Aran, Ava, and Xanathe are the only ones left riding. She used the amulet again as the sun rose. All three are wobbling from side to side in the saddle, and all three mounts have slowed to limping walks. Aran sees three riders approaching from ahead but can’t focus enough for his brain to register what they are. Fearless, Chomasuke and Xanathe’s marrowfang stalker take up threatening postures as much as they can as the riders get closer. Then Xanathe says, “Bears.” Ava looks at her, and she says again, “Bears, Sisters.” All three feel a burst of energy and start riding as hard as they can toward the Sisters. When they are close enough, Xanathe starts yelling to them, “High Priest Stormhaven, Kara needs help.” Repeating this over and over.
They come to a stop as the riders meet. Xanathe says again, “Kara needs High Priest Stormhaven in Flamegarden. She may be dying.” Aran falls to the side of Fearless, landing on his feet, but his legs buckle. He stands back up and limps over to one of the bears, “Get me to Arden. Kara needs him.” The Sister reaches down and pulls him up in front of her. She turns and takes off as fast as the bear can run, holding Aran on the saddle with her. Chomasuke tries to continue but collapses, as does Xanathe’s marrowfang stalker, both discorporating back to their home planes. Ava and Xanathe fall to the ground as the other two Sisters dismount and run to them. One of the Sisters tries to heal Ava, but she catches her hand and points at Fearless, “Heal him first.” The Sister cautiously walks over to the nightmare and casts a high-level healing spell on him. Fearless nods to her in thanks; she then returns to Ava and takes care of her.
Elra comes running into the main hall with Ari at her side. Three Sisters are holding Kara’s legs, with two on each arm. All of them are still getting thrown around. Elra thinks to herself, “She’s been so passive. She didn’t think about removing the Girdle of Trials. Stupid move.” Elra yells out, “I hope you figured this out. It’s now or never.” She looks at Sylnoa, implying a second meaning to that. Sylnoa yells, “Everyone remember, “Slimy and naked.” When you hear that, repeat it to Kara, and don’t stop. I’m not going to lie to any of you. If you die in there, you will probably die here.” Shae says, “Be ready to fight.” Ari slides the mirror close to Kara’s hand; Rasome grabs her hand and forces her hand down onto the mirror using all her strength and weight. Kara goes still. Elra touches the mirror first.
Anya is lying beside Sasha, dosing in and out of sleep, while Avvaran sits quietly beside the bed. She feels Sasha exhale completely. Anya instantly comes up, “SASHA!” Avvaran comes to her feet, checking Sasha and pushing Anya back when she gets in the way. Avvaran places her hands over Sasha’s heart and casts a revivification spell. There is a pulse of energy causing Sasha to arch up. When she goes flat on the bed, her eyes are open, and she is staring lifelessly at the ceiling. Anya pushes Avvaran back, straddling Sasha’s stomach, and starts compressing her chest over and over. Avvaran casts revivification again, yelling at Anya to get off just before the spell completes. Sasha goes back down but doesn’t inhale. Anya listens briefly for her heart to beat, then starts the compressions again.
Sasha is standing barefooted on a sandy beach, looking at the sunrise or sunset; she isn’t sure which. Whichever it is, it’s beautiful, and then she hears, “Hey, Babe.” Chills rip through her. Turning, she sees Kara standing there. She says nothing. She runs the few steps between them, grabs her in a tight embrace, and starts kissing the side of her face, working her way around until she reaches her mouth. Then Sasha pulls back, Kara still has her eyes closed, “Kara, where are we? How is this possible.” Kara opens her eyes, still holding Sasha around the waist. She looks up and down the beach, “I think we’re dead.”
Sasha shakes her head, “No, I didn’t stand before The Raven Queen. I should be there if I’m dead.” Kara kisses Sasha’s cheek, “I’m just guessing. I’ve only ever died once before. We’re here, we’re together. What are you complaining about? Maybe we’re in the middle while the people we love try to save us. What I know is I have you here with me.”
Sasha pushes out of Kara’s hold, “I’ve been having a horrible looping nightmare where you murdered everyone, and Azura has taken you.” Kara leans over to give her a little kiss, but Sasha pulls back, “Babe? No devils here; she can’t touch me ever again. I would never hurt you or anyone I love. You know I would die before allowing that.” Sasha continues to back away.
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Kara cries, “Babe, please. I don’t know anything about your nightmare. I was fighting my brother. Then Malachi was there. He was going to kill Sylnoa, and I ran at him, then, then. Then I was in the prison again. I think I’m still there, and my friends are trying to pull me out.” Kara takes a step toward her, but Sasha backs away further. Kara falls to her knees, “Maybe I have gone to hell. Babe? Please don’t push me away.” Tears pour from her eyes, “I love you, Babe.” Sasha goes to her knees on the sand, “I don’t know what this place is. I don’t know if you’re real or if this is some new nightmare.” Something in Kara’s mind breaks. A voice in her head says, “You’re a burden on everyone.”
