Chapter 17: The Dark Side

"Walk over to that wall," Medea instructs, pointing toward the only one without shelves on it, while nudging me forward. "Don't say anything until I permit speaking. Now, push in the third brick from the left – the one around the height of your shoulders. Yes, that one! Go on – push it." I do as instructed, and the brick melts away into dust before my eyes, taking the rest of the wall with it. An illusion? No, that couldn't have been it. I'd be able to simple walk through that. "Through the tunnel, boy. Nice and slowly." There's an edgy tiredness to her voice, probably from being locked up for a month. If she's expecting pity, she's come to the wrong place. I walk through the tunnel, which seems to have no turns inside of it, and I eventually enter a lavish room with the banner of the healing symbol hanging above the bed. Seraphina's, I'm guessing. This must be how she moves to her lab on a daily basis. "I took your mother," Medea whispers into my ear, and I have to remind myself of the knife beneath my throat to stop myself from attacking her. "I heard you killed Ryan. I find that hard to swallow. A novice like you, besting the best? Ludicrous. How'd you do it, then? I know it wasn't in a fair duel. Answer me, boy!" She pushes the knife closer to my neck, and I reply honestly.

"I had help. We killed her as a team."

Medea doesn't chuckle the way Ryan would, being the calmer of the two. Instead, she simply keeps talking. "The diamond your mother hid from me – where is it? I know for a fact she had it."

"I don't know," I reply. "What is it, anyway?" That's one of the pieces of the whole mystery nobody seems to know anything about. It can't be just a lumina crystal. No one would go through so much trouble to obtain it, when there are many illegal ways of obtaining them. An Apostle would not have committed crimes out in the open without good reason, even if it is one of the bad ones. It simply wouldn't make sense.

"I warn you, boy; If you lie to me, I'll send you her head," Medea hisses, bringing her knife up to cut my cheek a bit. "But I believe you. You don't look bright enough to know where it is. In that case, it's time to help me escape."

Pulling the dagger away, she steps into my line of sight. "Not afraid I'll scream?"

She scoffs at me, then pulls out an empty vial. "Unless I get to your mother in time, the poison I slipped her will end her life." I clench my fists at that. This bitch needs to die. "Control yourself, or she dies. Disobey me, and she dies. Fail me, and, well, I won't be able to give her the antidote from a prison cell."

"Or the executioner's room," I remind her. That's the only place left for a criminal of her power. "If I help you escape, what's my guarantee you won't be telling people I did it? Even if I succeeded, and no one noticed us, you could just tell as many people as possible. I'm sure you've still got some loyal lackeys around here somewhere. I'll be arrested for it – possibly executed, and then helping you will have become a bad choice." I try to make my mana spike up a little to try and scare her with how much of it I have, but the talisman is making it impossible. Shit. I'll have to rely on my wits for this. "Seems like escaping and getting help would be my better option."

Medea doesn't grin at me. She simply raises her head high and narrows her predatory eyes at me. "You can't bluff your way out of this one, boy. I know you don't have it in you to leave your mother to die. It takes years to build up that sort of jaded indifference, and you've not been part of this lifestyle nearly long enough to achieve that." She then turns around and goes to the window, gesturing for me to follow. I try to stay as close to her as possible. Controlling my magic won't matter if I'm in the dream world. She'll be helpless there. A good defence would mean a lot, and she's proven to be quite poor at that. Getting her there will be difficult, though, since I can't control my mana at all. That damn talisman! It seemed like a good idea at the time.

"What is it?" I ask, and she points downward, toward the market full of flying carpets. "They're becoming quite trendy, it would seem." She's right; There are multiple people flying around the capital even now. "If I'm on one of those, I'll be able to escape from this place. That's the way we'll do this. You will go outside and purchase one, then fly it up to this window, where we'll switch places. Do that, and I'll help your mother."

"You can't expect me to be stupid enough to agree to that."

She looks from the market toward me, scowling. "What do you mean?"

"If you get out of the capital and I have no way of getting to you, how will I be able to force you to help my mother? You could just escape and never look back, leaving her to die." It's how I would play my cards. "You're certainly capable of it, being the monster that you are."

