Hope in Hell

By Lazette Gifford

Prologue

Abby turned, looking away from the devastation of the woods to glance back at the ship, a silver tower rising tall and glimmering in the light of morning. His friends would be returning there now. He longed to be with them, and to share those moments of celebrating their victory. There were new friends to introduce to the wonders of the ship, and there would be warm tea and delicious food. Friendship, laughter, and all that he loved and longed for lived in that ship.

He longed....

"Abby?" Tristan whispered softly, a brush of his fingers on Abby's arm to draw his attention.

"The Gods keep them safe," Abby said, startling his two companions. He meant the words, though, and he felt a little whisper of his mother's power in the breeze that blew past him just then. She had heard.

"Go or stay, Abby?" Tristan asked.

He took a breath, torn -- but he knew what he must do.

"Go."

He looked once more at the destruction the demon and the ship had brought here. The wounds of his world would heal, though; as would the wounds of his friends heal. He had only to go and make certain that he won the final battle.

Rquana stood beside him and when Abby turned to the friend who so inadvertently listened in to what he and Tristan said through the crowns --

"We go," Rqua said and met his look without flinching, even knowing the turmoil in Abby's mind. "Go now or else you two do not go on without the others at all. I have magic enough to disrupt your attempt, you know. And by then the others would be here, and I think you couldn't run from them again, Aubreyan Altazar."

He winced at the use of that name, though he couldn't say why. Perhaps it called back the boy he had once been. "I don't want to take my friends to hell with me, Rquana. Tristan is bad enough, but you --"

"I am the compromise, Abby. Either I go with you now, or we wait for everyone else to arrive."

Abby bowed his head to the inevitable and silently asked Tristan to begin their journey and to be quick in getting them away. He couldn't bear the thought of dragging this out longer, and of maybe having to say good-bye to his friends. He took a deep breath as Tristan wove the spell around them and caught tight hold of Rquana's arm. If the fool insisted on coming with them, then Aubreyan wanted to make certain they didn't lose him somewhere along the way.

"Going," Tristan whispered, his voice already sounding hollow and lost in the void to which they would go.

Rainbow colors swept and curled around them like wisps of smoke as the world faded... and they were gone again from Brendan's world. Abby would have liked to stay and visit with his friends for a little while longer. Too late now -- they were already back in the miasmic swirl of magic so powerful he could have reached out and taken a handful in his fist. He glanced to his left and saw that Rqua's eyes had gone wide, though not in fear. He appreciated the little show of wonder, at least.

The others would know they had gone by now. They would have seen the light and felt the wind, and known Abby and Tristan had left them behind. Abby hoped they understood. This had been no easy choice, to leave his friends again -- but far better than to take them to hell with him.

 Time to be done with this, Abby thought, and felt a little odd, realizing he was finally headed for the last battle. The long war would be done soon. He would fight to save his friends and keep them all safe -- or he could lose and everything would fall. He only regretted how he knew his friends must feel, abandoned after they had worked so hard to get this far.

He feared he would never see their friends again, and that made him ache.

And then he feared something far worse, the fear driving through his heart and taking his breath away. This was not a new thought, but here, in this last part of the journey, it came with a force that set him trembling.

 What if I fail? 

He closed his eyes, and for a moment he saw everything in ruin; the worlds he had known all gone to death and destruction, and he knew it was his fault because he had failed in the end. Had he failed because he made the wrong decision or took the wrong path, or did something he couldn't even conceive of go wrong, and they'd had no way to correct the mistake? He looked around, frantic to find answers --

Rqua turned to him, startled and afraid, but Tristan's fingers, tightening on Abby's arm, reinforcing their usual contact, brought him back to the right edge of sanity again.

 Calm, Abby. Calm. 

He took a deeper breath. He had not lost the final battle yet, and he would not allow those fears to influence him now. Tristan was right -- he needed calm. He had won the other battles, and against odds that weren't, really, much worse than what he was about to face. He had to believe....

 But what if Gix comes back for the others? Will they be able to fight the demon without our help? Tristan! 

 He won't be back. We are taking the Kiya to hell for him, Abby. The only reason he could possibly come back is to get Tabor, and I think he won't want to deal with his son until after he's done with us. He will only go after them if we fail. This is the best way we have to keep them safe. 

Abby nodded again, a movement that sent swirls of color around them. He saw the way Rqua watched the movement, entranced by the beauty of this place. He remembered the first time he and Tristan had taken this sort of path, and how his friend had been so nearly captivated by the magic here. It made him smile to see the same look in Rqua.

He treasured the moment and accepted this for what is was -- a little quiet between one battle and the next. He could not go back to his friends so it was time to turn his attention to that next battle and to look onward --

So he looked forward instead of back... and felt a new chill. Odd. He couldn't see where they were going this time, and on all their previous journeys, he had always had a clear view of their next step. This time saw a wall of darkness ahead, as though something cut off the view and repelled him.

 Tristan -- 

Tristan and Rqua both looked. Tristan lifted his hand and felt out the darkness in the path and frowned, though he didn't seem particularly upset. They were moving forward, but not with any apparent speed. But then... had they ever? He'd never been able to judge the passage of time in this place.

 I can feel it, but it's not anything hostile. I think, Abby, that it's just a manifestation of who you are and where you're going. 

 I don't understand. 

 You are a Godling, and a Godling should never willingly seek a journey to a demon's hell. I think the wall between us is the sort that keeps the demons and the Gods apart. 

 A wall? I've gone through walls meant to keep me out before. 

Tristan smiled and seemed unconcerned. Abby had no doubt... no, no, he would not take doubt with him, on this last crucial step. He also didn't look back again to what he'd left behind.

He saw the end ahead, somewhere beyond that blackness. He saw, finally, the last battle.

He went willingly.

Part One

Chapter One

Crystal watched the light disappear as the warm wind blew back his hair. His breath caught and refused to come again.

Abby, Tristan and even Rqua had left them. He tried not to feel anger. He didn't want to feel betrayed. But damn them --

No, he didn't want to think such a thing either, considering where the three were headed. He bowed his head and tried to offer better thoughts, to hope they did well, to hope they came back again to their friends.

Gone. The light faded and the wind slowly died, leaving him and his companions standing at the door to the ship, to stare into the emptiness and feel the loss.

"We should have tried to stop them," Crystal finally said. He shook his head, despair finally winning over the tumbling effect of the other emotions. "We shouldn't have let them just leave like that --"

"Once Tristan started the spell, there was no safe way to stop it," Tabor said, but even his voice trembled this time. He stared out toward where the light had been and looked as lost and upset as the rest of them. Then he looked back at Crystal and shook his head. "No, we wouldn't have wanted to try to stop the spell. I was there when Tristan scattered the Kiya. I would not want to see it happen to the rest of you as well."

The others nodded, those who understood about magic more certain than the others. Crystal tried to reconcile the knowledge that they'd been left behind with the feeling they had fostered for so long -- that this was the final step before the last battle. He looked at the three strangers who stood side-by-side at the end of the ramp. He thought Brendan looked as though he should be off his feet. The bard still gave Tabor worried glances, and Crystal suddenly wondered if they could convince the new people that Tabor was not their enemy. They didn't have Abby here to reassure him.

"Damn them," Crystal finally whispered aloud, despite himself.

"Please don't say such a thing." Tabor put a hand on Crystal's shoulder. Crystal only then realized how unsteady Tabor must be from his own ordeal. "Do not say such things, not with where they are going."

"I don't understand," Crystal finally admitted. "I don't know why they did all of this just to leave us here."

"What has happened?" Shafara dared to ask. She glanced at them, looking uneasy as her eyes lingered on Tabor. "Aside from Abby and Tristan leaving, which they've done before."

"We've been running from one world to another, fighting Gix and whatever he threw at us along the way, while we collected the people who have stood by Abby and Tristan during this long war. We were going to the final battle." Etric's voice sounded uncertain, and he looked stunned, still. It seemed as though he had recited the news more for himself than for her.

"Only now that they've finally gotten us all together, they've gone on to the battle and left us behind," Crystal explained, and shook his head, wishing he could think more clearly. His head pounded still, but at least Shafara seemed to understand the situation better. "I don't understand why they went to all the trouble of gathering us together, only to abandon us at the last moment!"

"Because they never collected us for the battle," Kadrien said and drew everyone's attention. He gave a little wave of his hand toward the group. "They collected us to keep us safe from their enemies."

Crystal felt very stupid in that moment.

"Gods," Dacey whispered, which made Crystal a little uneasy, even now. He thought that maybe as unwise as damning Abby and Tristan, even without any real intent. He didn't trust the Gods much at all. "We should have realized this possibility long before now. It was a stupid thing for us never to consider. We all know Abby at least that well!"

"And you are people who have been with Abby for a while?" Shafara asked. She still looked uncertain as she looked from one to another, pausing to look at Tabor again.

"We have all stood with Abby in one place or another -- yes, even Tabor," Etric said when Brendan looked his way. "When Gix moved against us, trying to weaken Abby, he and Tristan collected us instead. And here we are, with you -- the last group. I assume you must be Lady Shafara, right? Brendan we'd know by the harp. And you must be King Sandryn. Welcome. I'm sorry we haven't seemed very friendly. This has come as a shock."

"I wish Abby had stayed to explain it all." Crystal looked back toward the interior of the ship for the first time. It looked alien now, which made him uncomfortable as well. He had no idea what they would do now, and where his future might be. "We can invite you in, at least, for a rest."

"They've gone to Gix, haven't they?" Brendan asked. The instrument in the case he held suddenly played a dark, harsh melody. Crystal wasn't the only one who shivered at the sound. He soothed it with a whisper, but when he looked up, Brendan's eyes looked bleak and worried. He understood. "That's the final battle, isn't it?"

"Yes," Crystal said, his heart pounding at the thought. He could see the dismay the others felt, now that they'd said it aloud.

"I would have gone back with them," Brendan said. The words surprised his two companions, and Sandryn put a hand on Brendan's arm, as though to stop him from such an idea. "I would have gone to face the demon again, and helped them in that final battle."

"Any of us would have gone," Tam answered. Others were starting to head into the ship but he frowned, looking toward it and then back into the woods. "No reflection on Rquana, but if they had wanted someone to go with them for this battle, I would have been a far better choice."

"Rqua is closer to them than any of you realize," Kamil said, his voice soft. He looked at the faces of others as he spoke, careful to watch how they were reacting -- no, to see what they were saying. Sometimes even Crystal forgot he couldn't hear. "Rquana is the only one who hears them all the time, in his head. He knows what they think, what they feel -- he understands them, and knows their needs. And I think it would have been too hard for him to have remained behind, in the silence."

"Well, there's no doubt he understand them better than the rest of us do," Crystal agreed. "None of the rest of us considered that they would go on without us."

Heads nodded. Crystal saw pain and anger, but mostly he saw the loss they shared, mirrored in the faces of his friends. They were suddenly without choices, without reason for their very existence, at least here in this strange place. He didn't think Abby and Tristan ever understood how much they had invested in this war.

"Let's go inside. A few of us need to get off our feet," Etric said, and sounded weary. But he looked at Brendan, Sharfara and Sandryn and bowed his head. "Please come in, my friends."

Crystal bowed his head as the newcomers reluctantly came aboard the craft. He wondered what they thought as the group headed for the lift -- praise the gods they were not expected to walk up the long, curving corridor. The trip upward was made in silence, and they came out in the corridor that led to the Crew's Lounge. Others had begun to introduce themselves, at least, and some of the shock appeared to have worn off. Crystal feared the anger would remain, and he tried to banish it from himself. It would not go, and seemed to beat in time with his pulsing headache.

What would they do now? Stay here and wait? How long? When would they know if Abby and Tristan had won? Could they explore this area -- go off with the ship and see if there were wonders to be found? That, at least, seemed better than waiting.

He feared they would know if the two lost the battle, and he didn't want to face that possibility, either. Everything would change. He knew enough about the demons to shudder at the thought of the war ending in their favor.

He went to the table where Etric sat, Tabor to his side, Brendan, Sandy and Shafara in the chairs across from them. Crystal dropped into one of the chairs, sighing with relief at the moment of comfort. He hadn't asked about the gravity on this world, but he suspected it wasn't the real problem anyway. He ached from the battles fought, and he felt worse for not knowing what to do next.

The three strangers still didn't look as though they had accepted anything, including being here in this ship. He knew that look too well. He saw the way Brendan held the harp closer, and how Sandy -- King Sandryn -- looked around with more wonder than the other two. Shafara, however, was more interested in the people who sat with them.

"Sorry, I didn't introduce myself," Crystal said and sat up straighter, still trying to ignore both the headache and his anger. "I'm Captain Crystal."

"Ah, the second captain that Etric mentioned," Shafara said. She leaned back, looking more at ease than the other two, though she glanced around the room once with a shake of her head. "And you take this huge hunk of metal between realities."

"Yes," Crystal and Etric chorused.

"And you are both crazy."

"We're all crazy," Etric said, and quite seriously.

She laughed. Crystal thought it a good sound, and it seemed to help the other two relax a little. "What are you going to do now?" she asked.

"That's the question," Etric said. He looked bothered by the thought, and Crystal didn't blame him. He wanted answers, and feared there were none that would help. "We have to face the reality that those three have gone on. I don't know what we'll do now."

Petra had come over and leaned against the back of Etric's chair, oddly at ease in the ship. Funny how fast people adapted. "They did this to Carrick and me when they left our world," he said. He sounded tired, and not as surprised or angered as the others. "We had no idea if they would even reach a next destination, since this was their first leap. I have -- well, I have more faith in them now."

"But what are we going to do?" Zoe asked. She turned to the right, looking around the room with a puzzled expression, as though the place had become alien to her. They all looked as lost, he thought, and he wondered if she thought anyone had an answer. "Are we going to take everyone back to their own worlds now and hope for the best?"

The idea of parting from the others sent a strange chill through Crystal, mostly because it suddenly appeared to be the only real answer. Could they take everyone home and abandon the work? They had gone so far together, and though he knew the work they had done in the past counted for a great deal, it still felt unfinished.

He looked around the room and had an odd feeling, as if he sat amongst strangers, and only Abby and Tristan had ever really linked them together. He didn't like the reaction, either. It seemed as though the two had taken reality with them, and left nothing to fill the void. He shivered again, and looked at Etric, hoping for answers, though he knew his friend couldn't provide them.

No choices. They would have to give up -- except he'd never given up in his life. He didn't want to take that path now. He wanted a different answer, and he knew one place that he might get one.

"Banning, I want to follow them. Can we?" he asked.

People looked from him to Banning, who lounged by the door. She didn't look particularly surprised by the question. She knew him well, and probably had even considered the question long before he had. From the look on her face, though, he didn't think she had an answer he would like.

"The Kiya was the link to the passage," she said, still leaning against the metal mold of doorframe. She stared across the room, not looking at any of them. Crystal knew that look, and knew she weighed the options as she stared at nothing in particular. "The strong magic the pieces possessed fueled the engine, while her limited intelligence held the path to the worlds. In some ways, we tricked her. We tapped her memories and made her think she was still trying to reach a piece of the Kiya we already had. We changed pieces for each leap so we could get to other destinations each time. With only one piece left, the head, any of the other pieces would have pulled us straight to Gix's domain. She instinctively knew the way. Without that link, though, I can't see how we can find --"

"I can lead us to Gix's hell," Tabor said, looking up from the table.

Crystal thought he saw a flash of red in his friend's eyes, and he wondered, suddenly, if they should ever have considered taking Tabor back there, to put him in a place where he might change again.

And then Crystal realized the full implications of what Tabor had said. He looked startled, caught somewhere between dread and hope, and it looked as though everyone else in the room shared the same turbulent emotions.

"Tabor --" Banning began, then stopped and frowned.

"I remember my father's hell very well and I am also not lacking in magic."

"Ah." Banning pushed her hands through her hair, her eyes staring across the room again before she focused on him once more. The restless rustling in the room stopped and silence held in a moment of hope. "Ah. Maybe. Tabor --"

"I'm more than willing to try," he said and stood. "And the sooner we get to work on it, the better. We don't have much time."

She looked away from Tabor to Crystal, her Captain. He knew that look in her eyes -- the moment when an idea began to take control of her thoughts, and possibilities sorted themselves out into little pockets of logic. Excellent. Crystal nodded, giving her permission to continue -- and saw Etric do the same. Crystal felt his pulse start to race again. Their moment of rest was already over.

"This won't be easy," Banning said. "But with Tabor's own magic, I might be able to secure a lock. The engines are already tuned to follow such a path, so the hard part will only be to find it. And we're going to need to store magic for the engines to use, or else we're likely to kill Tabor getting there. We never had to worry about killing the Kiya."

"This world is drenched in magic," Etric said with a lift of his hand. Lights played against his fingers, even here and with so little effort. People -- mostly ships' crew who were not used to such things -- looked at him, surprised and enthralled. "We won't have trouble finding magic, but we'll need some way to store it so that we can use it to filter into the engines later."

"I have such spells," Dacey said, leaning forward. "I can create containers outside the ship and the rest of the mages and I can fill them and then move them inside."

"Good." Banning nodded, looking anxious. "I'll show you and Silver more about the ship's power needs so you can make something adaptable."

"There is still one more question," Tam said, drawing startled looks to him. Crystal was worried -- Tam looked pale, and he might not even have the strength to stand. He leaned forward, both hands on the table as he spoke, as though to keep himself from falling over. "We need to know how many of us really want to go on, and who would rather go home, instead."

The statement brought sounds of distress from everyone. He lifted a shaking hand and silenced them again, though the silence no doubt came from worry over his health. Crystal doubted he noticed the concern.

"Don't protest too quickly, my friends," he said softly and they fell silent again. "It's one thing to go in as an army with Abby and Tristan, and quite another to stumble in after them, and hope we don't make the situation worse."

Now there was a nasty little thought, and one that brought Crystal's heart into his throat. They might be making a terrible mistake, trying to follow. They might have been left behind, not because Abby and Tristan wanted to protect them, but because they would be more a nuisance than a help in the battle.

 No. 

They had fought beside Abby and Tristan, all of them in one place or another, and they had helped win battles he knew the two couldn't have managed alone. Yes, they were both powerful. However, it had always taken more than power to win. Maybe what it needed more was faith.

With that thought, Crystal also became convinced that the two had made a mistake. Trying to protect them actually increased the odds, in the long run, of putting them in danger if Abby and Tristan didn't win.

The others were still looking around, frowning, but Crystal had made up his mind.

"If any of you want to go home, let us know right away," Crystal said. "We'll all have to go back to my own reality first, so Banning, Tabor and I can grab another ship first, though. We'll be going on after Abby and Tristan, and as soon as possible."

Etric laughed. The others grew louder again, and Crystal already knew where most of them would side. After all, they had already come this far. Some of them -- including his crew -- had come from places so far removed from this reality that he could never have imagined such a place, where a harp played a soft tune while three people talked quietly to each other about a future they obviously hadn't expected. Crystal watched them with more interest, probably because they were so new to this madness. Brendan looked human enough, but out there in the woods there had been a few moments when Crystal had seen a different kind of creature. Not like Tristan or Brother -- a step farther removed, in some ways. This one, he though, was only human-shaped.

All three nodded, having quickly come to a decision. He could tell they would go on with the ship as well before the three crossed to talk to him.

"We're going," Lady Shafara said simply. "But I must make a quick journey back to the city. I'll go by magic and be back before the sun is down. We must be certain the people know we are going, and to make certain there are people left in charge who will handle matters well."

"Of course," Crystal said, though he glanced at Sandryn, wondering why the Lady would go and not him. Sandryn must have read the look. He blushed a little and smiled.

"They'll take Lady Shafara far more seriously than they would take me in this matter," he said. "And -- I don't want them to see how anxious I am to leave. It's not that I don't love this place, but only that there is something I must see through to the end. I had felt it for a long time before this metal fell to my world, but I never thought I would have a chance to help again."

Crystal glanced at Brendan.

"No one listens to me -- at least when I speak," he said and smiled, a hand brushing against the case he carried. The harp made a sound of music like cascading laughter.

Banning crossed to the table where Tabor sat and put a hand on his shoulder. She had a daring look that Crystal used to see just before they went off raiding in places they shouldn't have been. It meant good things.

"Yes. The sooner we figure this out, the better." Tabor said and stood. He didn't look much steadier than Tam, who seemed about to stand and follow. Tabor unexpectedly pushed Tamaris back down into the chair. "Have Ylin look you over, Tam. I want you as strong as possible before we go up against my father and Braith again."

Tam had started to protest, but then stopped and nodded. Oh yes, if they were going to this war, Tabor, Crystal, and everyone else would want to make certain their best warrior was up to the battle. Tam must have realized it as well.

Some of the others had started leaving already. Etric escorted Shafara out of the room, no doubt to show her the way out. Everyone looked as though they were going to be busy again. He watched Tabor and Banning leave, and wondered how long it would take Ban to figure out how to do this next little trick. He had faith in her. She wouldn't give up.

Crystal suspected Abby would not be happy with what they planned, but it was time the two realized this was their war, too.

They would see it to the end.

Chapter Two

Kadrien had left the medical center feeling much better than when they had first arrived there. He still felt the whisper of fear and loss when he thought about Abby and Tristan going on without them, but he had begun to understand why they had done it, as well. When he thought of all of them going into this battle, it made him shiver with the realization of all the friends he could lose. Nevertheless, he hoped Banning and Tabor worked things out soon. He wanted to move on to the next step. Like everyone else, he worried about Abby, Tristan and Rqua alone facing the demon.

Lady Shafara had already returned from her trip back to the city. He didn't like to think how that must have gone. It couldn't have been much better than when he had walked away from his own throne, and with far less preparation for the others. He'd already been missing for some time, and his people knew they could handle the work. He'd made his choice. It was the right one. He had to believe the same was true for King Sandryn.

The mages had gathered glowing containers full of magic and freighted them down into the bay where they would be close to the engines. They'd suggested that everyone else stay clear. When Kadrien went down to take his turn at guarding the airlock -- a weak spot in the wards around the ship -- he had passed too close to the bay and felt the tingle of magic.

He'd hurried on to the airlock and had taken over from Istanan.

They wanted to keep the doors open as long as possible, letting the ship's recycling system take full advantage of the free air out there for the taking. He could hear the gentle intake valves off to his right, just inside the airlock, pulling oxygen into the system.

Two gargoyles had landed outside the ship in the last hour, just as night fell, but a laser pistol proved quite sufficient to kill them. He appreciated that the others trusted him to keep watch here. It made him feel far less useless.

This looked like a lovely world, and he hated to see the destruction of the woods, but the world would recover... as long as Abby and Tristan didn't lose the final battle. He found that he liked standing here, with the scent of the trees filling the air, and a soft breeze blowing against his face. Back home, those things would have been alien -- truly alien. He'd changed from the boy who had moved from room-to-room, slipping away from the guards, hiding what he could from his mother. It hardly seemed possible that he could have gone from such a life to guarding the airlock against magical creatures.

He'd have to thank Tamaris again.

Someone came down the hall behind him, and he glanced back, surprised to find Sandy -- King Sandryn -- standing at the inner door. Most people didn't find their way back down to the airlock for days, at least without a guide.

"Is it all right to be here?" he asked softly.

"No one in the ship is a prisoner," Kadrien replied and signaled him forward. "I'm here to make certain nothing gets in, is all. We're letting the ship take in some good air while we have it."

Sandy nodded as though he understood what Kadrien had said. Kadrien managed not to grin. He'd nodded like that many times himself, back when he sat on a throne and pretended to understand everything. 

"I'm Kadrien, by the way. I know you'll have trouble keeping us all straight for a while, so don't worry."

"Thank you. It is overwhelming," he said. He looked out and shook his head. "I hate to see the trees down, but it's not as bad as the last time Abby and Tristan were here."

"It's a lovely world, even with the destruction," Kadrien said, looking back out at the sound of the breeze nearby. "We've certainly seen far worse worlds out there."

"Have you?" Sandy asked, his eyes brightening.

Oh, another one who wanted the adventure that had been denied to him by birth? Or perhaps it had not been entirely denied, since Kadrien remembered some of the tales, sifted through the crowns. Maybe Sandy had just gotten a taste for adventure and found ruling to be... dull.

"I've only been a few places on this world," Sandy said, looking back out into the night. He stared for a long moment, silent while his eyes blinked and Kadrien thought he must have been thinking about those other places. He finally shook his head and looked back at Kadrien. "I don't know what to expect. Are the worlds as lovely as this?"

"Some, I think. We've seen Eliora's gray world, which was not a place I would want to live, though I think Abby may have fixed some of that problem when we left. And we saw Dacey's lands, racked by storms --"

"And your own?" Sandy asked.

"Not too bad, but not much nature, and where there is, there is also too damnned much snow." Kadrien glanced out at the woods. "Why are you leaving this place, King Sandryn?"

"Because I love the people -- and because I'm not needed here. That's not to say I didn't help when I was needed -- but it turns out my uncle is a far better ruler than I am in many ways. He's far more patient and understanding of the lands and the needs of the people. I came and saved them when they were about to fall to evil, and I have helped set things in order, but I am too impatient sometimes to rule well. Shafara and I both know it, and we know why. I spent far too much time away from court to be comfortable there now, amidst all the show and pretense that people expect."

"And?" Kadrien said, looking into his face.

"And I walked with Aubreyan and Tristan, and faced with the mundane work of ruling, even of a land I love, it pales to something far too much like boredom. I never wanted the power, you know. I did what I had to in order to save my lands, and I would do it again. I would stay and rule for all my life, if I thought that was the best choice. Knowing I can be part of the larger battle to save everything makes secular power seem insignificant. It can't hold me. And if I stayed while Brendan and Shafara went, I fear I would be bitter. I don't want to be that kind of ruler, either."

"Good points," Kadrien agreed. "Besides, we can always use another mage. I don't think we can have enough mages on this trip."

"Do you have a brother on the ship?" Sandy asked. "I think I have seen someone who looks a great deal like you."

"That would be Tamaris. He's my cousin, actually. And don't let him make you nervous."

"Should he?"

"Tam can sometimes be -- well, he's just very good with weapons."

"And that sounds like someone else we would want on this journey." Sandy looked out into the woods, his eyes narrowing. Kadrien looked as well, thinking he might have seen something moving, there at the edge of the trees. "I want to make certain going with you is the right choice. I've made my peace with leaving this place, but I don't want to be a problem for the rest of you."

"You have magic. We need magic." Kadrien felt a little strange still, saying those words, though he meant them. Life had been different before Tabor walked into his life. Different -- and boring, in many ways. Kadrien understood far too well why Sandy didn't want to be left behind when the others left. He also understood why the king might worry that he'd be a problem rather than a help, but Sandryn had more to offer than Kadrien had -- and if they took him, they were not going to leave behind someone who might actually help.

He had turned to say as much when something slid down the side of the ship and hit him in the back.

Although not large, whatever it had been hit him hard enough that he fell and rolled down the entry way while it held on. He felt teeth at the back of his neck, though he managed to reach back and grab hold of enough of the creature's leathery skin to tear it partially free.

Sandy leapt forward to help him.

"Guard -- guard the door! Don't let anything in!" he yelled.

 Fool. Should have showed Sandy the in-ship comm system first thing. Should have -- 

Sandy shouted something, and a glare of white swept over the door -- magic so strong he suspected no one was going to get in and out until Sandy said so.

The king dashed toward him, grabbed the creature still nipping at Kadrien's neck, and tore it free. Another spell killed the thing before Sandryn tossed it aside.

Gargolyles sprinted from the trees toward them, though. Kadrien surged back to his feet and drew his pistol, killing three as they came from the woods. Sandy spun and with his own magic killed another coming from the side. The two began to retreat back to the safety of the ship. Sandy, he knew, would be weaker with the loss of magic, but the king didn't much show it. He killed another gargoyle as it swept down on them, and Kadrien wounded one and sent it fluttering back toward the woods.

"Sandy!" a voice shouted behind them. "Drop the ward and I can help."

Kadrien glanced back to see Shafara ready to come to their aid. He didn't think they would need it, but he still felt better knowing they had such back-up. When he glanced at the side of the ship, he saw a couple more of the small creatures, hanging with their heads down, and ready to pounce, their small eyes glittering.

Sandy looked toward Lady Shafara, waved his hand once and, the lights of the ward died.

"On the ship, Lady Shafara," Kadrien warned, pointing his laser upward, but not using it. "I dare not shoot them and risk damaging the craft."

"Ah." She came past the door and looked up, took note of where the creatures were, and waved her hand.

They didn't fall. The light caught them and turned the creatures to a fine dust that scattered on the wind. The next gargoyle went the same way.

"She's much better at this than I am," Sandy said with a smile.

With nothing else in sight, the two hurried back to the airlock entrance, watching for trouble, though the woods had gone quiet and calm again. A number of gargoyles lay dead in the opening below the ship, but other than that, and a bit of a sting at the back of his neck, Kadrien saw no other sign of the trouble. His two companions both stood, hands lifted, testing the world in their own way -- and since it was their world, they likely would have had a better chance of finding something out of place than he would. He stood in silence until they were both done, nodding and looking relieved.

"Thank you for the help, both of you," he said with a bow of his head. He swiped his fingers across the back of his neck and grimaced at the blood. Lady Shafara reached and started to lift his hair, but he pulled back with a start that any stranger would dare such a thing --

 Oh, and wasn't that an interesting, old reaction.

"Your pardon," Kadrien said.

"That was unthinking on my part," she said and bowed her head. "May I look?"

"Please." He even turned and didn't shiver -- much -- at the feel of her hand on his shoulder, and the feathering of his hair. He thought Sandryn looked at him oddly, though.

"A little magic will take care of these wounds, if you have no objection," Shafara said.

"None," he replied. He thought to say that he didn't want her to waste the power. However, he felt it more important to show that he did trust her. Besides, she didn't seem to have any weakness from using magic. He'd heard the others say that magic was nearly everywhere here -- it must have helped.

Her fingers brushed against his neck and the magic swept away the sting. He hadn't realized the stiffening of his neck that had gone with the wound, but it felt much better now. He'd kept his eyes on the woods outside, and saw movement there again, but nothing was daring the opening this time. He finally lowered the laser pistol.

"There." Lady Shafara let the hair fall again and even patted his shoulder. He probably looked startled by the familiarity of the touch because Sandryn grinned, but said nothing. "You two did quite well."

"Except for a stupid mistake," Kadrien said. He took a step to the side of the airlock's little room and waved a hand toward the comm unit there on the wall. "This will connect you with the main control room of the ship. Just hit the top button and tell whomever answers that there is a problem. Or that you're lost. People get lost on this big damned ship all the time, so don't be embarrassed about it. The ship's computer can trace where the communication is coming from and they will either send someone, or else tell you how to get to somewhere else."

"What a wonder," Shafara said, looking at the little box. "No magic."

"Technology, which we poor powerless humans created to take the place of magic," Kadrien said. "It's a different kind of power, is all."

"Yes," she said. She looked out at the woods again and nodded once more. "I had come to find Sandryn, to ask -- well, a stupid question, to be honest. We will be leaving soon. I wanted to be certain --"

"I'm certain. Are you?" he asked, his head tilted.

"Oh yes. Very much so, even to go into battle for the Gods again."

That had an odd sound, but Kadrien didn't ask.

"We both came from the same battles, Shafara, though I joined a little later than you," Sandryn said. He looked out at the world and then back at her again. "You know me better than anyone else. Do you think I should stay behind?"

"No. You have done what you needed to here, Sandryn. You gave them a legend. It's time to move on."

Sandryn nodded.

"Thank you for your aid, both now and in the future," Kadrien said. She smiled.

Etric arrived a moment later, looked at the group, and nodded. "I felt the trouble, and that you had help, but thought I should come down anyway."

"Tell people to watch for creatures creeping down the side of the ship," Kadrien said.

"Yes, I'll add that to the list." He looked harassed and worried. "I'm heading back up --"

"Would you mind company, Captain?" Shafara asked.

"Not at all." He smiled this time and even seemed to take a moment to calm.

The two walked away, leaving Kadrien and Sandy still to guard the door. Kadrian thought even Sandryn showed a hint of surprise by the amount of trust the two showed, though he supposed the two of them had managed the trouble well enough.

Kadrien glanced at his watch. "Otaka will be here to take over soon. They probably think they can trust us that long."

Sandy gave a little laugh and then leaned carefully against the door jam, as though he was half-afraid that it would bite him. "You aren't used to magic, are you?"

Kadrian glanced once around the area and up the side of the ship before he answered. "No, not really. Etric is from my reality, but magic isn't common there. We know it exists, but it's especially not welcome in the circles where I grew up." He forced himself not to touch the back of his neck, where Shafara's magic had done its work. It suddenly seemed odd, to have let it happen. But he trusted these people. Trusted them all, and had to admit that he was just as glad to feel better than to suffer the role of a martyr again. He'd done that with Tabor, the first time they met. He was wiser now.

"Do I hear a hint of nobility in those words? Ah, yes, I do understand. People here are beginning to realize I have magical powers as well, and it's made many of them uneasy. That's another reason I think it's time to go -- at least for a while. Having both secular power and magical power seems to unsettle people."

"I suppose they even have reason, though after being with the others on this journey, I could wish for people to be more tolerant. There are many times we wouldn't have survived at all without magic power, and while I've seen magic used for evil, I've more often seen it used for good."

Sandryn nodded and leaned a little against the wall, finally showing he felt at ease. "Do you find it odd that we all seem to get along so well?"

"As though we were meant to be together and part of a team?" Kadrien asked and saw Sandy give a little start at those words. "No, it doesn't surprise me at all. We have each come to this war for the same reasons, even those of us -- like your Brendan and our Tabor -- who are not entirely human."

Sandy smiled, looking amused. "Abby and Tristan aren't exactly human either, you know. That really has no bearing on what we do. I can't even be certain we're all of the same race, anyway, considering that we don't all come from the same realities."

Kadrien hadn't considered that possibility, probably because he came from a place with many worlds, and humans on all of them. "Excellent point," he admitted. "I keep trying to make this battle too narrow, I think. I don't want it to be... to be something beyond anything we can deal with."

"I understand." Sandy stopped and looked back into the ship as someone neared. He looked worried.

But it was Otaka, come to take her turn at the watch. Kadrien was glad to see her, especially with a laser rifle in hand. She'd come prepared for the work as night came closer, and she would no doubt face more trouble -- if they stayed for much longer. She had become the head of security by default and she seemed quite good at the work. Everyone trusted and liked her.

Otaka came to the edge of the opening, looked out at the world, and gave a quick nod, as though she could tell the state of everything in just a glance.

"Watch out for things coming down the side of the ship," Kadrian warned, glad enough to give up his spot.

"There's no new magic in the immediate area," Sandy added, his hand lifting toward the air.

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

"How is it going in there?" Kadrien asked as he yielded his spot to her.

"From all I can see, we'll be leaving soon. People are starting to get that look they acquire just before we make another leapt into insanity." A slight smile started to curl the edges of her lips. "Be ready, sire. And sire."

She bowed to them both and laughed when they started to protest.

"I'd like to see you try that one with Tam," Kadrien said, shaking his head.

"Have I ever struck you as being that stupid?" she asked, though still smiling.

"No, actually. But it could be interesting."

"Your reaction is interesting enough for me."

"You know, it might be wise to remember who actually owns this ship."

That won a brighter laugh from her as the two walked away. At the first curve, Kadrien sighed and looked at Sandy. "You know, I don't think she really takes me very seriously."

Sandy looked as though he might be having a hard time not laughing as well. Kadrien grinned, and felt a little unexpected glow at the feeling of acceptance. He didn't know why the Gods had so gifted him by bringing him here. He didn't think he deserved it.

"This wondrous craft really is yours?" Sandy finally asked, his hand brushing along the wall. He looked surprised, and perhaps a little worried about the rank.

"It came with the title," he said and shrugged as he herded Sandy toward the lift rather than the curving path that most of the crew took. He'd stood watch for four hours, and he didn't really want to walk all the way up the ship again. Besides, he wasn't a good person to give a tour of the ship. Many of the others understood the functions far better than he did, and he didn't want to be embarrassed. "I'm glad I finally found a use for the ship. I just hope it continues to help, and can get us through this next jump. I have faith in Banning. She's done wonders already."

"She came with the ship as well?"

"No. She was a smuggler with Captain Crystal. If I ever go back home, I think I'm going to have to look at enticing a few of their brethren into my service. They seem to know all kinds of interesting tricks."

The lift started up, startling Sandy for a moment, but he quickly relaxed. Kadrien realized he should have said something about what the lift did. It might be dangerous to startle a mage, and especially one so lately come from battle and shoved into something completely unknown and strange.

"You don't actually plan to go back, do you?" Sandy asked, his voice a little soft now.

"No, I don't. For all the reasons you said about ruling, and many more. Are you hungry? We can go hunt up some food. I hope you're used to fending for yourself, though. They're not very good servants, this bunch."

Sandy was still laughing when they stepped out into the hall. People turned and smiled, and no one bowed. It was a wondrous place to be.

Interlude 1

The world around him had fallen under a blood red darkness and admitted to being neither night nor day. It held on, long after even the sallow sun of Gix's world should have risen. The darkness seized the world in a painful embrace, letting nothing escape the torment of those endless hours.

This had always been hell: now it turned worse. Things moved in the darkness when they dared, darting from one bleak piece of cover to another, though there was no safety anywhere. They looked for respite and found none. Occasionally, fingers of yellow lightning still found them -- grabbed them in a fire of eternity, and then finally let go and moved on. Everything turned restless and the fear that had lived here grew to an unbounded terror.

Nothing consigned to this hell wanted to be found in this endless time. Everything trembled as the wind moaned and howled through the world.

The master of the world lay in pain in his tower, and everything suffered for it.

Time did not seem to move, except in Gix's raging thoughts, and those thoughts focused on something he had never thought truly possible. He had failed. He had failed in a simple journey to grab Brendan, the creature masquerading as a human, and destroy it before it came back to his realm and caused more trouble.

It had not even been part of the true battle. The real enemy would be here soon. Very many enemies would come to his realm, and though they were only human, he had begun to realize they had more than human powers. The danger was not that they were determined to reach him and help their companion. He realized now that the Goddess protected them, and stood with them in a way more subtle than when he backed Braith. She did nothing overt to upset the balance.

 Balance. 

