The giant birds and the dragons dropped downward toward the center of the oncoming army, the birds clipping off heads with deadly talons, the dragons coming to earth with a thump and a mighty roar. Dragon was the first to breathe fire, and all backed away from him except the hidden army of rogue High Demons. Gavril, seeing this, went to work. Enemy High Demon heads began to explode with regularity.
The great cats crashed into a line of enemy Copper Ra'Ak and right behind them, Maldak's army came, clashing with their Copper cousins. Youon and his Black Ra'Ak came next, fighting viciously with the others. There was growling, hissing, screaming, and then dying.
* * *
"Ready?" Edward slapped Zendeval's thick armor. Zendeval nodded. Two thousand Greater Demons stood at his back, ready to go. Heavy pikes in hand, they thumped the iron shafts on the stone floor of Zendeval's courtyard.
"Good," Edward said. "We'll go." They disappeared.
* * *
"No!" Gavril shouted in anguish. Norian had sent mindspeech. He'd gathered five of the reptanoid brothers out of harm's way, but a Kobold had stamped down with a giant foot, crushing three. Gavril, doing as his mother could, wept and cursed silently as he became mist again and crowded inside unsuspecting heads before blowing his mist outward.
I've lost twenty! Lendill's voice came, then, and he was weeping. Faldill had been one of those, victim to a hundred charging rogue Ra'Ak. Glendes of Grey House had lost several wizards to rogue High Demons before Gavril could reach them. Jayd's forces were taking on as many High Demons and giant Cyclops as they could.
The Unicorn was goring any enemy she came across, and they exploded as soon as she touched them, but the numbers didn't match up. The enemy's forces were overwhelming, and this was a battle to the death. The Larentii were prepared to step in when the flaming meteorite flew overhead, crashing into the center of the battlefield and lifting gouts of earth, rocks and enemy high into the air.
None escaped the raining debris that fell afterward and most ducked to keep from getting dust in their eyes. Then the strangest sight of all came. Taller—much taller than anything on the field, two creatures emerged from the burning ground where the meteorite fell. One unfurled golden wings—the other, feathered wings of solid black.
Chapter 16
I brushed myself off. Edward said we had to make a grand entrance, so we'd get the necessary attention. We'd gotten their attention, all right. Then, when our army of Gryphons, Dragons, Unicorns, Centaurs, Werewolves, Greater and Lesser Demons and Wyverns crawled out of the hole around us, and kept crawling out of the hole to line up with us, Edward and I both smiled. Now, things would come even, if the enemy still wanted to fight.
"Did you think you'd be the only ones to travel the timeline?" I glared at the Copper Ra'Ak in charge. He'd appeared before me, ready for my challenge. "Where's that coward, Naldill?" I added, contempt in my voice.
I knew the Saa Thalarr were closing in at our backs, as were Ry's warlocks, the High Demons under Jayd's command, Lendill and his remaining elves, plus Glendes Grey and what remained of his wizards. In short, the allies we had. The Larentii, too, were making their presence known. The Wise Ones had asked them to wait until the last possible moment. They knew, as Edward and I did, that they did not need to violate their rules of noninterference.
"What are you?" The Copper Ra'Ak rogue asked disdainfully.
"Your death," I said. "Kifirin has a new supervisor and Renegar, Edward and I have joined the Nameless Ones," I added. "Kifirin no longer holds sway over any of you. He may have promised not to interfere, but the new Lord of the Dark Realm has made no such promise. He will come if the rest of us fall. Leave now, swear never to do this again and you will live. Fail to do so and your lives will be forfeit, one way or another."
"I find your threat amusing," the Copper Ra'Ak laughed. I held out a hand and forced him to the ground with power.
"Now, what was that you said?" I asked.
"I will never bow," he began before I separated his particles. It was easy. I let them float away on the wind.
"Now, who among the rest of you, wish to deny my authority?" I asked. The ones that rushed me lifted into the afternoon air, their sparks as insubstantial as smoke.
* * *
"We've removed the Ra'Ak's ability to traverse time, from this point forward," I said, sitting cross-legged on the grass in the middle of the field. A brief skirmish occurred after I'd separated a lot of particles, but somehow, Zendeval had led the answering charge, accompanied by the Saa Thalarr. The battle was over quickly.
"I thought we asked you to keep Reah safe?" Teeg ventured to complain to Edward, who sat beside me, mostly looking like himself except for the black Eagle's wings he wore. Who knew that he'd been destined to become the War Eagle for the Elemaiya? As a Nameless One, this is what he was. My Thifilatha was a Nameless One as well. When I was humanoid, I was High Demon. In Thifilatha, I was a god.
