Take that lie and make it truth!

  Create, sew, twist your reality!

  For with magic, one’s own reality can be shaped.

  Though shape not my truths to your lies!

  The magic of mysteries, how dare they hold true.

  No order to chaos, no reason to rhyme.

  Syllables and consonants,

  to be the verb or perform the noun?

  For your eyes both lie and show you truth.

  Your ears see sights,

  while your fingers hear sound.

  By the understanding, the why of the what if…

  it can be shaped.

  All around us, it whispers like a lover… telling of the safety…

  of the pleasures… what it’s worth…

  The imagination of the creativity.

  Try it. There’s no harm. No penalty. No price.

  In our hearts, we meet. In our souls, we shiver.

  The heat of the darkness. The chill of the lover.

  Though the heart deceives. And the lover lies.

  Reality is carved. The rules are broken.

  It is now as should, would, and will.

  As a lover needs, so does the ether.

  As a liar spins, so does the mana weave.

  Magic will seduce you with its lips. Its eyes. The skin of its very thighs.

  Caressing, licking, touching, kissing…

  It whispers safety? Fool, it whispers not!

  Your own justifications and needs, you speak to!

  Your own excuses and wants, you embrace in the dark!

  Your own cravings and lusts, you seek to sate!

  True desires are... a feeling, neither safe nor sound.

  A thought.

  … A need.

  …

  An obsession!

  Magic is pure, edible want.

  It’s pleasure.

  It’s power.

  It. Is. Lust.

  Yet, can we listen?

  To the natural of our nature?

  The core of our cravings?

  Is not a woman who seduces with lips, and hips-

  no less great than an archmage with power from the page?

  Control your loins!

  Control your cravings!

  Sate not your needs!

  The small gifts allow, and allow well.

  Can not one who is married…

  release their inhibitions?

  No judgment, or moral ramifications, their lusts they partake?

  Their spouse, their half, and lover.

  Oh, how one can love when one is allowed!

  So one, through training and focus…

  can unleash their might? Their intellect?

  And relish in the gratification it brings?

  Sating and deep…

  Dangerously delicious...

  Yet oh so very safe!

  Like true love.

  True lust.

  Ahhh… Magic.

  The drug that shall never get old…

  That ancient blanket of power and comfort.

  That soothing bath of scented oils.

  Forever in its ways, we will stay.

  Always lusting…

  for magic.

  ~The Delicious Lust of Magic

  ~Feldyn Goldchord, the Endless Bard.

  * * *

  The first odd thing Jenta noticed was the lack of sentries. Not a single vampire or hound. Neither were foolish enough to ignore orders and wander off. Cautiously, she made her way closer to X'al'antra's current home, and now knew something had gone very wrong.

  Everything was destroyed.

  Every building was razed to the foundation, all of them, yet nothing was burnt. No smoke, no blood, no signs of actual battle.

  Jen'taa'yi walked near the remains of the house, smelling the air, listening. What did this? Every one of the troublemaker good guys were accounted for. No one else was within the barrier. Could the Order have snuck inside? … Unlikely. There would be signs of battle, and the destruction would not have been so clean. No, whoever destroyed these building did so easily, and quick.

  When she smelled blood, it didn’t fully register at first. She rushed now to where the smell was coming from, a ways off, near the trees, behind where X’al’antra’s large house once stood.

  Larry’s lab.

  He had an underground cellar that was converted into a laboratory, and none of the imps were allowed to enter. Now, with the blood of a succubus smeared on the cellar-like door; she would go the fuck inside. Jen’taa’yi knew this specific blood. It smelled like her family’s. Like her own. She didn’t know whose it was for sure, but if she had to guess… she would say it was Rarami’s. Ra-ra never had been much of a fighter, her blood being spilled quite often in their lives.

  But… why was her blood here?! She should be safe with their mother. They all should be.

  Entering the cellar, dozens of scents and sounds abruptly washed over the imp. She walked a long stone hallway, through many destroyed doorways. Larry must have a way to keep scents and sound contained within the underground confines.

  It didn’t take her long to get to Larry’s actual lab, and the main room. There, several large cells, that appeared to be made from glass. All were empty, and one was shattered. The sounds she had heard were dozens of active scientific devices. Things with tubes, wheels, lights, levers, pulleys; dripping, squeaking, and clicking… It was the lab of a mad scientist. A mad scientist she was now burning to kill.

  Hanging on a wall were some dozen holding collars. Some were blank, the rest were runed for demons.

  Demonic wards were rarely used on Earth, because of how bright they were. As in, literally bright. It was like a big glowing sign to either stay the fuck away, or investigate what was hidden behind. that was one reason, at least. Instead, when a demon needed bound, or held against their will, holding collars were used. They were not actual collars but U shaped, so you could place them over the demon neck and against a wall, or other object behind them.

  The runes were a modified angelic script, not so unlike the avenger weaponry of the Order. The runes were not magical in nature, making them even more dangerous. Holding collars did not injure; they weakened and numbed any form of resistance to them, keeping anything held by one helplessly bound like a human toddler.

  Generally such collars were not a concern. Even if by some miracle a human learned the script to inscribe, getting one around a demons neck would be no easy feat. And sooner or later that which they were bound to would weaken, freeing them. The runes could also not just be inscribed on any substance. It needed to be specific metals and alloys. Incredibly rare metals and alloys.

  Now she finds them here, right under her nose? In the hands of Larry? There was not a chance in any dimension that her aunt had not known.

  About to go ballistic, and decimate this lab and everything around her, she saw a lone piece of paper near the collars. It was a note, written to her...

  from Rarami.

  * * *

  The fireball that hit the bridge was way more powerful than a novice should have been able to cast.

  Everyone except for Reba managed to at least begin to dodge; the basketball-sized ball of fire racing at the bridge. The alchemist had still been fighting the ever slowing vampire. Not wanting to miss her opening, back turned to the incoming spell that struck the bridge beside her.

  The explosion sent Ally flying. She registered feeling like she had been punched by a fist the size of a house, hitting something hard and soft, while feeling a burning heat on her left, the sensation of being hit by something like hail, and knowing she was spinning end over end, upwards, before landing in gravel, and rolling some half dozen -or three dozen?- times.

  Feldyn had been facing away from the blast. Wind knocked from him, heat crashing over and around, launching him belly first off the bridge; landing painfully on his stomach in the gravel on the top of the dike wall.

