His Redemption (TheCorsair and Xana)

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Much like the flood Matthias caused a couple days prior, the battle started slow. A trickle, as the first few scouts appeared within striking range, mostly picked off by the remaining archers. A gush, as one or two turned into groups of five to ten, Soon steady streams of foes poured into view and onto the battlements. For a while they fended them off, hacking at their improvised ladders and sending demons into the overflowing Sarn to be washed down stream. But for every one they managed to push back two or three took their place. Once the riverbank and walls were inundated with demons, it was time to bring out the Dragons’ Fire.

Perched up in a guard tower, the first blow from the Dragons’ Fire left a small crater where twenty demons once stood. The fiends had little idea what had actually happened. Some knew that whatever it was, it came from the guard tower, and the fiends immediately made their way there.

Standing at the door of the tower was Aurianna, while Justine took up the top of the tower. Aurianna maintain a zone of death at the bottom of the tower, killing anything that got within her range. Justine protected the top from fliers and assisted Aurianna once the numbers threatened to overwhelm her. For nearly ten more shots of the Dragons’ Fire, the two Paladins protected the tower that held the town’s secret weapon.

But as more and more demons poured over the walls, the humans who had been defending it began to fall. By mid afternoon that had to abandon the southern wall. Diana and Roland added their numbers to Aurianna as the Dragons’ Fire was pulled back into the town, escorted by Sue. Once the Dragons' Fire was moved into the center of town, the trio of Paladins set off the defunct mortars , and fled, leaving the wall to collapse and the explosions to decimate large swaths of demons.

The traps the townspeople had set slowed the outpouring of demons over the crumpled walls, but dead humans piled up by the hundreds, serving as a feast for the rampaged horde. Aurianna lead a mass group that were pursuing her into an abandoned house, where a human waited to set off the trap. A dragons’ fire filled with nails and glass awaited her pursuers, as Ari escaped the detonation through a back door. Still, no matter how many they slew, no matter how many were blown up by makeshift bombs or squashed under collapsed buildings, the host of Torment continued to fill the streets of Monsford.
 
"Damn your eyes!" Matthias roared. "You'll live! Now grab a bucket and get to work!"

The injured man staggered off. Matthias gripped the shaft of his spear - acquired from a luckless woman who'd perished in the first few minutes of fighting - and looked around. The city center was in chaos. Archers spat death at winged demons as they soared overhead, while warriors in groups of two or three wolf-packed demons who had been grounded. A few corpses lay sprawled about, demon carcasses melting into acid and filth and human bodies that just stank.

The sun was high in the sky now, early afternoon by the look of it. He'd heard the thunder of the Dragon's Fire earlier, but had held his position. No sense getting castrated by the mayor, after all. And so he'd taken charge of the rearward guard. But now, there was a distant rumbke of collapsing masonry.

"The wall has fallen!" a fair-haired man - boy, really - screamed. "We're doomed! We're-"

His cries died away with a gurgle as Matthias smashed the butt of his spear into the man's mouth. "So the wall has fallen!" he bellowed. Others, milling about and uncertain, turned to look at him. "So what? We knew this would happen! And we're not here to win!"

People stared at him in shock. "We're here, so that your loved ones can reach safety! And every one of those bastards we kill gains them another hour!" He gestured towards the collapsed wall with his spear, just in time for distant explosions to rock the city. "Every demon that dies is anither of your kin that lives! How many of them can you make die?"

The warriors nodded, hefting weapons as they did. Just then, a man sprinted to his side. "Matthias..." he gasped. "Ingrud... says... it's time..."

A few minutes later, having sprinted up three flights of stairs, he was perched on a slate roof and watching the demons advance. He'd given this several hours of thought, and the result was madness. Utter madness. Buf he had one shot, and it needed to slow the demonic advance.

"Tiamet," he growled, voice low and hands out. "Tiamet, the gods slew you to forge the Earth.
"Tiamet, the gids slew you to stretch out the sky.
"Tiamet, your blood flows freely now!"

He hurled his spear into the cobblestones below, which split and smoked as they began to bubble with heat. "Satyusenya!" he thundered, raising his hands aloft. "By your mother's blood, I command!
"Satyusenya, shake the Earth!
"Split the stones!
"Satyusenya, obey!"

The ground split in a long crack that ran the length of ghe street, lava flowing out and geysering into the air. The cracks spread, racing down streets, filling Monsfird with a hellish light as the roads became canals of molten stone. The flying demons wheeled frantically, e,trying to evade sprays of lava. A few did not, and tumbled screaming to the bubbking earth below. Matthias sagged against the chimney, exhausted. He focused his breathing, trying to...

A thunderous roar of fury echoed from acrosx the river, and his geart sank at the sound. "Fuck. Me," he grimaced.

The Demon-Dragon was coming.
 
“I thought he was on our side!” Roland growled at Aurianna as the street split open and liquid fire spurted from the earth. The land quaked in response, nearly knocking them and the human cannoneers prone. One human nearly tumbled into the boiling inferno before Aurianna caught them with a steel hand. “He’s turned Monsford into yet another hellscape.”

Aurianna sneered at her follow Paladin, as several fiends rushed their position. Sweeping in a low circle, Aurianna managed to knock most off their feet and into the lava filled crevice. “It is helping!” She roared, pushing another into the flame pools with her steel hand, “Learn to adapt.”

Through the broken parts of the wall, the next wave of demons swarmed into Monsford. Scores of arch demons, lieutenants and generals in Hydranes’ army were filling in the ruins of the town. “Fuck…” Aurianna murmured, knowing any one of them was an equal for the handful of paladins they did have, and a couple dozen of them could easily massacre the remaining townsfolk. Congregating on an island of earth between two rivers of lava, they locked their gaze on the Dragons’ Fire.

Aurianna moved before they could begin their assault, vaulting herself up on her spear, sailing over the combustion bubbling beneath her. She caught a greater succubus in the torso, the demoness’ body softening the blow of her landing. Ducking under the grasp of a balor, she dug her steel shoulder into its gut, knocking it into the raging lava below. Pulling her weapon from the dying demon, she hacked at the knees of a black scaled pscion. Coming up from her strike, a marillith drew razor claws down her back, sending her stumbling forward into a large grouping of demons.

Aurianna recovered with a wide arc swing, creating some distance, but she wasn’t any less surrounded. A towering devil grabbed her around the throat, lifting her into the air as its talons dug into her flesh. A lucky slash took of its arm, and landing her on the ground with a hard thud. Supine, and surrounded, Aurianna knew it wouldn’t be much longer now. At least this was a death worthy of her…

A spray of black blood covered her armor as a great sword carved into the balor before her. Blonde hair whipped around as the massive weapon cleaved into its next target digging deep before Diana kicked her foe off her weapon. “Typically Ari. Trying to hog the glory for herself,” She mocked, a quick hand out to help the prone Paladin onto her feet. Back to back, the two women held their ground, pushing back against the powerfully foes enclosing them. “What’s the plan?”

“Take as many as we can down with us!” Aurianna shouted, as her spear found the throat of a marillith.

Overhead the great wings of the dread-dragon blotted out the setting sun.
 
Matthias stared, numb with horror, at the shape in the sky. He'd seen wyverns, and the linnorms of the north, and had thought they well represented the vreat Dragons spoken of in Elven myth. But Yavost'cherev would have stood beside them like a tiger next to a housecat. Over a hundred feet long, a sinewy mass of grey-black scales and scar tissue and exposed muscle, writhing through the air like an impossible serpent. A dead, sightless eye and an eye socket scanned the ground, and he did not doubt that somehow the Demon-Dragon could seewith those ruined pits.

He felt like a mouse that had attracted the attentions of a python.