"She is safe. As am I, napping on Avendor as we speak," Edward smiled. "We came back in time to do this. It was our intention all along."
"But the reptanoids," Teeg brushed tears away.
"Bring them," I demanded. This was my fear, that those I loved might be lost. Teeg and Norian brought three crushed lion snakes to me.
"Oh, no," I wept, taking the bodies from them. Chazi, Perzi and Bekzi lay limp and lifeless in my Thifilatha's hands. "Please, no," my tears fell on three mangled and motionless lion snakes."Do not fear."
Those around me gasped as she appeared. The shining woman. She held out a hand and the power that came was staggering before white light surrounded us, leaving us momentarily blind.
* * *
Movement in my Thifilatha's hands woke me from my daze. The reptanoid lion snakes were stirring, when they'd been dead before. Tears filled my eyes as all three woke and lifted their heads. I smiled at them, blinking back moisture. They crawled up my Thifilatha's torso, hiding in my hair and peeking out at the others. I laughed because it tickled.
"A part of our debt to Reah is repaid," Belen appeared and bowed to me.
"And it is most appreciated," I bowed in return. Farzi, Nenzi and the other three were crawling upward now, to join their brothers. I smiled at all of them. Nenzi, brave soul that he was, took himself to the top of my head and lifted up, looking about. That caused quite a few chuckles around us.
"My son is a Nameless One?" Pheligar appeared before us.
"Yes. And most deservedly so," Belen said. "As are Edward and Reah. Reah has moved to the Light and no longer belongs to the Dark Realm. Kifirin has taken a lesser spot—a new Lord of the Dark Realm has come. He now presides over the High Demon world." Belen gave Jayd a pointed look as he spoke. "You will bow to him when he makes his presence known, and those who fought beside Reah and Edward this day will live again on their own worlds. It is fitting." Belen disappeared.
"My love, are you ready?" Edward smiled at me.
"I think so," I agreed. "Farzi, Nenzi, Darzi, Chazi, Perzi, Yanzi, Bekzi and Hirzi, do you wish to travel with me or stay here?"
Nenzi slid down my Thifilatha's nose and plopped naked into my hand. "We go," he grinned.
* * *
"I don't believe this." Those were Teeg's words and they woke me from a sound sleep. My head was in Edward's lap and he stroked hair away from my face. Kevis, who'd appeared with the others, stared at me.
"What the hell is going on?" Ry demanded. Astralan didn't wait to ask questions; he came, knelt in front of me and kissed me. Very nicely, too.
"I said that those things weren't the only ones who could travel the timeline," I yawned, sitting up. "Edward stayed here with me, because I can't do anything like this," I patted Garwin Wyatt. "But a year from now? Different story."
"Unbelievable," Teeg shook his head. Farzi and Nenzi appeared from nothing. I knew their brothers were now safely on Campiaa. Both my reptanoids rushed toward us and Edward had to move over so they could climb into the swing with me.
"We need to take a trip tomorrow," I said, "since I'm rested now."
"So, what does this mean? We'll be smited, or smitten or smote, if we don't do what you tell us to?" Tory appeared, arms crossed angrily over his chest.
"Tory, it doesn't mean any of those things. Neither Edward nor I will have any control over anything you do. It's only in our other shapes that we act as gods. While I look like this, I'm what I've always been. That's who will interact with my mates. Ry wants to marry me as soon as Garwin Wyatt is born. If anybody wants to be married to me, he can show up at that ceremony. If they don't, or if they want to dissolve what we already have, then stay away. It's as simple as that."
"Do I still have a hill to climb if I show up?"
"Tory, what do you think? Am I still hurt? Yes. I might understand things a little better now, but that doesn't eliminate all the pain. And Kifirin has a very hard path to tread for his part in all this. The new Lord of the Dark Realm will watch him closely, and I pity him if he makes mistakes past this point. I want to go visit Lendill and Kaldill, now. Edward is coming with me. Lendill lost Faldill earlier, and he's about to lose his two remaining brothers. I want to be there to support him when those decisions are made."
"I'll come," Teeg stepped forward.
"As will we," Lok and Aurelius looked exhausted, but they were coming as well. Ry, Corolan, Astralan, Farzi, Nenzi and a latecomer, brought in by Nefrigar, also came. Zendeval Rjjn, smiling almost shyly, showed up.
"In or out, bro?" Ry looked at Tory.
"I'll come," Tory nodded.
* * *
Gaelar N'Seith held an atmosphere of mourning and Kaldill, when we walked into his beautiful palace, had been weeping.
"Reah," he placed his arms around me, holding me tightly.