The Great Convergence Part 31

"Spread out! If she is here I want her found!" Trigorah ordered. "But do NOT face her. Leave her to me!"

The townspeople swiftly obeyed. Trigorah turned to the roof to see if Epidime had seen where the shape shifter had gone, but his eyes were fixed firmly on the northern horizon. Knowing it was pointless to ask him, she simply turned to the task herself.

On the rooftop, Epidime's smile broadened. Several dark forms had appeared on the horizon. He turned to the crowd below. The chaos had died down a bit. That was unfortunate. Chaos always made things more interesting. No matter, more was on its way. For the time being more fruitful thoughts could be turned to the shape shifter's reaction to the dangling of Demont's little project. The injury of one Chosen had shown a direct correlation to the pain of another. That was a theorized effect of a betrayal between Chosen, and if there was to be a betrayal, this was the most likely pair. The immediate question was obvious. Did this transfer of punishment extend to the ultimate extreme? If he were to kill the creature at his feet, would the shape shifter die as well?

The question was an intriguing one. Logic indicated that it would. Briefly he considered testing the hypothesis. The thought was quickly abandoned. The only truly sound plan that had been developed for dealing with the Chosen hinged upon all of them being kept alive. For now he would have to sate his curiosity with a second demonstration of the effect. He looked down on the creature. She was stirring weakly. Impressive that the beast could recover so swiftly. Impressive, but inconsequential, as subduing her once more was simple enough. He inverted his halberd, bringing the blade close to Ivy's head.

Suddenly there was a clash, and the weapon was nearly knocked from his hand. He regained his grip, but before he could identify the source of the attack a second came. The bite of a blade stung his arm with force enough to rob a lesser man of the limb entirely. He merely jerked his arm free and turned to see who had wielded the offending weapon. It came as little surprise that it was Lain who stood before him. Now prepared, the a.s.sa.s.sin's next two attacks were blocked.

"The shape shifter, this monstrosity here, and now you. That makes three Chosen in one place. I must take care to stay on my toes, lest I bring about something prematurely," Epidime quipped cryptically.

Lain paid no heed, instead hurling attack after attack at the General. Epidime proved more than able to deflect them despite the gaping wound in his arm. On the ground below, Trigorah was drawn from the alley she was searching by the sound of combat on the tavern roof. She was about to rush to her current partner's aid when one of the townspeople hurried up to her.

"What? What is it?" Trigorah demanded.

"We found her!" cried the villager.

"Where? Show me!" Trigorah ordered.

He pointed excitedly down the street. The General rushed off in that direction. She didn't make it two steps. Something caught her foot and she tumbled forward. Before she could turn, the sword was pulled from her hand. When she rolled to face her attacker, it appeared that it was the same random villager, but the truth was all too clear. The now pointless disguise dropped away quickly, the stone form of the shape shifter replacing it. With a powerful heave she hurled the crystal embedded weapon far down the street. A heavy backhand robbed Trigorah of her consciousness. Ether felt a strong need to finish what she had started, but she had a more important task at hand. Ivy was still in their clutches, and so long as she was, her own death was a very real possibility. Her instincts told her to take to the air and surge up to the rooftop, but the wielders of the halberds had proven capable opponents in the past. Better to avoid the risk.

On the roof, weapon clashed with weapon. Slowly, the damage to the arm was beginning to slow Epidime's movements. Lain carefully angled himself, shuffling inch by inch until he had managed to position himself squarely between the general and his prize. With Ivy safely behind him, the ferocity of Lain's attacks intensified. Epidime shifted his focus to defense. Before long the only attacks thrown were Lain's, and more than a few tasted blood. Despite this, Epidime seemed unafraid, even amused.

"Such dedication. Such focus. And all for that little thing behind you? What is it that motivates you so? Is it preservation of the species? Or is it something stronger," Epidime mused out loud, as though the battle was the least of his worries.

Lain ignored his words. The motion near the northern horizon had grown. He knew what was coming. There was no time to waste. He pushed forward, inching Epidime closer to the edge of the roof, limiting his options.