There was a booming roar, as some enterprising madmanangled the Dragon's Fire up and discharged it. Yavost'cherev's response was to open jaws filled with broken fangs and unleash a torrent of filth. Even from across the city it stank of feces and chemicals, and flesh and iron and stone dissolved under its touch.

The Demon-Dragon settled into the town square, heedless of the rivers of lava. The massive scarred head turned this way and that, snuffling. Dread shot through Matthias, icy cold fingers squeezing his heart. It was searching for him.

And then it lunged forward. Matthias bare,y had time to leap to a neighboring roof befire tge great bulk crushed the three-story house as if it were matchwood. He skidded, scrambling for a footing, then saw the Demon-Dragon shed the wreckage like dust as it turned to follow his movements. It crouched, twitching lije a great cat, then sprang again.

Matthias hurled his spear as he lelt from the roof, crashing into an outbuilding and then slamming heavily into the ground. For a moment his world was pain, pain and the cacaphony of shattering masonry and the agonized, furious roar of the Demon-Dragon. Pushing himself up, he saw the monster clawing at the spear embedded in its dead eye.

"First blood to me, fucker!" Matthias taunted, voice still shaky from the impact.

Yavost'cherev's head whipped around, jaws gaping. With a bellow of anger, it unleashed another torrent if caustic filth.



The demons gave way before the Paladins, falling back in the teeth of their weapons. Diana wioed blood from her face, gasping for breath, and Justine flexed fingers grown hooked and numb from her bow. "Not good," Roland muttered. "Not good at all."

"Stop being so negative," Diana said with a firced laugh. "Maybe wescared tgem away..."

The ground shook in time with the bellowing of the Dragon. But then it was joined by another rhythmic vibration. More demons flooded over the collapsed wall, forming into two lines. Between them came a figure inheavr green-black pkate, ten feet tallm bearing a shield the size if a barn door and a black blade like the prow of a ship.

"Hydranes," Justine murmured nervously.

The Demon Lord stopped before them, looking down in the four Paladins before her. "Yield," she said, the smile in her vouce sweet as hineyed carrion. "Pledge yourselves to me, and I will yet be merciful."
 
There was no time for Aurianna pay attention to the demon dragon as it wrecked the town, in search of Matthias, wreaking havoc as it whipped around in search of her lover. It’s disease breath laid waste to everything in its path, and soon there would be nowhere left to hide. If he wasn’t dead yet, it was only but matter of time. And for her as well, as the Mistress of Torment stood before her, in all her infernal splendor.

"Pledge yourselves to me, and I will yet be merciful."

What mercy could she desire, while the man she loved perished to the plague breath of Yarost’cherv? There would be no reunion in the afterlife for them. It was his punishment, for the years of service to Baath Me’el, and hers, for causing his fall from grace in the first place.

“You abandoned mercy when you abandoned the gods, Hydranes. There is no true mercy in service to you.” Aurianna declared, spear held out before her.

“Very well, Show me what the best the War Whore has to offer can do. Watch as she fails you again, as your prayers to her fall upon deaf ears.” Her voice boomed even louder the dread dragon’s destruction of Monsford. Aurianna charged at her, spear primed to strike, but Hydranes easily swatted away her blow. Aurianna managed to roll beneath the next swing, slamming her spear into the demon lord’s flank, but it bounced off her ruach armor with naught but a clamor. Hydranes retaliated by smashing her shield into Aurianna, knocking her back several feet and spilling blood from her nose and mouth.

“Come on now! I thought you were the Spear of Love and War! I thought you would at least present a challenge to me. You weren’t even worth making an appearance over.” Hydranes brought her sword down hard, a blow that would have hacked Aurianna in half had she not just barely rolled out of the way. Bring up her spear, Aurianna sung at the demon lord’s knee, and for a moment Hydranes stumbled. She smirked as she regained her balance, meeting Aurianna with hatred in her eyes. “Better.”

Her sword caught Aurianna in the stomach, lifting her off the ground with its force as it crushed the air form her lungs. Her head cracked on the ground as she landed, gasping for breath. On her hands and knees, Aurianna couldn’t defend herself as Hydranes brought her blade up high in the air.

Metal careened into metal as Roland and Diana brought their attacks onto Hydranes. Roland’s mace slammed into the Mistress of Torment’s knee, buckling the joint while enveloped in golden light. Diana’s blade cleaved into the ruach armor, brilliant light bypassing the unholy metal. Hydranes let out a displeased growl, as she focused her attention on interloping paladins.

“Grace of the Goddess…” Aurianna began praying, as she got to her feet. “Wielding your love and your light, I will eradicate your foes. “ The love of the Goddess flowed in her veins and harden her muscles. Eyes and spear glowing with the glory of Afodisia, Aurianna struck, catching Hydranes arm as it readied an attack.

“Enough games!” Hydranes bellowed, “Rip them limb from limb! Show the world to futility of the War Whore!” The lines of demons broke, coming at the Paladin’s from all angles, threatening to overwhelm them upon numbers alone. Golden shafts tore through their ranks, piercing through the targets and not stopping their velocity. Beneath them formed a perimeter of consecrated ground, evidence of the Goddess’ influence upon the battle, and her faith in her warriors. Even the fledgling paladin Sue felt the benevolence of the Goddess, long and shield reflecting her faith with nearly blinding luminescence.

Diana struck Hyrdanes in the thigh, cleaving through her plate and draining black blood that boiled as it hit the ground. Roland slammed his mace into her shield, splintering it with the force of his faith. Aurianna thrust into her abdomen, her spear finding the soft flesh underneath.

“It’s working, she can be killed! There is a chance!” Diana called out, readying another wide swing. Before she could complete her attack a black sword as big as her hack into her torso, black flames shearing through her armor. Ear piercing screams filled the battle field, as the flames devoured her essence, healing over the wounds the Mistress of Torment had received. Roland charged, screaming his rage, but Hydranes swatted him away, knocking him into a tree with enough force to shatter his ribs. Turning her gaze upon Aurianna, thick fingers wrapped around her throat, crushing her neck with pure infernal strength.

“This ends, now!”
 
Matthias did the only thing he could. As Yavost'cherev ooened his mouth he darted forward, charging the Dragon as filth gushed forth. He gagged on the stench and dragged the whip-sword from his pouch. It sang as he spun it, and sparks flew as the segments slashed and struck the monster's scales. To no effect.

Yavost'cherev twisted, taloned hand lashing down. Matthias barely evaded, hurling himself behind the fragments of a wall and letting the claws seize timber and stone. Tne monster made a horrible booming sound, and after a moment Matthias realized what it was.

Laughter.

"Scurry, little wizard," the Dragon mocked with a voice like thunder. "Amuse me more!" The massive claw lashed out again. Matthias ran towards it, intending to duck under and lash his...

The world turned upside down and sideways and filled with pain. He must have blacked out for a moment, too. When he regained hissenses he was aware of heat and sulphur and agony. Nothing broken, he realized dimly, but the Dragon must have slapped him. He'd landed on the lip of a lava crevace.

"Scurry more, little wizard!" the Dragon laughed. "Struggle!"


Roland wasn't dead, Justine knew. She could hear his screams of agony from where he lay. And she wasn't sure about Diana - the wound looked mortal, but it might amuse the Lord of Torment to let her linger so she could die in agony. And Aurianna, it appeared, was about to die - hanging by your throat from a Demon Lord's grip was never a good thing.

"Sue?" she asked, reaching for the last arrow in her quiver.

"Y-yes..?" The girl sounded terrified, but she still gripped her blade. Good. At least she'd die a Paladin.

