by Emma Glass
My lover’s eyes widened. “Wait… you can’t be…”
“Can’t be what, Elliott?”
He swallowed fearfully. “You said we’ve sewn a gate shut…”
The old woman who had walked my dreams for years offered me a curious smile. “One door closes. Another opens. You have had a decisive victory over me here, I’ll admit it. I can never breach this world again… but… young Clara has seen it herself. There are seven portals… and seven realms.”
Elliott and I briefly a sudden glance.
“Did you think this brash plan was my only one? No, my dear children… Sabine was but one champion, just as Clara was but one harbinger… even as we speak, my pieces move across all the other worlds. For all of your foolish efforts, you were playing a single game of chess. I, my progeny, am playing seven. Seven games, each with the prize of my return. I will bring salvation of the one true world.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“And the best part, Clara? I only have to win ONCE.”
Tzavos’ body began to slowly break down before us, the edges blurring. She lifted one hand to observe her own fading fingers.
“My time here has come to an end. How… unfortunate.”
Her tone was disarmingly comfortable, as if we’d dealt her nothing but a minor setback.
I shivered as Tzavos shrugged, once again folding her hands over her walking rod. Her withered body continued to slowly break down along the edges, disappearing back into her own silhouette. Black dust slowly wafted from the edges of her body, seeping through the glowing magic.
“We’ll find you,” I warned her. “I’ll stop you, wherever you go. I will spend my life opposing you.”
Tzavos chuckled. “You know so little, Clara. Even if you could find your way to the other worlds, I have the gift of time. I am older than both of your civilizations, and if I must, I will wait for your body to grow cold and lifeless.”
Elliott rebuked that with a cold, defiant glare.
“You’ve been stopped here. Others will learn of you. They’ll find out what you mean to do. I think you’ll find the worlds aren’t quite so eager to be swept away, Tzavos. I have faith in them… but if there is a way to stop you forever…” Crossing his arms over his chest, Elliott smiled confidently. “You should know that we will bloody well be at the front of that line. Do you understand me? I won’t rest until I know you have been destroyed by the worlds you so willingly endanger.”
The witch listened curiously, even as tiny pieces of her body drifted away.
“That’s right,” I coldly added. “It doesn’t matter where you go, or what you try. We know you exist, and what you mean to do. I will find a way to defy you. Believe in your self-righteousness as much as you choose, but I know what I’ve seen. Your quest for salvation will destroy all of existence, and I will never let that happen.”
It was too hard to know for certain, given that her body had been reduced to a mere shadow, but I was sure that an eager smile crossed her lips as the last of her drifted to dust
Chapter 35
Kinsey
Hurling a blade at the crimson Raróg circling us in the air, I put an end to the fiery flaps of its wings. Feathers rained from it as it careened down into the horde, each feather seemingly catching a beast ablaze.
But there were so many more. Always more.
The others struggled. I heard Viktor cry out.
Sinking to a knee, I drove a spare dagger into the throat of a vicious creature that dripped venom from its fangs. It gave out a pained snarl; I stuck it with a boot to the head, sending it falling backwards out the window. I made my move to close the gap with him, but a bite nearly took my arm off. I dodged, rolling past the new aggressor—some sort of large spider—to scoop up a discarded sword. With a heavy slash, I ripped two its legs free. It squealed in pain as I plunged the weapon into its thick, fuzzy thorax.
Acid splashed near me, missing everyone—but landing on another spider, sizzling its flesh. It tottered backwards in panic, falling out of sight.
Kicking my aggressor loose as I yanked out my sword, I dove towards Viktor as he fell before a looming beast—the body of a bear, the head of an owl. I lunged over his prone body as the creature swatted at me; the swipe sent me flying to the side, nearly taking out Wilhelm as he dove to protect Asarra from a savage beast of tentacles and fang. With my sword clattering across the ground, I landed with both palms to a pillar and slid back down.