  If Caleb hadn’t taken the brunt of the impact of going through the railings of the bridge (it was only waist high, but solid metal pipes and concrete) for Ally as she was blown into him, she likely would have died. He also fell the more than two-story drop to the bottom of the dike, landing on the sandy shoreline of the river.

  Not quite sure what happened, his ears still ringing, smoke pouring from the bridge above him; Caleb was quite sure he had broke some ribs.

  He did know that he had frozen, having having had no idea what to do. It wasn’t a panic of fear, but one of indecision. What was his role? Their role? Was he supposed to charge the vampires and fight? Stay out of the way? Then he had seen the giant crab thing, crawling around to come up on the bridge, right before there was an explosion; now he was here.

  Caleb cried out in pain when he moved his right arm. His ribs weren't the only thing that was broke. And there was possibly worse going on than just broken bones, since he was having a harder and harder time breathing. Managing to get his right arm into view, Caleb could clearly see a bone sticking out of the back of his forearm.

  The potions Reba gave you!

  How… What… are you… doing?!

  Gritting his teeth through the pain and panic, he got his left hand maneuvered into his pants pocket, and panicked for a second feeling shattered glass, before finding the second vial intact. In retrospect, two small glass bottles in your pocket: not a good idea! Taking it out, he was glad Reba had it in one of those cool cork topped vials, easier to open in this instance. He pulled the cork out with his teeth (his jaw hurt like hell too) and noticed the vial now had blood all over it. His mouth was bleeding? He was already covered in dirt and blood from everything else that had happened, but this was fresh blood. The stench of burnt hair, fabric, meat, and other things was also now noticeably strong.

  Not sure if he was about to have a seizure, or if something was really burning (the black smoke pouring from the bridge above him not registering in the least), Caleb downed almost half the vial, then poured the rest on his forearm.

  And he screamed, though it was not from pain; severe itching overcame him to such a mind-boggling extent, you could do nothing but shout! The worst itch you could ever imagine! The kind you must scratch or go mad, and it was all over and in him, and not a fucking thing he could do! Sometimes, the cure is worse than what it’s fucking fixing, Caleb raged, as the healing liquid raced through his veins, repairing the damage.

  * * *

  Back up on the dike, Feldyn was glad he still had his weapons in hand. Rising to a shaking knee, before trying to stand, he assessed for injuries and was grateful to find none, other than cuts and bruises. Farther down, Ally was scraped, burnt, and bloody, but moving. She got her feet under her and stood. Good, she was okay! Even if visible she was looking not so good... Nothing Reba couldn't fix!

  Oh, Reba! The others!

  Whipping around, the smoke was so thick, he could not see if anyone was on the bridge, past it, or down the road where Masque had been. Surveying the area, he located Caleb thrashing around down at the base of the dike, where there was a decent sized flat area between the rock wall and the rivers edge, running the length of the dike in this part of town. The reason for the boys thrashing was unclear, smoke and distance obscuring him.

  This area of the dike was fairly narrow at the top, not being much wider than a one lane road. The area Caleb lay, was down a steep dike wall made of huge boulders. Easy enough to traverse, Feldyn just wasn’t sure if it was needed. His decision was made for him; from the smoke, the giant crab emerged, looking angry. If a crab could look angry…

  You wouldn’t think a giant crab to pose much of a concern, given everything else they had dealt with as of late. And normally, it wouldn’t. Only, this crab was not your normal garden-variety mammoth crustacean. No, it was pitch black, with ridges and spikes along its shell and legs. It also had an extra eye stalk, and arachnid-looking mandibles. If Feldyn had to guess, this creature was a denizen of Hell.

  When it rushed straight forward, instead of sideways like a crab was supposed to, he barely dodged, rolling to his right (the opposite way from the river), and over the downslope. He needed to stab his stiletto into the hard packed sand-dirt-gravel mix, to halt his tumble. The crab kept going, straight at Ally, who stumbled while trying to get out of the way.

  With a surge of adrenaline, Feldyn pulled himself back to his feet, quickstepping under the charging crab, stopping just in front of Ally. Holding both his weapons with blades facing down, he quickly (and not very securely) scooped her up into his arms, and quickstepped a ways farther down the dike. Then he too stumbled, dropping her and forcing himself to dive and roll, lest he accidentally cause the teenager to injure herself if she landed on one of his blades.

  Both of them already on their feet, he was done playing around! Another quickstep, and in a rush of wind, Feldyn was back underneath the crab. The belly should be the weakest point of the shell, correct? Many beaches back home held gigantic crustaceans, and he had ground out hours of practice fighting them. They were a pest in numerous regions, and their meat was generally delicious. You could kill a million, and there would only be more. Surely this hellbeast would be similar!

  With his avenger weapons, Feldyn began to stab and cut into its underside. Every blow chipped shell, or bounced off. At least he was doing some damage. Then it began to scurry left and right, the bard struggling to stay underneath - and was caught by surprise when it rushed backwards, leaving him exposed.

  Glancing back at Ally, she was standing there, a throwing knife in hand, grinning like a fool. Just what in the world was she doing? Where were Reba and Masque? Were they too busy fighting? What about Stryker? Pazely and Gigi? At least Caleb was moving around properly now.

  With a sudden curse, Feldyn threw himself to his right again, the crab deciding to show it was more than just a super-sized seafood item; mouth pursed into an unnatural tube, and shot bubbles like a fully automatic cannon. They hit the ground where the half-elf had been standing with an impact that a cannonball would have bowed to in envy.

  The bubbles popped -and vanished- shortly after impact, continuing on in an endless stream. Ally still had enough common sense to run (more like hop) a bit farther away from the beast, and its bizarre attack.

  She was having a helluva time focusing. That explosion, for some damn reason, reminded her of a dream. Like, an actual dream she dreamt once as a kid. And she could not shake it! No matter the danger around her, or the reality of it, she kept thinking of that dream… where she was fighting monsters, and took them out with a big blast of lightning. The words chanted to cast the spell, were vivid and clear. The impulse to speak them aloud was growing stronger and stronger, and the more she thought of it, the happier it made her.