Something was not in balance. Pain should have been his tool, and never used against him. Pain and suffering were his powers, but when he looked down at his wounds, they hurt him. Anger boiled within him and the world shook -- but then he fell back, panting and weak.

He needed control. He needed his own balance returned so he could manipulate the powers around him. He needed to grab upon the powers of his own realm, and he could not reach them because --

Because he had walked on the wrong side of the line. He had touched something, tried to manipulate something that was not within his realm of understanding or control.

He could not use friendship and love against others. He could not twist such things, because they were the gifts of the gods. What had made him listen to Braith, and follow the ways of humans? They always tended toward the ways of the gods unless something came into their path to turn them another way.

His powers lay in the realm of pain, domination, fear and anger. In order to return to his balance, he must use his own tools and not try to bend the tools of others. He pulled those thoughts closer like a blanket, and the pain began to ease almost immediately. He heard Braith sigh with relief, and found, to his surprise, that the creature still knelt close by, ready to help him: loyal, in its own odd way.

"Braith," he said. His voice already sounded steady again. He brushed his hand over the bald head and pain followed the touch. Braith shivered, his eyes closed -- pain and ecstasy were all the same to him.

"Master," he whispered.

"You did well." He did not praise often and Braith shivered again, for a new reason, plainly expecting something far worse. "Now we must prepare. I must call on allies I do not trust. I have in my keeping humans so corrupt and power hungry that I have locked them away to keep even my throne safe," Gix said. Braith looked up with a moment of consternation. Had he never realized he wasn't the worst creature to stand in his hell? "I will use them now."

"Is it safe?" Braith asked, afraid for all his own selfish reasons. Gix well knew Braith feared for his own position, should the others turn on him. But oddly, he was safe from that fear, though Gix would not tell him so. Gix would not have trusted any of the others so close to his throne.

"Nothing is safe," Gix said, and ran a clawed finger down the side of his servant's face, leaving a line of festering blood in its wake. "Have I ever given you reason to think otherwise?"

"No, master." He licked at the line of blood with a dark tongue.

"Go. Leave me. I will call for you when I want you."

Braith bowed, nearly doubling over this time before he backed away a dozen steps, and then a dozen more. He turned and hurried to the door -- but he stopped there and looked back, uncertain.

Gix punished that uncertainty with a wave of fiery pain that sent Braith howling in agony as he tried to get away.

But then, how should he punish his own doubt?

The gods might well have found a champion worthy of the war this time. Aubreyan had done what none in the past had ever managed -- he had subverted one who should never have left his father's side and kept him even though there was no certainty that the Gods would win this battle. Tabor knew everything he risked by going over to Aubreyan, and such a risk made no sense if victory was not certain. Gix had seen the wavering in Tabor right from the moment when his son had first encountered the Godling. He had tried to bleed it out of him, to give him every reason to want to cling to and grab power, so he would be the one doling out the pain, with Braith as his slave. But he had turned instead, to Abby, and the promise of something entirely different -- something no creature with demon blood should have willing wanted.

The balance was not right. That meant he would have to do something daring to bring the odds to his side. The Gods had won a little with the subversion of his son, but it was not enough to assure them of a win. They still worried about what would happen in the final confrontation. He could win the battle.

Or he could fail. He knew it.

His blood sang at the thought of such a challenge. He'd lived life too calmly for far too long, and if they fought to the usual standstill it would be eons before a chance like this arose again. There was no challenge in balance, and he had lived in balance for far too long. He suspected the Gods had as well, and had forgotten what they would awaken with these games.

He was ready to play.

Chapter Three

Tamaris wondered how much longer they would remain on this world. As nice a world as it looked, he still wanted to go now. He wanted to head out into that odd, magical path, find hell, and fight the final battle -- and be done with it all. Finished. He thought he might understand Abby a little better when he considered it, because if he had his way, he would have gone on alone and dared the odds.

But they needed to go, and soon. Abby needed them -- even if Abby didn't realize it. However, the ship still sat on Sandryn's world while Banning and Tabor worked at making this journey possible. He knew it was unwise to go and bother them, and he even knew his mood would not make him good company for anyone else.

He could not be still, so he wandered the halls, trying to lose himself in the feeling of going places, even if it meant only going up and around, down corridors, through gardens that showed some neglect, but thrived with the help of the computer care. There could be an entire village hidden away in one of these levels, and it might be years before they found it.

The thought, at last, amused him.

He came around a corner, back near the main hall -- and realized someone was standing right before him. They collided, and Tam leapt back, a blade already in hand. Damn good thing Brendan moved quickly, too.

Tam shoved the blade back into the brace on his arm. "You are too damned quiet!"

"Well, you aren't exactly noisy," Brendan said in return. Tam saw him lower his hand -- another mage. Good thing to remember in the future. "People don't usually sneak up on me, either."

"I think you'd better start making more noise," Tam said, frowning. "A bell wouldn't hurt."

"Me?" Brendan said, his eyes gone wide. "What makes you think I would wear a bell? Why not you?"

Tam felt a rush of heat at the suggestion -- and then he heard laughter from the hall ahead. With a sigh, he took another two steps, Brendan beside him, and looked out into the hall. There he found Istanan, looking far too amused as he leaned against the wall, watching them.

"Go ahead, Tam," Istanan said, still grinning. "Tell him why you can't be the one to wear the bell."

Brendan looked at him, obviously expecting some sort of an answer. Great. Istanan snickered, too.

"I can't wear a bell because it would interfere with my work. I'm an assassin."

"Do much of that work on this craft, do you?" Brendan asked.

Istanan appeared to be choking now. And Brendan looked far too much as though he wanted to laugh.

"Truce," Tam said, finally laughing as well. "Maybe if we stick together, we won't have to worry about it."

"Truce," Brendan agreed with a nod of this head. "Tam, is it?"

"Yes, Tamaris. Tam to my friends." He looked at Ist, who smiled brightly. Odd people, who found him amusing. "Such as they are. This is Istanan. He's one of Crystal's crew."

Brendan looked back at the tall thin man and gave a quick, almost nervous nod. There seemed to be a little reserve in the look, and Tam wondered if that came from meeting strangers in general, or if Brendan only realized Ist was one of the ship people. Tam had noticed that people not used to traveling between the stars viewed those who did so regularly with a mixture of awe and worry, half believing, no doubt, that they were all crazy.

Tam wouldn't have disagreed.

"How is the work going with Tabor?" Tam asked as the three started up the hall. Istanan moved slowly and both he and Brendan automatically slowed to match his pace.

"I left them a few minutes ago. Banning is ready to pull her hair out. That usually means she'll stop messing around with theory and do something practical soon. It won't be much longer."

"Was that supposed to sound reassuring?" Tam asked with a shake of his head.

"Just the truth." Istanan smiled brightly again. "I would never think of lying to you, Price Tamaris."

Brendan laughed again, no doubt at the look on Tam's face. He shifted the case he carried over his shoulder, patting the surface for a moment. Tam heard a whisper of music. That would be the magical harp he had heard about before. Even having seen the Janin so often, he still couldn't get used to the idea of something magical enough to be intelligent.

He noted something else, as well. Brendan's arm, beneath a shirt he must have borrowed from someone else, was swathed in bandages. He thought there might be more bandages across his chest, and Tam saw a dark bruise at the side of his face, as well as a few smaller cuts.

The wounds reminded Tamaris of why they were all here: of battles fought and battles still to come. They were allies, and they were going on to a war that would take all their wits to win. With that in mind, he thought he might like to get to know Brendan better.

"Let's go get something to eat and relax," Tam offered, and surprised Brendan with the offer. "Who knows when we'll have another chance?"

"I would be relieved to rest for a while," Istanan said. He stopped and leaned against the wall, grimacing as he moved his leg. "Sorry. High grav world. It's really hard on me after a while. I'll be glad when we get to space again."

Brendan looked as though he tried to parse every word Istanan had said to see if he could make sense of any of it. Tam hadn't considered how odd it might seem, those little words like grav and space. He wondered what it had been like for Abby and Tristan when they first fell into Freedom. He had joined this little crusade not long afterwards, and they had already seemed... a part of his universe.

And it had seemed far emptier when they had gone away again.

"How does one hunt food in this place?" Brendan finally asked, a little quirk of a smile at his lips. He touched the wall and shook his head. "It's not natural. I'm rather out of place."

"I apologize," Istanan said, pushing away from the wall. He waved away their start of words. "No, not for resting. But it occurs to me that we have ignored our new companions in our worry over Abby, Tristan and Rqua. This must be overwhelming."

"Insane comes to mind before overwhelming," Brendan confessed. Then he shrugged. "But I've been with Abby and Tristan before. Insane doesn't surprise me. Actually, nothing surprises me anymore."

Istanan laughed, but didn't argue. "Do you think we should try to find your other two companions?"

"I saw Shafara go off with Etric," Tam said, again matching his pace to Istanan and Brendan, who also seemed to be limping a bit now. "I don't think we need to worry about them. If those two starve, we haven't a hope in hell."

Istanan made a little strangled sound that was half a laugh and half a moan.

"I suppose you think that's funny," Brendan said, shaking his head.

"It's one of those lines that one rarely gets to use and actually mean it." That won smiles from both of the others, and the idea of insanity seemed more likely again, but then Tam shrugged since he was well part of it. "I also saw Sandryn and Kadrien together. Those two may need rescuing before too long."

"Sandy wasn't always king, you know," Brendan replied with a shake of his head. "And he's nearly as powerful as Lady Shafara. He can manage quite well on his own."

"Good reminder," Tam said with a bow of his head. "In my reality, so many of the royalty are... less well-trained in how to take care of themselves."

Istanan unexpectedly laughed once more. "Why haven't you taught your illustrious cousin the Emperor a bit more about survival?"

Brendan looked sideways at Tam, plainly curious this time. "Emperor? Does that mean you are royal besides being an assassin?"

"Afraid so." They turned a curve, passing Damien who gave a quick nod and appeared to be in a hurry to get somewhere else.

Tam wondered when he had started feeling so at ease with all these strange people. He wondered when he had found that he fitted in with the rest of them -- someone who had never fit in anywhere before.

"You look odd," Istanan said, and even dared to jab him in the arm. Few people dared any familiarity with him, for a number of reasons. It shocked him, even now. "Don't do that. You worry us, when you start looking odd."

He smiled and then looked back at Brendan who seemed both confused and worried again. "Don't worry about the rank of the people on this ship. It means nothing here. We have quite a few members of nobility in the group -- including my cousin, who managed to learn how to survive very well without my help. I find having all the nobility with us oddly reassuring, in fact, since I've spent far too much time with bad ones in my own place. It's good to remember there are many people who stand on the side of right and are prepared to help people, no matter what their status had been in some other place."

Brendan nodded, and looked at him again as they paused. Ist had developed more of a limp again. He nodded his thanks as he rested a hand against the nearest wall.

"You have royalty aboard," Brendan said, a bit of a frown curling at the corners of his mouth, as though he tried not to show worry about the conversation. "What about former slaves?"

"Oh, I don't know," Tam replied, leaning back by Ist. "Three or four, at least."

The answer plainly surprised Brendan. He glanced at Zoe as she went past the group. She only patted Ist on the arm and rushed on, heading for who knew what? But Tam still found it good to see the crew moving. Preparing.

"Both Captains were slaves," Istanan said, and even he shook his head at that thought. "I don't know how they survived, because I don't think either of them are really good at taking orders. Besides, it was a very bad situation -- labor camps, illegal drugs. And there is also Dacey, though no one has actually called it that, even though he was sold to a mage."

"True. And who knows about the others?" Tam said as they started away again. "Would you consider Abby a slave to the gods?"

"Maybe at first," Ist agreed. "But I think he's made his own choices since then."

Tam nodded and then looked back at their worried companion. Apparently the answers hadn't helped much. "So, Brendan, what would be your next question?" Tam asked. "How many people are not quite human?"

Brendan froze in mid-movement, and Tam saw something odd flash in his eyes -- a little hint of golden color, like magic all its own. Even the harp played a dozen soft little notes inside her case.

"You know about me?" Brendan asked softly, glancing at Istanan as though he expected attack or condemnation.

"Oh yes," Tam answered. Best to get this out of the way, since he could see it troubled Brendan. "You needn't worry about that part, either."

"There are others?" He looked truly shocked this time.

"Well, Tabor of course. And Brother. I'm not certain you've met him. And Abby and Tristan, of course."

"I hadn't thought of it that way," Brendan said. Worry eased from his face and he looked far younger again. "I'm rather unique on my world. It makes me uneasy, fearing what others will think when they find out."

"I've heard you are the Keeper of the Song," Istanan said as they started onward again. "I would think that would be enough for anyone."

"So would I," Brendan agreed. "Somehow I seem to be other things as well. I smell food. Good food, too."

"Oh yes. Only the best for the Emperor's ship. We're nearly to the crew's lounge." Istanan glanced at their companion, and Tam wondered what he thought about the latest addition. Surely, he was no stranger than the rest of them, when it came down to it. "Do you plan to go on with us when we leave?"

"Yes." He even smiled this time, though Tam saw another flash, like barely banked fire, in his eyes. He couldn't quite guess at the emotions this one showed. "I've been to Gix's hell. I can help you there, I think." And the harp played louder this time, startling Ist and Tam. Brendan reached back and patted the case, calming her. "She doesn't want to go back, but she understands the need."

"We have very little magic in the place where Istanan and I started this journey," Tam said. He looked at the case and shook his head. "An intelligent and magical musical instrument is by far the most unusual thing I've encountered so far. Well, that and the Janin."

"Not much magic? But I thought you had mages."

"We have Etric, and he's teaching Rquana. I've never known any others," Tam said with a shrug. "And I've known quite a few people."

"We took to technology and we took to the stars," Istanan said, brushing his hand along the wall with a quick smile. "There's not much magic out there in the void between worlds, so we had no reason to really pursue it."

"True." Tam looked back, thinking for a moment that someone might be following them. He'd gotten jumpy about trouble on ships lately. "I understand that magic is hard to find between the stars. Tristan had a lot of trouble with that part the first time I journeyed with them. But here -- this is different. I don't know that I trust the magic."

"No, never trust wild magic --" Brendan stopped and spun, his hand raised. Tam felt a tingle. "The ward around the ship just went down!"

Tam started for the comm in case somehow the other mages hadn't noticed. One step -- and suddenly he couldn't breathe. A wave of blood-red light enveloped him, and it felt as though fire touched every inch of his skin. He went to his knees and cried out at the movement. He forced his hand toward one of the blades he carried, but he couldn't attack anything. Couldn't stop it. No enemy --

Istanan had fallen with a short gasp of pain, and didn't move afterwards. Brendan stayed on his feet, his head back, his eyes closed. Dove played music in that moment -- a dark tune, terrible, but filled with power. Brendan's arm moved, carefully inching upward while his face paled and perspiration beaded along his forehead. He grabbed at a chain around his neck and pulled upward.

Bright, white light filled the area with magic so powerful Tam could feel it as well. The red slipped back away from Brendan's light, inching away from Tam and then Istanan. Brendan took a step forward, the bright star in his hand, and pushed the red light away, back toward the walls, away from the ship. It could not have been easy work.

The harp played, the tune turning brighter and faster. Tam could breathe again, and move, though every inch of his body ached. Istanan remained unmoving where he had fallen. Tam couldn't be certain Ist was breathing, and that frightened him. He crawled to their companion and carefully turned Istanan to his back. A hand to his friend's chest brought some relief from the worry. He could feel a flutter of movement, as well as the hard beating of his heart.

He heard the sound of running feet and had a knife in hand out of habit and worry this time. He slid it back away when Etric arrived around the corner. Silver, Shafara and Brother came right after him, and the amount of magical power surging around them seemed to fill the hall with electricity.

"Thank you." Etric carefully placed a hand on Brendan's arm. "We have it now."

"What happened?" Tam asked, looking up at them. He didn't like being down on the floor, and wasn't used to looking up at people. Brother knelt by Ist, and Tam stood, grateful to have Ist in the hands of someone who could help him.

"Something powerful pounded down the ward and rushed in," Silver said. "Brendan held it at bay long enough for the rest of us to gather strength and beat it back."

Looking at their new companion, Tam could tell Brendan had used every bit of power he had, too. His legs started to go, and Tam caught him just in time, which surprised the bard, though he didn't try to pull away. He carefully pushed the crystal he held back into his shirt and nodded his thanks.

"That came from Gix," Brendan said, still gasping. His head reeled. "Straight from his hell."

"You don't think they've already failed --" Etric began looking panicked.

"No," Tam said and with such certainty that he caught all their attention. "Gix would have used more power if he'd already won. I think, if Abby loses, we will all see a change in the universe."

"Yes," Etric agreed. He took a deeper breath and nodded to Shafara. "Thank you. We have the ward back up."

"Why did he attack us?" Silver asked.

Tam looked up and unexpectedly smiled. "I think because we are still a danger. I think he's trying to stop us."

"Ah." Etric smiled as well and even Brendan appeared to feel better for the thought. "And all he's done is reinforced our resolve to go on. We're almost ready to leave."

And the harp played a pretty tune for them as they headed back to work.

Chapter Four

This was not right.

The journey took too long. Abby had never been aware of time in this place before, but on this passage he felt as though time crawled forward, the magic swirling around them with no sign of their own movement. Was it because of Rqua? They'd never had a third person with them before.

 No, Abby. It's not him. It's the nature of the journey. We're going somewhere far different from the realities where we've been before. And we're going to a place that is repelling us as well. Gix does not want us there. It is another block in the way. 

 He's frightened, Abby thought. He could see Rquana look toward him, his face almost distinct in this odd place. It didn't seem fair that Rqua could hear them, but they couldn't hear him, or help to understand his worries.

 I can help. 

Tristan pulled a little magic from the miasma of power around them and shaped it into a spell, and spread it over Rquana.

In the next moment he realized they could hear him. Amazed, amused... pleased. It did help.

 Yes, Rqua thought. He reached out and gently brushed his hand over a thread of blue power that came close. It bent toward him and gently wrapped around his hand. Gods, this is just... amazing. Frightening and powerful. I fear to do anything. But to be here.... 

Swirls of magic, in every bright color -- and colors he could not name -- moved in around them as they moved toward their goal. It curled around them sometimes, and almost had the power to hold them in place. Stronger magic moved in this corridor between places than he'd seen before, and he thought it might be because of where they were going.

Abby hadn't often thought about the oddness of this place where they so often traveled, at least not for the last few journeys. It had become nothing more than a corridor to somewhere else; a place where he parted from friends and moved on to the next battle.

Rqua felt sorry for Abby and Tristan. He thought it unfair they had been forced into this war, and thought it wrong they left friends behind, who would so willingly go along --

 Too dangerous, Abby thought.

 You fear losing them, Rqua replied. He already sounded steadier, but Abby could sense a slight hint of pain behind the words. This couldn't be easy for Rqua. Pay attention, Aubreyan. I am about to teach you something about humans. You thought it best to leave the others behind, but that was never the right answer. It made us helpless to aid you in the rest of the war, and left us with nothing to do but wait and see if the demons won. 

 Didn't believe Tristan and I -- 

 Always hoped you would win in the end, but humans imagine the worst, even if they don't say it aloud. 

 Ah! That's where Abby gets it from! 

It amused Abby.

Tristan reached out and brushed a hand over the side of Rqua's head, a little magic to ease the pain there. I could heal this while we are here, with so much magic at my fingertips. 

 But it would cut me off from you. I want the link. 

 Don't trust us, Rquana? Abby asked.

 Not, not at all. 

He was lying, of course, and that made Abby grin again. He found it startling to see the war from the other side. He had thought to keep his friends safe from his war.

But they were the ones, in the end, who would live with the results.

 How much longer, do you think? Rqua wondered.

Abby looked ahead again, trying to see a destination beyond the haze of darkness that still hung over them. He wanted it done. He couldn't hide his worry. It had never seemed to take so long. He knew Tristan was right about the nature of the journey, and the obstacles in the way, but even so, it worried him.

He hoped the others were all right. They needed to get to Gix before the demon moved against them again.

Rqua smiled. I just hope we get there ahead of them. 

Shock, surprise. Abby and Tristan shook their heads, thoughts merging into almost the same words. They can't! We took the Kiya with us! 

 Do you really think that's going to stop them? You've not been paying much attention! 

 But --! 

 They have the ship, mages, and Banning. 

Abby looked at Rqua, aware that they had almost stopped moving while he stared in shock. He shook his head, his thoughts chaotic. Magic brushed against his arms, trying to hold him there. Tristan waved the colors away, but he hardly seemed any more coherent than his companion.

 You think they will follow us, Abby finally thought, a coherent statement at last.

 Oh yes. And that's what has been worrying me -- not where we are, not this journey, but that they might already be on their way if they figure things out quickly enough. 

 You don't doubt -- 

 No, I don't. I know they will get there. We're going to hell to fight the final battle. Did you really think, after all they've been through, and all the times they've stood beside you, that they'd give up now? 

 I had not considered that they could, Abby admitted.

 We had better go, Tristan added. He began to urge them forward again. I never expected this journey or this final battle would be easy. But I didn't think we had to worry about not getting there first. 

 That's why I've been worried.  Rqua looked around at the walls of power and shook his head. His hair moved as though alive, and the curls of power tried to move in around them and hold them again. It isn't this place. Although, wondrous as it is to be so close to magic, I think I prefer to travel in a ship even here. 

 So do I! Abby and Tristan chorused -- and then both felt embarrassment, because a ship should not have been so natural to them. That passed to amusement and even the silent laughter made the darkness seem a little less strong.

They would go to battle. If they were lucky, they would end the trouble before their friends arrived. If they were unlucky, the others would reach Gix's domain ahead of them and...

And, for all Abby knew, they would win and not need Abby and Tristan at all. He tried not to feel appalled at that thought, but it came far too strongly. His friends were not helpless, after all.

 We had better get there first, Tristan thought, a little worried himself. Just to prove we are still needed, of course. 

Rqua's amusement didn't help.

Chapter Five

Tabor stood by the chair while Banning fiddled with the settings on the computer again. Cables snaked in and out of boxes lining the little corner of the control room; it looked like some kind of bizarre creature surging out of the boards that ran the ship.

Banning made another adjustment, frowned at a box that showed wavy lines on a black background, and set something a little differently. It might as well have been magic. No -- worse that that. Tabor understood magic. Technology left him uneasy.

"Ready?" Banning asked, turning to him at last.

There were a wealth of other questions in her single word. Ready to go? Ready to return to his father's world? Ready to try some experiment in travel that was apt to get them all killed if he didn't handle this well?

He was not ready.

He thought about Kamil again, who had been badly hit by the last attack. Tabor had been nearby when the red light of his father's attack had caught the psi. He controlled the trembling of his hands as he thought about Kamil's pain as it had washed over him. He was used to pain, but not feeling someone else's in such minute detail.

He did not want to live another's pain and fear again.

If Brendan hadn't held back the attack, Istanan would be dead, and probably others, as well. And Gix would come for them again. Better, really, to go and be done with it, instead of wasting their powers and talents on sitting here, so far from where they could do any good.

"Are you ready?" Banning asked again.

Tabor looked at her. She had a hypo in hand, and looked at him frowning.

"Yes," he finally said. He took a step forward. Stopped. "No."

"I do hope that's not meant to instill confidence," Crystal said, coming up beside him. He put a hand on Tabor's arm. "If there are problems --"

"Of course there are problems, not the least of which is that I suddenly understand Abby and Tristan far better than I ever have before."

"Yes?" Banning said. She looked impatient, passing a cable from one hand to the other.

"I don't want to take my... to take all of you to my father's domain."

"You don't want to take your friends," Crystal said. He leaned back against the desk and looked into Tabor's face. "And you know we're your friends, right?"

Tabor brushed a hand through his hair, wishing this hadn't come up just now. It would not help in the long run, and it only made him feel more uncomfortable. However, Crystal plainly didn't intend to move without an answer, and he knew even impatient Banning would do nothing until her Captain gave the nod to go ahead. Tabor finally shrugged. "Friend is not a word I've dared to use, being who -- being what I am."

"We are your friends," Banning insisted, and shocked him that this beautiful woman with an iron will would say such a thing to him. "But that doesn't change the fact that we make our own choices. We need to go on with this battle. We all need to see it to the end, Tabor, because we have been fighting it for too long to walk way now."

"And if we don't go, and Abby and Tristan fail, we'll never know if we could have helped them and made a difference," Crystal said. He looked more determined than Tabor was used to seeing in the generally lighthearted man. "I don't want to stand by and wait and hope. I want to believe we can make a difference -- because we have in the past, you know."

"I know," he said. "But to go to Gix's world, to try and stand up to him there --"

"Do you want to tell us what will happen if Abby and Tristan do fail?" Crystal asked.

He swallowed at the thought, unable to think clearly for a moment.

"Chaos at first," he said with a little shudder that he couldn't conceal. "It will sweep slowly through like a wind from a different place, and it will be as though everything has gone mad. It won't all change in a day, but eventually it will be obvious there is no balance between good and evil any longer, and that the universe has slipped to the side of evil."

"Just because of this damned staff?" Banning asked.

"The staff is only a symbol of power. Yes, if it fell to the Gods, it would be difficult for the demons because they have invested so much in making the staff. However, it was only ever a pawn -- a piece that moved from one side to the other, in hopes of drawing out the more important players in this endless game. This is about Abby. Abby has more to do with the balance than the staff."

"And not you?" Crystal asked, looking pensive. "I would think you coming to our side must mean a great deal as well."

Tabor tried to quell the surge of worry those words brought, and the thoughts of his place in this madness. He shrugged again, hoping to keep the calm in his face, if not in his mind. "Perhaps, but that means I have to be at the final battle for it to count. It is time we go."

He settled on the chair, trying to get as comfortable as possible. He watched as Banning pulled open the edge of his shirt and placed small sensor boxes against his bare chest, where they would monitor his condition. She had explained it all to him during the tests, but she seemed far more serious this time, making absolute certain of the locations and the readings before she dropped a heavy band over his forehead. She adjusted and adjusted again, and then nodded. She finally reached back to the counter by the chair and picked up the hypo.

"Hypo?" Crystal asked, and looked bothered and worried.

"I have to sedate him," she explained. "It's the only way to keep him centered and his mind from wandering to the Gods know where."

Crystal snickered at her choice of words, and someone else laughed.

"Give me the damned sedative before I have to listen to any more of these awful human jokes," Tabor said, leaning back and forcing himself to relax as best he could. Banning smiled. She didn't do that often enough.

"You are not like the Kiya," Banning said as she leaned closer, adjusting things again. If he hadn't been so worried about this journey, he would have been intrigued by the feel of her fingers on his chest. "The Kiya had a very single-minded need to get somewhere. You are going to want to think about other things. We're going to have to keep you focused. I don't think this is going to be easy, Tabor. But I have -- well, faith, that you can do it."

Even Crystal moaned at that line. Tabor shook his head in wonder at how these people could maintain a sense of humor, even now. But he did nod to Banning and she pressed the cold nozzle against the side of his neck. He felt something tickle in his throat....

He blinked, and started going under very quickly. So fast, in fact, that it startled him. He didn't like the feel of losing control --

"Careful, careful," Banning said. He could feel her hand on his arm, the gentle pressure of her fingers against his skin. "It's all right, Crystal. He's doing fine. Istanan, bring the engines online. You better warn the others, Captain. We're almost ready to leave."

Tabor felt the familiar rumble of power in the ship, spreading through the metal skin and sending a slight vibration through everything. It seemed closer to him this time, as though he could reach out and touch the power. The feeling grew, spreading up through his skin and bones just as it had through the ship. He became part of the engine, and he felt the power core glow and breathe with him. He had known power before, but nothing like this -- which, it seemed, was not really a part of technology in the end. It was only what technology used to work, just as he would use and manipulate it to blend both magic and technology.

He'd only brushed against it in their tests. Now he breathed the power into his soul, a feel like none he'd ever had before. He wanted to study and measure it, and test his ability to control --

"Tabor, listen to me," Banning said. She seemed very far away, but he felt the brush of her fingers across his face, distracting him. He didn't want it, and started to protest, and then realized she did it on purpose, calling him back to her and to where he needed to be. "Listen to me. Think of where we are going, Tabor. Think of Gix's domain. Hold it in your thoughts."

She gave him something unexpected in those words, though she likely never even considered the choice she made. Think of Gix's domain -- not your father's domain. She had stopped thinking of him as Gix's son, as a demon half-breed, and untrustworthy for that reason. He suspected the others had as well. It was an unexpected and wonderful gift.

"Think of Gix's world," she said again, and he knew he had drifted from that connection in those few heartbeats of thought. "You need to concentrate, Tabor. We cannot go if you don't find the path."

He gave a slight nod. His head felt heavy and uncomfortable, as though his body wasn't the same as it had been... or as though he had wandered somewhere free of the encumbrances of a physical presence, and now his body felt heavy and unwieldy.

He turned his wandering attention back to the path Abby and Tristan traveled, but where he had never actually gone before. He had always gone by portal from place-to-place, and while he might have made one that could get his friends to the right place, he could not have taken them all at once, and Gix would have been well aware of the portal and been ready for them. He knew they needed every advantage they could find in the coming battle. And besides, portals were far too prone to invasive magic by others, making them dangerous for anyone with an enemy.

He thought of his father again, and how the demon must loathe his son now, and how much he did not want to face him again. Fear came, which he had not felt for a long, long time --

Alarms rang.

"Careful," Banning said. "Careful. It's all right."

"What's wrong?" Crystal asked. Tabor could hear -- and could almost feel -- the concern in his friend's voice.

"He really doesn't want to go, Crystal. I think that's been the problem from the start of the journey. He'll hold, though. He knows he has to get us there."

Were they already on the journey? He had not been aware... but yes, they were out into the magical void where colors swam outside the ship, trailing along in their wake like captured rainbows. He stood out there, in essence, letting the magic play against him, breathing it in as he had the power of the engine core. Pretty place, really, he thought, as he pushed the ship forward. They could not sit here. He found the path that he'd touched before and locked his mind onto it with far more intent. The ship moved forward, steady and straight.

"Better," Istanan said from somewhere nearby. "Much better."

Good. He would not let his fears of what would happen stop him this time. Gix would not give him to Braith again. He knew his friends would save him from that future. They did not say it, but he knew they would do whatever it took to him out of that eternal torment of hell.

He even understood, finally, that it was better to help Aubreyan and Tristan -- and Rqua -- even if they all failed in the end. Just to be on the side of right counted in this battle. The gods, though capricious, were still more attuned to the humans than the demons would ever be. Perhaps it wasn't so much a difference in good and evil as in likeness.

"Drifting," Seaton warned, his voice soft.

His mind plainly still wanted to wander, even when he had decided where they must go. He panicked again, and heard that panic echoed elsewhere, from other voices. Back. Focus. Focus.

"He has it," Banning said.

Back. He had found the path they needed again. He didn't think about where they were going this time. Instead, he looked out around the ship, and drank in the beauty of this place, which calmed and soothed him. He could touch magic here, and accept it as a gift into his soul.

"Whatever he's doing, it's really helping," Banning said, close by. She sounded both weary and relieved. "He had started to weaken too much. I feared we'd have to take him off the controls, and I don't know what would have happened, if we found ourselves here with no path at all. I think I can call back a previous path from the computer simulations based on the Kiya's paths -- but I can't be certain."

Would they have cut him off to save his life and risk their own? Fools.

 Friends.

He gathered more power from the miasmic swirls around the ship, but he never let his mind wander from the path ahead. He could feel them drawing closer to his father's domain, and soon he could see darkness standing like a wall around Gix's Hell. The barrier could not stop the leaking of despair drifting along the edges of the beautiful magic.

But even as he felt along the path, he could tell something had changed. Darkness came toward them and he felt as much as saw the movement; the subtle shift as something drifting toward them -- something malign, and angry, and demon-touched. He felt it drawing closer to the ship and knew this would be a problem.

"He's upset about something," Banning said. She pressed cool fingers on his face. It helped, at least to draw him back to here. "I don't know what's wrong."

"Something outside," Etric said from close by. "I can feel something, and it doesn't feel right."

"If we lose our way now --"

Tabor looked ahead to the darkness and the door to the place they would soon reach. He locked onto it, and fed the destination, and his will to go there, into the computer. They were close. He hoped the ship would make it, even without him.

Because he didn't dare stay in this trance.

Tabor forced his eyes open, blinking at a scene -- the control deck, the vision blurry and unreal as though he hadn't fully come back after all. He moved his hands, even against Banning's frantic protests, and yanked off both the crown and the other probes. He stood, swaying, trying to find his voice again, and to tell them the danger.

Crystal had been staring at the screen -- and turned to Tabor, his eyes gone wide. "What the hell is wrong?"

"I did my best. I tried to lock us," Tabor said, waving a shaking arm toward Seaton. "We're close. Too close. Gix -- Gix has found us. He's coming."

"We're not moving much," Banning said. She stepped away from Seaton, looking worried, and then stopped and frowned as she looked back at him. "Gix? Gix is coming for us? You're certain?"

"Yes!" He ran his hand through his hair and tried to focus on her. The room still wavered, and he couldn't be certain anyone really listened to him. "I'm not ready to face him. Not like this!"

"We have a problem," Etric said, looking up from the computer. "I am getting an incredible amount of interference and I think we're losing our line. Seaton? Banning? Can you hold --"

"We'll do the best we can," Banning said. She had dropped into the chair by Seaton and her hands moved across the boards in graceful, quick arcs... but he could tell by the growing line of red lights that things were not going well.

Tabor shook his head, and felt a wave of dizziness as he tried to take a step away from the chair. The drugs made him listless and lightheaded -- not the way he wanted to be for this kind of battle. Everything moved too slowly, and he could not focus --

And then he had the feel of Gix -- a sudden, overwhelming sense of him everywhere. Tabor could hardly breathe for it, while he spun, trying to find the demon, trying to focus and decide what he could do. He had to find --

Gix came up out of the view screen, full-sized but not entirely corporeal -- though a real enough threat. Alarms wailed, boards flickered with frantic lights and began to shut down, and the very light of the room dimmed with a reddish haze. Gix stepped toward him, and even then Crystal tried to grab Tabor and pull him away.

He shook his head, and pushed Crystal aside. He couldn't escape.

"Ah," Gix said, his voice loud and echoing. Or was that just the drugs still? "My son. I had feared you would never come home again."

"Leave --" Tabor said, but even speaking proved difficult.

Laughter, dark and harsh, filled the room, shaking the floor and sending the red light pulsing. "They put too much trust in you. Too much trust that you would see them here safely, but instead, you have merely brought me more playthings."

Gix reached sideways, to where Seaton sat at the controls, frantically trying to get the boards to answer again. The demon proved himself corporeal enough to slap the pilot aside and send him flying across the room. Seaton hit the wall with a dull thud and slid down, unmoving.

Tabor growled, a sound that must not have been reassuring to his own companions, who looked at him with new worry. He could barely think at all, except to know that he had to protect the others. He moved closer to Gix, shaking off Crystal again, though not fast enough. Gix grabbed Crystal, shook him a little and tossed him aside as well. Crystal didn't get up either.

Tabor panicked, knowing he would see them all die, or worse. He had brought them here, and without Abby and Tristan to protect them, they would fall to the enemy. He leapt forward when Gix reached for Banning and managed to save her, at least for the moment. But they were all going to die, because he didn't have the power to protect them.

But he knew who did have the power. And he was desperate.

"Gods help us!" he shouted.

Chapter Six

 "Gods help us!" 

Abby heard Tabor's call and he moved so quickly that even Tristan could do nothing but grab Rqua and stay close. Abby thought Tristan might be trying to say something, but just then...

Tabor had called for help. Tabor had called upon the Gods, and Abby felt the call like a hook in his soul, dragging him to somewhere else... though not far away. He didn't fight, knowing it meant Tabor -- and the ship with all the rest of his friends -- had made it this far. Rqua had been right. It hadn't taken them long at all.

But they found danger, as well. As Abby neared, he could even see Gix, standing right there in the control deck. Crystal and Seaton were already injured, and Tabor -- looking oddly unsteady -- tried to protect the others.

And then Abby became aware of something else.

The Gods had answered Tabor's call as well. They swarmed after Abby and his friends, a mass of color and light, shapes and power that nearly overwhelmed him just to look at it. He could sense his mother among them, but could not see her in this form. He could, however, feel their intent, along with their power.

They wanted to act. They wanted to move in on this battle, here in a place where they didn't have to worry about destroying whole worlds. Gix had made a mistake, coming out this far, and Tabor's call provided the opportunity.

But Aubreyan Altazar stood before the ship and held them back.

 My friends would die in such a battle. 

A cacophony of alien thoughts washed over him, chaotic, angry, troubled, and laced with other emotions that were not human and that he didn't fully understand. But his mother made the effort to reach him, slipping away from the others, a shape he recognized as she came forward and stood beside him. From her he unexpectedly found both understanding of why he protected these people and an ally to keep them safe.

However, the others wanted to be done with this war. They sensed demon blood close by, and they didn't need a curse to feel the pull that had driven Abby half mad for most of his life. Had it not really been such a curse after all, but only an awakening of another part of him?

 We are called! 

Abby stood before them and denied them entrance. It surprised him that he could, in fact... but in an odd way, he had made the ship his domain. He could see within, where Gix slapped his son, claws raking down the side of Tabor's face -- poison he knew, but Etric almost immediately countered it. Tabor still looked unsteady, and was no match for his father

 Let us destroy the demon! 

Can you do it without destroying the ship? Can you do it at all, this close to his domain and the power he draws from there?

 Perhaps not. But we are willing to try. 

 No. Not on this ship. 

He had confused them, but they were stronger than him and his mother, and once they coalesced into something of one mind and intent, they would have their way. Abby knew he had to act before they could.

 Go, Starwind said.

Tristan and Rqua had stayed with him, oddly silent -- or just not loud enough to be heard above the noise of the Gods. Even the Janin's ever-present hum dulled beneath the noise. He wanted to speak with them before --

 Go! Get the demon away from here and they will follow him! Starwind ordered

He obeyed this time, and headed straight into the ship, following the path through the screen where Gix had gone. He could feel the magic conduit there and used it, hoping to minimize any damage his own entrance would make.

He had not come fully here when he emerged onto the deck with his friends and the Janin in tow. They swept straight through Gix, like a wind through a bush. It didn't feel pleasant for any of them. He had, however, taken the demon by surprise. Gix howled and released Tabor, who staggered backwards into Etric's hold, gasping for breath.

