A/N: And here is the final chapter of Mortals, Gods, and Demons! But first, some responses to my guest reviewers!
Random Person: Homework: the bane of all people, everywhere. And yes, Matt will certainly be getting his vengeance with the help of the team! I like to think Godcat's part(s) in the fight came out well, and I hope you do, too! I hope to see you back with an account and a review for the end! Thanks for taking the time to review so many of my chapters, I really do appreciate it a lot!
Anonymous: You got me thinking about how NoLegs would move now that he has legs. When I eventually get around to writing the sequel, he'll have his new legs under control. As of now, however, I imagine he probably still bounces around, but with legs: like some kind of deranged rabbit. I have seen the Final Battle several times along with the Black Mage's Attack. I'll probably add the buster sword as a limit break for NoLegs, as it would work well. Thank you for the idea; I'll try to remember to credit you for it when I write that part! I'd also like to thank you for reviewing my story so often! It's always fun and encouraging to hear what others think of my work, and the different perspectives are interesting to consider (and sometimes spark plot bunny rampages).
Little Follower: Yeah... The line did originally refer to Godcat as a cat when I first wrote it, but I changed it after a lot of self-deliberation. The idea was that she is definitely sentient and intelligent, and it was a subtle way to show respect for her. Cat, for the team, generally refers to the brainless balls of fuzz that come at them with wooden signs and get killed in 1.5 seconds. I may change the line to what you suggested, but it honestly is a fairly small detail, and I'm lazy. :P
Yes, Lance, at least in my works, is usually the one to cut right past the BS and slam the real issue with a pin-point Snipe. Unless the issue revolves around him, then we have the inability to step back and properly rationalize.
Yup, I try to keep my characters relatively similar in, well, character between my works. I'm glad you noticed: it means I'm doing it right!
Yeah, I thought about changing NoLeg's name, but the only reasonable one would be Legs, which just sounds dumb. I mean, NoLegs sounds dumb, too, but I'm used to it. On top of that, I dislike changing canonical names, as I mentioned in a previous A/N.
Oops, yeah, I typed my A/Ns into FF's Document manager, so little typos like that don't get caught as easily (which compounds with my own usual typos). With other fics, I just type the A/Ns into the chapter, but MGaD is all in one document that I've been pulling sections out of. Obviously that makes putting the A/Ns in a bit of an unnecessary pain.
LOL I may have to write a story about a psycho brother for Lance. That sounds right up my fanfiction alley. XD
Thank you so much for reviewing my story! I've loved reading and replying to each and every one of your reviews, and I hope to continue to see you on my other works!
Now, then, on to the final chapter!
Godcat took the first step into the cave, her ears pricked warily to catch any sound, and her whiskers twitching as they detected air currents and mana trails. Every motion she made was smooth and calculated grace. She was a cat on the prowl now, and her prey was an arch demon and its master. But her reasons were more personal now than they had been when she first called for aid. Before, she'd merely wanted the demon dead because of the threat it posed to the world at large. Now, it had caused Matt and the rest of her team to suffer. And no one got away with making them suffer without paying a dear price.
Matt and Natalie went in next, staying close behind the large cat. Their weapons were ready in hand, and they exchanged a single glance before letting go of each other. Natalie's eyes glinted with a fierce light as she vowed to take the Heldren down for its torment of Matt and for the sick games it played. Matt's own eyes had hardened as he anticipated ending the menace that had used him to slaughter and devour innocent people. It had mocked him for days so that even his own mind had not been a place of solace. This time would be different; this time, he had the rest of his team with him, and they were stronger than ever.
Lance and Anna brought up the rear, both focused and silent in their motions. Their eyes scanned the shadows warily for any sign of a presence. The only ones who would be leaving this cave alive were themselves and their friends. The Heldren had made the greatest mistake ever when it had chosen to prey on Matt, and they would be sure to show it the error of its actions. There would be no dodging, no hiding, and no mercy. Their marks were set on the demon, and nothing could save it now. It was only a matter of when.
The team came out into the large cavern. A swirl of powerful magic swept around the center of the room, flowing from the bloody sigil on the wall. In the center of the swirl was a cloaked figure, his black robe whipping in the magical gale. His arms were raised in supplication to the mark, and he chanted in a strange, hissing tongue. He flicked one of his hands and the arrow that Anna had launched towards him incinerated in thin air; the ashes that remained were caught up in the magic.