  * * *

  Iiyni was grinning from ear to ear and kicking her danging little feet, from the roof’s edge of one of the fairground buildings she sat on, across the river from Feldyn and the two teens. It was an asinine placement for fairgrounds in her opinion, right next to a river that obviously flooded them frequently.

  Zit was also with her, and Belle’anne arrived a moment ago, in human guise. Iiyni was wearing her human leathers, hair in the usual tight braid. Zit was also geared in her leather, short hair loose. Belle was naked. Not exactly like they had an infinite amount of dresses to destroy every time she changed! Iiyni didn’t mind her in the nude though; she had a nice body, slender, not too busty and she wasn’t covered in hair all over the place.

  She was a sex demon! She had some fucking standards! Humans? A wet hole to cum in (or be cummed in) was more or less enough. Maybe when all of this was done, Iiyni would travel to Aethra. She hated humans. She hated Earth. She hated Hell. Fuck, she even hated sex. What there there to like about it She wanted to fight! The trip might take her a thousand years or more… Probably more, but why the fuck not? Better than an eternity boning nerds, and helping weaker demons screw with God.

  “They actually managed the summoning,” Jenta observed, just arriving. “The fuck were you?” Iiyni asked, no anger in her voice, still watching the show. Then gave a cheer when Bubbleclaw started shooting his bubble-beam-stream thing at the Aetherian. Her Bubbleclaw was so butt-fuckingly cuuuuuute! “I got distracted,” was the dry response from her sister. Iiyni hardly paid any attention.

  The idea to summon two of her pets had turned out exciting! They were not her pets in the same way that Belle’anne was, nor in the traditional summoning sense. No, they were more like her friends. Real pets, she supposed. Taking care of them, feeding them, that sorta shit. She had marked them so they would be easy to find, and subsequently easy to summon. These two were not exactly combat summons anyway. They were just animals! Still more than enough for the Christian faggots. Bubbleclaw and Cocoapuff never got to have fun. Now they got to play! Iiyni'jeari'eea couldn’t see Cocoapuff; she had gotten hit pretty hard with that fireball. She was sure she was good though; probably snacking on that Asian whore right about now.

  Iiyni was suddenly craving popcorn, though she had never tasted it. She had eaten it, sure, but it tasted like everything else. Just seemed the thing to be doing at the moment. Maybe her pets would like it? Kinda small for them to eat... She guessed she could just feed them by the bucket full? Not like it was hard to make the shit.

  Oh, wait… These summonings weren't likely to last long, especially with the summoners dead. Bah. Well, whatever. Was almost time to bring Caleb to X'al'antra anyway. Then her and her sisters needed to get as far from this place as they could.

  * * *

  The itching had felt like it would last forever, and Caleb was quite grateful when it quit. He began to sit up, ignoring the aches he still felt, and stopped when he looked at his right arm. The injury was healed… but there was still a bone sticking out. Um… what the fuck? Moving his hand and arm around, he seemed to have a full range of motion, and proper strength in it, with no pain. When you think healing potion, you just think it will heal. But, he guessed it was medicine, not like it could apply traction to realign the bones. It must have just grown a new bone around it, and healed the rest of the damage, leaving the… extra piece.

  Reba can fix this later, right?

  I might actually laugh if the situation were not so dire.

  … damn… … .. ou … … have … ower!

  Trying not to think too hard about it, he got to his feet, and was looking around for his hopefully nearby weapon. Two-handed swords weren’t his thing. A sword and board (shield) would have been nice, a couple of laser pistols that could shoot holes through thick, solid, steel would be best, but he would take what he could get.

  A huge cloud of dirt erupted on the dike, and Caleb looked, noticing the crab up there for the first time, and it was shooting a stream of… bubbles out of its mouth. He saw Ally farther down, looking rough, but she was standing. His bigger concern were the boulders that had come dislodged, that were now tumbling down at him.

  His body moved more than quick enough to them, though that didn’t keep his heart from pounding like he had avoided death by a hair’s breadth! And jeez, was his body stiff.

  Seeing a glint in the rocks farther ahead, Caleb quickly hurried to it. His sword! Quite close to some boulder that had fallen too! He was lucky it didn’t get buried; had a feeling he was going to need-

  Incoming enemies!

  Fuck …. quit … .. suppressing me… you holy …

  Original intention was to climb up top and help. But it looked like the two gray, human-shaped figures with the pointy ears running at him from under the bridge, were going to delay such intent.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  This was it. His first time to actually fight with a real sword, against real monsters. And… well, he was excited. Yet, at the same time, he wasn’t ashamed to admit he would also like to run in terror. Or maybe just be sitting around a table with a bunch of hot chicks, rolling dice; their characters words and numbers on a piece of paper. The monsters and combat created by their imaginations. When they got hurt, they only lost hit points, the number pool that is the grand sum of their maximum health. Their life. Pain acted and faked, like in a movie.

  He laughed, and walked out to the middle of the sandy area. There wasn't a ton of room between the scrub trees and the river to his left, and the steep incline of boulders making up the dike wall, on his right. This position in the middle would give him room to maneuver.

  Gripping his bastard sword in two hands, he took a wide stance. The enemies were something he had not yet seen, and was hoping they were actually defeatable, and not some tier of monster too high of a level for his weak ass. You know, like, any horror movie monster.

  They were close to six feet tall, with lean muscles, skin an ashy gray. They appeared genderless, no definition in their groins, like a mannequin. The only real definable feature was the huge toothless mouth, curved in gigantic smile so wide, it risked their heads splitting in half. They had pointed ears like Feldyn’s, just longer, and instead of fingers they had curved talon-claws. He couldn’t quite tell how many, not that it mattered. He could tell that those finger-claws were more than adequate to rip him to shreds. Fuck, he wished he had some type of armor. What moronic character goes into combat dressed like this?!

  Ally, standing on the dike, no shoes, belly showing, covered in blood from head to toe, flashed in his mind. Then Pazely, also with her usual bare midriff, Gigi in her cow pajama thing, and Feldyn in jeans and a t-shirt… Okay, so over ninety percent of their party were morons.

  No more time to think, the enemy almost on him. Combat time.

  The lead enemy jumped, both arm high and to the side. With a deep breath, Caleb stepped back just in time to avoid the double swipe from the monster. Sword up, he slashed downwards from right to left, bending his knees to put a little extra gravity behind the swing.