Justine knocked and drew and fired in a single smooth motion, then cast the bow aside. Hydranes roared in pain as the arrow rransfixed her wrist, forcing her to drop Ari. "Take her left!" she cried, drawing her two long knives as she charged in. Ducking beneath Hydranes swing she stabbed, driving the point of a blade into the gap of the Demon Lord's buckled knee armor. Hydraness hissed and lashed out with her foot, missing the twisting Paladin by inches.

Sue hit the other side, her longsword biting into the fiend's abdomen as Aurianna had done. Hydranes swung, batting her away with a mailed arm, then swung at Justine with a powerful backhanded slash of her sword. For a second she thought she'd spin away clean, and then agony seared through her leg as the point tore through armor and muscle. Her wounded leg bavecway and she crashed heavily to the ground.

Shadows flickered across the ground. More demons, she thought fuzzily.

"Justine!" Sue screamed.

"Worry for yourself, girl," Hydranes laughed. "I'm going to kill you slowly, by inches."

The Demon Lord closed on her. Sue managed to parry one blow, took another on a shield that rent with the force of impact. She tried to riposte, only to have the Demon's blade casually beat the counter-attack away and thrust home. She made a choking cry of pain as it drove through her breastplate and bit a mere inch into her abdomen, and the Demon laughed as she staggered backwards. "It's not too late, girl," she taunted, batting Sue's sword aside and stabbing her again, this time in the shoulder. "Abandon your bitch-queen." The blade licked out, opening a long cut across forehead and cheek. "Serve me, and live."

Sue ooened her mouth, but what she might have said was lost as a figure in grey and black fell from the sky, cleaving a broadsword derp into the Demon Lord's forearm. "Get away from her, you BITCH!" Clara roared, knees flecing as she absorbed the impact and drove forward, hammering at the Demon's defenses.



Flame exploded amongst the demon horde, liquid fire that clung and burned as much with acid as heat. Yavost'cherev swung his massive head around, and Matthias stared in shock. A form like a great bat hung in the afternoon sky, serpentine and horned, with night-black scales blending to crimson on belly and throat. It swooped low, blotting out the sun for an instant as it passed, and Yavist'cherev twisted to avoid raking claws.

My god, Matthias thought. He's bigger than the Demon-Dragon.

"You have come unbidden to my domain!" thundered Verrier Godslayer. "Leave now, or die!"
 
Get up.

Aurianna wasn’t even yet aware that Hydranes was no longer strangling her, not yet aware that she was lying in the ground. Everything was a dark haze of pain and hopelessness. She failed, failed Monsford, failed Clara, failed Afodisia.

Get up.

She could feel a warmth enveloping her, as a voice filled her head. Blindly she groped for her spear, struggling to her knees. She collapsed back down into a gasping heap of sore, tired muscles.

I can’t.

You can. You must.

I can’t beat her.

You can. You will. This is why you are here.

I’m here because they…

I know, and I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop it, or help you. I needed you here. Now, get up.

Once more Aurianna pushed herself to her knees, head still reeling from the lack of air. Justine and Sue were fighting the demon lord, striking blows with determination. Hydranes hit Justine in the thigh, severing the muscle with her demonic blade.

“Justine!” She called in time with Sue, far weaker with her crushed larynx. She struggled to her feet, gripping her spear for support. The mistress of Torment turned on Justine’s apprentice, toying with the girl as she promised a slow death.

“Get away from her, you BITCH”

Clara fell from the sky, hacking into Hydranes’ arm. The sight of her, Clara, Aurianna’s apprentice, awoke something within her, as she stood on shaky legs.

I brought Clara back to you. And now you have to kill Hydranes.

“Yes, Afodisia,” Aurianna murmured, her spear once more blazing with the love of the Goddess. Aurianna and clara struck at the demon lord from both sides, fury and love guiding their blows true. Clara hacked into Hydranes’ thigh, while Aurianna speared into her back. Hydranes twisted to face the elder paladin, swinging in a wide arc, which Aurianna managed to flip over. Another blow from her spear hit her in the shoulder, as Clara sundered a knee, sending the Mistress of Torment to her knees. Hydrane’s sword came hard against Aurianna’s right arm, denting the steel bracer, but not hacking through. Clara sword plunged into Hydranes’ back, as Aurianna pushed her spear into Hydranes’ chest, just inches from the disease black heart that resides there.

“It’s not over,” Hydranes sneered, blood dripping down her lips as she spoke.

“It is,” Aurianna asserted, meeting Clara’s eyes, “NOW!” Both women discharged the Goddess’ light that empower their weapons, pouring that divine grace directly into Hydranes form. Golden radiance filled the demon lord and purifying the infernal essence that made up her very being. White light filled the battlefield, the force Hydranes’ death annihilating the remaining demonic troops, as the will of the Goddess made itself known.
 
Clara blinked in the explosion of light and divine fury, thinking she should be blinded and discovering she wasn't. The power of the Goddess, she realized, feeling nothing but warmth and peace in the midst of the eruption that consumed Hydranes. And then it was gone, and she stood before her mistress. Whooping with glee, she threw herself into Aurianna's arms. "We did it!" she exulted, slapping her on the back. "We did it!"

"Hydranes!"

The sound was an eruption of fury, shaking the earth as it came. Clara wheeled, staring towards the center of what remained of Monsford. "Or... maybe not."


Matthias had no idea what had just happened. One instant, he was staring up at Verrier in shock. The next, something exploded near the collapsed walls - something that shone with golden light and sent shockwaves through the air. Something that incinerated demons and left buildings and humans unscathed. And then Yavost'cherev responded, bellowing the name of the Lord of Torment in a trumpeting sound of rage and loss that threatened to strip the meat from his bones.

In response, Verrier laughed. "You should consider yourself, brother!" he mocked, swooping low and slashing at the maimed head of the Demon-Dragon with his hind claws. "And consider yourself fortunate! You might have remained tied to one who could be slain by human hands!"

Yavost'cherev hurled himself into the sky, serpentine body twisting and writhing as he rose. "Verrier! I should have eaten you the day you hatched!"


Clara watched in stunned horror as the two Dragons came together in the sky, caustic flame and acidic filth spraying. Her knuckles whitened on the hilt of her sword, and she looked wildly around to find some way to get closer to the fight. "We..." she said, voice frantic. "We need to help him!"

The two Dragons parted, talons and fangs wet with blood. More misted down, a gentle rain of gore. "You have grown weak, Yavost'cherev!" Verrier roared. "You are no match for me!"

The Demon-Dragon's only response was to dive onto the Godslayer. Locked together, ripping and tearing at one another, the two monsters fell from the sky and struck the overflowed Sarn with a sound like thunder. The waters lashed away, drenching the walls and flooding the streets, then collapsed back and covered them both. With a cry of anguish Clara sprinted headlong towards the collapsed wall, tearing at the encumbering bulk of her ring mail as she went.
 
Aurianna lifted her apprentice into her arms, twirling the girl in a delirious swirl of emotions. “You were incredible!” Aurianna gasped out, holding Clara close to her, afraid she would lose her again if she let go. Even with the miraculous feat they had accomplished together, now wasn’t yet the time to celebrate. Most of the fighting force of Monsford lay dead in the city. The town was practically destroyed by the battle. Diana was dead, Roland was dying and Justine couldn’t move her leg. Above, the last two dragons fought to the death, bathing the ruins of the town in draconic blood. Clara ran for Monsford, as Aurianna ran towards Justine.

Sue was already at her Mistress’ side, tending to her wounded leg. “Justine,” Aurianna called, dropping to her knees at her friends side.

“I’ll be okay…I think,” Justine assured her, as Sue wrapped the laceration. “Check Roland,” Aurianna nodded, sprinting towards the other injured Paladin. The screaming had subsided, because it soon became apparent that every breath was excruciating.