"Abby," he said, his voice strained. "Abby is here."

Not completely here, and Abby took that final step to this place by both a force of will and magic that Rqua and Tristan fed into him. Gix tried to impale him on those deadly claws, and they passed over his chest with a slight sting, but not the deadly cut it would have been if he had been more real. He swept the Janin around -- no more corporeal than himself -- and she passed through the demon's chest. She cried out a song of pleasure and Gix howled as wind swept through the control deck, tearing at anything it could find, clawing at the walls and the people. Etric hastily threw a shield around what he could --

Abby swung again. The Janin sang so bright a song that it filled him with hope, even here and now.

Gix yowled again, his eyes red with anger and his hands moving, but he shook his head and fluttered away, back down the passage Abby had purposely left open. If Gix had proven more vulnerable, he would have had Tristan seal it, and they would have finished the battle here. However, he had seen that with the power of his own realm so close at Gix's hands, the battle still would have destroyed the ship, and Abby wasn't prepared to do himself what he had stopped the Gods from doing.

Abby leapt to follow after Gix -- and found Tristan in his way.

"I must --" Abby said, his voice like thunder in the little room.

"No Abby!" Tristan replied and both he and Rqua grabbed hold of him, all of them a little more here now. "Don't follow. We'd never keep up, and you don't want to go there alone!"

Abby wanted to argue, to shove Tristan aside and leap toward the world where he least wanted to go and finish this battle. Sanity pressed back on him, with the reminder that he could lose, and it would be far worse for everyone. Or perhaps that came from Tristan and not somewhere within him, but it didn't matter.

The Gods had started to follow Gix, but he fled too quickly into his own place of safety. They howled as well, too much like the demon in that moment. They wanted an enemy -- and there was other demon blood here. They had fixed on Tabor now, turning, returning --

"Something huge out there," Istanan said, working at the boards. Zoe, Damian and Tamaris were helping Crystal and Seaton. He dared not look at the injured. Banning had gotten back up, though and was working frantically with the failing equipment.

All this as Abby became fully here, trying to temper the wind that came with him and his friends. He reached out and grabbed Tabor as the demonling started to go to his knees -- and shook him.

"You are an idiot! You know better than to call upon the Gods!"

"We... we were going to fall, Abby," he said, breathless and hardly able to stand. "I had no choice. If we were all going to die... I wanted the Gods to be here to get Gix, if they could. I didn't want the people on this ship to go -- to go to him. If we lost, I didn't want them to go to the demons."

Abby looked around, frightened again, and nodding as he fully understood what Tabor had done. It made a kind of sense, but it still put them in a very dangerous situation. Tabor looked panicked now, though, as the Gods shifted again, swarming toward the ship.

"We must go!" Tabor said, and grabbed hold of Abby's arm.

"I won't abandon them --

"We don't want to fight a battle here, Abby!" Tristan said, frantic in words and thoughts. "I don't think we can hold them back, and they're going to come for Tabor!"

"But if we go -- our friends will be trapped --"

"They might make it," Tabor said, frantic now as well, but steadier, for some reason. Maybe that came from conviction. "I sent the path to their computer as best I could. If we don't go, we fight here. Can you keep the ship safe?"

"We are not helpless, but we haven't the power to fight Gods!" Etric said, looking up from where he knelt by Crystal. "We'll do the best we can, but if you don't go on, none of us are going to win, are we? We won't even make it to Gix's own hell."

"I don't know what the gods will do," Abby said, still shaking his head. He looked at Tabor. "We have to take you with us, away from here. But even so, I don't know what will happen here --"

"Well take our chances!" Banning looked up from the equipment, which had started to hum to life again. "We don't stand a chance at all if you aren't doing your part. Go!"

Abby grabbed Tabor's arm and nodded, knowing he had no choice. The demonling didn't feel steady, but he looked relieved and determined. Tristan took hold of Tabor's other arm, and Rqua grabbed hold of Tristan. Abby started to tell him to stay -- but the look Rqua gave him stopped that statement before it started.

"Ward us, Etric. This will be bad, in so tight a space, and without the demon to buffer us this time."

Etric nodded and cast quickly, and with such strength that Abby couldn't clearly see through it. He hoped the others were all right. He worried about Seaton and Crystal --

They were going.

And the Gods watched.

Chapter Seven

Crystal had not moved from the floor. It felt... real beneath him. Solid. He wanted that reassurance now, and he pushed both palms down hard, making sure everything had stayed where it should.

From the moment Gix had come through the screen and straight into the ship, Crystal had felt as though he'd lost a part of reality. It had frightened him, that moment when his mind took the step back toward dreams -- a hint of the midori addiction he'd suffered through, so long ago, and that stayed in his soul, lingering to draw him away again.

But he knew the world was real, because his body ached and he could barely breathe. He had watched the drama played out on the control deck, the words meaning less to him than the look of panic on Abby's face. He didn't like to see it, and know things were not going well.

And then Abby, Tristan, Rqua and Tabor left. He thought he ought to protest that part, since he realized it meant the ship was stranded. Had they spoke of it? The words still buzzed around in his head, and he found, finally, that he really didn't care too much.

And that worried him, too.

Etric leaned down by him, worry in his friend's face. His hands moved and he did magic. It helped him breathe easier again, and brought the room back into focus with a clarity that seemed more painful than his injuries. Seaton was still unconscious, but he seemed to be breathing easily, at least.

And Dacey arrived, running into the room, looking around in frantic haste. "I could feel the demon! Tabor -- where is Tabor? He took --"

"No," Crystal said softly. It helped to finally speak, the words pulling him fully back, along with another surge of magic from his worried friend. When had magic started becoming so real to him? "Thank you, Etric. Dacey, Gix did not get Tabor. Abby took him."

"Abby?" Dacey said, and reached to help as Crystal got to his feet. "Abby was here?"

"Abby, Tristan and Rqua." He smiled, thinking about how Rqua had looked. The journey didn't appear to be hurting him any, and it had been a relief to see him. "They stopped Gix and took Tabor away with them. I think they left so quickly because the Gods were too close, and they feared for Tabor. And for us, of course. But they got away."

"Good," Dacey said, looking relieved. Then he looked around again. "Or not. We have no guide, right?"

"Tabor set the controls as best he could," Banning said. She rubbed a hand over the back of her neck, played with the controls again, and then looked back at them. "But it wasn't good enough."

"Banning?" Crystal asked. He finally stood and moved to her, looking down at the controls. Readings bounced all over in a frightening array of bad connections and power surges.

"We are not holding the path very well. He tried his best, but Tabor never really wanted to go to Gix's world. It showed, and he had a hard time holding on even when he was here. I don't think we're going to make it. I suggest, Captains, that we try to stabilize and stop here, and then figure out what to do next. Otherwise -- I don't know where we might go, or what might happen to us."

Etric quickly took his place at another board and looked equally worried. "I'm going to try to get the in-ship comm back on line and make certain we don't have trouble elsewhere. But for myself, I'd say stay here rather than get lost. More lost. Crystal?"

"Oh yes, stay here," Crystal said, nodding a little too quickly. His head began to pound -- but maybe that came from the situation rather than the movement. He sat down by Banning. "We will need to make decisions, and I'm not even certain what choices we have."

They worked quickly, the boards settling -- though none of the readings looked right. Etric finally worked the connections through to run the in-ship communications as well, and they had word from everywhere that nothing worse was going wrong.

"I'm going to try and get everyone back up the crew's lounge," Etric said. He worked with more of the controls, but didn't look particularly happy with the results.

Banning kept her hands lingering near the main ship controls, her fingers darting here and there. Istanan worked at her side, taking quick orders. Dacey had helped get Seaton away. Crystal, still rattled, hadn't noticed. But Banning finally gave a nod that looked like at least a little good news.

"There," she said. "I think we have it now. We're holding, more or less. We don't have a clear path, Captains, and this place is without conventional direction, so I can't just point the ship the way we were going and continue. Also... the scanners seem to be picking up some... things that are still out there."

"Great." Crystal looked at the boards, and then helped Etric divert some of the power to the comm system. "Etric, do you have a ward up on the ship?"

"Oh yes," he said nodding, "for all the good it's done us so far."

"Excellent point."

Etric shrugged and finally stood, stepping away from the boards. "We knew there would be trouble, but I just -- well, I had hoped we would get to Gix's domain before we found it."

"We all did," Banning said. She leaned back and Crystal could see a line of blood on the side of her face. It made him remember how much he ached again. "But we all knew this journey likely wouldn't go well. We came anyway. Now let's see what we can still salvage from it."

Crystal nodded and listened as Etric asked everyone to meet in the lounge. He imagined the others on the ship would know it meant trouble. Still, at least they were all alive, though the ship had taken some serious damage when the demon appeared. He turned back to the controls and worked with Etric to help stabilize the power as best they could. Neither spoke of what they would do next.

Damien and Otaka came to take over when the others left for the lounge. Those two would listen in via the comm system. Everything looked calm enough, and Etric said even the magic outside had seemed to settle.

Zoe stood at the doorway to the crew's lounge when Crystal, Etric and Banning arrived. She nodded in greeting and waved toward the room. "We're all here, Captains. What do we do now?"

Straight to the question, of course. Crystal had hoped for at least a cup of tea first.

The others turned to look at their two captains, as though they expected either of them to have an answer. Crystal followed Etric to a single table at the front of the room, empty, but now the focus of everyone's attention as they stopped there. He wanted to sit down, but instead leaned back, half sitting on the table top.

He wondered what he could say. He had no idea what to do next. Banning stayed with them, and since she was the one who best understood the dynamics of the situation, Crystal gladly nodded for her to start.

"We can't hold the path," Banning said, giving them news that surprised no one. "Tabor did his best, but he was distracted by both knowing Gix was heading our way, and not wanting to go there anyway."

"We can't go on," Etric said, standing by Crystal. He looked worn and worried, and Crystal didn't suppose he looked much better. Probably a great deal worse, all things considered. "I don't know what we'll do next."

"I've already looked through the files and controls," Banning said. She brushed a hand through her hair and stood blinking for a moment, as though trying to look through the files in her mind. "I've tried to interface the information from the ship we crashed on Grant, as well -- tried to draw the link when it kept pulling us off to Gix's Domain -- but unfortunately there isn't enough data. However, I'm ninety-five percent certain we can make it back to any of the other worlds -- realities -- we've visited when we gathered everyone together."

Crystal felt part of the tension ease out of his shoulders and he saw relief spread throughout the room. At least they knew they weren't trapped here, or would have to try their luck at finding anywhere else.

"We have three options," Etric said, standing straighter again. He looked thoughtful. "And none of them are good, really. We can, it appears, go back to our own worlds and hope all goes well."

Despite knowing they could go back, no one obviously wanted to do so. Etric plainly hadn't expected others to jump at that choice. He looked around the room, and then nodded again.

"Our second choice is to hold here, at least for a while, and see what happens. I can't say if this is wise at all. We have no sense of time here, and the magic around us is unstable. We're not meant to be in this place -- but we could stay here for a while and hope we find another answer, or Abby and Tristan come back and find us. I'm not certain they can, by the way. There are no roadmaps or star paths in this place."

"And the third choice?" Banning asked.

"The most dangerous of all. We do what Tabor tried -- we call on Abby's mother for help. I don't know that she'll answer us, and if she does, I'm not certain we'll like the answer."

No, they were not good choices, any of them. Crystal thought he would opt for holding here for a while, but only if Etric didn't think it would cause the ship irreparable harm. It would do them no good to damage the ship so that they couldn't get anywhere at all.

Others began discussing the possibilities, too. The sounds started softly and grew to a persistent buzz of ideas that circled around the room. He wondered which way they might want to go. Even Etric looked at him and shrugged. If only they could have gone on still --

The first note of music startled everyone to silence. After two more, a chill ran down Crystal's spine. He looked toward the back of the room where Brendan sat with Shafara and Sandryn. He stood, the harp in his hands. Crystal had never seen Dove before. Brendan's fingers played along the strings, but the harp seemed to make the music as much as he did. This was far more than sounds made by strings between pieces of wood -- the music came as something alive and haunting. Crystal held his breath, entranced.

When Brendan looked up, the bleakness of his face made Crystal raise his hand, as though to stop him before he went on. Brendan didn't see him, or didn't care.

 "Dove, she plays a different tune now 

 And one we know so well. 

 When the tune is stark, 

 And the night is dark, 

 Then we remember hell." 

Brendan drew his hands away from the harp and looked up, blinking as though he had not been entirely awake when he sang. The rest of the room remained silent. Crystal took a deep breath, feeling a weight lifted -- knowing the implications of that little verse.

"I was once in Gix's hell," Brendan said quite clearly. He looked at Banning. "We walked that world, and we remember it far too well, Dove and I. We have a fourth option, Captain. I think perhaps the rest of you had better prepare for the battle. We can still get there."

Banning made a little sound but Crystal couldn't decide if it came from hope or worry. It didn't matter. She nodded and signaled Brendan to follow her and as she turned toward the door. He held his precious harp close and didn't put her back in the case this time. As he passed, Crystal saw the face carved into the wood, so lifelike that it chilled him again. Dove looked like a sleeping child, eyes closed, softly smiling. Even in sleep she whispered a little tune.

He heard hope in that magical music.

Interlude 2

For a brief moment, Gix had stood far too close to the gods. He would not have backed down, even alone -- but the gods had not followed him all the way back to his domain. A shame, really. If even a couple had slipped over the line, he could have captured them and held them and their power.

He had returned without having accomplished anything in that last journey. A waste of power, and it angered him. However, he knew this was his own fault. He had looked for an easy answer, and he had thought he could easily destroy those coming here.

His son had called upon the Gods.

 And the Gods had answered him. 

They had not just answered his prayer with a gift of power. They had come at his call. There had been a shift in the balance in that moment, and he doubted even Tabor knew how dangerous it had been for everyone involved. The Gods, doubtless, knew. Or at least Starwind did, who had for a brief moment slowed the others.

 We do not want it to end like this.

Oh yes, very wise of Starwind to step in and turn the others back. If they had done battle there in the miasma of that magical place, neither side would have won, and they might well have destroyed everything along with themselves. Despite what the gods might have thought, it was not a safe battleground. The magic grew there, swarming around everything, becoming the very air they breathed -- but it had been too chaotic. None of them could have controlled it.

But as he swept away, back toward his place, he thought the Gods had seemed hungry, and nearly out of control. And that bothered him. It upset the balance in its own way.

Gix slipped back to his own domain and back to his tower, and looked to see the Gods focusing on Tabor instead. Good. Except -- he felt a touch of uncertainty brushing through them at that moment, as though they were not entirely certain of the enemy.

How many creatures stopped in their lives just then, and felt reality tremble?

"Master," Braith said, going to his knees as Gix became whole and present. Braith had a shard of the mirror in his hand, and had been feeding the magic with his own, weak blood. "I saw."

Terror colored his words, so real that Gix could almost see it -- a dark and baleful essence in the pulsing air. Gix breathed it in, but it didn't help this time.

"You saw. You know the battle is near." Gix paused, raking his claws down the side of his throne, his thoughts still too chaotic, and tainted with the magic that had swept through him. Even with the battle near, he couldn't see it clearly, the future murky even in his own reality. He blamed that on the Gods. They had unsettled the fabric of what should be and what would happen. He frowned and looked beyond for a moment. "The gods have retreated."

"Except for her," Braith whispered, his bloodshot eyes darting to the corner of the room, as though he expected to see something standing there. "She watches."

 Starwind.

"Yes," Gix said. It was daring, what the little goddess did, putting so much of herself this close to him. She was not fully into his realm, but she came close enough that he could have moved against her....

The other battle with Aubreyan Altazar was still to come. If he fought Starwind, it would draw too much of his power, even if he won. Oh yes, that could well be the plan; that she meant to sacrifice herself to give the others a chance.

 Act carefully, he reminded himself. The balance is precarious.

Braith looked down at his tiny shard and gave a startled cry of despair. "They still come! They still follow the Godling to reach us!"

Gix leaned down and saw something inexplicable at first. The ship had found the path again and it still moved forward, along a course that would push it all the way to his domain. He frowned and felt it out -- of course. That creature of music and spring, of hope and life, brought them to this place where he had once walked. It didn't surprise Gix. They didn't even need the help of the gods to get here. Resourceful little creatures. They gave him, just then, the first sense of true challenge he'd felt in far too long. He'd grown complacent.

They were going to make interesting playthings.

"It is time," he said.

Braith stepped forward, drawing closer to his master. He looked up, less frightened now as well. Purpose had come at last, and even this insignificant worm of a man understood that things were changing.

"I have gathered the ones you asked for, and told them of their duties," Braith said. "They are willing, Lord Demon. They are anxious -- and dangerous."

His voice sounded calm, but Gix could taste fear and uncertainty in him. Braith knew he might not be in so favored a position when the battle ended -- that the others were rivals, and he did not want them loose where they might show their resourcefulness and win his position. However, Braith also knew he dared not sabotage their work. Gix could see into his miserable little soul, and knew all his fears and weaknesses. He played on them, letting the creature worry over his own future, fool that he was. After all, it might not be anything either of them needed to worry about for long.

Gix had never admitted that he could lose, not even to himself. However, standing here on the precipice, he could suddenly see the possibility of a fall far too clearly.

"Set them lose, Braith," he said, and watched Braith's eyes go wide, even though he nodded. Gix laid his hand upon Braith's bald, clammy head, his claws pricking the skin, and in that moment he gave Braith the knowledge of everything he wanted done. "Send them after the ones who follow their Godling. Set the traps for those creatures that are unwisely coming to my domain. Then turn our allies loose to torment and break them. I want those powers for me, Braith. I want their souls warped to my side. Do you understand?"

"Torment," Braith said. Oh yes, he did understand that word very well. "I will turn them on your enemies, Master. Thank you."

Gix took hold of Braith's arm, claws barely breaking the skin. Braith stood like a statue, waiting. "You understand that Aubreyan's followers are not to be killed. Not yet -- not by any but my hand. They are for me, Braith."

"Yes, Master." His eyes brightened, even at this order. Live damned were far more interesting than dead ones, after all. Gix let go of his arm, and Braith took a step away and bowed again. Then he turned to his work, intent on the magic he called up -- dull magic and lacking any fire of conviction, but it would work. Gix let him labor without even a whisper of pain, and that, without a doubt, worried his groveling servant even more.

He did not have the time to waste on such trivialities now. Instead, he leaned back, breathing in the despair of his special damned, and thought again about the real problem. The Godling would soon be here, nearly within his reach. Gix could feel the whisper of his essence -- so like Starwind -- brushing through the edges of his world.

Aubreyan came of his own free will and not as a slave, but even so, he still wore the brand and had been promised to serve here. There were intricacies in this coming confrontation, and layers of spell and intents that wove around them both like a spider's web. If he reached out, he could pull a strand here, break a strand there. . . .

But he could not see the full pattern of the web. It had not been all of his work, or even of those whom he had sent in his name. If it had been, he could have manipulated it to his own wants. Instead, he had to leave the strands, and watch the people caught in them instead.

Gix had all his hell to call upon -- power, yes, but Aubreyan had a small army made powerful because they all believed in the Godling and his cause enough to follow him all the way here, even against Aubreyan's wishes.

And he did not discount the blessing of the Goddess Starwind. He had believed her no more than any other of the mob of Gods, but she had become an individual. Did that make her more powerful? Did she already know what she had set in motion the night she answered the King of Eltabar's call and bore a son to that world of magic?

Or perhaps she had even worked on Ylant before then. How had the spells that kept the Kiya Chanda Andee trapped in her tower weakened enough to call Altazar to her? Neither he nor the other demons had been prepared to put her back into the world, a staff so powerful that it would make a human holding her something to be reckoned with.

Had that been the first pattern in the web, and woven by a Goddess looking for... what? Power? No. She did it for reasons he could not understand, even if he could name them. For justice, for right, for the ability to take a dark blot from the universe if she could see the Kiya Chanda Andee destroyed.

The Kiya whispered a little, there in the box by his throne. He opened the lid and looked down at the sleeping face, and for a moment it occurred to him that he had been so intent on the staff that he had never looked at the larger battle.

He had never thought to look so far back to the start of this game, even though he'd had his hand on Ylant from the moment Starwind had moved to create a half-human child. He'd got himself Tabor that same night, and they kept the balance, the two of them.

Gix had thought the gods wanted the balance.

Perhaps Starwind wanted something different. The Gods could not even have commanded Aubreyan's followers to come this far. The power of their conviction brought them here, and the strength of their loyalty gave them power in his realm.

The pieces of the Kiya had scattered, but he suspected now that a hand had helped push them to places where Aubreyan would find followers.

Even now, a tainted wind blew through his window and he could taste spring in the air, and the whisper of new life, and knew things that had been fully his until that moment dared to look up and hoped for something better at that touch.

Dangerous. Dangerous for the Goddess, who might find herself surprised if he moved in a way she could not predict. He might have her, rather than her half-breed son, as his prisoner. That possibility made his heart pound and his fingers clinch, thinking of holding her in this place.

And she knew it. She baited him, drew his attention, tried to lure him into moving on her and ignoring the others, because she was the far better prize. Not yet. He knew the trap. And he knew, if he was very careful, he could spring it without being caught. And then he would have her.

He didn't think that was the hope she meant to give him, but just as she had subverted his work by whispering hope on her ill-fed breeze, he subverted hers by twisting that hope into something dark and tormented to serve him. He held more power here than she did. She had come flittering too close to his domain. Now, in this moment of peace before the final play truly began, he felt out the nuances of the latest moves and prepared his own counters. This was still his world, and playing here was still weighted in his favor.

She knew it, but she dared to move against him anyway, and that daring became a power of her own. They both understood the importance of this coming battle.

And the pawns? He doubted even Aubreyan Altazar understood all that this final encounter meant. Certainly that worthless child of his own blood didn't.

An army of true believers had been led straight to the gate of hell, and now more than a mere battle for life and death hung in the balance. As long as they held their belief, they would be safe enough. If he killed them, she collected their souls, and Aubreyan gained the power of martyrs.

But if he broke their spirit, brought them to the side of doubt and despair, they would be his. Starwind gave them strength with her presence, and she even dared to interfere with his plans, just a little. He felt her touch sweep up into the spells as Braith cast, so that the one thing he did want -- that each of the followers should be alone in their own little hell, and despair -- did not happen. It was much as he suspected she had done with the Kiya, making certain some factors fell in favor of her followers.

But it was still his hell.

They both stood ready to take the last step before the final battle.

And the Kiya whispered in her sleep, waiting. She would be whole again, soon, and in his hands.

Almost time....

Part Two: Called to Battle

Chapter One

Dacey liked to walk the ship's halls and pause in the quiet places where he could be alone for a little while. He did so whenever this journey became too overwhelming for him, and his fears brushed too near the surface of his personal control. He needed to regain control again, if for no other reason than a mage without emotional control would be far too dangerous.

Not that he had much of a chance to be a mage, here aboard this ship, but even so, the time would soon come when he could add his power to that of the others. He wanted to make certain he did so wisely.

The huge metal shell of a ship had already begun to move again. Dacey could feel the shift in the engines, and the pull of magic that drew them along the path he couldn't see. He wondered if Brendan and that harp could really get them to hell this time.

Should he want it? Should he instead hope the ship, and all his new friends, never reached such a dangerous place? He couldn't even wish it, really. They had to go, even though some of them might not survive. Silver might not. His brother and Brother might not survive. The fear of losing those three made him half ill. He had never feared such a thing before. After all, he'd always been the one in danger, not anyone else. The others should be safe, not here --

But there was nowhere safe in this war. He knew it, and perhaps understood that more than some of the others. He had fought in this battle for long before Abby and Tristan -- or even the Kiya -- had turned up on his world. He had chosen his side against all odds, and he had never expected to survive it. He chose his side again -- or at least reinforced his decision of where he stood -- by coming on this journey. He already understood that the odds were not in their favor, but sometimes when he looked at people like Captain Crystal, he suspected they never even considered such things.

Did that make him wiser for dwelling on such things? Or did it mean that odds were unimportant to the others, and they fought because it was the right thing to do?

He didn't want to lose his friends --

Dacey felt an odd sudden change in the ship and for a moment he feared something had gone seriously wrong with the engines this time. No. This was something invasive. Something outside, brushing along the ship, caressing it with subtle magic --

In the next breath, he realized the wards had begun to fail as it -- whatever it might be -- pushed through. He rushed to the commlink station at the end of the hall and hit the key that would connect him to the control deck. He thought he heard someone answer --

"Something is attacking the wards! Something --" But he stopped and looked down the hall, shivering with anticipation and worry because something felt wrong -- felt dangerous in whole new ways. "I think it's coming through--"

"Dacey! We need --"

The voice disappeared in mid-sentence, the comm unit screaming with static as though in agony. He thought the entire ship felt that way just then, as the wards were breached and the enemy came in. He could feel something dark and full of power coming closer. He spun, ready to put his hands together and drop his personal ward at the first sight of the enemy.

Shadows moved along the edge of the wall, and something grabbed him before he could react. It came up through the floor at his feet, shadowy and powerful. It stripped his wards away and left him bare to the metal of the ship.

He couldn't breathe for the agony. He couldn't move, but the shadows encased him and pulled him downward through the metal, and away into darkness...

Dacey awoke in a room he knew too well, and even before he opened his eyes he knew it by the stink of rot and mold, and the hard stone beneath where he slept. How could he be back here? He had escaped. He had gone to the stars with the others...

Or had it been a dream? Had he never gone?

"Dacey."

He recognized the harsh, gravelly voice and felt a chill go through his body at the sound. He opened his eyes to darkness, and blinked as light flared, filling the room so that even the shadows, where he used to hide, stood bare and open. And there the monster stood over him -- Gregor, grabbing his arm and pulling him upward. Not a dream and not a ghost; this... this madman still had power enough to hold him.

He tried to turn away, to deny the reality, and to wish himself back into the dreams of escape. In that move, his eyes caught sight of something unexpected. He saw others -- Sandy, Ylin, Damien and Carrick -- on the floor, all of them moving groggily. They didn't belong here -- in his own private hell -- but he felt a welling of relief to find he did not have to face this alone, and more than relief to know that it had not all been a dream. He had friends. He had help.

"You betrayed me," Gregor said, leaning closer, the bearded face so close Dacey could feel the bristles against his skin. Ah, but no breath this time, so he was saved from the stink of bad ale, onions, and worse. That said something about this reality, though he couldn't quite grasp what it might mean. His heart thudded in his chest as he looked back into Gregor's bloodshot eyes and saw the madness that had not be dimmed by time and whatever other changes had brought them back together again. "They should have taken you, apprentice. They should have put you to the torture."

"They did."

Gregor threw him back against the stone of the basement wall. He hit hard, his head spinning -- but the sounds woke Carrick and Sandy. He looked at them, frantic for their help. He didn't want to be here with this monster again, facing this danger like he had for so many years of his life. They could work together to stop him -- but he realized, suddenly, that they wouldn't know the danger --

"Sandy!"

Gregor laid ice cold fingers against Dacey's neck. "You cannot speak in my presence. I forbid it."

Gregor's place. Gregor's rules.

He couldn't speak. Dacey tried to warn the others -- they might not know Gregor was a master mage -- but Gregor laughed, grabbed his arm in one huge hand, and shook him like a rag. His fear for the others, and a growing sense of rage he had not expected, gave him strength and purpose, and Dacey did something he would never have dared, back in the time when he had really been an apprentice to this creature.

He kicked as hard as he could, connecting with a knee out of luck.

Gregor howled and slapped him, holding him up with one hand still so that Dacey's feet barely touched the ground. He seemed a giant in this small room. Had he always been so large and powerful? Dacey thought not. He tried to analyze this, to break free of the fear and the spell, because this wasn't real and he knew it.

He couldn't speak. It angered him more than frightened him -- at least until he looked into the face of the madman who had hold of him. Not real, he wanted to believe. Not real.

But he couldn't speak. And Gregor had hold of him and didn't let go.

"I have a gift for you, my apprentice. A gift they gave me."

He tried desperately to pull away as Gregor pulled his arms upward, because any gift from Gregor would be something evil. He wanted his friends to help --

Dacey looked up as the brush of fire spread from his arms to his heart. Gregor snapped metal clamps around Dacey's wrists -- the metal had no affect on the mage. Dead, Dacey thought, but he couldn't breathe for the pain and shock. Gregor laughed and let go -- but before Dacey could slide down Carrick caught him and Ylin grabbed the mage. Too late -- but at least they came to help. He couldn't understand what Carrick tried to say to him, not through the waves of agony.

Ylin hit the mage hard enough to get a woof of noise from the man and the blow sent him staggering backward. Gregor almost went down, but then he caught himself on the table, shook his head, and laughed.

"Little human. Do you really think you can hurt me? Shall I make you all my slaves? Shall you feel what it means to be a mage in this cursed place?"

He spun, spreading a fiery spell that sent tendrils of pain everywhere, including at Dacey. The force of the pain even overpowered the fire from the metal on his wrists. Carrick staggered forward, moving to get between him and the magic, and Ylin tried to protect him. How could they -- how did he deserve --

He saw something beyond Gregor that gave him some hope, mixed with fear -- something that helped him focus past the pain and hope for rescue. Sandy had gotten to his feet and moved carefully forward, his own hand lifted and a curl of light was already growing around his fingers: magic ready to use against Gregor.

Gregor sensed it too soon and spun to face the young mage. Dacey could see the smirk on his half-turned face. He feared for Sandy -- but Sandy didn't fear the larger man. Why should he? He had never been Gregor's apprentice and lived with the cruelty and pain for most of his life.

Sandy brought fire of his own up to his fingers and cast it straight at Gregor. The huge man screamed, though it seemed to be fear and nothing more. He had never been attacked by magic before, and Dacey wondered if he had no protection against it. There had been no enemies until now except the powerless humans -- and the apprentice whom he had made powerless as well. Odd thought, circling there through the haze of pain. He watched Sandy move relentlessly forward, driving Gregor back, the man howling with fear and pain -- back and back until he slipped through a solid wall, proving he had not been truly alive.

Gone. Dacey felt the relief even while the pain -- Gods, the pain swept through him still, the fire of metal he remembered too well from that distant time when they had taken him captive. Carrick spoke again. He tried to understand, but it seemed as though Gregor had not only taken his ability to speak, but his ability to understand as well. All he knew was that he wasn't alone, and he trusted these three.

Sandy reached up and tore the metal off Dacey's arms as though it was nothing more than cheap cloth. He tossed it aside.

Dacey could breathe again. It still hurt like hell, but his mind cleared of the overpowering feel of metal that had dulled everything but the pain. Carrick grabbed him before he fell forward, and he gasped, holding to consciousness again, his eyes turning to the wall where Gregor had gone, fearing he would come back.

"I can't heal the burns," Sandy said, still holding Dacey's arms gently in his hands. He looked worried.

"I --" Dacey began, and stopped, shocked that he could speak again. It left him feeling a little giddy for a moment, but he shook his head when Sandy looked worried. "It's all right. I've lived with pain before. It's the metal that would have killed me. And this is hell, you know. I suspect that's why you can't heal me."

"Hell. Of course -- I hadn't thought about where we were." Sandy cast a worried look around again.

"There's water here," Damien said, standing by the table. "And some food."

"Don't trust it," Dacey answered, shaking his head with worry. Damien nodded, not in the least surprised by the warning. "Don't trust anything given for free here."

Sandryn had torn cloth from his own clothing and wrapped it as gently as he could around Dacey's wrists. He did his best to ignore the pain while he looked over the room, trying not to grimace or tremble at the sight of so familiar a place where he never thought to be again. He wanted out of here, and especially before Gregor came back. Where could they go? He couldn't think. He could hardly breathe, and the world swirled around him, every breath stinging.

Dacey pressed his hands together --

The ward still worked. It came up around him so quickly that it shocked him, but in the next moment he could think more clearly. He could breathe. "I didn't expect that to help."

"A shame you couldn't have done it before he put the bands on you," Sandy said, and shook his head. "But it's good to see you more yourself again."

"We need to move," Carrick said, standing by the door. "If we were dropped in here, I don't think we want to remain in one place where they can find us without any trouble at all."

"Good point," Sandy agreed. He looked worried again. "Stay here a moment, Dacey. I want to see if there is anything we can use for weapons."

Carrick nodded and kept watch at the door while Damien and Sandy quickly and thoroughly searched the room. Dacey watched as they gathered what they could, but he focused on preparing himself for what they would face outside. He had to get past the idea that this was Dodano and that he would face the nightmare of his own life again. Not alone. And he wasn't the same. He knew it, but this place --

The others were ready, and Sandy nodded. Carrick pushed the heavy wooden door fully open, showing a dark street. Dacey had hoped for something different as he stepped closr and looked out, but he recognized Dodano, and shivered at the sight of home. Why did they find themselves on his world? Did the others have no hells of their own? He didn't want to go out there, but he followed Carrick, with Sandy at his side and Damien and Ylin at his back. He should have felt protected, but he already felt half-frantic, and he automatically listened for the guard. If he called Phaedra's name, would she --

He stopped that idea with a moment of shock. He would not call her to here even if he could. This was not Dodano, no matter what the shape. Once he set that thought in his mind, he began to see the differences. He'd been blind to them when he'd thought only of his past.

 Things moved in the darkness that had never been there on the nights when he wandered the world. And the people had always bolted their doors and secured their shutters in the night, but here he could see movement at both. Or was it not night here? He looked up, trying to gauge the time, but could find nothing by which to judge. There were shadows everywhere -- not the dark of night so much as just darkness overlaying the world.

This was not Dodano and he couldn't wait for the moon to rise and hope for help from the People of the Night. How odd, remembering that they should have been his enemies, rather than his friends. He wished Brother could be here with them. Brother would know how to deal with this place.

Or perhaps not. What lurked in the doorways were not humans, and he realized Brother would do no better here than he did. Those creatures watched them. The first of the things leapt out at them from beside a building, howls filling the night. If the others hadn't had the foresight to gather at least a couple knives, they'd have had no way to defend themselves, except for Sandy's magic.

Wyrdbane! Not just one, as he had fought in the dark night in Dodano, but a half dozen, wild, powerful creatures came swarming out the darkness. They snarled and leapt, trying, it seemed, to reach Dacey. Ylin shoved Dacey behind him, and Carrick moved in on one side, Damian on the other. He felt helpless --

But Sandy didn't need help. Carrick had stabbed one of the creatures and taken a cut on the arm, but Sandy stepped forward, shouted words of power, and brought such magic to his hand, and with which he struck that it didn't just push the Wyrdbanes back, it destroyed them.

And then Sandy staggered back and Carrick caught his arm, looking worried.

"Be careful," Dacey whispered.

He nodded, gasping a little. "This is a bad place to be caught, here in the alley," Sandy said, waving a hand behind them. "We need to get to a more open area. I feared they were only holding us here until something worse came."

"Worse," Carrick said, frowning.

"Oh yes," Dacey answered and started forward. "There is far worse."

Carrick kept hold of Sandy, and Dacey hoped the mage hadn't weakened too much. They needed magic.

Sandy was not the only mage here, though.

Dacey stopped and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He lifted his hands, ready to press the palms together.

"No," Sandy said, catching his arm. "Don't do it."

"I need to," he answered, and felt steadier for having said it and for making the decision. "I need not to be helpless this time."

Sandy held his arm for a moment longer, starting to shake his head... but then he stopped. "This is worse for you, isn't it? Not just because of what happened back in that room, but because this is a creation of your own worst nightmare."

"Oh, not quite the same," he answered and pulled free. "When I was in the real Dodano, I ran from humans, mostly. There was a wyrdbane that I ran from for a while, but only one."

"Wyrdbane," Carrick said, testing the name. He plainly didn't like it. "Is that what we're facing?"

"Yes. They were human once -- or at least the ones at Dodano had been -- but they touched the darkness and never came back. I suspect Gix might have quite a few of their kind here. But even so, it is not what we fight that is so different this time."

"What is, then?" Ylin asked, starting to urge them on again. Sandy had gotten his breath back, at least, though he looked unsteady still.

"Three things," Dacey said. "I have my voice, I have friends --" He pushed his hands together, gasping only a little at the feel of metal everywhere in the world. "-- and I have magic this time."

Sandryn looked at him for a long moment, and then nodded. "Yes. You're right. We need your help."

Shadows tried to grab them, but Dacey sent them scattering with a flash of light. The tendrils retreated back into the darkness, and something hissed in anger.

He didn't feel better for it, but he did feel less helpless now. He looked at the buildings and the shadows, all too familiar, and remembered what it was like to run and hide from everything that moved, human or otherwise. He remembered being helpless in those days.

But he'd survived those dark days, which made this journey far less troubling in some ways.

They moved quickly along the alley and finally out into a more open street. Oddly, it looked less like Dodano here. Had the other been so true because it came from Dacey's mind, and for most of his life, he'd not wandered far from the cellar where they lived for so many years?

He looked back toward the sea where he should have seen the palace where he'd been born. Instead, he only saw darkness, and the fading of buildings around the edges. Not real.

Creatures swarmed in to attack them again -- real enough to be a true danger. Dacey took a cut on his arm this time from something that held a weapon, the burn of iron sharp and nearly blinding. He probably would have been killed if Damien hadn't shoved his own knife into the creature's back -- while Ylin protected Damien from yet another creature. Wyrdbanes still... but even more warped than they would have been in Dodano.

And something else, standing there in the shadows. Dacey brought up his bleeding arm and cast light -- and there stood Gregor; huge, unkempt, his eyes glowing a little red.

"Begone!" Dacey yelled.

 Commanded.

It worked, at least for the moment. Gregor howled like a dog and fled, again through a wall.

"He fears you," Damien said, looking at Dacey with obvious surprise. Then he shook his head, fought off another creature, and looked at Dacey once more as though really measuring him for the first time. "I suppose I shouldn't find that odd. But you have been... well, quiet before now."

"I have only ever had one real enemy," Dacey said. He hadn't thought about it that way until now. "The others... they were not my enemies on a personal level, the way Gregor has always been."

Sandy nodded. "I think that gives you some power over him. And besides, I can see now that you've considerable magical power. With the shield around you, it's been very hard to tell."

"We need to go," Damien urged.

"Go where?" Sandy asked. "We need some sort of plan, I think."