  The monster dodged, and Caleb went with the momentum; ducking and spinning; he came out of the spin with a thrust, the creature too slow this time, getting stabbed in its upper abdomen. It hissed loudly, jerking itself away from the blade.

  Already slightly off, Caleb had to throw himself backwards into a somersault to avoid the second monster slashing at his face. As he stood, he swiped the sword upward, needing to follow-through, and continue the momentum of upwards swipes to keep the two creatures at bay. When the closest pulled its right arm back for a huge swing, Caleb kicked it in the chest, knocking it off its feet as easily as you could to a human.

  Letting the blade tip fall to the right, he twirled a tight spin, bringing his blade up and around, getting nicked by a claw, yet his own spinning counter-slice hit his opponent in the forearm, severing its right hand. Tensing his legs and abs, he reversed his twirl, the second opponent attacking again, the first stumbling back and screeching, wound leaking something like crumbling powder, instead of a liquid blood.

  Spinning too fast to control, he tried to use the momentum to his advantage, and felt his blade impact. The creature yelled, and Caleb was now totally off-balance. Dropping his sword, and leaping blindly to the side, he -sort of- rolled, stumbled to his feet, and tripped into a boulder at the base of the rock wall.

  There was a large slash across the chest of the second opponent, showing there was nothing inside but solid gray, which crumbled out like clumped up ashes. Either way, the enemy looked to be in pain, so it must still be damaged. Not wasting a beat, Caleb ran at the enemy and jumped, kicking it in the chest with both feet, landing himself rather painfully on the ground, yet near his sword he had dropped. Grabbing it, he was on his feet even as the creature he had kicked was still reeling, trying to not fall backwards.

  Okay, he needed to get rid of one of these two! This was exhausting, and he was dripping blood all over from somewhere. It was a miracle he hadn't gotten hit while he was spinning and dodging like a spaz! Dammit, he needed an openi- The creature missing a hand suddenly got hit in the face with a throwing knife. 'Hell yeah, Ally, nice hit!' Caleb spun his sword over his head, and with all the power of hitting a home run behind it; lopped the head from the first monster clean off its body.

  I knew you could fight! I knew it!

  ………

  “FUCK YOU!” Caleb roared at the defeated enemy. His celebration was short-lived, however, as the second creature (what were these things?!) attacked the boy in frenzy. Good thing they hadn’t both attacked like this from the outset! The size of those talons, and the force of the blows, one failed block or dodge would likely kill him!

  * * *

  Up top, Ally had bigger problems to deal with. Caleb was going to have to take that last thing out on his own. Feldyn and the giant crab had crashed off the dike, out of sight into some houses, giving Ally time to try and fight off her stupid brain! Those words that kept repeating in her head...

  What if they were real? What if it really was a magic spell? Should she quit trying to ignore them? When she gave into something that felt like this before, she let the lycanthropeire out. That... This... No, this was different. It was just a dream. These thoughts, this spell, it came from her own head, years ago. It wasn't something trying to manipulate her again. Was it? Though the seal hadn't manipulated her either... That was simply her own desire to feel the power sealing it away... Like the desire to say these words. To try and cast a spell! She had to! She was going to lose her mind if she didn’t! Where was the harm in it? What was the worst that could happen? That she looked like some foolish kid? Magic was real, so maybe this was too.

  Crazier shit had definitely happened!

  Feldyn blurred into view in front of her. She needed to learn how he moved so fast! He had done it before without causing storms, so it couldn’t be magical. Such a useful skill. Ally decided it was time for her to be useful too.

  This would work. No matter what, she was sure it would work. But, just in case it didn’t… getting the monster into a prone position first couldn’t hurt.

  Jumping, the crustacean crashed back onto the trail. Feldyn instinctively rolled in a dodge, quite surprised the hell crab could jump. “Feldyn, flip it on its back!” Ally shouted at the crouching half-elf. He actually stood straight up, turning his back to the enemy, to give her an irritated glare. “Oh, sure Ally, I’ll just knock it right over!” he rolled his eyes, voice dripping with sarcasm, and turned back to the battle at hand, quickstepping under the beast, continuing his assault of pointless attrition.

  Stomping her feet furiously, like a child throwing a fit (which she basically was at this point), she shouted, “I’m serious! I have a plan, trust me! FLIP THE DAMN CRAB!” Feldyn sighed, dodging crab legs. Ally was acting strange, but she may possibly know what she was talking about. She was unconventional and reckless in everything she did. Yet still, he had rarely heard her bluff, and as far as the way others spoke of her, Ally always pulled off her reckless plans.

  “Lance, as soon as this damn crab tips, blink us to its right side, still underneath,” Feldyn said, sure Ally couldn’t see or hear him speak. He felt no reaction from the tiny presence on his shoulder. Time for a little faith in his friend! Feldyn moved to attack the left legs, and the crab suddenly scurried backwards faster than it had charged forwards, leaving Feldyn standing in front of it again. Which was intended this time.

  Before it could shoot a bubble-beam, Feldyn vanished, and appeared with a pop back under, by its left legs. Aye, looks like blinking is on the table! Attacking the leg joints, throwing in a few kicks, the crab faltered to the left, its beam of bubbles shooting harmlessly into the air as it stumbled and started to fall down the small slope near the ruined houses. In another blink, Feldyn was now by its right legs. This part was going to hurt... Bracing for impact, Feldyn jumped straight up, powering his jump with a quickstep, hitting the beast with his upper back and shoulder (that Lance wasn't on).

  The impact was quite a bit more violent than he had expected. Shoulder almost dislocating, the crab spun, flipping through the air and off the dike back down near the houses, Feldyn rocketing into the sky from his leap, far too high to survive the fall back to the earth. Or at least not without breaking many bones.

  Good, Ally thought, as the creature landed its numerous spinning side flips on its back, getting stuck in some rubble. Somewhere in her mind, she knew Feldyn was in danger. That the distance he was now falling was going to critically injure him. If he died, she couldn’t show him how powerful she was! Didn’t he want to see? Didn’t he want to know what she could do? She better hurry up before he hits the ground!

