FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Though they are supposed to be the most feared of all Shadowspawn species, very little is truly known about the creatures generically referred to as 'demons' [or 'Gatekeepers', as some sources from the Third Age indicate they liked to refer to themselves as]. Very few accounts about them exists from western Selebore, with what we so have mostly involving descriptions of the fights to destroy them, be they successful or not. As such, we know that they were extremely strong, both in physical strength as well as magical prowess albeit with varying skills. In fact, they are considered to be the most magically balanced species known to exist, occupying the centre-most region of the Mana spectrum. They have also been shown to be undying unless slain in combat, immune to disease and poison, and there is sufficient evidence to suggest that, given enough time, they could regrow lost limbs. However, most of our understanding regarding demons comes from sources across the Tokukavrong [lit. 'Freelands' or sometimes 'Shadowlands'], but even in their old domain, they are not remembered fondly. Often described as surprisingly callow in their responsibilities, they appeared to have acted as oppressive overlords over all other Shadowspawn, sentient and feral alike and often used their power and influence to attain personal goals instead of governing their charges.

At the time of writing, it is unknown if these beings were originally from Barathrum Proper like all other Shadowspawn species, or if there is any truth to the myth that they were once human magi who had been corrupted by absolute power when they passed through the Veil and back during The Shattering. However, when the majority of the original seven had been slain, it initiated the reknitting of the Veil at the end of the [First] Dark Age. This suggests that they could exercise some control over the break in the barrier between worlds and may even have been responsible for holding it open.

It is truly a blessing that they are so rare."

Extract from "Effects of the mystic beasts on society" by Elaine Longhorn, a scholar of Anthropology, Theranthropology and Tetrapology of the Second Age.

***

Night had fallen again, the darkness outside somehow making the atmosphere that had come over the ruins seem even more oppressive and causing the Magelight lanterns to seem dull and puny in comparison to the great shadow that covered the world. An eerie silence dominated everything, and the few guards on watch on both sides of the haunting no-man's-land between the middle and central walls spoke with whispers as if scared that the slightest sound might disturb the poisonous peace that had descended over the battlefield.

Not that anything was expected to happen. After the disastrous collapse of the main gate, the defenders of Juinkarr was in no position to do anything to the horde. Instead, they clung on to their last position on the inner wall, anxiously awaiting the final attack and hoping against hope that they would be able to hold out until the Bovidae army could arrive in two days. With the added numbers and fresh troops, they might just be able to keep their hold on the innermost terrace, maybe even take back control of the outer regions of Juinkarr.

As for the horde, they had secured their hold of the outer two walls, but nothing further. Tensions between rival clans were flaring up loud enough for the defenders to hear, and in one case it nearly resulted in a small skirmish that was immediately halted due to quick and decisive action by those in charge. But the underlying unease remained. Especially with the dramatic way Gullivarth had intervened and the sudden disappearance of Quattor from the field of battle. At least, with the storm still milling above their heads it was clear that the demon had not abandoned the battlefield entirely, but he was keeping his head low and that was demoralizing the horde as much as the crushing defeat was demoralizing the defenders.

Yet, everyone knew it was only a matter of time before the hostilities started up again, and that knowledge hung over everyone like a plague.

Gahntuar sat in the silence of the little room he and Merec had set themselves up in when Felicity first brought them here, brooding over a piece of vellum in the light of a small Magelight lantern the vixen had lit for him. Ever since Leathia had taught him how to read and write, he found the action very comforting when he felt anxious or distressed. And Gullivarth knew, he needed to unwind right about now.

However, the lettering on the document was written in a very poor hand: The symbols were of varying sizes and the ink smeared and blotchy. But it had to do. His skill in calligraphy was severely lacking, not to mention he did not have a fancy quill tip like Leathia that fitted securely over his claw. Instead, he had to make do with his natural claw, which did not possess an inkwell carved into it and as such, he had to dip his stubby finger regularly into the inkpot. That only resulted in ink being deposited unevenly across the page or dripping where it shouldn't. Still, it was legible enough, he assumed, when he reread the last few lines he had written:

'The top strategists with us would later decide that, had it not been for the Lúgroccae that day, the horde would have annihilated the elven army. This would have left the entire forest open to raid and plunder, and without the Vedui Tí, the unopposable orcish advance would eventually have ended up threatening the elvan capital itself.

But however great history may look upon us in the coming centuries, I am still filled with sorry when remembering our friends who had to pay the Wages of Honour that day. Yet, looking back at that horrible day with the knowledge of the present, I must admit that without their sacrifice, the Lúgroccae itself would not have survived to see the end of summer.'

The black drake sighed, staring out the window at the featureless, black sky. The words were true enough, but it brought him no peace of mind as he had hoped. The door to the room opened with a barely audible creak, but though he clearly heard it, the drake did not acknowledge the newcomer's presence. Not even with a flick of an ear in his direction. But over the bond they shared, both individuals knew he was aware of the human's intrusion into his moment of silent mourning.

"How are you doing?" Merec asked softly as he closed the door behind him again.

"You share a soulbond with me!" Gahntuar growled after a crude curse, a dangerous edge to his voice indicating he did not want to be disturbed. "You know perfectly well how I'm doing!"

At the reply, there was an immediate pang of regret and shame that flooded the bond, powerful enough to physically hurt both of them. But whether it originated with the human or dragon, neither of them was sure. Nor did they care.

"I'm sorry," Merec started to apologize, turning to leave again. "I didn't mean..."

"No, I'm sorry!" the drake interrupted him, lifting a wing in invitation. "I've lived long enough with the two-legs to know you only meant to say that I am not alone in this."

Though the regret and shame for treating their soulmate with reckless familiarity still lingered somewhat, it was quickly washed away with the warm glow of gratitude. Again, they were not sure from who it came from, nor did they care about it once more. Gratefully, Merec stepped up to his dragon and cuddled against the scaly side as Gahntuar lowered his wing affectionately around his human's shoulders.

"I am so sorry for your loss!" Merec repeated carefully. "I know I can never understand the pain you are feeling..."

"You share a soulbond with me!" Gahntuar repeated his earlier statement, though much more patient and gentler than before. "You know exactly the pain I am feeling. But the truth is that your presence in my soul is giving me strength to go on."

"I'm not doing anything..." Merec stated with a frown, but the drake silenced him with a quick nuzzle.

"There is nothing you can do!" Gahntuar admitted with a sorrowful sigh. "But through your emotions, I know I'm not alone in this and never will be. I feel your compassion for me, your love and worry for my wellbeing and gives me the strength I did not even know I needed."

They were silent for a few minutes, only enjoying each other's company. At one stage, Gahntuar reread the thoughts he had put to record again, dipping his claw in the inkpot again to add something. But then he hesitated and instead, cleaned his claw on an ink-stained rag.

"Merec, I..." the dragon started to say before he trailed off awkwardly. He swallowed nervously, glancing worried out the window before trying again. "There-there is something I've been meaning to talk to you about..."

"I know," Merec stated softly, rubbing the dragon's side where the scales were softest in the crock of his flight arm.

"I know it is difficult to accept this, but hear me out for a moment!" Gahntuar insisted worriedly, uncharacteristically nervous about his proposal. "I... I've been thinking about the dragons and riders we have lost. Not only Amaren and Shella, but everyone. And not just here at Juinkarr, but in Ealyndore as well..."

"I know," Merec repeated. For a moment he wanted to say something, but then he fell silent as well, unsure of how to broach the subject.

"I mean... we have asked so much of them and... and they did not hesitate to give!" the drake continued, so focused on his own turmoil that he completely missed the human's. "How... how can we still ask more of them, without... I mean..."

"Gahntuar!" Merec suddenly stated firmly, grabbing the dragon's jaw and turning his head to face him. "I... know..."

"How can you know?" Gahntuar asked worriedly. "Our private thoughts are not shared over the bond!"

"I've felt your emotions, the whole range of them!" Merec reminded him. "And I've seen you writing down your memories of Ealyndore to clear your mind! And I know you pretty well by now, I should think. I feel confident that I have a good idea of what is on your mind."

"And...?" Gahntuar asked, his mouth dry with anticipation. "What do you think about it?"

"Honestly, I don't know!" Merec sighed wearily. "I'll admit that I don't like it to be honest, but I fear there may be no other way."

"I don't like it either," Gahntuar agreed with a sigh, looking out the window again. "I don't even know if it will work..."

"But what other choices do we have?" the human asked, leaning back against the scaled ribcage. "Still, whatever we decide to do, know I will always be with you."

"I know, and thank you!" Gahntuar purred, daring to nuzzle his human again with an affectionate smile. But then he scowled and turned his attention back to the pages he had been writing. "But I still don't like it."

The dragon looked longingly at the vellum, before gathering the courage to put his claw back into the ink.

'Now, with the great storm clouds growing in strength around us where we have decided to make our final stand against the demon who had hunted me all my life, I can only beg of Gullivarth that Merec and I will also have to courage to see through what must be done, to pay our dues in safeguarding those whom we wish to protect.' He wrote haltingly before even the act of writing started to weigh heavily on his emotions. Once more he stared at the open inkpot before, with a defeated sigh, he closed it and cleaned his claw one last time.

"The others won't like it either!" Merec suddenly warned him, earning a reprimanding nip from the dragon.

"Well, luckily it is not their choice to make!" Gahntuar growled before he returned his attention to the matte black slit in the wall that was their window.

***

"We lost most of our men during the breech, sir!" the young lion orderly stated crisply, though his shoulders were slumped like those of an old man. "We have barely over a thousand soldiers left, and both Brigadiers Coles and Aurrin are still unaccounted for."

"And the Equidae?" General Adulsworth dared to ask, recalling with a scowl how he had ordered them to push out just before the gate was breached so spectacularly.

"They were not as badly hit, but still suffered more than we can afford!" the orderly admitted. "Most of them were on their way out when everything just went to shit! The numbers are still a bit sketchy as General Marengo is still assessing the situation, but I understand they are down to eight thousand."

"And the auxiliaries?"

"The Red magi were hit particularly badly," the young lion stated mutely, somehow feeling bad for his earlier opinion of them. "They lost nearly their entire High Command and are still trying to reorganize themselves, but it sounds as if they are also down to a third of their forces left. The Yellows fared a little better this time round, but they were not as active in the fight today as they had been last night, so it is to be expected. The dragons, however, are badly banged up and seriously demoralized after the loss of their leader's heir. It seems he was very popular and widely respected."

"Horrible, that!" the human general agreed with a scowl, trying to banish the memory of the hellhounds ripping their victims to shreds.

"The horde lost much of its strength early on in the day during their fruitless attacks on the outer wall," the orderly continued without being asked, probably to get the image out of his head as well. "But they are still much stronger than us. But critical to our position, they now have full control of the outer two walls. Still, we have a good last line of defence set up on the innermost wall, and with the horde unable to bring in any heavy siege equipment through the ruins, we should be able to hold out until the Bovidae arrive. Their numbers should swing the tide of war back in our favour."

"Unless that demon decides otherwise!" Adulsworth grumbled annoyed before looking out over the disturbing no-man's-land again. "With him around, we are always on borrowed time."

"Y-Yes sir," the orderly agreed nervously, still shaken by the events of a mere few hours ago.

"And what is that big dragon doing at the moment?" Adulsworth suddenly asked with a scowl, looking up at the Citadel of Juinkarr.

"Moping, I think," the orderly hazarded a guess. "That or cursing Nixoruma's name rather violently. He shifts quite drastically from one to the other." When Adulsworth glanced at the young lion with a questioning frown, the orderly elaborated. "He took the loss of the Lúgroccan heir as badly as the Lúg'hir himself did. He claims he still had great plans for the drake, something about the war against the next demon. But I get the feeling there is more to it though. I'm not sure what it could be, however, but I'm still looking into it."

"I've asked around a bit myself and it seems that they are related by blood," the human admitted, ignoring the surprised grunt from the young soldier. "I hate to say this, but maybe the loss of the heir may have been a good thing... maybe now that big oaf will realize that he needs to do more to assist around here than just give moral support! He seems to be the only one who can directly stand up against that demon."

"If you say so, sir!" the orderly agreed dutifully. But Adulsworth wasn't listening to him anymore. The Roccan'hir and Lúg'hir had finally appeared again, walking quietly down the road that lead up to the western gate. But there was a determination to their stride he recognized immediately, one he did not like in the least! He left the orderly behind and hurried over to where the rest of the Lúgroccan council was approaching their leaders, arriving just in time to hear the red dragon who was second in command shout out in astonishment.

"What!" Jerielle's gasp seemed to echo through the silent, ruined buildings around them.

"Like hell, you will!" Aerhin agreed with his draine. It was such a shock to hear the elf curse like that, that anyone with some kind of authority around the central plaza quickly hurried over to where the dragons were arguing.

"What other options do we have?" Merec asked with a defeated sigh but kept his gaze firmly locked with the elf's own.

"That... demon has his teeth at our throats!" Gahntuar agreed with a dangerous growl that suggested he will not be arguing about this. "If anyone has any other plans...?"

"My young one is still out there somewhere!" a young, pale-blue draine called out in desperation as even Gullivarth landed nearby with a heavier than usual thud. "You cannot do this!"

"If he has not been caught by the horde when the main gate collapsed, then his hiding spot is good enough to last him through the night at least!" Gahntuar hissed furiously with a disciplinary snap of his jaws at the strange blue draine. "But if we don't do this, he will have no chance. Now be silent! You have no purview here!"

"We could just leave, you know!" Gharavhan suggested in his usual, deadpan way. When the smaller black drake glared at him, he merely shrugged and he continued evenly, "You asked for any other ideas..."

"And just... abandon that what everyone who had died here fought for?" Tembarah hissed angrily, speaking for the first time since she had learned of Amaren's death.

"Do not confuse lifeless stones with hopes and dreams!" Farriha snapped at her before reigning in her emotions with a ragged sigh. "They died, Amaren died, not for these cursed stones but a better future! For all of us here!"

"And they bought us exactly that!" Edward reminded them, the lupine rider pointing an accusing finger at his superior. "So, we shouldn't just throw it away carelessly! After what we have been through today, there is no shame in retreating!"