"Your composure is remarkable. Single mindedness can be a virtue. I wonder, though. With such thought devoted to both your next move and mine, do you have any mind left to ask questions? Why does he insist on fighting on my terms when a simple spell would end the battle instantly?" Epidime taunted. "Is he toying with me? Is he stalling me? Is it a test? Part of some larger plan? Tell me Lain, do these thoughts occur to you at all, or are you just a machine? Just a collection of parts working toward a single goal?"

Now Epidime could go no further. Snow fell at his heels as he reached the edge of the roof. Lain pushed harder, but the defense of his opponent did not falter.

"Well. I've got an answer for you. This is all just a pleasant distraction . . . until the real fun begins," Epidime said with a smile.

Almost as if on cue, a mixture of cries rose from the streets below. Some were cries of fear, others of excitement. The beating of leathery wings came next. Epidime leapt backward off of the roof, a blur of motion s.n.a.t.c.hing him into the air. Shadows cast by the weak light of morning crisscrossed the ground. Above, dragoyles circled, perhaps a dozen. One by one they landed in the streets and on roof tops, figures dropped from their backs. Some were nearmen, most armed as foot soldiers, but a handful carrying bows. Worse, more than a few carried bundles that seemed to split and multiply when they reached the ground. Cloaks. Dozens of them. Now high above, Epidime climbed to the beast's back.

"Fetch Demont's other toy. As long as we have her, we have them all!" He ordered.

The beasts and men alike obeyed immediately, though it was clear that it was not his voice that they obeyed. The gem of his weapon surged brightly before they took to action. A single nearman remained on the back of each dragoyle. The rest rushed the tavern. Ivy was struggling to rise as Lain reached her side. He pulled her to her feet.

"Can you run?" he asked, eyes trained on the beast that circled nearest.

"I . . . don't think so," Ivy slurred.

Three dragoyles now flew in a tight ring overhead. Lain silently weighed his options. He had his sword, two daggers, and nothing else. He couldn't fight them all off and protect her. Ivy was wavering. He could not carry her and hope to escape. There were no other options. The creatures made their move. Two converged on Lain, the third lunged for Ivy. Lain dove toward her, grabbing her and forcing her out of the path of the attack. They rolled to a stop at the sloping edge of the roof. The two creatures collided, the first losing its rider, the second crashing to the roof. The beast that would have had Ivy instead struck the roof full force. Half rotten shingles shattered. Ancient support beams groaned.

In an instant Lain was on his feet. He took a dagger in his hand. These creatures had a weakness. Desmeres had learned it. The riderless creature dove to the street. Another thrashed wildly on the rapidly failing roof. One was on the verge of recovery. Its inhuman rider croaked a command in an unnatural language. The creature opened its mouth, ready to heave a breath of wretched black miasma at the heroes. A flash of steel later and the dagger was deep in the beast's throat. It released an earsplitting shriek, hacking and sputtering the corrosive breath on roof and rider.

Before any of the other beasts could mount an a.s.sault, Lain threw Ivy across his shoulders and leapt to the neighboring roof. As the stricken creature behind him seemed to come apart at the seams, oozing gouts of the horrid black poison, the ailing roof finally gave way, taking its occupants with it. Lain's leap fell just short of its target and he collided painfully with the lower roof's edge. He held his grip, though barely, and dangled over the alleyway, which was now little more than a sea of nearmen and cloaks. The latter creatures swept high into the air, pitch black talons manifesting from the empty cloth and clawing at Lain's legs.

In the streets, the last of the villagers abandoned the fight, running for the outskirts of the city and any shelter that could be found. The reinforcements called in by Epidime gave little consideration to the fleeing villagers, intent only on reaching their target. Only the unconscious body of Trigorah received any thought, a dragoyle swooping down and depositing her on the back of the creature ridden by Epidime. The General was watching with interest as Lain struggled to pull himself to the ledge when the stricken form of his partner was delivered.

"What is this? Interesting. That shape shifter must still be about," Epidime said. His detached coolness persisted, as though through all of this he remained a casual observer. "I suppose I should flush her out. Now would be an unpleasant time for a surprise."