  Lost in the sensation of power filling her with shivering delight, Ally didn't didn’t hear Caleb’s triumphant shout when the second ash-colored enemy fell, nor the curse he shouted right after as a half-dozen more of them came charging from under the bridge. She couldn't pay attention to anything else... had to… absorb… enough of this… Enough… mana…

  Ally held her left palm forward, facing the fallen crab. 'Almost there…Think, don’t be a blonde, remember the words, remember what you were feeling in that dream!' She felt the mana fill her to that same point as in the dream. She wanted to moan, to cry out in joy, to revel in the sensation!

  When Feldyn suddenly vanished from the air and appeared standing on the ground with a sound that reminded her of an umbrella opening - she lost her focus. Ally felt the pleasure begin to turn to pain. The words for the incantation got fuzzy. She saw an umbrella in her mind, and envisioned all of the enemies. As well as her friends. The monsters, don't hurt anyone else, don't hurt anyone else, just hurt the monsters...

  Feldyn said a silent thank you to Lance for the blink - then he noticed Ally’s expression. That wide, bulging-eyed stare, and the huge grin, like that of a madwoman. Her left arm extended, palm towards where the crab had been flipped. “Ally, NO!”

  Ally spread the fingers on her hand as she began the flawless incantation of a type of spell common enough that Feldyn had an idea what was coming. He cursed loudly, and hoped she had the control to differentiate her targets.

  “Kahteagidraa ah para strapinikti wahkilyi para valvuumya!” The words felt like ecstasy pouring from within her, from her hand and her mouth; coaxing, caressing, and teasing her body, to madness and climax!

  And that climax was a single bolt of concentrated electricity that shot from her extended hand, growing to be three times the circumference of her palm, as it flashed straight to the prone monster. Ally’s arm -at the ending of her words and the blast of electricity- charred black all the way to her shoulder.

  The bolt hit the crab, and a beam of electricity extended from it, high into the sky, then branched into numerous arcs; each arc finding a different target.

  The entire spell, from cast to finish, lasted only seconds. The crab died on impact, its shell cracking; cooked meat bursting free. Feldyn didn’t know who all got hit, but he felt like he had been kicked in the chest by a horse, as an arc had knocked him violently off his feet.

  Coughing, and on his back, heart skipping wildly, Feldyn wondered if he was still to die. Smelling one of the best cooked crabs of his life, he figured there were worse ways to go. It was so heavenly, rich, and thick, it even overpowered the smell of burnt hair!

  Rolling to his hands and knees, still on the top of the dike, he saw Caleb down below, also trying to stand; hair singed, chest blackened. He had been hit as well, and also survived. Unlike the many smoldering remains of what Feldyn knew to be ash-ghouls. An oddity he hadn't had time to consider during his battle. That… was a lightning parasol. And it was bloody powerful! How in the ever bleeding hell did Ally cast something like that?! Without even the slightest knowledge of spell weaving? And even managed to not kill her allies - even if she still hit them. Who was she?

  Looking to her now, Ally was on her knees, gripping her solid black arm, still smiling, and also… screaming?! He had not noticed the bloody ringing in his ears! He was at her side in an instant, taking her arm.

  And sighed a sigh of relief; it was intact, just covered in about a half-inch layer of what appeared to be charred ash. This was the worst of her manaburn after attempting a spell like that for her first cast? Even without the mistakes, any attack spell of that strength would have knocked a lot of novice mages flat, without manaburn! And the burn hadn't even touched her skin! If this truly was her first cast. It had to be. Though where had she learned the incantation? Had the enemy provided it to her somehow, knowing she couldn't resist?

  Concerns aside, Feldyn was more impressed right now than he had been with any of them. Even Gigi. Regardless of how she did it (or the fact that she had hit him with an area of effect lightning spell...), that had been bloody impressive! She killed a hell crab, and several ash-ghouls, with a single spell! My God Ally, maybe you are destined to set foot on Aethra after all!

  Leaning back from the screaming teenager, Feldyn slapped her across the face, to bring her to her senses.

  Having no idea why Feldyn just bitch slapped her, nor why he was so close to her and grinning, she slapped him back. He chuckled loudly, grinning broader, then fell into soft laughter, before he leaned over and embraced her.

  Confused at the embrace, she still allowed it. In that hug, Ally didn’t feel a friend trying to comfort her, what she felt was… pride. He was… proud of her? Finally! Whatever just happened, she had finally managed to get this fucker’s approval! And as much as she didn’t want to admit it, it made her happy.

  Feldyn's laughter froze, and Ally felt him tense. He stood quickly, ignoring her asking what was wrong, looking out at the river. Ally looked too, momentarily startled by why the hell her arm was covered in charcoal. Then, she saw what Feldyn (and now Caleb) were staring at; floating quickly by on the river, heading to a bend that would lead out of sight.

  In his joy of surviving their current battle, Feldyn hadn’t thought of who, or what else, may have been hit by Ally’s spell. “We need to get to the others,” he spoke without turning, dread in his heart. If Ally’s spell had accidentally killed one of her friends…

  Caleb was heading up the rock wall now, Feldyn helping the teen girl to her feet. Content she was okay, he motioned Caleb to hurry up as he got to the top of the dike. Then, Feldyn finally noticed them on the roof across the river.

  * * *

  The fireball had taken Reba completely by surprise, hitting almost right next to her. Getting taken out like some kind of amateur… That was humiliating. After all the things she had been through, everything she had fought, and it’s a damn fireball, cast by a teenage vampire, that finally got her? This was complete bullshit.

  Where she landed from the blast, she did not know, though Reba did understand she was stuck on a fence or something similar. If she was totally upside down, or draped over the fence backwards, she wasn’t sure. Hell, she didn’t even know if she was breathing!

  Reba knew there was blood coming out of her mouth, or maybe it was her nose? Both? It… Was she coughing? Gagging? She must be breathing, though there was no pain… Could she move? No. Nor even blink; the blood washing over one eye from where she hung.

  When her vision began to spin, she thought it was the end, and that her sight would spiral to a close, like the ending of an episode or a movie. Would credits start to roll, showing everything she had done in her life? Was this even life at all? Then, she saw Stryker’s soot-coverd face mouthing words to her. Reba was confused. There was no sound. Someone needs to turn the sound on! Press the volume button, Stryker! Quit talking, I can’t hear you! Find the remote!

  The mute button must have been pressed by accident. She couldn’t remember hearing anything since getting blown up. Poor Stryker. He looked so sad. Like he was shouting and sobbing! It’s not your fault officer, the world just got muted! Don’t be a baby!