“Is…Diana…?” he managed to wheeze out. Aurianna just shook her head, exhaling hard. For a few moment he just focused on breathing, each inhale drawing a grimace over his features. The loud splash of the dragons landing in the river caught both of their attention, as Clara raced past them.

"We need to help him!"

Aurianna looked to Roland, who could only nod, and followed before her apprentice, tearing off her own armor in unison. Down to her tunic and breeches, spear in her right arm, Aurianna dived in after Clara.

The flooded river was especially treacherous as two dragons fought beneath the surface. Aurianna tried to latch onto Yarost’cherv, but his scale were slippery with blood and water. She drove her spear into his hide, but could not penetrate the dread dragons armored plates, not without the brilliant light of the Goddess. But she had discharged the last of her divine magic to vanquish Hydranes. Pushing herself up to the surface, Aurianna gasped for breath, the action straining the still tender muscles in her throat.

“We need something that can pierce Yarost’cherev scales!”
 
Clara hit the water like an arrow, not bothering to slow down as she lept. Even without the armor swimming was difficult, since she had to grip her mother's sword in one hand. But she persevered, plowing through the muck and blood filled waters as if through sheer force of will. Her hand brushed a scaled surface - Yarost'cherv's, she realized. Somehow, she realized she'd know Verrier's flesh no matter what.

The scaled surface rolled, making her fingers slip as the current of the monster's passing threatened to suck her beneath the waves. She grabbed a tumorous outgrowth, hanging on tight as the movement dragged her into the air. As soon as her sword arm was clear, she struck. Her blade skittered across steel-hard skin, notching the blade and sending a shower of sparks into the water. Screaming in fury and frustration, her voice a soprano echo of Verrier's furious thunder, she struck again to no more effect.

“We need something that can pierce Yarost’cherev scales!” she heard Aurianna shout from below her.

"No!" Clara shouted back. Driving her mother's sword back into it's scabbard, she reached up and grabbed the edge of another scale. "We need to go where there are no scales!"


"What the hell?" Matthias gasped, staring around. The battlefield by the collapsed wall looked like the floor of an abattoir. Physiker Martin knelt by Diana, who was pale and drawn and crying out in pain as blood-soaked hands tried to hold her intestines in. Ingrud attended to Justine, tying a tourniquet around her leg, while Sue - pale and bloody and shell-shocked - tried to lend what healing prayers she knew to attend to Roland, so that the least-injured of the Paladins could attend to the others.

And they were the lucky ones. None of the ordinary humans who had stood by the Paladins, brave and skilled as they were, lived. Their broken bodies littered the shattered stones, most so badly damaged he couldn't identify them.

He looked around frantically. "Where's Aurianna?"

Ingrud looked up. "Fighting the Dragon. Have you any powers of healing, wizard?"

Matthias nodded his head. "Yes. Nothing so swift as the blessings of the Gods, but..."

"Good. Then go help your lady and my niece kill that thing in the river, and get back here!"

Matthias blinked. Her niece..? But then the rest of it sank in, and he threaded his way quickly past the wounded and the dead, scrambling over the shattered wall. The sight that met his eyes was bedlam. Verrier and Yarost'cherv twisted and writhed together, warring like serpents. Like tigers. Like mountains with fangs. And Aurianna paddled desperately about their flanks, swamped by the waves of their passage and frantically trying to drive her golden spear home. And there...

"Lords of Hell," Matthias breathed. Her mad little apprentice was dragging herself along the Demon-Dragon's neck.

Black blood sprayed as Verrier's fangs tore into Yarost'cherv's throat, and more blood spurted as the Demon-Dragon's claws ripped long furrows through the crimson belly-plates of the Godslayer. They rolled, and now Verrier was on top as the dragons tried to murder one another. Matthias watched as Clara was completely submerged, only to drag herself up Verrier's arm and then sprint along his neck towards Yarost'cherv's head.

Enough. He could do something, now that the Demon-Dragon was distracted.

"I'll give you an opening!" he shouted, throat aching as he tried to be heard over the cacophony of the battle. "Get ready!"

He drew breath, chest heaving as he hyperventilated, firing his blood with the resolve to tap a source he'd never dared touch before. The Elder Speech would be of next to no use against one of these beasts, not normally. But...

"Tiamet!" he thundered. "Mother of Chaos! Foundation of the Heavens and the Earth! Betrayed by the Gods!"

His heart stopped as he saw Yarost'cherv's blind head turn towards him, and then Verrier caught his brother's throat in his jaws at the base of the Demon-Dragon's skull. Clara lept from Verrier's maw onto Yarost'cherv's jaws, clinging to the ridge of ragged flesh along his muzzle as she crawled up towards his ruined right eye.

"Tiamet!" he called again. "Your children are before you!

Yarost'cherv howled in fury and anger, and the sound suddenly cut off as Verrier shoved his head beneath the Sarn. Clara caught desperately for a handhold, gripping the Demon-Dragon's empty socket as she submerged with him.

Matthias shook, fighting the agony as power he'd never dreamed of before surged through his body. "Tiamet! One honors your name!
"Tiamet! One consorts with your enemies!
"Judge between them, Chaos-Mother! Judge between them!
"TIAMET!"

Blinded by the forces he'd unleashed, he fell to his knees as the fury of the spell he'd worked was set loose.
 
"We need to go where there are no scales!"

Aurianna watched from the surface as Clara scaled the dread dragons scales, heart skipping a beat as Clara leapt from Verrier’s face to Yarost’cherev’s mouth. Goddess, did she get that from me? Aurianna wondered, suddenly sympathetic to all the times she had Matthias worried over her own reckless actions.

And speaking of Matthias, he stood on the river bank, watching her and Clara struggle against the adamant hide of the demon dragon. Knowing that he was still alive renewed her faith, and her determination. He wouldn’t be safe, so long as Yarost’cherev lived. Nor her or Clara, really, for their parts in Hydranes’ demise. So the demon dragon had to die, as it seemed Matthias had an idea.

While Matthias called out in the primal speech, Aurianna followed in suit behind her apprentice, climbing the rough scales of Yarost’cherev to reach his eye. Slick with blood and river water, the trek was difficult, and Aurianna lost her grip twice as he went under. She was half underwater as Matthias called upon the Mother of Chaos, and his spell almost did her in.

The raging river grew calmer, still, and cold. Icy cold, as Aurianna struggled to escape it, her metal bracer growing painful as the joint threaten to freeze over. With an agonizing howl, Aurianna forced the arm to move, propelling herself up the dread dragon’s body once more as the waters of the Sarn threatened to freeze.

Soaking clothing stuck to her skin as the river grew hard and thick, trapping Yarost’cherev within it. Shivering, she made her ascent. As much as it helped to keep the demon dragon still, her trembling body struggled to move in the frigid air, sopping wet hair freezing against her skin and lips turning blue.

The icy river Kept Yarost’cherev in place, but did not take the fight out of him, as he struggled against the ice holding him in place. Aurianna was half way up his body when cracks began to appear. Slipping on the glacial scales, Aurianna hung fifty feet over the frozen over Sarn, surely falling to her death if her fingers lost their grip.

Above her, Clara plunged her mother’s sword into the dragon’s eye, pushing in with all her divine strength. Yarost’cherev went wild underneath her, Shaking and quaking with all his might, dislodging chucks of ice holding him still. The muscles in

Aurianna’s left arm bulged as she struggled to hold on, tossed about by the struggling dragon. Finally, her feet found purchase, clinging desperately to the dread dragon as she tried to scale him once more. Clara continued to make the task difficult, plunging her sword into his eye again and again, as his draonic blood drooled onto the ice and began to melt it.

Finally Aurianna too was in position to pierce the soft flesh of the dread dragon’s eye socket. She stabbed her golden spear deep within, in time with Clara, holding on now for dear life. The Dread Dragon howled in anguish, deafening her with his power.

