Chapter 11 Are We Done Here: Take 2

"Its so good of you to join me," Tom said, "I would never have finished developing my newest creation for Xarle without your help.

"Not a problem, it was a simple matter to infuse the shell with explosives to create the mine effect once stepped on" The man in, blue jeans and a vest with a thick beard, chest hair and unruly mop on his head replied, "And it looks like you are going to get to try it out soon there are demons outside and your friends are in the next car back."

"Ah yes Old Xarle and Blood-Raven never could let a fight pass them up," Tom replied, "Well I guess we should save them."

Character Blood-Raven

An explosion rocked the demon-car, and the door on the other side of the room shattered open and all the remaining demons fell to the floor, dead. From the light coming from the door Blood-Raven could see the outline of some one and she called out, "Tom!"

"Don't worry beautiful," Came the reply in Tom's cocky yet intelligent voice as a second figure joined his in the door way, "We got your backs."

"We," Xarle asked, "and what was that explosion?"

Tom walked out of the door way followed by a very rugged looking man. "Oh the explosion is my newest idea, mine turtles, zombie mine turtles," Tom said. Tom was almost handsome, even to Blood-Raven, with his pale semi-translucent skin, black, stubbly beard and pointy white hair with the red tips... Red Tips? She would have to fix that. He also sported twin skulls on his shoulders and a black leather jacket, pants, boots, and gloves, all lined with bones. Tom was a necromancer.

"Tom what did you do to your hair," she asked him.

"Oh you noticed the dye," Tom exclaimed, "Yes I thought it was a good idea and my friend here agreed."

"Yes who are you," Xarle asked the man in the man in the vest.

"Lets just say that I'm an old friend," the vest man replied, "Now I must be off, Tom use the turtles responsibly." And with that the man was carried off by the wind.

"How did..." Blood-Raven started.

"I've just stopped asking," Tom interrupted, "So whats new with my two favorite demons?"

"Long story short," Xarle replied, "Fighting, demons, portal, dragons, and stuff, now rope out side of the car climb on."

Looking to her right Blood-Raven did see the rope had just been dropped down for them to grab onto. She moved over to it and pulled it inside the car. "You two go first," She said, "I'll be able to catch you if you fall."

"You just don't want me looking up at you," Tom said with a laugh as he grabbed onto the rope, "Come on Xarle."

She watched the two make their way up the rope before hauling herself onto it and climbing up onto Spyro. When she reached the dragon's back Tom had already introduced himself and was talking animatedly with Spyro, while Xarle was stretching his arms out. Blood-Raven walked over and leaned against him, breathing in the subtle smell of burning leaves that always hung around her husband. It was odd for her to think of him like that but after Tristram, the corruption, and now this and they were still together, what else could Xarle be to her.

"Hey you two love birds stop cuddling," Tom said, "Tell me about this group you've fallen in with, I hear that I may remember some of them, or they may remember me."

"Oh yes the Primes," Blood-Raven sighed, "Diablo, Baal, and Mephisto are joined with us in this adventure, but its to fight Lucifer."

Tom looked first dark, a mood that suited him as far as she was concerned but then looked curious. "The Lucifer," He asked, "From the..."

"Yes, him," Xarle replied as he finished stretching his arms and put one around Blood-Raven.

Tom exhaled, then stroked his beard, then ran his fingers through his hair. "Are you sure about this?"

"Certainly not," Spyro replied, "But K is his brother so I'd say we got a fighting chance even before we bring God into the picture."

"God, as in the God, creator of reality, savor of souls, the Just and Holy God," Tom asked and he truly did sound afraid this time.

"According to K yes," Spyro replied, "I, personally, believe him. It makes sense given the context I have for K. Cynder and the rest of my family agree and so do most of the DC crew, except maybe Adam, and the AI's. Though I'm not sure if they count as AI's now or if they are people. It sure is hard to tell them apart."

"Tom what are you talking about," Blood-Raven asked, "God what God, which God?"

"The one from those texts," Tom replied, "The same ones that describe Lucifer, I've translated the rest of them. They tell of the Creator, the One who made and keeps all things, who died so all souls could be his, and who has ultimate authority over everything. None are to powerful for Him to stop, and none can stand before Him."

"Tom, it sounds like your are reading to much into these old text," Xarle said.