  Reba could now see the violet sky behind his pleading face. Didn’t he know that she was dead? There was no sound in the purple, muted world of death. Everyone knew that. Oh! He must be dead too, if he’s here! Poor man… he’s still so dirty and afraid…

  Her sadness grew deep as the sky began to dim, and the darkness started to encroach. It was getting so hard to see, that she could barely make out Pazely, only one twintail still up, leaning into view. Paze died too? Go find an angel and get a mirror, your hair is a mess, child…

  The dirt-covered Stryker came in and out of her vision, appearing to be shouting at the poor kid. Don’t yell at her, Stryker! She’s dead too! So sad… So so sad… It’s… not… her… fault…

  Why… So dark… Everyone burnt… Did… Were they in Hell? Did she really, as a homunculus, have no soul? Was God actually going to forsake her? Did Christ really reject her salvation? Or... had she never... been... alive at all?

  Panic filled her and she tried to scream. To beg for help, to will herself to move, and to breath and to live and not to go to Hell! To but be erased! I'm real Jesus, I'm real! Don't abandon me! Don't leave me!

  The last she knew was horror and despair. And then nothingness, as the lights, the feelings, and her mind… turned off.

  * * *

  Stryker stopped yelling for Pazely to find more of the healing potions, and grabbed Reba when she started to seize and gurgle, eyes bulging, hands contorting into claws. Stryker held Reba in his arms, kneeling in the gravel near where he had removed her from the fence of the city shop she had been draped over. The explosion had threw them to the opposite side of the bridge from where Feldyn, Caleb, and Ally had been blown. “No!” Stryker pleaded, and Pazely began asking over and over what was happening.

  Reba quit moving.

  Stryker laid her down, his face blank. Reba’s own a death mask of horror and fear. He delicately closed her eyes, grateful they remained shut. And he slumped his shoulders, crying for the first time since this had all begun.

  “But… No! They have to work!” Pazely whispered from her knees next to her dance instructor. She had already poured both of her healing potions into the huge hole in her side! She was just about to open and pour their last one into the injury too! This stuff could heal even something that bad, couldn't it? Even with that much of her gone? You could see her destroyed ribs, part of her lung... and... No- it didn't matter! Reba's potions healed Gigi, and saved Ally, so all of her that was missing would just grow back! It had to! That's how it worked! That's how this kind of stuff fucking worked!

  Suddenly, Stryker leaned across the girl’s body and grabbed the remaining healing potion from the teen. Uncorking it, he poured about half of it into Reba’s mouth. Then, pinching her nose he blew hard into her mouth, trying to force the potion into her stomach. Then he dumped the other half into her mouth, shaking every last drop out, and this time tilted her head back and lifted her chin, to hopefully blow some into her lungs.

  No response.

  Chest compression would be pointless, as her rib cage was so decimated, it would just collapse under the pressure. He could reach inside and try to massage her heart... but... Stryker looked over to Pazely, and shook his head, before once again hanging it, tears silently flowing. Officer Stricksent had no idea what else to do but cry. Out of all of them… as far as he knew, since they were temporarily separated from the others…

  Reba was the first one to die.

  Behind Stryker, the severely burnt and still smoking tarantula came climbing from the rock wall onto the top of the dike. It had taken a good deal of the blast, and it showed. Originally covered in black and red hair, spikes on its head and legs, and a green liquid dripped from its mandibles; now, most of the hair on its body was gone, and it moved sluggishly, though it still seemed very much alive.

  The sight of the spider caused all of the emotions Pazely was feeling to erupt in a rage. She still had her short sword, which was now gripped tightly. Shrieking a squeaky cry of fury, she ran past Stryker, and jumped, unnaturally high, landing on the spider’s back. She plunged her blade into the arachnid over, and over, and over again.

  Stryker grabbed his nearby gun he had also held onto in a death grip when hit by the blast, and began shooting the beast.

  When Stryker’s gun clicked empty, no more bullets to reload, the spider started to buck, spilling black ooze everywhere from its many wounds. Pazely was barely holding on to a chunk of nasty hair with one hand, the other gripping her sword that was firmly embedded into the monsters back. “Pazely, get off that thing!” Stryker yelled to her, and she had to agree. It was going wild now; she didn’t know a spider could move like this! Holding the sword hilt in two hands, getting her feet under her, Paze prepared to jump to the top of the dike once lined up.

  There was a crack, flash, pop, as an arc of electricity hit Stryker, launching him out of his boots and backwards into the fence a good ways down from where he had taken Reba off of it. A second arc hit the spider and the small Asian girl on its back, the two arcs combining into one; Pazely didn’t feel anything but a tingle; the lightning passing through her. The release of the arc still launched her forcefully airborne, off of the -now very dead- spider’s back, and into the lethal currents of the Cowlitz River.

  One thing everyone that lived on, or near, the Cowlitz River knew, was that if you went into the water, you were dead. There were only a couple of small, safe swimming holes. The currents of the Cowlitz claimed at least one life a year, and not a soul had survived its pull, aside from the lucky few who had been rescued by another, their rescuers usually dying in the process. Even professional Navy divers had drowned in its crushing depths, stuck under a rock, or held down by currents until their tanks were empty and they drowned.

  Thrashing arms and legs wildly, her hand touched something, and she grabbed on with a death grip, pulling herself from the frigid waters and onto the floating carcass of the big spider. Which was now on its back, legs curled in. At least the fucker floated!

  Floating quickly in the swift moving river, under the bridge and downstream, she saw Feldyn and Ally looking at her with worry on the top of the dike. But not for long; the current was fast, and she floated around a bend, towards some shallows on the opposite side of the river form her friends. She knew the spider, that was falling apart and crumbling in the water, would wash up there before it totally fell apart, and she could get off, and make her way back to the bridge and her group.

  But… with no weapon at all now… the fifteen or so zombies milling around the large sandy beach she was about to come ashore at, were going to be hard to deal with… Despite herself, she let a tiny sob escape, and braced to run for her life.

  * * *

  The trouble Masque was having hitting these vampires was largely of his own making. The assumption that feeding had made him more powerful was both erroneous and foolish. Just because a battery is charged to full, does not make it, nor what it powers, stronger. It just has its full charge to draw from.