"And now that the demon had finally shown himself, I don't think the price will remain on our heads!" Charl added from the side. "We can return to the Dirt Tower or continue ahead to the elven forests as we initially planned!"

"Agreed," Audenier chirped almost excitedly at the prospect of leaving this place without any shame. "We should build up our strength again before we can even start to think of how we can challenge that... that..." The blue drake waved a wing towards the east as his voice faltered.

"And repeat the process?" Gahntuar growled, not in the least impressed with the logical suggestion of regaining lost strength.

"There can be no victory against the Dark! Eventually, all things must bow before the Great Night!" Ikessa suddenly whimpered softly. Though she had not meant to voice her opinion so loudly, it still carried across the gathering and the Lúgroccae glared angrily at her.

"Shut up, you fucking tail-raiser!" Farriha growled, taking a threatening step towards her as murder flashed in her eyes. "If I could have my way, you'd be a pile of rotting meat right now. Don't think for one moment I have forgotten how you killed my rider... and as the hole in my soul will attest, I will never be forgiving you!"

"You don't know what you are saying!" Audenier growled, stepping up next to Farriha to assist her in scowling down the hated draine. "Don't you have a hatchling to find?"

"She knows the Master... that demon better than anyone else here!" Harkor insisted, softly yet assertively as he stepped in between the two hissing draines. "I'd advise that you listen to what she has to say!"

Ikessa hissed and snapped her teeth at Farriha, but at the mention of the Master again, she seemed to wilt. "I'm just saying that you cannot defeat him with cheap tricks, and he will not let you go!" she replied almost meekly, visibly afraid of the demon outside the walls.

"Exactly," Gahntuar insisted pointedly, even though he had been ignoring Ikessa up to that moment. "Which is why this must end here and now!"

"That is still no reason to go sacrifice yourself to that thing!" Jerielle snapped desperately.

"Wait, WHAT?!" Archmagus Vicia gasped when the truth of the argument was finally revealed. "Have you lost your bloody minds!"

"Tell them this is wrong!" Jerielle whined, turning in desperation to Gullivarth who had up to that point only been looking on in silence. But the great dragon did not reply, instead, he turned his attention away to look off into the distant east. "My lord?" Jerielle repeated anxiously when the Theos remained quiet.

"'There is no greater display of love than the willingness to die for another!'" Gullivarth muttered dejectedly, not having the courage to look around at them.

"That's not..." Jerielle started to complain before Gullivarth finally looked around. Her argument died on her tongue as she saw the unveiled despair in the great dragon's eyes.

"That is why you did not clear out the traps in the Citadel, right?" Merec asked softly. "It had nothing to do with keeping the Circle of Five out… it was meant to be a trap for that demon! And you couldn't tell us because we needed to come to the realization ourselves."

Gullivarth sighed as his posture slumped before he closed his eyes and nodded meekly in agreement.

"What?" the Yellow Archmagus gasped, appalled. "You cannot be serious! How can you allow..."

"What is, was NEVER meant to have been!" Gullivarth whined, determinedly studying the edge of the fountain. "But if I stray from the path which had been set before me now, worse things than what we have seen today will come to pass. Things none of you will be able to survive and against which I will be powerless to assist!"

"Sorry, I don't understand!" Adulsworth finally managed to ask. "What is this about a sacrifice?"

"It is not a shadow worship thing if you were wondering!" Merec scoffed. "Gahntuar and I plan to draw the demon out and lead him into Juinkarr's Citadel itself. Unlike the rest of the ruins, the Citadel still has many deadly traps that are very much active."

"They intend to lure the demon into the Citadel and to have him set off one of their own traps!" Aerin stated appalled.

"Could that work?" Eloff asked, daring to sound a little hopeful but winced when he received a death glare from his general. "I… I just mean… it is their traps after all!"

"I've never heard of Triggerrunes that are picky about who they react to!" Fidesu stated, the Jet Archmagus scoffing at the idea. "You saw yourself how your troops set off the traps we laid for you during last night's rout!"

"And it is Tribus who would have set those traps!" Gullivarth quickly interjected, wincing even as he spoke. "She was the Mistress of Enchantments after all. Quattor was never that good with spells that did not give him an immediate edge in a fight."

"O-kay..." the human general drawled as he considered the proposal, "but how do you know that the demon will follow you into the tower... other than being the leaders of the Dragonriders, what makes you more special than the next dragon-rider pair?"

"That... thing... had hunted and killed my entire family and has been after me ever since I cracked my egg!" Gahntuar hissed angrily, sparing Ikessa a brief if annoyed glance as he spoke again. "I am told it was to stop me from taking control of this ruin, but he truly became obsessed with me when I met Merec..."

"He wants their hearts!" the last surviving council member of the Coral Tower growled annoyed. "Maybe even more so than a victory today..."

"What?" Eloff gasped, the last Alliance brigadier nearly falling over backwards.

"But..." Adulsworth's orderly spoke over him, glancing at the general as to make sure he had heard wrong.

"Are-are you sure?" Adulsworth asked, equally stunned by the strange revelation. "Why... why would he...?"

"General," Ursiele grumbled, the Ivory Archmagus turning to regard him with a stern gaze. "I do not know what your Alliance Doctrines teach you, but somewhere within that very Tower lies the gateway between us and Barathrum Proper itself. It is the home world of all shadowspawn if you like." Adulsworth stepped back in shock, looking nervously over at the ominous tower that suddenly seemed to be even darker.

"However, it has been shut ever since the end of the Dark Age!" Vicia quickly added, the Yellow Archmagus grabbing him by the shoulder as he started to transfix on the building. "Think of it like a door being locked. And yes, there exists a set of keys to unlock it, but they are scattered across all of Selebore."

"What prevents anyone from crafting a new set of keys?" Eloff growled worriedly.

"That's the point: Nothing is!" Vicia admitted sternly. "But the most important component that demon requires to do just that, are the hearts of these two. He has been trying to get them even before they came to the attention of the Circle!"

"Sweet divine Light!" the orderly gasped, looking like he was going to be sick. "So, the rumour of Lady Fucia is true...?"

"Shortly after the Siege of Corrumwhell, a high directive was issued to bring the hearts of these two to Lady Fucia!" Adulsworth explained when the others blinked at them in surprise. "I've been told she seemed obsessed by it, to be honest."

"That... directive still stands today!" Eloff quickly interjected. "And the General here took a great risk to disregard it outright when he had us march here."

"So you see, we can be sure that the demon will take the bait!" Merec declared triumphantly. "As long as he knows we went in, he will be sure to follow! He had been too obsessed with us just to let it go!"

"But the risk is too great!" Vicia insisted. "Should this not work as you expect, we will see the start of a new Dark Age!"

"The risk of not doing anything may be greater," Gullivarth rumbled softly from the side.

"But they will be all right, won't they?" Jerielle asked worriedly, looking up in desperation at Gullivarth.

"I have begged Nixoruma to let this pass, to allow me to make things right!" Gullivarth admitted dejectedly. "But she would not have any of it. I understand why, but... but..."

"Some protector you claim to be!" Adulsworth hissed disappointedly. "Why don't you stand up to that demon? I can't imagine that you are still scared of him"

"It is not him I fear, but the future!" Though the great dragon scoffed at the idea of him fearing the demon, he still sounded tired and defeated. "Already I have strayed too much, and my loss of self-control this afternoon may have doomed us all!"

"Why do you say that?" Alund asked surprised.

"For the sake of the whole of Selebore, either Quattor or Senna must be destroyed in the next few days!" Gullivarth admitted. "They have been at odds on how to deal with the Lúgroccan threat to their position and I know that my arrival the other day will have been the final blow to any sense of comradery between them. Yet, even a small altercation between their followers will see Selebore completely unprepared for the return of Septum, when he finally appears with Helegnel. But Senna has withdrawn to a well-prepared sanctum and is completely out of our reach for the moment. And with my... outburst, I have revealed too much of myself to Quattor! He is still nearby, but he will not come near this Tower while he knows I am still here. Yet, I dare not leave…"

"But will it not be to our advantage if the demons turn on each other?" Eloff asked with a frown. "It will allow us to better prepare..."

"Not with one a master of manipulation and the other a master of intimidation!" the large dragon warned him with a growl. "No, as soon as one of them makes the first move, all of you will find yourself fighting in one way or another on their behalf. Therefore, Quattor may not leave this battle alive!"

"Not the Alliance!" Adulsworth insisted. "We are devout followers of the Light and will not be swayed so easily!"

"Then please explain the Banzinen Incident to me," the drake dared to smile for a moment, his old self threatening to come through his melancholy. When the human faltered in his reply, the big dragon just nodded to him. "With that one decision, Senna maneuverer your Alliance brilliantly to not only tie the southern kingdoms down in a stupid war but to arrange you against the Circle of Five."

"Is that the real reason why you insisted we take control of Juinkarr?" Aerhin asked upset before Adulsworth could come up with a counter-argument, glaring up at the dragon a little accusatorily.

"Partly," Gullivarth admitted guiltily, looking directly at the elf. "But mostly, it was to safeguard your future. Trying times still awaits you and the camp you have built in the shadow of the Amber Tower will never suffice."

"That still does not answer the question as to why you cannot kill him yourself!" Adulsworth insisted. "After that display with the lightning, I know you are more than capable, are you not?"

"I am, but Nixoruma... the Light has forbidden it and as you are well aware, I must obey!" Gullivarth insisted.

"But why...?" Adulsworth pressed but staggered back in surprise when the big drake nipped at him in reprimand.

"Because if I do not, my children will..." Gullivarth snapped with a slight puff of smoke as some of his old spirit returned. But he caught himself before he said too much and with a tired sigh to calm himself, he continued. "A butterfly that is assisted to escape from its cocoon will never be able to fly. Suffice to say, if I were to recklessly intervene again, it will push the Lúgroccae onto a path that will ultimately see them destroyed. Even with my power at their disposal. And I will not let that happen again!"

"Again?" Eloff dared to ask, but Gullivarth just snorted at him as an indication he will be saying no more on the subject.

"But the fact remains that it is too dangerous to even consider!" Vicia insisted determinedly. "We cannot allow ..."

"You cannot forbid us either!" Gahntuar growled equally determinedly. "Merec and I have discussed this at length, and we agree that we have to see this through!"

"I may not understand the magical aspect of all this," Adulsworth admitted before indicating to the lupine Archmagus. "But I cannot allow this either! You are the High Command of the Dragonriders, it is irresponsible to go out on such a needlessly risky venture!"

"Just like the Circle of Five do not have any authority over us anymore, you cannot order us around either!" Gahntuar retorted, rounding on the other human. "And may I remind you that we only followed your advice this past day, you never ordered us."

"And as for leadership," Merec added, "we have just handed our authority to Aerhin and Jerielle here. As of this moment, they are Roccan'hir and Lúg'hir."

"This is still madness!" Aerhin protested vehemently. "We cannot accept!"

"And that brings us back to the question of other options!" Merec stated determinedly. "If you have any, please share. If not..." He allowed the statement to hang in the air for a moment.

"Lord Gullivarth..." Jerielle appealed desperately to the larger dragon, but he sat to one side, with shoulders slumped in despair.

"Remain near the walls when you do enter the Citadel," the great dragon finally stated. "That will allow you to go up two levels safely… but do no further than that. Seek out the throne-room on that floor and remember that if you were to accept any advice from the Annual of Light, it is that 'In the darkest hour, even the smallest light must shine the brightest!'"

"If you are set on doing this," Jurgon sighed, taking Merec by the shoulder as the wolf in red led him to one side, "I have some advice to give to you!"

"Lord Gullivarth, please!" Jerielle begged the large drake, her voice cracking in desperation. "You cannot allow this to happen!"

"I cannot forbid them either," Gullivarth grunted, a tear running down cheek as he watched Gahntuar step up to his human to listen in on how the last of the Coral Council retold his experience of fighting the demon. "Nor can I stand in their place. Believe me: I have asked! But it is not the time for my mortal body to die this day. This wind has come up in front of them, and they alone have to fly with it."

"Is there nothing you can do?" Audenier asked mutedly.

"No," Gullivarth stated dejectedly. "And after my attack on the Kuhiuns this afternoon, there is even less I can do physically for them. But I am with them in the spirit realm! Even now, while they may not know it, I am giving them the strength and courage to see this through. I am protecting them from the worst that Quattor can throw against them and I am guiding them onward. But what happened now depends on them alone. These are their decisions to make, their fight to see through. It is their duty to face down Quattor this night, as you have your duties to see to. "

"Will they at least succeed?" Vicia growled, not in the least happy with the direction this was going.

"That, only Nixoruma knows for sure!" Gullivarth admitted. "But at least know that this is our best chance at succeeding today."

"Our best change?" the Amber Archmagus growled appalled. "That is just not good enough..."

"Do not dare to play God, nor to suggest you know better!" Gullivarth warned her with a sharp reprimand. "Tempting as it may be, I know through bitter experience that it does not turn out well! Focus on that which you can change and accept that which you can't!"

"But... but..." Jerielle still tried to argue against this foolishness, only to sigh in defeat as she realized there truly was nothing to be done.

"At the very least," she finally asked, looking up at Gullivarth with tearful eyes, "can you please promise us you will help us do what must be done? If you cannot strike at the demon yourself, give your strength to our wings and our lances to strike down this evil once and for all!"

"My dear," Gullivarth crooned, extending his wing to give her a hug like a parent trying to comfort a scared child against something they have no power over. "Don't doubt yourself like that! My strength has always been part of you, long before you even asked it of me!"

"Can you offer us no protection at all against this demon?" Aerhin asked disheartened.

"There is much more at stake here than simple injury and death," Gullivarth stated, looking lovingly at the elf as well. "Do not fear that which can only harm the things which will never last. There are things, sentient and not, that seek to destroy you, body and soul! And I have been standing in their way ever since I became Theos. Trust me that I am not idle in protecting you!"

"But... Shella and Amaren ..." Aerhin stuttered, swallowing hard but still, he was unable to complete the sentence.

"I cannot guarantee that you will live to see the sun rise tomorrow, that is the purview of Nixoruma alone!" Gullivarth admitted with a whine. "But I promise you that your very souls are tucked safely beneath my wings. Even if you should die today, you will never be lost from my grasp!"