It was up to Verrier now.
 
Ice splintered and crushed as Verrier moved, fracturing the icy orison thathad formed around the two Dragons. "Too long, brother," he mocked, caustic flame dripping from his jaws. "Far too long, hiding in Hell." More ice fractured as he writhed serpent-like, using the Sarn to gain a purchase with the talons on wingtip and feet. "You called me runt, Yarost'chev, but I never stopped fighting!"

The Demon-Dragon's only answer was an inarticulate bellow of pain, caused by Aurianna's golden blade driving home into his eye again and again, and by Clara's broadsword chopping deep through bony eyesocket and into the muscle and nerves beneath. The malformed bulk of the monster heaved and fought, but to no avail. Unlike the Godslayer, he was trapped and helpless.

Verrier struck, teeth like claymores ripping deep into Yarost'cherv's throat. The great head whipped back and forth, scattering great streams of foul black blood across the ice. The Demon-Dragon howled and roared, fighting ineffectually against the ice, against Verrier's death-grip. Finally, with a crunch, Verrier snapped the neck of the Demon-Dragon and ripped a huge chunk of flesh away, spitting it to the ice with a sound of disgust. Tarry, putrescent blood and maggots gushed from the wound.

"It is finished!" the Godslayer roared, shattering the last if the ice that gripped him. "Clara! Clara Dragul! Attend me!"


Clara had braced herself inside the empty eyesocket, clinging for dear life to the splintered bone where she's tried to carve into the Demon-Dragon's brain. For what seemed an eternity she jerked back and forth, bashing into old bone and getting splattered with blood and filth from the wounds she'd inflicted. Somehow, all of the stories she'd read of brave knights battling giants had never mentioned this particular detail, and she grimly resolved to give the next bard she met a good, swift kick.

Finally, mercifully, it stopped. Stopped, only to be replaced by the Dragon's command. And so she wrenched her sword free and climbed out of the socket. "Coming, my lord!" she called back, voice sounding strange in the sudden silence. She slashed her sword downwards, trying to get the worst of the filth from the blade, then looked up and up at the towering black and crimson bulk of the Godslayer. "What do you want now?"

The great head descended, and breath redolent of carrion and chemicals hit her like a hot, wet wind. "It is time we returned, Clara Dragul. You have duties to attend, in Faerfaeora."
 
Yarost’cherev’s head jerked wildly as Verrier tore into it, and all Aurianna could do was cling to her spear, locking the metal joint upon the grip of her spear. It felt like hours as she grasped for dear life, but it lasted likely less than a minute in reality, before the demon dragon crumbled into a mass of decayed bones and blood. The impact was enough to knock the air from her lungs, but nothing was broken.
Aurianna pushed herself to her knee, still shivering form the ice, still dizzy from the flailing dragon, still wrapping her head around Clara’s sudden return. “Clara?” She called, not nearly as loud as Verrier.

"It is time we returned, Clara Dragul. You have duties to attend, in Faerfaeora."

Aurianna forced herself to her feet now. “Clara, “ she called again, approaching her apprentice and the Dragon at the same time, “Clara, don’t go.” Turning to face Verrier, Aurianna roared “You can’t take her away from me, not again!” Before the dragon could respond or bite her in half for her insolence, Clara stood between them.

“It’s alright, Lady Aurianna,” Clara stopped her, smiling a proud, if sad smile. Behind Lady Aurianna she could see the demon traitor and her former mistress’ lover, Matthias. Well, he wasn’t a demon any longer, so far as she could tell. Had she redeemed him through her love? The thought warmed Clara’s heart, and made it easier to do what needed to be done. “I must go, it is the covenant, between the kingdoms and Lord Verrier.”

“Clara, you don’t have to!” Aurianna demanded, desperation and pain in her voice, shaking as she put her hands on Clara’s shoulders. Looking past her apprentice, to Verrier she offered, “Take me instead!”

“This is my choice. The Goddess still has plans for you,” Clara countered, pulling her former mistress into a warm embrace “This isn’t goodbye forever.”

“If he hurts you, I am going to kill him,” Aurianna whispered in her ear, as she held her close. Clara stiffened for a moment at the admittance, and nodded. It came from a place of love after all.

Locking eyes on Matthias, she replied, “Me too, Lady Aurianna. Me too.”
 
Verrier stared down at the two Paladins for a long time, his slitted Crimson eyes unreadable. Then his maw twisted in a snarl, exposing ivory-colored fangs still stained by the Demon-Dragon's blood. "Good," he finally said, whispering to bring the volume of his voice to that of human speech. "I am pleased, Clara Dragul." The snarl twisted wider, as the Godslayer attempted to mimic a smile. "But you are barely a hatchling. So, for now, you may stay with your Mistress. I will trust the servant of my mate to raise you."

The great eyes swiveled slightly to pin Aurianna with the full force of his alien gaze. "For now."

He looked back to Clara. "I charge you with returning to the mountain at each twelfth anniversary of your visit."

Clara could hardly believe her ears. She had been convinced that Verrier would hold her in the mountain. But she nodded eagerly, grinning foolishly as she did.

Verrier rise, ice crumbling and powdering beneath his bulk. "And there will come a day, Clara Dragul, when you will not wish to dwell among men. When the burden of their mayfly existences is too great to bear. On that day, Farefaeora will welcome you home,"

The dragon rose on his hind legs, his great wings blotting the sun as they spread. "Until that day, Clara Dragul, this kingdom need send no youths as tribute. This is my gift to you."

He kept into the air, wings booming and snapping and blowing with the force of a hurricane as he soared aloft. "Remember your trial at the mountain!" he thundered. "And remember that my blood has been shed within the Sarn!"

Clara watched him go, then whooped with joy and threw herself into Ari's arms. "I can stay!" she sobbed, grinning through her tears. "I can stay!"
 
Aurianna held Clara, feeling tears of relief flow down her cheeks. It was hard to believe it had been only a week since Clara had left to seek the aid of Lord Verrier. Was it fear that she would never see the girl again that made the time slow to a crawl? The threat of a massive demon invasion that hung over her head? Aurianna couldn’t be sure of anything but the pride and exhilaration that raced through her veins. It didn’t last long enough though. There were still things to be done. There were always things to be done. So she pulled away and mussed up her hair affectionately, “Thank the Goddess, and uh, Lord Verrier that you came back to me.”

Clara looked around now, at the ruins of Monsford, and the hundreds of dead and dying. The rivers of lava that lined the streets, the houses and buildings that were little more than rubble and cinder. They were victorious, but it was bittersweet. Her hometown would never be the same, and the thought brought about heartache, an emotional reaction that she could feel physical seize her. No time to wallow in the loss, as she ran to Sue’s side, to assist her as she tended to a wounded older paladin.

Wait, why was Sue here? And Lady Justine? And those other couple Paladins that Clara didn’t quite know. And wasn’t Matthias…dead? And Lady Aurianna’s arm was badly wounded. What had happened in that week since she had last seen Monsford intact? Questions filled her head as she helped Sue wrap the man’s chest, dark blue and purple bruising already spreading over his skin.

“That’s…good,” He groaned, wincing with the effort to say that much. They moved him with the rest of the survivors, and Sue could help but throw her arms around Clara, choking back a sob.

“You’re okay! After you fled I thought I might never see you again. And then I thought we were all going to die and…” She held even closer now, remembering how close she had come to death just a short while ago. “You killed a demon lord! And a dragon!”