  Realizing his error, he was beginning to keep up with their odd movements. They were not only fast, but sporadic, and blurred. Even looking right at them, they seemed out the corner of your eye. He had dispatched one finally, and heard the shouts at the bridge. Glancing that way, just as the fireball hit the bridge.

  Cursing, even as he stepped into the shadows between dimensions, Masque reappeared just in front of Gigi, tucking her under one arm. Katana appearing in his left hand, he chopped the head from the vampire the child had been charging, who was still standing in the same place, shielding his face from the blast.

  “My gun!” Gigi yelled when Masque set her down. “Stay here,” he ordered, intercepting a blurring vampire with a kick, swinging his katana two-handed at another – who dodged. “No!” she answered, Masque headbutting a third vampire that jumped at him.

  “Yes!”

  “NO!

  Choosing to not argue with a five-year-old, Masque ignored her instead, increasing the speed of his own fight, the vampires suddenly having difficulty keeping up with him. This was still taking much longer than he would have liked.

  “I’m going to find my gun!” the cow onion announced. Hissing in irritation, he sliced one of the vampires in half, the other two retreating slightly. He saw Gigi running off to his right, towards the wall of smoke and the bridge, where a female vampire was on the ground, one of Ally’s avenger daggers in its face, yet still very much (un?)alive.

  One shadowstep, and Masque was standing over the teenage newblood, and stabbed her with his sword, ensuring she would never move again. Then, dismissing his blade, he bull-rushed the remaining two vampires, catching them by the throat, one in each hand. Flying them backwards, he slammed both on their backs, still holding their necks, grinding them along the ground hard enough to tear up the asphalt. By the time he had come to a stop, there was nothing left of the two enemies but their heads, and the necks he held.

  Gigi, little gun once again in hand, was running to him. He adored the girl, but she needed some discipline. Looking around for somewhere to put her, so he could check on the others, a fire hydrant she neared abruptly ripped itself out of the ground on two red stubby legs. More witchcraft. Lovely. The hydrant shot a stream of water at the little bovine garbed child - who rolled with those impressive reflexes, not even getting a drop of water on her.

  Appearing next to the hydrant with a black smoky pop, a single two-handed chop with his nightblade, and Masque cleaved the hydrant in half. Gigi waddled over to him as he eyed every object near. There were so many things that could animate… yet none moved. Perhaps they were activated when a target was within a certain proximity?

  “That was a weird bad guy!” Gigi observed, wide-eyed. “I need to check on the others.” Masque informed her, the sounds of their fighting quite apparent now that he had time to pay attention. “Gigi too!” Having no time to argue with her, he agreed. “I will carry you.” He leaned down to pick her up. “On your shoulders!” she chirped. On his… shoulders? “I do not know how comfortable for you that may be.” She stared up him, eagerly. No time to ponder things, "Fine," he agreed, and Gigi looked startled, jumped back, and ran from him.

  Masque was puzzled and irritated. She was sprinting pretty fast. “We do not have time to play!” he snapped at her. She ignored him. “Gigi!” She still ignored him. He was just about to shadowstep to her, letting out a low growl when he saw her dive quite dramatically, then the sky lit up in a great flash. An arc of electricity hit Masque square in the head, his growl coming out as, “Zzzzzzzz!” The release of the spell barely staggered him backwards.

  A bit stunned, he continued to stare at the filthy little blonde girl, who was looking back at him now. “Thats was a close one!” she declared, having made it just out of range to not get hit. She then began wiggling a victory dance.

  Masque sighed.

  * * *

  “Retrieve the homunculus,” Iiyni snarled to the still human form of Belle’anne. The imp was standing now, hands clenched tightly into fists. It didn’t matter if the homunculus was dead or alive. No finesse needed, so the damn mutt could do it her fucking self. “Jenta, kill the thrall, and all of the rest still over there, then retrieve the Aetherian. Zit, go kill that Japanese cunt. I’m going to bring auntie her precious Dragonheart.”

  Iiyni’jeari’eea was forcing herself to remain calm. She needed to, since Caleb had to be alive. As did the half-elven faggot. Otherwise, she would just destroy them like a group of ants under her heel. Besides, she had taken enough risks that could get those two killed. Secretly she had kinda hoped her encounters she set up accidentally killed one of them, if just to piss off X’al’antra. She definitely didn’t expect either of her pets to die.

  When that fucking blonde twat murdered Bubbleclaw, she was livid. Then, she had seen sweet little Cocoapuff floating by with the Japanese whore on top. Her anger had peaked so high, she almost felt calm. How DARE they kill her babies! They never ever EVER got to come play! And they FUCKING MURDERED THEM?! No, she murdered them. That blonde bitch. Just how in the FUCK did a human skank from EARTH cast a parasol spell strong enough to kill both of her pets in one hit?!

  Belle’anne knew better than to question orders, so in an explosion of blood and goo, she burst from her human form, bounding to the left, towards the start of the bridge on this side of the river.

  Jen’taa’yi also asked no questions, standing silent. Her dipshitted little sister didn’t move either. Jenta was trying to decide something; contemplating what she had read while back at base. Who knows why Zit was still hanging around.

  With a growl and a hiss, Iiyni'jeari'eea watched the fuck-faced, scrawny, nicknaming bastard, finish climbing up the dike wall, near the half-elf and the blonde chick. A moment later, Iiyni stood between Caleb and Ally. the imps world spun as she got lightheaded from jumping that fast. Dammit, fuck, she needed to feed!

  “Ally, run!” Feldyn shouted, though she didn’t listen, simply standing there, staring at the newcomer. “Iiyni-” Caleb started, and she punched him in the groin, rupturing, well, everything there. Followed it with an uppercut as he doubled over; destroying his jaw and landing him flat on his back, quite unconscious.

  Now to take care of the caster bitch and elf. Ally was walking backwards, looking afraid and confused, the bard in front of her now, trying to shield the girl, not a weapon in hand. Not like a weapon would do him any good anyway.

  Blondie wasn’t the only one who could throw spells, and Iiyni’jeari’eea currently had one on her mind that would be a fitting death for the girl. As long as she made it weak as possible, the half-elf’s constitution should keep him alive -but out of the game- long enough to be retrieved by Jenta, and healed by Larry.

  Knowing better than to underestimate these retards again, the imp didn’t wait any longer. Forcing herself to gag, she quickly uttered the incantation before the two even had a chance to register what was happening.

