With shaky hands, he raised Thieron, his mind focused on it. Something happened inside him, something that had an instant effect on the weapon—it surprised him as much as it did us. Energy rippled outward from Phyla, and light glowed through the symbols carved along Eirexis. It looked different than the last time he’d used it, but we could all feel the power surging through Taeral and through each and every one of us.
My limbs tingled as I beheld a quite active-looking Thieron in Taeral's hands. For a moment, hope dared to brighten my field of vision, and I allowed it to swoop through me, for the prospect of victory was not as dim as I'd thought.
"Attaboy," Soul said, grinning like the devil.
“I’m not sure what I just did,” Taeral replied, staring at the blade.
“You opened yourself up to it,” Soul explained. “There’s more Death in you than I thought.”
I would’ve loved to ask a couple more follow-up questions, but with annoyingly good timing, Brendel reached us. She landed with a thud on the edge of the platform, her orange fire so intense that it obliterated everything it touched. The rocks blackened beneath her. My throat burned from the excessive heat she emanated. There was something about her, I realized… something different.
Her humanoid figure formed, and only then did I see her eyes for the first time. Two white slits that hated everything they encountered. "You've wasted a lot of my time already," she said. "It's time to give up, Taeral. You will never find Death."
"Shouldn't you be out there preparing for the ritual's completion, then?" Taeral replied. Thieron glowed in his hand, and Phyla seemed to revolve in the blade, casting light reflexes all around it like a magic disco ball. It was beautiful and scary at the same time. "How am I still a threat to you?"
Brendel took a step forward. The other Hermessi landed on the side of the mountain behind her, making their way up with sluggish, fiery moves. There were fewer of them now, though, and I wasn't sure whether anyone else had noticed. Brendel had consumed some of the Hermessi who'd joined her on the Fire Star, during our Zetos mission. Maybe none had dared to take their place. We already knew many of her allies had fled after the Hermessi children were taken from Yahwen.
"Her forces are dwindling," I said, eyeing her nervously. "Her allies are scarce."
Taeral smirked. "Yeah, figured that out when I saw them come in. I would've expected an entire party, not a small posse."
"I don't need an army to destroy you," Brendel retorted.
One by one, fiery energy figures emerged behind her—some white, some blue, some green or orange. Despite the dramatic entrance, I had to admit, I wasn't exactly… overwhelmed. Nevertheless, I hadn't been touched by Death, and neither had Varga. Or Riza. Herakles. Raphael. Amelia. Nethissis. We were still vulnerable, and we could still be killed. That was what Brendel was banking on—taking us out first.
She couldn’t kill Taeral, Lumi, or Eira, but she could wipe out the rest of us. She could keep Taeral distracted from finding Death long enough for the ritual to be finished.
"Thieron is complete, as you already know," Taeral said. "If I managed to break you into little pieces with just two-thirds of it, imagine what I'll do with the full Thieron."
"I doubt you'll get to enjoy any of it, Taeral. Nothing can stop the ritual now," Brendel replied.
"Only you can," I said to him. "Tae, it's why she's here."
Kabbah joined Taeral's side, sneering at Brendel. "Sister, I'm amazed. Your persistence is incredible."
"And you're still not powerful enough to defeat me. I've only become stronger since last we met," Brendel replied.
"At the expense of how many Hermessi? I can't remember how many you gobbled up, you mindless abomination," Kabbah hissed. "Can you not see how far off the deep end you've gone?!"
"She cannot," Seeley interjected, his dark, starry gaze fixed on her. "She's getting help from one of the First Ten. She is breaking all the laws of the universe in order to get what she wants."
Brendel scoffed. "I do whatever I must. Determination is one of the building blocks of the universe, Reaper. You know nothing of it."
"So it's true, then," the Soul Crusher replied. "The Spirit Bender has been helping you."
"For about five million years now. He and I share a common agenda. Well, parts of it, anyway," she said.