She doesn't like hearing that one bit, and summons up a massive amount of mana in an attempt to overwhelm me. Two weeks ago, I would've wet myself, but now I can bare it. She's powerful, and there's definitely some intent to kill mixed in there, but she's got nothing on the pure evil I felt around Risk. I doubt I'll ever be afraid of another living being for as long as I live. "A monster?" she whispers, then brings a hand to her stomach. "Is that how you view this situation, boy? You think things are black and white? So naïve. I would not be doing this unless I had a good reason to." I stare into her eyes some more, taking in the intensity burning inside them. Then I look at where her hand is, and allow a small gasp to escape. It can't be.

"You're pregnant," I guess, and her mana starts to die down, her mask crumbling away with it. "But how? Why? Why not tell someone?" If she needed the pendant for the baby, surely someone would have offered to help her. Hell, I would have done it, and I didn't even know her. "What will the pendant do, anyway?"

Medea forces herself to look away from me, and returns back to normal – or at least tries. The aura of worry never quite leaves her, and she's a lot tenser than before. Whatever it is that has her worried, it must be bad. "I suppose telling you won't change our situation." She sighs, then takes in a deep breath and continues. "It happened on the same day I learned I was pregnant. I was outside the capital, returning from an assignment in Bishop. We were attacked by someone with a ridiculous level of mana, matching even the likes of Xerxes and Ozymandias. The woman defeated us with ease, then cast a poison-attribute spell on me, having senses the life within me. She told me of the pendant she needs, and where she had last heard of it. The poison she used on my took effect quickly, and started draining life from me, but she stopped it with a simple healing spell. Before she left, she told me the spell would only hold for so long, and that I have to get the pendant for her for her to remove the poison altogether, or both I and my child would die."

There's only one person she could be talking about. "Juno," I say. "The woman who did this, was she a monster?"

Medea's puzzled expression transfers some of her confusion unto me.

"Did she have wings and a tail?"

The former Apostle raises her hand to strike me, so I quickly jump back. Shit. I need to start remembering that I have to get close to beat someone. "I'm not making fun! We met someone like the person you described, and she was a demon! That's why she's so powerful! She's not alone, either!"

After a moment of hesitation, Medea brings her hand down. "Knowing my story changes nothing. I don't care what she is; I just want to raise my child away from this all. Valhalla is dead to me now, as are the Apostles. Our deal remains the same. Now go and fetch me that carpet."

"You can tell someone," I insist, stepping closer. She immediately glares at my foot, so I decide it's probably for the best if I just stay in place. I don't want her pain spell hitting me. "The Apostles have been attacked by another demon. He nearly killed me, and he took Patrick's arm. He's in cahoots with Juno, claiming to be of demonic royalty. If there are more of them out there, then you'll be needed here. They'll understand why you did what you did."

"I'm sure they would have," she says, then closes her eyes and rubs her face with her hands, pinching the bridge of her nose. "If there wasn't another one working for the demons among their ranks, that is. Ryan was in it for the chaos and destruction she was promised, so it's good she's gone, but the other will be more problematic to deal with." She turns to look at me again. "I do not trust in our victory enough to risk my child's life. I am sorry, but the song remains the same. You will help me escape, and then I'll heal your mother. That is the offer I'm giving you, and it will not change. I will not accept compromise, and I will not change my mind."

I nod, but don't move quite yet. "Fine, but at least tell me who the Apostle you were talking about is."

With a face full of dread, she gives me the worst possible answer I could have heard. This is bad. Things just went from horrible to a level of horror we can't describe using human words. I don't say anything in response, and she throws a pouch of money at me. Without further explanation, I go back to the tunnel we used to get here and enter the lab. I was seen entering it, so this is where I should exit. It would be weird for me to be in Seraphina's room, anyway. I tensely move through the castle, and head toward one of the servants' entrances, trying not to seem like I'm in a rush. It would help to have Yukiji hear with me, so that she could glamour me, but I doubt Medea would be patient long enough for me to find the girl, so I just keep on walking.

"You seem tense," a teasing voice calls to me, so I turn back and see Luck standing there. Shit. Why the king of all people? He might be able to see through me. Does he have nothing better to do? "Woah there," he adds, hands held up. "I was just teasing. No need for the death glare." I continue glaring at him. This is how I was when we first met. If I start being overly friendly now, it'll look suspicious. I can't act like I'm in a hurry, but I also can't stay for long, because that might give him the time to see through me. "What's got you troubled, buddy?"

"My leisurely stroll got interrupted."

"Well, why didn't you say so?" He grins, putting his arm around mine. "We can walk together." I open my mouth to speak, but he taps my shoulder a few times. "It's not really a request. I really need an excuse to ditch my guards." He gestures over his shoulder, and I see two of them standing there. "They're boring me to death. I wasn't built for this sort of lifestyle." It's hard to believe, but he actually manages to make it seem as though he's lived the hardest life out of anyone I know.