Godcat's fur bristled, and she sank into a crouch as her lips curled back from her fangs and hissed, "He's absorbing the Heldren into himself. That will stabilize the demon's otherwise volatile magic and augment his powers."
Natalie scowled, "Not if I have anything to say about it."
The mage raised her staff and a runic circle of white light appeared beneath the summoner. There was an explosion of light and magic as a powerful Judgement blasted up to engulf the man. An unearthly shriek echoed through the cavern, causing the fighters to wince. Black lines shot out of the column of light, and burst the magic, leaving wisps of light mana drifting around the room.
Natalie cursed and cast another Judgement while Godcat added to the magical assault. The cat took control of the mana floating about the room and directed them into needles of light that flew down towards the man. A single hit from one needle alone would do little, but a hail of them was a dangerous prospect.
Leathery wings burst out of the man's back and he took off, dodging the needles and the second Judgement. His robes bulged and shredded as his body convulsed and mutated. The team had been too late to stop the fusing of the Heldren and its summoner, and what faced them now was a twisted nightmare of a creature. Spines grew from the once-man's back. Horns curled out from under jet black hair. His skin was a sickly off-white color, and was spider-webbed with black veins. A tail that ended in four spikes writhed in the air. The limbs were long and grotesquely twisted, ending in four-fingered hands with hooked talons. The legs were much like the arms, but had become reverse jointed. His face was similar to a man's face aside from the mouth, which was a gaping hole lined with fangs like the arch demon's had been. Black, human-shaped eyes with glowing orange slit-pupils stared down at the fighters gathered to defeat it.
Lance's face was cold and impassive as he hefted God Hand up and blasted a stream of glowing white flames at the monstrosity that split into multiple jets partway into the attack. At the same moment, Anna let loose a flurry of arrows, her face twisted with disgust. Each arrow she fired glowed with the holy power of a Soul Arrow, but arced up and over like an Arrow Rain attack. Both fighters figured that the shift in their attacks was thanks to part of their gift from Godcat. A barrier that seemed to be comprised of shadows rose up, but could not block everything that came at it.
Matt leapt in front of Natalie and swung Heaven's Gate at the Heldren as it swooped down at the mage, talons outstretched and screeching. Light magic glistened along the blade, honing its already excellent edge even further to slash through the shadows defending the demon. He felt his blade bite into flesh and heard a shriek as black blood splattered down. The Heldren flitted away before the swordsman could follow up on his attack. A ball of light from Natalie, however, slammed into the demon where he'd weakened the barrier, and he shot her a fierce grin of approval.
Godcat watched the tattered form of the Heldren with narrowed eyes as it flew in erratic patterns to evade further damage. She briefly commended the rest of the team on flawless tactics and cohesion, working off each others' attacks, and covering potential weaknesses. Lance and Anna made it impossible for the Heldren to merely stay airborne, while Matt and Natalie made coming in for close combat too risky to attempt, with the swordsman never straying far from the mage so as to cover her from physical blows. It was amazing to watch, and she could once again see just why they had been able to hold even her off in her madness and rage.
The result of their attacks was that magical burns covered the demon's skin, arrows had torn through its wings, and black blood oozed thickly from a gash in its side. The fight was going well, so far, but Godcat knew it wasn't over yet. The demon had yet to attack, and she knew that that could be a turning point. They had to keep it off balance to prevent that. Her eyes traced the demon's path before she moved. It thought it was flying in an unpredictable pattern, but no living creature in this world was truly unpredictable. The Heldren in its purest form would have been a difficult opponent to predict, but the demon had fused with a man, and Godcat had created man. She knew how they thought, and she knew how to interrupt its path.
Godcat sprang for the cave wall and her claws sank into the stone before she pushed off for a stalactite. She clung there on the far side from the Heldren, and waited. The demon's attention was already divided four ways with the fighters below, and as she had stayed quiet after her first attack, it had ignored her. Perhaps it didn't know who she had been, and didn't know that she had a millennia of experience and knowledge. It would have been wise to take her out first, but it hadn't, and that would be its undoing. And sure enough, just as she had predicted, the Heldren came swooping towards where she clung above the battle field. Her muscles tensed in preparation.
