"Dark Lord..." I managed to gurgle out some words as her fingers tightened around my throat.

"Are you truly calling on my father right now? You really don't know who I am, do you? Even if you've received his blessing, he's not about to speak to you."

"Dark Lord... I'm calling you to me now... Please listen..." My heart shook with every word I spoke. I didn't want to invoke His name, didn't want His help, and I certainly didn't want to give him anything... but... how could I possibly... "I need you now." Without help... Tristan would die... And I wouldn't be far behind.

SPEAK YOUR WISH, GODDESS'S PAWN. TELL ME YOUR WILL, THAT I MAY SET YOU FREE.

"I..." I swallowed around the lump that was her hand on my gullet. "I need—"

The woman squeezed my throat. Then, her jaw set, and her lips turned down. "What did you just say?"

"I..." Could I really do this? Could I invite the Dark Lord further in?

No!

Fuck that!

I punched her in the head again and felt every bone in my hand shatter.

[⧫b⋆k⟟nɓ℮⋔r⧫e]

"Fuck!" The bones in my hand snapped back together, followed by a wave of nausea.

She pulled me close to her face. Her breath smelled like a wet, dank basement. "Tell me, mortal: does He speak to you? Do you hear His voice in that pitiful skull of yours?" She began squeezing my throat harder. "Or are you simply saying prayers to anyone who might listen? I must know."

[⧫r⋆n S^⟟n]

My skin turned to metal, but it barely stopped her fingers as she pressed them into my throat. I could hear creaks and cracks as my metal skin crumpled under the force of her grip. That continued until my skill wore off. When it did, my windpipe closed completely.

"Answer the question. Do you hear my father's voice?"

"Kkkk!"

"Ugh." She sighed. "You mortals are so fragile." She loosened her grip enough that I could talk.

I spat in her face. "Bitch..."

In an instant, I was buried six inches into the alley wall.

"Does. He. Speak. To. You." She squeezed until my vision turned black. "Answer."

Nodding, I said, "Okay."

"Tell me."

Taking a deep breath, I said, "Eat... My... Ass..."

Her frown turned into a smirk, which turned into a smile. Then, she threw me to the ground and began laughing. Soon, the laughter became cackling.

Breathing deeply, I scrambled backward until I was pressed against Tristan. All the while, I kept my eyes locked on the woman in front of me. Trying to speak, I did my best to find the words, but I had none to find. All I knew was that every inch of my body was shaking.

I was utterly and completely outmatched.

It was like playing with my friend John's older brother when we were kids. If he wanted to throw us through a wall, we went through a wall. If he wanted to pin us against the ground, he pinned us against the ground. There wasn't a fucking thing I could do to stop her, and we both knew it. So, I waited atop my lover, hoping that something, anything, would appear to help us... but I knew nothing would. No one was here. It was just me and some magical shadow monster who had a woman's face.

When the monster in front of me finally finished laughing, she reached a hand under her hood. I could tell she was wiping away her tears. Then, with a chuckle, she spoke. "Not a single mortal in my centuries-long existence has once told me to 'eat his ass.' For that, you will be remembered, otherworlder." She stepped forward. "But that is all you'll be remembered for."

I shot a glance over my shoulder, taking Tristan in. She'd stopped convulsing, and she was breathing, if shallowly. That was good, at least. I could pick her up and run. But... I knew that wouldn't work. There was no way.

But I had to try.

I sprang to my feet, but before I could scoop Tristan into my arms, I heard the woman's voice behind me.

"Sorry, friend, but that won't work."

A bubble of shadow surrounded us, pulling us both toward the woman. The bubble of shadow turned into a wall, sealing us in with her. The few flickering glowstones were the only light illuminating the wide alley, casting long shadows across the woman's body.

With nothing left to do, I pressed myself on top of Tristan, and for the first time in my life, I prayed. Not to the Dark Lord, but to someone better: "Goddess... Help us." I pressed myself over Tristan the best I could. "I don't know who she is. I don't know what she is. All I know is she's a monster." I shook my head. "No. She's something else. Something worse. So... please... help us. We need you now."

By the time the words left my lips, the woman was next to me and leaning forward, her dank basement breath washing over my face. "Your ass won't be what I eat today, little mortal." Licking her lips, she grinned. "But first..." Looking downward, she sneered at the ground. "I don't care if you have plans for this one, you rotten bastard. I'll be taking this one from you. I deserve to walk the world again. Not you." When she finished, she reached down and stroked my cheek.

Fuck.

This.

[Pr⟟v⧫k⋆]

She was forced forward a step, causing her hand to brush past my face.