I found it intriguing that she was so open to talking now. Then again, her primary objective was to keep us all busy—especially Taeral. My muscles were tense. I exchanged glances with Varga first, then with the rest of our crew. We were all scared, knowing that this had to be the last time we ever crossed paths with Brendel, or with any other Hermessi, for that matter.
I'd had enough. Too many hurdles. Too many interruptions. Too much hatred and violence and mindless obsession. We'd come so far. There was no way in hell we'd let Brendel pull the plug on us. Not after everything we'd sacrificed. After everything Taeral had sacrificed. This was it. The end of the line, either for us or for Brendel.
"And what is it you intend to accomplish together?" Phantom asked, gliding forward, her bare feet barely touching the hard, cold ground.
A storm boiled above, as black clouds gathered, thick and dark and filled with flashes of lightning. The winds blew with renewed strength. I could almost taste the rain on the tip of my serpentine tongue, which I let flick between my lips. There was a sense of death and doom swelling between us. All we had to do was make sure it wasn't ours to bear, that it was only ours to inflict upon the enemy.
"We're teaching Death a valuable lesson," Brendel said. "For too long she has looked down upon us, the Hermessi, as inferior entities, when we are some of the most powerful forces of the universe. We help life grow and flourish, after all."
"Is that why you plan to burn everything down? Because you want to help life?" Taeral replied dryly.
"It's part of the process. All must die in order for everything to be reborn," Brendel declared. "Death does not accept our cycle of existence. It's time she's made to understand that not everything works as she pleases."
"Tae," I blurted. "She's here because the Spirit Bender has Death. She's stalling!"
"I know," Taeral replied. "I was hoping she'd have a better explanation as to why she's still so hellbent on doing all this."
Brendel took another step forward. "I gave you the option to stand down, in return for mercy. It's still on the table, Taeral. Do nothing, let us finish our sacred work, and your home planet may be allowed to live. All of your home planets may be allowed to live—"
"Provided they all worship you as gods and supreme forces of the universe," Kabbah said. "How delusional are you to think people will choose oppression instead of death?"
Brendel shrugged. "Death is final."
"Surrendering to your demands is worse than Death," Raphael said. "We would never bow before you. The five million fae you're about to kill would never forgive us. And neither could we."
Taeral raised Thieron over his head. The handle's engraved text glowed white, brimming with energy. The blade's sharp and curved edge glistened in the growing darkness. The round gemstone continued its slow spin, casting flakes of light all around Taeral. They spread out like wisps of moonlight. Some reached us, absorbed into our clothes.
One of them touched my face, and a peculiar warmth spread through my skin. This wasn't ordinary light that Phyla was exuding. It was something else, something powerful and intense enough to get me riled up and ready for the most dangerous battle of my life.
"Then you will all die. Each and every single one of you will burn, until nothing is left but the ashes upon which we will build new worlds," Brendel said.
Taeral exhaled, a smile trying his lips. "Then it's time we put you back into your place before we find Death and stop your ritual."
That was it. The declaration of war she'd been waiting for. We were all in her crosshairs now, and we were all ready to give it everything we had. For ourselves. For our loved ones. For our families and friends.
For every single living creature that dwelled in even the darkest corners of this universe. The gift of life was not the Hermessi's to take. Only Death could end us, and she was currently indisposed.
Taeral
I had my sights set on Brendel.
The crew and I had already discussed this. Considering my track record with this flaming monster, my odds of defeating her were significantly higher. Everyone else had to focus on the other Hermessi, and I could only hope the ensuing battle would end with all of us reunited and very much alive. Brendel and her machinations had killed too many of our people.
"Let's see how long before you realize you're at a dead end," Brendel said.
Not waiting for a reply, she cast a flurry of incandescent fireballs at me. I blocked them with Thieron's blade, but the force of their impact was still strong enough to push me back.
I couldn't teleport, thanks to whatever death magic she'd been given by the Spirit Bender, and I didn't even have time to figure out how a Hermessi could use death magic. It was a question left for later. But I could still throw fire back at her.