"There," Ylin said, pointing ahead of them at a tall, reddish tower in the distance. "That's Gix's tower."

"You're certain?" Sandy asked, looking at the building with a frown.

"Oh yes. Our last ship... well, we got pulled here by the Kiya while we were attempting to go somewhere else. I was on the deck at the time. I've seen the tower. That's where we want to go."

"Somehow I think want is not the word I would use," Carrick replied with a little bit of a laugh. He had grabbed an ugly sword from one of the creatures and had already used it to run through something reaching for Ylin. It squealed and disappeared. "On the other hand, at least it is a destination, and maybe marginally better than wandering here without anywhere to go."

Dacey nodded and started forward keeping the tower in view. He would not fail them. He would not give up.

But he wondered where Gregor had gone. They would meet again.

Chapter Two

Etric had been on the control deck when they reached the edge of the darkness and he could see -- a world, he supposed. If it had been lit by a normal star, and green and blue, he wouldn't have thought much of it. It looked like an insignificant world -- average size, not much for interesting terrain. A little ice at the caps.

However, this world stood bathed in a blood red light, not natural since the sun looked quite normal as well.

And in the next moment, everything went insane.

He heard Dacey on the comm unit, shouting a warning about magic. A heartbeat later he felt the attack on the wards. They'd been useless before now except as an extra layer of shell between them and the wild magic. He didn't expect them to hold, but at least it gave them a moment's more warning.

He wasn't surprised that even before he could answer Dacey, he knew something had gotten inside. He heard frantic calls from throughout the ship, the lines overrun with voices and static. He turned... and saw something dark and shadowy grabbing at him -- ice cold fingers against his arm, pulling him. . . .

In the last moment, he saw Seaton and Banning working frantically with the ship's controls, setting things to automatic. He hoped it worked, because he could see shadows coming for the two of them as well.

And then... blackness for a while.

He awoke to the unpleasant, and familiar, scent of fetid jungle. Etric opened his eyes, startled, and frightened for the first time in years. He could not be back on Ahira working the Midori fields. And yet, that was what he saw as he carefully turned his head and saw the overhang of jungle, and felt the burnt stubble of Midori plants beneath his back. They didn't make a pleasant bed.

Nothing on this world had ever been pleasant. He tried to believe this couldn't be real. He had been dropped back into his worst nightmare --

Gods. Had Crystal --

He sat up too quickly; the world went dark red for a moment before it came back into focus. He gasped and looked around, feeling both worry and relief to find there were others with him, but not Crystal. Otaka, Brother, Micah and Tathis had all started sitting up, and none of them looked pleased.

Otaka went straight up to her feet, which impressed Etric. He didn't try to do the same, since even sitting up still made the world spin.

Micah looked around, dismayed. "Where are we?"

Brother started to sit up, and changed his mind. Tathis looked around and found them, and he appeared very relieved to find he wasn't alone. His hand lifted as if to say something -- and stopped again with a shake of his head, as though he didn't even know what to ask.

"We're in hell," Etric said, and signed the words to Tathis, who nodded and grimaced, either at the news or at a headache. Etric's head had started to pound even worse now that he considered all the trouble around them. "And I know this particular hell all too well. I was a slave here. These are the midori fields Crystal and I worked."

Otaka grimaced and cursed as she looked around, but she took hold of Etric's arm when he finally started to stand. He didn't know if he was ready or not, but it was better to be on his feet in case of trouble.

There would be trouble. He had no doubt of that.

"How did we get here?" she asked, looking around with distaste.

"Damned if I know," Etric said. He raised his hand in apology at the bad pun. "You know, this feels like Ahira. It looks, smells and tastes like Ahira... but I don't think that's really where we are."

"Ah," Otaka said, and didn't look any happier.

"Or that might just be my hope that we're not here. The alternative, though, might not be much better when I consider it. No good answers either way."

Brother started to stand but went right back down again, looking very pale and shaky. Tathis moved to help him, and finally got him to his feet, holding him there. Brother didn't look well, but then Etric had the feeling he might not look very well, either.

"I'm going to climb that tree," Micah said, pointing toward a tall tree at the edge of the field. "I should be able to see farther from up there. I want to know what's around us."

Etric nodded. "That's a good idea. Climb carefully," he said. "This place isn't safe; whether it's Ahira or Gix's own hell doesn't matter."

"True."

They moved toward the tree as a group. Etric wanted everyone close by. Otaka, praise the Gods, had her laser pistol. She pulled it out and looked at the charge, all wonderfully professional, and nodded in a reassuring way. Good. They weren't helpless here.

He saw Brother start to fall again, and hurried to help Tathis keep him to his feet. "Are you all right?" he asked, helping to take hold of him.

"Ill," Brother admitted. He held out his arm, and it trembled before he dropped it back down again. "Whatever this place is, it is not -- not natural. I don't belong here."

"I feared as much." Etric took tighter hold of his shoulder. "I think that means we must be in Gix's domain, and not Ahira. Not safer of course, but at least it's where we intended to go."

Brother nodded, gasping slightly and plainly trying to get control. They'd get him through this mess. Etric would make certain they all came through it.

Micah had reached the tree and put his hand on the bark, frowning a little as he looked back at the others. Etric hadn't realized how much he looked like Dacey until that moment. That reminded him again of all the others who were likely out there, somewhere. Since he and his companions were still alive, he had every reason to believe the others would be as well.

"If this is Gix's hell, then it can't be safe," Micah said. "I don't trust this quiet."

"We need to stay close together." He touched Tathis's arm and signed the same thing to him, awkward as he tried to hold Brother up. This couldn't be good, and he knew they would have little chance to recover before something went wrong. Gix had to have dropped them here for a reason.

"Let me stay with Tathis," Brother said. He took a deeper breath and seemed to be gaining more control. "I can help warn him of trouble."

"Yes, that would help," he agreed and signed the same to Tathis, who looked relieved as well.

Good. He wanted to keep everyone safe, but how could he do that? They were either on Ahira or they were in Gix's hell, and neither place could be safe in any form. He tried not to feel as though this was his fault. Yes, they had dropped into his own hell, but he had not brought them here.

Micah cast one quick glance around and then began to climb --

Otaka pulled her pistol, aimed, and fired at something that came around the tree, long, brown-furred arms reaching for Brother. It charged back into the jungle growth, howling with what sounded like anger rather than pain.

"I have no idea what that was," Etric said before anyone could ask. He'd caught a glimpse of something grey and brown, human sized, and running on four legs. "There were dangers on Ahira, but I don't know if that's what we'll find here, or if there is something far worse. I can tell you that walking out into the jungle was a common method of suicide, because it was generally very quick and no one survived."

"Damn," Otaka said, and held her pistol up again, watching the area around them carefully. He didn't know how she managed to stay so alert at a time when his mind wanted to leap and wander. Maybe that only came because he kept looking for something to make this not be Ahira, and to find a way out.

Something came around another tree and tried to grab Brother again. It was not the same sort of creature as the last one, and it moved a bit faster. Tathis shoved it backwards as he tried to pull his companion out of the way. Etric cast a quick spell to knock the creature back --

It died at the first touch of magic. Died, crumbled, and disappeared.

Well. That helped. He felt much better now.

"Why are they going for me?" Brother asked, nodding his thanks to Tathis.

"For the same reason you're ill, I would guess," Etric said, watching the trees more carefully now. He could help here. "Because you are all that is the opposite of this unnatural place. We are not on Ahira." He looked up into the tree where Micah still climbed, knowing now what had happened. "And if we are not on Ahira, then we are on Gix's world. Can you see the tower, Micah?"

"Yes," he said, pushing away some leaves. Something screeched and leapt away to another tree. Micah cursed softly. "Okay, I can see it clearly, but it's miles away. I don't see a sign of any of our other companions, though. There is some good news: the jungle does not reach all the way to the tower."

"Good." Etric felt his first real relief since he woke up. "Do you see a path that will take us through it?"

"Oh, no. And even if I did, do you think we would be wise to take it?"

"Good point. I shouldn't be looking for easy answers, should I?"

"Not here." Micah started back down, sliding part of the way. "I don't know how you and Captain Crystal ever survived in such a place as this --"

Something moved in the branches above him, then leapt down at Micah -- wings wide, talons showing, and a sharp-beaked face --

Otaka tried to get a shot at it, but the creature caught Micah too quickly and she lowered her weapon with a shout of dismay. Etric couldn't bring up his magic with Micah in the way.

The talons grabbed their friend by the shoulder and tried to tear him free from the tree. Otaka had already started to climb, but Etric could see she wouldn't get there in time, and he decided to call up a spell that wouldn't kill, only stun -- and hope Micah wasn't badly hurt by the fall --

But Prince Micah proved to be far from helpless. Even though the creature had a talon hooked deep into his shoulder, he let go of the tree and drew a knife with the other hand. As the creature tried to drag him up out of the branches, Micah reached upward and stabbed into the chest.

It screamed and let go. Micah fell back through two branches and caught hold, and Otaka dropped from her climb, drew her weapon and fired. She didn't kill it, but the creature swept away again with a scream of anger, and didn't turn back as it disappeared into the trees.

Micah had started to work his way back down. By the time he reached the ground, blood had soaked the front of his shirt. Etric grabbed him and cast a quick healing spell --

And found it didn't work.

"I can't heal him," he said, frantic as he tried again. Talthis had apparently already figured that out. He was tearing bandages from the edge of his shirt.

"Calmly, Captain," Otaka said, a hand on his shoulder. "Be calm. It's all right. This is hell. I'm not surprised that anything which would ease pain won't work here. Are you going to be all right, Micah?"

He looked up and nodded as Talthis bandaged the wound. Brother stayed by the tree, and looked frantically around, expecting trouble at any moment -- as they all did now.

"We don't use magic to heal in my world," Micah said. "Well, at least not until we got Dacey back. I'll survive this. I wonder where Dacey is. I wonder if he's all right. And Silver."

Brother nodded and looked just as worried. "I hope they're together, but somehow, I doubt it."

"Let's go," Etric said. He looked into the shadowed jungle and shook his head, trying not to despair. "I should have issued lasers to everyone on the ship."

"Not safe," Otaka said. She gave a surprising laugh, considering the situation. "I heard even Brendan and Tam drew blades when they ran into each other by surprise."

"Did they? And they both survived?"

"Oh yes, and without drawing any blood, either. I wouldn't want to take bets on which of those two would come out on top in a fight," she said. She looked at her laser, turning it over in her hands. "Tensions were too high, Captain, and trouble kept slipping into the ship. It wouldn't have been safe, giving those kinds of weapons to people who were not used to them or to space travel in the fragility of a ship's shell."

"Excellent point."

"And one I'm sure you considered while we were on the ship," she added. "It's just that here we are now under new rules. We have to do the best we can. I have my laser. We'll have to use it wisely."

"Yes, you're right." Etric knew it was time for him to get his mind back on where they were, and on the trouble they faced, rather than thinking of things he might have done differently before they got here. He could not change what had happened. He meant for them to survive this, though, so he had to pay far better attention and think through the troubles they could face. They had not come all this way to give up now, and to die on Ahira -- or a version of it -- a place he had left behind a long time ago.

"I wonder what the point of this is," he said, looking at the others. Brother still looked far too pale, even for someone who rarely saw the sun. "Why drop us here, and why in my personal hell in particular?"

"Games," Brother said. He finally pulled away from Tathis and nodded his thanks now that he seemed able to stand on his own feet. "We are here to amuse Gix, perhaps. Or perhaps this is only to keep us away from the battle while he deals with Abby and Tristan. What better way than to drop us into a place that he knows haunts at least one of us?"

"Crystal isn't here, and this place was more his hell than mine, in many ways. But I think you're right, Brother. And that gives us our goal -- to reach the tower and make certain that we still make a difference in the battle. I haven't come all this way to hike through the damned jungle, but if that's what it takes, that's what I'll do. Besides, at least the tower is somewhere we can see."

"Down!" Otaka shouted.

Brother leapt and brought down Tathis, moving faster than Etric, who had started to turn to him as well. Etric dropped as something swept over him. Otaka fired. It fell -- huge, grey, brown and yellow -- and then disappeared.

"This is going to be a damned long journey," Etric said as he stood again.

"Damned on every level," Brother agreed. He sat up slowly again and stared around him, shaking his head. "I don't want to go in there amongst those trees. I fear I'll be even more ill --"

"We'll get you through to the other side," Micah promised. He caught hold of Brother's arm and pulled him up, even though Micah looked less than steady himself. However, he did look ready to go on. He was obviously worried about Dacey.

And Etric worried about Crystal.

"This might be hell, but it's not defeat," Otaka said. She held the weapon in hand and made a quick sign to Tathis. When had she learned to sign? She was a damned good crewmember, and Etric knew he was lucky to have her here. "We'll go find the others. We still have a war to fight, after all. And I refuse to give up the idea that we can help Abby, Tristan and Rqua. I will not leave them to fight this final battle alone."

No one argued. They headed into the jungle, their steps steady, and ready for any trouble.

Chapter Three

They arrived.

Abby's legs went out from under him, and even with the Janin in his hands, he couldn't remain standing. He could hardly breathe, he couldn't think -- It had been too hard and too long of a journey this time, and now... now...

He found himself in hell, in the place where he would have gone... oh, a lifetime ago, when he and Tabor first met. Back when he was only Altazar's bastard. And was he so changed, now?

They had reached Gix's own domain and he didn't have to see the red skies to know it. He didn't even have to see the tower, across the distance of a rocky, barren land. The air tasted of Gix. A brand he had not thought about for far too long suddenly pulsed with a sharp pain on his shoulder. Tristan gasped in pain and Rqua looked frightened.

"Sorry," Abby said he took a deep breath and dismissed the pain. Rqua looked at him, startled this time.

"He can do that, but it's not always helpful, since then I can't tell if he really is injured or not," Tristan said with a shake of his head. "Rqua? Are you still linked?"

 I can hear you.  His words came faintly, but there. Then he smiled. "It doesn't matter so much. I can speak to you here."

"True," Tristan said, and sounded relieved. He closed his eyes and lifted a hand, holding it up for a moment as he tested the magic and the world. "We can rest. I think we're safe."

Abby gave a quite unexpected laugh, startling all three of his companions. "Sorry. I just never considered being on Gix's world as anything I would define as safe."

Tabor looked at Abby and nodded agreement. He looked unsteady, worrying Abby again.

"Are you all right?" Tristan asked, catching hold of Tabor, who had nearly gone sliding down an incline when he lost his footing on the rocky surface.

"Those fools drugged me to get the damned ship here," he said. He put both hands to his forehead, as though he could force the unsteadiness away, but then shook his head as it plainly didn't work. "I don't know why I let Banning do it. I knew it wasn't going to work well. I didn't want to come here."

"And are we here?" Rqua asked, looking around. He frowned and kicked at the dirt, grimacing. "Is this Gix's world?"

"We're on his world," Tabor said. He held out his hand, and fiery magic played along his fingers, proving he was really in his own place. He dismissed the magic with a snarl. "We need to move from where we dropped in. Such magic is easy to trace."

Abby took a step forward, using the Janin to help him keep his balance as they headed down a steep hillside. She hummed, a soft but steady sound. She knew very well they were heading toward battle, and the staff welcomed it, having no care whatsoever for all the worries Abby harbored.

"I wonder why we haven't been attacked," Rqua said, mistrust in his voice.

"Damned if I know," Tabor replied with a shrug.

It won a laugh from Rqua, but a shake of Abby's head.

"When did you develop a sense of humor?" Abby asked in mock dismay.

"About the time I realized I wasn't cut out to follow in my father's footsteps. Have mercy, Abby. Slow down. I'm very ill."

Tabor reached the bottom of the hill and Abby caught hold of him as he started to fall. He looked pale, and for a moment Abby feared his friend would pass out. Abby desperately wanted Tabor at his best, considering where they were and the trouble they would undoubtedly find.

"We can rest. We should rest," Abby said. "I don't want to rush into this, if we can avoid it. If Gix gives us this moment, we should take it."

"Thank you." Tabor took several long deep breaths, though he still swayed. "I hope this clears soon."

"I should be angry at you for trying to bring them here, you know."

"It was their choice," Tabor said and met his look this time. "And they will still reach here."

"Without us?" Abby said, and shook his head. "I don't see how they could."

"Really?" Tabor grinned this time, and looked a little better already. "You haven't been paying attention to how determined they are. They could always call on the gods. I suspect, given how closely the gods were when I called, they wouldn't have much trouble drawing their attention or their help."

Panic left Abby speechless. He looked at Tristan in mute fear, knowing they would do such a thing, and the consequences -- the price they would pay -- would, he feared, be too high. Even Rqua looked -- and felt -- worried at what might happen.

Tabor had taken a few steps forward, but he stopped and looked back, shaking his head. "Don't worry. I'm sure they'll get to Brendan before they actually call on the Gods."

"Yes. Good." Abby felt a wave of relief, and then wondered if Tabor hadn't just done a very good job of maneuvering him into accepting that his friends were heading here.

Tristan and Rqua both laughed at the idea and Tabor looked at them, frowning a little.

"Pay no attention to them," Abby said. "They seem to think everything is funny these days."

"Do they? They must not get the humor from you. Right now, though, I wish I shared that link with the three of you."

"Oh yes, that's just what we'd need," Abby said. "A fourth person here."

"I could use more magic to bring you in, like Rqua is," Tristan offered, ignoring Abby's words.

"I think, perhaps, I'll pass." Tabor looked at the three. "I think there must be about as much insanity in there as you can stand right now. Besides, there will be a greater need for your magic soon, elf."

"True," Abby agreed. He started out and caught up with Tabor in a few quick steps. "And we're not really crazy, you know."

Even Tabor laughed this time.

It was a good sound, here in this hell.

Chapter Four

Zoe had wandered her way up to the crew's lounge, taking a slow walk through the huge ship, basking in the normality of ship functions and the peace of the moment. This was her place. She wondered how the others felt. They would get to hell soon -- or at least Gix's version of it. Maybe they were all the same hells, in the end. How could she be so anxious to get there?

How had she ever gotten caught up in this madness?

The crew's lounge was nearly empty. With a cup of tea in hand, she sat down at a side table and leaned back, letting some of the stress and fatigue ease from her shoulders. She had chosen to join this crusade to save the universe and she found no reason for regret. Worry, yes -- but then everyone looked worried.

Zoe looked up to see Brendan coming into the room, the harp case strung over his shoulder as usual. She realized he must not go anywhere without it. She wondered if that case -- and the burden that went with it -- ever felt heavy to him. Keeper of the Song. She'd always thought music had some magic in it, and his existence seemed to confirm her feelings.

He had stopped and looked at the bank of food dispensers with a shake of his head and started to back away.

Zoe stood, and he glanced toward her with a little worry.

"Tea?" she asked. "Maybe a nice sweet cake or something?"

"I do not want to be a bother," he replied, looking worried still.

She laughed and crossed to the dispensers. "Don't worry. I've seen that look before. And you'll starve if someone doesn't show you how this works. Here, this is for tea. Just press this button and it will do the rest. Sugar? Do you like your tea sweet?"

"That would be nice," he agreed, and watched while she did the work. "I've been here before, but it hadn't occurred to me until now that I might have to do this myself."

She helped him with the tea and got them both some cookies. "Come and sit with me. I've been very bad company for myself today," she said. "Besides, I like to meet the new people and learn about their worlds. It still seems odd to me that this ship has gone to places that we never should have reached."

"Do you regret it?" Brendan asked as he sat down.

"No. I worry about it, but I don't regret it."

He nodded as though he understood, and then sipped his tea and looked pleasantly surprised.

And that was when everything went insane.

She heard the alarms and the shouts, and shoved away from the table so quickly her cup fell. Brendan leapt up, grabbing at something beneath his shirt --

Tendrils caught hold of her legs and she fell, hitting her head on the chair. She shouted, kicked, and tried to pull away, but it dragged her from the table. Brendan grabbed her arm and tried to draw her away from the creature she could not clearly see -- shadows moving, hardly anything more. He had reached inside his tunic and brought out something that glowed with magic -- she had gotten used to magic, and welcomed it.

"Hold on!" he shouted, his hand tightening around her wrist. He almost pulled her back too -- before something dark and shapeless grabbed him from behind and tore him away.

And then she was gone from the ship.

Zoe awoke, aware of a throbbing pain in her head and right leg, and found herself looking at the shadowed ground above her.

That couldn't be right, especially since she could also feel hard rocks beneath her body. A slight movement of her hands brought the feel of gritty dirt under her fingers. She could even smell the ground -- never one of her favorite scents, and one of the reasons she had always done so well on ships. She had never cared much for worlds.

She didn't like the idea of being trapped on a world -- something she had ever admitted to anyone. Right now, staring up at the ground, she realized she had found a new nightmare: trapped inside a world, to never see, or travel, the stars again. Was she dead? Had they buried her, rather than send her to a clean ending in the heart of a star?

A cry of fear almost made it to her lips, but she heard something move and froze in terror. What else might be here with her? What if it came and she couldn't move --

And for a moment, the fear alone took such hold of her that she couldn't so much as brush her fingers against the dirt again. She gasped, fighting for control, and finally forced herself to sit up and look around. The cavern was huge, the light from glowing bits of growth that appeared dim and reddish, but enough that she could see she had not come here alone. Kamil, Lehan and Tam looked as they had been thrown to the ground nearby. The sight of them brought calm, despite the fact that they were all in this huge roofed hole in the ground.

"Hey," she said softly.

Lehan sat up quickly and looked around, his eyes wide with fear and his breath coming in short gasps.

"Careful." Zoe crawled to him. Having someone she could help gave her a little more personal courage, or at least allowed her to ignore what she feared most.

"I... how did we get here?" he asked softly, looking around as she put a hand to his shoulder. She could feel some bandages there, and knew he'd had a little regen, but obviously not enough to completely heal him yet. Damn. "Where are we?"

"I suspect we're on Gix's world somewhere," she answered, and did not look around again. "I know magic brought us here."

"Magic." He shook his head and focused back on her. "I'm not going to get used to that part."

"If you travel with us for long, you will," she said and smiled.

"I thought it was not common in the place where you came from."

"It isn't. But I've been traveling with this group for a long time, and I've gotten used to the mages."

"I can't imagine." He looked around again and grimaced. "Or maybe I can. I think you had better help Kamil. He doesn't look good at all. I'll check on Tam."

"Check him carefully," she said with a nod toward Tam. "He always has weapons on him, and if he wakes up badly, it could be dangerous."

Lehan nodded, looking worried again.

She moved to Kamil. He looked very ill and she grabbed hold of him when he tried to sit up, seeing him about to fall over again. The latest madness of being yanked from the ship must have been very hard on him.

"I'll be all right," he said.

Had he read that from her? Did he know her thoughts? She frowned --

"My apologies," he said. He lifted a thin, trembling hand to his forehead. "I am sorry. For some reason, you are far louder here than on the ship. I can hear all of you. I can't seem to turn it off."

She shouldn't have been annoyed, and she didn't know why the perverse feeling struck just then. Kamil winced at the anger, and she felt betrayed at her own thoughts. It only made her angrier.

 This wasn't right. 

"I'm sorry," she said. "I think... I think this place has warped my thoughts. I'm not angry at you, Kamil. Really."

He looked at her; dark eyes in a pale, thin face. She put a hand on his shoulder and did her best to push away the thoughts that were alien to her, and that, perhaps, were not really her own after all. Kamil glanced around the cavern and back at her, nodding.

"Yes, I think you are right. I think... it is a way to torment me and upset you. Gix's work."

She nodded, grateful he had such clarity of thought even with her own horrid, treacherous thoughts crowding in at him. She left him there, hoping some distance would help him, and moved to help with Tam. Seeing Tam had not yet recovered finally brought concern to overcome the anger that had been there only a heartbeat before.

She turned back and nodded. "You're right, Kamil. It is this place."

He nodded, and then moved so he could put his back to a boulder. He watched everywhere, reminding her that the man was deaf. She sometimes forgot.

Lehan had lifted Tam's head and balanced him against his arm. The prince hadn't reacted at all, which worried her for whole new reasons. Prince Tamaris, heir to the throne -- maybe that shouldn't mean anything here, but it did to her. She had believed in the Empire, and worked in ways she hoped made it a better place to live.

And now her friends included assassin princes and smugglers. And the emperor, for that matter.

It didn't matter. Tam was crew and she liked him, despite some peculiarities she never would have expected in someone of his social standing. And besides, it seemed that he had worked to make the Empire a better place to live as well. She knelt beside the two and gently dared to put a hand on Tam's fingers, drawing a little more of his attention.

"Tam? Wake up," she said softly and took his hand in hers. Soft hands. He'd never done hard work. "Tam, we need you awake."

He came awake quite suddenly, and finding himself in the hands of others obviously didn't settle well. Zoe held to the hand that instinctively went for a knife -- she knew what he meant to do. But in the next blink of his eyes he became saner, though no less worried, as he glanced around the area.

"Well, this looks unpleasant."

Kamil laughed, the sound echoing through the area, sounding odd... but welcome.

Tam pulled away from the two of them and got to his feet -- far sooner than Zoe thought he should, though she wasn't surprised. He took one step away, and then another, giving a nod to Kamil, who had started to stand as well. And what did they think they were going to do?

A shadow moved where there hadn't been one.

Lehan surged to his feet as the shadow swept toward Tamaris. The prince, still obviously groggy, turned a little too slowly and Lehan reached the creature first. Zoe saw it -- human face, human shape, but gray. Dead. She had no doubt of it.

It swiped at Lehan with enough force to nearly send him falling -- but Lehan came back with a knife in hand and shoved it through the creature's head.

If it had not really been dead before, it certain was this time. It fell, crumbled, and disappeared.

"Thank you," Tam said. He looked worried, though. "I recognized him. I killed him. Before."

"Well, I'm not surprised to find the people you killed in hell," Zoe said.

That won a nod of agreement, and more caution as he looked around.

Zoe tried very hard not to look up at the ground above them, forcing calm, and desperately wanting control. She wanted to help her friends and feared she would fail, in a place where they might really need her aid. Her emotions couldn't be helping Kamil, every time those fears sprang up through her again.

Control. She forced herself to take control of her emotions --

And another of the dead, gray humans came up over a rock wall and down onto Tam. He had been ready, this time, though. He brought his knife to hand and lunged --

And couldn't touch it. His arm moved through the creature without doing it harm. It, however, grabbed Tam --

Zoe yelled and leapt to help the prince, who had already fallen back, bleeding badly across his face and chest. Oh hell! Lehan and Kamil got between Tam and this enemy, and despite her fears, they had no trouble killing it.

"Hell," Tam hissed, and pulled away from Zoe when she knelt to help him. He quickly got back to his feet despite his wounds, and she could see anger in his face this time. Kamil even winced a little at it, glancing at Tam and away again. "Why couldn't I kill him?"

"Probably because you killed him once already," Lehan guessed. He looked around, worried. "We'll need to keep you protected from them."

"Protect me," Tam said, as though the words had some alien meaning he didn't understand -- and maybe he really didn't. Tamaris had always taken care of himself, it seemed. He had taken on the job of protecting others as well. "This isn't right."

"No, but it is hell," Zoe replied.

"But why should it be just my hell?" he asked, accepting a cloth from Lehan to deal with his wounds. They didn't look as bad as she had first feared, and she could see they wouldn't slow him down at all.

"I'd say that's relative," Zoe said, and looked nervously around -- but not up -- again. "It may be hell for you not to be able to stop them, but it's hell for us because the person best suited to fighting the enemy can't."

"Oh." He nodded. "We need to find a way out of this hole."

She tried not to shiver at those words, and glanced at Kamil with worry -- he knew what she thought, but she could see only worry in his eyes. Maybe this part wasn't just her hell. Maybe --

She spun at a sound, like a distant wind moving toward them, and fear nearly blinded her. She looked up, finally, expecting the roof to cave in, expecting --

And then, quite suddenly, Brendan appeared on the ground before them, the harp case cradled to his chest. He went straight to his knees, gasping, and for a moment Zoe couldn't be certain she trusted the sight of someone she thought might be able to help them. She didn't think she could trust any kind of good luck at all in this place.

"I did find you," Brendan finally said, looking up at her. "Thank the Gods, if they have had any hand in this madness."

"What happened? Why are you here?" Tam asked, and didn't sound any more trusting than Zoe felt just then.

"As far as I can tell, everyone was pulled from the ship but me." Brendan took a deeper breath and then stood with Zoe's help. He felt real beneath her fingers, and she caught a glimpse of something sparkling under his tunic and thought she heard the whisper of music from the harp. Kamil, who probably could have told better than any of them, nodded. "I had been... been with Zoe when the shadow took her away. One grabbed me and held me back, but it left without taking me anywhere. I decided I had better do my best to follow. Besides, I can't do anything with the ship, except maybe get some tea and cookies."

Zoe laughed and he grinned in reply. He looked younger when he smiled. She thought someone who harbored the kind of gift and powers he held should have been older. The Keeper of the Song sounded like someone with the wisdom of ages about him.

"This is a dangerous place to be, Brendan," Tam said, looking nervously around.

"I know," Brendan answered. "But I had to come here. I followed Zoe's trail since she had been with me. I'd tried to hold on to her with magic, so I had a little touch of her still. Yes, it is dangerous, but no more so than staying on that ship alone."

Tam had started to say something more, but he stopped and nodded this time. "You're right. And I'm glad to have you here, Brendan. I'm just worried. You say that everyone is gone? Why aren't they here? Where are they?"

"As I followed the path, I had an odd feeling of chaos, and an occasional touch of our people. It almost pulled me aside since I sensed magic in a few places -- Dacey, I think, mostly. But I couldn't be certain, and it seemed wisest to follow the one trail I could hold with any certainty."

"So you came here," Zoe said.

He lifted his hand and closed his eyes for a moment. His brows pulled down in a little frown, but then he nodded and looked back at her and Tam. "I think I can find the way out of here, if you want to try. Maybe I can still track the others through their magic as well."

"I would like that very much," Tam said with an adamant nod. The others agreed as well. Zoe nodded, hardly daring to hope they could get out of this huge hole.

"This way," Brendan said, and started down a path between huge boulders --

Something grabbed Brendan so quickly he hardly had time to yelp as a tentacle wrapped around his leg and tried to yank him off his feet off into the dark. The others moved quickly -- but Tam got in ahead of them all, and with dagger in hand, sliced straight through the creature's limb. It yowled, let go, and scrambled away.

"Well, that's better," Tam said, cleaning his blade on the corner of his shirt. "At least I can still help."

"Still help?" Brendan said, and looked startled.

"We've had a couple attacks already," Tam said, and touched the cut on his face. "Unfortunately, they were by people I had already killed once, and I couldn't touch them, though they had no trouble touching me."

"Ah. That must be... well, hell, I suppose."

Tam just looked at him and shook his head. "This is going to be worse than even I expected."

Brendan grinned and the harp played something bright and exciting, the sound hardly dulled at all by the case in which he kept her.

And in that moment Zoe knew why Brendan had not been brought down with the others and why Gix wouldn't want him on his world. Brendan brought hope with him.

Chapter Five

As Gix had watched, Braith shaped the demon's gifted magic and sent it ripping through the wards around the ship. It had not been easy, and the human gasped and panted, but he did the work. Then, with a barely concealed laugh of glee, Braith had grabbed Abby's followers and dragged them to Gix's world.

But the Goddess had stepped in, even now. She didn't allow any of the people to go alone to Gix's world. She held them close, gathering them in groups, and though Braith tried to break her hold, he couldn't -- of course.

Gix growled for a moment, but then turned his attention to the more delicate work at hand. He set his own magic to work. He let the humans form their own hells, which proved far more effective than if Gix had created something for them. The hells not only defined the enemy, but they also provided him with endless entertainment.

"Sire," Braith said softly.

He lifted a hand for silence while watching one in particular. Of all their petty little fears, it was the mage, Dacey, who caught most of his attention. He could understand Dacey's fear because this one had suffered under the tyranny of Gregor, a mage so corrupt Gix didn't much trust him, either, though he did hold the soul and used it when he could. It wasn't as though Gregor had been driven by madness to do what he had done to the boy. He had done it because it suited him. He used cruelty as a diversion from boredom, and the only madness that had held him was what he cultivated for his own enjoyment.

Gix understood Dacey's worries and fears, and he played on those, making Dodano worse than it had been in reality. If Dacey had been alone, he thought it might have broken that one, still so wounded from life. However, Starwind's work had given him companions, and he couldn't undo it just now.

Gix turned his attention to the others. He didn't know why the woman feared the ground, though she did associate it with death, and he filed that away for future use. Fearing the jungle he didn't understand at all, though he played with it, adding more difficulties. Brother had a particular problem Gix had not even anticipated -- and not having foreseen such a chance to cause more troubles annoyed him. He had not taken all the time he should have to study these humans and their companions. He should have known all their weaknesses by now.

"Master," Braith whispered, and won a kick this time for disturbing him. He watched the groups, weighing each act they made, each counterbalance that he put in place... and he had a moment of understanding. Ship people. They did not live on worlds, and the places that held free life and open ground were alien to them. He'd never considered that difference until now, as he watched them gather, whisper, look with worry at things that should not have bothered them at all.

Braith crawled back and cowered at his feet, all but whimpering this time. Gix finally deigned to notice the useless worm, nudging him with a foot, rather than kicking him away again. He'd only crawl back again, and bother him once more.

"Master," he said, still softly. He held up a shard of mirror coated in his own blood. "They have arrived."

"Yes. I know. Do you think I couldn't feel the arrival of the Godling and my treacherous son?"

Braith cowered away again, but Gix paid it no attention. He wanted more time to feel and taste and tease these others, and the arrival of Aubreyan and Tabor created limits he did not like. He wanted to know their fears and the shapes of their nightmares, because they were, each in their own way, chosen by the Gods. If he could find their weaknesses, even Starwind couldn't help them.

However, he could feel Aubreyan and Tabor, forces nearly as strong as the bitch goddess who hovered so close to his realm he could have grabbed her -- but it would have taken too much magic to hold her, and he needed that power for other things. She could not lure him into wasting power on her, though he knew she tried.

Gix turned his wandering attention back to the others. He tested their bonds, touched their fear, and tuned his world a little better to it. He played at their pains, stroked their terrors and whispered to their nightmares. He had a little time. He had --

Something else happened: he felt the unexpected change, the whisper of song, and it shook him out of the trance he'd fallen into while dealing with the others, lost in their misery. He looked back at Braith to find him staring, wide-eyed and obviously afraid to speak for a moment. "Master," he whispered. "The other one has arrived. The singer has returned."

"I did not want it back on my world!" Gix felt a blaze of anger sweep through him. The tower trembled, and Braith fell to his knees, his head bowed to the floor. It did not appease him, but Gix kept from kicking the worm back into the wall. Even that release had lost its draw. He wanted to go back and play mind games with the others. He wanted --

But Brendan had come to the world, and against Gix's wish and his will. He scowled, watching the group where Brendan had appeared and saw how he had already begun to bring them out of the depth of despair where Gix had dropped them.

For a moment, his hands twitched and he started to reach out, to strike the creature down -- ah, but no, no. Not that one. If he killed Brendan, he would lose considerable power. Far better to break the bard, since he had come so willingly to Gix's own hell. He drew his hands back and nodded. Let him lead the group. They might come to rely on him too much, and Gix could use even that to his own advantage. How much greater would their despair be if the bard failed them?

"Master?"

"We adapt, Braith," he said, his voice almost calm. It was not a word he thought he had ever used before, and Braith blinked several times, as though trying to find the meaning. "We adapt to the new challenges. It has been a long time since a challenge came to me."

"Ah." Braith looked at the shards. Gix doubted he truly understood, but he still nodded. "They plan to come to the tower. All of them have set it as their goal."

"They know the longer they remain in my realm, the more chance I have to destroy them. They know what they face and the dangers. We will want them here, Braith, when we are ready. But for now... now we can play a little longer. Wear them down, even if I don't quite break them yet."

Braith didn't look reassured by the plan. When had the worm lost this nerve? Gix wondered why he had never noticed. He'd been blind and complacent, and now he suffered for it by having only this coward and fool to stand beside him.

He thought to brush Braith away and his hands twitched again, but he held back. Braith was all he had, and if nothing else, he might make an interesting tidbit to throw at his enemies when they came; a distraction, when he needed such a thing.

Tabor should have been standing by him, rather than helping lead the enemy in battle. He felt rage rake at his mind again like talons of fire as he thought about the abomination of Tabor standing with the others. His son would pay for it.

The feel of war came upon him just then, brushing like warmth along his arms, breathing power down into his lungs. He had not dealt with a real battle in too long, and the power of it took him by surprise. His claws grew longer, his teeth sharper. Braith looked upon his glory and backed away in terror.

And the goddess watched. Oh yes. He smiled for her, showing teeth that would rip her beloved son to pieces, but not kill him. No, never that. He would hold her precious son and never let him escape from torment.

And he might even dare to take her before he was done.

Chapter Six

Abby paused only a moment to catch his breath before he started up another incline, wishing the hills would end, and they would get somewhere if not actually to the tower. He hated the endless walking. His leg hurt. He wanted to be done with the battle --

 No, no. Never wish for that ending. 

He couldn't decide if the thought came from him, Tristan or Rqua. Maybe it came from all three, this bit of wisdom. He didn't want to wish for anything that would bring danger to his friends. He should wish, instead, that they never reached the tower at all.

He could not really understand that this long war would soon be over. He tried to remember the bastard son of Altazar who had, unwisely, called upon the gods to save him from something worse than death. He had not wanted to come to this place as Gix's slave. But he came anyway, and the brand on his shoulder pulsed with a little pain now and then, reminding him he'd been promised here.

The endless walking would drive him mad. He'd gotten too used to going places quickly. He had, he supposed, even gotten used to living with technology. The boy in the tower of Mindeneh could never have imagined himself here and with such odd friends.

Rqua started to stumble. Abby caught him, and then saw a blank look on his friends face. For a moment, he didn't even feel Rqua in with him and Tristan, and it worried him --

But Rqua came back with a blink and gave a quick, bright smile.

"The others are here. Well, at least Kamil is. I felt him very strongly for a moment, but I think something broke the connection. I had the feeling of others with him."

"Glad they made it," Tabor said. He reached the top of the hill ahead of Abby, and then he went down to his knees. He looked spent, ill, and more than a little annoyed. "I'm going to have to kill something before this is all done."