"But still," Jerielle admitted, leaning into the large black chest, "I fear for the safety of those we try to protect. If we are gone, what will become of them?"

"I understand that there is much going on we will never understand, but please, don't let our sacrifices be in vain!" Aerhin agreed with his dragon. "Not those who have already died and those," he couldn't help but look over to where the last of the Coral Triumvirate was talking to Merec and Gahntuar, "those who still have to make them..."

"Oh, my beloved ones!" Gullivarth gasped, his voice breaking as he extended the other wing to hug the elf as well. "Do not think that you are nothing to me but mere tools to be used and discarded! I've watched over you like a doting parent even before your first breath! I have always been by your side, rejoicing in your successes and crying at your failures. I feel your hopes and dreams, loves and delights, your fear, loss and pain, both emotional and even physical as if they are my own. I know it may seem as if I am aloof and uncaring, but I dearly love you all. My love for you is pure and true and always have been. Even now, with the dark shadows gathering around us, with death upon the wind, always remember that this love I have for you shall never waiver and never let you down! It is enough to see you through this day, and anything yet to come even in the distant future."

The great dragon finally released his captives from his fierce hug, turning to look at the small cluster of surviving Lúgroccae.

"No matter what happens this night," he announced to them, "I love you all and I will always be incredibly proud of you!"

"We... we trust you, my lord!" Gharavhan announced as well, swallowing awkwardly when it occurred to him that he was the one who tried to get them to leave this ruin only moments ago. He shared a silent moment with his rider before speaking again. "I will not speak for the others, but my rider and I will follow your lead and remain by your side, so come what may this night!"

"Thank you..." Gullivarth replied with a grateful nod, his voice still thick with emotion.

"Those who wish to leave and return to the Dirt Tower now may do so!" Gharavhan stated loudly, turning to the cluster of scared Dragonriders. "You have proven more than your worth this day so there is no dishonour in retreating to fight another day. I know I have suggested it myself mere minutes ago, but with Gullivarth's blessing, my rider and I will remain behind and assist the Lúg'hir and Roccan'hir in their last quest, mad as it may be."

There was an awkward silence as the surviving Lúgroccae who were barely enough to fill out two squads anymore looked at each other nervously.

"My rider and I will also remain behind!" one draine announced suddenly.

"So will we!" another drake echoed.

"We will remain as well!" Celine stated, the last remaining Battlewing Commander turning to those who had spoken. "Someone needs to make sure you behave!"

More and more dragons and riders acknowledged their willingness to see this through to whatever end they would meet, raising their overall morale significantly.

"Remain vigilant, fight hard, fly true!" Edward called out the Lúgroccan motto as Merec and Gahntuar re-joined them, and those assembled there were quick to reply in kind.

"Remain vigilant, fight hard, fly true!"

"So," Adulsworth growled upset at the turn of events he was completely powerless to stop. "How are we going to make this last foolish throw of the dice work?"

***

"So?" Eloff asked as he crouched behind the parapet on the innermost wall, "when in this foolhardy plan going into motion?"

The wolf looked out over the dead ruins beyond their last line of defence, the unnatural stillness making his fur stand on end. Though he knew there were shadowspawn all over the second wall, and even though they had put up Magelight lanterns themselves, he could barely make out any movements in the dark night.

"Any moment now," Merec assured him, sparing the new arrival only a courtesy glance before closing his eyes again as if in meditation. "As soon as the evacuation through the western gate is done."

"You really think this plan is going to even work?" a mustered coloured stallion asked, the equine brigadier whinnying uncomfortably beneath his breath. "Every military fibre of my being screams that this is a bad idea. If this goes south..."

"But as long as that demon prowls the field, everything we do will be a bad idea!" Merec hissed upset.

"And you think that creature will be gullible enough to take the bait?" Eloff asked, never glancing away from the dark silhouettes of ruined buildings, hoping to see at least something of what they are facing.

"From what I'm told, he lets his emotions rule him!" Merec stated confidently. "If he thinks he has the upper hand, we will be able to reel him in like a fish on a hook!"

"But the question remains," the equine brigadier cautioned, looking completely around to give Merec an evil eye, "will it be him who is trapped in the Citadel... or you..."

Gahntuar snorted in disagreement from where he was crouched behind the wall, but he did not offer any proper comment. It was a valid consideration, but one he did not want to think about. Out of habit, Merec reached down to pat his steed's neck reassuringly, though with their bond allowing them to share everything, it was a rather empty gesture.

"Why did you volunteer for this?" the equine suddenly asked, honestly curious. "I can't imagine how it is a good idea, seeing you are the Roccan'hir after all."

"I doubt we have the time to explain," the human grumbled as he looked up at the brigadiers on the ramparts again, not in the least interested to relate the explanation again, "but for this plan to succeed, it has to be us!" When the equine continued to stare at him, Merec only sighed. "Let's just say the demon wanted to get his claws on us for the past ten years. Why did the two of you volunteer for this?"

"You need to ask?" Eloff asked surprised, the lupine wolf finally looking around at Merec as well. "There is no greater glory than to die in the service of the Light. I had to fight the general for this honour!" He turned his attention back to the dark ruins. "The other three brigadiers are already enjoying their great reward, bathed in the glory of the Light, and I'll be damned if I were to be left behind! And on top of that, if this gambit pays off, I will be remembered as the one who lead the Alliance in the final charge that destroyed one of the surviving demons of Juinkarr!"

Gahntuar snorted again, but this time there was a slight hint of amusement to the coarse sound.

"Glory is as good an excuse to be standing here, I guess!" the equine admitted with a shrug. "For myself, I'm with the Lúg'hir here; A... dear friend died in that last attack and I cannot let this stand and do nothing!"

"Fools, all of you!" Felicity hissed appalled, pointing an angry claw at each one in turn. "Glory and vengeance are not worth your very lives. Not to even speak of the two of you!" she added with a scowl at Merec.

"Then what makes you better than any of the rest of us here?" Gharavhan suddenly rumbled, sharing a smirk with his Lúg'hir next to him.

"Someone has to try and make sure the demon doesn't get what he wants!" Felicity scoffed with folded arms. "Why are you here?"

"For the trap not to be too obvious, someone on the council needs to fly at the Roccan'hir's wing..." Edward stated solemnly, not looking anywhere but the dark-brown dragon he was seated on.

"We are not Lúg'hir and Roccan'hir anymore!" Gahntuar insisted with an annoyed growl. "Jerielle and Aerhin have taken over that role!"

"It doesn't really matter who is in charge at the moment, sir!" Gharavhan insisted in return, going so far as to give the smaller black drake a light, reprimanding nip. "You will always be Lúg'hir till the moment you draw your last breath!"

"You cannot follow us into the tower, Felicity!" Merec stated insistently, pointing a finger at the vixen in yellow before turning around at those around him, though he singled Gharavhan out specifically. "None of you can! Everything hinges on the fact that this demon has to think he has won!"

"This wasn't my idea when I brought you here!" Felicity growled upset beneath her breath, but purposefully loud enough for the human to hear.

"This is important!" Gahntuar agreed with his rider. "We need you to remain outside, both of you!" He looked specifically down at the wolf in green who was silently adding a few final touches to some augmentation spells he was giving the dragon.

"If this doesn't go as we hope, someone needs to make sure that the demon remains trapped within the tower!" Merec reminded the pouting vixen. "Remember, just like we discussed. Understand?"

"I still don't like it!" Felicity grumbled as a way of acknowledging the human's statement when another fox came running up to Gahntuar.

"The main army has fallen back to the mountain pass again!" the vulpine soldier stated quickly. "We await your move!"

"It is still not too late to stop this!" Felicity hissed desperately.

"For us, it is..." Gahntuar growled as he shared a silent glance with his rider. For a moment, the vixen wondered if the two were discussing taking her advice, but then the human merely nodded and with a quick flick of his wrist, sent up a green signal flare.

The last gate to Juinkarr's central terrace was thrown open wide and the volunteers of both the Alliance and Equidae armies streamed out into no-man's-land amidst loud battle-cry. Gahntuar reciprocated with a great roar of challenge of his own before he leapt into the sky and the three dragons and five gryphons who had insisted on joining him following closely behind.

The orcs stationed on the middle wall was caught completely off guard by the unexpected, illogical attack and though a cluster of archers manage to get a few arrows off to try and disrupt the charge, an archer unit from the Alliance was quick to form up and pin their direct opponents down. The dragons darted out quicker than the rest of the army, blasting a series of withering columns of fire over the horde just as they started to set up defensive formations. They did not hold and as the Alliance managed to reach the second wall, the first units of the horde broke already.

The surprise and confusion amidst the horde were so great that the Alliance was able to capture the gatehouse of the second wall and make their way up to the ramparts before the horde was truly capable of offering up any resistance. An equine formation of heavy infantry clogged up the second gate to prevent the horde from bringing up reinforcements as the rest of the Alliance started a desperate fight for the wall. An objective that was starting to seem surprisingly quick to achieve as the walls were designed to protect the defenders from the outside, not the inside and the withering fire from the unchallengeable dragons was chipping away at the horde's morale.

"Trolls are moving up to dislodge the defenders by the gate, sir!" Tanya shouted, the fox who was probably Shella's closest friend shouted down to Merec.

"Good, we have their attention then!" Merec grinned, turning to Gharavhan who was gliding nearby Gahntuar's flank. "Edward, take Marcius and go support the units by the gate, but don't do anything drastic! Hold out long just enough to make them think we meant business with this sortie, then start to fall back! Understood? Make sure that you are well on your way to safety when the trap is set!"

"Yes sir!" the lupine rider called back as Gahntuar started to turn into an attack run on the section of wall still occupied by the horde.

"Make sure you do the same!" Gharavhan shouted after them as he banked into a steep descend himself to assist by the gate.

Gahntuar snorted an affirmative he knew would not reach the brown drake's ears before spitting a glob of fire at the wall to clear up some space. He landed amidst panicking orcs, crashing into the backs of some before running along the rampart and knocking orcs over the edges as he went. He made it several yards before the orcs manage to react to his presence, by which time he leapt back into the sky again. But as he was gaining altitude again, he suddenly noticed something large and red standing amidst the burnt-out wrecks of the distant catapults.

*He's here!* the drake let his rider know over their bond, sparing a moment to glare at the loathsome creature before he had to re-join the fight.

"That should do it, then!" Merec responded, turning again to Jerache who was keeping a tight formation with Gahntuar. "Tanya, go tell Roccan'her Edward to begin with the second phase!"

"Sir!" the vixen responded crisply just before her steed dove sharply down to the gate as well. Gahntuar spared the demon on the ridge another glance, blinking in surprise when he was gone again. For a moment, he hesitated but the plan was already in motion and they had to go through with it. Following Merec's silent order, the drake dove down as well to meet up with the Alliance Brigadier.

"We can take this wall!" Eloff shouted determinedly as Gahntuar crushed the orc he was fighting with.

"But we cannot keep it, and you know it! " Merec snapped, slashing at another orc who tried to get around Gahntuar to stab the dragon in the side. "And that was not the plan: It is time to fall back! We need to secure our hold on the last wall before our time runs out!"

The lupine brigadier cursed loudly, but then nodded and called for the orderly retreat. They started to fall back as if they had overestimated the horde and were being driven off the second wall. Gahntuar assisted a little before he leapt back into the air. Again, he glanced towards the east looking for the demon, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"When will Gullivarth be moving out to attack the northern orc's capital?" Edward suddenly shouted when Gharavhan joined up with Gahntuar.

"I think it should be in seven or so minutes!" Merec replied a little unsurely. "More than enough time for the foot soldiers to reach the innermost gate again."

"Gullivarth gave us twenty minutes to prepare for his departure!" Gahntuar reminded his rider as he glanced down at where the horde was busy recapturing the second gate again.

"You remember how long we've been out here?" Merec asked surprised.

"No..." the drake started to admit when there was a clearly noticeable change to the weather. The wind, which had been dead-calm up to now, suddenly started to blow. It was only a gentle breeze at first, but it picked up speed surprisingly quickly as the great dragon Theos took off from his tower to move out north.

"That answers our question!" Merec shouted, turning to the other three riders. "Get back to the last gate and make sure it is secured!" As they turned to leave, the wind started to become dangerously strong as the bubble of Gullivarth's influence followed him north, leaving the defenders at the full might of Quattor's storm. It was already difficult for Gahntuar to remain in the air by the time he reached the valiant rear-guard defending the road back to the last gate.

"Fall back, now!" the drake roared at the soldiers as he came in to land. Though the buildings offered some protection against the wind, it was still dangerous to remain out in the open street like this. A light drizzle had started to accompany the wind, the rain splashing into the faces of the defenders at such speed that even the light droplets felt stinging. The soldiers did not hesitate and immediately broke their ranks, fleeing back to the last gate in disarray.

Gahntuar habitually tried to blast a column of fire at the attackers, to cover the retreat of his allies but the wind caught the fire-oil and blew it back into his face. He yelped in surprise, and momentarily blinded, he was forced to take to the wing to escape himself. The wind caught him however, blowing him back in a nearly uncontrollable tumble. Had it not been for Merec's sight over the bond, he would have been crushed against the inner wall, ending their last gambit even before it had time to play out.

"We spend too much time at the second wall!" Edward cursed against the whine of the gale as Gahntuar managed to land on the leeway side of the wall. "Do you think the others will be able to make it back?"

"I hope so!" Merec admitted, turning to try and get a better look at what was happening by the gate as Gahntuar rubbed smouldering fire-oil from his face.

*We need to remain seen!* Merec reminded Gahntuar, though a pang of worry for the drake's wellbeing filtered through the bond.

*I know!* Gahntuar replied annoyed, blinking away the last tears before he leapt up onto the rampart and grabbing a hold of the parapet least he was blown off the wall. A cluster of Equidae soldiers who had been huddling behind the protection of the upraised edge of the wall, shuffled aside to make room for the dragon. By now, the wind was incredibly strong, and they could even hear a faint whisper on the wind, a horrible sound that grated against their senses even though it was impossible to decipher was it said.