The Heldren's attention was focused on the four fighters who kept it on its guard at all times, never granting it even a moment's pause to truly attempt a retaliation. The few minor hits it had gotten in were swiftly dealt with by Natalie's powerful healing magic. Any attempts it made to take out the mage were met with swift and painful retribution from Matt. In its frustration, it overlooked the fifth member of the team. It had the knowledge of its host, and knew much about the four humans, but because it had never seen the cat fighting alongside them, it had written the creature off. It assumed it was some sort of summon, and took no notice of the fact that it was now gone.
A massive weight suddenly slammed into the demon, forcing it towards the ground. It felt burning claws dig into the flesh of its shoulders, right beside the joints of its wings. The demon shrieked and writhed, trying to throw off the creature clinging to its back. But Godcat was tenacious in her assault. Her fangs flashed as she bit and tore at the bases of the wings. She paid no mind to their paired crash course for the ground.
The four humans watched in amazement as Godcat pounced on the Heldren midair. They'd known she was up there, but had been unsure as to why. But now it was clear: she was grounding the demon so that they could better destroy it. Black blood splattered her gleaming white fur, her eyes flashed with cold fury as she ripped at the muscles of the demon. The humans all tensed as they watched the Heldren suddenly drop from the air with Godcat still on its back, unable to continue supporting itself with all the damage it had taken. They held their breath when Godcat leapt off at the last moment, springing gracefully to the ground, leaving the demon to crash into the stone.
"Very nice," Lance complimented even as he raised God Hand for another Holy Fire spell.
Godcat didn't reply, but launched forwards at the Heldren, her claws extended and her face twisted into a snarl. She slammed into the demon, knocking it sideways just as it began to stagger up, sending it straight into Lance's attack. A split second later and Matt lunged forwards with Heaven's Gate leveled for a stab. Glowing arrows arced up and over the swordsman's head as he slid his blade into the demon's chest, peppering the demon.
And then, the Heldren's body melted into a puddle of inky black liquid. The pool slipped away, leaving Godcat and Matt staggering to regain their balance at the sudden loss of a target. Natalie narrowly watched the pool as it moved a few feet away and suddenly reformed into the demon, though it still retained its wounds. She blasted the monstrosity with another Judgement spell, only to stagger back with a shocked expression as the Heldren suddenly leapt at her with startling speed, its claws spread and its horrific mouth emitting a horrible screech. She was defenseless to close combat with Matt so far away.
A flash of white fur cut across Natalie's vision. Godcat had sprinted across the cavern, a blur of motion. She snagged the mage's arm in her mouth far enough back to avoid her canines, and yanked her out of the path of the attack. Natalie's shoulder wrenched from the sudden motion, and she had a shallow bite wound, but she was spared being speared by the Heldren's claws. Godcat, however, sustained four deep slashes along her flank. Still, the cat let Natalie drop and rounded to hiss at the demon with crimson blood running down her side.
The Heldren screeched back and lunged forwards again, intending to kill Natalie, only to meet a fiercely defensive wall of fur and muscle. Godcat's claws slashed, and she poured extra light magic into her claws. But her left side ached, and was an obvious target for a slam from the Heldren's spiked tail. Godcat yowled with pain as she staggered sideways. Her left legs gave out, and she crumpled to the ground, unable to get away as the demon loomed over her with yellow saliva dripping from its mouth. She shut her eyes to the sight and braced for the painful bite she knew was coming.
A singe arrow suddenly screamed towards the Heldren, surrounded with pulsing energy and tearing a great fissure into the stone of the cavern floor as it flew. It slammed into the Heldren's chest, tearing a gaping hole through it, and forcing the monster away from Godcat. Matt came flashing in with Heaven's gate glowing and an aura of power around him to rain six massive blows on the demon's crippled form, the last of which sent it crashing into a wall where it fell to the ground, limbs hanging by strips of flesh. Instantly, the stone erupted beneath it from an immense blast of magic as Lance's Rapture blasted the demon into the air.
Natalie clasped her hands in prayer as she watched the bloody, shredded, and charred remains of the Heldren hit the ground. The air rippled around her as her magic spread out over the room, washing over her allies, restoring their strength and healing their wounds. A massive cross exploded into being over the tainted remains, vaporizing them from existence. The blood comprising the sigil on the wall blackened and peeled away as it became dust that also vanished. The Heldren was defeated.
Godcat rolled to her paws, relieved at the smooth response and lack of any pain from her muscles. She was stunned at the immense power of each of the human's attacks, and at how coordinated their strikes had been. They had been ruthless and unstoppable in that final assault, and had both defeated the arch demon, and saved her own life. She had no idea where the hell they had suddenly gotten that kind of power boost, but was soon distracted when Matt approached her with a worried expression, asking if she was okay.