"Tabor?" Tristan asked, holding out his hand to help him back to his feet.

"A moment, please." He leaned down and took several deep breaths again. "Why did I let Banning do this to me? Why did she do it, knowing where we were headed? Rqua, you're the only real human here. You explain it to me."

"Sure," Rqua said as he reached the top of the hill as well. He paused, looked around, and the back at Tabor. "If humans are desperate enough, they'll try just about anything, at least once."

"You know, that makes so much sense of things suddenly," Abby said.

The others laughed again, though Tabor still didn't look very amused. He finally did get back to his feet, though.

"And they were desperate to come here," Abby added, shaking his head. He glanced around as well, noting the grey on grey landscape, the dead trees, the flittering life that darted through the shadows and the red light. "Why didn't they stay away?"

He looked toward the reddish glow of the tower; fate and doom waiting for them on the higher ground somewhere still too far away. Something flew up into the dull sky, and then another and another, heading off in another direction. Gargoyles, he thought, and wondered why they did not come for him.

Could he still get there ahead of the others and save them from this last battle? Could he wish himself there? Could he ask the Gods?

"We can walk, Abby," Rqua said, a hand on his arm. "It's not that bad. You can't really want to be there quickly."

"I've come a long way on paths I can hardly remember now, and all to fight this battle," he said and then sighed. "I don't want the battle -- I want the battle over."

No one argued, and he could feel the worry and agreement from both Tristan and Rqua. How could the others follow on his path, so blind to what might happen? How could they merely chase after him, as though they expected him to know what to do, and how to save them --

"You need a little more faith, Abby," Tristan said as they started down the far side of the hill again.

"I could wish for a little more privacy," he said.

"Why? You would only make yourself more miserable," Tristan said with a shrug that almost annoyed Abby this time. "You are far too much of a pessimist."

Tabor looked from Abby to Tristan and shook his head. "Do you really think this is the time to lecture him?"

"Sometimes he needs reminders," Tristan said. He put fingers to the crown, tracing the edge over his right eye. "And sometimes he chooses not to listen at the worst times."

"I would think this might be a time when you trust him most," Tabor replied.

Abby looked back at Tabor, at first confused, and then amused to realize the demonling was standing up for him. That brought amusement to the other two as well, but in the moment Tabor saw them all grin, he looked startled and worried.

Cut off from the humor, not a part of the group --

"Tabor," Abby began.

Unfortunately, Tristan and Rqua spoke his name at the same time, and the chorus of voices so startled Tabor that he leapt backwards, lost his footing, and nearly slid down the hillside.

This time Tabor laughed first. He accepted Rqua's help to stand and still smiled as they moved on, even though he limped a little this time.

"That's a good weapon here, you know," Tabor said with a grin as the others moved on with him. "No one laughs on this world -- not honest joy shared among friends. I imagine, given the number of friends who are now here, it is something Gix will have trouble with."

"And he knows we're here, doesn't he?" Tristan asked.

"Oh yes. Nothing arrives on this world that he doesn't know it. I don't know why he's done nothing to stop the three of us yet, but he will. Stay stronger, laugh. And yes, keep faith. Those are our weapons against him as much as any bladed weapon or staff could be."

Abby looked ahead to the tower and realized they would reach it in good time. No need to hurry after all.

"Your friends have committed to the battle, Abby," Tabor said as he stopped and looked toward the tower as well. "We have to keep going. We are the best hope they have -- but they will fight without us, if they need to."

That reminder made him realize they needed to move faster. Abby started out again, the others keeping pace with him.

And the Janin began to sing a dark war song.

Chapter Seven

Crystal had stepped into the control deck only a moment before hell came for them. He heard the shouts on the comm -- first Dacey and then others following in quick succession, some overriding others. He started for the case where they kept weapons -- and a shadow caught hold of him and dragged him away. He saw Seaton and Banning jabbing at the computer controls, trying to stabilize the ship. Crystal gave a shout of warning -- things were reaching for them as well.

Crystal tried desperately to cling to the reality of the ship. He didn't want to be drawn away, and he wondered why the mages did nothing --

Darkness came... and he was going somewhere else....

He awoke to gray stone walls and a floor that had not been cleaned in a long time. A world, and not on the ship: he instantly missed the reassuring feel of the ship's engines, and the reassuring scent of cleaned air. This place tasted foul, and he didn't want to be here. He closed his eyes again.

"Damn mess," Istanan said.

The sound of someone close by brought him fully awake and sitting up. Istanan, Petra and Seaton stood by a line of bars that trapped them in a small cell. His heart pounded, but it was not the prison that frightened him.

"Seaton! Did you get the computer lock?" he asked as he sat up.

Seaton turned, unsteady enough that he almost went down. Istanan caught hold of his arm. None of them looked good, but they appeared to be pleased to find him sitting up. Crystal couldn't say he felt better for it, though, and the idea of crawling off into a corner of the cell and being very still appealed to him just then.

"Good, you are awake," Seaton said. He shook his head, swaying a little again. "Sorry, I'm not all here. Damn, that was horrible. I think -- I think Banning and I got the lock in, Captain, but I can't be certain."

Crystal felt a wave of relief at those words. He hadn't expected to hear them. They were hope manifest in this strange place.

"Lock?" Petra asked. He looked confused and worried.

"Ban and I realized something bad was happening. People were shouting about others being dragged away and everyone began disappearing. We had just arrived at this world, so we did our best to put the ship into a stable orbit and lock it in there. If we got it right, and nothing else interferes with it, the ship will remain in orbit for decades."

"How will we ever get back to it?" Istanan asked. "I can't imagine we'll find a shuttle on this world."

"I have faith in our mages," Crystal replied. He grabbed at the wall and started to stand, grateful when Petra came to help. The world fuzzed out for a moment, and he had to gasp several times to get it back into focus.

"What can the mages do?" Seaton asked and sounded worried. He leaned against the grimy wall looking pale and worried.

"They'll open one of those portals to get us back. Or Abby will get us there. That's not the problem, Seaton. The real problem is surviving long enough for them to get the chance."

"Ah. Yes." Seaton looked back out at the dark, uninviting hall beyond the bars. "We need to get out of here and get to the others."

"Carrick isn't here," Petra said, shaking his head. "I was with him when this happened, but he didn't come here with me."

"And Seaton and I were with Banning, but she's not here," Crystal pointed out. "I suspect we've been scattered into different groups."

Petra nodded and tried to look reassured at the words, and so did the others. Crystal thought it odd to realize he had such faith in their friends and expected them to do well. He didn't have as much faith in his own abilities.

They were all in Gix's own hell. He refused to give up and wait here. He pushed away from the wall and headed for the bars, hoping to find the lock and get them out. He used to be good at that sort of thing.

He found the lock, and then snarled in annoyance at the sound of someone coming down the hall. He'd hoped to have a little time, but this was hell after all.

And then a sweep of darkness came toward them, and out of it came an old nightmare he had not considered facing again.

Wes Ias smiled, a predator's look he remembered all too well. "Good to see you again, little thief."

Istanan started to pull Crystal away from the man, but the darkness that had come with Wes Ias broke free and spread into the cell, taking shapes that grabbed the others. They fought -- and looking at Wes Ias and the gleam in his eyes, Crystal knew that was exactly what he wanted.

"Don't fight," Crystal said. "Be still."

And they obeyed him -- trusted him that much, still.

"Very good," Wes Ias said, a smile on his thin lips. "And you -- you still know how to obey me as well, don't you my little slave?"

"I am not your slave."

"I never turned you free. And as long as I never did, you know that you can't be free, don't you?"

Crystal laughed and marveled at how it shocked the man -- the ghost -- who must have thought he held some power over Crystal. He didn't.

"You can do nothing to change one rather essential fact here -- you died, and Etric and I had our hand in it. It doesn't matter if you have some sort of power here, because you aren't free. Ironic that you should call me a slave, all things considered."

Wes Ias glared, plainly annoyed by the words he couldn't dispute. Crystal accepted it for the little win it was, and prepared for worse. He knew this would not go well. The shadows moved around Wes Ias, swirling and, he thought, whispering. Crystal could stand up to the man for now, but he knew it wouldn't go on for long.

"I have a gift for you," Wes Ias suddenly said. The joy came back to his face, and that wasn't anything good to see. "Oh, don't shake your head. It is a gift you don't dare turn down, my little slave, because if you do, I will give it to your companions instead. All of them."

Crystal knew what it would be, even before Wes Ias reached into his jacket and then held out his hand; he could smell the sickly sweet cube he held out. Midori.

This wasn't the war he had come to fight, but Gods... had he expected it to be fair? Crystal froze in for a moment, unable to force his arms to move, hardly able to breathe. Wes Ias lifted his head and one of the creatures pulled Istanan over to the bars.

Crystal had already held out his hand. West Ias grinned and dropped the cube of compressed power into his palm -- enough there that he knew he would dream for a long, long time. He thought to throw it away, but what good would that do? He had no doubt Wes Ias had more, and he didn't doubt Istanan would suffer first for Crystal's actions.

"Crystal, don't," Istanan whispered. "Don't let him do this to you."

"I won't let him do it to anyone else," Crystal said.

"And what makes you think he won't do it anyway?"

"Because you wouldn't suffer enough. Not yet. You'll have to see what happens first. You'll have to dread it. I already know."

"Don't --" Ist shouted and tried to break free.

But Crystal put the Midori in his mouth and swallowed, managing not to choke. He even managed not to panic at the last moment. It was done.

"Very brave, little slave." Wes Ias reached out and patted Crystal on the side of his face, and he batted the hand away, though his body already felt heavy and slow. "Very brave. Welcome to hell, Crystal."

Wes Ias slipped back into the darkness of the hall and disappeared. By then the dizziness had already started to take hold of him. The creatures holding the others began to fade away as well. Had they been real?

Was anything real?

Crystal went down, his legs failing, his eyes betraying him as the cell swirled and moved, and his mind started to wander into places that had no connection with here.

Someone took tight hold of him, a feeling so real it cut through the midori for a moment and brought him face-to-face with an anxious Seaton.

"Crystal! Tell us what to do! Tell us ho how to help!"

"Talk to me. Keep me focused here." He tried to stand, tried to get some control. "I don't want to go --"

Go where? Go home?

Seaton shouted frantically, trying to hold him here, but he had already looked somewhere else, and he couldn't pull back. He went to Delson in that heartbeat -- but it wasn't right. This wasn't even a good dream. He knew it wasn't real as he stood in the entry hall of his parent's home, even though he could smell his mother's favorite tea, and hear the whistle of a brada bird outside the window.

"The slaver will be here for you in a moment," his father said, a hand tight on Crystal's arm. He was a tall, wide man with a face that seemed always to smile -- but not this time. "At least we got a good price for you."

"About the only thing he's ever been good for," Dylan said, and Crystal looked at him in shock, knowing what he'd done to help Dylan in the past.

The others nodded. They'd all turned on him --

Only he knew it had never happened. His family had not sold him, and he refused to believe this scene. Midori: the thought came from somewhere else in his life, but he dragged it into the now of standing in this familiar hall, and made all of this a lie.

Someone called his name; a voice that didn't belong here. Friends, crew -- people who were not in this room, but who held onto him, somewhere else.

Crystal looked around and his family glared at him. They had not sold him. He had never been certain who had, but he'd made enemies of people who wanted his help, but whom he had never found worthy. He didn't steal just to steal --

"Please, Crystal, try to focus on us!"

He didn't believe his family had turned on him -- but they were pushing him into the hands of Wes Ias. How could they --

"Crystal! Hell! His heart beat is erratic. We need to find him help."

"Where are we going to get help on this damned world?" Istanan demanded and sounded frightened. Bars shook, a discordant sound that overlaid the laughter from somewhere else as his family divided up the credits Wes Ias gave them.

But the scene faded a little, overlaid with a different nightmare and a place he didn't want to be, but at least he had friends here.

"Abby," Petra said, his voice unsteady. "Abby will help him. We have to get out of here and get to Abby, Tristan and Tabor. Any of those three can help."

"We can't get the door open," Istanan said. "We'll never get out --"

"Door open?" Crystal asked.

"Crystal." Seaton pulled him up, even though he didn't want to sit. "Crystal, look at the door. You can get it open, can't you?"

"Of course. Simple lock."

Istanan laughed and reached down to grab Crystal by the arms, pulling him to his feet. The world began to fuzz again, and he shook his head, focusing on Istanan's face.

"We have to get out of here," Crystal said. He forced himself into this reality, knowing he couldn't stay for long. "One by one, Wes Ias will drop the rest of you into hell."

"We know. But we can't get away without your help."

They needed him. It was the right thing to say to help hold him here. "Get me to the door. Quickly. I won't be able to stay here for long --"

The drug-induced dreams already tried to take him again. He suddenly found himself back on Ahira, standing in the Midori fields, the sun beating down, his arms and legs aching from the work -- but he didn't want to be there at all, and he pulled back to find Istanan had gotten him to the door. He didn't think they'd stood there too long, at least.

He still couldn't hold on in that moment, though. He remembered the first time he had been locked up -- a local station on Delson, caught because someone he trusted had given him away. They'd not typed him yet. They didn't know who he was, and he was damned if he would let his stupidity fall back on his family. He paced the cell, shaking his head. It was the first time he had ever considered leaving world and working elsewhere. After he took care of some local business --

"Crystal!"

He came back with a start, gasping and staring into Istanan's face once more. He had started to fall. Damn, damn -- this wasn't going to work. He had to stay here. He had to get the door open --

He pulled away from Istanan and stood with his hands on the bars and thought about here, trying to decide what to do. He had to get the door open. Simple door, easy lock. Just spring it. Too strong to kick open. Where the hell where the mages when you needed one?

 Etric, I need you! 

No. He pulled himself back from that thought as quickly as he could -- but it was already too late. The Midori pushed him somewhere else again -- the constant leaping was making him ill all by itself. He went back on Ahira again, this time with Etric, working the damn fields. Unprocessed midori had a sickeningly sweet smell --

He didn't want to be on Ahira.

He didn't want to hear a voice, whispering to him on the wind.

 You are mine, Crystal. You are mine. You held me, and you are forever tied to me. 

No!

He came back with a heart-pounding wrench this time. He did not want to hear the Kiya calling to him. Her voice had even driven the midori a little farther away.

"Damn good thing I'm always prepared for locked doors," he mumbled. His voice sounded odd, but he saw Istanan give a weak grin. As a smuggler with a penchant for trouble, he had decided to always be safe. All of his shirts had a thin, fine line of filament sewn into the right hand sleeve or the hem. He started to work it out, concentrating on that activity to the exclusion of everything else, from the reality of the cell to the dreams of the midori and the call of the Kiya.

He finally pulled the filament out, doubled it over a couple times, and studied the lock. Easy lock. He got the door open -- and he thought he did it in very good time, too, all things considered. Istanan took hold of his arm, grinning. They started out, away from the cell. It as a good first step.

He could hear people coming again, and he knew the voice of Wes Ias. Even dead, the man sounded like a pretentious bore. He remembered thinking that the first time he had met the man on Ahira.

He slipped back to that day, stepping out of the ship with the appalling realization he had not gone somewhere with enough civilization that he could use his skills to escape. He felt the dread and panic of the moment, fearing he looked out at the rest of his life, laid out in the fields below the huge house.

"Crystal."

He came back again for Istanan, for the life on the ship, for a future he had made and a place he wanted to be. Here. He caught tighter hold of Istanan's arm, as though that would help him hold on to reality better.

Wes Ias came around the curve of the hall and found them only a few steps away. He looked surprised, and the things that were with him squealed and fled in fear. Not Wes Ias. His eyes narrowed and he stepped forward --

And Petra put a knife right through his heart.

Wes Ias looked quite stunned. And, unexpectedly, quite dead as he fell and disappeared. Crystal hadn't expected it, and it almost startled him into thinking this wasn't real. Petra looked even more startled.

"I hoped for a little time. I didn't think I would kill him," Petra said. He looked at the knife, worried. "I somehow don't think he'll stay dead and gone, through."

"He was a fool," Crystal said as they went past. "He never believed others were dangerous, even here and now."

"You with us, Crystal?" Seaton asked.

He tried to answer, but memories of Delson called him back again. He didn't know why he went back there, except that maybe he had wanted to go home for so long, and had been afraid to. And now it was his nightmare.

Only... maybe not so bad this time. This was a real memory brought up by the midori. He relived the night of his first really big theft, and his first true good deed. He broke into the bank offices and cleared the computer of the files one of the bank officers had set up, taking away -- among other things -- his brother's warehouse. He even hunted through the files and destroyed every bit of paper the man had signed, except one. He brought that one home to give to Dylan.

They had celebrated that night, after the shock of what he'd done gave way to laughter and pleasure. He explained to his father how it had started as a hobby -- working with computers, and then with locks. But he was good. He didn't think his father approved, but he listened late nights as Crystal told him some of the problems he'd been righting for others. They had sat there at the table in the kitchen, with the smell of bread baking overnight, and the scent of flowers outside the window. He drew that memory in this time and held it, safe and calm, in his heart.

"You be damned careful, boy," his father had said, a hand on his shoulder. "There are some who wouldn't believe you're doing this to help others. And some who won't care."

"I know," Crystal said. He didn't tell him about the trouble he'd already faced, but he suspected his father knew some of it.

It had been a year later when someone robbed the warehouse. He had come in to find the place ransacked, and looked around with dismay at the damage done. No one had needed to do this --

And Dylan had looked at him with a whisper of distrust, as though he thought this was the sort of thing Crystal would do to anyone, including him. It didn't help that Crystal thought it might be his fault -- that someone had found the connection between him and his brother, and did this to play back the work he'd done elsewhere.

But he had seen that look on Dylan's face and he had turned around and hurried back out, more quickly than he had arrived -- though he thought he heard Dylan calling after him. He didn't spend much time in the warehouse after that, or even at home.

 And then you were mine. 

He heard the Kiya's voice, but he shook his head this time. "No. You were not there. You had no control over me."

"Crystal?" someone asked.

"I chose my path, that's all. It took me away from home, but that's the way all people go, eventually. You did not control me then, and you do not now. Go away. You aren't real."

"You're safe, Captain Crystal. You aren't there."

He blinked and found himself staring into Petra's face. They were no longer in the hall. In fact, he had the feeling they'd traveled a long ways during the time when he had wandered... somewhere else. He tried to look around, but the moment he turned away from Petra, the world became indistinct again and he didn't want to go elsewhere. He looked back, afraid Petra wouldn't be there.

"What happened? Where are we?"

"Out of the building. We found a city of some sort. There's been a lot of trouble, but so far we're managing."

"Yes --" But he slipped away again, to some other danger, some other memory that may not have been real, but he couldn't be certain this time. Taru, and the trouble there -- magic, and Godlings, and Tabor as an enemy... but he wasn't, was he?

He came back again. They'd moved. Istanan sat by him, a scratch bleeding on his face. Istanan stared out ahead and Crystal wanted to ask -- wanted to be here and help them --

But he went... to another world, and one he couldn't name. Was it real? A memory or a nightmare? He didn't know. He ran down an alley, others behind him, and feared he couldn't find a way out. The walls pressed in on him --

But then he saw a door. He had it open and inside, and the others rushed past.

So it was a real memory, and Crystal stood there, his heart pounding in the dark. He felt adrenaline, and worry. He stood in the dark for a moment...

And back again. They were moving down the street, and something followed, but slowly.

"Gods, gods," he whispered. Seaton had tight hold of him. "I don't want to go. I want to be here."

"I know, Captain. Hold on. We'll get you help."

If he couldn't stay here, he wished he could at least go somewhere else for a long while. Bouncing back and forth made him feel ill.

He saw the creatures come out of the walls, vague shifting shapes that grew. For a moment he thought it couldn't be reality, but then Petra and Seaton shoved him back and did their best to protect him --

 Real. Something caught hold of Petra, but Crystal leapt in and tore the creature away. Petra spun and killed it, and grinned back at him.

They would survive. They didn't need him to lead them, but he could help still, sometimes. He stayed here, and he fought back the monsters. He kicked, and clawed, and took a wound in his arm that he barely felt it -- one good effect of the midori, he supposed. If he had let go as he had on Ahira, after he had been so badly wounded there, he would have dropped to the ground and been comatose... but he refused. Just refused, and by the Gods, he would be here when he could.

He fought with his friends, and felt a true part of the group again. Ist and Seaton took hold of him. He didn't know where they were going, but he thought they must have a plan. They protected him. And he trusted them.

He hoped --

But the nightmare took him again, and he was going somewhere else in the next heartbeat.

Chapter Eight

Kadrien had finally come to accept his place in life, and that turned out, against all odds, not to be sitting on the throne and watching to make certain his mother didn't learn something he should know first, or judging the faces of strangers while trying to outguess courtiers. That had been his life and he had done well -- all so he could hand the work over to the Council, because the Empire needed a group of men who could rule evenly, not with the passions of a single person.

He had accepted that he was part of something greater now, and he knew he'd chosen the right path.

But in the moment the creatures pulled him away, Emperor Kadrien thought he was dying. Dying didn't surprise him, since no emperor had died naturally in a long time, and working against the nobility only upped the odds of a quick death. However, he had found work that meant more than anything he -- or his family -- had ever done.

He was dying and had failed to help in anything. Would Abby regret having brought him -- or had Abby already died? He couldn't know, in that moment of pain and loss. He couldn't know if any of them had failed.

But he chose, in the last moment of consciousness, to believe in the others still, and to wish them luck.

He awoke again in a dark, still place, with a cold, hard floor against his back. Pain laced through his head as he tried to breathe, but fears began to seep up through him in the next moment. Darkness, emptiness --

Movement nearby stilled him before he did more than move his hand. Not alone here. Danger -- or was it? Maybe he didn't want to be alone. He wanted his friends, and he feared --

He feared many things, even so long away from court. He feared secrets he didn't know, and the people he could never trust. He feared the faces staring out from the shadows, waiting for him to make a mistake that would get him killed.

Kadrien feared being alone when his enemies came for him, and he feared being with his guards sometimes because he couldn't always be certain of them, either. He feared food, and sleep, and....

This was not Grant, and when something moved again, he sat up and tried to focus.

"Who else is here?" he asked softly, trying to quell his fear and keep the quavering from his voice. He'd learned to do that many, many years ago, because showing weakness was another way to a quick death. He needed strength.

"Shafara," a woman answered. For a moment he even blanked on the name -- but when he remembered he felt considerably better. Shafara -- a mage, a powerful woman and a friend.

"Damn, I hate the dark." He heard Shafara move, and thought he might hear others nearby as well. He sat still, not wanting to draw too much attention in case...

Bright light filled the area, chasing all the shadows away. Silver and Banning both began to move, starting to sit up and look around -- but Sharton, straight across from Kadrien, had not moved at all. Kadrien crawled straight to his old friend, fearing he might not have survived. He couldn't even speak until he had reached Sharton and put a hand on his friend's chest, feeling the heartbeat and the movement of breath. He bowed his head, relieved.

And then looked up again, embarrassed as he turned back to the others.

"My apologies," he said.

"For what?" Banning asked, frowning as she stretched her shoulders and pushed back her hair.

"For rushing to the side of my friend. We grew up together. I have very few friends."

"You had very few friends," Banning said, meeting his look.

The words startled him. "Sorry. My apologies." And then he unexpectedly smiled. "You know, I'm getting used to saying I'm sorry. How very odd."

Sharton laughed, a soft but familiar sound that brought even more of smile as Kadrien looked down and found him awake. He helped Sharton sit up, grateful to find his old friend looking cognizant and a bit worried as he glanced around the area. Shafara's light hovered in the air above them, and by that glow -- he had gotten too used to magic, as well -- Kadrien could see the little room, wooden walls, and the floors in a familiar mosaic pattern.

"Kadrien --" Sharton said, shaking his head, and brushing his hand against the floor.

"I know." He looked at the others, who obviously waited for more of an explanation. "The floor has the same mosaic pattern as in my private rooms in the palace on Grant. However, none of those rooms were ever this small, even if they sometimes felt that way to me."

"To both of us," Sharton said. "But I got away before you did."

"Should I have tried to escape sooner?" Kadrien asked, only half jesting. "I remembered times, sitting on that damned throne and asking myself things I never wanted to think -- like what would my father have done in this situation?"

"Oh, I imagine you thought that many times," Sharton said, drawing Kadrien's startled look. "And then you would do just the opposite, right?"

Kadrien laughed, surprised by the answer, and even by his reaction to it. "Yes, you're right, I did the opposite often enough. But toward the end, it kept getting harder. Many of the people who came to me expected me to be like my father. It didn't matter if I did things differently, and after a while I started wondering if it would matter. I wondered if my father had been a better person when he first took the throne, and if all the glares, whispers, and assassins finally drove him to what he became."

"You would never become your father," Sharton said, and even put a hand on his shoulder. "Never."

Kadrien tried to believe what Sharton had said was true. However, Sharton hadn't been on Grant, and hadn't sat on that throne, making decisions with no clear answers. Kadrien knew he was lucky he had gotten out when he did. He feared it had already gone too far. He had never admitted it then, but he knew it now.

And he shivered, looking around the room, thinking of Grant again. He didn't want to be here.

"You were the first awake here, weren't you, Kadrien?" Shafara asked. "I couldn't tell in the dark."

"Yes, I think so," Kadrien said and frowned when she nodded. "Why?"

Sharton glanced at Shafara, at the room around them, and then back at Kadrien with a nod of his own. "Yes, that makes sense. The room was created out of your vision of hell in real life. Trapped on Grant. No way out."

Kadrien turned his head to look at the room with absolute dismay, fearing Sharton was right. This warped vision of Grant came from his nightmares, where the walls seemed too close, the floor an unvarying pattern -- and even the shadows, gathering in the corners, hiding other things he'd feared. Gods, he had hated Grant with the kind of passion he had never allowed himself to show to anyone else.

And now his hate had become manifest, and he had brought his friends here with him.

"I'm sorry!" he said, appalled by what had happened.

Silver had stood, and took the too-few steps toward Kadrien. He unexpectedly looked quite calm as he leaned down and put a hand on Kadrien's shoulder. "Don't be upset. I'm glad you were the first one awake. You don't want to know what my hell would have been like."

"Oh, very true!" Shafara nodded emphatically and looked far more pleased than she had a few moments before. "We might be very lucky. If I had awoken first... No, I don't even want to think about what horrors I would have brought us. We're lucky this came from you and Sharton --"

"This isn't my nightmare," Sharton said with a quick shake of his head. His face paled as he ran his hand over the wall beside him. He finally looked back at the others, and Kadrien could see the ghosts of Sharton's nightmares in his eyes. "No. I have my own hellish visions of Grant, but none like this."

"The emperor -- Kadrien's father -- was worse than we realized, wasn't he?" Banning asked, her head tilted, her eyes looking from Kadrien to Sharton and back again.

Kadrien didn't know what he could say --

"The emperor was a bastard and a monster in human skin, and even that didn't disguise him sometimes," Sharton said. He spoke calmly, but even Kadrien looked at him in shock. He had known his cousin hated the emperor, and had every reason to -- but why had he said it now? Sharton met his look, and then bowed his head, worried. "I'm sorry Kadrien. That was unwise of me to say --"

"Why? Do you think I'm going to defend him? Hell, Sharton. You may be doing me a favor by saying aloud all the things I could never bring myself to say, just because I'm still too tied to the damn throne. One doesn't talk about the emperor -- past or present -- in terms that might breed discontent in others. But I knew what he was before I took the throne, and I held my tongue for fear of my own future. I don't want to go back there."

"I think that's probably the last thing you have to worry about right now," Sharton said with a bright smile. "We're not even in the same universe."

Kadrien laughed, but when he glanced down at the floor, he shook his head. "It looks far too much like home to me, but then I guess that's the point."

"True. I think there's a door in that wall," Sharton said, waving a hand ahead of him.

"How can you tell?" Banning asked, going over to the wall and looking closely. She still shook her head.

"Slight difference in the pattern," Sharton said with a little shrug.

"Really," Banning stared and finally looked back at him. "I can't see it. How can you?"

He met her look with a slight smile that Kadrien never recalled seeing before. It made him look younger, and a bit mischievous. "I have a perfect memory. Photographic and eidetic. I can see the difference."

Banning's eyes grew a little larger and she stepped aside as Sharton stood, Kadrien moving with him They took the few steps to the wall, and Sharton's fingers traced the door out for her. She tested the wood on both sides and nodded, although she did not open the door.

"Damn good, Sharton. Good thing we have you with us. Although I think I would have found it eventually."

"Oh, I'm sure you would have," Sharton said with a laugh. "I've discovered you are more than able to work your way out of any puzzle."

She smiled in return and Kadrien felt better for watching the two.

"I don't get it," Silver said, looking at the door with mistrust. "Why trap us here, and then give us a way out?"

"Because it will not be a way out," Shafara replied. She finally stood brushing down her clothing and looking at the door. Unlike the rest of them, she wore an old-fashioned long dress that looked as though it would have been difficult to move in, though she seemed to have no trouble. Kadrien couldn't guess her age, but he had the feeling she was older than she looked. "It will just lead somewhere else. Despair is stronger after a moment of hope."

"Despair?" Silver said, looking at the door with more worry.

"If we had gone through that door, thinking it would be the way out, we would have despaired when it wasn't what we expected. It's a little trick, and nothing we can't handle." Shafara looked at the rest of them, and she seemed very assured and steady. It helped. "I know we haven't had a chance to work together, but believe me, I am still capable of dealing with most trouble. None of you are helpless, including you, Emperor Kadrien. When did you decide you had no power over your own life? You have done far better than any of the rest of us would have done in your position."

"You can't know --"

"I know you, even if we haven't spent much time together. I know you by where you are, right now, and who stands with you. You wouldn't be here if you didn't pass a very basic test, Kadrien. You are both worthy and capable of being part of this group. Abby would not have you with us if you were not worthy of the role."

"I --" he started to speak, but Sharton stopped him with a hand on his arm -- he who would never have dared to touch the Emperor in that other place that looked so much like this.

"You are here with us. That's enough, isn't it?" Sharton asked.

"Yes. Hell. Let's go and see what Gix has in store for us."

Banning nodded. She must have been studying the door because she reached forward and gently pressed in one spot. The door sprang open, away from her. Shafara sent her light ahead of them, and Banning nodded.

The light revealed another room, identical to the one they stood in now. Kadrien gave a little sigh of frustration and came close to apologizing again -- but then he thought about the nightmares of others, including Sharton, and realized maybe this wasn't so bad.

"It looks like we're really not going anywhere," Silver said, but looked anxious to take those steps anyway.

"But we shall go on," Banning said, and gave a bright and surprisingly mischievous smile this time. "Because any time you can open a door, you open a little hope. I have studied everything I can on demons in the time since I first met Abby and Tristan, and spoke as much as I can with Tabor. We have a theory, Tabor and I: demons can manipulate despair, but they can't understand hope."

"Now there is an interesting concept!" Sharton looked intrigued. Kadrien remembered that look on his friend's face from years ago, when they had shared a few small joys growing up at court. It meant Sharton had found something he found fascinating, and now he would do all he could to find out more. Kadrien suspected Sharton had found a kindred spirit in Banning. "We can use that against them, can't we?"

"I hope so," she said and looked back at the others. "Don't let them manipulate you into believing anything other than the truth. And the real truth is that as long as we're alive, there is always hope. Now shall we go on?"

Kadrien nodded, and then stopped again. He frowned.

"What now?" Sharton asked, looking confused.

"I am too used to being the one in charge, you know, even after so long on the ship. No matter how much I've tried to escape that duty, I keep feeling as though I'm the one who has to make the decisions, and give permissions. That's not right. In fact, not only is it not right, it's dangerous." He looked around at the walls and down at the floor. "This place is going to make me feel as though I'm back at the palace. And that means I'm going to act as though I have the rule. I don't like it."

"And do you think we're going to blindly follow you?" Shafara asked.

He blinked, surprised by the words. Sharton smiled. "You are not the emperor here, my friend. Here, you are just another one of the group. Does that make you feel better?"

"I don't know," he admitted.

"Sometimes you are really difficult to please," Sharton said and then laughed at his look.

"All right, fine." He felt a welling of embarrassment again, and wondered how much of it was just... well, his version of hell. "Let's go, then. No, wait!"

Banning had started to step forward. She stopped and looked back at him, a little annoyed this time.

"Sorry, but something just occurred to me. If this really is my hell, then there are going to be traps. My fears also included assassins in every shadow. I would never blindly walk into another room."

"Ah, yes," Banning said and drew her hand back from the door. She did look more closely around them and at the room ahead. "Thank you for that reminder."

"I know I was paranoid, but there were traps in the palace, and I did have enemies. Being on Grant was never a safe place to live."

Shafara nodded. She probably understood better about such things, having lived in the palace with her own king. She looked carefully through the door, lifted her hand with a little wave of magic, and then nodded back at them.

"Yes, I can sense something. Banning would have walked right into it, too. I can spring it. But be careful anyway. There may be more traps. Stand back from the door."

The others moved aside. Shafara whispered a little more magic and waved her hand. Almost immediately, a spear shot through the doorway and into the wall opposite it.

They were all better warned and very wary now. Silver patted him on the arm, offering silent thanks.

For the next several rooms they found very little difference in the designs and the traps. Kadrien couldn't say it made any of them feel safer, but it didn't lead to despair either. They made jokes of it, and by the Gods, they even laughed.

If he had come alone and walked these paths, he couldn't say he would have survived long -- not because he was too stupid to look for the traps, but because he would, all too soon, not have cared. He knew it.

Gix hadn't put him here alone, though, and that worried him, because he wouldn't have expected the demon to do anything that helped make this easier for any of them. Nonetheless, here he walked with friends, and he felt better for it -- though he did worry more about the others. Was that the trick? Was he going to suffer more at the loss of friends than if he had been here alone?

He looked around at the others, frightened -- but he buried that emotion away again. After the third door, they made a game out of springing the traps. Did Gix watch? Kadrien didn't think he would be amused by the way they faced this little bit of hell. Did it annoy him that they laughed?

He began to enjoy the journey -- right until his father arrived.

Silver had just reached for the door -- his turn to open one, though Shafara always stood close by, ready with magic. This time he had barely placed his fingers on the wood when an apparition came through the door with a glow of blue and putrid yellow.

Silver had no warning. The Emperor went straight through the door and him, and put Silver on his knees with a cry of pain. Shafara rushed forward, but leapt back again when the ghost turned to her and brushed a hand against her arm. Kadrien could see a line of red where he had touched, and he feared for Silver, who had not gotten back up.

Kadrien looked into his father's face as terror swept up through him. He knew Sharton stood beside him, and his friend even put a hand on his arm -- but Kadrien could do nothing but stare at the creature before him, the monster made real.

 Just my nightmare, he thought. Just my hell. I know that, I know -- 

The Emperor turned to Silver who, still gasping, tried to get back to his feet. The emperor casually kicked the man aside and laughed as Silver moaned.

Kadrien had seen those actions too often in the past; the people casually kicked aside, the needless suffering and fear. This time it did more than revolt him and fill him with fear for others. This time he became angrier than he had ever been in his life.

The reaction might not have been safe, but it felt better.

His father must have seen the change, and for a moment, Kadrien saw confusion in the creature's eyes. Kadrien stepped forward, Sharton trying to stop him for a brief moment -- and then joining him instead. And maybe that was right as well. He did not need to protect Sharton. Sharton had a right to stand up to the monster as much as he did.

"You have not knelt to me," the emperor said, looking down at them. Oh, he had never been that tall in real life. Pretensions in a ghost seemed somehow to be even worse.

"I will not bow to you," Kadrien said.

The face grew darker, the eyes lighted by hell's own fires -- but they always had been, and he saw nothing new in this look. Kadrien caught the creature's arm when it started to swing at him and Sharton, and shocked it even more as it leapt back away. The touch had hurt, but Kadrien didn't care. He wondered if he'd always had this power, at least when he had been old enough to stand up to him. By then, though, the Emperor hadn't trusted him much, and he wouldn't have had a chance to lay hands on him, let alone do worse.

But no matter, no matter. He and Sharton both faced him now. It might be hell, but even so, he felt an odd power that gave him strength, and made him daring in ways he had never been before.

"You are mine to play with --" the emperor began, his voice growling like a wind let lose --

"You are still a sadistic, sick bastard who should have been put down decades before Tam finally did the work."

That revelation drew sounds of surprise, even from those who had never been part of the Empire. His father's head lifted and he drew his lips back into what might have been a grin of mirth in anyone else. In the Emperor it looked like an animal's snarl.

"I have killed your precious Tam," he said.

And with a wave of his hand he brought the battered, broken body to lay at Kadrien and Sharton's feet.

Despair, loss -- he had not thought he could feel such depths of emotion, even for Tam. His friend -- the person who had been closest to a brother --

"The body isn't real," Shafara said.

Emotions surged the other way again. He felt sick with it, but the anger had come back as well, and this time the creature that had been his father looked unsettled. The body disappeared. It had not been Tam -- he trusted Shafara wouldn't have lied, and besides his father didn't even try to deny it.

Sharton stepped forward, in front of Kadrien, who had never seen such anger in his companion before.

"You aren't real," Sharton said. "You never were. You weren't even a real emperor."

"I ruled --"

"You were an animal others brought out for show when they wanted entertainment," Kadrien said as he moved up by Sharton, daring words he had never spoken before, but which had been living in him for all his life. He started to take a step toward the Emperor, but Sharton -- wiser than him -- caught his arm.

"You were someone they let run wild so everyone watched you, the animal, but never looked at what they were doing," Sharton added, and his hand tightened on Kad's arm. "You never ruled. I know the truth about the people behind the throne."

"I was --"

"A puppet, from the sounds of it," Silver said, finally getting back to his feet and carefully moving away so that he stood by Shafara this time.

Kadrien had forgotten the power those two represented until he saw them standing there. Oh, they were not helpless, this group -- even in Gix's own hell.

"Kad removed all those others from power," Sharton said. He looked back at Kadrien and grinned. "Your son became a true emperor, and is everything you could never be, and did things you feared because it would have meant doing something that helped others. You could help no one, for fear it gave them any power."

"You know nothing --"

"I know everything," Sharton replied, and for the first time in all the years Kadrien had known him, he looked assured and serene. It occurred to Kadrien that maybe this part really was Sharton's hell, and not his own, and that his friend was facing it and winning in his own way.