Ivy dizzily opened her eyes again, the leap having disoriented her. The sight before them shocked her to full consciousness. Just a few dozen feet below was a veritable ocean of nearmen and cloaks. She scrambled to get a grip on the ledge, pulling herself up as the blue aura quickly enveloped her. Had she not been so recently subdued she would have been pushed over the edge already. For now, though, the terrified creature fell to a seat on the roof, her eyes darting up at the dawn sky speckled with more dragoyles than she'd ever hoped to see. Lain pulled himself up behind her, screaming orders as he did.

"Stay down!" he commanded.

The words were far away, lost to Ivy in the cries of nearmen and shrieks of dragoyles. Lain ran to her, his eyes locked on one beast in particular that dove toward her. Time seemed to slow as the beast and the hero raced to their prize. Lain reached for his last dagger. There was no time to aim, no time to wait for an opening. He let it fly. The weapon soared heart-stoppingly close to Ivy, nearly grazing her ear. It met its target, plunging deep into the creature's hollow right eye socket, driving itself hilt deep into the beast's skull. It screeched and veered away, the groping talons missing their mark. Instead of s.n.a.t.c.hing her up into the air, the flailing claws raked down her arm. She cried out as she was thrown to the shingles. As she did, a second cry joined in agonized harmony.

The windy form of Ether launched up from the alley below. She had been among the creatures, silently striking them down as the others blindly fell over each other to reach the heroes above, but the time for that had pa.s.sed. The force of her surge from below dragged cloaks and nearmen alike up behind her. Two more beasts dove at her allies. Lain drew his sword and carved a long gash down the side of one, but the second was beyond his reach. Its claws clamped down on Ivy's shoulder. She was jerked into the air, screaming in pain and fear. The blue light about her was almost blinding, but it began to falter.

"We shall have none of that today, little prototype," Epidime remarked from his perch atop a nearby dragoyle, the gem of his weapon shining bright as he closed his will about her, flexing his potent spell again.

It snuffed away the aura, but only just. Ivy still struggled and screamed. In an instant Ether was streaking to her, crying out as the pain inflicted on her ally was meted out as punishment upon her.

"Archers!" Epidime ordered.

Instantly there was the tw.a.n.g of a dozen bow strings, but Ether paid no mind. She knew that arrows would have no effect on her. A sudden searing pain tore through her, quickly surpa.s.sing that which her mark had dispensed and more. Her eyes turned to the radiant tip of an arrow as it tore through her windy form. Those blasted crystals. They'd tipped the arrows with them, just as some of Bagu's soldiers had! Ether was forced to waste precious time dodging the onslaught, but it was not long before she was back to her task, the skill of the bowmen woefully inadequate to properly strike her. A moment later she had reached her target. Epidime was not blind to this. He had planned for such a case. Ether shifted to stone the moment she was above the dragoyle, smashing down on the creature's back and knocking the rider to the ground far below. She then set about clawing and hammering at the black beast, its dark blood staining her hands.

"Release her!" Epidime ordered.

The dragoyle clutching Ivy obeyed. The hapless creature streaked earthward, her fear quickly taxing even the considerable efforts of Epidime's spell. Ether leapt from the dragoyle's back, plummeting like the stone she was before shifting again to wind. She swept around Ivy, slowing and guiding her descent. The young hero was scarcely comforted by this, the dizzying height and rushing wind doing little to settle her nerves.

"Quiet, you fool! You will be on solid ground again in a moment. I've saved you . . . I . . . I have saved you!" Ether began, suddenly realizing that for the first time since her betrayal she felt not the slightest pain of retribution. Her sin was absolved.

The respite from the pain was short lived. Carrying her fellow Chosen slowed her and brought her back within the range of the archers, and they wasted little time in taking full advantage. The shape shifter rushed to a rooftop with her precious cargo, but the closer she came, the closer the arrows came. More than one arrow whisked through her, missing the creature she carried by a hair. Below, Lain leapt from roof to roof, staying ahead of the constant barrage of Dragoyles. His sword easily sliced through any nearmen who had made their way to the roof, and the cloaks that flitted about on all sides were too slow to catch him, though only just. Ether spotted him and hurried to the same roof he was headed to, the bell tower of a church toward the edge of the city. It was by far the highest part of the skyline, well out of reach of the nearmen. He climbed up the side of the tower as quickly as if it had been a ladder, and slipped in one of the windows. Ether swept in soon after, spilling Ivy to the floor.