Merec grunted as the wind threatened to rip him from the saddle, but his harness was securely tied to Gahntuar's saddle and he remained in place. The human leaned low over his dragon's neck to get out of the worst of the wind, and with an upraised arm to bock off some force against his face, he managed to look out to the gate. The strike force that had sallied out with them was just returning through the gate while a second group who had remained behind with the sole purpose of protecting their retreat, started to engage with the first of the horde's forces.

"We need to go support the fight by the gate!" Edward suddenly called to Merec as Gharavhan rose onto his hindlegs to rest his forepaws on the rampart. "If this plan doesn't work out, we don't want to lose the gate unnecessarily!"

"Go!" Merec agreed. "We'll give it half an hour or so before we close the gate to try and force him out into the open in some other way! We'll join you when the time comes!"

Gharavhan snarled a quick response before he turned to leave. As Merec watched him and the other two dragons head to the gate, Gahntuar suddenly roared out a warning. Through the drake's eyes, the human could see the first orcs units rush the walls with ladders.

"Ladders approaching," he called back after a quick curse to warn the units around him about the incoming attack. The first ladders were raised even as he turned his attention back to the incoming wave. Gahntuar roared out one last challenge and then it was a chaotic mess of stabs and slashes and strikes as the equines and orcs fought for control of the last wall.

The defence turned out to be much more difficult than expected with the constant wind and rain in their faces and slowly, the orcs were starting to gain a proper foothold on the rampart. Long before the given half an hour, Merec already started thinking of calling this whole plan to a halt, least they truly lose control of their last line of defence, when he suddenly noticed the red shape of the demon appear through the second gate. For a moment his heart stopped, and he even felt Gahntuar give an involuntary shiver as the demon regarded the fighting on the wall, locking his gaze on where Gahntuar was.

Without hesitation, Gahntuar fled from the ramp, dropping back to the ground and quickly locating the equine brigadier they had talked to earlier.

"It is on!" Merec shouted before Gahntuar bounded off towards the gate. "He's coming!"

"Good luck!" the stallion called back, but his voice was lost to the wind and Gahntuar was already too far away. He watched them run off with a shake of his head before turning to his orderly to have the message relayed back to the western gate.

Gahntuar hurried over to where Gharavhan had fallen back, a Green magus tending to a lucky stab wound that managed to get past his peytral.

"It is on!" the black drake warned them. "He is coming!"

"Understood, sir!" the brown drake nodded quickly in understanding, though he was unable to hide a look of disappointment. "Good luck!"

"I really hope this plan works!" Eloff grumbled from nearby where he had been directing the soldiers to plug the gate. But with the demon now sighted, they had to continue with the third phase of this ridiculous plan. "Break for the wall! Go, go, go!"

The soldiers hesitated only slightly before obeying the command. As they broke, the horde started to spill out into the central terrace of Juinkarr, a fierce roar of victory rising from amongst them. The dragons leapt again into the air, allowing themselves to be swept away by the wind before angling themselves down again to make something of a last stand by the central fountain.

For a tense moment, nothing happened. But then the first orc units started to enter the central plaza. However, they advanced no further and only gathered by the entrances and watching the small cluster of dragons from afar as if blocking off their escape. A little silly, since dragons could fly.

"What are they waiting for?" Jerache asked nervously, but just as he spoke the orcs parted to reveal the demon himself. The dragons squawked in true terror and scattered to the wind as soon as they laid eyes on him.

Quattor only grinned manically as he watched them go, quickly picking out the black runt who fled to the Citadel itself.

"Clear out the whole of the Grand Gate," he hissed at the orc chief next to him, not waiting for a reply as he started to walk up to the narrow walkway the Jet Tower had constructed when the Circle of Five first came to Juinkarr. "I have business to attend to!"

***

Gullivarth landed hard when he misjudged his landing. Though the wind here in the protected valley beyond Juinkarr's western gate wasn't as strong as outside on the slopes, it was deceptively shifting here, and a slight change always had drastic consequences on how the air rushed over his wings. Still, he did not cause any unnecessary damage and quickly crawled up in between the leaders where they were crouching at the head of the army. Jerielle gave him a quick nod in acknowledgement before turning her attention back to the ruined gate a short distance away.

"How goes the battle!" he demanded with a stern hiss, practically pouncing Adulsworth where he sat crouched against the wind. The human turned and was about to tell the big dragon off, but something dangerous flashed in the drake's eyes and he swallowed his rude comment.

"Your red friend has been seen entering the ruins, so he bought the diversion!" he admitted, turning back to face into the wind. "We await the final word before springing the trap."

Gullivarth grumbled something that did not translate and crouched next to the human, kneading the shingles beneath his paws to pebbles. The flight north to shift the bubble of his protection off Juinkarr before dropping it all together was one of the hardest things he had to do since returning through the Veil, and he had argued against the human general's idea something fierce. But he was also the one who had asked for the human's assistance and even though he had commanded armies of his own in his day, he had always enjoyed the numerical or armament superiority before today and as such, he to trust Adulsworth's suggestions.

The next minute or so passed like hours and he could not help but imagine how the small garrison in the central terrace was being overwhelmed in various, gruesome ways. He looked up sharply when a fox suddenly came rushing up the slope towards them.

"It is on sir!" the fox gasped when he reached the general. "The demon took the bait!"

"He followed them into the Citadel?" Adulsworth asked, a little surprised that the quickly prepared ruse worked. Usually, military deception took weeks or months to prepare.

"I did not see him go in, but he was heading determinedly that way!" the soldier admitted. "He was already on the narrow bridge to the tower when I left my post."

"Is the anvil in place?" the general asked, his mouth suddenly dry with anticipation.

"Yes, sir!" the fix grinned. "The orcs are pushing hard from both sides, but Brigadier Eloff is secure on the wall."

"Good!" Adulsworth dared to smirk as he turned to the equine general next to him. "General Marengo, time to deliver the hammer strike! Commander Phillip?"

"On it, sir!" the ursine commander who had taken over duties of a brigadier for this maneuverer snapped, eager to prove himself and truly earn his field promotion.

"You, make sure you stay close to me at all times!" Gullivarth growled dangerously, turning to give the pale-blue draine next to him an evil eye as the Alliance's trumpets sounded out the order to attack.

That was as much as Gullivarth dared to wait. Even as the first units got to their feet to charge silently down the slope and back to Juinkarr, he had leapt into the air. As expected, the wind caught him almost immediately and threatened to blow him back to the western plains. Of course, he could have blocked the storm to make it easier for him and the dragons following him, but he didn't want to give Quattor even the slightest hint that he was still in the vicinity before it was too late. Instead, he managed to steady himself, battling the wind with his natural strength as he fought his way to the plaza in front of the Citadel.

He reached the Citadel just as the first units of the Alliance caught the orcs on the central plaza by surprise. Remaining absolutely silently, he crashed into the squad of trolls guarding the entrance to the Citadel, squashing one flat and killing another with a lethal bite to the neck before the rest of the Lúgroccae landed next to him and assisted in clearing out the little terrace beyond the river.

"Go!" he ordered Jerielle as he dropped his last victim, a smaller troll who had tried to rush into the Citadel, probably to warn his Master or as a last ditched attempt to escape the lethal jaws. "You are needed by the last wall!"

"I will not abandon the Lúg'hir!" the Lúg'hir Vicarium hissed, turning to regard the temporary bridge over the river.

"There is nothing you can do more for him now!" Gullivarth hissed, turning towards the tower and looking up at a nondescript slot window on the second floor. "The only thing you can help with now is to make sure the anvil by the inner wall isn't crushed into oblivion!"

"Audenier, Farriha!" Jerielle called out. "Take the others and go assist the soldiers where you can!"

"What about you?" Audenier asked nervously, glancing to where Gullivarth was giving the red draine an evil eye.

"Someone needs to watch the Theos's back," she stated triumphantly, returning the death glare in kind.

"I have Ikessa and Harkor at my side," Gullivarth rumbled annoyed.

"With all due respect, we need to have someone we trust here!" Aerhin insisted along with his draine.

Gullivarth snapped his jaws irritably at them, before relenting and returning his attention to the window, not even looking around as the other dragons departed again.

***

As they were instructed, Merec and Gahntuar quickly climbed the great stairs to the second floor. The statues of various creatures caught in the moment of stunned surprise or absolute terror filled the halls and with a shudder, they made sure to keep their distance from the cursed locations. Once they had ascended two flights of stairs, they search for the room pointed out to them to await the arrival of Quattor, always keeping to the walls.

"This must be it!" Merec grumbled when they came upon what seemed to have been a kind of large audience room, with what seems to have been a great stone chair to the side. Rotten banners hung from the walls and the faded insignia of orc tribes long gone adorned cracked and splintered wooden shields that had long ago fallen from their seats on now bare walls. As they had hoped, there was no sign of petrified victims within the room, but they had no idea if there was a triggerrune active either. All they had to go on was the word of the dragon Theos that this was the room best suited for their fight with the demon.

"I guess," Gahntuar whined, suddenly not so sure how smart this plan of theirs was anymore. "What is through those doors?"

"I doubt it is anything more than a cupboard," Merec replied softly as he started to mould some Mana. "But don't go look though, it seems like a good place to put a trap."

For a few minutes, they prepared themselves as best they could before hunkering down next to the broken throne for the tense wait. Gahntuar swallowed nervously when they heard Quattor grumble as the demon climb up to the floor below theirs.

"Come out, little whelp!" the demon growled, his whisper travelling unnaturally well to them. Even at this distance, the sound felt grating against their senses and Gahntuar shifted uneasily. As he did so, he bumped against the rubble causing a loose slab to crash to the ground. Below them, the demon stopped for a second before turning back to the stairs.

"You know you can't hide forever!" he taunted as he climbed up to their level. They knew he was closing in on their position quickly as an overwhelming sense of anger and hate at the world in general filled their thoughts.

Then, he was there in the doorway. With a thoughtless flick of his wrist, he cast a Werelight into the room, the shimmering ball of reddish light swaying like a drunk ghost for a moment before settling on a receptacle hanging from the ceiling. The demon smirked victoriously as he noticed them huddled against the far wall, cowering next to his old throne. He stepped leisurely into the room, casting a spell as he did so. His Manashape ignited into something that took the appearance of a deep, ominous shadow across the door, effectively locking his victims inside.

"Foolish boy!" the demon chuckled as Merec lifted his sabre into a lower on-guard stance, a rune the last survivor of the Coral Triumvirate had given him and which he had been holding in reserve up to now, igniting into what looked like pale-blue flames that danced across the blade of his weapon.

"Did you truly think you stood a chance against me?" Quattor continued, lifting his own weapon. Merec's enchantment nearly faltered when he recognized Havold's staff, though it now had a black aura about it. The mist around the weapon seemed to ooze to the head of the shaft, coalescing into a cruel-looking axeblade.

"Look around you: All lights here have gone out, and the dark is my domain," Quattor sneered as he stepped closer to them. Gahntuar growled defiantly as he crouched, though it was more to hide the fact that his flanks were trembling so badly that he was about to wet himself than to seem threatening to the demon. Something, the demon seemed to have picked up on.

"Or," he added with a scoff at the drake's fake bravado, "did you feel powerful with a dragon at your back? Did this runt here fill your head with illusions of grand..."

He stopped in surprise as he took another step and a triggerrune ignited beneath him. For a stunned second, he stared down at the magical trap that glowed ominously beneath him, before looking up with a smirk. The stare of utter shock on the faces of his two victims was oh so sweat, making him laugh with delight, causing the room to quiver with each sound.

"Was that what was really going on!" he stated amused, his voice loud enough to make the weakened walls crack and their ears to ring again. "Have you forgotten that these are my halls? Did you think the traps of Juinkarr would work against its own heir?" With a quick thought, he formed a Shape and the rune flickered like a dying thing out of existence.

"Or did you trust in the power of light over the all-consuming Dark?" Quattor continued his victorious monologue as he stepped closer to them again, hefting the head of his axe at them. "A light may hold back the Shadow for a time, but there exists no light that can stand against the Great Night. Now, the time has come for you to submit to my darkness."

"We will never submit to any form of darkness!" Gahntuar insisted in a tight voice, but though he had meant to sound defiant his voice came out in a high-pitched squeak.

"You think so?" Quattor grinned, leisurely casting a Manashape that ignited in the form of a pool of darkness on the floor. Merec and Gahntuar stared in horror as the tangible shadow spread from the demon in all directions. As it oozed over the floor, tendrils lifted from it like cobras swaying around and searching for victims to ensnare. "The Darkness is everywhere; always alluring; eternally present! You will learn first-hand that eventually, all things must submit to the dark!"

With a flick of his wrist, he commanded one of the tendrils to attack them. It shot out at a blinding speed at Merec, and he slashed instinctively at it. However, the tendril never reached its target as it was rebuffed by the protective rune Jurgon had taught the human when he took him aside earlier. Quattor snarled angrily as the series of runes on the floor ignited and the bluish light drove back three more of his attacks. Then, he lunged at them himself, the unnatural metal of the axe head shimmering like obsidian as it moved. Merec managed to parry and duck a few quick attacks, but Quattor was skilled with his weapon and pressed hard at them. But try as he might, the demon could just not get his prey to separate nor force them off the large space they had claimed against the wall with the Coral Tower's rune. However, the human and his dragon could also not gain any advantage against the demon, even though Gahntuar tried to attack the demon from another angle on several occasions as he was engaging with the human. The demon managed to hold his own spectacularly well, retreating into the sea of shadows when pressed too hard or keep the drake in check with deft swings of his axe when Merec wasn't in exactly the right position to press the advantage of the dragon's attacks.

However, even the demon's luck ran out and at one stage, Merec managed to land a decent cut to the demon's one shoulder when he had turned to take another swing at the dragon. Quattor hissed in surprise and pain, as he hurriedly retreated to the safety of his shadows. Quickly, he cast a healing shape on himself, but the wound had something like smoke rising from it and his spell was rebuffed. The demon looked down at the wound in surprise, raising a curious eyebrow at the smoke that shimmered the same hue of blue as the magical flames on Merec's blade before he dispelled it and the wound closed as if it had never been.

"Cute!" Quattor hissed, grinning manically as he stood there, commanding the tendrils of shadows around him to rise higher and higher. Soon, they reached the ceiling, obscuring the central area of the room completely.