"You're no fun for them, either," I reply, and keep walking. Good. Make it seem like I'm just annoyed.

"Well, probably," he admits, chuckling. "I do run away every chance I get, after all."

"Yeah, me too," someone new adds, and pale upon seeing Obi. Not another one! Two of the chattiest ones, too! "Don't give me that. I got bored of training, so I came to find you."

I take Luck's arm and pry it away from my own, then push him into Obi. "Good timing. You can entertain each other. I'm busy."

"With the plague thing?" the spy asks, and I notice Luck get a bit nervous.

"It's just a flu," I answer, "but yes. I'm going to check out the cabin where it originated." As good a lie as I can come up with, given the circumstances. Now, go away.

"Doesn't seem safe to leave the capital by yourself," Luck says. "Also, are we in danger? Should I have stayed inside?" He sighs dramatically. "I'm too young! It can't end like this-"

"You're not amusing anyone," I interrupt just as Obi starts to laugh. His royal highness gives me a smug look, so I decide to be more direct about this. Focusing on my upper back, I manage to bring both my wings out at once. They're still transparent, and much smaller than the ones Ozymandias has, but they'll do. Flapping them a few times, I take off and head toward the market. I'm still pretty pathetic at it, so I move more slowly than I would had I walked. I make sure to land before I get to a more crowded part. Damn. I hope not too many people noticed the guy going through the air without a carpet.

"Get 'em while they're new!" I hear an old man yell, so I walk over to him, eyeing the assortment he has laid out before him. They range from old and dusty to fancy and gorgeous. Honestly, what's the point? The whole purpose is to fly, so looks shouldn't matter. People's need for grandeur will never cease to amaze me. Maybe the djinn are well off being cut off from us. Raksha seems ready enough to die for their sake. "Can I interest you in anything, young man?" the shopkeeper – if you can call him that, given the lack of an actual shop – says to me, rubbing his hands next to his face, which has a large – and fake – smile plastered across it. "Perhaps one of the Valencian ones?" He gestures toward the purple ones. Yes, the Valencians do love their purple. That's about all I know of the country. Education wasn't something I could ever afford.

"The cheapest one," I say, unsure of what any of them cost. I don't see any price tags anywhere, so it's probably high. Not like any magical item will be cheap, wherever you go, but a new and sensational one like this? Well, it's bound to be the most expensive thing in the kingdom by now.

The man's smile starts to drop a little, and I can tell he's about to start bullshitting me into buying a better one.

"Don't," I say. "Just give me the cheapest one, or I walk away." Best to cut that tree down before it grows. He grumbles something under his breath, but gestures toward the one furthest on the left. I toss him the bag, not bothering to count, and he practically salivates. "Keep the change." Not like you deserve it. Medea said nothing about saving any of it, and I can't be caught with it. That would definitely get people's attention.

Wait. Shit. I was carrying it when Luck and Obi were around! They had to have noticed! Oh, no. Do they think I'm up to something? They might not be. Calm down. For all they know, you went and bought someone a gift.

Wait, yes. That would be good. I turn toward the shopkeeper and extend my hand. "On second thought, I'll take that change now."

He starts cursing me out, but I ignore him as he hands me the money, then get on the carpet I just bought.

It doesn't take off.

"A little help here?"

The greedy son of a bitch crosses his arms, smirking at me. "That costs extra."

I lift my hand up, holding a small fireball in it. "You'll get to keep the other ones." He explains right away, and I proceed to pour a bit of my mana into the carpet. I don't know what they're made of to be capable of letting mana flow through them, but it's like the carpet is suddenly an extension of my body. I have to be capable of flying with my own body, right?

Wrong. I suck with it as much as I do with my wings, and end up crashing through the window next to Medea instead of just stopping there. As soon as I fly off the carpet, the connection between us severs, and I look up at the woman. Here comes the insult.

"Impressive," she says, pulling the carpet up. Huh?

"If you liked that, you should see how hard I can crash with my wings."

She forces a small grin in response, laying the carpet down on the floor so she can get on top of it. "You have a talisman that diminishes your ability to control your magic, and yet you were capable of flight. It's very impressive." She gives me one last look as the carpet starts to levitate. "One day, you'll be someone to fear." She slowly starts to leave the room, her unwashed, dirty hair swaying in the wind. "I'll keep my word," she adds, tossing me a full vial. "Your mother's in Warehouse B. Ask any of my spies for it. They all know how to find it. I'd get on that quickly. She has a day at best." As she starts to leave, I call after her.

