Ranisa Kir woke up after a few hours in her comatose state after nearly meeting Elysia earlier than she expected. She was pleased to see her granddaughter Nedira's warm brown eyes for the first time in several weeks. "Well child aren't you a sight for sore eyes, though I wish it was under better circumstances." The elder woman moved with minimal trouble despite the pain she was in. Madrin got his stubbornness from her after all. She stood and instilled a sense of urgency in her clan folk with her words. "We must hurry Madrin has fallen into the hands of Gethe, the demon that destroyed our realm." All but the youngest Kir knew the truth behind those foreboding terms. Nedira would learn when she was old enough to understand but, for now she was ignorant of the Blackwolf tribes blood soaked past.

The healer in training was not stupid she could sense the unspoken words they kept from her. The adults probably thought she couldn't handle them since she was only ten years old. However, she had stood witness to what evil creatures like the Val'Nothe that wrecked Chaliceton and Grand city could do unchecked. All she cared about right now was saving her beloved father from the demon they spoke of. There would be time later for the truth that was buried behind their words. "I suggest we get moving then since we have already lost several hours. We of the Blackwolf clan can certainly catch a lazy demon on foot with these fine horses from The Grand Stables." Madrin was the only one that had issues with riding horses since he inflexibly wanted to move under his own power. Her father had some weird hang ups but, Nedira loved him with all her heart anyway. Ranisa Kir shared her grandchild's saddle since she was the smallest. They took off like a crossbow bolt to find their enslaved family member.


Two well executed attacks at the same time were not a simple matter for anyone to deal with even for someone as skilled as Gethe's abyssal knight. Madrin deflected the light orb directed his way with a one handed swing of Reaver despite its awkward weight, due to his rage enhanced strength. His left armor covered fist came down smashing the Arraki's bladed fist into the ground. However, before he exploited the opening that gave him, he saw the light energy he repelled was about to strike Dela while she stood in a dazed stupor for some reason. Once again his body moved on its own with a speed that surprised even him. He tackled the dead seed child to the ground as the blast struck him in the back leaving a large hole in his war demon armor. The pale human skin beneath suffered first degree burns. His voice took on a gentleness he had forgotten. "Keep your wits about you child, this is a battleground for the god's sake."

Immediately after he protected Dela his head felt like it was being pummeled relentlessly. His vision blurred as the devastating pain forced a scream from his lips that echoed on the air. He felt like something similar had happened before. The ground before him became the planks of a ship and Dela turned into a brown haired woman that stirred his heart to see for some reason. She had beautiful wings that reminded him of a butterfly with their cerulean hue that had a slight grayness to them. Her olive eyes full of compassion made his heart reach heights he hadn't known for some time. One question came to him. "Who are you?" Then the vision collapsed before his eyes and the memory was burned away with agony once again. His cold ice blue eyes returned, the warmth in them moments ago was gone as he glared at Gethe's dead seed. His tone was full of rage when he spoke again. "Get up child, I have no patience for you to be in the way, leave here now before I kill you myself your master is waiting!" He had no recollection of saving Dela all he saw was a cowering fool.

"Let's get this over with all the Dark Lord's enemies will fall before his infinite might." However, before he made another move he felt the black aura of his overlord expand as his power increased dramatically. "It seems the master is getting serious I better hurry myself." Then he was called to his side and told to ignore insignificant fools they had a chaotic goddess to destroy. "It seems your no longer important enough to kill big man, another time perhaps." Madrin directed the point of his sword at Syvern and launched a ten foot in diameter fireball from the tip of the blade. Whatever the Arraki did to stop it still gave the controlled warrior time to retreat and meet up with Gethe once more.

Madrin found six dead Corporins inside and ten enslaved living ones. There wasn't even a drop of blood left as slave commander Kir took in a ten foot tall version of Gethe's current flesh with proportional black bat like wings, and a bladed tail swishing about. The demon lord spoke then with a strange thrill in his voice. "It was so helpful of the mage boy to leave a trail right to Sharay, and the other rebellious ones, how sloppy." The dark one reached out and grasped the stray threads of magic and parted the air like paper exposing The Moon Shadow Inn to his blue eyes full of joy. Gethe's massive fear aura entered ahead of him causing the weak willed to cower instantly. He had no time to close the portal as he came under immediate attack from Aliscowri foes. "Let us settle this farce I've exhausted my patience on the matter." Gethe's strength was doubled under the veil of night. Daylight was still many hours away and he had yet to unleash his full power.

As Wish was sitting at the bar with Bansca a number of things happened over the course of a few minutes that caused her to become more alert to her surroundings. The first was the dimming of the lights in The Moon Shadow Inn. Lanterns, candles and magical enchanted lights flickered off and on as if something had sucked away any brightness in the room. This action, however quick it was, made Wish lift her head to the ceiling as if searching for an answer. There was nothing to be had there and the fae began to wonder if it was just her seeing things.

The second was a voice so familiar that the glass Wish was toying with, her fingers constantly sliding over the rim of, almost slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor. At first, Wish thought Bansca was speaking to her and she turned to him puzzled wondering why he would ask her such a question. But no, Bansca remained blind and oblivious to the voice Wish heard. Though the sound of the voice was recognizable, there was also something strained and foreign in it as if the speaker was wavering in between worlds.

"Who are you?"

Wish looked about the room, lifting her hands to rub against her pointed ears trying to make sure she was not hearing things. That was Madrin's voice, but as much as she searched the room, her gaze hopeful and confused at the same time, she did not see him. If that was his voice - somehow reaching her from beyond an untouchable veil - he did not remember who she was and her presence, should they meet soon enough, would have little impact at all. Not good.

Last but not least, the thing that made her ultimately feel as if bugs were crawling over her skin was the sound of something like loud paper being ripped within the common room. This noise was distorted and as Wish turned her head to glance through the door way that separated the tavern and the common room, her mouth parted ever so slightly in surprise. The air itself was sliced through, a fabric in space being torn open, and from that newly formed portal poured the make-shift army of Gethe, Atisha, their newly turned slaves and... Madrin.

The first thing Wish did, besides closing her mouth, was to slide out of her seat, run to the nearest window and yank it open. After that, Wish waved to the bartender who had dropped a bottle and was clearly even more stunned at this point. Realizing she would get no response, due to whatever magic Gethe was festering into the room, Wish leapt over the bar with the speed of a graceful acrobat and grabbed the man. She pulled him by the belt wrapped around his waist to the window where he eventually gathered himself.

"Get out NOW!" she said with urgency in her voice.

Thankfully, with his wits about him, the man dived out the window with surprising ease and was lost into the night. Wish was not sure if Bansca was aware of the sudden shit storm that was going on, but she had no time to ask. Being as how Bansca was blind and still fully functioning, Wish was sure he could handle his own. That in mind, she pressed her back against the doorway and turned her head just slightly enough so that she could see the scene in the common room without being spotted.