That was all the time I needed. I sprang to my feet and, drawing the black blade from my back, I shook off its cloth sheath. Pulling the blade back and with as much strength as I could muster, I lunged forward, the blade's point aimed straight at her chest.

"How cute, you actually think you can—" Her words turned into a scream as the black blade buried itself into her chest down to the hilt.

Nothing else had put a dent in her. Nothing had mattered. But the black blade... It cut through her flesh like it was paper.

Her screams filled the alley.

"You were saying?" I pressed forward, pushing her back several steps.

"What... Is that sword?!" She clawed at my hands, scratching wide furrows in the skin on my forearms and hands, but I didn't let go.

"It's something that can kill you." I pressed upward, carving into her sternum.

In an effort to save herself, she grabbed at the blade's hilt, but where her fingers touched, her digits ignited into blood-red flames flecked with black motes.

"You thought you could have me?" I pressed forward, shoving her further back, creating distance between her and Tristan. "You thought you could take her from me?" I cut further upward, toward the woman's heart. "You'll never have her." With a twist, the blade rotated in her flesh, carving a massive hole in her chest. "And you'll never have me."

She shoved me then, pushing me backward so hard that, before I knew what happened, half of the alley was crumbling down on top of me.

My heart rate spiked. I knew how that ended. I'd never be buried under stone again. "No!"

With everything I had, I leaped forward, soaring through the bricks and stone, feeling the air on my skin, until I hit the ground and tumbled to a stop. My heart in my ears, I shook my head and looked up.

"D-damn it!" The woman was clutching at her chest, trying and failing to keep the black and red flames from escaping her ruined chest. "I... won't... share!" She shrieked, her voice echoing down the alley. "Only I should be free!" Then, her body began to twist and bend, growing a good two feet taller. Within a few breaths, the woman's body had reshaped itself into a mountain of a man.

"You swore you'd play fair, Avara." His voice was guttural, his body massive, and he was far, far larger than the woman had been. His head was adorned with massive horns, and he was covered head to toe in oily black armor, every inch of which was covered in blood-red runes. He looked down at me with narrowed, glowing red eyes and snorted. "No one breaks a vow made to Maluphet, the Stormcleaver."

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"More like Maluphet, First Fallen." The man's body wavered and shifted. An instant later, a new woman, her neck too long, her face too wide, danced in the glowstone light. She cackled as she dissolved into a thousand shards of black energy, then materialized again beside me. She leaned down and grinned at me, her smile splitting her face in two, almost like a snake's. "Hello, mortal! Are you ready to be my food this evening?"

A pulse of energy threw the snake-woman backward. She screamed, "Just one bite!" Then, her body twisted and shrank. As it did, a new voice spoke, this one soft and feminine, but sickly. "He's mine, Vixis." The snake woman transformed into a rail-thin elf woman. She was impossibly gaunt, her skin and hair were nearly perfectly white, and she was completely nude. "But not yet. He's not ready." The woman grimaced, revealing an empty, toothless mouth. "A shame. I could do much with a body like that."

"He's ready enough, Nel-Thara." The woman's body rippled, but this time, instead of transforming into another body, the elf's frame boiled away into black smoke. When her body had completely dissolved, a voice like thunder echoed down the alleyway, booming from the direction of two large, glowing yellow eyes. "Let's take his body and be done with it!"

"He won't survive, Korthul." Nel-Thara, the elf, reappeared.

"I don't care!" The yellow-eyed voice, Korthul, screamed as the elf's body dissolved. "I want to taste blood once again!"

"You'll taste nothing if he dies, fool!" The eyes disappeared. In its place, countless tiny, chittering voices hissed from the top of the alley.

Looking up, I saw hundreds of glowing eyes staring down at us. I couldn't help but shudder as all the eyes blinked down at me at the same time.

"I didn't invite any of you!" The first woman, Avara, reappeared. "Begone, you damned pests!"

All at once, the shadow body rippled and twisted chaotically, morphing between each of the forms the voices took.

"Pest?!" The hundreds of eyes reappeared and drew closer. In the flickering glowstone light, I could see thousands of insect legs roiling just outside of my sight.

"Who are you calling a pest?" The snake woman, Vixis, asked.

"Calm yourselves, fools." The white-skinned woman, Nel-Thara, chided.

"We shall feast on the mortals' bones once more!" The yellow eyes, Korthul, roared.

"And infest!" The eyes that were Zylla chittered.

"What would brother think of this infighting?" The horned mountain that was Maluphet rumbled. "So distasteful."

"He's dead!" Korthul screamed. "We're not!"