"If they are right about Lucifer...," Tom replied.

No one said anything else for the rest of the ride until the ship came into sight.

"Wow," Tom said, "Now that is about as impressive as the metal dragons and people you've found, but I don't see Diablo and crew anywhere."

"Check below," Blood-Raven replied, "By our old fortress."

Below them the telltale signs of Diablo's lightning inferno, Baal's hoar frost, and Mephisto's lightening were lighting up the remains of the demon hoard that invaded their home. Along side them was Cortana in her giant robot, ACU she recalled was the name. Tom was glued to the sight of the massive construct.

"What is that," he asked.

"That is Cortana," Spyro replied, "One of the 'AIs.' Though now I think she counts as alive."

"Very interesting," Tom said, "Very interesting indeed. Who are the others?"

"Well Tex over there, is an AI and Church is the other one," Xarle said, "That's assuming I remembered those right."

"You got them right," Spyro confirmed.

"Spyro," Malafor called from below, "Are you just going to hang there or are you going to let the new comers help fight for their home?"

"Take us down," Blood-Raven said, "I'll not let the Primes set foot in my fortress without being there to watch their backs."

"Glad to see that you are so easily adjusting to this new arrangement," Spyro said as he landed beside Mephisto and added his own spray of lightning to the fight.

"If we have learned one thing," Blood-Raven replied as she jumped down and fired off two arrows into the nearest demons, "Its how to adjust and quickly."

A fire ball from Xarle flew past and blew up at the feet of three of the Mauler demons that had chased them through the portal. Then she heard a "Hello" followed by an explosion then another and another. Tom was raising undead turtles that exploded on anything unlucky enough to step on them. As ridiculous as the spell was it was very, very, effective; leaving only little bits of whatever triggered the explosions. Within minutes the courtyard was clear and they headed for the main gate.

"So this is where you two have been hiding," Diablo remarked, "not bad."

"Ok you all go inside," Cortana said, "I'll stay out here and guard from more attacks."

Blood-Raven nodded as she pulled the concealed release for the gate, then moved into the awaiting shadows cast by the flickering torches that lined the ebony stone walls of her keep. Off of the stone walls echoed the chorus of demonic grunts, growls, and demented laughter that betrayed the presence of the foul creatures that waited within. Xarle and Tom were on either side of her, the alien Arbiter and the armored John were just behind them carrying their very large sniper rifles, then came Dameon and Lucifer followed by Tex.

"Hold up," John said, "Ten targets coming in from the right."

Blood-Raven was about to say something but before she could a pack of almost dog-like demons rounded the corner from the right and charged them with a howl. The demons were very skinny like skin stretched out over a bone frame. They sported pure black orbs for eyes no ears, nose or any other fleshy part on their lithe frames, even their legs dwindled down into just the bones of their claws on each paw. Their tails however had a curved needle-like bone that boasted a nasty poison, and their fangs dripped with molten substances, that smelt like both flesh and rock.

The pack skidded to a stop just ten feet away, as if waiting for something, then one of them leaped forward and exploded in the air. Blood-Raven heard a grunt from behind her and turned to see Daemon bracing himself against his brother. Before she could get a better grasp of the situation, however, the remaining nine beast attacked. Out of the ground between the dog-demons, and herself rose a wall of bone, then a blood golem; Tom's handy work. He cast another spell, probably one of the many curses he knew, then backed up behind John. Xarle raised a golem of his own though it, unlike the blood and bone construct of Tom's making, was more autonomous and would wander off once these hounds were dealt with. Blood-Raven had spells of her own that she had picked up during her own adventures while fighting Diablo but they were not on the same level of Xarle's.

"Careful, those things are much stronger than they look," Daemon said, "Took half of my considerable energy to explode just that one. I dare not repeat that feat right now."

"Don't worry," John said, "Bullets don't generally care. Tex you want to show them how its done, or should we?"

"Stand aside," Tex said, "This will only take a second."

"Its already done," Tom said, "Listen."

Blood-Raven did listen and heard nothing, nothing not even the dogs' breathing.

"How did," Arbiter asked.

"Iron Maiden curse," Tom replied, "reflects physical damage back on the aggressor but at five times the amount, the dogs didn't have much of a chance since all they had were melee attacks. They killed themselves on the bone wall."