Clara laughed, starting slowly as the words sunk into her head and the weight of what she had accomplished became real. “I helped,” Clara corrected her, sheepishly, meeting Sue’s eyes again. She wasn’t sure exactly how it happened, but she was pressing her lips to Sue’s just like they had practiced many times late at night in the room they shared. Everything that had happened in the past three weeks overcame her, as she pushed her tongue into Sue’s mouth. Sue, for part was stunned by the sudden show of affection, but quickly gave in, moaning into the kiss as her tongue slid over Clara’s as her hands found Clara’s face.

After several intense moments, both girls broke away from the kiss, breathing hard. “I…I missed you,” Clara admitted, blushing now, still not entirely sure what came over her. Still the questions came back, unbidden, “Why are you here? And the other Paladins? Was it because of Hydranes or…us?”

Sue was still blushing from the kiss as Clara tossed several questions at her, “We came for you, and Lady Aurianna, to bring you guys back to the temple. The High Inquisitor cleared your name, and the Lord Commander knows you guys aren’t murderers. And then we found the host of Torment, and well, the Paladins vows meant we had to, I mean, they had to stay and fight and…” Sue rambled on and sighed, “Oh Goddess! Lady Diana…Is she…?”

“I don’t know” Clara answered, comforting her friend once more. The battle was over, but there was still a ways to go back to peace.
 
Gritting his teeth against the pain of his broken ribs, Roland scrambled over to Diana. She was clearly in bad shape, skin ashen under a sheen of sweat, bloid soaking the bandages around her gut. "Goddess..." he breathed.

"Don't..." she gasped. "It's... too... you can't help..." Her words broke off as she gagged from the pain. "Hurt too bad," she managed. "Help... others. Ones... you can save..."

He took her hand, horrified at how cold it felt. "Diana, no, I..."

"Me," she gritted out, "or dozens… Save them…" Her head sank back against the cobblestones, and she was unconscious in moments.

"Diana? Diana!" He wheeled on Matthias. "You said you had healing magics!"

He shook his head. "Not like this i can speed the body's own healing, but..." He gestured at the fallen Paladin. "That much damage? The spell would kill her by healing her."

Clara, who'd begun tending to one of the wounded villagers - she didn't let herself remember his name, because she knew she'd break down sobbing if she did - suddenlly started. "The blood!"

"What?" Sue asked, in time with Roland's "Huh?" and Matthias' "Bloid?"

"Verrier's blood!" She looked around wildly, then pounced on a wooden bucket that had survived the destruction. "That's what be meant!" With that she raced back towards the river, calling on the strength of the Mantle of Afodisia to vault the shattered wall in a singke bound. Her boots hit the slushy bank and skidded on the sheet of ice that encased the corpse of the Demon-Dragon.

Sue was right behind her, less sure-footed but determined not to lose track of her friend. "What are you doing?"

"Verrier's blood!" Clara shouted again, eyes scanning the ice. "We - I- can use it to heal her! Maybe to heal everyone!"
 
Using her spear as an ice pick, Aurianna collected a bucketful of ice with Verrier’s blood after Clara’s declaration that it could be used to heal the wounded. At first, she think it would work, as she put pinkish ice chip in Diana’s mouth, but after a few moments the her stomach started to regenerate and her eyes even flutter back open.

“You’re not allowed to die, Diana,” Aurianna declared, feeding her yet another ice chip with Dragon’s blood, “I still owe you an ass-kicking.”

Diana let out a pained laugh, “Fair enough. Just, lose the bracer next time, yeah?”

“I can’t…” Aurianna started, self-conscious. Except, that wasn’t true now, was it? She too could partake in the dragon’s blood, and have her shoulder injury healed. She wouldn’t need the plate sleeve anymore but somehow the thought of parting with it distressed her. For the meantime she focused on tended to the wounded.



By late evening everyone who could be saved, had received the blessing of Verrier. Still, there were piles of dead cremating just outside of town. The scent of burning flesh left most people not hungry for the evening meal. The ones who were still healing were resting now, but the others survivor would find little respite.

Clara finally slumped down next to Sue, exhausted from the days events. Sue leaned against her, finding she rather missed Clara’s warmth against her at night. Before they could get comfortable, however Alvida came up to Clara, taking her into a quick tight hug.

“I am so glad you came back, alive!” She gushed before pulling away. Then there was a deep sigh before she continued. “Sigurd and Thora, they went with you, didn’t they? Did Verrier take them, for the tribute?”

“What? No! I…left them though.” Clara admitted, embarrassed. “I was afraid that they would try and sacrifice themselves for me.” She turned to Sue now. “We have to go back for them! They might need our help.”

“Okay...” Sue replied, nodding along, “We should let Lady Justine and Lady Aurianna know. We can leave first thing tomorrow.”
 
"Maybe it's just because I spent so long as a demon," Matthias said, taking a seat on a rubble pile, "but I could really go for a thick slice of ham right now." Everyone stared at him with varying degrees of shock and disgust and disbelief. His response was to grin back, and pick up the cold mutton sandwich he'd scrounged together. "I'm sorry. Was that in bad taste?"

After a moment, Justine looked at Aurianna. "Can I please just fucking kill him?"

Matthias grinned wider, and took a bite.

In all honesty, the stench from the funeral pyres was turning his stomach as well. But it had been a lomg day, and a tiring one, and by rights he should be dead now. And after casting several spells, including the one that had frozen a half mile of the Sarn solid and then having to reverse the one that had filled Monsford with lava, he was tired and hungry. So, nausea or not, he was going to eat.

"I'll help," grumbled Diana.

"Do I have to kick your ass again?" Ingrud snapped.

Diana sighed. "No."

"Good." Ingrud stared at the blonde Paladin for a moment. "So make sure he's alive when you're done."

Matthias chuckled.

"Lady Aurianna?" It was Clara, joining them with Justine's apprentice whatsername in tow. "I..." she blinked, staring at Matthias. "Aren't you dead?"

"Aren't you?" he countered. "I thought a dragon was going to eat you." Smoke from the pyres blew through the square, and he held up his sandwich. "Hungry?"

To his surprise, Clara snatched the sandwich from his hand and started eating it. "Famished," she said, sitting down next to her aunt. Ingrud held her close, still not able to believe that her neice had returned. "Sue and I are leaving town for a few days, tomorrow." She finished wolfing down the sandwich, then took Matthias' mug of beer as well. Amused, he let her have it without a struggle.

Also, it was a struggle he'd have lost. So why not maintain some dignity?

"Why?" Ingrud asked.

"Thora and Sigurd are still out there," she answered, gesturing with the mug. "And they're probably all right, but, uh..." Her cheeks colored. "I sorta, well, got engaged. I think. So I should probably, you know, check on them."
 
“Yeah you should check on your friends and… uh…Wait, what?!” Something Clara said snapped Aurianna out of her exhausted haze. “Engaged? You’re only 15!” Everyone else sat up straighter now as well, curious eyes glued to Clara.

“To whom?” Sue asked, suddenly self-conscious about the kiss they shared earlier.

“Lord Verrier,” Clara answered simply.

“The Dragon?” Aurianna interjected, “Wait, I thought he was Afodisia’s mate.”

“Lord Verrier said I am the avatar of the Goddess upon this plane,” Clara explained, unable to hide the pink crawling over her cheeks. Te sound of Aurianna’s jaw hitting the ground was nearly audible.

“Ari is jealous,” Justine teased, chuckling lightly.

“I’m not jealous she got engaged!” Aurianna countered rather defensively.

“I didn’t say that’s why you are jealous. You think you’re Afodisia’s avatar,” Justine justified.

“I would have to be insanely arrogant to say such a thing,” Aurianna rebuffed.

“Yeah, that’s why you don’t say it, you just think it,” Justine concluded, as it was Aurianna’s turn to blush, as her innermost secrets spilled from her friend’s lips.

Turning her attention back towards Clara, Ingrud spoke up, “What happened on Mount Fearfire?”
 