"What about the pendant? Don't you still need it?"

Medea looks back at me, and it's only then that I realize she's trying not to cry. "At the very least, I'll make sure my child survives." And just like that, the woman who started it all leaves my life. I wish I had the time to mull these last few minutes over, but my absence will have been noted by now.

Now, how do I get to my mother? I need to find Obi, and fast. However, as soon as he hears of Medea's escape, he'll connect the dots between her and the warehouse. If other people find out, I'm screwed. I also need an excuse for ditching my medicine duty. Shit. This day is turning out to be way more stressful than I had assumed it would.

I leave the room through the tunnel, which does not close itself. Okay, that's a good way to lie. I'll say Medea attacked me at the lab, but I fought her off and got her to told me where my mother is. She then managed to escape, and used the tunnel. That's the only way I can cover Medea's escape, my mother's whereabouts, and this tunnel. That lie will connect all my weak spots at the moment.

Except it might be unbelievable that I fought yet another Apostle – alone this time, and with this talisman on my forehead. No, I'm gonna have to tweak the lie a bit.

Sighing, I grab every bit of the remedy I've prepared, and start taking it to Seraphina. When I get there, she immediately takes it from me, and isn't bothering to check me out at all. Good thing, too. I doubt I'm perfectly composed, and I don't feel like any more people getting in on this rain over my parade.

"Good, now go make more."

"I can't," I reply, and she rolls her eyes. "Look, I'm sorry. I know I made an obligation, but-"

"But you got bored when you realized it wasn't all fun and games. Tough news, kid: this is what being a magic knight is like. It's not all luxury and power. You have to do actual work. If you bail on me now, I'm not going to let you participate again."

This will pretty much cut off the best possible future I've mapped out for myself, but it won't hurt nearly as much as losing my mother, so I just walk past her. I hear her sigh from several feet away, but I keep on walking.

"You could have been great, you know. I can tell you kept mixing the formula. This one's working better already. It would be a shame to throw such huge talent away."

I look over my shoulder at her. "Then don't throw it away." Then I keep on walking. I don't have any more time to lose. Now there's just one more thing to do.

I spread my wings, and start flying around the castle, as slowly as possible. Red hair should be easy to spot, but I don't see it anywhere. Luck is gone, then. Did the flu scare him back to his room? If that's the case, Obi shouldn't be with him anymore. Shit. He could be a bit harder to find. Well, time to do it the old fashioned way.

I land in front of the castle, take in a deep breath, then yell from the top of my lungs, "Obi, get over here, you idiot!"

Everyone, from servant to knight to civilian, turns to look at me strangely. Oh, as if any of you can judge. I could barely hear myself think from your chatter until a moment ago. Yes, yes, I raised my voice. Now keep moving, punks.

It takes all of two seconds for the spy to materialize next to me. "Why, darling, had I known you'd miss me this much, I never would have left-"

"You're making me want to break my neck to put myself out of this misery."

"At least let me finish before you tear me down. It's the least you can do for a friend."

I look up at him, and make sure to really take in everything about him. Even now, he's guarded. Possibly even more than I am. I doubt he's ever fully relaxed, actually, try as he might to hide it with his enthusiasm, corny jokes and the friendly attitude. "Is that what we are?"

He's taken off guard, but I don't know if the cause is the question or the sincerity in my voice. "Well, yeah, sure, I guess. Look, you can't really be in a life-or-death situation with someone and not grow closer. The only problem is you forgiving me-"

"I've done that already," I confess. I've been forcing myself to hold that grudge, but it pretty much disappeared entirely when his arrow hit Risk. "You could have gotten your freedom in Rook, but you instead stayed and fought, and then even returned with us. Thank you, Obi."

He changes the way he holds himself immediately. It's still guarded, but now he's not even capable of hiding it. I guess he's as bad as dealing with emotional stuff as I am. "Oh, well, that's great. Thanks, bud-"

"Do not call me buddy."

"-b-b-budding friend of mine." He clears his throat, then awkwardly looks away. I guess he's not used to making the first move. Very few people I meet are. Is that why I like Raksha? He fights me for control. I hope I don't become one of those people who thrive on toxicity. That would be the biggest tragedy of them all.