The Aliscowri had already begun to attack, likely in protection mode for Sharay and Iyn's safety. Wish could not really make out what Sharay and Iyn were doing, but Gethe's slaves were all over the place and trying to kill off the fighting Aliscowri. Flanked against the either of the demon's side was Madrin and a woman (Atisha). Wish saw that Madrin was garbed in black demonic looking armor, armor that she guessed from her past experiences, was controlling him. So to get Madrin back all they needed to do was get the armor off...

No. There's more to it.

Gethe was incredibly strong and from what Wish remembered in the past during the attack in Grand City led by Sharay, they came into the town at night. It was possible, but Gethe may have doubled his power by the turning of night which Wish knew was common for certain demons. However, what demons often didn't realize was that the night was not just for vicious beings, evil souls and those who commit vile deeds in the shade of darkness. The night was also for the heavens - for the celestial stars that watched over those who slept and dreamed. Thankfully, it was her favored time of the day as well.

There was also something about that woman by Gethe's side. Undoubtedly she was some sort of mage or sorceress and was trying to subdue the Aliscowri with magic that looked to be fueled with pain. She was trying to enslave them and wipe away the message that Iyn had spread throughout them already. If she was not stopped soon, the entire room would likely be turned against herself, Sharay and Iyn. Atisha needed to be taken down, but there was no way Wish was getting within a foot of her with Gethe nearby.

And then, she had a plan.

Wish pushed herself away from the wall and sprinted across the room behind the bar. Reaching for the first thing she could think of, Wish grabbed a bottle of vodka and dashed around the bar moving into the fray in the common room. Locking her gaze on Atisha, Wish threw the bottle with surprising speed and accuracy with the hope of hitting the woman in her unarmored head. After all, if there was one thing a female magic user hated, it was getting distracted during casting and having glass broken over their face. No matter what, Wish drew her cutlass that was at her hip pointed and armed in that general direction, her own magic always ready to use if needed.

Still, Wish could not help thinking as she waited for an angry Atisha to turn and possibly charge her, I hope that wasn't a waste of perfectly good vodka.

All things considered, the bartender of Moon's Shadow Inn had good instincts. He knew the Aliscowri were trouble, and regretted his unfortunate job the very moment they poured into the tavern. Now his intuition was paying off, for the bartender was nowhere to be seen when screams began to punctuate the stagnant air. He probably had his eyes on the back door the entire time, waiting for an escape. If only the Aliscowri had been as clever, maybe less people would die this night.

The fact was, Gethe caught the Aliscowri unprepared. The vast majority of the converts were still absorbing the chaotic implications of their newfound knowledge. Certainly, they were a far cry from the true power their revelations promised, and it was this weakness that Gethe exploited the instant he entered the inn with his companions.

Kaotis was the first to die, an angry scream silenced in his throat by violent shadows which swarmed into the inn. That muted scream was the first of many, as the unprepared were ambushed by darkness.

The darkness was not entirely Gethe's doing. With him came the enslaved Corpirians, those men and women who had offered their servitude in exchange for their lives. Though they had no choice but to follow Gethe, and thus were obligated to falter in complete obedience, they knew that their enemies had to be destroyed or they would be slain either by Gethe's hand or by their foes. It was a no-win scenario that only left one option for the Corpirians - fight to the last man.

Fight they did, bringing to arms the full brunt of their dark magics. The shadows Gethe commanded were assisted by deceased gods - the gods of the slain Almeddan pantheons. These entities were nothing more than remnants, echos of the gods they represented, but that did little to diminish their power. Furious beings lurched out of the darkness, clutching at Aliscowri and dragging them into lightless abyssal pits. Here, the captured were doomed to become slaves so they may repeat the process, much like the Corpirians were slaves to Gethe.

Behind the Corpirians came Madrin Kir and the sorcerous Dela, the pair easily dwarfing the Corpirians in their sheer abilities. Dela, the young girl with ebony skin and golden eyes, followed Madrin around like a lost dog. He had saved her from Soul's attack, and in that moment Madrin showed Dela something which Gethe seemed completely incapable of displaying - a brief glimpse of humanity and compassion. That short demonstration of Madrin's weakness (or strength) was gone as if it had never happened, but his confused and loving expression when he saved her from Soul would be forever implanted in Dela's memory. It was this which made Dela instantly latch onto Madrin. When the soldier began attacking, Dela didn't hesitate to assist him.

The young girl obviously didn't swing a massive sword or launch a volley of arrows at her enemies. A second generation Dead Seed was beyond such primitive tools. Instinct compelled her, and when these instincts became violent, the world around her responded. Illusions poured into the building, horrifying monsters and visions that only added to the chaos around them. Disoriented and frightened, many of the Aliscowri found themselves fighting specters which didn't even exist, while very real shadow-spirits slaughtered them mercilessly.

In only moments, the ambush had killed a third of the gathered Aliscowri, and casualties were mounting. Dela followed after Madrin, stepping carefully around the beheaded corpse of Kaotis. Tears were pouring from her eyes while horrific illusions poured from her mind in waves.

Everywhere, there was Death and Chaos.

Dela looked towards Sharay for a moment, her moist golden eyes glimmering like a pair of topaz gems. Mother, is this why you're here? She thought, a whisper of remorse passing through the pits of her chest. It was gone as quickly as it came.

Sorry, mother. But I have to kill you now...

His flesh prickled as the ball of flame passed over his flesh, bubbles of liquid blistered across the skin and he felt himself being pushed back by the energy. As the heat washed away his skin was left raw and pink with blisters covering the majority of it. He winced and stood to his full height and shrugged off the burning remnants of his cloak. The crushed blades on his gauntlet were ripped off with his free hand and tossed aside.

“Not important.” Syvern narrowed his eyes and wrapped his fingers over the armor leading up his right arm. He tears it away from his flesh pulling away skin where the metal had fused with his skin. Acidic blood pours from the wound as the flesh attempts to mend itself. “Juice me.”

-Are you sure?- Obstinata muses in his mind, -Just get the boy and get out.-

“Do it.” Syvern hissed and tilted his head as a quick flash of magic trailed over the runes on his flesh and the blisters all popped.

He strode toward the building that Gethe and his minions had disappeared into. He looked at the destruction inside and noticed the lack of blood. As the pink hue his flesh had taken on after the fire slowly fading back to is natural color had could see the tear left, just barely.

“I’m coming Zafiro. Juice me again.” Syvern raised his hands up, “Put the energy directly into my palms.”