"Good," Blood-Raven said, "Now get it down so we can move on."

Tom snapped his fingers and the wall collapsed revealing the lacerated corpses of the demons-dogs. Blood-Raven nudged one with her arrow just to make sure the beasts were dead, then nodded and moved on through the hall way. She was headed for the main chamber, Xarle and her's bedroom, since that was where the general overseeing this rabble of demons was last seen. A large brute, twelve feet tall, nine hundred pounds, all scaly, boney, reddish-orange plated muscle that had three yellow eyes and carried a massive ax, the edge of which was as long as she was tall. The demon, like Xarle and herself, might have been human once because the rest of its body was shaped in the same manner as theirs.

As the seven of them approached the doors to the bedroom, a deep, rumbling, voice spoke up as the doors flew open. "Now you will either serve master Lucifer or die resisting him!" The general ducked through the doors and straightened up to his full height in the vaulted hallway where a swing of his ax would take out the entire party. Behind them more of the demon dogs blocked the path back, they were stuck.

"Let me get behind him," Tex whispered, "Just distract him for a second or two." Then Tex backed up behind John and melded into the shadows.

"Well why don't you tell us your name then," Blood-Raven said, "After all if its a fight I'd like to know who I'm going to kill for messing up my house."

"You challenge me? Very well, Vron will see you all dead this day," Vron, the general, replied. Then he started swinging his ax and pressing them all back towards the hounds. Tom's golem, and the five skeleton warriors that he created from the dogs, rushed forward to meet the giant as an Iron Maiden appeared over its head. The ring of Arbiter's and John's guns echoed from the walls as they opened up, twin black beams jutted from Daemon and Lucifer's hands and pierced the scales on Vron. Xarle raised a golem of his own, then four guardians, three headed serpent-like creatures, erupted out of the ground and started spitting fire balls at the demon, followed by fireballs of Xarle's own. Blood-Raven was letting fly arrow after fiery arrow that found their new home in Vron's head, chest and neck. Then Tex appeared behind the giant and pulled out two, turtles? She ran and jumped onto the demon's back as she threw the mine turtles towards the walls, then planted four spike grenades on Vron's head before jumping down back into the group as Tom surrounded them with walls of bone. A second after Tex landed an explosion shook the bone prison and the ceiling collapsed, but was caught by the invisible powers of Daemon and Lucifer. They flung the pieces off the top of them and onto where Vron's mangled corpse lay.

"Well good riddance," Xarle said, "Well, I see now how well you all work together, glade we're on your side."

"Thanks," John said, "What about the dogs?"

"I'll keep them of course," Blood-Raven said, "After all I'm the most powerful demon around so they are mine now. They can stay here and guard whats left of the fort, good thinking bringing down the ceiling on him like that."

"I figured it would be the only thing large enough to kill him," Tex said, "so I used it."

"Creative," Tom said, "Glad the turtles are coming in useful. Now show me this ship of yours and let me meet the rest of the crew."

"I'm sure K would be happy to introduce you," Blood-Raven said then with a smirk, "As for me and Xarle, well lets just say we can get creative too."

Character Kalathanon

"Ah the troublesome Tom makes his grand appearance," K said as Blood-Raven and the others returned to the hanger with Tom, "Nice hair."

"Thanks," Tom said, "And you must be K, a pleasure."

"Well might as well introduce you to the crew," K said, "Though I see you've already met several of them."

"Well I had already known Xarle, Blood-Raven, Mephisto, Diablo, and Baal, but If the rest are as interesting as those here I will be glad to meet them."

"Well, This is Doug," K said as he waved to the biomass that was Doug which encompassed the ship, "Doug say hello to our newest member."

"Hello Tom," Doug's deep gravely voice thundered, "Welcome to my ship."

"Its a ship," Tom said, "No your not the ship are you?"

"No, I simply inhabit and drive the ship," Doug replied, "But I am not the actual vessel in which you are standing."

"Doug is a Grave-mind," K continued as he led Tom through the hallways of the ship to the bridge where the others would be, "A massive parasitic life-form that can take control of the bodies of our enemies and use them against our foes."

"Like an animator?" Tom asked.

"Not quite," Doug replied, "I also gain access to the individual's knowledge and have the choice of allowing them to keep their mind even after the transformation into a Flood. Such is the case with Johnson who you will meet momentarily."