A shattered corpse softly broke my fall. Pulling myself up off of the beast, I saw that it was no creature—but I had no time to grieve our first major loss. There were too many of the beasts around, and more of them every second. Still, I was rattled at the sight of Hargonne vacantly staring into oblivion, his cheek pressed to the cold stone. Blood pooled out from under his clothes—but it seemed that our noble, thoughtful friend had died quickly.
We were exhausted already. And the first had fallen.
Pushing off of his broken, robed body, I dove towards the blade and narrowly wrenched it away from probably the twentieth goblin I had seen. How these things have even survived being around these other creatures, I don’t know…
A sharp kick sent it flying over the side to its death.
Viktor was back on his feet; dodging another swipe, he ducked to one side and gave me an opportunity to charge ahead with the blade. My weapon sank to the hilt into its torso. I didn’t bother to try and reclaim the blade. Instead, he and I both tackled it together over the side of the tower. I hoped it would scatter more of the creatures on its way down, and put a dent in the horde on the ground.
A spell sailed past us—frying a second owlbear that we had somehow missed. The roaring beast fell to its side and provided a barrier against a window. Wilhelm helped both of us shove it further into the gap, sealing away at least one entry to our chamber. As we heaved it into place, the chaos of piercing blades and whizzing spells crackled in the air.
As the boys finished shoving the heavy corpse into the gap, I turned back. Across the anarchic fray, I saw magical beasts bursting in through every other window. Within the crowded chamber already, the survivors duked it out with at least a pair of monsters apiece. Littered bodies over the floor made for an increasing tripping hazard as they were forced to start watching their feet—and there was no time to try and clear our makeshift arena, or use them for walls. Sighing, I snatched my weapon. We really are going to die.
Another cry rang out. This time, it was Griswold.
He saved us with that Malediction spell! The least we can—
A monstrously large viper with a glowing, sinister gaze rapidly ensnared him by the chest in thick coils. “…Help!” He groaned out loudly before it began to crush the air out of his lungs; he tried to summon out a spell, but the snake saw his intention and snapped at his hand.
Another spell struck the beast and stunned it.
Arch-Magister Vayne bellowed in rage, casting spells at half the room. Her stunning magic gave me the chance to scoop up a dagger and drive it straight down into the skull of the viper; it twitched in pain as it relaxed from its binds, freeing the winded magician.
As I turned, my gaze caught the sight of a creature that crawled up the next tower over. Seeing it nearly demoralized me on the spot. No. Not one of you… please…
Pressing the dagger into Griswold’s hand, I spun away from the sight of the coming tatzelwurm to face down yet another goblin. This one was a lot bigger and meaner—a hobgoblin, by the looks of it. Before I could get my footing, it dove right at me, wrestling me to the floor. Pinning me down, its chubby hands clenched tight around my throat. Standing nearly as tall as me with a squat build and solid body weight, it ensured with a knee that I couldn’t move.
Gasping for air, I couldn’t see or reach any weapons.
Everything started to go fuzzy. Behind it, I saw Viktor locked in combat with a larger snake; the Arch-Magister, in a blind fury, was blasting out a handful of large spiders that were trying to
crawl into the room and spit webbing; Asarra and Wilhelm fought together against a lumbering, fuzzy creature of some sort. I could not see the others, but I guessed they were too busy to see me.
Or that they were already dead.
I tried to pound a fist into the hobgoblin’s head, but the creature took the blows without a struggle. I felt my lungs begin to burst in my chest. Everything darkened…
In a sword-swipe, its head separated from its body.
The creature swayed until a boot kick dislodged it from me. I choked for air as a hand yanked me up to my feet—and the sight was so pleasing I thought I could cry.
Elliott Craven swung his sword again, skewering the next creature to dare come near us. Massaging my throat and trying to catch my breath, I turned to see that one by one, the council of vampire lords were staggering to their feet and summoning weapons into their hands.
“What is happening?” The bitter one shouted.
