Talon step back into the real world not fifty feet from Sylnoa..
When he appears, she is there with him. She steps back, just far enough to be effective with Misery, swings, and catches him in the right knee. She adds a divine smite to it. Knocking him off balance. The second swing catches him in the gut, cracking his armor, “You’ve never beaten me in a straight-up fight as my brother. You’re not about to fucking beat me as the thing you are.” She spins, using the blades of wings, slicing through his armor like butter, cutting deep into his chest.
Sylnoa tries to scream at Kara, but the hand tightens its grip. The person’s mouth moves next to her ear, and she feels the hot breath and smells acid, “I said, quiet girl.” He lifts her off her feet by her neck, causing her to struggle and gag.
Night Talon thrusts his sword, spearing Kara through the hip. She recoils away from the blade as it strikes bone. He sends a blast of force down the blade, pushing her. She plants the point of Misery into the ground, and uses her wings, plowing up the cobblestone street, bringing herself to a stop. She calls down a beam of radiance on him.
Ava brings Dawnbreaker down on the goliath’s head; at the same time, Aran shoves the dagger into her gut, and Shae stabs her in both kidneys. The goliath spits blood in Ava’s face as she goes down to her knees. She grabs Ava’s ankles, but a lightning bolt hits the goliath before she can snatch her off her feet. Her eyes roll back, and she falls forward with a smack on the cobblestone as Ava steps out of the way.
Aran, Ava, and Shae look for Kara, but she and Night Talon are gone. They see a beam of radiance strike in the distance. Ava and Shae feel the pull of Kara’s ring. Many Sisters run past them in the direction of the beam.
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Sensing the end near, Kara strikes Night Talon with another beam of radiance. He stops, looks at her, and goes to his knees. She drags Misery behind her as she approaches him, reaches back with both hands, grips Misery tight, “If you are anywhere in there Gaelan, I love you and I do this to end your suffering”, then brings Misery over and down on his shoulder at the base of his neck. Expending her last spell as a divine smite. The force of the strike drives him into the ground, sending a shockwave radiating outward in all directions. Tears fill Kara’s eyes as memories of her brother flood in.
The grip on Sylnoa’s neck relaxes enough for her to scream, “KARA, RUN!” the person mocks her, “Kara, run.” She’s too stupid to do that, girl. Yes, Kara run.” Holding her side where his blade struck, Kara stiffens at the sound of the voice and turns. She sees a tall, thin, black dragonborn holding Sylnoa before him, “Malachi?”
She looks at Sylnoa, “Please, Malachi, let her go.” He turns Sylnoa so she’s facing him, mocking Kara this time: “Please, Malachi, let her go.” Does that ever work? You took my toy; it’s only fair I take your toy.” Kara steps forward. Malachi steps back: “No, you don’t, Kara. I know your tricks.” A black obsidian dagger materializes in his hand. He places the point under Sylnoa’s chin.
Sylnoa hears it whispering to her, “Give me your face. Your soul is so pure, so sweet.” He looks at Kara, “You should have stayed dead, Kara. Always getting in the way of my plans, always interfering. Taking my kills.” Sylnoa hits him with a psychic hammer. He laughs at her, “Little girl, you’re amusing. Everyone is always so defiant. You are an ant to me. She sees you as a daughter. Should I let the mother watch her daughter die? It would be nice to hear you scream for once, Kara. Maybe I should let you watch the soul be drained from your little girl? Do you remember what this blade can do? They always scream so loud.” Kara says, “It's me, Malachi, you want me.” He replies, “Of course, it’s you I want. The question is, how much do I make you suffer, or are you too stupid to see that? I need you just right for what I have planned.”
He turns Sylnoa so she’s looking at Kara, and she cries out, “No, it’s me you want.” He puts his mouth next to her head, “Oh, both of you pleading. “take me, no me.” Kara rushes forward at Malachi and Sylnoa. He releases the spell he’s been holding. Kara’s vision goes black as she stumbles and falls forward. Misery clatters on the street. Sylnoa screams. Malachi lets Sylnoa’s feet drag the ground as he cautiously walks over to Kara. Sylnoa can see she still has an aura, but it’s changed to the same as the prisoners they rescued.
She lays there, shaking and twitching. He turns Sylnoa to face him, “Oh no, she’s still alive. How about we see what we can do about that?” He turns her back to face Kara and fires another spell, causing Kara to double up in pain even though she’s unconscious, “Well, shit, the little bitch just won’t die.” He reaches down toward her with the dagger, and Sylnoa kicks him in the side of the knee. “Fucking little bitch.”. She wrenches herself from his grip.
There are flashes of light all around, and Dawnbreaker comes around toward Malachi. But stops short for no apparent reason, “I don’t think so. Oh, you’re the other one, like she was.” He laughs and looks around as Sisters step out of dimension doors. “So much love and support, too bad it won’t do her any good.” He looks down at Kara, and then there is a shockwave that sounds like thunder, and he vanishes. The shock wave sends Kara’s body flying, landing twisted on the street. Sylnoa tumbles like a ragdoll, stopping at the base of a building. She crawls toward Kara as Ava, Aran, and Shae run to her, too. Sisters crowd around; everyone is casting healing spells or trying to use lay-on hands. Elra shoves Sisters aside.
Kara lies on the street, her face on the pavement, her eyes open, unblinking, staring into the void.
Sasha collapses, her head brutally smacking into the table as she goes down onto the floor, shaking; her chest feels like a stake is being driven into it, and her breath becomes broken and ragged, unable to move or call out.
To be continued