Obstinata obliged and in a moment a trapped soul hovered between his hands with a faint glow. “Shar'tleg nindol dro wund yorn.” The drow words from his home land crossed his lips and his fingers manipulated the soul. Runes on his body lit up and flickered as hands pressed together. He lifted his eyes to the portal and with a smile he ran at the fading portal opening.
-------------------------
Zafiro was tired, even after Sharay spoke reassuringly to him he couldn’t help but drop his head. Lately his flesh had been becoming streaked with azure, the same color as the gems in his palms. He lifted a hand to his head and pulled out a clump of what had once been healthy brown hair. What was happening to him?

He had little time to think about it as Gethe made his move. He pushed himself as far away as he could feel the fear creeping into his mind. He longed for the energy to teleport himself away to get as far as possible. The Aliscowri were dying in droves against the power and Zafiro knew that all Sharay could stop the evil force.

Even then he had his doubts, what if even she couldn’t handle this force? Could darkness defeat darkness? He whimpered to himself and pulled his legs to his chest, the young boy had witnessed much in the last couple weeks. He had even killed a man himself in order to survive but the carnage he was witnessing was something he could not stomach.

At one point a foot landed nearby and he reached for it but it was gone the next second. He whimpered and could feel tears welling in his eyes, was this how he was going to die? He wished he had his mother and father to think about but he’d never seen their faces. The last time he had seen them their backs had been to him disappearing into the forest. No one even knew their names.
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Syvern hit the floor of the tavern and smashed the compressed energy held in his palm into the floor boards. In the middle of the carnage the light burst outwards from the ball like a wave splintering tables and floor boards while shaking the building.

Syvern is already moving toward Zafiro at full speed shoving those in his way to the side, fighting them wasn’t important even his primary motive of killing Gethe was superseded. He glanced once at Bansca in his mad dash before scooping up the terrified boy and smashing through a window with his back feeling glass shards pierce his flesh and then begin to dissolve.

He hit the dirt outside and rolled to stand up wincing as his right arm cracked back into place. He looked down at Zaifro who stared up at him with terrified eyes, “You’re alright. Come on let’s get you away from this madness.” He stood and looked back at the tavern torn between going and staying. "I hope Sharay can handle this."

"I've got them."

Of All The Attributes That Had Been Passed On To Him, One Of The Most Useful Was Being Able To See And Sense Energy. Or As His Father Called It, Transcendent Sight.

Transcendence Sight Was An Ability That Came With The 'Eternal' Lineage. It Was Something His Father Used To See Beyond Worlds, Beyond Dimensions, Even Beyond Time. To See Beyond Matter To The Energy That Comprised It, But Also The Paths It Took Or Might Take Had To Be Intense. Every Potential Outcome And Possible Reality All Happening At Once. In A Single Moment, Every Past, Present, And Future Eventuality That May Or May Not Come To Pass Filling The Reaches Of Your Awareness. In Short, You Saw Everything That Might Ever Be, And All That Never Was -- All In The Same Instant. A Never-Ending Spiderweb Of Countless Energies Where As One Thread Faded Away, Another Thousand Took Its Place.

That Was A Level Of Insanity He Was Glad He Didn't Inherit.

He Wasn't Completely 'Eternal'. A Bit Of Contradictory Wordage But That Didn't Make It Any Less True. His Mothers Flesh Passed On Just Enough 'Connection' To The Physical World When He Was Born To Spare Him Having To See Things The Way His Father Did. A Less Intense Nature Of The Ability Was Still There However, And It Was One He'd Been Perfecting Over The Years. He Could See Matter, Physical Things, But Also Non Corporeal Ones. All Of It Was Either Outlined Or Engulfed In Energy. The More Energy Something Radiated, The More It Stood Out. It Was A Plain Of Shades; Some Darker, Some Lighter, But Sentient Things Always Shined Brightest.

Still, With A Whole World Full Of Energy (Especially Supernatural Energy) It Wasn't Easy Telling One Entity From Another, Which Is Why It Took Time.

Nevertheless, When 2 Godly Beings End Up In One Place, Then Surround Themselves With Other Potent Energies, It Was Like Lighting A Bonfire Surrounded By Burning Candles. The Bigger, Brighter 'Flame' Stood Out. Being As Far Away As Heruin Meant That He Couldn't Physically See The Massive Energy Collective, But He Could Damn Sure Feel It. Like Heat. Once He Picked Up On A 'Hotter' Source, His Arm Transferred Mirrored Signals Of The Distant Energy To His Physical Body. Once He Had It His Senses Locked On Like A Predator, Shrinking The 'Source Area' In His Mind As The Signals Gave More And More Information.

It Might Not Have Been Easy To Separate One Pattern From Another, Especially With The Distance Between Heruin And Eiler, But There Were At Least 2 Or 3 In The Mix That Felt Familiar. Only Sharay And Gethe Were Instantly Recognized, And They Were The Only Ones Who Needed To Be. It Didn't Matter Who The Rest Were. As Far As He Was Concerned They Were Just Road Blocks. No Doubt Some Were With One God And Some Were With The Other, Their Own Little Gang War. He Was Still Only Interested In The Gods Themselves. Everyone Else Could Wait Their Turn.

"Finally. Do we know how many?"

Amunette Called Out Behind Him. He Could Hear Her Strapping Her Sheaths In Place As She Walked To Where He Stood At The Shore. They'd Been Coming To The Edge Of Heruin For Days, Valorius 'Scanning' While She Kept Him Company And Waited For Confirmation. He Could Do Quite A Few Things But Creating Portals Wasn't One Of Them. Sure He Could Close Them, Collapse The Energy In On Itself, But Tearing A Hole In Space Was More A Magical Skill Than An Ability. He Didn't Use Magic Even Though His Mother Had Tried For Years To Influence Him, But Amunette Did, And That Made Her The Designated Ferrywoman (Unless He Wanted To Travel By Foot, And That Would Just Take More Time).

"Too much distance between us and them to tell. He's there though. And so is she. I...don't think they're working together this time." -They better not be-. He Thought To Himself As He Turned From The Beach And Looked Towards Her, Easing His Pistol From Its Holster And Giving It A Once Over Inspection. It Wasn't Special In Any Way Other Than Being A Well Made Pistol, But So Far It Had Proven Useful More Than Once -- Not To Mention It Was Just So Damn Pretty. As The Weapon Was Put Away He Caught Amunette's Narrowed Gaze From Under The Brim Of His Hat. No Doubt The Mention Of Sharay Being Where Gethe Was Sparked A Bit Of Anger. Then (As If He Needed Proof Of That) She Was Running Her Hands Behind Her, Over The Points Of Her Ulaks And Drawing Her Blood.