"What is going on! Where were you? Why . . . aahhh!" Ivy began before the shock wore off enough to allow her mind to process the terrible pain in her shoulder.

"Clear a path. We need to get her to safety," Lain ordered.

"I've more important tasks at hand," Ether said, turning her eyes to the black form gliding toward them.

Lain didn't linger to attempt to convince her otherwise. Grabbing Ivy, he leapt down into the stairs of the bell tower and pulled the hatch closed above him, securing it with the brace that hung beside it. A heartbeat later the walls shook as beasts battered it from all sides. Ivy stumbled and lurched as she was hurried down the stairs. The pain was blinding, but behind it was a vague feeling of violation, like there was an unwelcome presence in her mind. It made things seem far away, like they didn't matter.

Finally they reached the bottom of the tower, spilling into the shadowy main hall of the church. The doorway was directly ahead of them, but Lain pulled back and hugged the wall, pulling back Ivy as he did. This was the st.u.r.diest building in the city, one of the few built entirely of stone and thus one of the few that offered any protection. Below, even over the din of the battle raging outside, Lain could hear the hushed gasps of anxious adults and the terrified wails of sobbing children. He needed to get Ivy to safety. Were he to be seen by the huddled mob below, there would be chaos. He could not afford it.

Outside, Ether streaked to her target. Epidime soared toward her. Crystal tipped arrows hissed through the air from all angles, but Ether now had no fragile mortal to protect. With the benefit of her full attentions devoted to this single task, the archers failed to graze her with even a single attack. Epidime raised his weapon, the gem in its head burning bright. Ether watched it, carefully measuring its strength, the speed of the movements. The timing had to be right. A moment more and she was near enough. Epidime's weapon came down with tremendous force. The shape shifter darted upward, the blade slicing through the air before her, just a hair's width from her windy form. Though the physical threat fell short, the mystic influence of the gem reached further, tearing away at her very essence in her most vulnerable form.

In a flash, the swirling form of her body tightened, drawing in with gale force, solidifying into stone. She dropped down onto the neck of the beast Epidime rode. The creature buckled under the sudden weight, nearly falling from the sky. Epidime attempted a second blow but Ether caught the shaft of his weapon in her stony grip. For the first time since the fight had begun, concern came to Epidime's eyes. With strength unnatural for even his ma.s.sive frame, he attempted to wrench the halberd from her grip, but it held fast, her strength more than a match for his. Without a word of command, the creature they rode dove earthward, landing in the streets. Ether could feel the grip of her foe slipping with each tug, the core of his power wavering with each mighty pull. There was no doubt now. Without the halberd, Epidime was nothing.

"Such a pathetic thing!" Ether spat as she felt victory near. "There is nothing to you at all. You rely on an artifact, a tool for your power? How could you have even imagined defeating a product of the G.o.dS with such a weakness?"

"A great thinker once said," Epidime began to quote in a feeble attempt to maintain the cool demeanor that had until moments ago defined him. "Wise is the man who focuses on an enemy's weakness, but dead is a man who ignores its strength."

A flash of the gem stunned Ether only briefly, but it was enough for the h.o.a.rd of nearmen and cloaks who had gathered unnoticed around the battleground to capitalize. Ether's formidable stone form was nothing against the hundreds of grasping claws and clanking swords that rained down upon her. She fought valiantly to finish the task at hand, but the sheer numbers that pulled at her were too great. She was dragged into the writhing mob, her claw-like fingers carving long gashes along the back of the dragoyle before they too vanished among the crowd.

Lain led Ivy around the edge of the walkway that circled the top of the main hall. The injured creature was fighting back tears valiantly. The presence in her head had suddenly dropped away, and the full weight of the events of the last few minutes was once again resting entirely on her harried mind, but she managed to keep her silence and quell the fear that gripped her. There were small windows lining the top of the wall, just below the ceiling around the perimeter of the hall, two large stained gla.s.s windows at either side of the walkway, and one great stained gla.s.s masterpiece between them. The duo edged toward the large window at the end of the walkway. It had broken long ago, the bottom of it replaced with planks of wood. If they could pull one aside, they could slip out and down the front of the building. Of course, there were more trying obstacles than a mere plank of wood blocking their path.