"Ok That's one who is as interesting as I had hoped," Tom said, "What about yourself, I hear rumors of some very impressive history on your part."

"So Raven did peak your curiosity about me," K chuckled, "That's good. Well to start with I and most all the dragons on here are Leviathans, meaning we are far more powerful, and have more responsibilities, than any normal dragon, Carter and Cloak are also Leviathan though right now they are in a human form. Originally there were twelve of us, twelve Leviathans, Scaron, Elantra, Pyros, Kitara, Scion, Elly, Alverion, Saphira, Lucifer, Mammon, Celantra and myself."

"Hold up," Tom said, "Your saying that the Lucifer is a Leviathan?"

"Was," K sadly replied, "He, Mammon, and I lost that title when we rebelled against God, along with Moroni, Ashera, Baal, and Moloch. Together we were collectively called Satan, but now, I am redeemed, and Moroni has been erased from time. The remaining five are still trying to subvert this creation and its up to me and DC to stop it. So that's my background, am I completely free from my demonic side, no, but now I channel it, harness it, and turn the demon's own powers against them. Just don't be surprised if I sometimes act more like a demon lord than a servant of God, because I am both. I would be willing to speak with you more on this if you wished but the others are gathered and ready to meet you, I have business elsewhere right now but Doug can preform the introductions. Welcome to Dragon Company, prepare for the weird and the wild."

K left Tom at the entrance to the Bridge where Doug was waiting in a flood form to escort the necromancer into the other members of DC, but K needed to talk with Spyro, Ignitus and Malafor and so did not have the time to mingle with the rest of his friends. The three dragons were waiting for him down in the hanger with the rest of the crew who helped get Tom.

"Ah so our rascally Necro is on his way to stardom then," Xarle asked as K reentered the hanger.

"Something like that," K said, "Well I was just going to ask for a conversation with Spyro, Ignitus and Malafor but I might as well include you all, since you're here. We have to decide what to do about the various worlds that are invested in us, Earth, Avalar, Serra, Sanctuary, San-Helios, to name a few. I don't know if we have the time to go to each world that we have been to and fight the demons there, but we may be able to leave a group of several of us on each world, Delta and Jackson have already declared that they would stay on Serra: Marion, Starkiller and Satan's family will remain in Kirkwall when we return there but if we lose to many I doubt we will have sufficient numbers to lay siege to Hell."

"Who can go into Hell anyway," Diablo asked, "Even in our hell, we didn't just let anyone walk in."

"That's the other thing," K said, "Only those who have already been in, have some form of protection from, or are strong enough to endure Hell can get in. Now after Marion's group leaves that will be the last of those who don't meet those requirements, so all the rest of us could go, but that leaves only a few of us on each world."

"That is probably the best bet then," Cyril said, "We don't want to call attention to the groups that we leave behind so they have a better chance of taking any demonic reinforcements by surprise, while at the same time conserving our strength for the main attack."

"I must agree," Ignitus added, "Even as it saddens me to leave our friends I know it is for the best."

"And besides if we fail in Hell, then even if we left you and Celantra on a planet eventually you would be overwhelmed by the flood of darkness that is poised to spill out into creation," Malafor said.

"Agreed," Cynder said, "The bulk of us must stay together to stand against the rising tide."

K looked around, noting the expressions of his friends, even the stoney-face Blood-Raven. They were determined to see this fight through. "Well then enough chatting," K declared, "Lets get upstairs and see how Tom is getting along."

Tom was getting along just fine, sitting back in a chair feet propped up on a navigation panel, swapping out stories with Tyreal to the rest of DC.

"I knew this assassin once, brilliant girl really but to high strung for me, she was fantastic, could slip a dagger or one of those fancy fist blades in and out of three monsters before the first one hit the floor," Tom was saying, "We roved the foothills outside the rouge monastery for many a night after Andarial was vanquished, by me of course, cleaning up the remaining monsters and such. But eventually we had to go our separate ways, mine led off to the east towards Baal, while hers headed more to the north some crazy mage or something that needed to be dealt with."

"Are you still telling stories about Luna," Xarle asked from K's left as his group walked in.

"Obviously," Tom replied as he jumped down from the chair, "You know, you could have told me that Tyreal was with you guys, would have saved me quite a shock seeing him helping his arch-enemies."