"Oh good. Two hearts with one knife. And here I thought I was going to be bored. Where are they?" Checking And Making Sure He Was Carrying Additional Rounds And Caps, He Responded. "Eiler. The lay lines beneath where they are...run under Jade if I remember right." When She Brought Her Hands Forward She Began To Speak Softly And Trace Her Fingers Through The Air In Front Of Her. Like Pulling 2 Curtains Aside, The Space Before Them Eased Open As She Pushed Away The Veil. After, She Took On A Sinisterly Sweet Smile And Stepped Aside To Gesture With Her Hand For Him To Go First. The Smile Was Enough For Him To Give An Addendum As He Passed Her By.

"Remember. She's not the problem until she becomes one. We handle him first..and anyone with him." The Way She Spoke As She Turned To Follow Him Through Made Him Sigh -- Even Though He Grinned Along With It.

"Of course, Valor."

~-----------------------------------------------------------~

They Came Through The Rift And Amunette Turned To Close It When A Shockwave Of Energy Exploded From A Short Distance Ahead. It Told Them Exactly Where They Needed To Go. A Man Ran Towards Them From The Same Direction, Away From The Explosion, Full Of Fear And Panic. Valorius Walked With Amunette Towards Whatever Horror Awaited Them, Ignoring The Man That Sprinted Passed. They Didn't Have Time To Play Caregivers, And With A Growing Look Of Intensity Coming Over His Face, The Prince Obviously Didn't Have The Patience Either. All He Felt In Those Brief Few Moments Was Anticipation. An Anticipation He Hadn't Known In A Long, Long Time. Fortunately It Took Only A Few Minutes To Reach The Place That Radiated Negative Energy. There Was A Bit Of Positive Force Thrown In Here And There, But It Was Nearly Invisible Inside The Blackened Aura That Overwhelmed The Building.

As They Approached, A Window Shattered And Out Tumbled A Man With A Child In His Arms. It Took A Second Or 2 To Recognize The Face, But When He Realized He Knew Syvern He Just Kept Walking (Diving Out Of The 'Evil Epicenter' With A Child, Holding It Protectively, It Wasn't Something Gethe's Slaves Would Do). He Didn't Offer More Than A Brief Glance Towards The Arraki, But He Did Say Something To Him As He Passed By, Moving Toward The Back Door Of The Inn.

"The faster you get him out of here, the faster you can get back in. You're not going to want to miss this." He Seemed Insouciant About It All, Until His Right Hand Drew The Pistol And Aimed It At The Back Entrance. 2 Shots Echoed Through The Night When He Fired, And The Doorknob Followed By A Good Portion Of Wood Around It Were Blown Apart As The Door Swung Ajar. It Drifted Open Fully As He Entered With Amunette Only A Step Or 2 Behind.

When He Came Into The Moon Shadow Inn He'd Already Reloaded The Pistol And Was Just Then Re-Cocking The Hammers. The Gunshots Had Drawn Some Attention, Whether It Was From Enemies Or Not He Didn't Seem To Care. The Weapon Hung Beside His Leg From His Hand While He Passed His Eyes Over All That He Could Physically See. Already His Left Arm Was A Buzz With Internal Flux, Surges Of Energy Occurred Beneath The Static Barrier 'Skin' Of It. An Aura Of Fear And Malevolence Bathed The Entire Place, Washing Over It Like A Tide. It Reminded Him Of When Sharay Had Tried To Use Chaos As A Weapon. Only This Time It Didn't Taunt A Caged Monster Inside Him, It Infuriated A Free One. Watching As Shadows Came Alive And Bodies Dropped Dead To The Ground, He Couldn't Help The Slow, Contemptuous Tilt Of His Head That Followed.

"I order prime cuts....and I get a fruit salad."

He Glanced To Amunette Before Turning His Eyes Back Towards The Common Room. The Appearance Of His Gaze Intensified, Taking On And Almost Palpable Abhorrence. Jade Pupils Ringed By Churning Yellow Iris' Met Each Figure With A Vengeful Stare, A Stare Made More Ominous By The Shadowing Brim Of His Hat.

"Fuck it. I'm hungry."

Madness.

That was the only word to describe the ongoings at the Moon’s Shadow Inn that very moment. Just moments before Gethe and his legion appeared without warning, Sharay had been trying to discern from Zafiro and his companions the location of Gethe and his servants, Madrin Kir and Dela. What had bothered her was how it was possible that the three managed to escape so easily despite the boy’s ability to create a portal here to the Inn. The exhausted child had opened his mouth to answer, but by then it was too late and the Goddess felt a ripple in the air, the expand of energy as the portal that had not been there just seconds ago began to take shape and form.

And then she knew. It was no coincidence that the three had escaped the demon for Gethe had counted on Zafiro’s abilities to create portals and in doing so, the boy unknowingly became a homing beacon for Gethe to pinpoint the Goddess and her own. Before the first being stepped through the portal, Sharay had turned her head toward the back section of the room where Wish had taken up residence, but it was too late.

All hell had broken loose.

The Dark Goddess watched in stunned silence as her Aliscowri were being slaughtered left and right before she could reposition herself between what she deemed the enemy and the fae girl. Zafiro had the good sense to hide, but for all good it would do the boy. Sooner or later he would be found and he would scream just as the others had upon being slaughtered.

This is not your fight. Flee now. Take the fae if you desire, but leave. Let them destroy each other. What do you care?

These words repeated over and over in Sharay’s head as the Corporian’s entered, Almedda’s mages who wielded their dark arts to use against her defenseless Aliscowri. She watched as those newly converted reached out to her as they were being dragged away by the shadow beings, calling for their mother to save them.

You were charged to keep the fae safe. That was all. Take her and go.

Sharay considered doing just that. She stepped over the bodies of the fallen to gather Wish when a bottle flew past her to connect with the pretty little head of Atisha, one of Gethe’s blindly obedient sheep. Just then the demon appeared preceded by Madrin Kir and Dela, and it was that precise moment that the Goddess made eye contact with the sorcerous Dead Seed Dela whose eyes reminded her so much of her own beloved child, did Sharay finally make a decision.

It does not have to be like this. There are other ways, other avenues to explore. Other possibilities. He has shown me, though I did not want to consider them until now. Choice.

The Goddess sprung into action before she could reconsider her plan of attack. Priorities were a must, and that meant using all efforts to keep Wish safe. Iyn too was non-negotiable. She was an intricate part of Ae`Vescra's plans to resurrect the Aliscowri to spread the message of Chaos. She was chosen.

My words, my vows are naught by air from my mouth if I break them.

Sharay called upon Chaos to do her bidding. She reached out for all it was worth and demanded that the energies from the chaotic force serve her well as inky oiled tendrils poured from her entire being, coiled heads ready to strike. Sharay focused on the Corporians first. Victims in their own right, for they had no control over their own actions, still they had to be destroyed. Beautiful and terrifying to behold, Sharay's voice was heard over the pandemonium, otherworldly and commanding as she seemed to transform before all.