*You see him?* Merec asked as he stepped back towards the wall worriedly, turning this way and that as he held his weapon at the ready.

Before the dragon could reply, Quattor lunged at the human again. He came from the side and Merec barely had time to dodge the swishing axe before it took his head off. The human slashed wildly at the demon, but he had retreated into the obscurity of the shadows again. Gahntuar snarled, snapping his head around but the attack had been so quick that he was only aware of it over the bond he shared with his rider. They were still glaring at the spot where Quattor had vanished when he returned, attacking Merec again from another side. This time the human managed to bring his blade up in time to parry the worst of the axe-swing, but the demon still managed to strike through the human's rerebrace and score a light nick to the human's left bicep. The demon disappeared back into the shadows again just as a stream of dragon fire came flying at him.

Gahntuar cursed loudly as his attack missed, glancing worriedly at his human as Merec hissed in pain. The wound was superficial, but it burnt something fierce and now he was sitting with a blackish smoke to the wound that rebuffed his healing magic and which he did not know how to dispel. But the crude phrase had barely left the dragon's maw when Quattor attacked yet again. This time, however, he did not go after the one he considered weaker and attacked Gahntuar from the side. The axe head buried itself into the dragon's frontal pauldron, cleaving the golden-hued metal covering his shoulder in half before it lightly nicked the scales underneath. However, the armour did its job and the demon's attack did not do any real damage. Gahntuar retaliated immediately, biting at the demon even as the sheet of metal that had protected him clanged to the floor. But Quattor stepped deftly away from the snapping jaws and with a quick twirl of his axe, brought it down on Gahntuar's helmet. However, the strike never landed as Gahntuar himself brought up a magical shield to block the attack. As Quattor blinked in surprise at the Mana-wielding dragon, Merec cast a small Shockwave spell that had the demon stagger.

With Quattor off balance for once, Gahntuar took his chance. He blasted the demon with a thick stream of dragon fire and the oil splashed across Quattor's chest.

The demon screamed in agony as he started to burn, staggering away from his attackers in confusion. The shadowy tendrils he had used so effectively up to now evaporated as his concentration faltered, as did the blade of his axe. This was the best opportunity for Merec to strike, but even though the demon did add any additional magical force to his voice, the naturally concussive quality of his pain-filled roar still shook the room. It bounced from wall to wall, knocking both Merec and Gahntuar off their feet even though the human had tried to bring up a protective shield. Cracks appeared in the walls around them and a small section around an already badly damaged slot window failed, the outer wall of the Tower collapsing outward.

There was a squeak of absolute terror as the cupboard's door failed as well, revealing a young, maroon drake of about ten years hiding in the small space. He squeaked again when he saw the demon getting to his feet again, still smouldering even after he had scattered Gahntuar's fire-oil with a Manashape from his body. Not hesitating any longer, young Seghrien scrambled for the hole in the outer wall, his wings already opening to leap into the traitorous safety of the storm wind outside.

He never made it.

"YOU!" Quattor roared, the shout sending Seghrien hurtling back against a still sturdy section of wall. Even over the horrible echoes of the shout, there was the audible snap of a wing arm and the youngster crumpled to the floor, coughing up blood.

Gahntuar saw the opening and leapt onto Quattor's back as he was distracted shouting down the youngster. The black dragon's claws dug deep into the demon's shoulders as he flapped his wings wildly to push the creature over, even as his jaws were snapping for the thick red neck. Merec rushed forward to join his dragon's attack, but he was not in time. Quattor managed to grab a hold of Gahntuar, bodily ripping him from his back and throwing him to the ground hard enough for the drake to cough. The demon turned and screamed bloody murder at the approaching human and Merec managed to bring his shield up just in time to avoid the worst of the concussive blast. Still, he was pushed back to the far wall again and knocked over as the shout bounced off the wall. But this time, the reverberating echoes were not as severe as the force found the weakened outer wall and most of the power escaped into the storm, breaking the window open even more.

Young Seghrien managed to get to his feet again as Quattor turned to stab his staff at the black dragon, who blasted fire in the demon's face before he rolled away to safety when Quattor deflected the stream of oil with a quick shield. The youngster made his way to the collapsed wall, but there, upon seeing the strength of the storm outside and feeling the burning pain in his wing and chest, his courage failed him again. However, he did see something that gave him slight hope.

"MOM!" he shouted down to the dragons below, but then he had to dive to one side again as a column of black fire meant for Gahntuar blasted past him.

Though the black drake had managed to avoid the first blast of fire, he was not quick enough to escape the second and the column of dark fire hit him square in the chest. Luckily his peytral took the brunt of the attack, but it still sent the drake crumbling momentarily to the floor. Quattor whirled around and stabbed at Merec, who had come at him from the other side, electricity crackling along the length of the staff he wielded. The human parried instinctively, but the electricity sparked and knocked his blade clean from his hand. The aura of blue flames flickered out as the sabre clattered to the ground, and though his arm felt numb, he still dove desperately to retrieve his weapon. With a victorious snarl, the demon bashed the head of the staff down on the human's back.

But again, the strike never landed. A blast of dragon fire knocked the demon off balance yet again. Quattor turned and snarled furiously as he recognized Ikessa's form appear in the broken wall.

"YOU WILL _NEVER_ HAVE MY SON!" she screamed enraged as she landed, using the momentum of her flight to charge at the demon. The wrathful mother crashed into the demon just as he had turned towards her and she nearly knocked him over.

"Disgraced Lizard!" Quattor screamed, the force of the shout pushing the draine off him and a few paces away. Ikessa snarled defiantly at him through bloody teeth and was up again in an instant. She rushed at him again in a blind rage even as Gahntuar came at him from another angle. Quattor swung his staff, a blackish fire flickering to life along the length of the weapon. His attack struck Ikessa dead-on and she was sent flying backwards like a stuffed toy. In a flash, Quattor had repositioned to strike at Gahntuar as well, aiming for the open spot where the drake's peytral had been before the blast of black fire dislodged it, but the dragon aborted his attack and managed to twist out of the way just in time to avoid the supercharged weapon.

Gahntuar ended up on the far side of the room, standing in front of the broken section of the wall and next to his hated enemy as she tried to get to her feet again. However, to the drake's surprise, she seemed to struggle with the basic movement, her legs quivering with the strain before they buckled and she collapsed to the ground. When she tried again and failed even before getting up onto her haunches, it hit the drake that she was choking.

Then, as if to confirm his suspicions, Ikessa coughed up a thick, black blob of ooze that dribbled from her maw like hot tar.

"MOM!" young Seghrien screeched in panic, rushing up to his dame side and trying to get her to sit up. However, his efforts were in vain as she collapsed completely onto her side, her eyes wide and wild with a terror she had never known before.

A hateful streak came over Gahntuar as he watched the draine choke on the black ooze. Years of constant fighting against this very creature, all the lives she had ruined and even destroyed came flooding back to him. 'Poetic justice: killed by her own beloved Master!' the thought bubbled up in him and he dismissed her, turning his attention back to the demon, whose attention was also fixed upon the dying draine.

But as he did so, the terrified eyes of the youngster caught his attention.

"Help us! Please!" the little maroon drake whined, terrified tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm scared..."

'I'm scared...'

Amaren's last words hit the drake like a club-wielding troll and the wrathful influence of Quattor in his soul melted away. For a moment, the memory of this youngster's sire, of his relentless hatred and persecution threatened to bubble up again, to remind him that the hateful creature's bloodline would die with this whelp if he only turned his back on them. But for that moment, the drake could not look past the fear on the youngster's face. He had done nothing to deserve this. Nor could he ignore the panic in Ikessa's eyes. True, Ikessa on the other wind was not so innocent, and her action to kill the traitor earlier in the day was not enough to clear her name. But as she couched up another glob of black slime, she was not the enigmatic monster who lurked in the shadows and snapped at his heels whenever he wasn't paying attention. She was just a desperate mother who only tried to keep her hatchling safe... and had failed!

The world seemed to slow as Gahntuar glanced away from the two scared dragons to look up at the demon as he stalked closer, a disgustingly satisfied smirk on his features. And a horrible realization hit him. He could try and pull Ikessa to safety through the opening behind them. Outside, there should be a Green magus who had the knowledge and skill to clear the ooze from Ikessa's lungs... but that would mean leaving Merec alone in this room with this dreadful creature who harboured not even a speck of compassion. True, Ikessa will surely die if he didn't even try to do something, while Merec should be able to live long enough for him to return. But the mere thought of abandoning his best friend broke the dragon's heart.

*Go!* Merec's thoughts drifted across the bond to him. The human had felt the range of emotions the dragon experienced, and he knew that even though Gahntuar hated Ikessa something fierce, allowing the two dragons to die like this would be something that would haunt the drake for the rest of his life. *Save her!*

Still, Gahntuar hesitated, staring with widening eyes as that ominous black fire lit up on Quattor's staff again.

*Go!* Merec insisted. *Before it is too late!*

With a heart-rending roar of despair, Gahntuar charged at Quattor. The sudden attack caught the demon, who had thought himself victorious, a bit by surprise and he swung the staff at Gahntuar. However, his timing was off, and the cursed weapon clanged off Gahntuar's remaining frontal pauldron, splitting that piece of armour as well but doing no damage to the drake. Then Gahntuar was over him, somehow managing to drive the demon back across the room whilst the angry black dragon snapped his head forward as well, sinking his teeth into the demon's shoulder.

Quattor lost his balance as he roared in pain, cracking the ceiling and causing a section of it to collapse onto the floor in the process.

But Gahntuar did not press his advantage. He abandoned his attack just as the demon formed a Shockwave shape to blast the dragon off him, causing the attack to miss completely. Instead, Gahntuar turned to run back to where Ikessa was writhing on the floor, just as Harkor reached the opening as well.

"Help me get her out of here!" Gahntuar roared as Ikessa's mate stared in growing horror at the scene.

"Jump, little one!" Harkor snapped, practically shoving the injured youngster out the opening before he clamped his jaws around Ikessa's shoulder.

Quattor was on his feet again just as Gahntuar reached Ikessa and grabbed hold of her other wing. Immediately, the two drakes started to pull the dying draine out towards the storm. Quattor roared in anger at them, inadvertently pushing them over the edge himself. As the dragons disappeared, Quattor cursed loudly and stomped the ground in a fit of rage.

A twinge of pain from his shoulder reminded him of where the dragon had bitten him and with an irritated scowl, he glanced down to see why the wound had not healed on its own. To his surprise, the bite-marks had a strange, golden aura to them and when he attempted to dispel the strange enchantment, it rebuffed him powerfully enough to have him blink back tears.

Some kind of sixth sense suddenly warned him that he was not alone, and he turned in time to see Merec slash at him. He avoided having his head taken off with mere inches and retaliated with a powerful swing of his staff that scored a direct hit to the human's breastplate.

Merec grunted as the staff connected and was bodily thrown back against the wall. Everything went black even before he fell to the ground.

***

Darkness.

A great void of shapelessness surrounded him.

A light may shine, but eventually, it will fade, and the dark will return to claim its rightful rule over all things. All must eventually bow before the Great Night.

"Sorry! But that is bullshit and you know it!"

For a moment, Merec thought Gullivarth spoke to him, but when he tried to reach out with his senses, he could detect nothing but numbness. Even the bond he shared with Gahntuar felt numb... dull... as if he was listening to someone talking whilst his head was submerged underwater.

'So, this is it then?' Merec thought as he allowed himself to merely float on his back in the current-less darkness. It was strangely peaceful, to be honest, and he allowed his thoughts to drift back to the life he had led. Yes, there were decisions he had made he still wasn't sure had been the correct ones, choices he regretted, but overall it had not been that bad. But as he was recalling the last few weeks, his thoughts turned to the small group of Lúgroccae who still looked up to him, hoping he would somehow manage to save them from the oppressive darkness that threatened to consume them. A pang of guilt stabbed at him as he thought of Aerhin and Jerielle and Edward and Gharavhan and Charl and Audenier and Farriha and... even Felicity and Vicia came to mind. They had warned him that his reckless plan was too dangerous to attempt, and… they were right.

'I wonder if my consciousness is going to be carried over into that set of keys?' he idly wondered as he realized that the afterlife was not the grand gate in the clouds he had always thought it would be.

"Oh, Merec! Don't be silly!" another voice scolded him. He had never heard it before, and it sounded almost like a young girl, though she spoke with the familiarity of life only a wise grandmother would be capable of as if patiently scolding a silly remark from a toddler. "I will never allow anyone's soul to suffer such a horrible fate!"

"Hello?" Merec called out again, looking around and trying to see anyone in the darkness around him. But he remained completely lost and alone to his senses. "Who ... who are you?"

"Hullo?" he tried again, starting to get a little irritated with the disembodied voices not answering him, but he felt so peaceful that he couldn't bring himself to do more than just huff in annoyance. "Where are you? Where am I for that matter?"

"It will help if you opened your eyes, you know!" Gullivarth rumbled in amusement, prodding Merec with a snout in his side as Gahntuar habitually did to get him to wake up.

To his surprise, light flooded the darkness he was surprised to find himself still in the throne room where he and Gahntuar had fought against Quattor. Only, it looked different… pristine even. The rubble had been cleared up and the cracks in the walls restored. The section where the outer wall had collapsed, however, was still open to the sky but it had been converted into a beautiful balcony large enough to allow a dragon entry into the tower. Indeed, it seemed to be used for exactly that purpose as Merec noticed the deep grooves on the floor where many dragons' claws had dug into the tiles to find enough purchase to take of or land.

Then he realised that sunlight from a distant sunrise was shining through the balcony, casting brilliant beams of light against the wall near him, the light catching specks of dust which shimmered beautifully and adding to the tranquil atmosphere. Merec gaped in wonderment at the sight, before recalling that he was not alone here. Only, when he turned to look around for the big drake who had woken him up, he was indeed still alone.

"Um... Gullivarth?" Merec asked stunned into the empty room.

"Here..." Gullivarth smirked right next to him. But when the human looked, he still could not see anything. Except, the golden cloud of dust seemed to shift, and he suddenly recognized a vague shape of a dragon within the light beam.

"Is that you?" Merec asked the dust cloud dubiously and to his astonishment the cloud chucked.

"Of course, it is!" Gullivarth grinned. "Look properly!"