"And yet here you are," the Emperor said, leaning closer.

"We are here by our own choice -- and we'll leave again. But you never made a choice of your own in life or death."

It snarled and swept at Sharton, but he easily moved out of the way.

"It seems you've certainly learned nothing new," Sharton said. "But do you think I'm going to stand still for it again?"

"I will break you again. I will break your bones, one by one, and wait for you to whimper and cry."

"I was a child then," Sharton said. His face had gone hard as stone this time. Kadrien swallowed back illness, because he had known -- but had never heard it said aloud. "I'm not a child and you cannot break me again. Once a person heals from such a horror, they can never go back again."

"I'll take you there --" he reached.

"Down!" Shafara ordered.

And everyone dropped -- except for the fool of his father, who had never obeyed an order in his life. Kadrien watched the ghost spin to face the woman, the familiar snarl on his bloated face. He hated when anyone defied him, and if this had been back on Grant, even Shafara's power might not have saved her for long.

This was not Grant and they played by different rules here. The Emperor was probably quite shocked when the spell she cast caught him in a web of light and power spreading around him -- bright white and pure while he screamed and screeched, and finally disappeared. Kadrien couldn't tell where he had gone, but he expected the monster back at any moment.

"Good work, all of you," Banning said. Kadrien looked to find that she had a knife in hand, but she hadn't used it. "But he's going to be back."

"Let's not stand here and wait for him," Kadrien said. He shrugged as he looked around the little room. "Maybe it does no good to move on, but it feels better."

Shafara nodded and opened the door. Banning had an arm around Silver's waist, helping him along. He looked pale, but if he had been badly hurt, Shafara would have helped him.

So they went on. Another door, another spear trap.

Sharton moved silently along with the group and didn't look at any of them. Kadrien waited -- one room and another -- before he finally spoke.

"We have to leave him behind, Sharton," Kadrien finally said. "We have to forget."

Sharton looked up. The shadows and ghosts had returned to his eyes, and a bleak look Kadrien hadn't expected. "I can't forget. I remember every word, every moment, every pain relived. It is my own curse."

"Sharton --"

Sharton stopped and raised a hand, looking confused for a moment. Kadrien had never seen that look in his friend before, and it almost frightened him this time. Kadrien had always known Sharton had problems that dealt with the Emperor, but he had always seemed settled and assured. Now he shook his head as though, finally, the reality of here drove through everything else.

"Why do I only dwell on the bad parts?" he suddenly asked, and looked from the others back to Kadrien again. "I remember it all, Kadrien. Why is it just the darkness that I think about?"

"Because the darkness was always there, and it overlaid all the rest of our lives," Kadrien said, looking at the shadows around them. He had brought these shadows from Grant, where they had always been a part of his life, and fear of what lurked there. This time, though, he forced himself to think past the shadows and to remember other times. "Though there were times that weren't all bad."

Banning looked curious as they went through into the next room. Well, why not share some of the happiness as well? They were already suffering with his fears, he might as well let them see a little of the joy. Why let the damned bastard win again?

And Sharton must have felt the same way. "Oh yes, there were better times. Like when you tied Tam's foot to the chair," he said. He even chuckled, a sound Kadrien didn't think he had ever heard before. "The look on his face when he thought the chair was following him --"

"Our poor Tam always was rather paranoid," Kadrien said and laughed at the memory. "The two of you were always into one thing or another. If the instructors knew half of what went on --"

"Tam and me?" Sharton said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Gods, a selective memory must be wonderful! I could tell tales about you, Kad. I could tell many tales, and some Tam might even want to hear."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Kadrien recalled some of those occasions, and no doubt a few Sharton didn't even know about -- or maybe he did. It had been damned hard to keep a secret from someone who remembered everything and had an amazing ability to put together puzzles from the smallest clues.

"I think it might be fun to hear the tales," Banning said, grinning. "After all, you never know when we might be going home again. I could use some bargaining information on the Emperor."

"It's not enough to know that I've been running with smugglers after handing over my rule?" Kadrien asked.

"Well, there is that," she agreed with a laugh and started forward again.

Sharton stopped her with a hand on Banning's arm. He stared at his feet, and Kadrien wondered what still troubled his friend. He wanted to help --

"I think I've found the way out of these damned rooms," Sharton said, looking up with a quick smile that startled everyone. "The floor pattern here is slightly different."

Banning looked down, shook her head, and even got down on her hands and knees. When she found the hollow panel, she looked up at him and shook her head in amazement. "I never would have seen it."

"It's only off by about three centimeters from all the other rooms. It's that damned perfect memory. About time I put it to good use."

Banning laughed. She and Shafara got the trap door open. They found no trap this time

"That means there's something worse," Sharton said.

No one disagreed. When Kadrien looked down into the opening, he could tell the difference immediately. A short, rock walled hall led downward beneath them, and somewhere off to the right he could see the glow of a reddish light. The air stank.

Shafara tested, and nodded.

"The tunnel leads to the way out. We're almost there. I don't know what we're going to find once we get out, though."

"Something different, at least," Silver said. He looked at Kadrien and Sharton. "Don't take this too personally, but I think you're both crazy, and I'm rather glad to get out of your nightmare."

Kadrien started to speak. Stopped. He couldn't argue since he felt glad to step out of this one himself.

Shafara led the way this time, her magic in hand and glowing. She killed some thing in the corridor when it raced toward her. The others moved carefully, with hands on weapons and ready for trouble -- but they found nothing more in the short corridor that led toward the opening. Shafara paused at a corroded metal gate and looked out into the dull reddish light of day.

"I I don't see any trouble," she said softly, plainly worried about the things she couldn't see. "We can't stay here. Ready?"

The others nodded. Shafara and Silver pushed the gate aside -- it shrieked in protest and something moved in the shadows behind them, but there was still no sign of trouble on the otherside of the gate. They stepped out onto a hillside covered with tumbled rock, bones, and dead trees. They hadn't gone far, but when he looked back, Kadrien could see no signs of the endless rooms they'd wandered. He did think he saw movement behind the gate, though, and urged the others a little farther away from it.

In the distance Kadrien could see a tall, forbidding tower.

That was there they would go. They didn't even have to talk about it this time. He hoped they found Abby, Tristan and Rqua soon.

He was finally ready for the battle.

Part Three: Battle

Chapter One

The four trudged up another barren, grey hillside while Tabor mumbled things about his father and this world in general -- and none of it kind. Abby had pretty much agreed by now, and didn't even wince at an occasional curse, though he suspected such things might have some power here. Abby wanted this done. They had walked a long time, and came closer to the tower, though they still had a long ways to go. He couldn't imagine the time it would take to complete this journey. He couldn't even judge the amount of time it had taken them to get this far.

He hated this world, but he wasn't alone in that feeling. Even Tristan had begun to think rather unkind things, though he said none of them aloud.

Tabor had stopped at the top of the rise and took a deep breath as he stared toward the tower.

"Are you feeling better, Tabor?" Rqua asked.

The demonling turned toward him, his eyes narrowed just a little. "You're joking, right? You think I could feel better on this damned world?"

Rqua smiled.

"I don't understand humans," Tabor said looking at Abby.

"And you think I do?"

"I hoped that you might," he said and looked entirely too serious in the statement. "You seem to spend a lot of time with them."

"And you don't?"

Tabor started to speak --

But in the next moment something changed. The world darkened, the sky becoming nearly black and streaked with red as the wind howled around them, filled with tainted power. The Janin sang in sudden, joyful abandon. Abby lifted her, in hopes of defense. However, the magic swept through the world and didn't come at them. It just filled the world for a half dozen heartbeats, like something alive and seeking, and disappeared again.

Tabor had stepped in front of Abby with his arms raised -- did he do that because he thought he would protect him? Abby did not want anyone, including Tabor, taking that kind of chance!

Tabor cast a spell before Abby could protest. He held still for a moment, and then turned back, looking worried. "He's opened portals all over the area. I think he's going to pull everyone to him, Abby. He's preparing, and we dare not let him have long with our friends."

Abby nodded, his mouth gone dry. He shielded his eyes and looked toward the tower. "How do we get there quickly enough?" he asked.

"It's time we take the direct approach," Tabor replied. He grinned, and for a moment he looked wilder, and fiercer, than Abby had expected. "Besides, I'm tired of walking."

"No one here is going to disagree," Abby said. He looked at Tabor and nodded. "If you can get us there quickly, now is the time to use the magic."

Tabor bowed his head in agreement. He lifted his hands and cast. Abby realized one thing that had never occurred to him; Tabor was not only a very powerful mage, but he was attuned to this world. Magic swept toward him as though it had always stood close by, eager for his call.

The spell caught them all up in a shell of light and sound. Abby had feared it would be unpleasant, traveling by demon-fed magic. But there was no feel of demons in this magic --

 This is just Tabor. And he isn't a demon. 

Abby nodded agreement to Tristan's calm thoughts. He bowed his head, and tried to force calm though him, to face the truth that this battle had been inevitable from the start... and not to dwell on the thought that he had been promised to the demon so very long ago, and now he finally went where he had never wanted to go.

He had called upon the Gods once to keep him from this place, but he was no longer a child who didn't understand the consequences. He would not pull the gods in -- even supposing they could come to this place -- as long as it would put his friends in danger.

But if they were already beyond danger, he would do anything to make certain the demon didn't win.

In the next breath they reached the tower, arriving in a courtyard of black stone and shadows. The magic melted away as quickly as it had come. Tabor looked around once and nodded. He did not look even particularly bothered by the magic he'd used. Powerful.

"I know the way in," Tabor said. "I don't know what we'll find, but... let me deal with Renege."

"Renege?" Abby asked, trying not to feel unnerved by being here. Trying to hold to his courage --

"The door keeper."

Before Abby could ask more, they moved around the side of the tower and to a huge door that seemed made of stone. Could they even get it open?

And something moved from the shadows to the right. Huge, towering over them --- Abby went for his sword -- but Tabor put a hand on his arm and stopped him.

"Renege," Tabor said, with a bow of his head.

"Home at last," Renege said, a dull deep voice, filled with emotions Abby couldn't read.

"No. This was never my home. I was born to a different world, Renege, and this was never a place where I would be comfortable. But you knew that from the start, didn't you?"

Renege said nothing, shifting from one foot to the other, his eyes never leaving Tabor.

"Will you let us through?"

"I am ordered not to let you through the door," Renege said, with a bow of his huge head. He sounded as though he regretted it. "But I am not ordered to do other things, Tabor. I have not been ordered to fight you."

"Renege --" Tabor began and stepped toward the door.

Renege stepped in front of it. "Not that easy. But be quick. If Braith arrives, he will know the mistake he made."

"I cannot --"

"Maybe not. But your companions --"

Renege reached for Tristan, who slipped out of reach easily enough, though Abby did draw his sword. He did not, however, use it. He looked instead to Tabor, who finally had a knife in hand.

"Quickly, Tabor. I do not want to be forced into this battle," Renege said, and turned toward the door, his back to the demonling.

Abby started to say something, hoping for a different answer, but Tabor shook his head, moved forward, and swiftly drove the knife into Renege's back and through the heart. Abby had looked at the creature's face at the last moment as he fell. He had not expected to see peace, hope, and release.

"Damn," Tabor whispered as the body fell. "Damn. He was as close to a friend as I had here."

"I'm sorry." Tristan laid a hand on Tabor's arm and though Tabor started to shake him off, he held on and drew Tabor's attention again. "I think... I think maybe that's why he was left for you to deal with, Tabor. I don't think this was a mistake."

Tabor looked back at the body, and something dark and angry filled his face. He snarled, rage coming to him so fast it almost made him seem transformed.

"Tabor," Abby whispered.

And the anger disappeared just as quickly, replaced by a look of remorse and loss. He moved past Renege and on to the door, his hand brushing against the surface.

"I hate this world. Let us go and be done with this battle, Abby. It's long overdue."

"I agree."

Tabor fought the door open with Rqua's help. The dark hall stank, and stepping inside made even the world they had traversed seem a more welcome and inviting place. Abby wanted to go back out again, but he let Tristan guide him forward instead. He wasn't certain he could have made this last part of the journey without the help. He didn't want to go on, and wondered why he should.

 Our friends will go there, even without us, Tristan whispered, mind-to-mind.

That thought gave him all the strength he needed to go on to reach Gix and fight a battle he never would have fought for himself. The hall led to stairs that curved upward. They followed Tabor, who knew the way far too well, past doors and other halls where things moved, and voices wept.

Once creatures -- long-legged, spindly things with huge heads and dagger teeth -- tried to stop them, but even Tristan had no qualms about attacking and killing them.

"Careful of your magic," Tabor warned, after the first battle. "Save it. We'll need the magic when we reach Gix."

No one argued. They went up the next flight of stairs. Something slid out of the darkness and bit Tristan's leg -- but Tabor killed it with his knife and Rqua quickly wrapped cloth around the wound. Abby feared for poison and infection and --

"I'm all right," Tristan said aloud, because Abby had not been listening otherwise. "Go."

Tabor nodded and started upward again, and Abby moved to join him this time. They were nearing the highest point of the tower, and he could sense the demon close by now -- almost in the way he used to react to demons, when he had been cursed.

He could have wished for that curse again, and to go mindless into this battle he didn't want to fight. The Janin sang, though not loudly this time. She didn't need to announce she came to fight her enemy. Nothing in this building could be unaware they had arrived.

Tabor paused by a window and looked back down at the door and the body outside. Abby wanted to offer some words, but he didn't know what to say. Besides, the fear that he would suffer the same feelings, and the loss of friends, suddenly nearly choked him.

Finally, at the top of the stairs, a door stood open, leading into a huge room of shadows and light tinged with red, like fire and blood mixed. Abby shook his head, unwilling to go farther again.

"That looks far too inviting," Tabor said, holding up his own hand to stop them. He didn't look any happier about it than Abby did.

"We can't stay out here," Tristan said. He started forward, and then stopped again.

Gix moved from the shadows and stood in the doorway: claws, fur, eyes of red fire and teeth that could rip flesh from bones. He wore clothing of a sort -- tattered strips of black cloth that might have been something fine at one time, though even in this state they still looked regal. The shape seemed human, though warped beneath a shell of a demon. Abby had never had a chance to look so carefully at his true enemy, and he cast one glance toward Tabor and wondered what his companion had inherited from this creature. Less, it seemed, than Abby had inherited from his mother. He could see none of the demon in his friend, and that made it far easier for him to move closer to Tabor and face this thing that had plagued both their lives for so long.

"Finally, you have arrived," Gix said. His voice shook the walls, and creatures wailed at the sound. "It would have been useless to waste the power to fight you before now. All things in their time and place -- and I have chosen both."

Abby drew God's Honor swinging so quickly he surprised Tristan, Rqua, Tabor and even the Demon -- though not surprised enough. He had almost struck the demon, though he doubted it would have been a killing blow.

The demon snarled, magic becoming manifest in his hands -- something dark and strong. Tabor started to move forward, but the demon merely reached out and grabbed the sword, tearing it from Abby's hands. The weapon glowed, melted, misshapen and useless before it fell to the floor.

He had not thought to lose such a weapon so easily. It chilled Abby, and brought a strange thought to his mind... this was not the battle he had expected to fight. He had come here anticipating a war fought with swords and claws, hatred and evil -- but he feared suddenly he was the one who would have brought such things to the battle, and not Gix.

Tristan reached out and laid a hand on his companion's arm, bringing a surge of peace and unexpected hope.

 Don't let him confuse you, Abby. Don't doubt that the war will be everything you imagine and worse. Look around you at all these creatures and all their claws -- they aren't just for show. We only have a moment's calm -- 

 The sword -- 

 The sword was never your best weapon. You were never meant to fight that way. 

Abby tried to believe it as Gix turned away and walked into the room. He didn't want to follow, but he did. And the other two, both fools, came with him without pause.

The huge room seemed to go on forever, lost in shadows where creatures shifted, heard but unseen. Abby didn't see any of his companions here, though he could see the circles of portals in various spots around the room, and through them he glimpsed familiar faces -- but he turned away from the hope those faces brought him and back to the reality of this place. As his eyes adjusted, he could see creatures lining the walls -- gargoyles, and other things that Abby had never seen before. All of them watched the intrusion with eyes blinking, ready to awaken to the battle. Tabor looked at them with a frown.

A throne of bleached bones sat at the side of the room near the door, and before it a small table held pieces of a broken mirror. Braith stood by the throne, and gathered near him stood humans -- or near-humans, at least. Many of them were no more than wraiths and ghosts. They twisted and surged, and sometimes howled like animals. Braith seemed to have some trouble holding them back.

Gix had gone to the throne and settled upon it, looking back at them with a casual glance of someone who had guests he didn't particularly care about.

"Those are the damned," Tabor said, waving a hand to the ones standing by Braith. "I suspect some will have some special meaning in this battle. I think that might be Kadrien's father, there on the side. And Wes Ias -- you remember him."

Abby nodded, but he didn't look away from Gix. The final battle would soon begin. He didn't know, yet, how to measure the enemy. They had never really faced each other --

Abby wondered if the demon didn't feel the same, given the way Gix looked at him. Abby had never imagined a meeting between them that had not started and ended in blood and death. He shivered now, and had to fight to keep from showing fear for things he didn't understand.

Gix leaned back, his hand moving -- Tristan's did as well, though the elf held still.

"Time, I think, to bring the others here as well. It would be unfortunate if the humans -- and others -- who worked so hard to be here for this moment were left behind, don't you think?"

He waved his hand, and one of the portals moved toward the demon, a circle of light, showing someplace else.

Abby could see Carrick and Dacey fighting back a wyrdbane. They already looked battleworn and wounded. As he watched, Ylin went to his knees, and Sandy cast a frantic ward, trying to hold back the enemy. Abby stepped forward, ready to go through the portal and help them, but Tristan caught hold of him.

"Oh, no need to worry, little Godling," Gix said. He waved his hand, and the portal moved and encircled them in a wave of red light. He saw Sandy and Dacey look frantic as the magic took hold of them -- but in the next heartbeat the entire group stood on this side of the portal and found themselves in Gix's tower. Dacey turned, saw him, and pointed Abby out to the others. He could not imagine why his presence brought them such looks of relief, given where they were.

It was time, he thought, to stop waiting on Gix. He pulled up the Janin, but even before he could take a step forward, a dozen gargoyles and several other creatures started to move. They stopped when he did.

"Wait," Tabor said softly, putting a hand on Abby's arm. He was careful of the Janin, who twitched a little toward him, though Abby held her back. "Wait for the others. They can help protect each other."

He didn't want the rest of of his friends here -- but a glance at Dacey, Sandy, Carrick and Ylin made him realize Tabor had a good point. Once the battle began, those other creatures were going to attack, and his friends would need help that he, Tristan and Tabor could not give if they were fighting Gix. So he held back, and saw the way Gix smiled -- dagger-shaped teeth, the look of pleasure making his eyes glow with a little more red -- and Abby instantly feared he had made a mistake.

 The only mistake you can make is to believe he's won. 

Tristan's wisdom helped. He had always mistrusted his own abilities, but with Tristan -- and even Rqua -- urging him to wait, Abby stood his ground.

Another portal had opened, showing Etric holding Brother to his feet, though Abby saw no sign of a wound. Behind stood Otaka and Micah on either side, fighting vicious creatures, and Tathis led the way, a laser pistol in hand.

And then they arrived, swept into the room in such haste that they all looked startled. Tathis spotted Gix, aimed and fired, but with a wave of his clawed hand, Gix deflected the shot back. Etric's quick magic saved them. Gix hardly even seemed to notice as he looked to another portal, where Zoe reached to help Brendan up over the opening of a cavern and into daylight. The others were there already.

"Ah, good," Gix said. His mouth drew back in a snarl this time, and Abby saw no humor there at all. "We don't have to bring that bothersome little creature along, do we?"

He waved his hand, and the others came -- all except Brendan, who looked startled, still reaching for the others as the circle swept them up. Tam arrived, glaring and looking distrustful of the change. He nodded to Abby, ready for whatever would come next. The look he gave the dead emperor proved to be something entirely different, though Abby saw no fear there. Hatred showed in that look, which, oddly, Abby never remembered seeing in the assassin prince before.

But by then Gix had brought more of his friends. He heard Crystal cry out with what sounded like a strange combination of fear and frustration. Petra held the Captain to his feet, and Abby couldn't tell what was wrong. He would have gone to help, but Tristan still held him back. Etric quickly crossed to his friend. They were, in fact, all gathering in groups and lines, ready...

His friends had arrived, the warriors with whom he had fought so many battles. Gix brought them here, which meant he thought them no real threat at all. He brought them, Abby realized, as hostages to his own good behavior. The others looked to him, ready to do whatever he wished in this battle. He had never felt so worried and helpless as he did in that moment, knowing he had too many to protect, and he would never keep them all from danger. He had never possessed that kind of power.

If he could have wished them away --

"Abby," Tristan whispered aloud, and held tighter to his arm.

Once again, Tristan's worry came through strongly with the touch and the voice. Tristan's fear was not the same as what Abby felt. Tristan feared Abby would do something rash, and in doing so would deny these people the right to fight for their own future. More than just their friends here in this room stood in danger, and as much as Abby wanted to protect these people, they in turn wanted to protect others. If they failed, all the worlds they had known would change for the worse. Abby had to look beyond the battle they faced here to see what he risked.

He dared not focus only on the present. Tristan nodded agreement and let go. Rqua nodded as well, and moved to stand by Etric.

And Abby suddenly felt as though he had stopped thinking as a human. He had looked beyond now to the eternity that would follow, and he understood what he truly fought for, and risked, in this confrontation.

He had always imagined a battle: sword and magic against claw and deception. Gix, it seemed, would not be pushed into such a mundane fight. Abby had to wait still. He knew it, even when he saw Gix turn his attention to the others.

Chapter Two

The world still swam in a dizzying array of colors when Tam finally lifted his head. He had despaired that they would find themselves in more trouble -- and he was right. Even so, Tam still felt hope the moment he looked up and found the others arrayed around him. They were all here, all the people from the ship, and he gave a nod of greeting to Abby, who could not possibly know the relief he felt, that almost left him so giddy. For once he hadn't seen the enemy at first. He only turned back afterwards, and his hand went to his knife at the sight of the Emperor there, watching them, a ghostly figure among several others.

Oh, and the demon, yes. But it was the Emperor who drew his attention, an old enemy and one whom he trusted less than he did the master of this place. Tam had drawn a small knife, though he didn't know why since he couldn't kill the man again.

The movement drew other attention, though. Unwanted attention. The demon looked at him, amused, it seemed. He realized the danger a little too late. Fool, he thought, as Tam felt the magic move over him, and his hand turn the blade back toward his own chest.

"You truly are a paradox, assassin," Gix said, leaning forward, his eyes focusing on Tam. Hell burned in that gaze. Gix waved the others back when they moved toward Tam, and they flew, hitting each other and the walls and creatures. He stood alone facing this enemy. "By all rights, one of your profession should have been mine. And yet you came to me only by your own will."

Tam looked away from the blade. The angle at which it moved, against his will, would not be a killing wound -- not right away. He knew it would hurt. He stared back at the demon and waited.

"Oh, you are brave, aren't you, little mortal? You never have feared to die. But it's time you felt what you have so often inflicted upon others. And there is at least one here eager to watch. My faithful servant, isn't he? I couldn't disappoint him -- no, be still. Your time will come."

That had been spoken to the others again. Tam felt the blade tip press against his shirt and skin. He thought Tristan tried to stop it, and maybe someone else -- but the demon growled, and the knife pressed inward.

Hold his attention, Tam thought, trying hard not to acknowledge the fiery pain that swept in just below his ribs. Give the others a little more time. I can do that for them. Just hold...

He did not look away from Gix, even as the blade pressed deeper.

"Are you really that brave, assassin?" Gix asked.

"Prince," he corrected -- a slight gasp of a word, but still steady.

Gix laughed and with a wave of his hand he sent Tam sprawling. The knife shoved farther in, ripping downward through flesh and muscle. Gods, it hurt. He could hardly breathe, but he made no sound of pain.

Gix laughed, playing with them -- and the realization brought despair to Tam for the first time. The demon could do what he wanted here. How could they hope to win? And yet, when he looked up, he could see the others preparing to attack. They weren't going to give up.

Gix watched them; amused, perhaps to find such fools who had willingly came to his world, looking for him. He appeared to have lost interest in Tam, because the knife came out. That was not all together good. Damien, though, dropped to his knees and pushed his hand down over the bleeding wound and looked frantically around, obviously hoping to find a mage.

Tam took slow breaths, the pain lessening as he put distance between himself and the injury. It was a trick he had learned long ago in the hands of the emperor. He watched, knowing the wound would kill him eventually, and still looking for something he could do to help with the war he had come to fight.

Crystal stood near by, held in Istanan's grasp, looking around as though he didn't know where he was or what was happening. Tam could see something wrong with the Captain, since he made no move to help with the attack. This was the final battle, and he should have been doing something --

"Tamaris," Damien said, and caught Tam's right hand. "Hold your hand over the wound. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Tam said. He put his hand where Damien said and held despite the pain. This was his life, leaking out between his fingers and through the little bit of cloth Damien had placed there. He wanted to hold on.

Tam looked up as sudden mayhem spread across the room. His friends had taken to the battle and moved first this time. He thought it surprised both Abby and the demon, from the way they both looked up.

Etric lead the attack, heading straight for Gix and Braith. Braith scrambled backwards so quickly he nearly fell. Gix, though, growled in anger. His mouth showed fangs, and his cavernous eyes glowed red with hell as he called out to his allies.

Gargoyles and other things surged from the walls toward the crew of Freedom and Fame , but Tam's companions didn't seem to be having much trouble with these enemies. Weapons, both metal and technical, flashed. The dark creatures fell away on all sides, and though he saw wounds on his friends, none of them had gone down. People moved around him, protecting him from the attack. He held on...

Every creature they killed in this hell was a victory for them. He knew it and felt a welling of hope at the sight of Carrick standing by Brother, swords in hands, fighting with a kind of ease of movement that downed one creature after another. Though he couldn't see any of the others as clearly, Tam knew they were having as good of luck.

Gix rose up on his feet and towered over the battle, a sight of darkness and power. The master of the realm did not look happy, and he lifted both hands and roared. The sound went through Tam and stilled all the fighting, both from his side and the enemies.

Abby and Tristan -- and Tabor -- stepped forward. They looked untouched and undismayed by the fighting that had already started. It stunned Tam to see the change, since he had spent so much time watching Abby grow increasingly desperate about this battle.

He almost closed his eyes, but Rqua suddenly knelt beside Tam, a hand on his arm. The mage cast magic before Tam could even think to stop him. The magic would be better used in the battle than to help him. However, the healing swept through him, nearly as painful as the wound, and the bleeding stopped. He felt cold, still, though. Cold in this place where he could see fires burning.

He nodded his thanks to Rqua.

Abby held the Janin in hand. She sang louder with each moment, with a piercing song, a cry of battle that pulled even Tam back to his feet.

"So here we stand to face the final battle," Gix said, brushing a hand down the tatters of clothing he wore as though they were silk and velvet. The ghosts of others -- too many whom Tam recognized -- swirled just above the demon's head, faces appearing at random in the miasmic cloud. "Here, in my place, and at my bidding. I am ready."

"As are we all," Abby said, his voice uncommonly steady.

The others moved in behind the three, the battle line truly forming up, the skirmish done and dead creatures dissolving away. Rqua kept a hand on Tam as even they stepped forward, taking their place in the line. Crystal and Istanan came last, and the Captain looked a little lost still... ah, dreaming. Tam understood what sort of hell his friend was going through just now, and it only made him more determined to make certain they won.

Gix looked unbothered by the show of force. He leaned back in his throne again, and Braith hovered at his side.

"I've learned an interesting lesson, Godling." Gix's voice shook the walls and those of his creatures still alive cringed and cowered, though the people who stood with Abby remained unaffected by the show. "I learned a very human lesson -- how to manipulate through love."

"We aren't here to listen to your speeches," Tabor said with a careless lack of respect that was bound to anger the demon. Calculated to do so, Tam suspected.

"You would be wise --" Gix said, leaning a little forward again.

"I am wise. I stand with Abby and not you."

Tabor's taunt won a growl, and Gix raised his arms to shout out his anger -- and Abby leapt ahead, the Janin glowing brought in his hold, at last let loose to fight her battle. Finally, the battle had come --

Tabor grabbed Abby and shoved him down, kicking him aside with enough force that Abby landed at the feet of the demon, the Janin curled up against him. Tristan called out in shock and dismay as Tabor gave a slight bow to his father...

No. No. He would not believe... no.

Gix's eyes had gone wide in that moment.

"I once told you I could deliver what Braith could not," Tabor said as he stepped closer. He heard the others protest, and looked back. A wave of magic from his hand stopped everyone else from moving. Tam still struggled for a moment, fueled by anger that went beyond reason and gave out only with his failing strength. Wait. Wait for a chance, though he feared none would ever come. They had trusted Tabor. He had trusted...

He could not have fooled them all. Tam refused to believe what he saw, even as he watched Tabor go to his father.

Gix smiled, a show of teeth that meant nothing good. Silence fell, a pause in the universe, as Tabor moved to take his place at his father's side. Tam thought he heard the sound of despair and loss even here as Tabor stepped over the stunned Abby. Gix looked pleased --

And Tabor launched himself at the demon's throat at the same time Abby rolled to his feet and swung the Janin.

 Not betrayed.

Tam felt his heart beat again, and the power that had held him still disappeared. He stumbled forward, ready to help. The others did as well. Gix grabbed Tabor and threw him with a force that likely broke bones as he hit the wall by the door -- but Tabor's attack had hidden Abby's movements. Aubreyan swung the Janin and hit the demon once, twice -- he staggered back, slumping into his chair, stunned by the power of the Janin, who screamed a song now, loud and strong. The others had started to move in, even Tabor struggling back to his feet and launching himself back at the fray -- though not at his father.

Braith. Tam couldn't see Braith --

But it was not Braith who betrayed them. The Emperor, suddenly nearly solid -- and with a smile Tam remembered all too well -- swept down on Abby and passed through him. Abby and Tristan both cried out, but it sounded as much like anger and frustration as pain, though Abby went to his knees.

A heartbeat later Braith appeared at the side of the throne and yelled something loud and guttural. Magic swept up around Abby and shoved him away, just long enough for the demon to recover. Gix roared and the world trembled. Blood ran from the side of his head, and one eye had already swollen closed.

"You are blood of my blood," Gix hissed, and the sound sent a chill up Tam's back. He wished Tabor would back away, but he didn't. Ah, but there was no escape anyway. "I made you. I know your secrets."

"Obviously not all of them," Tabor replied with a haughtiness that showed him as his father's son after all. Oh, and he did annoy the demon with those words, who growled again -- and stopped.

Etric, Brother and Shafara had gathered behind Abby and next to Tristan. Power -- gods, there was power in those three. He could see power in Brother's hands -- a glow of magic, and realized the curse must not have effect in this place. He hoped --

The mages cast, but the demon countered in the same breath, and fire struck fire, sending blinding flames up into the air where it killed things -- though it didn't harm the demon. Tam watched, judging... and then he pulled another knife from his collection and threw.

The blade buried to the hilt in the demon's left eye, the one already swollen closed and blind, so he had not seen it coming -- and if this had been a human it would have been a clean kill. He should have realized nothing would be this simple.

The demon bellowed and the walls cracked. The floor trembled. Tam lost his footing and that saved his life as the demon shouted more magic and sent lightning that struck over his head and shattered against the back wall where it killed more of Gix's own. A wind, foul and strong, grabbed everything -- and everyone -- and threw them. Even the ghost of the emperor seemed to tear apart in the gale and disappear, though he couldn't hope that it would be gone for long. Tam lifted his head only in time for Gix's new magic to hit -- a pressure that shoved him right back down to the ground and tried to smother him. He thought he heard other gasps, and with a painful turn of his head, he realized he wasn't the only one held down. Gix moved into his line of sight, and drew the knife back out of his eye. The wound healed.

Hell, hell, hell.

"And now that I have your friends in my hold, we shall speak of what you will give me for their lives, shall we, Godling?" Gix asked, the growl of his words still shaking the tower.

Abby walked past Tam, a steady step that ignored the stain of blood on his side.

"Ah, finally," Gix said. His voice came close to a purr -- no more pleasant than the usual growl. "Now you will give the Kiya to me."

"No, I will not," Abby answered. Tam almost smiled at the steadiness of his friend's voice despite what it meant for his own life.

"Shall I persuade you, then? I'd like to." Gix stepped down from his throne, his feet loud on the floor -- clicking sounds, like claws. Shadows moved, coalesced around him, like bodies searching for warmth. "Shall I take the Kiya from your elf? He'll fight, won't he? I should like that very much. "

Abby said nothing as Gix walked past him. A kick sent Etric tumbling, even against the force of the spell that held them all in place. When he stopped, Tam could see blood flowing from the mage's lips, but he blinked still and watched carefully.

And then the demon paused by Tam and dropped down on his heels, bringing with him a faint order of decay. The shadows still moved, icy touches where they sometimes brushed against his skin. Then Tam saw something glitter in the demon's hand -- the knife, this time covered in demon blood.

"This is yours again, assassin. You are very slow to learn." He dragged Tam up by the hair -- pain and pressure mixing so he couldn't breathe at all now. The blade moved in front of his face, but Tam blinked and looked at Abby. His friend had turned back, taken a step closer -- and stopped. Neither said anything.

"You don't care?" Gix glanced at Abby and laughed, a sharp claw cutting down Tam's arm, shredding cloth and drawing blood. "Is this assassin not really yours after all?"

He thought he should feel despair that he'd failed... but Tam knew he had done the best he could, and if he had weakened Gix at all, it would make Abby's work easier. Tam heard another sound, though -- Kadrien trying to protest? He didn't want his cousin to draw the demon's attention.

"Be still, little emperor. Your time will come. Perhaps you'll come to enjoy watching what I do to the others first. Your father did, and blood will tell, won't it?"

Those words angered Tam, and with a growl of his own, he somehow drew enough strength to jab his elbow into the demon's stomach, winning a satisfying -- though useless - woof of noise. A futile gesture, of course, but he had drawn the demon back to him and away from Kad again. And angered him. Gix's claws went straight through to the bone where he held Tam's arm, and Tam fought to stay conscious against the pain.

"Fool little man," Gix hissed at his ear. "Enough."

The blade of his knife pressed between his shoulder blades, going deep, dragging him down, down, down...

Gix let go and he dropped back down to his stomach. Breathing had become agony, a lung pierced this time and blood filling his mouth. He tried to think past the pain, to hold on, to see --

Abby knelt beside him, his soft, warm hand touching Tam's fingers, comfort in the moment when his life inched closer to eternal darkness. He accepted it, the comfort and the coming darkness. He'd done what he could to help them, and he hoped they still did well --

"Shall we discuss giving me the Kiya now, Aubreyan Altazar?" Gix asked, his voice still too loud while everything else faded.

"No," Abby answered, and Tam felt a welling of relief at the answer, despite what it meant for him.

Abby's fingers tightened around his hand. Did he feel magic in that touch? Did it become a little easier to breathe? But Abby didn't have magic of his own... did he? He had powers, but Tamaris had never bothered to analyze what a Godling might do.

"I want the Kiya," Gix said again. "Now."

"No, demon. I know what giving the Kiya to you would mean. I won't give you that sacrifice -- a gift of a god to a demon. Not that power."

"You have grown wiser," Gix said as he stood, a casual kick at Tam's side sending him nearly unconscious -- but Abby still held on to his hand and held him here. "But I still have all your friends, you see, and either you will trade for them or they shall be mine forever. You could have brought ten thousand humans, Aubreyan. It would have been the same to me. I can destroy them with a whisper of a word, but instead I will take my time with them. One at a time."

Tamaris heard a moan -- Tathis, he thought. The cry grew louder and then stopped with an abruptness that chilled him. He stopped struggling when Abby's finger's tightened. They had never expected to walk away unscathed, he tried to remind himself. It didn't make this moment any easier.

"Who next, Aubreyan Altazar?" Gix asked. His voice hinted at pleasure and longing and pain rippling through the room like something alive. "Which one? Shall I choose?"

Abby's fingers tightened again for a moment. "Tristan will give you the Kiya," Abby answered evenly.

Tam tried to look up at him, pain forgotten in that moment of loss and fear. "Abby --"

"My decision. My choice. It always has been," Abby said softly.

"You will give her to me," Gix countered, and the pain eased with expectation as the demon's focus changed and he lost interest in the game he played with Abby's followers.

"No. Tristan will do it." Abby looked back at the demon, his face steady, his look -- there was no hesitation there, no question. It hardly looked like Abby at all, who had always seemed so lost. "Take your win gracefully, demon -- or chance the fight with me. Don't ask too much."

A moment of silence -- and Tam thought the demon might do anything right then. And what did Tam wish for? He couldn't decide any more. Maybe just to die now and not see everything lost.

"As long as the Kiya is mine," Gix growled. "I'll take it from the elf, then."

No, no -- he managed to turn his head and see Abby's face just before his friend stood, the Janin all but silent in his hand. Did he see a flicker of relief in his friend's face? What game did the godling play this time?

"Be still, Tam," Abby said softly, his hand brushing over Tam's arm one more time. "This is almost over."

But dared he still believe that over did not mean they had lost?

The power that held all of them eased again. He could turn his head and see Tristan standing, his dark unseeing eyes looking lost.

"The Kiya, elf," Gix said. "Give her to me."

"Do it, Tristan," Abby said aloud.

Ah, but what was being said between those crowns? Tam watched, trying to understand. He wanted, still, to help somehow.

A hand touched his arm, and then moved to the wound. Agony froze all movement as the blade drew out, and for a moment he even forgot hell -- but the pain eased again with a touch of quick magic. Hair brushed softly against the back of his neck as someone bent closer.

"Be still," Tabor warned softly, and his head bent lower as magic moved along the wound, healing and calming him. "Let me do what I can. We're likely going to need you again."

Tam carefully turned his head, ignoring the surge of pain, to watch Gix again. He felt Tabor whisper more magic, and a moment later he could breathe, though not completely without pain. What he saw set him shivering for new reasons. Tristan stood, pulled up the bag and held it out. Tam could see things moving in the bag, and imagined the Kiya, anxious to be free and whole again.