"Finish them. Do not allow them to reach Iyn or the fae."

The Goddess felt that energetic flow flee from her form and she turned immediately toward Dela whom she knew, with a great sadness in her heart, would not hesitate to attack her ‘mother’ and kill her. Balls of darkly hued indigo light formed in her hand and she flung them near the Dead Seed child to separate her from Madrin Kir, and the Dead Seed was soon sailing into a nearby brick wall, shaken and perhaps bruised but otherwise unharmed. Before Dela could recover, the serpentine tendrils that served the Goddess found themselves slithering over the girl’s form, binding her tightly from using her magics against Sharay, or at least she hoped.

"Subdue her."

Even then, Sharay could not bring herself to harm Dela, and somehow the Dark Goddess knew that moment of weakness could potentially come back to bite her in the ass somehow. From behind her she felt movement and she turned quickly only to find the arraki had made his appearance, but to collect the boy Zafiro. What became of his friends, she could not say. Sharay made eye contact with Syvern but for a moment in complete understanding of the disregard to his own safety over the boy’s before her attention was drawn away by Madrin Kir dangerously approaching to where Wish had hidden herself, several bodies lay strewn behind him.

Madrin Kir.

Sharay’s entire being lit up, crackling with electricity as she began drawing energy from all around her. Sharay's voice was a thunderous boom in Madrin's head. Her eyes bled until nothing remained in those dark bottomless pools but black flames. The Lord Commander of the Alerian guard was no longer, and in his place was a spawn of the demon Gethe. In the split second she studied him while she diverted his attention, Sharay had an idea. If Kir was so easily susceptible to Gethe’s influence, why not hers? Manipulation was one of Sharay’s specialties, only this time it would not be for her own nefarious purposes.

Madrin Kir. Would you seek to destroy the one who came here to save you?

Sharay stood motionless, hovering but a few inches off the ground, her arms akimbo as she drew forth the essence of the slain, her gaze solely upon Madrin who paused in movement to regard the Goddess with her intent fiery gaze. She would prey upon Madrin Kir’s weaknesses, human emotions, namely compassion. Sharay would exploit the emotional ties, the connection and fondness he felt for the fae Wish Star. Perhaps then she could sever the the control Gethe had over Madrin, thus allowing possible escape for Wish...and...

Sharay felt Iyn by her side. “Run to the fae, Iyn.” The young woman opened her mouth to protest, to insist she stay by Sharay’s side to fight, but without even looking at the girl, Sharay snarled. “Do as I say now!” Confused and hurt by the cruel tone Sharay displayed, but choosing to obey the Goddess, Iyn raced across the corpse strewn Inn into the adjoining room where Wish had wisely remained out of immediate danger. Briefly Sharay touched the Dead Seed girl’s mind to inform Iyn of her plan. Iyn was to remain by Wish’s side and leave this doomed place as soon as feasibly possible....with or without Madrin Kir. Under no circumstances were either young women to remain here.


You know whom I speak of, Madrin Kir. Would you allow your master to bleed her dry knowing all she risked for you? Would you cut her down with your own sword only to later mourn her lifeless body when you come to your senses?

Sharay held Madrin’s steady gaze even as she drew forth chaotic powers to shield him, Iyn and Wish from Gethe’s scrutiny. With any luck, Madrin would soon betray his ‘master’ and thus allowing himself freedom to choose, and in doing so, would choose to lead Wish and her Iyn to safety.


“For you, Madrin. She came for you. Do you care so little for Wish Star to let her die knowing you could save her?”

Once more Sharay connected with Iyn for instructions.Iyn, whether or not Madrin chooses to remain under the demon’s influence or not is irrelevant. You and the fae must get as far away from the Inn soon. Should Madrin refuse to ‘see’ and should he prevent you and Wish from leaving...cut him down. Do not hesitate, child. Sharay knew this would cause Wish pain, but sadly the Goddess could not trust the fae to do what was necessary concerning Kir. The heart was a fickle organ that clouded judgement.


Sharay hoped at that point she was able to break through Gethe’s barrier to reason with Madrin, even if for a little while, but there was no time for her to ensure her success with Madrin Kir because just then she came face to face with the demon who was all too eager to usurp her, coveting her power for himself.

“Gethe.”

There were no taunts spewing from Sharay's lips, no threats of destruction and utter failure on the demon's part.

Iyn...once I start I do not know if I can stop. Pray to your Ae`Vescra child, for my success.

Waves of energy poured off Sharay as she flung her own Chaotic power, her essence at the demon lord, only to reabsorb it once it left her fingertips. The walls of the Inn began to crumble, deep cracks formed in the foundation. The ground began to quake just as the glass paned windows shattered.

The Goddess had not forgotten about Dela, and prayed the bonds held the powerful sorceress at bay. Even as Sharay did not desire to see harm come to the Dead Seed girl, Dela while still servant to Gethe, was simply too much of a risk to be allowed her freedom. Dela had traded her soul for immortality, and since temptation was a powerful thing and could make the most noble and pure corrupt, Sharay refused to bend in her decision.

Choices. We all make them.

She would attempt to destroy Gethe using the only way she knew how. She would absorb him, as she did Katrophe, as she did with the energies that crashed into her like tidal waves from the machine in Chaos, the devourer of worlds. All and any that were in the vicinity, should they not have the sense to escape, would not escape the maelstrom force that would soon be Sharay.

Not even Sharay.

The Goddess knew, even as she spread her arms out wide to draw to her all energetic forces, the shadow mages, the darkness, and with that hopefully, Gethe. The demon would fight her, naturally and that was a risk Sharay had to take. Not even she could predict the outcome of this battle.

The Goddess knew the risks regarding the transferral of power, as she had seen what had become of Blend. Though technically Sharay could not ‘die’, her physical form could be damaged, destroyed, and in such her essence would be exposed. The exposure was the true threat, for without a protective shell, it would be all too easy for a being with immense power to steal her essence for their own purposes.

Sacrifices had to be made. Gethe could not remain in Aleris.

As the energy forces attacked her, filled her, Sharay felt herself burning. Even as a prickle of fear crept into her heart, Sharay did not stop, did not falter.

“This is not your realm, Soul Eater.” Technically it wasn’t Sharay’s either, but now was not the time to quibble. Besides, as far as the Goddess was concerned, her investments took precedence over Gethe’s ambitious plans.

There was only room for one power hungry mogul in this realm and Sharay meant for it to be her.

As she fought against Gethe and her own self, Sharay could feel deep lesions form on her skin. Charred flesh began to peel away as Sharay became the devourer, the conduit, only instead of releasing the energy once it entered her, she harvested it. The temptation for more was great, and as she had previously warned Iyn, Sharay was not sure she could control it.

And I was rather fond of this body too. Such a shame.