Even as Merec stared at the shimmering light beam, it coalesced into a more solid form of a dragon, though it had rich, dark-golden scales instead of the usual black ones Merec had known him by.

"There you go!" the dragon smirked almost victoriously as Merec blinked up at him. "Wasn't too hard, was it?"

"How... how can you be here?" Merec gasped, stunned. "Who-who is looking after the others?"

"Well, on this side of the Veil, I am always and everywhere!" the dragon smirked with a wink. "Even though, at this very moment, I am still physically outside the entrance to Juinkarr's Citadel as well, waiting for you."

"I don't understand..." Merec stated, frowning up at the dragon.

"Wibbly-wobbly Timey-wimey!" Gullivarth grinned as he dismissed the question with a wave of his wing, the appendage passing completely unhindered through Merec. "Don't worry about it, right now, that question does not matter."

Merec sat up, glaring accusingly at the dragon before letting the comment slide. The big drake was probably right. Instead, he turned to look around the room before it hit him that the storm outside was completely gone. For a moment he wondered what the view from the balcony would look like... and suddenly found himself standing on the edge looking out over the valley below them.

Juinkarr had been rebuilt. Large, beautifully constructed buildings covered the region where he had only known ruins to stand. There were various types of buildings, ranging from large sturdy barracks and grand accommodations for visitors to various workshops and training grounds, and he even recognized several support buildings such as storage facilities and administrative offices. The three concentric walls had been restored and expanded on even to make them even more imposing, with additional towers and other defensive features that had been lacking in the walls he had helped to defend earlier that day. The walls were further inter-joined with other walls that divided the entire Juinkarr up into roughly twelve large sections.

"Where are we?" the human asked, not daring to believe what he was seeing.

"Oh, I think you already know!" Gullivarth rumbled as he came to stand next to the human.

For a moment, Merec wondered if this was what Juinkarr originally looked like, but then the dragon next to him only chucked.

"No!" he answered even before Merec could ask, pointing out a part of the Tower they found themselves in. "This is much better, I think."

When Merec turned to look, he blinked in surprise when he noticed the original, misshapen gargoyles had been replaced with statuettes of dragons in various poses, most with riders but some without. Indeed, as he stared at the ornaments, he became aware of one statue in particular which stood out. Right in front of the entrance to the main Citadel stood a dragon-rider pair, facing away from him. He could not make out much detail though as two concentric half-circles of large, black stone slabs stood between him and the statue. For a moment, Merec regarded the strange arrangement, wondering what the purpose of the varying sized stones was. The only thing the eight or so slabs had in common was their height, their rectangular shape and the fact that they all stood around the statue.

"Is this what could have been, had...?" Merec started to ask, but his question faltered when he noticed the dragon was gone again.

"Magnificent view, isn't it?" the other voice he had heard suddenly asked behind him. Merec twisted around in surprise and rather was disappointed to find that he was still alone. "Truly an awesome sunrise, I think."

"Where are you?" Merec asked, still turning about as he tried to find who was speaking.

"I am where I've always been," the voice stated cryptically. "Right beside you!"

"I don't see you!" Merec grumbled annoyed.

"As Gullivarth said, it will help if you open your eyes," the voice stated calmly, though there was a hint of mischief in her tone.

"But my eyes are..." Merec started to complain, turning around yet again only to see a young woman of about nineteen standing next to him. "...open!"

"Not always to the important things in life, it seems!" the girl stated with a mischievous smile as she glanced at him.

"It is not nice to play tricks on others, you know!" Merec growled as he folded his arms in annoyance.

"Who said I am playing tricks?" she asked innocently. "It is not my fault if you do not take me up on my word."

"You were not there a moment ago!" Merec insisted, turning back to the view out the balcony.

"I assure you that I was!" the girl insisted likewise. "I have never left your side. Nor did Gullivarth for that matter."

"Were you hiding then?" Merec asked with a huff. "I know I did not see you. And speaking of that big drake, where is he?"

"I was not hiding either," she smiled patiently, "nor is 'that big drake'. You did not see me because you were too focused on other things." She indicated towards the outside as if in explanation. "Do not worry about it too much though, it happens to everyone, every hour of their waking lives. Luckily for you, I am the one who needs to be holding onto you, not the other way around."

"What do you...?" Merec frowned, turning to the girl as a twinge of an unknown fear sprung up in his chest. But he hesitated, deciding to rather not ask the question. It was absurd after all... or was he too afraid to hear the answer?

"Is-is this really what Juinkarr could have been like if we were more careful?" he asked instead, determinedly focusing on the statue between the slabs of black stone. It seemed to depict a dragon standing proudly behind his rider and the human figure lifted a strange, bent rod up and over his head.

"Can't you tell?" the young woman asked, trying to sound surprised but still obviously amused. "In a way, you are correct. But whether it is still Juinkarr is up for some debate. Some call this the 'Scale Tower', to try and make it fit in with the names of the other Towers in the Circle of Five even though it stands somewhat apart from them. The name 'Dragon Tower' enjoys a little more popularity, referencing the creatures who have made this their home. But mostly, you are correct, and it still is referred to by the name it had back in the early days of what some call the Golden Age."

"Why do you show me this?" Merec asked, a little unsettled.

"Why ask me?" the girl retorted. "What the Lúgroccan Headquarters were to look like one day, was on your mind when you arrived here. So that is why we see it now."

"Is there a way to save it still?" Merec dared to ask.

"Safe it?" she asked softly. "What you see here can still be... should still be in fact. That is if you want it. The choice is yours."

"I seriously doubt that!" Merec scoffed, looking out over the shadowlands at the rising sun.

"And why is that?"

"Because we had failed!" Merec snapped. "The demon proved too strong for us and all of our plans to best it has come up short. All of our suffering has been for nothing!"

"Such a strong word," the girl commented, following his gaze towards the east. "'Fail'! Can you truly bemoan a setback the final repercussions of which you do not know yet? Or is the true failure knowing what needs to be done but not acting, despite the risks involved?"

"What good is trying without success?" Merec growled, turning to regard the young woman again.

"Success can only come after trying, and more than often, failing!" she replied patiently, taking his irritation in stride.

"Small comfort!" Merec scoffed, turning away from her. "We failed because we were wrong! We should never have tried to stand up alone against such a powerful foe!"

"Now that is a weak argument!" the woman replied, herself slightly irritated with the dejected man. "If success in anything, including war, was directly linked to how right and wrong you are, then no-one could ever hope to claim any form of success! No-one can honestly claim not to have done any wrong."

"Still, the outcome remains the same!" Merec insisted. "Quattor has won! He will get the keys to Barathrum and can start his Second Dark Age. All because we did not listen to those who had tried to warn us!"

"Oh, small of faith!" the girl sighed. "Do you honestly think this is over?"

"I cannot see how this can end any other way!" Merec admitted with a defeated sigh.

"Of course not!" the woman insisted. "You look at this solely from your own, lacking point of view."

"You think we can still defeat Quattor as things stand now?" Merec grumbled with a dismissive scoff.

"No, I know for a fact you cannot!" she replied, catching Merec off guard with the admission. "But that which seems impossible to mortal eyes is nothing more but an opportunity for a Divus to prove their greatness!"

That twinge of fear sparked again in Merec's chest and he turned to regard her worriedly. Finally, despite not being truly sure he wanted to know, he asked his question.

"Who... are you?"

"You still do not know?" she asked with a smirk. "Or do you still not want to accept the answer? I have been called many things throughout the ages, both remembered and not. For long, I was the 'Loving Mother', but during the time of the Great Disaster, when nearly all the civilizations fell into ruin, a time you know as the Twilight, I was known as the 'Powerful Protector'. Then, at the height of the Barthon Empire, I was the 'Supreme Judicator'. But now, since the more recent turmoil upsetting the balance of nature, I have been known as the 'Unshakable Supporter'!"

Merec stepped back in fear, aware of his very soul shrivelling before the knowing gaze of the being next to him. Somehow, he knew it merely took on the shape of a young woman for his benefit, yet in those eyes, he suddenly recognized an agelessness and a strength of spirit no mortal could ever hope to possess. At the moment he recognized the shine of divinity in her eyes, he also realised that she could see right into his soul, feel his emotions, share his thoughts even more closely than the soulbond he now shared with Gahntuar.

But instead of being disappointed by his reaction, she reassured him with a gentle touch to his hand.

"There is no need to be afraid!" she announced softly. "But you are correct, you know me as Nixoruma!"

***

Gahntuar did not know what he was expecting, but the graceless fall and undignified squawk when he hit the pavement outside the Citadel was definitely not part of it!

"Mom!" young Seghrien cried out in despair even as Gahntuar looked around him, blinking in confusion. The black dragon looked around at where the youngster came hobbling up to them with a broken back leg, pushing up desperately against Ikessa's side as her eyes started to become unfocused.

"Out of the way!" Gullivarth roared urgently as he pushed past Gahntuar. The great black dragon crouched by Ikessa's crumpled form, pressing a forepaw to her chest and flooding her body with Mana. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, but then Ikessa coughed one last time. A plug of thick black slime the size of a human head was hurled from her jaws and it bounced across the pavement, leaving a slimy smear wherever it touched the ground.

Gullivarth cursed something under his breath and incinerated the thing as it stopped moving, before turning his attention back to Ikessa. The pale-blue draine was still leaking copious amounts of black slime from her jaws, but she was able to take great heaves of breath now at least.

"Mom!" Seghrien whined, grateful that his dame was going to be okay as he nuzzled up to her side again. Gahntuar looked for a moment at the pile of dragons as Harkor joined in, allowing his heart to soar for a moment as he revelled in the small victory.

But Merec was still alone with Quattor! The bond had shuddered for a moment before it had gone completely numb, even before the drake had hit the ground, and he was fearing for the worst already. With a snarl, he got to his feet as was about to leap back into the air, hoping beyond hope to reach his human in time, when he was suddenly grasped in a fierce hug from behind.

"You did it!" Gullivarth called out overjoyed. "I feared you would let your emotions rule you and not pull through when it mattered, but you did it!"

"I need to go!" Gahntuar called out in more than a slight panic as he struggled against Gullivarth's grip. "Merec is still up there with that demon!"

"Quattor is not dead?" Gullivarth asked surprised as he relaxed his grip on Gahntuar. He looked around him as if realizing the storm was still raging around them. "So, he isn't..."

"No, why would you think..." Gahntuar growled, rounding on the bigger drake. Only, his tirade faltered when he noticed the small group who had gathered around the entrance to the Citadel stare at him with wide eyes. Even Jerielle was in the process of taking an uncertain step away from him.

"What is going on?" Gahntuar asked worriedly.

"You... your glowing..." Jerielle managed to say.

"I'm what?" Gahntuar blinked at her in surprise, before he looked down at his paw. And sure enough, he was glowing! Okay, not with an inner light as Gullivarth had when he had bestowed the soulbond on the Lúgroccae, but he seemed to reflect a light that was nowhere to be seen anywhere else in the storm-torn valley. Still, it was bright enough to bring out the iridescent quality of his scales.

"What the ...?" Gahntuar gasped, holding his paw up to inspect closer, before turning a questioning gaze at Gullivarth.

"It is the Light of Nixoruma!" Gullivarth announced. "She has anointed you as her paladin!"

Gullivarth suddenly growled and looked up at the broken window through which Gahntuar had dragged the choking Ikessa. Gahntuar turned and was surprised to see Quattor had stepped up to the hole in the wall and was looking down on them. However, instead of the expected rage and hate, he recognized the look of fear on the demon's features. Gullivarth licked his licks before snapping his jaws at the demon, and the creature fled back into the interior of the building.

With complete disregard for his earlier statements of not intervening, Gullivarth yanked control of the storm from Quattor once more and the wind disappeared completely from the entire region over the ruins. Off in the distance, there was a panicked screech of an orc from amongst the horde that was still trying to wrestle the inner wall away from the Alliance. It was shortly accompanied by a shout of victory as some of the horde started to break as well.

"Go," Gullivarth ordered Gahntuar with a dangerous growl, as the light started to cover his scales as well, making it seem as if he was a more golden colour than his original black. "Kill that creature who dares to play God!"

"Ye-es, sir!" Gahntuar replied unsure of what was going on. He turned to follow the demon back into the tower before a worrying thought occurred to him. "What if he tries to escape the tower?"

"Then I feed!" Gullivarth spat as he started to pace impatiently. "The restriction placed on me not to interfere has been revoked. This hour, Quattor dies!"

At that, Gahntuar growled in satisfaction and without another moment's hesitation, he leapt back into the air, quickly flying up to the broken window again.

***

Merec struggled to get the whirlwind of emotions sorted out as he looked at the Divus next to him. Everything from raw terror to overwhelming shame flashed through his mind, but also a sense of annoyance and anger. But try as he might to calm himself and decide how he should feel, the more confused he seemed to become. Then, one thought bubbled up from between the mess of conflicting ideas. What did this divine being think of the pathetic creature in front of her? About what he had said earlier, and about what he was thinking now.

"Oh, stop worrying about silly your thoughts from earlier!" Nixoruma dismissed his worry with a wave of her hand even before he could try to squash it from his mind. "What is important is the here and now I have gifted you."

"You... don't mind it if I am angry at you?" Merec asked stunned.

"I have walked beside you every step of your life!" the Divus reminded him. "I understand why you are angry, and my love for you is strong enough not to be overshadowed by it. Still, it would not do if you remained angry at me."

"I... don't understand," Merec admitted, confused. "Are we not expected to obey your every statement unconditionally? To remain faithful to you?"

"I prefer that you love me," Nixoruma replied, nodding in understanding at the confusing ideas usually attributed to the Divae. "And true love is more complex than mere mindless obedience. As for faith: It should be a living thing, and as such, it can never be truly constant. Like all things in life, it must go through various seasons: Of joy and wonderment; Upheaval and dissatisfaction; Doubt and regret; And finally repent and a return to wonderment. True, some of these seasons can and usually do last much longer than others, but if it were to remain exclusively in one phase, something is usually wrong."

"How can that be natural?" Merec questioned. "Should true faith not remain constant and strong? Unbendable and unbreakable."