The creatures that had seen them enter still threw themselves at the tower. With each rhythmic a.s.sault the walls shuddered. Before long, the bell tower would collapse. Worse, a large portion of the ground troops had been drawn by the dragoyle's attacks. They hammered on doors and shattered low windows. The people inside screamed for mercy. They had yet to see Lain or Ivy inside, and knew not why these beasts and men now threatened to tear their sanctuary down. All they knew was that an army of monsters had descended on their homes. There was a mix of abominations and soldiers tearing through the city, bringing all of the destruction of the war to their very doors.

Lain motioned for Ivy to stay where she was. She obeyed while her defender crept up to the window, evading the light it cast. Behind, Ivy huddled in the corner, cradling her wound. She was every bit as terrified as the people below her, but she couldn't allow it to show. She buried it deep within her. Even a wisp of fear reaching the surface would stir up her aura and they would be seen. Lain didn't want that, so it must not happen.

Epidime grinned, keeping a watchful eye on the chaos as he abandoned the back of the injured creature and summoned down a fresh one. His caution proved justified. No sooner had he taken to the air than the whole of the ma.s.s of attackers seemed to rise up. A black form could just barely be seen beneath them. An instant later and it surged up, sending the attackers hurdling helplessly through the air, raining down all around. In the center of the eruption was a dragoyle, but it was not like the others. A silvery tone was mixed with the black hide, and a brilliant white light shown from the hollows that should have held eyes.

Ether wasted little time. With the ma.s.sive strength inherent to her new form, she trounced the foes foolish enough to venture near her, then took to the sky. Epidime would not escape this time. A silent command pierced the minds of the army of creations as her foe attempted to put distance between himself and her raging new form. Every nearman, every cloak, and every dragoyle moved as one, turning instantly to the new target. The shape shifter drew in a deep breath of air and heaved out a great cloud of miasma, blanketing the scattered forces below her in the caustic mist. As dragoyles swept in she spat a second cloud of it in their direction. The beasts were unaffected, though the riders cried out in their unnatural language before falling to the ground below. Whereas before the creatures would have fetched a new rider, it seemed now that Epidime had taken a more direct role in controlling them, as they remained focused on Ether even in the absence of the guiding hands of their riders.

No matter. The shape shifter had spent an eternity learning how best to use every aspect of a form, and even in the mere moments that she had occupied this shape, she was every bit as capable as the beasts she faced. What's more, she had the benefit of a more than rudimentary intelligence, something that her foes lacked. The first of the creatures clashed with her, but its attack was smoothly evaded. Ether then countered, choosing her attack carefully. A single blow separated the creature's head from its body and both tumbled earthward. The entirety of the remaining dragoyles swarmed around her. Ether's skill with this form was more than formidable, but the volume of attacks was greater than she could withstand. Rather than be overcome as she had before, she darted away. The others followed. The shape shifter wove through the air as gracefully as this form would allow.

The constant rain of blows that pummeled the church from all sides died away suddenly and completely as the creatures were commanded to protect their master. Lain silently forced aside a board from the window and peered outside. The creatures, all of them, were distracted chasing one of their own, and it didn't take long to understand why. For once the shape shifter had used her powers wisely. He turned to help Ivy to the window.

Lain grabbed her good arm and guided her to her feet. The blood loss was beginning to affect her, and she had to fight to keep her balance. Her eyes were heavy. If something was not done about her wounds soon, she would lose consciousness. Death would soon follow. She stumbled, nearly falling. Lain stopped her, but in the silence left by the departure of the attackers outside, it did not go unheard. In a flash, the hushed and huddled townsfolk below began to clamber anew in fear and anger. In the darkness below, the bolder villagers took up lanterns and headed for the stairs to the walkway.

Quickly Lain widened the opening. Time was against them, and there was no use being quiet anymore. When it was large enough to crawl through he tried to lead Ivy onto the narrow ledge beyond. Her head no sooner peeked out of the ruined window than a whiff of icy air and a glimpse of a dizzying height brought back her senses and the memory of dangling high above the city just minutes ago. She pulled back, refusing to face the drop again. The bang of a door being thrown open startled her. As Ivy turned toward the sound of approaching footsteps, Lain took matters into his own hands. Throwing Ivy over his shoulder, he hurled himself out of the opening, catching the ledge and dropping down as gently as he could manage.