“All these years spent chasing the glorious hunt…” said the intimidating vampire half-covered in tattoos and bone piercings. “Today, the hunt comes to me!”
The vampire lords launched outwards, descending into the fray with a united bloodlust. I found another sword; at a quick glance, I watched Clara Blackwell stand up from her own throne, still disoriented with slumber.
My eye moved past her. Nikki Craven’s arm dangled limply to the side as she stayed slumped silently in her own chair. If I had to pick one of them to join us… why couldn’t it have been that one? She would have enjoyed this…
“You took your sweet time!” I shouted at them.
The vampire lords ignored my complaint, laying waste to the battlefield that surrounded us. A bugbear managed to crawl past their defense, but it didn’t see me; I took the chance and skewered it on another sword, taking the large, furry, lumbering creature down myself.
Wilhelm cheered. “Oh gods am I glad to see you lot!”
“Focus on the fight, Wilhelm!” Elliott shouted out as he took out a spider that had its eyes set on Asarra. A splash of something viscous splattered from nearby, coating Viktor from head to toe. As he struggled, backing away from an advancing slug creature, Brother Griswold dove to help him.
Arch Magister Vayne cast a few powerful shield spells on the weaker among us standing. Watching her flourish her magic was like seeing a graceful dancer in motion. Suppose that’s why she gets to be the Arch-Magister—I’ve never seen a single magician cast both Malediction and Fortification magic so effortlessly. I thought power with one prevented power with the other…
Elliott turned to the Arch-Magister as he repelled a few creatures. “Vayne! Did the barrier fall?”
“A chrysm spike,” she grunted. “A few hours ago!”
“Of course there was,” Elliott snarled, kicking another beast back over the side. “How do we get it back?”
“I don’t know!”
“Oh, hell no,” Svetlana snarled. “We’re not dying here!”
I wanted to argue with her on that point—but I saw no easy way out of this. Slicing another hobgoblin across the chest before it could pin me, I kicked the heinous creature over the side and took a quick look at the rest of the horde.
Seven Portals drowned in a sea of claws and fang.
Our last stand looked utterly hopeless.
A shriek roared out. Those of us not fighting any of these creatures turned to see another massive viper nearby. This one had wrapped itself around Kierra; she struggled to dislodge it, beating her fists against its coils, but it had already secured a tight grip. Her face started to go red as with breathless pain.
“Hold on, Kierra!” I shouted, lunging with my sword. The viper turned its head and lashed out with its fangs. I countered with a swift slash of my sword.
“Kierra!” Asarra roared. “No!”
The beast’s great weight dragged Kierra a footstep too close to the edge of the window. As more creatures tried to crawl into the room, they knocked her off-balance. Fighting the snake as it made her top-heavy, she swayed.
I dove to reach her, but I was too late. Coiled by her killer, the Brawler of Broken Field plummeted down over the side of the tower, her voice trailing in a horrendous scream.
I lopped off limbs as I tried to stare over the side. Her bound body descended into the swarm. If the fall didn’t kill her, I knew something else would. I turned to the other duelist, dead against the floor. The first two casualties. Both gone, and I barely got to—
My thoughts were halted as I caught sight of Griswold.
He cradled his hand, sweat dripping from his brow. As he lifted his eyes to see me, they were glassy and dulled. “Not you,” I cried out, killing a pair of spiders on my way over to him. “Please, not you…”
I took a look at his hand. A pair of fangs nipped him.
“The viper,” I realized. “It got you?”
He nodded feebly. “I am… very tired…”
“Arch-Magister!” I screamed out.
“Busy!” She snarled, renewing shield spells.
“It’s Brother Griswold!”
Immediately halting her spells, Vayne hurtled through the fray to stop at his side, taking his hand and studying it. She swallowed down guilt. “Do you know what did this?”
He nodded. “Snake… a big snake…”
“Venom. That’s a tough one…”
I protected her, striking down some sort of lizard beast as she lifted her hand over his wound, and concentrated in a deep reverie. A bright light radiated from her palm and enveloped his bite. “Confervo.”