"You are confusing the low tide of faith with forsaking my love!" the Divus replied. "Whether your feelings towards me are hot or cold, you still acknowledge my divinity. It is when you don't care about me anymore, when you are neither hot nor cold, but a dull, lukewarm that there is a true problem!"

"Then tell me, why allow darkness at all?" Merec found himself challenging her. "If you really are the Loving Mother, the Powerful Protector, the Unshakable Supporter... why did you allow our friends to die? Is it because you are more the Supreme Judicator? Did they not deserve to see all..." he waved a hand at the beauty of the future Juinkarr that was visible outside the balcony in emphasis, "...this?"

"It has nothing to do with punishment and retribution!" Nixoruma assured him. "My sun shines on all civilizations, Seleborian and Freefolk alike. I will not withhold its brilliance from anyone, nor will I withhold the cold touch of death."

"But why not destroy those who enjoy doing evil?" Merec insisted upset. "Will the world not be a better place if they were not there to mess everything up for everyone else?"

"I love all my children!" Nixoruma reminded him patiently, obviously having heard this argument before. "Do you truly expect of me to play favourites? Are you asking of me to discard one without pity while giving another chance upon chance to do better?"

"But won't punishing those who do evil help to push back the darkness of the world?" Merec replied with an unsatisfied frown.

"Do you think you truly have the authority or even moral standing to judge others?" Nixoruma replied with a disappointed sigh. "Can you prove beyond any question that you are absolutely without fault, not only towards others but towards me as well?"

Merec was about to state the affirmative, with complete conviction in fact, when a thought bubbled up in his mind. "You are referring to my... relationship with Gahntuar?" he growled dejectedly, thinking about how other people would react if they were to find out. "Two males, of different species even... challenging the 'Great Ladder of Being' as it were… "

"Amongst other things you are not even aware of!" the Divus replied knowingly before she sighed as she considers Merec's suddenly depressed mood. "You are right, it is not what I have wanted for you. But fear not, that thorn in your side does not diminish my love for you, even though I know you will not stop. But the same goes for all my other children. How can you expect me to be lenient towards you while harsh to others?"

"Then why don't you take it away then?" Merec grumbled, still dejected. "Why allow us to do wrong at all?"

Nixoruma studied him for another second or so, before indicating down to the statue he had been looking at only minutes before.

"Look at the statue before this tower," she stated calmly. "It is completely obedient to me as it can only do as I command. Yet, what do you think is my greatest joy and pride? You, or that statue? The freedom of your own will is the greatest gift I have bestowed on all sentient species of Selebore and I will never take that away, even when you were to abuse it to the detriment of others or even yourself."

"But surely, there could have been a way to save them!" Merec stated desperately. "Those who dared to follow us, I mean. I don't care if I am to die today, only if you had assisted us earlier..."

"Do you truly think yourself able to advise me?" the Divus asked sternly, but still in a soft, caring voice. "Do you think I should justify my decisions to you? Do you even understand the invisible things of the world? The reason for the heavenly bodies that pass overhead each day and month? How do they remain up in the sky? Can you tell me what the foundations of the very world stand upon?"

"I..." Merec started to say, but the turn of the conversation completely overwhelmed him, and he didn't even know how to respond.

"Big questions," Nixoruma smiled, appearing suddenly calmer though she had never been angry at him. "Let's use a simpler example then, so that you can understand even a little of what you spoke of. You are after all a farmer's son, from the northern Garbanan Peninsula, so you will be able to appreciate this:

"Imagine it is late summer, the days are just passing into autumn," she started patiently. "Now, there are two neighbours, farmers who work the land for their livelihood. One produces cotton and is in desperate need of bright, sunny weather for the harvest. The other has recently planted wheat and is in desperate need of good rain to ensure the delicate shoots in the fields do not die. Both come to you with their request for favourable weather... so, whose prayer would you grand?"

"The..." Merec hesitated, his mind racing as he tried to come up with any good answer. "Most devout...?"

It was a logical reply, and reasonable when he thought back to the statements of religious leaders he had often heard in his younger years. But as soon as his suggestion left his lips, he immediately felt it was wrong.

"And how would you determine who is the most devout of the two?" the Divus smiled as the mortal stepped into the verbal trap without even looking. "The one who praises you with the most beautiful words, or the one who praises you through obedient deeds? The one who testifies about your glory to all, or the one who works to take care of what you have created, be it the people of the nearby town, the animals on the farms or even the wild beasts in the mountains?

"Think of your answer this way," she suddenly added, making the question painfully personal. "General Adulsworth may be considered the most devout of my children fighting here, as he spends most of his life in prayer and working towards my glory, even though he more often than not does the exact opposite of what I had asked of him. So, should I then give Juinkarr to him, to fulfil his dream of remaking it into a grand Temple of Light from where he can rain death and destruction on the Freelands?"

"I... guess, no?" Merec hesitated before he thought of something else. "Could they not have planted the same thing?" It was a stupid suggestion and Merec knew it as soon as he made it.

"And what would you say is the most important commodity for the coming winter?" Nixoruma laughed. "The wheat that the nearby town has to eat, or the cotton needed to keep the town warm?"

"Then, I guess whatever the nearby town needs the most...?" Merec gave his final answer, knowing that such a decision will not keep everyone happy. Which was exactly what the problem that Nixoruma wanted to point out was, wasn't it?

"Even if it means that someone will die in the winter because of a lack of the other resource?" Nixoruma pressed, making the human sigh in defeat.

"Then..." Merec replied, hanging his head in defeat. "I don't know... how can you ask that of me?"

"Being a God is not about glory and praises, you know!" Nixoruma comforted the defeated mortal. "More often than not, things need to be done that will upset most people or turn others against you even, things the importance of which they will not be able to understand even in their lifetime."

"It just... hurts to think of those who died!" Merec admitted, looking around to try and spot the big dragon as if hoping for moral support.

"I know, but would you like to experience nothing at all?" the Divus asked compassionately. "Look at the stone statue again, it has and never will feel sorrow or regret, fear or anger. But it will also never love or hope, nor feel any pride or joy. Without the dark days, how would you recognize the beauty of life?"

"You allow our loved ones to die a horrible death because you want us to appreciate happiness more?" Merec asked, turning to look at the Divus appalled.

"No!" she snapped, equally appalled at the thought. "That is a much too simple answer, so much so that it borders on being completely false. Yes, I gifted you the various seasons of life, but claiming that I did so to help you appreciate happiness more when it comes around is like describing the ocean as merely... wet!"

"Can you then simplify why things like this need to happen then?" Merec asked.

"No!" Nixoruma stated softly. "Firstly, understand that they did not NEED to die, but I did allow it to happen. There is a difference... and there are rarely easy answers to anything when one considers the complexity of eternity. Consider how each second can sway the world in one small way or the other: A caterpillar, for instance, caught by a robin for her starving chicks can no longer continue its bloodline. But the same holds for the chicks if the caterpillar is to escape its fate. Then consider the many thousands of people on Selebore alone, each making decisions that can affect the life of another they may never even meet, be it for the better or worse. To the question of why things happen, I can give you an answer that will work for one person in one moment. But the complete picture is much too big to be understood by a mortal," she turned to regard a speck of dust floating in the sunlight, "even one who has seen eternity itself!"

They remained silent after that, as Merec tried to internalize what she was saying. Eventually, it hit him that he didn't need to understand everything. Sometimes, it was okay to admit your failures and just trust in a bigger purpose. He felt as if a weight was lifted from his shoulders, one he was never meant to have carried in the first place and he looked out over the promise of a brighter future as if seeing it for the first time.

For what seemed like minutes, he remained quiet, patiently waiting for whatever was to come next.

But he was no divine and his patience quickly ran out.

"I am sorry, but why did you bring me here?" he finally asked, making Nixoruma laugh as if he had told her a good joke, rather than at his failure at reigning in his emotions.

"Why do you think?" she countered instead.

"To judge my life and decide if I have earned entry into the Sacred Halls?" Merec hazarded a guess he somehow knew was wrong, but he was unable to come up with a better suggestion.

"Oh, my dear child, you are not dead!" the Divus announced. "Banged up a bit, yes, and you'll need to get rid of that broken breastplate you are wearing. But you are not dead. As for earning entry into the Sacred Halls, that is beyond everyone. I and I alone decide who will be worthy. And no, I am not going to tell you how I decide. Learning that secret is what life truly is about."

She was silent for a moment, allowing Merec the time to consider what she had said.

He was not dead ... so the fight was not over!

"I've brought you to this pocket of eternity to let you know that I will be intervening in this fight of yours!" she announced.

"What?" Merec gasped, stunned. For a moment, he stared at her in bewilderment before a pang of annoyance reared its ugly head again. "Why are you intervening NOW?" He suddenly recalled their discussion about telling her what to do from only moments before and quickly hung his head in shame at his outburst. "I ... I mean, we needed your help before!"

"I did help you before, I just did not change reality to do so!" she stated firmly. For a moment, she studied him in silence before nodding her head in approval. "But I can tell you this: If either Gullivarth or I had intervened at the wrong time as you had asked of us, your future would have been lost. The future generations of Lúgroccae would have seen themselves as a Chosen People who enjoy divine protection, especially when we had to intervene again when you inevitably will have to face Septum in the coming decades. As such, the Lúgroccae of the future would have striven to overthrow the governments I have set in place, instead of supporting them. And they would have firmly believed that they are doing the right thing. Yet, if they were to succeed, they would be dictators no different from the demons you are fighting against now. And should they fail, they would be destroyed before their allotted time..."

"All this will pass away?" Merec asked worriedly, looking out at the beautiful settlement.

"Yes, I am afraid so!" Nixoruma replied with a sad nod of understanding. "Everything has its time to shine, and its time to fade. You see, nothing set in place in the mortal realm will last forever, even some things created by Divae has to come to an end. The very sun itself is not eternal. All lights must go out one day to make place for the next. The Lúgroccae you have helped create will one day have to disappear but take comfort in the knowledge that the bond Gullivarth and I have created between rider and dragon will endure through the ages, just not in the form you know now."

"I..." he started to argue against her, but then hesitated as he recalled how successful his earlier debate had turned out. "But why now?" he asked instead. "What has changed? Or have you always planned to intervene at this moment?"

Nixoruma was silent again as she pondered how to answer him again.

"Yes, I can tell this and perhaps you should remember it as well!" she finally stated. "The Darkness cannot withstand the Light for it is not in its nature. Even the smallest Light can overcome the Darkness, even if it is only in a small location. So, imagine the power of the beacon your sacrifice just now has unleashed."

"You mean, our willingness to lure Quattor into the tower?" Merec asked, unsurely.

"Not at all!" the Divus corrected him with a patient smile. "Dying for those you care about is relatively easy. Dying for those who had proven the willingness to repay the favour even more. But consider offering up your life for the one who you do not even know, let alone the one who has actively tried to break down your life's work. Truly, the hardest form of love to cherish is the love for your enemy. The moment your Light became a beacon was when you two chose to save Ikessa, despite knowing that it may cost you your life. And despite the knowledge of what she has done to you!"

"But I still despise her!" Merec admitted before he could catch himself.

"I know!" Nixoruma laughed at his sudden awkwardness. "Forgiveness is not a box one can just open or close. It takes time to develop, and you have only taken the first steps towards it. Instead of letting your anger and hate control your decisions, you tempered it with compassion. The day will come that you and Gahntuar will forgive her transgressions completely, so much so that Gahntuar will take her as a mate for a while. But for that, you must acknowledge your emotions and allow them to run their course. And you must learn to see her as something other than a scourge upon the world."

"So, we are the exact opposite of Quattor, the demon of wrath?" Merec pondered the revelation as Nixoruma remained quiet, allowing him time to sort out his thoughts. "Is that how the great saints of the Age of Legends destroyed the other demons?"

"That, you can ask them yourself when you meet them!" Nixoruma replied, laughing again when Merec turned around in surprise. "No, I did not mean right now! They are here, but you will be able to meet them when your work on Selebore is completely done. For now, it is time to return to the Gahntuar. He is alone with Quattor after all!"

"Gahntuar!" Merec gasped worriedly, suddenly acutely aware of the bond in his soul. It still felt numb, as if he had hit his arm real hard. But it was there, strong enough to know that the drake was worried about him. "I hope he is still all right! I've wasted too much time here already."

"Do not worry so much!" Nixoruma smiled. "It has hardly been a second since he returned Ikessa to Gullivarth's mortal body... and do not be so surprised either. Eternity is not a time, but a place outside time itself. Here you can either lose or find a thousand years in a mere second." At that, Merec suddenly realised that, though they had been speaking for at least thirty minutes, the rising sun still hasn't moved from its spot on the horizon.

"But more on that later," Gullivarth's divine form suddenly spoke up on Merec's other side. "For now, as Nixoruma here have said before, all things must come to an end. And that demon's time has come."

"What about... Quattor's patron?" Merec suddenly recalled. "The dark god... er, Procellerus? Won't he be upset that one of his chosen representatives is destroyed?"

"Don't worry about him either!" Nixoruma announced, looking determinedly out the balcony towards one of the walls below them. "He is my problem... and hardly in a position to complain. And he is not really dark either..."

Merec looked out to where she was staring and was surprised to see a young man, probably in his thirties, standing on the innermost wall above the gatehouse. He simply stood there, looking up at them curiously and the human was stunned to sense no malice from him.

"He is upset that those he had seduced away from me had abused their gifts to their own ends, and he is not handling it as a Divus should!" Nixoruma continued. "But as the Divae goes, he is still rather inexperienced at being a God... do not even ask. None but the Great Creator fully understands the various shards of his being!"

"Come," Gullivarth stated softly, prodding Merec along with his snout like a naughty hatchling before the human could ask more. "It is time to go!"

Merec turned to leave, though to where he was not sure. Still, he hesitated for a moment longer, turning back to the two divines.

"Thank ..." he started to say but found that he was alone once more. Even the golden light of the sunrise was fading to a dull, stormy grey. "... you..."

He sighed and turned his back on the balcony once more, and darkness started to claim him once more.

"You are welcome..."