"Alright you've had your fun now time to do some work," K declared, "Doug takes us back to the main cluster, Delta get your things together your going home!"

"Yeah now that's what I like to hear," Coal yelled, "Serra, baby, the Coal Train is coming to save you!"

"So are we done here," Fenix asked.

"That we are, though we will head to Sanctuary for a time as well," K added, "After going to Haven and Kirkwall."

"Preparing to make the jump in five," Doug said, "Hold onto something."

K shifted to his half-form and dug his claws into the ground, C and the other dragons did the same, the Spartans activated their gravity boots, but Delta, Tom, Blood-Raven and Xarle were still reaching for a railing when the ship jumped. K caught, Xarle and Jackson, Tyreal caught Tom, Baird and Coal, Fenix and Dom steadied each other, Anya pulled out a dagger and stabbed it into the wall to keep her footing, and Blood-Raven back-flipped over a lose chair that was sent her direction, before landing on her feet and grabbing onto a railing. Then the ship was out of the hyperspace jump and another lurch rocked the crew, but they were ready for it. Out of the viewing window was Serra, a world of extreme creatures, terrain, and most importantly people.

"Ok we've no idea what the demons have down on the planet," K said, "But the over arching goal is find the gates and neutralize them. Now that won't stop the demons from emerging but it will slow them down considerably. Fenix get on the radio with Hoffman, tell him that DC is back."

"Got it," Fenix said, "Hoffman this is Fenix, I'm in orbit above the planet right now, how are things down there?"

"Fenix?" Came the reply over the radio, "I don't believe it do you have like a sense for when things are about to implode? We got a new enemy the likes of which you wouldn't believe, if that K fellow is still around I'd be real appreciative of his help right now."

"Yeah he is still here and we got some other friends too," Fenix replied, "Where do you need us to put down?"

"Bout the only safe place anymore is the town of Mercy, all the survivors on the planet, Locust included, have gathered there for our final stand, but with you all back maybe we will have a shot at this yet, I'm too old to fight these wars Marcus, and you all should be too, unless your time with that freak has made you all as ageless as him." Hoffman replied.

"Old or not we will still help," Fenix responded, "See you in thirty." Then with the radio off, "K he is right we've been gone for twenty years, how is it that we have not aged?"

"That happens to those who are around Leviathans a lot," K replied, "And the effect is increased with the more Leviathans that you are around and you all have not just been around a lot of Leviathans but eight of the most powerful of our kind. Scaron may I?"

"Certainly," the elderly man replied.

K gathered his power then unleashed it on Scaron, Elantra, Alverion, Saphira, Scion, Elly, Pyros and Kitara, in a white wave of searing light, that caused even Tyreal to look away. After the wave passed however in the place of the eight Champions, stood the other eight original Leviathans. Scaron was a combination of fire and water, the two flowing and swirling along his outline, Elantra was the same but with wind and rock. Alverion was a deep rusty color, similar to RuGaard, but with a hard sheen to his scales that shone like sunbeams. Saphira was a sparkling watery blue, the polar opposite of the other Saphira's coloring.

Scion was a deep almost blackish green that seemed to draw in the light and hold it within his scales, Elly was an amber color with a similar translucency to her scales that allowed one to see her skin under them, a unique feature that no Leviathan or dragon has had since. Pyros was comprised of blue and white fire that flared and sputtered throwing off smoke and heat in considerable amounts until he turned down the intensity of his fire to a warm reddish-orange. Kitara was ice, equal in complexity and intensity to her mate's fire her ice would move like a glacier shifting and cracking then reforming within the confines of her outline.

"Behold the Leviathans, our siblings," Celantra said, "all are here save Lucifer and Mammon, but I hope that this gives you an idea about who and what we go to face."

"So we are ageless then," Jackson said, "Just like you Eragon," the closest of the three riders.

"Aye you are all bound to us just as we are bound to all of you," Scaron said, "It is the privilege and responsibility of a Leviathan. Our friends are not scarred by time, but neither can they ever really be a part of time again. So we must always be there for you all, because there will never be anyone else who can be."

"Well That's just great," Fenix said, "Now Hoffman really will have ammo for jokes. Lets just get down there and see what is so bad that it has the humans and locust working together, that will be a sight."