"What happened on Farefaeora?" Clara echoed, sitting down between Aurianna and her aunt. "Hell, what didn't? It's a long, long story, and I don't know where to start."

"We have time right now," Matthias observed. At the same time, Sue glared at her and humphed out "You could start with engagement."

"Which one?" Clara asked absently, thinking guiltily of how she hadn't thought about Thora and Sigurd and the invitation they'd made the night before they reached the mountain. And then she flinched at the look of hurt and anger in Sue's eyes. "Uhm... that is... well..."

Matthias refilled the mug she'd taken from him, and she gulped half of it down quickly. "Well... when I left Monsford, Thora and Sigurd followed me. They were worried, and they wanted to stay with me all the way to the end." She looked down into the mug. "I didn't want them to get hurt, so... I left them behind. In the foothills. And went on to Farefaeora in the company of Verrier's senechal, Haldebar." She took another sip, not wanting to look up at Sue yet. "The mountain wasn't what I'd expected..."


The peak was separated by a broad cleft in the mountain, spanned by an arching stone bridge. Beyond rise the summit, a eighth of the mountain, worked into a fortress-city of daunting strength and exquisite beauty. She could identify some of the structures - vaulting towers, walls, crenellations, and so forth. But she'd wager that no human hand had taken part in building - no, not building. Shaping it, from the living stone of the mountain.

Haldebar moved to stand beside her. "The fortress Farefaeora," he murmured. "Come. The Dragon awaits." Without another word, he stepped on to the narrow-looking bridge and began to cross. After a moment of steeling herself, Clara followed after him. Rather more slowly. The bridge was wide enough for four oxen to cross abreast, but there were no railings. And as long as it was, and as high as it was, it looked slender and fragile.

"What... what is this?" Clara asked, gesturing at the fortress. "I thought... I mean..."

"A cave?" Haldebar asked, not looking back. "No, Clara Olgasdottor, Lord Verrier does not live in a cave like an animal. He tells me that Farefaeora was, ages of the world ago, a fortress of the Elves. He..."

"Elves?" Clara sounded skeptical. "Elves are myths. Fairy stories. They aren't real."

Haldebar laughed. "You walk in myth, Clara Olgasdottor. You tread a bridge shaped from living stone by a being that has slain Gods and Angels, and who turned back the Shedim when they sought to devour the World of Substance. I have never seen one, but Lord Verrier says he has. And he only lies when it suits him."

Clara had no answer for that. Instead, she glanced right and down, watching the cliff face plunge into the depths below. Shuddering and suffering from sudden vertigo, she concentrated instead on her feet and tried not to count the number of rapid heartbeats that passed before she set foot on the far side of the mountain. Gasping, too relieved to be concerned about showing weakness, she clung to the living stone of the slope. Haldebar watched her impassively, arms folded, until she was ready to continue. Then he led her up the final switchbacks to the great golden gates of the fortress. Clara stopped, examining the curious red-gold metal and failing to identify it.

"Orichalc," Haldebar told her. "A deathless metal of the ancient Elves."

Within the walls of the fortress, the architecture looked less like a building meant for war and more like a pleasure palace. Oh, Clara realized, it was eminently defensible. But it was light and airy, with terraced levels and gardens and broad staircases, and gossamer bridges connecting towers. The sight made her heart ache with the beauty, made her think of her vague imaginings of what the heavens would look like. People moved among the passages and through the gardens, simply dressed in garments of grey and blue and white, individually or in knots of two or three, and...

Wait...

People?

"The Chosen of the Dragon," Haldebar told her as he moved to stand next to her. "Sometimes the tributes impress our Lord. Sometimes he spares them, adopts them as his children." He watched them move. "Not always. And not often. But more, in the centuries since the Avatar first came to him. And now..."

"Olga!" a voice shouted. Clara wheeled, startled, as a woman with close-cropped red hair pelted down the stairs, half-tackling her as she swept her into an embrace. "Olga! I never thought I'd see you again! It's me! It's Helga!"
 
Clara blinked in surprise as a woman who claimed to be her long lost aunt and called her by her mother’s name pulled her into a tight embrace. She herself had never known the woman, her turn as tribute occurring before Clara had been born. After hugging the unsure girl for several more seconds, Helga pulled back and looked at her.

“No…You can’t be Olga,” Helga realized as they pulled away from the embrace. “She would be… 37 by now. But you look just like her, on the day I left.”

“Olga was my mother,” Clara explained, studying the face of the aunt she never knew. “I’m Clara.”

“Was…?” Helga repeated, a little sadly. She nodded and then forced a big smile, “Clara, my niece. Oh, you are the splitting image of her!” Another tight hug. “But, what are you doing here? You’re not the…no, the tribute is not for another two years.” Helga figured in her head, speaking aloud as she did.

“I came to speak to Lord Verrier. To ask him to uphold the covenant, as the Host of Torment threatens Monsford.” Clara explained. Helga eyes went wide and she nodded.

“You should see to Lord Verrier then,” Helga replied, solemn. Her eyes looked up, to the upper reaches of the fortress. Hadlebar cleared his throat, as to signal Clara to follow him once more.

Climbing up the numerous steps Clara came to the top of Farefaeora , and face to face to a man lounging upon thick velvet cushions and reading a book. He wore loose silk robes of black and crimson, matching the dark hair atop his head, and his slitted eyes. Despite his mostly human appearance, Clara knew he was not human, but merely wore the skin like clothing. And yet, despite his red eyes, she knew he was not a demon.

“Clara Dragul, you are early. I was not expecting you for at least ten, or fifteen years,” Verrier called to her. It was unmistakably Verrier, despite his human appearance. Clara knew this, somehow, deep within her body and bones.

“Expecting me, my lord?” Clara asked, surprised and confused, and blushing just a bit as she met his eyes.

“Yes, the avatar of my beloved, Afodisia.” The way he said the name was so sweet Clara thought she might melt. It was so distracting it took her several moments to realize what he was telling her. The avatar of Afodisia. Wait, was she the avatar of Afodisia? That can’t be right. The avatar was the Goddess’ presence in this world, a symbol of hope. If anyone was the avatar of Afodisia she was certain it was her mistress, with her golden eyes and mastery of spears.

“You are mistaken, my lord. Lady Aurianna Kallekos-“ Clara started before Verrier cut her off, standing and approaching her. Suddenly, she realized what she had done, correcting him and the terror seized her in place.

“I am not mistaken. I would know my mate’s presence anywhere,” Verrier asserted, voice still gentle. His hand caressed her face, “But you are still too young to take your place at my side as the Avatar of Love. So, what are you doing here?”

“Hydranes, Mistress of Torment sieges Monsford as we speak, my lord,” Clara answered, once she got a hold of her senses. “Hydranes and Yarost’cherev.”
 
"Yes," Verrier snorted, sounding both amused and annoyed. "I am aware of their approach. Both the self-styled Lord of Torment, and my unlamented brother." Turning, strode out onto a balcony that overlooked the fortress and the mountain, and which provided an uninterrupted view of the lands beyond. "Very little of what occurs in and around my domain escapes my notice, and an approaching army of demons is difficult to overlook."

Tentatively, uncertain of how to proceed, Clara followed him onto the balcony. It was larger than she'd thought, larger than the town square of Monsford. The dizzying view made her wish it was larger, though. Larger, and walled in. "Then, you will act?" she asked, hopefully.

Verrier folded his arms against his chest, and looked east towards the Sarn. "In time."

"In time?" The words came out in an outraged squeak as Clara stared at him, dumbfounded. "In time?"

The Dragon uttered a small snort of amusement. "Yes. Let Hydranes waste resources on the small towns between the river and Kirstad. It will give the housecarls of Gulder time to mobilize, and for the other Kingdoms to rally troops as well.."