  “Veni-firou cinyphisthu daemonique neabaludea,” allowing herself to vomit, instead of bile and stomach contents, a thick cloud of insects erupted from her mouth in a cone, washing over the half-elf and human like a sandstorm, stinging, slapping, and engulfing them completely.

  Listening to the blond bitch scream in agony, Iiyni'jeari'eea gave a satisfied grin, before grabbing Caleb by an ankle. Being short was a bitch sometimes. At least his ankles were skinny; she hardly had to crush it to hold on with one hand. She leapt away, carrying the tall boy by a -now quite dislocated- leg. He woke once to cry out in pain, then fell back to unconsciousness; head drumming off of a roof.

  * * *

  Stryker was stunned stupid after getting hit with that lightning. First, teenage vampires were shooting electricity and throwing exploding balls of fire, and now lightning was zapping him from the sky?! Not to mention all the other fucked up magical shit in the last few days! Why in the holy hell did people find this type of thing appealing in fiction? In real life, it was absolute bullshit! He understood now why God had locked up and forbade magic! It gave you more of an upper hand than an athlete on steroids! Cheating! Cheaters!

  Heart skipping, and chest aching terribly, Stryker made his way back to where Reba’s body lie. Blinking, he saw his boots still on the ground where he had been standing before getting zapped. He hadn’t even realized he wasn’t wearing them! Looked like that lightning knocked him a few dozen feet farther down the dike than where he and Pazely- Oh shit, Pazely! He didn’t see her nor the spider! Did they get disintegrated?! Did he not only lose Reba, but Pazely too?! Had they... lost? He... failed them...

  From the bridge to his left, he the giant, black, oily dog, landed on the dike, and hurried to Reba's body, picking it up in its mouth, completely ignoring him standing feet away. Mind going blank, the officer froze, not even breathing. The dog looked at him now, and its expression changed. It was like the monster was thinking about how to proceed. Then it set the body back down, and grinned. Oh, FUCK!

  Gun empty and the bandoleer of grenades he wore not exactly helpful at such close range, he did the only other thing he could think of. “Help!” he called, without shame, and sprinted back towards the fence, jumping from the top of the dike, narrowly avoiding getting snapped in half; the demon rushed past him (clipping him with her shoulder), taking out the fencing, and crashing into the city shop yard ahead of the officer.

  Stryker landed on his side, getting quickly to his feet - then was airborne, the beast flipped him with her snout, sending him father into the shop yard. “HELP!” he shouted louder, before hitting the ground, tumbling uncontrolled.

  * * *

  Masque and Gigi were well within sight of the city shop, being only a -small town's- block farther down the street. Masque sensed the large dog, even as he heard Stryker’s cries for help the first time. Gigi’s body went cold, memories she had tried hard not to think about came back with a vengeance. “Gigi, follow me, but stay out of danger,” Masque ordered. It was time for him to shred this lycanthropeire.

  Without waiting for a reply from the defiant child, Masque shadowstepped the entire distance, to appear in front of a downed and prone Stryker. The dog lady skidded to a stop just feet in front of Masque. His shadowcloth peeled away from around his mouth as he roared at the beast, fangs much more impressive than those of the newbloods. There was also enough force in that cry, that it hit her like a great wind, actually pushing her back. Slightly.

  Belle'anne turned and fled. Best to retrieve the homunculus as requested and live.

  “It’s after Reba’s body!” Stryker rasped loudly. The way he said, ‘body‘ made Masque start. He knew from the tone that the law enforcement officer meant ‘corpse’. Masque felt dread, but only for a split second. Death had a distinctive smell. New or old death, it did not smell like life. Reba’s body was so close, he caught her scent instantly, and dread turned to panic. What he smelled was not death. Perhaps it was not the usual scent of life, but it was still not death. “She is not dead!” was all Masque said to the cop, before shadowstepping onto the dike wall, right as the four-legged bitch was about to bound away with the girl in her mouth.

  Nightblade back in his hands, Masque wrapped his nether around its length, and fell upon the side of the beast with a great overhanded downward chop. Her side was sliced open, black corrosive blood and innards spilling everywhere. Belle howled, dropping Reba and stumbling backwards, Masque shadowstepping to avoid the blood. Reba’s body had fallen clear of where the blood was splashing, so Masque was on the lycanthropeire again in the blink of an eye - right as Jenta was also on top of him, knocking him into the ground with a punch that was so forceful, he actually dropped his blade.

  The imp looked at the pathetic lycanthropeire, “Return to your master,” she stated flatly, “or die here. I will bring the girl.” The big dog didn’t hesitate, turning to run over the bridge and along the dike, stumbling and yipping, blood and innards spilling in such amounts, Jenta wouldn’t be surprised if she died before making back.

  Back on his feet now, Masque summoned his blade back to him, and was about to strike, but the imp held up a hand. “Hold!” she snapped. He shadowstepped in front of her, slicing -and she easily avoided with a hop to the side. Then, with another punch, he was facedown in the gravel again. “Hold means stop,” she lectured. Again he shadowstepped, this time behind her. She turned, unleashing a blitz of punches to his midsection, then jumped and hooked his neck with the crook of her knee, flipping, and throwing him with her leg farther down the dike. This time, when he stood, blade in both hands, he did not attack, though he was snarling like a feral beast.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I would much prefer to see you dead than to spend time conversing,” the imp told him. “Something is amiss,” she explained further, not caring if he was paying attention or not. “I hate this as much as you. I really would prefer to kill you all and be done with it, but that does not seem to be our current fate.” Masque was no longer snarling, though he remained poised for battle. “Know this, thrall, if what I believe proves false, you will die. If it proves true, death will probably still be your fate. For now, live.” She was surprised he did not ask why. These people were so fucking irritating.

  “I couldn’t care less if you and the rest of the Esseff survive, but me and my sisters? That is a different story.” Now Masque was confused. The… Esseff? “Soon we will return home, and all this prophecy shit behind us and forgotten. Do you understand? No? It doesn’t matter. Just do what you, and your group, do best: be fucking annoying. And know that if you are ever before me again, I will kill you without hesitation.” Then, she was gone.

  The sounds of battle were also over. The smell of blood was everywhere. Smoke remained in the air.

  And an overpowering reek of poison coming from farther down the dike in front of him.