"A little shocked, and miffed that I got hit, but all right otherwise," Godcat replied after a moment. She met his eyes and purred, "You all did very well; that was an excellent battle."
Lance grunted with a smirk, "You expected less?"
"I think I expected to be dead at the very least," Godcat admitted.
"Not on our watch," Anna stated firmly.
Natalie ran a hand through the silky fur on Godcat's shoulder and said, "Thanks for that save back there. I'd be dead if you hadn't gotten me out of the way. I'm sorry you took a hit for me, though. Did your side heal up right?"
Godcat nodded, "Yes, perfectly, thank you."
Matt grinned, "Awesome, so do we go back to the inn at Whitefall to rest, or what?"
"That works for me. I still need some parts from the Disposal Plant for my Juggernaut," Anna replied with a shrug. She glanced over at Lance and asked, "Are you still willing to come along, Lance?"
Lance hesitated for a long moment before reluctantly shaking his head. Before he could open his mouth, however, Godcat replied, "Of course he would."
"I would?" Lance asked in a disgruntled tone with a glare at the cat.
Anna blinked away a hurt look as she mumbled, "You don't have to go. I'll just head there by myself."
"No, no, Lance would love to go with you," Godcat purred reassuringly. She stepped on Lance's foot with her hind paw, "Wouldn't you, Lance? You wouldn't want Anna to get hurt, would you?"
Lance suppressed a yelp and glared at the large cat who met his glare with a bored look as he hissed through gritted teeth, "I would be absolutely delighted to escort you though the Plant, Anna."
Natalie covered her mouth with one hand to hide a grin as she watched Godcat coerce Lance into going with Anna. She wasn't quite sure why Lance suddenly needed the shove, though, as he'd been looking forwards to the trip with Anna before the Heldren. Still, she smiled and said, "Well, you two can go after we get some food and rest. There should be enough time left in the afternoon for you guys to get whatever you need.
Anna was uncertainly watching Lance's face, but nodded, "O-okay, that works."
Matt watched the whole exchanged with a confused expression, but shrugged when they finally settled on a course of action. He turned to leave the cavern with the rest of the team trailing after him. Despite the fact that the harrowing battle had lasted for several hours, none of them actually felt very tired. They had immediately after the battle's end, but they had bounced back with surprising speed. Because of that fact, Lance and Anna split off as soon as they broke out of the trees to the south of Whitefall.
Godcat stepped in front of Lance, stopping his resigned trudge after Anna. Her colorful eyes met Lance's red ones as he impatiently sighed. "As I told Matt: A person makes their own fate. Do not let fear of one future that is no longer valid stop you from seeking what makes you happy," she murmured so that only he could hear.
Lance frowned uncertainly as he quietly asked, "But how do I know that other actions won't also lead to that?"
"You don't," Godcat replied bluntly with a flick of one ear. She stepped out of his way and added, "But just because you don't doesn't mean you stay frozen with fear. You will be alive for a long time, so I suggest that you seek something out that will be there as long as you, and cherish it."
Without waiting for a reply, Godcat padded though the snow, letting her tail brush affectionately against Lance's hand as she moved past him to join Natalie and Matt. The cat shrank down to her smaller form, and was bundled up in Natalie's arms. Lance stared after the three as they crunched off through the snow, talking about getting some food. The gunner turned Godcat's words over in his head for several long moments. It wasn't until Anna coughed lightly that he turned back to face her.
"You don't need to come," Anna offered quietly. "I know you only agreed because Godcat was pushing, but I don't want you feeling miserable and obligated. I've been through that place half a dozen times on my own with no trouble before, so I'll be fine by myself."
Lance made up his mind. Godcat was right that he couldn't worry about what-ifs and maybes; he'd have never gotten anything done in his life if he'd waited until everything was a for-sure outcome. The gunner shook his head with a smirk, "No, I don't mind coming. I call dibs on the first Laser Turret we see. I need some RAM chips for my rifle."
Anna silently studied Lance's face for a long moment. After a few seconds she asked, "Has your reluctance been coming from what Matt told us about the future that would have happened had he succeeded with his suicide?" Her eyes narrowed at the gunner's guilty wince and she stepped forwards to smack him on the arm.