Unlike Brendel, however, I'd been trained to use every ounce of my resources wisely, focusing on the target, rather than the damage. I released a series of small fireballs in rapid succession. They didn't do much other than distract her for a split second, but a split second was all I needed to move closer and use Thieron.
Realizing my intention, Brendel dashed back, clearly fearful of Death's weapon, even in my hands. That just confirmed what Eva and the others had said. It was good to have some kind of confirmation from experience, rather than from theories, because Brendel was a dangerous force, and unpracticed theories could end in tragedy.
"They were right. You're not a fan of Thieron, especially in its complete form," I said.
Around us, the battlefield erupted. I caught glimpses of Kabbah launching fiery green attacks against the incoming Hermessi. Lumi and Nethissis summoned the Word's power and cast combinations of attack and protection spells. Eira drew water from the skies above and channeled it into frozen projectiles aimed at the Fire elementals.
Raphael used his fire against the Water Hermessi. Riza cast jinni magic, toying with the Air Hermessi. Fortunately for us, the only thing Brendel had ever been able to block was a jinni’s teleportation ability. I would’ve use my own jinni magic, but Thieron was a much better fit given my powerful opponent.
Herakles, Eva, and Varga were limited in their offensive, but they fired all the pulverizer pellets they had, reloading every other minute. As expected, the pellets didn't do much, but they still poked temporary holes in several Hermessi, just enough to give Kabbah an edge for a proper attack.
Brendel came at me with all her fiery might, and I froze for a second. Why was she coming straight for me when I had Thieron out and ready to slice through her?
She split in half and dashed past me. Before I knew it, I felt her fire behind me, burning through my leather uniform. I gasped and turned around, slashing at her. She moved back, the blade missing her by inches. She laughed.
"You think a nifty gadget will be the end of me?"
A boom thundered across the mountain peak, drawing everyone's attention. Amelia had just landed on the ground, holding Yamani's scythe, which I'd left in her care. The blade glowed a beautiful orange. Behind her, a Fire Hermessi had been split in half.
"How can that be?!" Raphael croaked. "Don't get me wrong, it's amazing, but still…"
Only then did I notice the Reapers fighting, as well. They zapped across and around the mountain peak, using their scythes and bits of death magic against the elementals. The Soul Crusher, the Widow Maker, the Phantom, and Seeley were all involved. It seemed as though all rules were scrapped this time around.
I was witnessing magic I hadn’t seen before. Soul tore holes into the fabric of space, and Widow grabbed various Hermessi with just his gloved hands, throwing them in. Phantom cut through Air and Earth elementals, her scythe's blade changing colors between white and green whenever she delivered a blow.
"I… I don't know!" Amelia replied. "All I care is that it's somehow working!"
That being said, she quickly spun and went back to the Hermessi she'd just cut in half. I didn’t have time to wonder whether she’d become a Reaper, too, someday, but the thought had crossed my mind. She delivered another blow, this time with a horizontal swing. Yamani's scythe went through, glimmering orange, and the Hermessi was now broken in four pieces.
Brendel seemed surprised. "What's happening?" she murmured.
"Maybe the universe is telling you it's still on our side," I said.
Thieron hummed in my hand, sending heat waves through every inch of my body. My limbs zinged with raw energy, my fingers tingling as I gripped its handle tighter and swung the blade at Brendel.
She dodged it again, then moved around me. There was cautiousness in her approach, while she kept stealing glances at the four-piece Hermessi Amelia had left behind to take on an Earth elemental, next.
The Reapers were at it, viciously fighting the Hermessi around us, while the crew battled those who slipped past them. Those who could die among us were the primary targets, from what I could tell—Brendel wanted to make my morale plummet by killing my friends. Only, my friends kept surprising her, it seemed.
Normally, only a Reaper could use a scythe to cause damage to a Hermessi. Yet Amelia was slicing through them like nobody's business. Something had definitely changed in the fabric of things, and I wished I knew what.
Brendel threw a fiery arm out at me. I brought Thieron up to meet her. The flames touched Phyla and, by some weird twist, got sucked into it. My eyes widened from the shock, watching as part of Brendel's burning arm was literally eaten and absorbed by Phyla.