It was not gentle enough, unfortunately. Ivy cried out in pain as they struck the ground. Heads peered out of the broken window above. Lain could fairly feel their gaze. They had been seen. Both of them. He turned and fixed his eyes on the horizon to the west. He had to escape, find shelter, and attempt to bind Ivy's wounds. It might already be too late. The injured creature was muttering incoherent scoldings about being careful and warning her when he did such things. The a.s.sa.s.sin thrust aside all he'd taught himself to do, all that had become second nature to him. There was no time for stealth. There was no time for caution. The last real hope for his kind was fading away. That could not be allowed to happen. Not while he still drew breath.

High above, Epidime watched as Ether weaved between buildings, over roofs, through arches. The other dragoyles, clumsy by comparison, crashed into walls and collided with one another. A thought came to mind, causing him to turn his eyes to the ground. Beside the now collapsed form of his former mount was the weakly stirring form of Trigorah. When a glance upward confirmed that the shape shifter was distracted at the other side of the town, he guided his beast earthward. Casually dismounting, he fairly sauntered up to his ailing ally and watched her struggle to her feet.

"The shape shifter . . . " Trigorah warned.

"She has her hands full at the moment. I am surprised at you. You aren't one to be so easily fooled. And I should know," he said.

"Save your mockery . . . what about the others?" she asked.

"Last I left them, they were holed up in the church," he said. "Demont's little project is wounded. They won't be hard to follow."

"If you think Lain will be easy to follow then you learned nothing from me. He has skill enough to overcome any handicap. You need to find him before he leaves the city," Trigorah warned.

"The cogs are already moving in that regard. I will see to it personally just as soon as the more immediate threat can be dealt with. Ether's power concerns me and . . . do you feel that?" he said, suddenly distracted.

Trigorah held her aching head. "I felt nothing. Where is my sword? If you won't find him I will do it myself."

" . . . I may have dallied too long. It is time for you to retreat. I cannot risk having you here right now. Not under these conditions," he decided suddenly.

"Not while Lain is so near. And not while you face three Chosen," Trigorah countered.

"I would reason with you, but I really haven't got the time, and this is a precaution I am afraid I simply must take," Epidime said.

In one smooth motion he raised his halberd and struck the still weak Trigorah. The blow was accompanied with a flash of the halberd's gem, betraying a spell that was no doubt intended to ensure that the strike had its desired effect. His fellow General dropped back to the ground. A silent order went out to the fastest remaining dragoyle. As he mounted his own beast, the second pulled away from its pursuit, s.n.a.t.c.hed up Trigorah, and turned north, disappearing into the distance. Epidime soared high into the air. It didn't take long before he spotted Lain. The fool was carrying the injured creature across his shoulders, running in plain sight. He swept down after the pair, but the leathery beating of wings drew his attention. Behind him, the dragoyle form of Ether was closing in on him. He managed to evade her, but the five dragoyles that pursued her were another matter. They were far more focused on catching their prey than avoiding this obstacle or any other. Just as Myn had in her final battle, Ether used the trail of single-minded beasts as a battering ram. No fewer than three of them collided with him, the whole tangle of creatures falling to the ground like a stone. Now that only two remained, Ether could easily dispatch them, and she did so in mere moments. Circling to the ground, she eyed the mound of shattered dragoyle suspiciously as she resumed her human form.

"I cannot abide by that form. It is not without its usefulness, but I feel soiled by it," she hissed, confident that her job was done.

Her confidence, so often her downfall in the past, was again misplaced. As she approached the pile, a small portion of it stirred. Epidime pulled himself from among the broken bodies. Impossibly, the fall that had shattered the almost supernaturally hearty monstrosities had spared him. He was much the worse for wear, to be sure, as one arm hung limply at his side and an ankle was turned hideously inward. As he struggled free, however, his arm twitched, moved, and apparently recovered. He didn't even seem to notice the ankle until he tried to step on it. A moment later and he corrected the twisted limb.

"What are you?" Ether growled.

"For now? Human," Epidime croaked, his voice faltering.

He hacked and coughed, a pink mist of blood splattering his chin as he did so.