"Hey, ow, what was that for?" Lance griped, rubbing the now-sore spot on his arm.
Anna smiled up at him and said sweetly, "I said I'd smack you if you tried pulling away, right?"
Lance rolled his eyes and dryly said, "Great, now my friend is turning abusive and controlling." Despite his words and tone, a smirk tugged at his lips, and grew wider when Anna laughed. He fell in step beside her as they headed for the Disposal Plant. He decided that, yes, life would be more pleasant and interesting with a close bond.
Back at the inn, Matt, Godcat, and Natalie were each eating warm food. NoLegs was there, too, and ate beside Godcat under the table at the insistence of the inn owner. The formerly legless cat was still shaky on his new limbs, but had improved greatly since his arrival that morning. He had, at first, been wary to eat beside his creator, and especially on the floor, but the white cat merely said that she was no longer a god, and didn't much care for decorum anymore. Now the pair chatted back and forth with quiet mews.
Natalie sipped at her hot chocolate as she watched Matt devour his third helping of stew. The swordsman was in much higher spirits now that the Heldren had been defeated, and she was glad to see it. She'd never seen him so depressed before, and the emotion had been wrong coming from the cheerful blond. But now, he'd avenged the people the demon had slaughtered, and seemed to have put his own unwilling part in it behind him.
"So, where will you be heading next?" Natalie asked when Matt set his bowl down with a content sigh.
Matt shrugged, "Dunno. I suppose we'll still be setting off when the storms clear out of Goldenbrick. That's only a few weeks away. I'm not sure I can get any decent materials in that span of time; certainly not enough to upgrade anything. Lance and Anna are lucky that their supplies are easy to come by, I'll have to track down a number of dragons—and then beat them—for the stuff I need."
Natalie nodded, "I see." She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting him to say. Inwardly, she was disappointed that Matt didn't seem to care that he'd revealed his feelings for her. After a few moments, she asked, "Maybe we can find and kill some dragons working together?"
Matt grinned, "Dragon hunting for a first date? I was sure you'd ask to go to the park, or something."
Natalie's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. Matt held her eyes with a faint tinge of pink on his cheeks, though he still grinned. The mage finally snapped her mouth shut and her face split into a warm smile. She'd thought too soon: Matt had remembered, and was definitely thinking about them as a couple.
"Parks are nice, but dragons always roost where the best views are," Natalie chuckled.
Matt's eyes sparkled as he said, "I knew there was a reason I like you. We can head out after Lance and Anna get back." The swordsman slid his chair back to look under the table, "Hey, NoLegs, Godcat? Natz and I are going to go hunt dragons tomorrow. Do you two want to come along, or would you be okay by yourselves?"
Godcat exchanged a look with NoLegs before replying, "You two can go on ahead. NoLegs and I will be figuring out what powers have been returned to him as a cat due to my joining to the team."
"Sounds good," Matt agreed. "We'll all be meeting up in Goldenbrick in about two weeks, so we'll summon you then."
"What's the occasion?" Godcat asked curiously.
Natalie slid back to reply, "We're going to some unexplored continent. It's apparently only been recently discovered, and filled with dangerous monsters." She shot a grin over at Matt and added, "We've seen just about everything around here so we're moving on, and it sounds like the team's kind of place."
Godcat nodded, "It will be interesting to see how the world has changed over the millennia. If you'll excuse us, we'll be heading out now. See you in two weeks."
The two humans bid the cats farewell. There was a brief flash of light, and then the cats were gone. Natalie stood up and followed Matt to their room. Both felt relaxed, and looked forwards to new experiences. Their team was stronger than ever, and the future was bright.
A/N: And there we go! I hope you all enjoyed this last chapter! I like to think the fight came out quite well. :3 The ending was kinda, eh, in my opinion, but I feel that way about all of my endings. think the problem is that I don't want it to end, so i inherently hate that part.
THANK YOU to everyone who left reviews, and to all the silent readers! I love reading your responses, and it is a major encouragement to see them! It's also nice to see the got so many readers in a fairly short time.
I won't be posting a sequel for quite some time. My other posted works have been sadly neglected, and really should be getting priority. For those of you reading Shadow of the Blight, or Retribution, I've started both of the next chapters! I hope to get one or both of them up within a couple weeks, work and plot bunnies willing.
Now then, leave me a few reviews, and I'll see you on other fics! Thanks for reading! \(^0^)/