"I have to ask you to do a favour for me," I start, then keep going before he can get a word in. I tell him everything. I tell him what she had me do, then inform him of the demons and the warehouse. At the end of it, he nods, then starts walking, and I follow after him.

"Thank you," I say, staring at his back.

"Don't mention it."

"I mean it."

"It's fine, really."

"It's not," I tell him, quickening my pace to walk side-by-side as we speak. "You could've told any of the Apostles that, and you would've been rewarded for it. Your freedom would've been handed to you. You threw away a chance to get it to help me."

He turns to me, and smiles. I don't mean the usual smiles he gives. This one actually reaches his eyes, and a bit of red reaches his cheeks. "What-"

"If you ask me what friends are for, I will slit you open from mouth to crotch, then wear you as a coat."

"W-What else could I have done? I mean, you did sort of help me escape Medea's clutches. Hell, you could've made a push against me for spying for her. Oz would've run with it. I owe you one, too." I start to respond to him, but he suddenly stops walking, and gestures ahead. "Here we are."

I look at the relatively simple warehouse. This is it. I'm about to find my mother. Neither Medea nor Ryan are looking for my brother and father, so they're free to come out, too. This is it. This is the moment I've been waiting for. I can't believe it's here. This month felt more like a year. Hell, I've grown more than I would in a year during my normal life. Shit. I can't believe it's over. Am I gonna stop being a magic knight? I hope not. I do still have to figure out why my mom would have that pendant, but that's for another time. Obi approaches the warehouse, and pulls the door open. As we enter, a sickening smell strikes me, and chills start running down my spine. There are no windows in here, so it's too dark to really see. However, someone insanely powerful is in here, and there's no way it's my mother. The dark power is standing right in front of us, bearing down on us with all its might, almost forcing me to my knees. How could I have failed to sense it from the outside!?

"First the pendant, then Risk, and now this? You've made quite the recurring nuisance of yourself, human." The voice is deep and smooth, and I remember to whom it belongs clearly. A single orb of light engulfs the room in its glow, revealing the person standing before me. "I've already introduced myself, right? I guess it's your turn, then."

Obi immediately takes a step backwards, already preparing to escape. I don't blame him. We can't take her by ourselves. We wouldn't last half a second. "Juno."

The woman smiles, and I realize the orb of light making it easier to see is no orb at all. It's actually a pendant, with a large blue sapphire embedded into it, and the demon is holding it. "It certainly took Medea long enough. That little spy I planted inside of her has been most useful. Naturally, I also overheard her previous conversations, so I knew where to go. Thanks for helping me get this, boy. Now, please go ahead and die." Her smile turns insidiously cruel as she steps aside, letting me see behind her. "Just like she did."

Lying there, on the ground behind her, is my mother. It's her, but it isn't. She's pale, and her eyes are wide. I look further down her body, and see a giant hole in her belly, blood no longer flowing from it.

In that instant, the talisman fails to stop me, and my mana turns dark. She's dead. My mother is dead. I worked so hard to save her, and I failed. She is dead. Juno killed her. She killed her. She killed my mother! She has to die! She will die! I WILL KILL HER!

I spread my wings as wide as I can, and Obi falls down on the ground, unable to stand. The intensity of the mana in the room makes the earth shake, and a powerful wind starts blowing around us, taking the roof off of the warehouse completely. Clouds immediately blanket the blue sky, and every single bird in the city starts flying away. Juno's eyes widen at the sight of me, and I notice my wings now have colour in them. It's not the rainbow-colored pattern of Ozymandias' butterfly wings. Instead, they're black, now four in number, and each one has an eye in the middle of it. The eyes blink every now and then, and I feel great. There's so much power coursing through me right now, there's nothing I can't do!

Taking a step forward, I grin at Juno, who's managed to calm herself enough to prepare for a fight. "Just like she did."

"You think getting more mana is enough to intimidate me?" Juno challenges, preparing herself for what's to come. "I've had centuries to master my magic. A filthy fair can't match me. Risk already told me how inexperienced you are. This will be easy." Though she's trying to seem brave, she's not taking a step forward. In fact, I'd say she's looking for the quickest way out of here.

"Come at me, then," I tell her, feeling my power call to me.

Kill her. She deserves it.

"You're not scared of me, are you?" I take another step forward, and her bravado drops. Juno moves faster than any human I've seen, though not quite as fast as Risk, and shoots some sort of purple substance out of her palms.