Griswold swallowed; he stared up at her in shock. “No, you… can’t waste that level of magic on me…”
“You’re my brother,” she smiled. “You won’t die here.”
I forced a vicious looking bird away from them. “We will all die here if we don’t stop this, and fast.”
“Any ideas?!” The golden-haired vampire lord called out, losing control over her summoned axe. It broke apart into red dust in her hands as she growled, grasping Hargonne’s discarded sword off the floor. Untrained with the weapon, she clumsily fended off a wicked eagle that was diving at the distracted Asarra. “I don’t know how long we can keep this up.”
“Can we get atop the tower?” Wilhelm asked as he dislodged his foot from the grip of a scaled kobold. His sword drove into the short, vicious creature, skewering the second one behind it—but he couldn’t retrieve his sword before they fell over the side.
“We’re at the top!” Griswold growled, launching a spell to embolden us in battle. “The only way higher is the roof, and there are flying beasts out there!”
Falling backwards from another pair of scaled kobolds, I felt my blade knock from my grip. Overwhelmed, tired, and surrounded by death, I numbly lifted a hand to feebly protect my face from the worst…
Wilhelm and Asarra brought them down together, both fighting in tandem. I sighed in relief as Asarra yanked me to my feet and Wilhelm shoved the sword into my hand.
“Protect Clara!” He shouted over the screeches.
I nodded firmly, turning to the witch. Lunging over the shoulders of the weary Viktor, I landed before her with my blade drawn. Sweat poured down my back; my breath was laboured and ragged in my lungs. Even my stamina could not keep up with this—and we had only faced the infantry of the descending horde. There’s so much more coming…
Despite the carnage, I saw the most curious thing. Clara Blackwell stood alone between the thrones, holding her amulet to her lips and whispering under her breath.
“Clara… are you okay…?”
The witch ignored me. Maybe she couldn’t hear me.
A sudden crash from beneath us rattled the chamber. Beast and vampire alike lost their footing. I gripped onto a throne and steadied myself against the chaos. Turning to face the surrounding threat, I readied my sword as my fellow guardians retreated toward the center. I stood shoulder to shoulder with all sorts of unlikely allies: vampire lords, a powerful sorceress, a wise teacher, fierce warr
iors, and in the center… a young human witch.
The horde seemed to halt their advance. I watched in wonder as they drew back from the corpses that surrounded us.
Can’t really say I like the look of this…
Wilhelm nodded at the witch. “What’s she doing? Is she stopping them?”
Elliott smirked, wielding his favourite broadsword. His confident look told me that whatever it was, he was proud of her. “I think she’s pushing them back…”
“Well. That’s welcome news.”
A lake of corpses covered the floor. Each and every step was a fight to stay on your feet. But everything was perfectly still.
Until another loud shudder shook the floor itself.
“Something’s coming,” Viktor noted weakly.
“Yes,” the tribal lord agreed. “Something big.”
I swallowed in fear. “It’s… I...”
Elliott eyed me. “What? What did you see?”
“I—“
Another shudder rocked the building. Whatever Clara was doing to hold the other beasts back, it didn’t seem to be stopping this one. I realized that I was trembling as Elliot’s hand brushed my shoulder.
“I am right here,” Elliott told me firmly.
I laughed nervously. “I’m supposed to protect you.”
A heavy, scraping noise reverberated. The thing that came for us was much too close.
His eyes opened wide as he realized what was coming. “Everyone—get back!”
I screamed as the tatzelwurm burst into the chamber.
Chapter 36
Elliott
My eyes flew wide as that hellish beast burst into the room. The serpentine monstrosity roared in a vile, unearthly tone. Shaking a seven-pointed head—two long ears shaped like horns, and two clumps of hair tufting out behind either cheek into a matted beard—it showed off its jagged saber-teeth.
No wonder nothing else dared come near it.
“What the hell is that?” Valentine snarled at my side.