But then the disruption came, and it took a moment for Sharay to realize what had caused the ripple. A surge of power coursed through her as she searched for the source. When she did locate it, she threw her head back and laughed as she burned, as black tears rolled down the charred flesh of her cheeks, laughing as her lips cracked and split.

He has arrived, and with his companion. Gethe will fall. Sharay laughed knowing that should she fail in any way, he was here now to set things right, but just as those thoughts crossed her mind, Sharay could ‘feel’ the change in Valorius and knew that perhaps, victory was not as imminent as she believed it to be.

Now is not the time to enjoy your newfound freedom, boy. Not while it is I who sacrifices all.

Balance would be restored...maybe.

Gethe didn't anticipate the attachment to Madrin, Dela had formed when he slipped the demon of Darkness' control briefly. The Dark one knew why the clan warrior kept having moments of freedom. Despite his ability to take the mind's memory, a subjects body has its own ingrained in every fiber of it. In this way it was possible to step around his power, rather than try to break it. This problem had caused him far too many issues in the past to ever forget the key weakness. However, the howling agony that followed their temporary defiance was like sweet music to the twisted being from the abyss.


The mural of dark blood that coated the floor boards and walls as Atisha Chanis crippled yet another aliscowri was exciting for her. It was nothing compared to the dungeons of the dark god in Nirdor but, she would take what she could get. She was sure he would praise her efforts on his behalf. It was at this time that a bottle of clear alcohol broke over her silken black hair. The high proof vodka burned her eyes and the wounds from broken glass didn't help the situation. However, pain and pleasure were the same to operatives of the red hand. This was because their minds had been twisted to remove the separator between them. Gethe himself did this before the physically beautiful humans were inducted into the ranks of his spy network.

Atisha was reminded of her times on the street before her dark master showed the young woman the joys of darkness. She didn't like bottles being thrown at her. It reminded her too much of old bruises her last male human caretaker gave her. At least until the dark priestess that found her eliminated him anyway.

Her violet eyes full of hatred locked in on the pretty little fae and she screamed with anger. "No one has the right to hurt me any longer except, master alone! Now you will die you worthless little bitch!" She charged while madness continued to fill the room behind her. She directed several skilled kicks at Wish which she dodged like a pro acrobat. That was merely a series of feints so that she could grab her legs and slam her to the ground while pain exploded thru the surprised body of Aurora's paladin.

The fae woman didn't suffer long however as light from her hands forced Atisha back and stunned her temporarily. Wish was against killing so the black haired teenager recovered but, her torso suddenly separated from her left shoulder to her right upper thigh by a sword blade from behind. The now lifeless corpse collapsed into two heaps of flesh with a sickening thud.


Sharay was going to sacrifice herself to destroy him, Gethe almost felt honored. Unfortunately, the demon was not the type to harbor that type of sentimental feeling. He started grabbing stray bits of furniture one by one since they were now perfect improvised weapons, thanks to Syvern's attack. The pointed shards were placed in the air until he had a dozen. Then he sent them all like arrows at the vortex of power the goddess of chaos and death had become. He was not going to waste dark energy attacking her that would only be absorbed.

When Valorius and Ameerah entered the wrecked common room of the Moon shadow inn Gethe had to rethink his strategy. He had not counted on them managing to get in his way so soon. Not to mention his slaves were being taken in by Sharay at that very moment. He hated showing his trump card but, if he intended to escape with any thralls he needed a quick exit. All the light in the room no matter its source went out. The dark one grew in size rapidly as his skin became like obsidian and two razor sharp gray horns sprouted from his head as hair fell away. This didn't stop until he reached fifty feet in height. The remains of the roof rained down on enemy and ally alike causing a brief pause in the fighting on both sides. What stood before the onlookers under the star filled night sky was no longer even remotely human, other than the fact it stood on two muscular hoofed legs.

Gethe reached out mentally to his blind servant Hydren. "Do it now, open the rift." Far away in Heruin a massive thirty foot diameter portal opened up outside Ironhold prison, as a high priest of the cult of Gerthluo burned away his own essence leaving nothing but a black smudge. If Hydren wasn't alone he could have shared the cost with others. However, due to the intervention of the ruler of Heruin and her head military commander the old man had no choice. He gave everything he was to open the portal to Nirdor.


Ten squads of Galuwrath passed thru first led by their slave commanders. Next came two hundred warriors of clan Chanis with the scorpion banner flying high. Hydren was a zealot that was refused a soul contract by Gethe. This was because the dark demon knew what the final result of the man's chosen path could be. Rather than risk being expelled to the abyss Gethe picked a safer path with him. The fool only managed to bring in three hundred and ten soldiers, counting the Galuwrath shock troops before the portal closed.


Meanwhile, the demon lord gathered those that still heard his commands with powerful disembodied hands of shadow. Together they phased into the darkness around them and appeared on the desert continent in front of Gethe's small army. The only thing he regretted was the loss of Reaver and Madrin, they were such valuable tools.

The Aliscowri foes fell before the demon sword Reaver like ripe wheat. Dela worked in tandem with the Abyssal knight as if she had done so a million times before. Madrin doubted that but, together the duo demolished the chaotic human targets in greater numbers. During a brief pause in the ring of death about him, he heard a voice. It sounded like it came from a great distance and talked of someone named Wish Star that came to save him. Why did so many people think he knew them? When he had never set eyes on them before.

Sharay shredded the dark tendrils in his brain that sought domination with the touch of chaos. She had done this before on a larger scale in Grand City during the last stage of her assault. Madrin's mind hadn't been this clear in a long time. However, his memory was still sealed within the darkness of his heart. His people called it the abyss of the soul where the darkest emotions resided. Nothing was without some form of evil or good. The only distinction was which side was strongest. He did not remember this but, it didn't change the impact on him.

The warrior could now feel the war demon that kept his wrath in control, since the darkness demon's black fog had dissipated. The demon hide armor began to shift as Madrin's will struggled with the creature of war surrounding him, internally. His opponents backed off and chose new targets as man fought demon. The screams were sometimes his but, more often the embodiment of war shrieked thru his lips. Madrin Kir had stared into the eyes of a god slaying Val'Nothe. A broken battle demon had no idea who's hands it had fallen into. The soldiers will was tempered in the fires of suffering and love. He may not recall such details but, his heart did.

Minutes ticked by as the black armor was ejected from its host. Madrin finally managed to toss Reaver away as he stood stark naked for all aware to see. The nude man picked up a fallen Aliscowri's short-sword and moved towards the other room that Wish and Atisha fought in. The strange female voice said this woman had come to save him. He thought it was only right to do the same for the fae. The sword he picked up was of poor quality, so it broke under the strain of his adrenal strength but, Atisha Chanis died all the same.