She cried out and managed to pull back, her limb quickly recovering. Fire was fire. It could not be cut or shortened, not in that form. But Thieron was still capable of doing things to Brendel, things I'd yet to fully understand.
"You've never had to deal with Thieron so up close before, huh?" I asked, confidence surging through me and lighting my soul on fire.
If her intention was to keep me busy, she was treading on thin ice, because all I had to do was get close enough to hit her, and it could very well be the end of her. Brendel probably didn't think I could kill her with it, since I wasn't Death, but I'd surprised her before. I had a feeling part of her worried I might pull something off after all. Maybe she would've died for the ritual, but I doubted she'd go willingly.
"You're but a mortal. I am forever," she spat.
I charged at her with all my strength, roaring as I raised Thieron over my head with both hands. "Nothing is forever!" I shouted and brought the blade down.
She vanished into thin air, and I stumbled forward, losing my footing. I nearly fell but managed to stay upright. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw fire coming at me, a mass of amber-and-orange destruction.
I dropped flat on my belly as the inferno raged above me. My skin burned and itched, sweat trickling down my face, as I rolled over several times to get as far away from it as possible. I couldn’t understand how this was happening, since I was a fire fae. I wasn’t supposed to be hurt by it! But the fire spread, shapeless and hungry and eager to get me. It was Brendel, outside her usual form and ready to burn me to a crisp. There had to be something about this power of hers that made her fire a danger even to someone like me.
"Taeral!" I heard Eira scream.
I brought Thieron up as the flames threatened to cover me like a blanket. The blade hissed with delight as it cut through the fire. Suddenly, everything cleared around me, and Brendel rebuilt herself a couple of yards away. Parts of her were having trouble holding on to her figure, like pieces of cake about to fall off.
"Go for it!" the Soul Crusher shouted at me. He kissed his scythe and tore another hole in the air, then stepped back. The Widow Maker growled as he tackled a column of white fire, a confused Air Hermessi, and pushed him into the interdimensional pocket.
Soul chuckled as he placed a hand on the glowing hole, which was quickly reduced to a slit before vanishing.
Looking around, nobody seemed anywhere close to giving up. Varga had trouble standing, parts of him severely burned by a Fire Hermessi. Eva moved in front of him, whispering her Druid magic and likely hoping it might be enough. The pulverizer weapons were on the ground, empty and useless. They'd already gone through all the ammo.
Lumi was tired, her whole body glowing blue. Nethissis put all the energy she had left into a protective bubble, which she cast around her and Lumi. The Hermessi tried to breach it, kicking and pounding with their raw-energy limbs. It would crack, soon enough.
Seeley seemed to be dancing around the mountain peak, hopping from rock to rock and drawing symbols with his scythe. By the time he was done, four Hermessi were trapped and crushed to the ground by an invisible force, which Seeley manipulated with special hand movements. Everyone was whipping out the battle specials for this one.
Eira battled a Water Hermessi on surprisingly equal ground, but she, too, was beginning to tire. I'd lost track of time. I had no idea how long we'd spent here, fighting so many forces determined to end us.
But Brendel was within my reach. No matter what, I had to finish her this time, once and for all. I had no idea whether I'd manage to do it with Thieron, but it was worth a shot. I just needed to catch her off guard. I needed to deliver another, heavier blow, enough to break whatever spell she had on my ability to teleport. Then, I could take the element of surprise.
Armed with such thoughts, I lunged at her again. I came running in from her left, then made a sudden dash to the right. She swelled, the fire burning and licking at the air, which, in turn, rippled from the heat. Brendel was ready to take me on. I cast a large flame at her, then another, followed by a third, enough to temporarily block her field of vision with nothing but fire.
The ground shook beneath me, but I couldn't stop or falter. I was so close!
Taking advantage of the fire curtain I'd managed to pull, I bolted to her left again. I brought Thieron out from the side in full swing. As soon as I got past the fire, I came to a screeching halt. She was gone!
A Shade of Vampire 77: A Fate of Time Page 11