She was aghast. "You... you can't!"

"Can't?" Verrier turned towards her, slitted crimson eyes burning. "You dare speak to me of what I can and cannot do, Clara Dragul?" There was a dangerous edge in his voice.

"They..." she gestured towards the river. "They're your people! They honor the tribute, and..."

"And they get to live," Verrier answered, voice cold and hard. "The compact permits them to exist, Clara Dragul, in exchange for the tribute. They have no other claim on me."

"You've come to their defense before!" she shouted.

The Godslayer's eyes narrowed. "When my domain was threatened, Clara Dragul. The Lord of Torment and her crippled freak of a lover are no significant threat to what is mine. And I will not tolerate that tone from you, Clara Dragul, Avatar of Love or not."

Something seemed to snap in Clara's brain, and a crimson haze swam before her eyes. Without thinking, she sank her balled fist into his gut before backhanding him across the face. The impact sent the Dragon in human shape tumbling to the ground, more startled then hurt. "Avatar of Love and War," she snarled, ripping her sword from her scabbard. "And I have no interest in cowards!"
 
Standing before Lord Verrier, sword drawn and righteous fury radiating from her eyes, Clara’s good sense hadn’t yet caught up to her. It didn’t take long though, before the weight of what she had done crashed down upon her. Goddess! I hit Lord Verrier and called him a coward. For a moment, her resolve faltered, as her hands grew clammy over the hilt of her sword.

Remind him.

She wasn’t sure where the voice came from. Or rather, it seemed to come from everywhere. She hadn’t heard it before, but she recognized it, somehow.

Remind him of his duty.

Verrier rose, the silks he wore transformed into scale mail that shimmered between black and crimson. “Coward?” He repeated, in a voice that was so calm it was terrifying. It took the space of a wink for him to be upon her, claws gleaming, “I will not abide such insults within my palace.” Clara just blocked his slash, pushed back by the strength of his blow.

He has stood on the sidelines long enough. It’s long past time he honored his commitment to me.

“Prove me wrong!” Clara challenged, coming at him again, steel clanging off scales as he blocked with taloned hands, that resembled dragon claws in their appearance. Despite knowing that he should have been able to overpower her, she held her own, pressing the deadlock with a rage borne of dread for her home town. Eventually she lost the standoff, her sword sliding along the stone.

“Beg, and perhaps I will offer you a quite demise,” Verrier commanded, looking down upon Clara with eyes like boiling blood. Clara howled instead, digging her shoulder into his abdomen as she pushed him down . Straddling his human form, Clara poured her fists into his face, drawing blood she couldn’t be sure was his or hers. Eventually Verrier caught her hands. The sound that escaped his lips was something akin to a growl and laugh. “I haven’t felt this alive in centuries, Afodisia.” He pushed Clara up and off of him, with just enough strength to overcome her, and not hurt her. They were standing again, bodies pressed close together.

“This time, my love, this time. You know I have little care for this conflict between the gods and your rebellious angels.” He seemed to be talking to her and yet talking to the Goddess at the same time. He moved away from her now, as he grew in stature, transforming from the man who stood before her into the dragon of legends. “Come along, Clara Dragul. Show the Mistress of Torment what you have shown me.”
 
The present...

"Hang on," Matthias interrupted. "So you punched the Godslayer? Drew a sword on him? And he just laughed?"

"Uhm... yeah," Clara muttered, flushing a little. There was more she could have said, but didn't. Wouldn't. They didn't need to know how she'd felt him grow hard beneath her as she'd straddled him. How even in her fury she'd wanted to rip his clothes away, wanted to taste him and feel him. Honestly, she wasn't sure what she'd felt about that.

And there was something else she hadn't mentioned...

The past...

They were standing again, bodies pressed together, and he was talking to her. To her and to the Goddess, simultaneously. He caught her hands, gently stroking her knuckles and fingers, and she hissed in sudden pain. His fingertips, she saw, were wet with blood. "I have the appearance of humanity in this form," he stated as he examined her injured hands, "but I have never deigned to accept the frailties of the shape."

He turned her hands a little, so she could see the split and scraped skin she hadn't noticed in her fury. The sight brought a sudden reminder of pain, and she winced as her hands throbbed. Damnit, had she broken a bone as well?

Verrier regarded her for a moment, then smiled a little. She saw a quick glimose of fangs, and then he pulled her to him. His lips were hot on hers, and he tasted like nothing she'd ever experienced as his tongue parted her lios and explored her mouth. She moaned into the kiss, body reacting to the primal, masculine feel of his body and to the sharp metallic taste filling her throat...

And then she cried out. Not from lust or pleasure, but in reactiin to a sudden burning pain that flooded her veins. She staggered backwards, stumbling and shivering. "What..." she gasped, noticing blood on his lips and remembering Matthias with sudden horror, "what did you do?"

"I've healed your hands," he said, wiping his blood from his mouth. "My blood is poison, when I wish it. But it also transforms."

The pain was gone, departing as swiftly as it had come. She stared at her hands, seeing only old scars where the wounds had been. And she felt... dizzy? Drunk? No, not quite. But her head seemed to swim, just a little. "You didn't just heal me," she mumbled. "I can... feel it. What..?"

Verrier smiled, and his face seemed utterly inhuman at that moment. "My blood transforms," he repeated. "Slowly, in this case."

"Into what?" she demanded.

"Into my mate, Clara Dragul. Into a form more befitting you." His features and form rippled and flowed like wax, swelling and expanding as he took his true shape. Clara stared up at him, wide-eyed. "Come along, Clara Dragul. Show the Mistress of Torment what you have shown me."

"Into what?" she demanded again.

The great fanged maw gaped in an aporoximation of a smile. "In time - not long, no more than the span of a human life or two - you will be like me, Clara Dragul. You will become what you were born to be. A dragon."

The present...

"So what happened after you kicked Verrier's ass?" Matthias promoted.

Clara shook herself out of her reverie. "Well, he made plans. Gave orders for the disposition of the mountain, and dictated messages to the other kingdoms. In case their armies would be needed. Then he had me rest up - you kniw, get some sleep - so I'd be ready to return with him the next day." She shrugged. "And, essentually, you know what happened next."
 
There was a few moments of awe-stricken quiet among the gathered party. A few moment where everything that had happened and transpired this days weighed upon those present. Good and bad, triumph and loss, at the moment with just felt substantial. Hydranes and Yarost’cherev were defeated. It had cost nearly half the army of townsfolk, and much of the town.

“So, what happens now?” Clara asked, breaking the silence as it became uncomfortable.

“We rebuild Monsford. Bury and honor those who fought to protect it,” Ingrud declared, wrapping an arm around Clara.

“I think Matthias and I will stay here in Monsford, if you’ll have us, Mayor.” Aurianna took Matthias’ hand as she made her announcement.

“A Paladin and a wizard? Oh, I’m sure I can find something to do with you,” Ingrud teased lightly.

“The dragon’s blood healed much of our wounds, but considering how close many of us came to death today, I think it’s going to take a couple days before the rest of us are ready to make the journey back to the temple. Time enough for you to find those friends of yours, “Justine stated

“I’d say that by the time you return from retrieving your friends, we will be ready to have another feast.”

“Then we will have to celebrate Clara and Sue’s promotion from Aspirant to Paladin, as well” Aurianna added on.

“Really?” Clara and Sue asked in near unison.

“Well, the two of you faced down a Demon Lord. That makes you more Paladin than many of the Lords and Lady’s of the Order,” Aurianna asserted, accompanied by nods from the other Paladins.

“Ari’s right. I say the two of you have earned the right to say your vows before the Goddess,” Justine agreed, placing her hand on Sue’s shoulder.
 
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