He addressed Wish as the air began to hum with Sharay's reckless power usage. "Are you alright Miss Star I recommend you get out of here now. Don't look back my burdens are my own, you need to survive." As the warrior walked away Gethe covered the room in darkness. Madrin felt a strange sword hilt in his hand. Suddenly he could see in the pitch darkness and noticed he was not holding Reaver as he feared. The blade pulsed with dark energy but, it felt different. He knew this weapon well though he wasn't sure why.

As the dark lord disappeared with loyal followers Madrin swung his sword severing the power absorbing magic Sharay used. "Your life should not be thrown away recklessly tonight. I owe you that much miss." The tribal fighter rushed past the destruction in The Moon Shadow Inn and thru the door Valorius blew open. He had to hurry or the demon might kill again. Something was instilling a sense of urgency in his every action.

He barely managed to avoid hitting a group of people that headed for the inn. There was a little girl that had her eyes covered by an older auburn haired woman and fifteen other adults. A pile of clothes was thrown at him. "Cover yourself boy this isn't Angeasor they have different rules for modesty!" The woman Madrin thought he killed was the source of the biting words. The rest manhandled the warrior into the black outfit that fit like it was made for him.

He finally managed to strangle out a few words once the clothing covered him. "I have no time for this Gethe is getting away."

The lot of them smiled at his words and Ranisa Kir spoke again. "Well then let's be on our way a believe this portal was your intended goal." Madrin stared at the void in the air and realized the woman was right. His sword had used the residue of Ameerah's transportation to give the small group a door to Heruin. The warrior consented to their request since the others insisted and looked like they could handle themselves.

The brown haired girl was a puzzle however. "We can't take a child, the risk is too high." The group eyed him like he was crazy.

Nedira padded over too her father and reached up and grabbed his arm forcing him to meet her brown eyes. "We are family, what one risk we all do." For some reason Madrin felt really proud of this small girl. Her father really had forgotten her as grandmother said, the littlest Kir wanted to cry but, now wasn't the time.

"Fine, I don't have the time to argue! I hope you all have made peace with your gods because, you may meet them soon." He did wonder as he stepped thru the opening what death would be like for someone who had almost no memory. He sheathed his sword in the decorative holder he was given that set perfectly on his back.


At the same instant that Gethe disappeared, Wish Star received a strange mental message. The tone was kind but, held worry. "I'm sorry to intrude, but Madrin will need your strength to overcome the demon of darkness. There is a portal outside please come and bring any willing to follow. There is a foreign army on the soil of Aleris." The voice stopped leaving no trace of its presence.

The two-handed sword Madrin carried was no simple sword. Within it is a shard of one of the twenty five gods of Nirdor. They were all huge celestial animals millennia ago. Each of the banners of the great clans held one of their images. However, they were only remembered in stories now. In the distant past the gods chose to live beside the children they brought forth. They were not all good but, they still loved the heirs of Nirdor. What Madrin wielded was the last essence of the black furred wolf god Kir divine beast of the clan that bore the same name.

The warrior had no gift for magic so he never heard it's voice. However, Wish was someone who was once a deity herself so the blade felt she might understand its plight. Kir had shoved the vile demon blade Reaver into the ripple of reality that formed between Gethe and Sharay as the sentient weapon appeared, hoping that the multi-verse would see no one found it again. The divine sword only had a certain amount of energy, so it wished it was enough since the portal would not stay open long.

All around her Aliscowri and Gethe's minions fell. Blood crept into the floorboards of The Moon Shadow Inn forever tainting the building with yet another useless battle - one that was fueled by the thought of conquest and enslavement of others. For a brief few seconds, Wish stood and watched as the bottle of vodka she threw flew over the many fighting and connected with the face of Atisha. The bottle broke upon impact, glass shards slicing through Atisha's once flawless and youthful skin, the liquid burning her eyes. Part of Wish was amused really.

Good shot, Wish thought mentally congratulating herself.

The sorceress turned upon Wish, her eyes filled with pure malice and shouted her anger across the room over the sounds of others fighting and screaming as they died. To Atisha's rage, Wish smirked ever so slightly with the promise of death. It wasn't the first time Wish was threatened with death on this little journey. Atisha's words, however, were nothing but the rantings of teenager driven by desire to please her one and only master. If Atisha heard Wish's next words over all the commotion in the room, it did not seem to matter.

"I'd like to see you try."

And that was exactly what Atisha did. Gethe's mage charged across the room towards Wish, trying to deliver quite a few kicks Wish's midsection. The woman's moves were sloppy though and Wish evaded most of them. This was about the same time that the entire inn started to violently shake and because of it, the walls began to crumble. Wish didn't have time to look over, but Sharay's chaotic essence was filling the room, black tendrils sweeping about and dark energy trying to absorb both Gethe and his servants. If it was inadvertent or not, none of Sharay's magic touched Wish as she fought with Atisha.

Using her cutlass, Wish managed to slice open the side of Atisha's arm, the one the woman used primarily for casting her magic. This was a minor victory as Atisha managed to somehow duck down and grab Wish's legs, slamming her roughly onto the ground, Wish's cutlass flying out of her hand and across the room in response. This was quite a unexpected for Wish and even more so when Atisha reached out, channeling pain infused magic throughout the fae's body. Wish tried to silence herself, holding back a scream behind closed lips as she struggled to push away from Atisha, her back and wings slowly sliding across the floor. The pain was holding her back though and in an effort to get away, Wish blindly kicked out with her booted foot, thankfully landing the heel of her shoe in Atisha's eye and then flicked her open palm towards the woman, white hot light shooting forth and connecting with Atisha's body.

Unfortunately, Atisha although clearly stunned and possibly missing an eye was quick to recover and stood looming over Wish while she made an attempt to get off the floor. Atisha had every intent to go in for a quick and "easy" kill, but suddenly from behind a sword cut the women like paper. A blade expertly sliced through Atisha, fatally cutting Gethe's sorceress from left shoulder to her upper right thigh. For a very brief few seconds, Atisha's lips formed a surprised shape, but any agonizing scream that might have come from her was silent as she finally dropped to the floor lifeless. Being in close proximity, blood from the huge open wound flew onto Wish, soaking parts of her clothing and had she not managed to roll out of the way, she would have been further soaked in crimson from all the liquid that drained from Atisha.

Before Wish could think about getting up, her gaze lifted to see who it was that had cut Atisha down. She could not believe her eyes for a few reasons. One of them being that it was Madrin who had sliced Atisha in twain. Two, that he was stark naked and holding a sword like some sort of ancient and well-crafted marble sculpture. Well, now Wish knew what happened once Madrin would be freed of that demonic, black armor. Wish almost had a mind to laugh when Madrin addressed her suggesting she should get out of the inn immediately because she needed to survive. But as Madrin stepped around her to go after Gethe, Wish could not even manage saying a single word to him.