"Dead and gone." The thousands of voices replied.

"Who... Who are you people?" I stood on shaky legs, holding the black blade in front of me.

The shadows twisted. Then, the first figure, the robed woman, reappeared, reached for me, and spoke, her voice sickly sweet. "We are your friends."

The massive man reappeared, arms crossed, and said, "Your judgment."

The snake woman grinned. "Your nightmare."

The white-skinned woman sighed. "Your burden."

The yellow-eyed voice shook the alley. "Your undoing."

The hundreds of eyes blinked. "Your end."

As their words washed over me, I felt my stomach clench. Their voices felt horrible. With everything I had, I managed to hold back the vomit that was pressing upward, trying to escape my throat.

With trembling fingers, I held the black blade forward, my fingers twitching as they curled around the bronze hilt. "What do you want with us?"

Avara reappeared. "She's nothing. I want you."

Vixis stepped forward. "No! Both!"

"I could taste much within your skin," Nel-Thara whispered. Then, she dashed forward, hands raised for my throat. "Give it to me!"

I slashed at her, but she leapt backward before my blade could connect.

"It's clear why Father gave you his blessing," Nel-Thara said, her pale skin shining in the dim light. "He wanted us to enjoy your body until the end."

ENOUGH.

"Enough."

The glowstones embedded in the alley walls flared to life, then went out. However, despite the lack of light, somehow, I could still see.

THEY ARE NOTHING. FAILED VESSELS. NOTHING MORE. I HAVE NO FURTHER USE FOR THEM.

My lips worked without my consent. "You are nothing. Failed vessels. Nothing more. I have no further use for you."

"F-father?" Avara appeared. "Why have you rejected me?!" Her lips twisted. "I did everything you asked of me!"

YOU FAILED.

"You failed." That was my voice.

"We failed?!" Korthul's yellow eyes flared. "We were meant to fail!"

YOU WERE.

"You were."

"Why?" Nel-Thara whispered. "Why forsake us?"

I HAVE MADE MY CHOICE.

"I have made my choice." That was my voice again.

"The choice isn't yours to make!" The snake woman snarled and lunged at me, her clawed fingers darting for my throat.

With a pivot, the black blade intercepted her hand at the wrist, severing her hand from her wrist.

The woman clutched at her wrist as her hand fell to the ground, black smoke pouring from the wound in waves before she dissolved into smoke.

"Is that..." The hundreds of eyes appeared and were locked onto the blade. "Is that our brother's work?"

"No." The massive wall of armor appeared and stepped forward. "A cheap copy. Nothing more." Pulling a massive axe from his back, he readied himself to attack. Nodding to me, he said, "Would-be hero of this new age. Let us test ourselves. I wish to see what you can do."

Test myself? I'd do more than that. "Fine." I stepped forward. "But if I win, you'll leave."

"I agree to these terms." He snorted. "And I will demand my treacherous siblings leave with me."

Nodding back, I said, "I accept those terms."

Without hesitating and with a mighty roar, the massive figure lifted his massive axe high, then struck downward.

I lifted the black blade high, putting my entire body behind the parry. But when his axe hid my sword, I knew it wouldn't be enough.

[Iron Skin]

The axe sheared through the blade like it was a twig. My skin turned to metal just as the axe struck my right shoulder. However, unlike every other time I'd used that skill, the blade carved into my shoulder, sinking a good three inches into the meat. My shield arm fell, limp and completely numb.

I screamed as the axe bit deep... nearly crumpled to the ground... but I didn't.

It would take more than that to kill me.

"I'll kill every one of you fucking monsters..." I cut at the man's hands with what remained of my blade, slicing off half of his fingers before he could react. They fell to the ground and evaporated into black smoke.

His axe slipped out of my shoulder and clattered to the ground as he stumbled backward, clutching at his hand.

"Not a single one of you will survive." I gritted my teeth. "I'm coming for you."

[S⟟c⧫nd W⟟*d]

My nerves flared to life, igniting searing white pain down my arm. "I don't care who you are. I don't give a shit about what you've done. And I don't need your fucking names." Tensing my legs and dropping low, I heaved and exploded forward, what remained of my blade held firm, and struck Maluphet in the chest. "You just need to die. Every fucking one of you needs to die."

The monster howled as shadows poured out of his chest. "I thought—"

"You thought wrong." I twisted the blade, then pressed, cutting through half the monster's chest, opening a massive hole in his flesh.

"You... have done... well..." The massive man looked downward. Shaking his head, he said, "... Dark brother... even in death... You are still... our better..." The armored man dissolved into black mist and sank into the cracks of the alley.