***

Merec coughed as he woke up and immediately groaned in discomfort. His breastplate had been cracked and bent, making it difficult for him to breathe. With a trembling hand, he reached up to the buckle that held it in place and undid the clasp. Though the ruined piece of armour did not coke him completely, he still gasped grateful gulps of air as soon as it came loose and slid off his body. It had a significant tear to the one side, radiating out from the dent that had pinched the air out of his lungs.

The next thing he noticed was that he was slumped against the wall. Through the hole in the wall, the storm was still raging outside something fierce and Quattor had stepped up to the edge, probably trying to see where the dragons had fled to.

For a moment, Merec wondered if the hallucination he had seen was real or hopeful thinking as he took the time to quickly go over his side where the breastplate had been destroyed. In the light that reflected from somewhere, it seemed that the armour had done its job as he only had a bump there that would leave a nasty bruise but was fine otherwise. For the time being, at least… it would probably be best to have himself checked out properly afterwards... if he survived that is.

With a grunt, he sat up to retrieve his sword from where it had fallen next to him. But then he hesitated as he noticed once again that the blade reflected a golden light from somewhere. It was not bright enough to be blinding, but clear enough not to be dismissed. But there was no evidence of the light on the dull, cracked floor on which it lay, it was just the weapon that seemed to shimmer... as well as his gauntlet he realized as he reached out to grab it.

Dismissing the mystery of the faint shimmer, he grabbed his sabre and started to get up, groaning for a moment like a wounded animal. He had more important things to worry about... like dealing with that demon! Speaking of which, when he looked up to glare at the creature, he noticed to his surprise that Quattor had started to back away from the hole in the wall with a panicked look on his face, retreating so quickly that he nearly fell onto his back in the process. His control of the storm had even slipped, as the wind suddenly died down to nothing, leaving an ominous silent blackness outside. Merec's grunt, however, alerted the demon that the human was still alive, and he glared over at his adversary with a renewed hateful glare.

Quattor cast a quick spell at Merec, and the Shape ignited into a great column of sheering, black fire that came rushing at the human. A Manashape sprung to mind, one more complicated than the range of shapes he had studied during his time at the Dirt Tower, but one he was confident enough to cast. Even the part that faded into the spirit realm was clear to his mind. He cast it with a quick thought, and it ignited into a similar column of flame. However, the human's fire took on a golden light and it bisected the demon's attack before dissolving it completely, the Light banishing the Dark completely.

Merec blinked in shock at the attack he had cast as Quattor managed to bring up a shield just in time not to be incinerated. Though the human had a few smaller attack spells up his sleeve, he had always preferred to focus on other, more longer-lasting spells such as healing and wards. He knew of nothing that could compare to this! For a moment he considered casting it again, to keep the demon on the defensive, but he immediately realized that would not be a good idea as the spell was too Mana intensive to keep up for long. But... considering what he knew of the rules of magic, Merec was struck with a sudden idea. Using knowledge of other Shapes he had come to know, he made a small change to the mysterious Manashape. It ignited into a much less powerful flame, the Holy Fire clinging instead to his blade much like the Coral Tower's enchantment previously had.

The sight of the sabre bathed in Holy Fire freaked the demon out completely and he made a run for it, heading for the stairs where his shadowy trap still blocked off the escape for his victims. Only, he never made it to safety. Gahntuar landed with a dangerous growl just as Quattor had fully turned his back on the hole in the wall and seeing where the demon was heading, cut him off with a blast of dragon fire. The usually reddish flames had also taken on a golden shimmer and the demon was forced to stop.

Relief flooded the bond between Gahntuar and Merec when they noticed each other still okay, and in a split second, memories of their discussions with both Gullivarth and Nixoruma was shared between them. With renewed confidence, they stalked up to the demon, approaching him from two sides as he tried to force the flames open with a Manashape. But the golden aura of the flames seemed to rebuff his attempts to interfere with the fire, trapping him as effectively as any mortal.

"I believe you were looking for me?" Gahntuar growled furiously as the demon turned around to face them again, gasping in shock when he saw how close they were.

"You think you have me trapped, little lizard?" Quattor hissed, the growl of his voice still grating to the mind but seemingly less concussive. Determinedly, he brought the staff he had won off Havold hours before up, levelling the head of the weapon which crackled with electricity at Merec. Only, the fresh bite to his shoulder that had refused to heal protested at the action.

Realizing that he would not be able to wield his shiny new weapon optimally with an injured shoulder, he discarded the powerful relic like trash and instead formed a shield and battle-axe with a dark mist for himself. The hatchet looked small in his hand, but the wicked-looking blade and sharp spike at the back were still larger than Merec's head.

"People greater than yourselves have tried to best me and failed!" Quattor reminded them, the room shaking with his threat as he shifted the shield awkwardly when his wounded shoulder protested somewhat again.

"I guess they were always alone?" Merec replied, sharing a knowing look with his dragon who smirked confidently back at him.

Quattor was not impressed with the answer. He roared at them, raising his voice as much as he dared without bringing the entire Citadel down on their heads. Instantly, Merec had his magical barrier up, though why the thought of creating a sharp edge to it occurred to him, he was not entirely sure. Still, it proved to have been unnecessary as Quattor had shouted in Gahntuar's direction. The dragon had also managed to bring his magical barrier up, though it was not quite as effective, and he was pushed back a few feet towards the opening in the wall.

Merec took his chance, striking at Quattor as the demon tried to push the dragon out of the room. Quattor saw him coming however and brought his shadowy shield up in time to block the cut. The shield hissed as it contacted the Holy Fire and slowly started to fail. But Quattor swung his axe at Merec before the human's blade could break through and the human had to jump to avoid the wicked blade. The axe flashed again and Merec parried. Again, the axe sizzled upon impact with the sword, but the hook of the axe-head caught on the sword's blade and with a deft twist, Quattor disarmed Merec. The blade clattered to the ground again and with a furious snarl, Quattor swung at Merec again, intending to bury the spike in his chest. But a movement to his side alerted him to the new threat just in time and the demon brought his shield up just as Gahntuar spat a stream of golden fire-oil at him.

Again, the golden enchantment to the drake's fire ate away at the shadowy shield, and the demon was forced to retaliate with a concussive shout. Though it knocked Gahntuar off balance again, the shockwave splashed golden fire everywhere, reducing the demon's mobility considerably. And Gahntuar's action managed to allow Merec to retrieve his sword again from where it had fallen to the ground, still burning with the golden flames. There was a last-ditch flash of Mana from Quattor as he tried to open a portal again, but the very nature of the Aetherfontes rebuffed him and the Shape ignited with a soft crackle and a dull puff of light.

As Quattor was trying to escape, Merec struck out at the demon again, but again he managed to block the blade with his shield. He gave the human a fierce shove just as the shield finally disintegrated, throwing Merec completely off balance so that he staggered back and fell onto his back.

"There is no Light that can overcome the Everlasting Dark!" Quattor roared, pinning the human down with his voice as he lifted his axe high over his head to deliver a mortal blow.

But Gahntuar had only been unbalanced by the demon's previous attack and he leapt onto Quattor's back, sinking his teeth into the demon's uninjured shoulder. The enraged scream turned into a yowl of pain that shattered the stone throne even more and the shadowy axe evaporated as well. Grabbing desperately at the dragon, he finally managed to get enough of a hold on the drake to rip him from his back and throw him to the ground hard enough that the dragon thought one of his ribs popped.

With eyes ablaze with absolute hatred for the annoying runt who had managed to bite him not once but twice now, Quattor whirled on the downed drake. He growled ominously, stepping up to the dragon who was trying to get up in time to escape as the demon shaped the curse reserved only for the greatest of traitors. This puny creature who dared to attack him and think he can get away with it deserved the slow death of suffocation as the air in his lungs were replaced with black tar.

But in his single-minded obsession to make Gahntuar suffer, Quattor almost forgot about the dragon's human. A slight shift behind him warned him of the approaching doom and he turned around again to thrust the curse at his new attacker. But he was just a moment too late.

Merec, having expected the Demon to still have his axe with him, ducked beneath the attack and thrust the tip of his sabre up and into the demon's chest.

Quattor screamed in agony as the sword passed completely through him, the pained, high-pitched sound pushing both of his attackers away and making the room quake. But the usual strength was lacking, and even as he collapsed to his knees the concussive quality of the roar faded away. The sword which was still embedded in his chest as it had been ripped from the human's grasp, flared up brightly with Holy Fire that seemed to burn throughout his whole body before it faded away as well to leave the only a normal blade again.

The scream faded away and Quattor slumped into a sitting position, barely able to remain upright as his strength and prowess fled him. He was powerless when he looked up at Gahntuar as the drake limped up to him and the runt of his clutch loomed over the great overlord of the Shadowlands. His human came to stand next to him, also limping badly and still bleeding from his nostrils from when Quattor had been shouting him down. They shared a wordless glance before the human only nodded tiredly and stepped aside.

"For the blood of Lunintur!" Gahntuar growled as he leaned in to puff a plume of smoke into Quattor's face before his jaws snapped around the demon's head. Quattor clawed feebly at the dragon's jaws, but even though the dragon had difficulty getting his teeth properly around the large cranium and the demon's horns protruded awkwardly from the sides of his maw, the demon's fate was sealed. Gahntuar still managed to give the demon's head a violent twist and using his one forepaw for leverage, he pulled the head free of the shoulders with a powerful yank.

The room shuddered one last time as Quattor died and the Werelight in its holder on the ceiling faded along with all the other spells Quattor had cast. Gahntuar spat the head of the demon out with a disgusted grunt, regarding it for a moment where it came to rest against the collapsed red torso. Though they had killed the demon to stop his reign of terror over their lives, he was only a dragon after all and try as he might, he could not shake the feeling of enjoyment at having achieved vengeance for his family's death. With a last disgusted snort at the severed head, he turned to his human.

"It is finally over!" Merec grunted as if looking for confirmation, whipping blood from his face. He sounded as hurt and tired as he looked.

"It better be!" Gahntuar growled, collapsing to his haunches next to Merec. "I can't take any more abuse!"

"Let's go spread the news, then!" Merec tried to grin, grabbing hold of his sabre's handle and yanking it from the dead demon's corpse, though he had to put a foot on the lifeless chest to get it free.

"I... think they already know!" Gahntuar grinned as Merec frowned at the bent shape of the blade, the dragon looking out the hole in the wall. The storm was breaking up and a beam of silvery moonlight was streaming into the opening. Off in the distance, there were cheers of victory coming from the tired defenders of Juinkarr.

Merec returned the smirk, retrieving Quattor's head by the horn as he limped over to the hole in the wall to look for himself. His heart soared at the sight of the horde fleeing out of the ruins, the fear of their Master no longer keeping them here to fight for a ruin that meant nothing to them anymore.

Outside, those who could see him erupted in even louder cheers and as Gahntuar came to stand behind him. The dragons still there joined in with jubilant roars of victory against all odds. Despite himself, a sense of pride and achievement washed over Merec and he raised his bent sword high over his head. The emotion washed over to his dragon as well and instinctively, and he basked in the glory of the moment with his human, raising his head high and extending his wings ever so slightly as dragons were wont to do to seem larger.

Yes, it was finally over. Years of fear and sorrow had come to an end and now it was time to rebuild and rejoice in the wonderful things in life.

***

"It would be a great understatement to say the minotaurs, a race well known for their courage and fighting prowess, was upset at missing out on the Battle for Juinkarr. Still, even though they arrived two days after Quattor's death, they were still eager to prove their commitment against the forces of Barathrum and quickly assisted with the last cleaning up and making sure battlements were manned in case there was another attack by the horde. The fear of an attack for reprisal at the demon's death was very real at that time.

But none came.

We would later learn that the only thing holding the Shadowlands in check to live out the ideals of Barathrum was fear of Quattor, and with him gone, the horde did not care who had control of the ruined tower. In fact, it had become a symbol of an oppressive government that demanded everything from its subject but offered nothing in return, and as such, none of the clans of orcs, trolls or goblins wanted anything to do with this accursed place anymore.

However, that did not mean that we were finally at peace. Barely a month after that terrible day and night, the day after Lord Gullivarth returned to the Aetherfontes, the fighting for control of Juinkarr continued. Though the new battle was not with blades, claws and spells, it was still brutal in its way.

The Alliance of Light had tried to claim the ruins of Juinkarr as a new Temple of Light, but with their strength broken during the great collapse of the main gate, they did not get far with their demands. General Adulsworth retained his rank for the rest of his life, continuously trying to push for unification between the Alliance, the Lúgroccae and the Circle of Five to bring what he called the 'Glory of the Light' to the Shadowlands. But because he remained adamant that everyone should swear the Alliance's vow of fealty towards the Light, his dream of a united front against the return of Septum was never realized.

The Equidae authorities also tried to incorporate Juinkarr into their lands, claiming that their contribution to the battle was critical to the ultimate defeat of Quattor's forces. They had a point which could not be argued, but luckily for us, it turned out to be an infeasible demand as the geography was such that the equines could not govern the ruins without direct assistance from the Lúgroccae themselves. And since we did not want to tie ourselves to one single government, that never took flight.

The Circle of Five was no better and much harder to convince otherwise. Even with the Lúgroccae and Circle of Five no longer at odds with each other, arguments over who was to govern in Juinkarr continued for the better part of a decade. During that time, a united occupational force was stationed at Juinkarr, before we were eventually allowed to use the ruins as something of a headquarters, while we tried to rebuild ourselves. Hereon, I agree with Roccan'hir Merec who suggested the only reason we were allowed such leniency was because both the Amber and Coral Towers were also hard hit by the battle and like us, needed time to return to their former strength. Still, it took two decades before we were eventually recognized as an independent Tower on our own and allowed a section of seats at the meeting of the Circle of Five.

At least the minotaurs had no standing in the matter of what happened to Juinkarr, seeing that they were late to the party. Still, we are and always will be grateful to those who had come to our aid in the hour we were at our weakest, and as such, we strive to this day to protect those unable to do so themselves. To lend our strength to those whose own strength has failed them.

In every hour of our waking lives, we will remain always vigilant.

For the safety and security of those we protect, we will fight as hard as our strength will allow.

In everything that we do, we will continue to fly true to our sense of justice.

So, come what may! Gullivarth willing, we will be ready!"

Commentary of Roccan'gon Cornelia of Warlton on the aftermath of the Battle of Juinkarr.

End.