It was at this time after Madrin stepped away that Iyn, one of Sharay's children came hovering over Wish, disappointment and worry written in the child's eyes. Wish wasn't sure, but she guessed Sharay had sent Iyn away from the fight and ordered her to take Wish along. After all, Iyn could not die and needed to be saved to further spread the message of the Aliscowri and Sharay could not keep up her end of the bargain with Aurora if Wish died. As Iyn reached down to help Wish up, the entire room went dark and was filled with blackness unlike any Wish had ever seen before. All manner of light was sucked away from the inn.

Wish could not see Iyn and any possible thought of getting out of the inn without being hurt was abandoned. A few seconds in time ticked by and in the midst of all the fighting, everyone stopped and the room grew quiet as the roof of the inn gave away, debris raining to the ground. Wish herself was pelted with falling boards and in her stunned state as she made an attempt to shield herself, was sure she felt a rib brake and then crack. Once the roof had given in, the stars began to cast a subtle and almost heavenly light onto the inn. Wish noticed this little comfort and then the vision was taken from her as she took in the sight of a fifty foot demon hovering over The Moon Shadow Inn in triumph.

Gethe.

A wounded hiss fell from Wish's lips as boards and debris was thrown away and Iyn pulled her to her feet. She was shaky of course, but Wish managed as the two women started to clear away from the fallen inn. With looked over her shoulder in their escape and saw that Sharay was still trying to consume Gethe with her chaotic magic. It seemed to be killing her however, or at least burning Sharay's skin as obsidian colored tears ran across the woman's cheeks staining porcelain skin. Wish paused and pointing an open palm in Sharay's direction, whispered a few hushed words. It may not have been noticed by anyone, but a light magic encircled Sharay, encasing and protecting her like a shell. A barrier. Wish didn't know how long it would last, but it should have helped Sharay in stopping Gethe.

Unfortunately, even in his gigantic mass, Gethe was pulled away from the inn and into a portal that was big enough to fit him and his remaining army. Afterwards, the portal closed leaving Jade City's inn in ruins. Sharay's magic was enough to frighten Gethe away, but did not stop him. With did not look back as her an Iyn fled from the inn. Truthfully, despite the woman's charred and burning flesh, Wish was sure that Sharay would survive to live another day. After all, people like that just didn't die; Wish was testament to that fact as well. Iyn on the other hand, did not appear to be so sure of this.

In the aftermath of all of this and once a safe distance from the inn, Wish was unsure of what to do next. Her gaze flickered around her and she looked for Madrin who she did not see anywhere. She bit her lower lip, hoping that he had not fallen back under Gethe's control. His fate, and Wish's, was soon answered when an unfamiliar voice filled Wish's mind for only her to hear. To Iyn, the fae might have appeared puzzled.

"I'm sorry to intrude, but Madrin will need your strength to overcome the demon of darkness. There is a portal outside. Please come and bring any willing to follow. There is a foreign army on the soil of Aleris."

Wish searched for the source of the voice and found no one to be had. It was certainly not Iyn. Truthfully, Wish was not so sure she should go and fight yet again another battle. Part of her wanted to not oblige to the request that actually sounded quite humble, apologizing for asking her to assist. Even as she thought she might object, something greater overcame her. The will to protect, to finish saving Madrin Kir as she had sworn she would do. Just then as she had decided, Wish saw herself standing on the shoreline of her home, the waves from the ocean peacefully washing in and out across the sand as a black wolf curiously watched her from a few feet away.

Black wolf, Wish thought. So... it's you.

But there was no more time to communicate subconsciously. Her attention was drawn to a single remaining portal which hovered in the air not far from Iyn and Wish, the same portal that Madrin and the Blackwolf clan had used earlier. It was wavering and would not last long; that much was for sure. With a sudden urgency, Wish turned her olive colored gaze down to Iyn and nodded.

"I'm going. This needs to be finished. I don't intend to beg for help, but should you feel inclined to ask any Aliscowri to hop through the other side of that portal, I'm sure the assistance would be appreciated."

Before Iyn could get any chance to protest (Sharay had made it the girl's mission to protect Wish after all), Wish ran from the Aliscowri messenger and dived through the portal. Truthfully, she was not sure where the portal would lead her, but with all the chaos going on, she figured what else could go wrong? Apparently... a lot could.

Once finished traversing time and space through the open portal, Wish was aware she was in Heruin. She knew this because she fell to her knees on sand and lots of it. Because of being thrown out of the portal, she became suddenly aware that she was injured. Wish looked down and what she thought was a broken rib was actually a deep gash across her side about six inches in length. Whether the wound was from a blade or some sharp falling debris from the roof of the inn didn't matter at this point. She was bleeding badly, having moved so much without realizing she'd been cut.

Wish tore off the corset she had on, as it had been ruined now, leaving her in the blouse she wore beneath it that used to be white and was now mostly colored red. Grasping onto the inside lining of her jacket, Wish ripped the fabric, tearing off long strips of cloth and tying them around her torso in an attempt to stop the flow of blood that was trickling down her side and over the leather of her pants. In all of this hurry to temporarily heal herself, Wish did not comprehend where she had landed on the other side of the portal besides Heruin.

She had landed right in front of Gethe's army.

Slowly, Wish drew her head upwards with an obvious "oh fuck" look in her eyes. Though she did not say anything, she was clearly stunned the portal had chosen to spit her out here of all places. She looked over her shoulder and saw that the banners of the Blackwolf tribe flying in the distance on the other side; the clan must have gathered to finish Gethe off. Unfortunately, as portal magic could often be tricky and unreliable, Wish had landed on the wrong side near the opposing forces and there was no way in hell she was going to make it across the distance to the Blackwolf clan. Hopefully should Iyn choose to go through the portal with Aliscowri, the same would not happen to her.

Instead of running away as there was clearly no point, Wish did the only thing she could think of. Thankfully, it was night and there was a bit of luck to her side as she cast her gaze heavenward. Though her eyes were closed, she could see the stars that flickered like silver in the sky over Heruin. She ignored anything that might have been happening to her at the moment - the blood pouring from her side or Gethe's army watching her. Clasping her hands together, she called out to those stars and her mouth moved whispering ancient words with haste.

Stop him. Stop Gethe. Don't give into him. Take the power of night away from him. Please. Do this for me.

Unfortunately for Gethe, the demon was not the only one who could talk to the night. With hope, Wish wanted the essence of the night to turn and respond to her. She prayed that at least, if anything, Gethe would be brought back down to size. Whether or not any of the millions of stars that hung in the sky responded to her was unseen yet, but still Wish continuously prayed on. If she had time, even just a few more seconds, she knew that those stars would hear her and maybe it would give the Blackwolf clan and whoever else the chance they needed to finish Gethe off.