In his place was Avara. "A mortal banished the weakest of us back to the seal. Who could have guessed?"

Pointing the black blade at the woman, I growled, "Are you next?"

She grinned. "Don't overestimate yourself."

A crack of lightning peeled overhead, illuminating the alley in white light.

Avara covered her face and looked up. "No... NO!" She was screaming now.

Lightning split the darkness again, and this time, it didn't fade. A feminine figure slammed into the ground behind Avara, her golden armor gleaming like a second sun in the dim alley. Her sword, glowing with pure golden light, its length inscribed with holy runes, caught the lightning's glow as she raised it high and pointed it at the monster between us.

"Scions of the Dark Lord," her voice rang out like a bell, clear and commanding and completely pure. "You will not claim these souls tonight." Stepping forward, the woman smirked. "Why don't you make this easy and go back to your seal? That way, I won't have to put you down for the second time, and you can keep a touch of your pride."

Avara hissed, her form wavering. "The Hero?! How are you—"

"Wrong answer." Faye dashed forward, her blade cutting through the darkness. In a flash, her shining blade had pierced through Avara's shared body. "It's been a while, old friends."

The collective voices spoke as one, their forms flickering desperately from one to the next. As their shared body shifted, they each spoke:

"Free us!"

"You cannot keep us chained!"

"We will return!"

"This changes nothing!"

"Watch your back!"

"Just wait..."

"Threats already?" Faya's sword blazed with divine fire. "I see your time sealed away hasn't made you any more pleasant." She grinned, and white flames roared around her sword, consuming the monster's shadow body. "Return to your prison. And don't come back." She pulled her sword free and swept the blade in a wide arc, causing golden light to erupt from its edge, washing the shadows away.

One by one, the monsters shrieked, their forms dissolving like smoke in a hurricane. Avara was the last to fade. As her form wavered, she turned, and her eyes locked on mine. "This isn't over, otherworlder. I'll find you again."

I nodded. "Try me. I'll be stronger next time."

"I look forward to it."

"Begone," Faye commanded, and the hooded woman was swept away by her light.

The second the woman faded away, the air shimmered behind Faye, and a portal tore open near the far side of the alley. An old man stepped through the portal, his blue robes crackling with residual magic. Behind him came... someone I knew... her curly red hair whipping in the wind stirred up by the portal.

Greta!

"Sister," The mage said as he approached. "I don't understand what could be more important than what we were already doing."

Faye turned and smacked him. "Why don't you ever trust me?" She nodded back toward us. "This is where we're needed, you ass."

"We've been fighting hordes of monsters for weeks, woman!" The mage thrust his nose upward. "Don't you think the world itself is more important than any one filthy common—"

"Shush, you old coot," Greta stepped up to Faye. "I don't know why we're..." She looked around. "... wherever we are, but whatever it is that brought us here, I'm sure her instincts are spot-on, as usual. Don't be such a dick." She stepped past Faye, her eyes flicking around the alley, until they settled on me and Tristan. "Oh..." She took another step forward. "Alex? Tristan?"

"Thanks for coming," I said. "Sorry to bother you all, but..." My legs gave out. The adrenaline that had kept me standing through the battle completely abandoned me, forcing me to my knees beside Tristan. "I did my best, but..." Yet again, I was hopeless in the face of real danger.

Greta dropped to the ground beside me. "It's okay. You've done well."

The mage rolled his eyes. "We don't even know what he did."

"I know exactly what he did." Faye breathed. "And he did very well. Very, very well."

"Alex?" Tristan whispered as she stirred behind me.

I turned to see her eyes fluttering open, confusion written across her pale face.

When she spoke again, her voice was barely audible. "What... what happened?"

Inching toward her, I pulled her against my chest with my good arm, but the other was no good. Now that [Second Wind] had worn off, I couldn't feel my other arm at all. "I've got you."

Tristan nodded. "Ugh..." her face fell into my chest. "I... feel terrible."

"Me too." I laughed. That sent pain down my entire right side. "But I've still got you. Just rest."

"Mmm." She settled into me.

"And I've got you." Faye's voice was next to us. She sounded so soft... so gentle...

I looked over my shoulder to find the Divine Hero kneeling beside us, her armor's light dimmed to a soft, healing glow. "Faye, I... tried."

"And succeeded." She placed a hand on each of our heads. "But for now, both of you, rest. I'll take it from here. You're safe."

"Okay..." I felt divine light wash over me, warm and soothing, knitting flesh and bone back together. As her arms pulled me close, I felt safe for the first time in a very long time.

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