Gix moved to the elf, though not without some hesitation, which told Tamaris the demon had reason to fear them. He looked around, and Tam could see that the demon's wounds had healed again, his face more horrible than before. He could see nothing of Tabor in the look. How could any of them have ever considered their companion a demon?

Or had Gix been something else before this place warped even him?

As the demon grew closer to Tristan, the Janin grew brighter, singing for her enemy and the battle they would fight. Abby looked as though he had trouble holding her back, and Tam thought that might not be a show. He had never understood the staff or her role in this, except to be as much trouble as help for Abby. After so long, he had even stopped noticing her. And now... now the Kiya would be whole again, and her true enemy in sight. Did that mean anything?

Tabor, even with a hand on his shoulder, told him nothing at all. He tried not to feel frustration.

Gix reached out and hastily took the pouch in his hand. He laughed. The wind moaned through the open window, the damned knowing what their master had taken into his hands. He held a power that never should have been given to him.

No. He knew the Kiya was only a toy. It was Abby that should never come into the demon's hand, and Abby wasn't there yet, though he had stepped perilously closer to that line. Tam felt it as a tug on his soul, like a chain wrapped around him, weighing him down to hold him here.

Gix walked back past them and reached down, grabbing Tabor by the hair and yanking his head up. "Oh yes, do make sure it survives, Tabor. You threw it all away to grovel on the floor with these humans. You could have stood at my side, but now you will be my slave --"

"I always was your slave," Tabor answered.

Gix shoved Tabor back down with a contemptuous laugh, and Tamaris suddenly realized Tabor was very young. Perhaps that came from thinking of him in terms of father and son, because he hadn't seemed so young until now. Tabor had spent his life leaping from place to place, and perhaps he had lost the years mortals had gained. He wondered if Tabor, Abby and Tristan were even twenty yet. How odd. Who had made these children the guardians of the universe?

Gix stalked back to his throne and settled there with another laugh that brought moans of despair from the creatures in this room. Braith, though -- Braith's eyes were wide and anxious. He had lost interest in the others, though Gix had not.

Gix gathered up a small box from beside him, and drew out the Kiya's head. The demon held all the pieces, and he lifted his hand, letting go of the spell that had been crushing them, no doubt, so they could watch his moment of triumph.

Tam wondered what it would be like to be a slave here forever. He wondered if they had any hope of escaping such a future. Call upon the Gods? Kill themselves? Why had they never discussed what they should do if they lost?

Because there was no hope if they lost.

Tam forced himself to sit up, and stayed there with Tabor's hand on his shoulder. The others had paused as well, watching the throne. Gix whispered words as he brought each piece of the Kiya from Tristan's pouch, and they hovered in the air, arranging themselves in the proper order. He had never seen the Kiya whole, and even from here -- even not fully joined together -- he could feel the darkness from her.

"We have to take out Braith," Tabor whispered at his ear. "Gix is far more powerful, but Braith isn't to be trifled with, and Gix has come to depend far too much on him. He was a master magician of Shafara's standing before he consigned his soul to Gix. Now he's more akin to demons than to humans."

Tam could sense the others preparing to move, and he thought he heard a whisper of a voice... was that Kamil? What news had been spreading, in ways that Gix apparently couldn't hear?

Or did he just play with them, still? Perhaps, but it didn't matter. They had to take the chance anyway.

 Almost time. 

Tam calmed himself and prepared to move when he judged best.

"We need to stop him," Tam said softly, looking toward the throne where Gix worked, pulling pieces of the Kiya into a line. He didn't want to see that staff whole and in the hands of the demon to use against them, and then against all else that came his way.

Tam tried to move, but Tabor held him down still, and bent closer, hair brushing against the back of his neck again.

"We're letting Gix get well into his spell to reassemble the Kiya, so he has committed not only his power, but also his attention," Tabor said softly. "He, no doubt, counts on Braith to keep him safe. We need Braith gone."

"Braith," Tam whispered with a little nod, understanding what they wanted of him.

"Wait for the signal, Tam," Tabor whispered again, his hand pressing a little on Tam's shoulder. "I hope I can move past it this time."

Signal? Tam wondered how he was supposed to recognize it if no one told him.

"He's arriving," Tabor said at his ear and then pulled back a little. "Good luck. Be careful!"

"Who --"

But then he knew. Magic swept in around them and he saw Etric and Rqua working at it, opening a portal of their own. Gix started to roar as the light flashed bright and...

 Music.

Brendan stepped through the portal, already playing Dove, his head bent over the harp so he didn't even look where he went. The notes struck within Tam's heart: a touch of peace, a whispered promise, and a gift of hope...

Yes. A hope in hell. 

Tam scrambled up to his feet, ignoring pain and his bleeding wounds as he headed straight for Braith. Tabor had started forward as well, but he stopped and looked at Brendan, his head tilted his eyes half closed -- caught by the magic that called him far more strongly than it did to the humans. Tam saw Tristan and Brother, who looked mesmerized as well. Three of their most powerful mages lost....

Tam turned away and went to his own work. Braith had been partially caught as well; obviously he had stopped being a man long ago. He wished Gix would be caught by it as well, but the demon had focused too much on his magic, his red eyes glowing with anger and his hands trembling as he tried to put the staff together. He fought for control... but Brendan played a louder, happier song, and he saw even Gix lift his head and look toward the bard, almost caught --

The Janin's song changed as she joined in the music created by Brendan and Dove, braiding together music that filled the room with a sound so sweet and beguiling that it nearly drew even Tam's attention. The music gave him hope. He saw Etric, Dacey and Rqua lift their heads and spread hands -- light flared, brightened, and dispelled the blood-red shadows.

Tam lifted his head, sought out his enemy, and moved with purpose.

He reached for one of his blades and changed his mind; it hadn't worked before and he didn't want to chance a mistake this time. He could do the work in other ways. Banning moved up to help him, her face set in a dark glare, and she didn't seem to hear the magical music at all.

They leapt upon Braith.

Braith proved to be unnaturally strong despite being skeletally thin, and the shock of their attack brought him out of his trance. Banning kicked hard enough to send him crashing back against the table, where shards of mirror scattered, the discordant sound of breaking glass almost lost beneath the other sounds of song and battle. Braith hadn't quite gone down, but Zoe and Lehan had joined to help, driving him back once again -- but still not down. Braith caught his balance and began shouting words of power that Tam knew would kill them if he completed the spell. Lehan, who may not have had magic in his world, but still understood it, slapped a hand over Braith's mouth and grimaced when it bit him -- but he didn't let go, even while Braith clawed at him him.

The other three fought to hold Braith, but it was Tam who grabbed Braith's head between both of his hands -- clammy, cold skin that didn't feel human at all. He saw Braith's red eyes go wide as it struggled with a new fury born of fear. Tamaris twisted the head with a quick jerk and the neck snapped. The body went still and limp as the others let go, and it dropped to the ground -- looking like a skeleton now since there was so little else to him. Although Tam didn't like to kill that way, in this case just having the enemy downed was enough.

Other battles moved around them. Tam looked up to find Abby, Dacey, and Etric moving toward Gix, although the way Abby shook his head, it seemed as thought the music called him as well. Or perhaps that came from his tie to Tristan. Tamaris couldn't be certain since Abby was not human either.

"Make certain someone stays with Braith," Tam said as he looked down. He fought pain, weakness, and fear -- the music helped, soothing his fears and his anger. "Too many things come back to life here."

Lehan nodded as he wrapped a piece of cloth around his hand, wincing at little. Tam worried about any poisons Lehan may have taken in, but now wasn't the time to stop the mages and ask for help.

They had defeated Braith, at least, and that took the last of Gix's intelligent allies out of the battle. There were still a few ghosts left, but they were mere wisps of shape -- nuisances rather than danger. He thought that Gix might have to concentrate and direct them to make them trouble again.

Tam turned his attention to the throne, knowing they must face the real enemy one more time. Others fell in around and behind him, but Tam did not look at them. He only watched Gix, who had the Kiya almost completed now -- just another piece and the head left to join with the others. He did not want the Kiya whole and in the hands of a demon.

Tam knew he wouldn't be much use against an enraged demon, but he could do something else to stop him. Tam leapt forward -- and hit a wall he could not see, fell back into the others, stunned and blinking back the pain and darkness from his eyes. He saw Gix look at him for a moment, the demon eyes promising him nothing pleasurable.

"We'll take down the barrier, Tam," Dacey said softly beside him. "Be ready. Gods protect Brendan. He's all that's keeping the rest of these creatures at bay and giving us a chance."

Tam glanced back at the singer who stood in the midst of all this madness, Dove in hand, and his eyes closed as he sang. Tam wasn't certain of the words, but he saw the effects. Gargoyles stood swaying at the edge of the light, and other creatures sat at Brendan's feet, entranced.

"Gods protect him," Tam said, and meant those words quite literally for the first time in his life. He wondered if that would help, here in hell. "What -- what do we do now?"

"Whatever we can to stop him," Dacey said, looking pale and shaky -- ah, but he would have taken down his own shields by now, leaving him vulnerable to all the metal in the world. He suspected Dacey still felt that curse, even though Brother had managed to find his magic -- the difference between a curse within a person and one that blocked something from without? It might make an interesting discussion -- if they survived. Dacey had looked back at the throne and shook his head. "We cannot let him take hold of the Kiya. We're ready. Do what you can."

Dacey lifted his hands, and along with the other mages, he cast a flash of lightning so bright it half blinded Tam as the wall went down. He could barely see the shifting of air, as though it had been solid and now fell apart.

He started forward, but not fast enough -- he could see the Kiya's head move into place... and her eyes blink open as she howled with a sound of hunger so great he feared she sucked out life just with that sound.

Gix reached for her -- the staff complete -- and Tam feared that once he took her up there would be no hope for the rest of them.

Tamaris leapt forward and instantly grabbed the staff, judging her to be the weaker of the two, and knowing he had to get her away from the demon. As his hands wrapped around the wood, he heard the roar of the demon. Tam and the Kiya crashed to the ground, rolling --

And then he felt her.

She came fully awake in those few brief heartbeats, and he felt her rush into his soul like water into a cup. She hungered and craved souls with such strength he could barely hold to his own, even when she didn't really want to destroy him. No, she didn't want him fallen. The Kiya wanted Tam to hold her, to take her to the others -- she feared being abandoned, feared being destroyed -- and had not fully grasped that the demon would take her up. Her thoughts, still chaotic, swirled through him, making chaos of his own mind as well.

All he knew was that she wanted to taste the others, she wanted power, and the one who held her would give her what she wanted because he had no choice. He would give her the sacrifices. He would kill for her. He had killed before. He could kill these humans now.

Faces of those he had killed came to him. She found them, there in his memory -- a few of them locked away and safe for so long he had forgotten them. But they came now, to remind him he was not worthy to stand with Abby.

 You are mine now, Tamaris. Mine. 

"No." His fingers tried to release the staff. She wouldn't allow it. He stood slowly as he fought for control and lost, limb-by-limb. He turned, the Kiya in his hand, reaching out toward all the others, wanting any of them. All of them, shining so bright and full of life. Gix had promised there would be souls enough, even for her. She would have them all.

Lehan stood too close as they took a step forward. She remembered him faintly, like a memory of a dream. That one, yes -- him first. The staff rose up in Tam's arm, and Lehan backed away, his eyes wide. He knew enough to get out of her way.

"No," Tam spoke aloud. "No! I will not do this!"

He drew his arm back while Lehan wisely scrambled away.

 Abby. He needed Abby's help, but when he looked frantically around, he found the Godling fighting the demon, the Janin against the demon's claw. Many of the others had joined him as well.

 I hunger. 

The revulsion for what she felt, the combination of power and pain, coursed through Tam as she forced him forward. He wanted to drop her -- but the Kiya knew such a thing would be her doom. No one might ever pick her up again.

There -- another within reach --

"Micah!"

Micah glanced over his shoulder and leapt away barely in time. The Kiya screamed aloud in rage this time. She made him pay for it this time -- Gods, the pain! -- but she dared to neither kill nor cripple him. There might not be another, here in this place filled with enemies. They looked toward the battle and she wanted to go to the demon now -- but the Janin fought the demon -- her enemy and far too strong for her to dare the battle yet. She held on to him, and would hold him to her for as long as she needed

"Abby," Tam whispered the name. "Abby -- please --help me --"

 Mine, assassin. 

"No!"

Ylintri tried to get closer to help him. Tam saw, and the Kiya tried to spin around to catch him -- her attention shifting away from him, toward Ylintri --

"Get down, Ylin!"

Ylin dropped to the floor and she snarled in anger, frustration welling up through her, an almost mindless distraction -- and at the widest arc of the swing, the moment when her attention had faltered for a heartbeat, Tam let go of the staff.

She tried to kill him in that last moment when his fingers still brushed against her. Had he been half a moment slower, the flash of lighting would have killed him outright. As it was, the light blinded him and the nearness of the bolt stunned him with new pain. He dropped hard on the floor, unable to see or move. Helpless. He had never been so helpless before -- and worse because he didn't know where she had gone, though he thought he could hear her screaming still.

Someone touched his arm. He didn't know if it was a friend or an enemy, but even the little brush of the stranger's fingers chased a line of agony through his body. Tamaris thought he couldn't breathe, and his heart labored... and then the agony eased a little, pushing back, away from him as though something came and stood between his soul and the pain. He didn't think he trusted it --

 Easy, Tam, a voice whispered within him -- unexpected and yet calming. Only his friends called him Tam. He knew this little voice, this touch of someone he trusted.

 Rqua? 

 Yes, me. I used a little magic to reach you, to help. We feared she had killed you this time. Abby's amazed you let go. 

 She made me ill, Rqua. She wanted me -- she wanted -- 

He could feel her hand upon his soul again, her touch burning away any good he had done. He'd murdered. He'd killed, and she gloried in it.

 I never did. I never liked the kill itself. I didn't! 

But he saw the faces of so many who had died at his hand, all of them looking at him with shock and disgust: the Heir Apparent to the throne, and a murderer. And that was why the Kiya could take him --

 She didn't get you, and you saved the others. You didn't take anyone while you held her, and you kept her out of the hands of the demon. If he had taken her up, everyone within his reach would have been gone by now. Be calm! 

He wanted to scream at the memory of what had happened, and at the helplessness -- and the pain that swept up again, even while Rqua fought it back. Tam feared to be helpless because she might still come for him -- he didn't even think of the demon in that moment, or even where they were. He had nothing to cling to, because he had been an assassin, and she was right. He didn't belong fighting on the side of the gods. Nothing to hold to --

 I'm here, Tam. Hold on. I'm here. 

 Rqua... 

 We need you! We're still fighting. The demon called in more of his servants, and Brendan's stopped playing. They're trying to drag him away! 

Was that the reason he had given in to sudden despair?

 We all did. But we have to win! You have to help us, Tam! 

They needed him. Tam felt calmer as he turned his head at last. A blur of color appeared before his eyes. He could barely move his hands, as though holding the Kiya for even short of a time had warped them.

Movement everywhere. Rqua held tight to his arm -- just a physical touch now, the magical one gone. As Tam's sight began to clear he could see Rqua gasping, and he looked ready to fall over, the magic drained from him.

"Rqua?" he asked softly, trying to move, to get control.

"Help them!"

Tam sat up, Rqua's shaking hands helping him. Gods, why hadn't the mage used his power to help others, rather than him? They should have let him go!

But they hadn't, and through he could barely move, he knew he could still help. He needed control, was all. He needed to move past what had happened -- and he didn't even look in the direction he had thrown the staff, though he could still hear and feel her calling.

Two battles had broken out -- one to rescue Brendan, one to subdue the demon. Brendan had fallen, protecting Dove against his chest, trying to defend them both with only one hand -- but he had the crystal in that hand, and any gargoyle who came too close to that light howled in pain and leapt away again -- often into the range of someone else. Otaka had a laser pistol. Smart woman; she used it effectively, though it seemed that the power must be draining fast. There were more of the creatures than she or her companions could fight off, and one took down Damien even while he watched. Damien didn't get back up.

But even so, Prince Tamaris turned away from that battle and moved toward the one that would truly decide everything. The mages had backed Gix into the corner, magic flying in all directions. Abby held the Janin, swinging her left and right against Gix as he reached, and hitting anything else that moved in to help the demon. The staff sang -- and she glowed with power and illuminated the battle with a bright light that did not belong in this place of red and shadows. He thought, though, that maybe it was not just the staff that brought the light. He thought it came from Abby as well.

If Prince Tamaris had ever doubted in the gods before that moment, he could not now. The sight of the one whom he called friend, so transformed with his power -- and in ways Tam could not even name -- proved more daunting than inspiring. How could they have ever doubted Abby could handle this battle on his own? He was not worthy to join such a fight, and that thought did not come only from his touch with the Kiya. He thought any man might find a moment to pause.

But he didn't -- because he didn't want to see Abby lose, and he would do what he could now, in this last moment of the war, to help the right side win. Tam forced himself to stand. Rqua tried to as well, and didn't have the strength. He looked frightened.

Tam reached into the secret pocket under his left arm. He shoved the small laser pistol he kept there into Rqua's hand.

"Five charges. Make them count."

Rqua looked up and grinned. Technology would help, but not in the work he intended to do. Tam took one breath, one last glance at the battle -- and saw Silver fall, a powerful mage. It left them weaker, the loss of Silver and Rqua.

Tam knew what he had to do this time, and what he had been doing wrong. He had not played to his own special abilities -- Tam had never done well with straightforward attacks, and he wasn't certain what had prompted him to try them now.

The Kiya had reminded him he was an assassin. Surprise and stealth had always been part of his weaponry, and far more important than his daggers.

Tam moved away from the battle, sliding toward the wall and carefully avoiding the Kiya, though she tried to roll toward him, her eyes glaring -- and too weak, it seemed, to shout or call out any longer. He had held her, and she had touched his soul -- but it would never happen again. She could not lure him back with the faintly whispered promises that he still heard. Never again. He was not what she had tried to make him believe of himself.

He reached the far wall and grimaced at the feel of muck, fungus and the Gods knew what else as he leaned back against it. He hated this place, and he wanted away from it -- he and his friends -- and he wanted Abby never to face the idea of coming back to this battle again. He could help. He had skills. Tam began to inch his way around the throne and to the demon's back.

Abby had already moved closer to the demon, Tabor at his left, Tristan at his right. Dacey and Etric stayed in close behind the first three, and others fought to keep the gargoyles and other creatures away from the last of their mages.

The mages tried to beat the demon down with their combined power, and the waves of magic sent odd colors through the air. They had pressed Gix back into the darkness by his throne, but the demon plainly didn't intend to stay there for long. Tam continued to move, though he knew this could be a problem; if he did this right, even his friends shouldn't see him.

Slowly, slowly... he refused to rush the last moment, even when he saw Brother fall. He took the last steps crouched low behind the mass of the demon, the only protection he had against the deadly forces his friends sent in their spells. He could feel the magic swarming in the air.

Just a little closer.

He felt an unnatural calm in the moment before he finally moved. He had gone far past any panic and even the fear and revulsion he'd felt while holding the Kiya had disappeared. This was, he thought, the moment he had trained for during all those years when he had thinned out the ranks of people who had followed Gix in their heart, even if they had never named the demon.

Ready.

He charged the last steps as he stood, grabbed Gix by the unnatural huge head and shoved a blade straight through the back of the demon's throat.

He knew it wouldn't kill Gix. He had learned that much by now.

It did do the one thing he had hoped. It silenced the demon, stopping his magical chants and making him weaker. He had given his friends this chance, and he hoped they knew what to do with it.

Chapter Three

Abby knew Tam had inched his way closer, moving along the dark shadows of the wall. He had picked the warning up from the frantic Rqua, who rightfully feared for the daring assassin's life. Abby could do nothing to warn the others, though Tristan knew, at least, and moved a little, intending to protect Prince Tamaris from their own, if need be. However, if either had said anything aloud, Gix would know as well. They were lucky that they had their little secret communication -- though it didn't appear to be helping much.

He worried about Tam --

 He'll be careful, Abby. Just watch for him! I'll ward as best I can to keep him safe. 

 There. He's moving! 

Tam hadn't wasted time once he got close enough. He leapt forward and grabbed the demon's head -- surprising his friends. Abby moved to help even before he saw Tam's knife driven into the back of the demon's neck, the silver point jutting out the front.

 Clever! Tristan said, impressed.

Gix gasped and started to yell -- but the sound came out as a strangled cough. He could not spell-cast. Abby brought the Janin down on the side of Gix's head as the demon shoved Tam aside, and tried to grab the knife that had speared him from behind.

Tabor leapt forward and bore his father down to the ground, even though the demon clawed at him, leaving long gouges on his back. Tabor hissed with the pain, but it didn't stop him from holding to those clawed hands to keep them from the others who had come to help as well.

Only by now Abby wondered what it would take to destroy a demon. Nothing they'd done so far had even slowed him for long. Gix threw Tabor off, and the demonling fell, dazed and hurt, close to where Tam was trying to regain his balance. Abby had already been moving to swing the Janin with all his force. She stunned the demon and he fell back once more, but he would not be down for long! The wounds always seemed to heal too quickly.

 Tristan! 

 I don't know! I honestly don't know! 

Gix reached back and pulled the knife free. Abby could clearly see the wound already healing. Gix started to make low guttural growls that would soon change to spell casting, and as enraged as he was, all hell was going to rise up against them.

Abby threw himself at Gix, swinging the Janin again and again. The staff stunned the demon, even wounded him, but Abby could see that he would wear down before the demon did. The Janin hadn't the power over the demon that she did over others --

But what of the Kiya? Abby glanced frantically around the room -- ignoring the battlefield, because he didn't dare let himself see his friends in danger. He found the dark staff, although the demon took advantage of his momentary distraction, and one long claw slashed from his knee to ankle. The poison would quickly make him ill. He had little time.

 Abby! 

Tristan's magic swept the poison away, though he couldn't also heal the wounds, and he nearly went to his knees with the sudden loss of power. Abby cried out in fear at Tristan's vulnerability, but Brother had already moved in to protect the elf, and Otaka rushed to aid him.

He dared not look for any of the others. No time.

Etric had spell cast again, and managed to slow the demon's ability to heal himself. Enraged, the demon grabbed Dacey, claws ripping down his chest -- but Dacey had a knife in hand -- surprising them all -- and he shoved it back into the neck before the demon could toss him aside. Micah leapt in to keep the demon from going after Dacey.

Abby flung himself down the four steps to the Kiya. She turned her ruby eyes to him, the ones that had so terrified him in his youth. How long ago -- how far away? His mother had warned him to stay away from the Kiya and he knew why now. Once he'd taken her in his hands, she had known what he was, even though he hadn't.

He had held her once, complete, and thrown her aside. He could do it again.

 Abby -- please -- there has to be another -- 

He knelt, his fingers touching the staff.

 Hunger, hunger -- want, want, want -- 

 Abby, don't -- 

 Just hold on to me!

With the Janin in his right hand, holding tight to her and everything she represented, he reached down with his left hand and picked up the Kiya for the second time in his life.

Had she fed even once since the demon made her whole again, he might not have been able to keep control this time. Her hunger and insanity had overpowered her and she didn't have the ability to understand what was happening. Her insanity nearly overwhelmed him, but her conscious act of control was something he could not have easily countered.

"Abby?" Tristan said aloud, a faint sound above the clamor of the battle that was still being fought all around them.

 Turn an enemy against an enemy.  Abby took a step toward the demon, holding tight to the staves and wishing for calm at least from the Janin. The idea of turning the Kiya against Gix stopped Tristan for a moment, though he looked uncertain, and the indecision drifted through to Abby again.

Abby fought that feeling back, shaking his head as though to dispel the other thoughts. "Please, Tristan, don't fight me!"

Gix growled again, an ominous sound that must mean he had begun to recover. Abby saw Etric stagger backwards, gasping -- and then throw himself back into the battle, though he had obviously begun running out of strength. They had so little time left, and so few choices now --

"Do it!" Tristan whispered, and spun back to the battle, intending to clear the others from Abby's path. The Kiya still strained toward every person, and the Janin, in turn, tried to reach the Kiya. They both vied for control of him and in one perilous moment they both won almost equal control....

Eternity loomed as the Janin and Kiya caught him in a vortex of good and evil, both oblivious to the person who held them while the two ancient enemies finally came within reach of each other. He felt them both, equals, trying to pull him into something he could not really see or feel --

"Abby! Fight her!" Tristan called out aloud, reaching beyond the turmoil of Abby's mind.

He felt a frantic rush of power from all three sources this time as elf tried to help him. Abby fought against the two staves, trying to reach a balance between good and evil.

They nearly won.

Tristan frantically pulled him back from the nothingness that had almost taken him -- the balance the Janin and Kiya had nearly achieved. Good and evil in equal amounts -- he had never thought that negating everything else would equal peace. Nothingness had loomed for a moment. Oblivion. Tristan's pull back left him trembling, and the staves both felt his weakness and tried to take control again.

"Abby, fight them, or let her go!" Tristan ordered aloud, trying to reach his friend again.

Even the two of them together couldn't fight the battle for long. Abby knew he couldn't hold on to both the Kiya and the Janin without risking annihilation from one or the other.

"Let her go! We dare not risk it!" Tristan shouted.

So he tossed the Janin aside.

"Aubreyan Altazar, you fool!" Tristan's voice rose above all the other sounds and the elf's frustration nearly overcame every other emotion either of them felt. "I meant to get rid of the Kiya!"

But Abby had known what he was doing. He took a deeper breath and concentrated his attention on the Kiya rather than worrying about keeping the Janin away from her. He knew he didn't need worry about the Janin because she wouldn't allow anyone else to pick her up -- but tossing the Kiya away would have been a disaster if Gix, or even one of his gargoyles, got hold of her.

Tristan still didn't think it had been a wise move -- and the Janin cried out a song of protest as well, though she went silent of her own accord. He knew Gix and his enemies had begun again to gain the upper hand. As the Kiya Chanda Andee strained in his hold, Abby forced his wants over hers. He was a Godling and she only a staff. She could not match him -- and he knew that now, unlike the first time he had picked her up.

He still had weaknesses, though, and he saw them all around; the fallen and the falling, the lost and those still fighting to hold back the evil. He almost faltered again, fearing -- but he could not fail because he would take them down with him.

And though these people who had joined him in the battle in hell were his weakness, they were also his power. Their resolve to keep going, and his fear of failing and seeing them fall, also fueled his own power. He had come to hell to save them, after all. They came with him to help.

 Hunger, hunger, hunger! 

Her wants still nearly overpowered everything else. She grew weaker by the moment, but that only made her more dangerous. Cunning and desperate, she had to have something soon, because the act of reuniting her body had drained very nearly all the power in her. If he held her back long enough, she would be nothing more than a staff of wood.

He didn't have that much time. And besides, she could help him in this battle.

Tristan rushed toward the others, using his own abilities to find and move people out of the path -- Banning, Brother, Petra. The Kiya's rage grew, a black festering hole that tried to drag Abby's own thoughts down into it, to smother him in her power and her need. He held on -- but the Kiya wanted them, and with such force that his arm moved and reached for Banning until she quickly leapt away again.

Abby hadn't thought of the Kiya as anything but a staff -- another Janin -- something to hold and control when she grew too loud. The Janin had allowed him to control her. The Kiya did not.

 Tristan, I need you! 

He immediately felt a calm breeze pushing through the maelstrom of his mind as Tristan turned his attention back to Abby. His thoughts and controls melded so well with Abby's that he wondered if they had become so much alike, he and he elf --

 I would have thrown away the Kiya. 

The thought, so clearly Tristan's, made him laugh -- but the walls around them distorted the sound and made it something alien and dark. No laughter here -- not allowed.

Or perhaps that half-hysterical sound had really come from him.

Tristan had moved almost everyone out of the way, and Gix was free of encumbrances. He surged to his feet, swiping at Damien, claws catching his shoulder as he stumbled back. Abby moved toward the demon, the staff raised and ready. Feast, Kiya. The demon soul for you to take. 

Power. Oh yes, she wanted that power, and she surged forward, eager, longing, hunger all rolled into one overpowering emotion. Nothing could stop her. She would feast --

Gix spun and caught hold of the Kiya with one hand, holding her back -- and promising her a different soul. He would give her Abby, and many of the others as well.

He felt Gix in that touch, and how easily he tamed the Kiya, who was of his domain. She wanted to go to Gix because she knew she could trust him -- had just enough reasoning left to know Abby would never let her free again.

"Abby!" Tristan yelled and tried to leap forward, oblivious of the demon who tried to impale him with the other hand, knowing that if he killed Tristan, it would weaken Abby.

Etric and Silver grabbed Tristan, and pulled him away.

They obviously understood what Abby knew right then: he had lost. Even with both hands on the Kiya Chanda Andee, he could barely hold her back. She had gone insane with hunger, but she still held enough intelligence to know she wanted to go to Gix because she would be safe in the demon's hands. They would rule -- and all she need do was take the godling to give her strength.

He had thought the demon would protest, but Gix nodded, calculation in his eyes.

"Take him, my sweet," he said, his words a purr of sound. "Take him and let us be done with his meddling at last. I would like a Godling to serve me... but even I can curb my wants for the chance to win. And besides, there are others still to serve."

The Kiya smiled, and began to twist in his hold, while Abby fought to get her under control. He wasn't going to win. The demon had added his own wish, and a little of his power, to help her --

"Aubreyan!" Tristan cried out, caught in the war, sending all he could to help Abby keep his hold on her. But he knew Abby didn't dare let go now, and he knew that they were about to fall.

"Not Tristan," he said aloud. "Keep him back! If she takes me -- not him as well. No."

Tearing one hand free of the Kiya, his fingers wrapped around the crown.

"Abby no!"

The elf sent such agony, fear and loss that the emotions nearly overcame him. His hand faltered. And the Kiya came for him, the power reaching up through the staff and into his soul and --

 Not Tristan! 

He tore the crown off and tossed it aside. Gix laughed and swept magic out and threw the crown into a maelstrom of power sweeping it out into chaos -- gone forever beyond his reach.

 Alone.

And the Kiya sang in his hand -- a dark song, so unlike the Janin. Now you are mine, little Godling. Mine at last! 

"You lose, Aubreyan Altazar." Gix smiled, a horrible visage of teeth and gleaming red eyes that would forever be his companion now. "You lose, because you were never strong enough to stand alone. Let me have you, Kiya. There will be plenty for you to feed upon now."

Abby tried to hold on -- but he felt his fingers let go of the Kiya. A moment of freedom, though he knew he would never reach the Janin in time and he had nothing else to use in this battle. He had not even saved Tristan, except for a few moments longer. At best, he had only saved himself the agony of feeling the elf destroyed with him -- and was that better, to go alone?

He had lost. They all knew it.

 Despair.  The feeling swept through the room with an ache that stabbed at his heart. Abby heard the others give cries of dismay while gargoyles -- the few still alive -- screamed in triumph. Gix turned, the Kiya in hand, victory in his eyes as he reached out and put his claws over Abby's heart. The brand pulsed, a deeper pain, but one that still could not hold him, even when he knew he had lost. He thought he might even have shocked Gix in that moment -- a little win, when everything else fell to anguish and hopelessness --

A whisper of music rose over the sounds of loss -- a soft tune, echoing beauty in a place where there had never been any, promising just the whisper of peace and a future...

Gix's fire-red eyes blinked, a moment's disorientation as he tilted his head -- a heartbeat when he lost himself in the music --

"Take him now!" Tabor shouted and leapt at the back of the demon, driving him to his knees by sheer force. He heard the demon grunt in surprise --

Abby leapt forward and jerked the Kiya free of the demon's hands as Gix went down, already pulling himself out of the trance of the music. The staff felt like fire in Abby's hands, her anger and hunger so intense she had lost all control. She would fill the void with anything, even the one who held her --

Abby slammed the base of the staff down on Gix's forehead while Tabor scrambled aside, barely in time not to be caught with his father --

And Gix knew he had lost, his terror almost corporeal as the souls of the damned reached up through the depths of his eyes, all the evils trying to claw their way out past the Kiya as she sucked the life from him, dragging everything up into her.

The evils that had lived in Gix, things that were very nearly beings in their own right, tried to escape into Abby. He did not allow them -- they were things so alien to his being he could not imagine holding the cruelties, tortures and hatreds. They fled back into the Kiya instead, as the embers in Gix's eyes died, and the body fell forward, empty.

Abby pulled the staff back --

And realized he had another problem.

Oh, and she was pleased now. She had taken a demon's soul with all the twisted murderous cravings that were so akin to her own. It had been a good feeding.

But she wasn't done.

Music played, but the lovely tune held no power over her. Abby felt awareness spread through the Kiya like a dark sun dawning over a cursed day. She had never been this powerful before, but the feast of a demon's soul had given her new strength, and new powers.

He tried to throw her aside, but already his hand betrayed him, the fingers tightening around the warm wood, drawing her back toward him. He managed one last frantic look at the others. Tabor -- Tabor must have understood. Tabor rose from his knees, glanced at the Kiya, and moved slowly back out of her reach. He grabbed Tristan and Etric back, and looked at Abby with distrust replacing the joy of a moment before.

 And now you are mine, Godling. You are too tired to battle me again, Altazar's bastard. You fought the wrong enemy. I would have been weaker in Gix's hands than with the demon's soul now part of me. Oh yes, we are powerful now. 

 Tristan! 

 You cast Tristan aside, and now there is only the two of us. You made me stronger with Gix's soul, and yourself weaker without Tristan. And now you can't fight me. 

"No," he said aloud, but he could no longer will his arm to move. He watched his friends standing uneasily near by.

"You threw her away once, Abby," Tabor said softly, and even dared to move a step closer. "Remember that time. You can be rid of her again."

He called back that time in the tower of Mindeneh, when he had been so naive. It had been a time before he had Tristan's help. He hadn't been strong then. He could --

"Throw her away, Abby," Tabor said, his voice more assured this time.

"Silence!" The Kiya ordered and swung at Tabor, and he could barely pull her back. The edge of the staff hit the demonling across the shoulder and sent him flying, but Lehan rushed to him, and he saw Tabor sit up -- injured, but not dead. If she had hit him in the head, he wouldn't have survived.

"It is time to be done with these creatures," she said, laughing. "Done with their interference and all the trouble they have caused me. Oh I remember you -- each of you. And now you shall be mine."

She moved toward Carrick, taking Abby three steps before he stopped with a force of will that felt like a war tearing him apart. Abby held her back again, but he knew he couldn't do it for much longer. He trembled, and she would have her hold on him in a moment more --

"Go," he said, forcing the words past the control the Kiya tried to maintain. "Go! Can't hold her! She wants --"

"I will have them!" The Kiya laughed this time, a sound that brought back the wind, as though the demon still lived. Had he taken hold of her? Abby couldn't tell, except that she had gained more power over him. "They are too weak to run, little Aubreyan. Too weak for their puny magics -- and too loyal to leave their injured friends behind. And they are far too devoted to abandon you."

Truth, all of it, and the realization brought new despair to Abby. He wanted to die and knew none of the others could do it now, even to save themselves -- even if they turned some weapon or magic against him. She would ward against such dangers.

He could see the future more clearly now than he ever had before. His companions would die, each to feed her, and she would hold him, forever. Darkness would spread out from this tower, overwhelming worlds in the gloomy cloud of her power. He and the Kiya would rule in Gix's place, she forever linked to the power of a godling, pushing the balance of good and evil in a direction a godling never should have had part in.

The winds moaned and the tower shook, and it felt no different than when Gix ruled here. Abby looked at the fallen body and tried to decide what he could have done differently.

"Fight her, Aubreyan Altazar," Tabor said. He stood again, though with Brendan at his side now, and magic playing between them with bright, surging colors. He stepped forward toward them, the Kiya seeing enemies she wanted gone.

"Kill me," Abby said, forcing the words out against her protest. He hadn't much control left. "I cannot let her go --"

The others looked at him, shocked by the words. He wanted to give them comfort. He wanted to give them hope --

And for a moment he almost grasped that hope and made it real. For a moment something he wanted seemed just within reach, if only he could touch it --

She snarled words he didn't quite understand, but the power of them pulled him forward toward the others. His arm moved and she reached for Dacey, but Silver and Petra pulled him away.

The Kiya Chanda Andee laughed as she played the games with them, darting here and there among the group. Just playing and wearing them down. Abby had become her puppet and she proved it to them. He closed his eyes, unwilling to see where she directed him, and what she would do, though he knew he would feel it. She would take their souls, because he had been stupid.

"Call the Gods, at least call the Gods," he said, the words coming with a strangled breath.

"Abby."

He felt her going for the kill this time. She wanted this one dead --

"Abby!"

He forced his eyes open, aware that she didn't want him to see -- Tristan, standing before all the others, protecting them.

She would kill Tristan first.

 And he would not allow anyone to hurt Tristan. He would not be the instrument of it.

With a shout of rage, Abby jerked the Kiya back. She still caught Tristan at the left shoulder, and though the blow had been slight, it still sent him sprawling into the others with a cry of pain.

She laughed, joy at the sight of Tristan hurt -- and Abby could not bear to be part of something so alien to his own feelings. In the next moment he threw her aside.

The Kiya screamed in dismay as she spun through the air, a dark arc tumbling over and over -- all eyes following her in that moment --

The Janin sang a bright fierce song, and golden light reached up into the air, grabbing the Kiya and pulling her down. The Janin wrapped around her in a snake-like embrace. Abby had never seen the Janin change shape before, and he held his breath --

The Kiya screamed and darkness pulsed, but the Janin's song, so bright and powerful, always beat back the darkness. Abby wanted her to win -- and for all he knew, his wants and wishes helped this time. He saw her grow brighter --

A moment of eternity while a battle that had waited eons was finally waged in a little corner of hell -- and neither men, demons nor gods had a hand in the last moments. The Kiya wailed and the Janin sang, the dark and the light merging growing -- becoming one --

And everything changed....

For a heartbeat -- or longer -- everything had disappeared; the room, the tower, the world, the universe. Abby knew it had gone. Had he lost after all? Was this better than allowing the choice between good and evil?

Balance? Nothing.

This was not what he had fought for. He wanted life back.

And reality blinked back into focus. He gasped, stunned by the feel of the world around him, the knowledge of how close they had come to losing everything. Had his wish brought it back?

He looked at the corner where the battle had taken place. Both the Janin and the Kiya had disappeared, though for a brief moment he still heard the whisper of the Janin's song.