Block it, I think, and the earth before me rises up to form a wall, which gets melted away instantly. Juno is no longer on the other side, so I duck backwards to avoid her next hit, which comes in the form of her slashing her tail at me. Burn.

Fire starts swirling around us, and Juno takes to the air to avoid it.

Dream it, my power whispers, and I picture a bolt of lightning shooting her out of the sky. The clouds obey immediately, but Juno keeps flying through it, apparently having taken little damage.

Go after her.

Flapping my now massive wings, I hurry to catch up with her, thinking of hale, wind and fire getting in her way. The weather changes based on my thoughts, slowing her down significantly.

"What the hell are you!?" Juno screams at me, shooting more of that acid forward. This time, a wall of shadows encircles me, and manages to hold through the attack. When the shadows retreat, I see that Juno is no longer alone. Risk is now with her, and I grin at him.

"You've spared me the trouble of hunting you down."

He isn't nearly as playful this time around, crouching on all fours on top of one of the houses beneath us. Juno is cautiously circling me, trying to look for an opening after I block Risk's attack, no doubt.

"You said he was weak," Juno says, and I see Risk's eyes narrow.

"He was nothing like this the last time. What happened?"

"I killed his mother-"

An endless swarm of blades comes crashing down upon Juno before she can finish her sentence, though she puts up a barrier to block them. They still succeed in pushing her down on the ground, so I think of quicksand beneath her feet, ready to swallow her whole and keep her inside while all sorts of insects eat away at her until there's nothing left.

Dream of their deaths. Show them what nightmares can do.

Risk pounces, managing to reach me in an instant. However, I dream of a giant hand swatting him away, and so a transparent one does just that, flicking him halfway across the city with a single hit. As soon as he lands, he jumps again, reaching the building he was standing on just a moment ago in a single step. I dream of the building collapsing, so he jumps toward me again, and I realize the hit caused him no damage. Another hand swats him away, but he pounces as soon as his feet hit the ground. However, yet another hand stops him in his tracks, and we repeat this a few times. All the while, swords are raining down on Juno, whose barrier seems to be holding strong. Her feet aren't so lucky, though.

"I can't do this forever!" she screams. "We need him! Where is Illu?!"

Risk doesn't stop to answer, barraging me with his hits as quickly as he can. With each one, he gets an inch closer to me, predicting when and where the hand would appear. He's about to change tactics soon. I can tell.

As expected, Risk jumps past me during one of his attacks, then hurls a few rocks at me as soon as he's on the ground. Rather than move in a way that would leave me open, I fly upward, smirking when I see him grit his teeth.

A rain of fire comes from the sky as I dream of it, engulfing the entire part of the city where we're fighting. Risk dodges a few of the hits, but one of them finally hits him, and I smile as he screams.

Turn around, my power says to me, so I close my wings and let myself fall, avoiding Juno's sneak attack. She got out, huh? And not a scratch on her yet. They sure are tough, these demons. I guess I'll have to kick it up a notch.

A spear of lightning appears in my hand, and I throw it at her. Her barrier comes up to defend her, but then a stream of water in the shape of a giant snake swallows her whole, keeping her within its body. Earlier, she wasn't moving while the barrier was active. Go ahead and put it down, if you dare.

I prepare another spear of lightning, and hurl it forward just as Juno breaks free from the watery prison. It strikes her in the back, and she gives out a screech before whirling on me, breathing green gas everywhere.

"Your power," she says to me, "has to come with a cost. No one becomes that strong because of feelings alone. You've traded something away, and you'll never get it back. It won't last forever, either, so go ahead and kill me." She spreads her arms, and golden dust starts falling off of them, moving in a downward spiral toward where Risk is burning. "I'll gladly be the one who gets killed by you, so long as I stop you from going after the others. Our kind will return to the world again, one way or another, and our king will lead us. You can't stop his return."

I grin at her, and hundreds of weapons materialize around her. "Bye bye."

Closing her eyes, Juno doesn't bother to block the attack, and the swords, axes and spears pierce her body from every possible angle. Bloods comes out of her mouth heavily, and she starts to fall down, her tail and wings limp. Just before she can crash into the ground, Risk, now fully healed, catches her, then looks up at me, glaring.

"Before, you were a nuisance. Now, you're a target." His lips tremble as he speaks, and then he jumps away, taking the corpse with him.

Once they're out of sight, I feel my power leave me, and barely manage to bring myself to my mother before I pass out.