Elra is standing in the torture chamber and sees Kara strapped to a torture rack. Her fingers are flayed open, as are her feet. A big male goliath, a red-skinned female inferni, and an aetherian all look at her; the inferni says, “Who the fuck are you?” Elra drops a flame strike on the goliath. Other Sisters start appearing all around the room.
A wave of psychic force slams into Elra, sending her spinning into the tables against the wall. Bottles and jars fly all over the room, shattering. She sees tiny creatures scurry from some of the jars.
Rasome appears next to Warden. Warden holds her hands overhead, then waves them down, becoming a living flame, glowing so bright it hurts to look at her. Warden locks her thumbs together and fans her fingers out toward Rasome. A wave of flame hits, searing pain like nothing she has ever felt. Rasome swings her club at Warden and feels it hit. The flames rise over her head, hitting the stone ceiling, causing it to glow bright orange.
Broma grabs his morning star and charges at Elra when an arrow and a dagger strike him in the back from Shae and Ula. But seeing a more appeasing target lying prone, he ignores them and swings at Elra, striking her in the ribs with the wickedly barbed weapon.
Ari appears, standing next to Kara. She casts a healing spell on her, but she keeps screaming like the pain is so intense she can’t bear it. She touches Kara’s forehead to try to calm her, but her reaction is as if the touch is made of lava.
Amethyst and Tai appear in front of an aetherian. Amethyst immediately cast a shockwave of thunder, causing a crack of thunder to echo around the chamber and blowing the aetherian out the door. Tai casts a wall of force over the door. Amethyst feels something scurry up her leg, then feels a wave of pain so intense she goes to the floor, screaming. Just the touch of her clothes feels like acid eating away at her skin.
Kara lifts a foot to move toward Sasha when Sasha yells, “Stay where you are, whatever you are.” She lifts her hands like she will cast if she needs to. Kara's mind reels with devastation and despair; she goes to her knees, then falls onto her side, something in her mind saying, “You’re just a complete fuck up, you stupid girl. You’re better off dead.” Sasha wants to go to Kara so bad it hurts, but until she understands what’s going on, she doesn’t dare. This could be some new nightmare loop trying to lure her in.
Sylnoa takes a wild guess and touches Ari. She sees Ari standing next to Kara, trying to calm her while she screams. She sees something tiny go up Amethyst’s leg, and then she goes down screaming. Looking around the room, it seems like this could go either way. Warden is stumbling back from a blow, but Rasome is blistered from head to toe. Shae and Ula are the only others not severely injured. She touches Ari. Ari looks in her direction, but through her, “It’s time, Ari, I’m here. Remember, “Slimy and naked.”. Ari says it to Kara, but she continues to scream. She starts yelling it. The other Sisters start yelling it.
Something scurries up Shae’s leg. Shae has felt pain before, but never like this. Blinding, white-hot pain. She hits the floor, rolling, trying to get it off, but the more she moves, the more intense it becomes.
Broma laughs but stops when he feels the great axe bite into his shin. Elra yells to Ari, “Use a restoration spell on her. Get the parasite out of her so she can hear us.” Then she hits Broma again, knocking him off his feet. One of the things scurries up Elra’s leg. Then she is on the floor screaming. Broma starts to laugh, then feels one of them go into his nose. Now, he understands the true nature of pure pain.
Ula charges into the heat and hits Warden again and again. Both hits sear the flesh from Ula’s arms. Warden makes a gesture, then turns to mist and reappears on the other side of the wall of force. “I’ll pick up the pieces when the parasites finish all of you.” She laughs and pushes the doors closed.
Tai sees the tiny things running around on the floor toward her and Ari. “Sorry.” She locks her thumbs together and uses burning hands to fan the floor with flame. She sees many of them pop, but she sees more that are outside of her spell. She keeps shouting, “Slimy and naked,” at Kara.
Ula leaps to the wall, then to the rack Kara is strapped to so she can avoid the things, all while shouting at Kara, “Slimy and naked.”
Ari casts the most powerful restoration spell she can on Kara. One of the tiny creatures crawls out of Kara’s nose and leaps onto Ari’s face. A dagger from Ula splits it in half, drawing a line of blood across Ari’s lip. Ula cringes, “Sorry.” Kara stops screaming with that raspy voice. Ari grabs her face, screaming at her, “SLIMY AND NAKED!”.