"Balance," Tristan whispered, the first words in the utter silence around them. He heard others take shaky breaths now, and some of them move, if only to sit down. "Balance between good and evil is nothing. They're both destroyed, and they nearly took us with them -- but the balance came back to us, I think, because we had already destroyed the demon. We won, Abby."

Abby looked back at Tristan, startled by the words, and uncertain what they might have meant. He looked at Tabor, who limped to him and put a hand on Abby's shoulder. He couldn't quite focus on his companion -- on any of them. He could still feel the lure of that emptiness, and the peace that he could have found there... but no. It was not what he wanted. He had friends here. He had his place. And if they had defeated the enemy --

"Won?" Abby repeated, testing the word. He wrapped an arm around his side where blood had spread across the shirt. He looked at Tristan again, wishing for the link he'd never have again. "We won."

"Demon and staff are both gone," Tabor said softly, drawing his attention back.

"The others --" he started to look around.

"We never all expected to walk away from this one, Abby," Etric said softly.

Some of his friends had died. He had known it even before he looked. He felt the loss far more strongly than he did the win as the looked from one body to another --Tathis, Zoe, Sharton, Brother, Crystal -- and brave Tamaris.

He went to his knees.

"Tristan," he whispered, calling to someone who was no longer in his thoughts, no longer a part of him -- no longer able to help him understand things when he felt so lost. Won? How could they have won when he lost so much?

Anger followed -- unreasoning anger at the dead. He had not wanted them to come here. He had done his best to keep them away, and yet they came and died --

Not their fault. He tried to tame the anger again, even without Tristan's help, and to look at Tabor, wondering what they would do now. He seemed to understand, but he gave no answers.

He wanted peace and acceptance, but those things had never been for him. He had never been meant to survive. Balance. If this had been the battle that the gods and demons had chosen -- he and Tabor would have been destroyed just the way the Kiya and the Janin had been.

But he wanted... wanted not to regret the end of the battle. Not to regret having won.

The sound of gold and lace, the scent of spring...

A chill went up his spine as he stood, turning toward the sound. She stepped out of somewhere else and into this room, and brought with her light and hope -- but not for him. She swept the last of the demon darkness from this place, and the others looked to her -- but he saw only acceptance in their bowed heads, and not the hope of anything else.

She held out the crown. His soul ached to take it and to be whole again. He reached out -- and then stopped, knowing he didn't dare touch it and take such a gift from her. He didn't know what she would ask of him and his friends this time. He could not drag them back into this chaos again, and lose more of them.

Frustration, fear, and even anger froze him in that moment.

"Peace, my child," she said softly and still held the crown out. The gold caught the light she had brought with her. "Be at peace and take this pretty trinket. It is yours, isn't it?"

"Yes." He still held back as he looked into her face, wondering what game she played this time. "I can't. I can't take a gift from you again. My friends will suffer --"

She shook her head and he fell silent at her look. "How can I give you this as a gift if it is something that already belongs to you? Take what is yours. "

His hand brushed against the crown, and for a moment they both touched, and shared that link --

"Ah," Rqua whispered. Kamil echoed the sound. Abby only heard it through a whisper of songs and music, life and light -- a touch upon his heart, an awakening of something that had always been there, quietly slumbering through most of his life, and which made him akin to his mother.

 Take what is yours. 

Her fingers slowly withdrew, leaving the crown in his hands -- his, again, and the relief of knowing he would be himself once more made him smile. He thought he had never smiled in her presence before. For a moment, as they shared a touch of the crown, he had felt the depth of their kinship, but he knew he was still something unique. He recognized the gifts of the blood that had always been his, and he had, sometimes reached for and used, even without knowing he had them. But he was not just her son.

He could feel Tristan -- the other half of his soul, the other part of his mind -- still lingering there in the crown. He hadn't thought he would ever have that touch again, and he would forever be only half of what he had been. It made his heart sing in other ways, and he hardly paused as he swept the crown up and over his head, letting the stone rest again on his forehead.

He winced at the sudden pain.

"Sorry," Tristan said. His fingers probed at little at the place where the Kiya had hit him. Not too serious -- but Abby still let a little of his own power drift though the crown to ease the pain. And he felt Tristan's surprise. It had seemed so natural that Abby only now realized he had never done anything like that before.

Changed. Better.

But the moment of joy disappeared when he turned and saw Crystal, unmoving beside a dead gargoyle. Zoe had fallen not far away, and he thought she must have been coming to help the captain --

Tristan closed his eyes. For a moment the elf's willing blindness even overcame him. Neither of them wanted to see. This was not a win. This was not the end that he wanted --

Abby spun back to the Goddess.

"I want them back. I want them all back. Ask whatever gift of me you want, but return them and let them go."

The others began to protest, and fell silent instead when he shook his head, the despair too plain in his face.

"Bring them back," Tabor said softly. "And ask the price of all of us. We came together. We stand together, still. Abby and Tristan will not pay for this alone."

Abby wanted to protest, but he knew they had the right to this. Whatever the price, it would include them -- they all knew it, and they all would give whatever gift she asked. Starwind looked stunned, but she shook her head and lifted her hand for silence before Abby's sudden anger boiled out in words.

"Aubreyan, your friends have not gone far. This was Gix's domain and even the Gods, though close, had no way to claim the souls as long as they lingered here, close to you. Time is short though -- and now with Gix and the Kiya destroyed, the souls will be drifting away."

"What can I give you --" he began, panicked again.

 " You have finally accepted that you are my son. You are god enough for your own miracles. Take what is yours." 

Her son -- his powers . For that moment he dared to hope for something in himself in a way he had never done in all his life. He had no time to think about it and to bring his own doubts back to mind. Instead, he turned from Starwind and crossed the bloody floor to kneel beside Zoe. Tristan followed him, but even he hardly dared a thought just then. The others had fallen silent.

He didn't know what to do. But then he thought it might not matter what actions he took, as long as he had the power to reach in places where the others lingered. Tristan's hands traced the wounds and healed them, strengthening the body -- but she was not here. Abby laid his hand over her heart and looked down.

"Zoe?" he said softly. Even just the call of her name seemed to bring a little whisper of her closer to him. "Zoe, come back now."

The world moved -- or maybe only he did. He already felt the first tremulous beat of Zoe's heart. He felt her first breath and he heard -- and felt -- hope rush through the room, cleansing away the last of the shadows Gix and the Kiya had left behind.

Tabor carefully took hold of Abby's arm and helped him up while Etric knelt by Zoe, shock and joy in his face -- and for a moment, the sort of adoration Abby had never seen turned on him before. He wasn't certain he liked it, but Etric turned back to Zoe before he could say anything. By then the others had begun to fall in around him, and Abby felt their presence and trust like warmth, like belief in him -- and they gave him power, with that belief. It helped as he moved to Sharton. The other mages came as well, and helped with the wounds, making Sharton's transition back easier.

"Thank you," Kadrien whispered. He clearly must have felt the loss from this battle worse than the others, seeing both Sharton and Tam fall.

"I'll do what I can," Abby whispered in reply. He thought his voice sounded odd, and he had begun to feel a little lightheaded.

"Thank you for what you have done," Kadrien said, a hand on Sharton's shoulder, who looked up and realized something odd had happened.

"I... I remember dying," Sharton said, a whisper of fear in his voice. "I remember --"

Abby reached out and laid a hand on Sharton's forehead. "Remember only that which you want to, remember only what is good, Sharton. Let go of the rest."

Sharton gasped, blinked... and he changed. The weight of things he had suffered lifted from his face, his eyes cleared -- and joy rose up to fill all those dark places where memories of his life at court had lurked, tearing at him every day.

Kadrien saw the change. He looked, if anything, more shocked by those changes than by his friend's return to life.

When he knelt by Tathis, he found Kamil close by, looking at Abby with a mixture of hope and worry that he could well understand. Rqua had come as well, and knelt on the other side of Tathis. Crew: that link meant something special to these two.

Tathis could not hear him call, even in that place where sound really meant nothing at all. He almost panicked in that moment, but oddly, it was Kamil who put a hand on his arm, soothing him with a whisper of the touch that was so much like Tristan's.

He could not make Tathis hear him, but he could show Tathis the way -- a startled Tathis, still bright with silent laughter, even after what he'd suffered. And even more odd -- Tathis didn't seem at all surprised to find him here, and to find that Abby could bring him back.

Belief. It came as a feeling -- not a hope, but something far more tangible. Tathis had always believed that if Abby survived, then even he would be saved, and death did not have a hold on him.

He came back easily.

It shocked Abby, but pleased both Tristan and Rqua. In that moment, he understood more about the Gods, about belief and power and how it was as much what the others gave him as what he held within himself.

He went to Brother next, though he felt an odd trepidation after Tathis. It was one thing to accept such powers as being part of him, but quite another to see it reflected in those he had known for so long.

Tristan helped that time: a timid Tristan, as though he didn't know quite how to deal with Abby, as though he feared --

 I do not fear you, Abby. I fear making a mistake while you do this work. You are bringing them back. I want them back! 

Tristan could not lie, of course. And having his friend there again, the gentle touch that helped guide him when he most needed it, kept him sane right now -- because he knew what he did was not something a sane human would have done.

 Human? Tristan asked.

 It is what I was raised to be. It is what I believed. Even now; yes, human. I don't want to go with my mother, after all. I want to be with my friends. I'm not entirely certain that's sane, given what we've done in the past. 

Tristan laughed aloud. The sound echoed and sang, and even Dove seemed to catch a little of it. Abby looked over at Brendan, who had obviously taken quite a few wounds, but Shafara was working on him. Abby thought that good. It seemed as though the despair and darkness of the place retreated with each note of music and each breath the bard took. They would have lost without him. Abby knew it.

He brought Brother back, a little slower this time, but he had the pleasure of seeing Brother open his eyes, startled and pleased. The feeling, with Abby's hands still over his chest, rose up through him like another balm for all the evils he'd suffered. And it tied him even more strongly to these people -- human and otherwise -- because he felt such acceptance now that he couldn't deny it.

Banning sat by Crystal, and she still looked lost and terrified when he knelt beside her. He suspected that she didn't even realize what he had done for the others. She would not let go of Crystal, the loss so strong that he felt it like a knife to his heart. He could not truly believe he could call Crystal back with that pain of loss already settling in. He looked around, frantic for help. Kamil knelt down and gently took her hands away from Crystal so Abby could try to reach his friend.

"I'll do my best, Banning," Abby said, softly. But he didn't think she even understood those words. He hadn't expected to see her break down, and he feared what would happen if he failed this time.

 You will not fail. 

He tried to believe Tristan, and the more distant reassurance of Rqua, even when Crystal proved harder to draw back. Crystal had already lost the connection between real and unreal before they even came to battle, and now his thoughts and essence drifted in dangerous directions -- hard to catch, difficult to draw into a coherent whole. He didn't think Crystal even realized he had died. Or perhaps, having already lost hold of reality, he didn't care. Abby carefully, carefully drew him back and when Crystal opened his eyes, Banning caught hold of his hand and wept. It did not help his confusion, but Abby knew he could leave the Captain in her hands.

He stood again. Weaker now -- he could feel it, and Tristan did his best to help steady him and give him strength. He didn't want to appear weak now because so many of the others looked at him, not daring to say what they clearly hoped for in their eyes.

They wanted one last miracle -- because Tam was the last, and they all knew -- he could see it in their faces -- that this one would not be easy. Abby stumbled back across the room, with only a glance at the dark shell that had been the demon, and knelt by Prince Tamaris. He carefully placed his hands on his friend's chest. He felt out the link between soul and body, but Tam had already gone far into the swirl of chaos, the place where what had been and what would be were not quite different. Abby became more aware of the place this time, having to fight to keep from being pulled into the emptiness himself. He found Tam easily enough, but the prince shied from the touch when Abby tried to reach to him and ease him back.

Tam didn't want to come back. His thoughts seemed clearer than any of the others. He had come to this battle not fearing death -- and maybe welcoming it a little too easily. He had lived a long time fearing the censure of the others, who knew too well what he had done, and how close he had been to a follower of Gix rather than someone who should have stood by Abby. He didn't want to live in a world of lies again, though he didn't regret having rid the empire of the evil he had rooted out. But he didn't want to come back. He didn't want to fear every face --

"Please Tam," Abby whispered aloud, and hoped, somehow, he could hear. "Please. You have to trust us. We're your friends."

And Tam took a breath. It was not intentional, Abby thought, but it caught him there in that moment. His eyes fluttered open and focused on Abby, a little confused still. He felt Tam's thoughts scatter still, less coherent than the others he'd brought back, but he had faith his friend would recover.

He had faith in a number of things he never would have before today.

"Friends?" he whispered, as though he didn't understand the word.

"Who else would have willingly come here together and stood against this evil? Welcome back. With your return, we have truly won," Abby said.

Suddenly understanding the words he had said, Abby abruptly sat down. The world swirled around him, as though he had, for a moment, not been fully here as well. But he returned and felt more alive just then than he thought he had in all his life. He accepted everything, including the ache in his side and Tristan's gentle presence, urging him to rest.

But something odd still pulled at him. When he looked around, he found Starwind standing by the far wall, though what he saw behind her was not truly in this place. He saw a world of beauty and light, everything the opposite of what this dark world had been. He had seen lovely worlds before, but nothing that could compare to the place where his mother would now go... and where he could have gone with her. She would have welcomed him, and Abby could see the hope that he might go with her.

He was her son, and the realm of the gods called to his blood and offered all the things that had been denied to him in life. Power, peace, acceptance -- the things others might have longed for, and he wondered if maybe he shouldn't want the same.

"Abby," Tristan said softly, but there was no answer in that word or even in Tristan's thoughts. He didn't know what Abby should do now. He didn't know what would happen to any of them.

"I've changed," Abby said softly. The others heard him, turned to listen -- their own whispered words fell silent and he felt a moment of anticipation. They worried about him, and feared for him, and wanted him safe. Abby could feel it all now, rather than just seeing the looks in their faces. And oddly, he thought that even though they knew he had changed, their feelings towards him had not. They had always wanted those same things for him.

If he had accepted the link his mother had offered, so long ago on that dark night when he had barely survived a near sacrifice to Gix, what would have changed? Would it have been easier to collect the Kiya? Would his friends have been in less danger?

"Nothing would have changed, Abby," Tristan said aloud. He had healed Tam and stood again, weaker in power but strong in his convictions. "It would still have been the same battle, the same war, and the same ending."

"Oh, maybe a little different," Abby answered, and let Tristan help him up. He could see, in that moment, the choices he had made, and what he had done well, without even knowing it. "If I had accepted being the son of a goddess, I wouldn't have felt as close to the humans as I did, and I might not have cherished them as well. It would not have been better, if I stood here and looked at the loss of the others as only part of the inevitable in war. And I likely wouldn't have linked with you, either, Tristan."

"Ah, well, that would have been disaster. Godling or not, you never would have survived without me."

While some of the others laughed, Abby acknowledged the truth with a bow of his head and silent thanks that went beyond words. Tristan may have made it a joke, but Abby knew he was right. He looked down at Tam and smiled, as he helped Tam sit up. He still looked confused.

"We won, Tam," Abby said and let that feeling sweep through him finally -- the enormity of their win, against more than just the demon. There had been balances at stake he never understood, until they stood on the abyss and looking into the nothing that waited. They had even crossed over, for one terrifying moment of eternity. "Now that you are back, we have truly won."

Tam looked anxiously around the room, as though he didn't think the battle could not truly be done, and Abby tried to quell the same feeling. He'd fought this war for so long, and gone so far -- he could not, in such a short time, believe he had finished his task.

Abby glanced at Petra and Carrick, remembering how this had all begun -- and he regretted nothing in that moment, not even that he might have called Petra back of his own power, so long ago. If he had done so, he would not have been given the chance to know the others. He had hated to bring them to hell with him. He had hated to see them suffer. But they had rewards, too, just like him. They wouldn't have known each other, if he had not come their way. They would not have had the chance to help everyone. 

He looked back at Starwind, aware that she still stood in the opening to the place of the Gods. She knew he wouldn't go back with her. He hadn't expected to see such an odd look in her face, though -- as though she didn't want to go either.

He started to step toward her -- and stopped when Tamaris reached up a hand for help to stand. He thought Tam had probably never reached for anyone before. It marked a change, and he helped his friend stand, though he thought Tam maybe should have rested a little longer.

"And now what these we do, Lady of the Stars?" Abby asked, looking at her again. "Have we completed our geas?"

"You have fulfilled your pledge -- that pledge and far more than we could have asked of you. The Kiya is destroyed and even a demon slain. You are free of our hold, Aubreyan Altazar -- you and your companions."

"Praise the Gods -- so to speak," Kadrien said. He had an arm around Sharton's waist and they had both moved to Tam.

Kadrien's words drew a sprinkle of nervous laughter from the others and even a little smile from the Goddess.

"Done that easily?" Tristan asked, disbelief in the sound of his voice and strong in Abby's mind.

"Easily?" Starwind said giving him a look of shock before she laughed -- a glorious sound that filled the room with light and dispelled worry and eased pains. "Oh, fine little elf, you are indeed a wonder. You and your companions have done the impossible, you know. You have felled a demon in his own lair, and never once called upon the gods to aide you. And you call that easy?"

"Please, Tristan," Etric said, dropping a hand on the elf's shoulder. "Choose your words more carefully. Some of us are weary."

They laughed again. The world had changed and the sound felt right and welcome here. This was no longer hell.

Won, Abby told himself again -- because the belief didn't want to remain with him. He glanced at the body of Gix. Just an empty shell now, and they would be rid of it soon enough. He saw Tabor staring at it as well, and he wondered what his friend thought now that he was truly free of his father's hold. Ah, and Braith's as well -- he had not come back to life, despite the worries during the battle.

They would not have won this war without Tabor's help, and now it seemed the demonling had no better idea of his future than Abby did. He looked to Abby in that moment, as though he expected some answer, though he must know that Abby had none.

Abby surrendered Tamaris into Kadrien and Sharton's care, and Tam, still looking confused, went willingly to them. Abby took a limping step toward Tristan and found he missed the staff he had held for so long. He even missed the Janin's incessant song, a whisper of music that had followed him through so many places. The Janin had served him well through all those journeys, and he would have felt worse about her destruction if he hadn't known that she had reached the goal for which she had existed for eons.

The others had spread out around the room, some still tending the wounded, others resting with their friends. Etric, Petra and Kamil had begun dragging the bodies of dead creatures to the window and tossing them out. Others joined in. Any of the enemy that lived through the battle had fled, and Abby didn't think they'd be back. Abby saw his friends give occasional glances toward the Goddess, but for some reason they were not as awed as they once would have been.

 They've been with you too long, Tristan silently offered.

Oh, so true. He suspected, having gone through all they had, that his friends would be very hard to awe in the future. And what about that future? They had survived. He didn't know what survival meant, and looking around, he could see the same lost look in all his friends.

"What is to happen to us now, Goddess?" he finally dared ask -- the one question he dreaded.

She turned to him, and smiled still, and for the briefest moment he feared they couldn't trust her -- but no, they had both gone past that old battle, and she bowed her head a little to him, as though accepting the truce.

"Choices, Abby," she said at last. "There will be choices -- but not yet. First you must recover. Rest. You are always hurried, my son. Even the mortals do not rush so. Rest a while, and then I shall return."

She stepped back again, a faint whisper of gold and lace -- and went back to that other place of light and beauty. He almost took a step that way as well -- but really, what did that place have to offer that would be better than resting here with his friends?

Abby sat back down on the stairs by the throne, Tristan mimicking his move with the old perfect unison that still brought looks of surprise, even from this group.

"Lean against me, Abby," Tristan said. "Rest for a while. You don't realize how weary you are."

"Choices," Abby whispered, worried. He mistrusted that word coming from her.

"Later," Tristan said. "Rest!"

He nodded, knowing the battle was finally done. They all had a while to rest, no matter what came next.

Part Four: Balance

Chapter One

Tabor hadn't noticed when Abby left the room. Many of them had been in and out a few times aleady, checking out the rest of the tower and killing what needed to be destroyed -- and releasing some of the rest and hoping for the best. Brendan sat at the window and played music for them. It soothed the world at this time of transition.

Tabor and the mages had destroyed the bodies of the demon and Braith. They'd used magic that obliterated any trace of the two, but Tabor still had fears of them coming back. He suspected those fears were unfounded. The goddess herself had said they won. Should he doubt her?

They used more pedestrian methods to clear out the rest of the bodies rather than waste the powers they might still need -- having no idea what their immediate future might bring. He worked with Tristan to carry the last of the creatures to a window and throwing them out onto the pile of bones that already littered the hillside below. He would clear it all away when he had the time.

It was good work to get done, getting the last signs of the battle out of the room. He wasn't certain how long they would be here, though he had heard the mages talking about tracking the ship and finding a way back to it. He would open a portal for them if he could. He wasn't certain of his power here any longer. It was no longer his father's realm, and he no longer had those blood ties to it.

It was a better world for it.

He wondered what the Gods planned for them next, though. He saw the same question in the eyes of others, but they spoke of things like bringing the ship down, finding food for dinner -- small things, really.

He and Tristan tossed the last of the creatures out the window. The elf looked relieved to have it done.

"That's the last of it --" Tabor said, wiping his hands on his pants. "What do you think --"

He heard heavy footsteps on the stairs outside the room and spun, afraid for what danger had found them. The others were preparing as well -- but Tristan caught his arm when he started to pull up magic.

Abby stepped into the room.

Renege followed him inside, bowing his large head as he stepped inside, looking around with a worried glance at all the people. He finally found Tabor and looked relieved, bowing his head in greeting.

"Your friend brought me back," he said, his voice remarkably soft. "He said that he and his friends needed someone to open that big damned heavy door."

Abby had brought him back -- had brought back the only friend he'd had on this miserable world -- someone who had willingly died and allowed them entry to the tower without the battle Braith and his father had wanted.

Tabor took an uncertain step forward now that Tristan let go of his arm. He looked at Abby, and nodded thanks he could not really bring into words. Then he turned and smiled at Renege who looked worried still.

"The world is going to be different, you know."

"I know," Renege said. He shifted his shoulders and looked uncomfortable. "It is already changed. I think I would like to see the changes in the world -- to go now, away from that door that I have guarded for far too long. I think, perhaps, a group like this can manage the door without me, after all."

Tabor laughed agreement and glanced toward the window where Brendan sat, the harp in hand. He could see blue skies beyond the tower. He thought it might be an interesting world to explore.

"Enjoy your freedom, Renege," Tabor said.

"Or you can stay with us," Abby offered, startling Renege with the words.

"I was the door guardian for a demon," Renege said, his head bowing again.

"That's all right. One of my best friends is the son of a demon."

Renege lifted his head in surprise, and it thumped against the door frame. The wall shook a little, but he hardly seemed to notice as he looked at Abby and then Tabor, and then back again.

"Human places are too small for me," he said, his voice gaining a little strength and conviction. He looked toward the window, dark eyes staring out at the sky. "I have been confined in them too long. I want to go, sir. I want to walk away and live in the sunlight that you have brought and help where I may on this world."

"It is a good choice," Abby said. "This world will be better for it. This place needs a name, I think. We'll call it Renege's World."

"My world," he said, and tilted his head in a show of wonder that made him seem far different than the door guardian Tabor had known. "My world to help."

Abby nodded.

Renege turned back to Tabor and bowed his head again. "You chose wisely and well -- and now we both have our freedom."

Tabor nodded and grinned as he watched Renege turn and hurry away, down the steps again.

"Thank you," he said to Abby.

"He fought in the war," Abby said. They could hear the door open -- and then a rather loud crash. Abby stepped through the doorway and looked down the stairs, and then back at Tabor. "That's one door we won't have to worry about. He tore it off. I think maybe he worried we couldn't get it open after all."

Tabor laughed and then walked to the window that looked down on the courtyard. Renege was already mostly across it and going out through the gate -- he shoved that open and off those hinges as well.

"The world needs a keeper to help it recover from the darkness," Abby said beside him. "He understands. He'll be a good one to watch over it."

He couldn't see Renege now, but he heard something unexpected -- laughter. He heard acceptance in that sound. He heard the future.

It was time he believed as well. He looked around for what he could do, and then with a bright grin he walked to the throne his father had made from bones of things he had killed -- human and otherwise. With a hand on the armrest, he sent enough power through the throne that it turned to dust beneath his fingers.

"There," he said. "One more damned thing gone."

And even Abby laughed this time.

Chapter Two

The mages cleansed the castle of the last taint of the demon, and they could all feel the difference, hour by hour, as the darkness swept away from the building and spread out over the land. There had been a few things left behind after the destruction of the demon, but most of them fled and the few that attacked didn't last long.

Crystal had been bitten once, but only because he didn't think the creature had been real. He tried to hold on more closely to reality now. Just to be safe, he stayed by Brendan, who sat in an alcove by an open window and played such bright wondrous music that Crystal could have stayed in the comfortable chair by the window listened for days.

And for all he knew, that's exactly what he had done. He was only faintly aware of what the others did around him most of the time, but at least the music held him here.  It healed, and whispered of brightness and joy. Outside, a bird sang in answer -- a wondrous thing that brought a bright smile from Brendan as well.

"How are you doing?" Etric asked as he put a hand on Crystal's shoulder.

Crystal looked back and blinked. He still found it difficult to go from one focus to another, especially with Brendan playing so well. Nothing wanted to remain real and here, and he still couldn't be certain that he trusted any of it. It might all be a dream. The mages had done what they could to help him, but his mind still wandered --

"Crystal?"

"I'm better," he said, finally drawing all of his thoughts to one place. "Just a bit distant still. It will pass. You and the other mages have done wonders already. How are things going?"

"Nothing to worry about," Etric said. He smiled and looked around, shaking his head. "Hard to believe I can say such a thing and mean it. Dacey and Tristan have managed to find the link to the ship, too. Dacey's problem proved a gift for that -- he had no trouble at all locking onto that much metal just by feel. A couple of us will transport aboard and find a way to bring her down."

"That's a relief," Crystal said. He smiled as well and felt a welling of hope that life might get back to... well, something like normal, whatever that might have been in the past. He couldn't begin to guess what it would mean in the future. "Though this hasn't been such a bad place to be stranded, at least for a while. I want to go back to the place I understand, though. I think it will help."

"Yes, I agree," Etric said. He looked around as though he expected something to leap out and attack at any moment. It didn't help Crystal, who had such a thin hold on what might be real already. But then he looked back at Crystal and gave a little shrug. "Whatever evils Gix kept alive in this place mostly died with him, and the others didn't last much longer. And the Gods have claimed the souls that the demon lost when we destroyed him. This is just another world now, though one that will take some time to recover. Brendan says there is even new life springing out of the ground. But -- I don't want to stay and see it grow. I want to go back to the stars again, and the things that I understand."

"The others," Crystal began. He stopped. He knew he must have asked this question before, but he still had to know now. "The others are all right?"

"Tam is still not fully recovered," Etric said softly, and Crystal suspected he had not said that much before. "He's getting better, but Abby worries about him. I think, partly, it's because Abby has always worried about something in his life and he doesn't know how to stop. Tam is still having a little trouble recovering from his injuries, even with help. And I think he's really still shaken from having held the Kiya, whole."

Crystal looked at Etric, weighing those words, and started to shiver at the thought of that staff. Etric looked startled and sat down on the arm of the chair beside him, his hand clamped tighter on Crystal's shoulder, demanding his attention again. He came back willingly.

"She's gone, Crystal. So is the demon, and they aren't going to come back. The Kiya can't stand in your path anywhere, either in reality or in your dreams. She's never coming back."

"I don't want to dream anymore," Crystal said, his voice shaky. He shook his head and lifted his eyes until he looked at -- focused on -- Etric's worried face. "Don't worry so much, Etric. I am coming out of this hell. Abby and Tristan have already gotten me past the worst of it. I did realize something amusing while they worked with me, though. They haven't a much better hold on reality than I do. I think that comes from having jumped around from one reality to another for so long. I think even I have a better feel for what's real."

Etric looked startled, and then laughed agreement. Crystal felt better for it. He wanted to be Captain Crystal again. The battles were done, the insanity past. And there was satisfaction in their having won and survived, of course. There was reason to be proud of what they had done.

Crystal had been thinking about his own future, and now the thought of others facing this problem seemed even worse. He glanced toward the main area of the room where the group had begun to gather again for an evening meal. They'd found food supplies, which the mages carefully checked before they ate. Some of his friends had carted in a huge table and some chairs from elsewhere, and so far they had managed some pretty impressive meals over the last few days. Crystal even looked forward to them, though mostly to be with the others, all in one place. The rest of his companions tended to wander during most of the day, and Crystal lost track of them. He didn't dare wander around himself.

What would they do now? Glancing around at the others, Crystal suspected he wasn't the only one who had never looked beyond this battle to imagine life afterwards -- at least not for themselves.

Crystal couldn't hold on to here, let alone try to imagine a future for himself or the others. He reached out and let his hand brush hard against the wall as he stood, testing the reality of this place, feeling the brush of stone against his skin. Here: he had enough to worry about being here and now.

Etric started to speak, but then turned abruptly toward the corner of the room where the throne had stood before Tabor happily obliterated it. Something was changing again, a melting of the wall, a shift in colors. The room had fallen silent, others turning toward a light, the mages ready for trouble --

"Gods," Etric whispered, reaching out to steady Crystal who swayed on his feet, afraid for a moment that he was losing hold again.

Gods, indeed. Crystal could see very many of them, standing there in the corner -- though not entirely here in this place. He could not fully focus on them, nor really see the other place where they stood.

"I wish everyone would stop playing games with reality," Crystal said aloud with a sigh. "I have enough trouble with it."

Etric nodded agreement.

The rest of their companions had moved closer to the two captains, gathering around in a tight packed semi-circle. Tam leaned on Kadrien and Sharton stood close by. Sharton had changed -- and for the better. The haunted look had gone. Crystal wanted to look at others, but Abby had already stepped forward, Tristan with him, to greet their unusual visitors.

"On this moment our futures rest," Brendan said as he looked toward Crystal. He gave a little shrug, holding Dove close. She had gone silent. "Now we will learn our choices."

"Welcome, Starwind," Abby said, bowing his head to the Goddess who stepped forward from the miasmic mass of the others, and slipped more closely into this reality, where she became solid and real. She bowed her head to her son. Crystal had heard no mockery in his greeting, as there would have been at another time. Instead, he saw a change in Abby for the better as well. He saw acceptance in his friend, and a peace that came with knowing his place. Crystal was glad to see it.

Starwind stepped closer again, a wondrous being of brightness and beauty anyone might want to be near, though Crystal imagined a mere mortal man might weary of such perfection that he couldn't have in himself. Was that why man sometimes turned to the darker beings? Was it because they could never truly be like the gods themselves?

Still, when she smiled, the world brightened around her. He heard Dove play a lively tune, and heard something laugh outside, on the grounds. Some things that had once been damned now came out into the light of a new life and a new chance.

He and his friends had defeated the demon and started the world toward recovery, but she brought hope with her smile, and joy returned. He could stand to be here for a little while, and bask in the joy of having fought for the gods and won.

"Aubreyan, you have done well. You have done more than we could have wished." Her voice seemed more alive than Crystal remembered, and he wondered if she had, somehow, become more like them during the long war. "You and your companions, who have stood by you on this long, and dangerous path have done something extraordinary. We had not expected it, you know. We thought it would only be you against the enemy."

"Tell us what is to become of us now, Goddess," he said to her. Why didn't he call her mother? Because he had chosen, Crystal realized. He would not become more godlike and go with her. He had chosen to stand with the mortals.

"Your work is done. You have felled more than your share of evil -- far more than you ever bargained to do. And now the war is done, and I will offer you a choice. Listen, and each make his own choice."

Her bright green eyes swept over the crowd, lingering a moment on Tam, who lifted his head, surprised. Then she turned to Crystal. She smiled softly; and veils lifted from his mind. Crystal was here. The suddenness startled him, drawing a worried look from Etric -- but his longtime friend must have seen the change and when Etric turned back to Starwind, he was the one who bowed his thanks.

"Now that you are all fully capable of understanding what I am about to say, I shall tell you about your choices," she said and smiled again. "You each may return to your own worlds, your own realities, stripped of all memories of the Kiya, the demon and this war of evil that has touched and tainted your lives. You will be free of the pain even of parting. There will be changes in your worlds, especially in places like Dacey's home, where none of the good will be undone. Only you will not remember that you fought to help bring about those changes. You shall be free to live as you did, but in a better world than would have existed if you had not taken up the war."

People nodded, although Crystal could see the uncertainty in their looks. Crystal felt a draw to going back to life the way it had been before all this madness, and to never remember the touch of the Kiya on his soul.

But never remember having known Abby and Tristan? Never heard Brendan sing? That sent an ache through him so deep he feared no matter what this Goddess did to erase the memories, he would always know he had lost something precious.

He couldn't go back to what he had been. He couldn't willingly let go of something that had made a change for the better.

"And for those of us who choose not to go back and forget?" Tamaris asked softly.

She glanced around the room still smiling. Crystal thought the other Gods seemed surprised. Did they really understand so little about humans, or about this group that had stayed together to fight in hell, even though they had never really believed they could win?

"The second choice would be to stay together," Starwind answered. Crystal heard a hint of hope in those words -- an odd sound, he had not expected. What did they give the goddess, besides belief? Or did she just hope for a better future for her son? He thought she cared more for Abby than he'd realized until now. "You may stay together and remember that you fought for the Gods. But to remember there is a war between good and evil also means you can never turn your back on the battle, which is fought each day in different ways. You would fight it forever."

Crystal closed his eyes for a moment and gave a mental farewell to Delson, his family, and all he remembered of home. He wouldn't go back -- and he couldn't regret the decision. He'd left the world a long time ago, and even the good midori dreams had not made him want to return for more than just a passing visit. He could not have gone back to what he'd been then, or to being a smuggler, even in a good cause. He had changed.

He had fought on the side of the gods, and he couldn't willingly step away from it now.

When he looked around, he saw nods all around. It didn't surprise him.

"The choice I give you is the peace of the ignorant, or the war as the champions of the Gods. There are rewards in both, and also losses. You must consider both carefully, and each of you must choose what is in your soul. This is not a decision to make lightly."

She started to step back, but Abby cast one quick glance around at the group, grinned with rare delight, and then reached out and took hold of her arm, startling her.

"There is no reason to go. I know their decision already, Lady of the Stars. You've won your champions, fools that we all are. Where do we go now to fight this war?"

She stopped for a moment, her eyes, first on Abby, and then moving from face to face through the rest of them, weighing what she saw there. She could not have found any doubt in this group. The surprise and wonder that Crystal saw in her face was a joy to behold.

He felt changes in that moment, some far more profound than just the destruction of the demon in his own lair. They had made a choice that would affect all of them... and many others as well. He didn't doubt they would help in this war again, and that they had chosen a wonderful, dangerous, rewarding -- and likely frustrating -- future.

Much like his life had always been.

"Abby, I envy you," she said. "The gods are worshipped, but they are not loved. These people would not have followed me to hell and beyond. Stay together then, and take your ship. Fight evil wherever you find it, wherever you may go. The time may come when we need you for a greater battle once more, but the demons are quiet now. Later -- later we shall take up the great war again. Joy, children, blessed of the Gods. Go in peace today."

She stepped back and the Gods drifted away again toward that beautiful place somewhere else, though the wonder of their presence seemed to linger, unseen, though felt -- as though a miracle had occurred here.

Did they continue to feel this way because they had chosen to fight evil rather than forget? Perhaps they had made a strange choice, at least for people who had not gone through what they had, and fought together for so long. To forget there were demons and gods would only make everything they had done meaningless on a personal level. He didn't want to forget the larger war, and if that meant he would have to fight in it again, he would gladly do so, rather than risk reality (whatever that might be) falling to the demons.

"Well," Abby said in the silence. He turned around to look at the others. "I guess we're not done."

The words brought laughter all through the group, and no sound of regret from anyone.

Crystal went to the window and stared out at the strange world below them, seeing it clearly for the first time with the midori gone -- truly gone, completely, from his life. He would not dream again, and he bowed his head and gave special thanks to Starwind for severing that nightmare from his life.

The others went back about their business as though nothing much had changed. Crystal helped them gather food for another meal, and sat at the table with the rest of them, watching the startled looks that echoed his own feelings.

"What do we do now?" Crystal finally asked.

"We have the ship -- and I've no doubt we can get back to it. We'll do that after dinner. We have crew and we have paths that lead even to home," Etric said, startling them all, and then drawing smiles once more. "I think we've been given the best of all worlds."

"Fight evil where we find it," Kadrien said and nodded. "I think we have all seen evil enough in our own worlds. We've chosen a hard war."

"We chose that war long before even Abby and Tristan came alone," Tamaris reminded them all.

"She said to remember what it would mean to fight the war forever," Crystal said suddenly.

Startled stares, surprise, and then laughter all around the room.

"Time will tell," Abby said and grinned. "Only time."

Epilogue

Starwind watched, a careful eye on the ship, a whisper of her blessing wherever it went. She could feel the warmth of her champions, drifting to her, always there at the edge of her thoughts. Such odd beings, those people on the ship... some of whom should never have been fighting her battle. Tabor intrigued her and she worried over him, but only for a short while. He turned out to be far too much like her son. She could trust him, and trust the others, from Emperor to smuggler to assassin. They would fight the good war.

She led the Gods now, she who had such powerful champions following her and her son. Some disapproved of such physical ties to the humans, and some grew envious, but they would not turn away the help of those in that odd craft. Abby and his followers brought belief in the gods with them wherever they went, and the balance continued to turn, slowly but ever more powerfully, to the realm of the gods and away from the demons.

Ah, but the demons were not silent. They rose up out of their own chaos, seeking out weaknesses in the realms where they could touch, and finding always those few who were weak, hungry and envious.

And she knew they wanted her now, to bring her down and destroy that link she had forged back to the world of humans. The war would return -- but the crew of the Freedom and Fame knew it, and they did not shy away from that future.

They gave her a gift of power, even if they didn't realize it (though, having worked with the gods for so long, she suspected they did), and she gave them freedom, and even a little fame, that had never been accorded to others before.

So if a single ship traveled where it had no right to go, slipping from reality-to-reality -- even, sometimes to worlds the crew had left behind -- well, it was small payment for those who chose to fight against the darkness, in a war that never ends.

The End