"In a moment, you will be nothing," Ether threatened, taking on her stone form and charging at him.

Lain had heard the collision and watched out of the corner of his eye as the broken ma.s.s had fallen. Perhaps Ether had defeated the General once and for all. Unlikely. All that mattered was that she had occupied him. There was a chance that he could escape. The edge of the town, and the field that lay beyond, was only a few hundred paces away. It was far from safe, offering little cover, but that was a blessing as well as a curse. Once he was outside of the city he could at least be sure that no foe was lurking out of sight. If he could just reach it. In the shadows, a whisper of motion caught Lain's eye. Then another, and another. He redoubled his efforts, pushing himself as hard as his weary, battered body could allow.

With a chorus of screeches, the shadows themselves seemed to leap out at him. Claws swiped at him from all sides as cloaks, still sizzling from the dose of miasma Ether had doused them with, flooded the street. One of the creatures caught his leg and he tumbled forward. By the time he regained his footing, he was completely surrounded by what was left of Epidime's ground forces. They floated and flitted around him, sweeping in to slash with their phantom claws. He stood over Ivy and drew his sword, knowing that these moments of delay might be the mortally wounded creature's last. The way in which the creatures attacked, holding back and jutting in briefly to swipe at him one at a time, had been a blessing in the past. It had allowed him to pick them off slowly and to bide his time for an escape. Now, though, he needed to hold his ground, to destroy every last one of them, or at least disable them, and fast. The intermittent swipes now came frustratingly slowly. It was almost as though they were purposely wasting time.

Ivy groaned weakly. Lain sliced through another cloak. He breathed in long, greedy breaths, the frigid air burning at his lungs. The motions of his body and the sword were an afterthought, something akin to a reflex. As he fought, his mind worked feverishly to plan out his escape; where to run, how to treat Ivy's wound. There would be no room for error. Another slash, another foe fell. The fact that Ether had ravaged the beasts so badly was more than a blessing. It was a rare stroke of luck that made victory possible.

Just a few streets away, the shape shifter's clash with Epidime was growing ever more intense. Ether knew that she'd spent most of the strength she had left. If she didn't end this quickly, she was not certain she would last. Epidime, however, seemed inexhaustible. His body seemed to be failing, but the mystical creature knew that the real threat came not from his body, but from his spirit, and it raged just as intensely as it had at the beginning of the battle. Despite this, he was limiting himself. His blows seemed as carefully measured as they were well placed. Ether avoided most and blocked the rest, but she knew that he would not behave in this way unless he had good reason. His motivation, however, remained a mystery to her, and that concerned her.

His halberd swung in a slow, wide arc, forcing her backward. He then quickly circled around her, deftly avoiding a diving attack from his opponent. Ether's fatigue was beginning to show. Her attacks were becoming more frequent, and had the air of desperation that he had been waiting for. He shuffled a few more steps, watching with a grin as she adjusted her stance to compensate. Perfect. In a lightning motion, he thrust his weapon forward, unleashing a blinding lance of energy that struck her squarely in the chest. The force of it launched her like a comet, trailing energy and shattering through the wall behind her.

Hearing a distinctive crackle, Lain crouched and gathered up his precious cargo, rolling aside a mere fraction of a moment before the wall that had served as the backdrop for his battle thus far burst toward him. He rolled to a stop with cloaks on all sides. One grabbed each arm. Another grasped him about the throat. He struggled briefly, but their grip was too strong. In the rubble beneath the gaping hole in wall, the form of Ether rose. She was riddled with cracks, barely holding together. As the last pieces of debris from the explosion of force fell to the earth, Epidime stepped through the hole he had made. He looked about at his handiwork, smiling at the mound of rubble and the flicker of shattered lanterns from a nearby storefront.

"You should thank me. It is an important lesson in the art of war I have taught you today. Victory in a single stroke takes as much planning as power," Epidime mocked.

A sudden and swift move from Lain quickly wiped the smile from his face. The a.s.sa.s.sin caught the edge of one of the cloaks restraining him with his foot and pulled his arm free. He then managed to force the second one backward into the pool of burning lamp oil from one of the shattered lanterns. It took quickly to flame and screeched through the air for a few moments before fluttering to the ground, motionless. In the distraction, Lain managed to regain his sword. The other cloaks, and a handful of surviving nearmen who had finally managed to navigate the city to their prey, began to descend on Lain, but Epidime stopped them with a thought.

"Listen, Lain. I know full well that you would sooner die than be taken captive, just as you would sooner give your life than lose that of the delicate creature at your feet. Alas, my orders are quite clear. Until certain criteria are met, you must be captured alive. All of you. Perhaps I could subdue you. Perhaps you could defeat me. Neither could happen before your precious Ivy fades away. That is her very life pooling about your feet. Every drop of blood is one she can't spare. Use your logic, a.s.sa.s.sin. Let me have her. I will heal her, you will escape. We will both fulfill the more important of our goals. If not, then we both fail," Epidime reasoned.

"Don't listen to him, Lain. Kill him," Ether ordered. She struggled to remain standing, straining under the weight of her own stony form.

"She wants Ivy dead. You know that," Epidime countered.

Lain's weapon lowered slightly. Ivy's eyes were locked on him, glazed and wavering. He drew in a slow, deliberate breath of air, eyes closed. He then exhaled, opening his eyes and tightening his grip on his weapon.

"So be it," Epidime sighed, raising his weapon for the coming battle.

He made ready to attack the stubborn hero, but something made him pause. Weapon still at the ready, he swept his eyes across the cityscape around him. A bitter wind was blowing. Harder now than it had been a moment ago. And now harder still. There was something else. A sensation. A presence. He shifted the halberd and gave the ground a sharp thrust. A wave of black force rippled out from where it met the earth. It flowed across the street in all directions. Just before it reached Ivy, something disturbed it. It parted, like the water in a stream about a stone. As it did, the merest glimpse of something else could be seen, as though a veil had been briefly blown aside by a gentle breeze.

What followed happened with a speed few could comprehend. The fluttering black mist was drawn up by some unseen force only to be dispelled entirely, vanishing. A flash of light forced all to avert their gaze, as the icy wind surged, seeming to blow in from all directions at once. As Epidime struggled to regain his sight after the blinding flash, he beheld before him a pair of forms. Each was clad in a pristine white cloak, face hidden by the hood. One held the crystal-tipped end of a shattered staff, a bow over one shoulder and a quiver of arrows over the other. The second clutched a crystal in one hand and an odd, twin bladed weapon in the other. A s.a.d.i.s.tic grin came to Epidime's face, in his eyes a hint of the darkness that lurked in his soul.

"And then there were five," he said, his tone that of a monster unleashed. "KILL THEM ALL! NO ONE SURVIVES!"

The foot soldiers rushed in, Epidime turning to the opening he'd blasted through the wall moments ago and dashing through it. As he did, he raised his weapon. A ribbon of intense light erupted skyward, splitting above the city and encircling the walls. Instantly a shimmering barrier coalesced just outside the outskirts of the city. A trio of nearmen followed their master as he sprinted from sight. The staff-wielding stranger rushed to the side of the ailing Ivy. The other turned to the cloaks. A swift thrust of the crystal sent a bolt of light that struck the nearest attacker. In an instant the cloak turned to gla.s.s, shattering as it struck the ground. A second cloak drew near only to be struck by a second bolt that seemed to unravel the monster, leaving only a pile of frayed threads. A nearman was next, turned to stone by another attack. Behind the defender, the first figure crouched beside Ivy. The half dead creature struggled to focus her eyes on the white-clad form.

"I told them. I told them . . . " she wheezed.

The staff was lowered, a hushed voice whispered a few arcane words. Slowly wounds began to close. Ether, still barely able to stand, dragged herself over to the pair.

"Finally. Finally more of my own arise," she chanted.

By the time she reached the others, the street was completely cleared of foes and Ivy was breathing the slow, deep breaths of a healing sleep. The defender turned first with weapons raised at the approach of the shape shifter, but lowered them quickly. The unused blade was slipped into the cloak, and the hood was drawn back to reveal a disheveled yet enthusiastic young man.

"Ether, I presume. I cannot begin to . . . " he spoke eagerly.

"Later, Deacon. The wall. We need to escape," the other cloaked figure advised. This voice was indeed familiar.