Rain stared for a moment. Vulpuz raised his sword and gave a loud roar of triumph. Rain saw that amid the black of it, there was also a spurt of red. Someone had already fallen to the demon fox's blade. He ran forward, anxious to prevent any others. Vulpuz saw him coming and gave an anticipatory smile, and swung his sword as Rain approached.
The squirrel jumped over the blade, striking Vulpuz's helmeted head with his sword blade. The helmet went flying, knocking Vulpuz back a few paces. Rain turned and blocked the fox's sword before swiping at his legs. Vulpuz nimbly stepped backwards, bringing his own sword up in a diagonal slice from left hip to right shoulder that cut off Rain's chest plate. The armor clanged as it hit the ground. Rain, blood seeping from the shallow wound that now ran across his chest, countered by flourishing his sword in a complicated pattern before lunging at Vulpuz again. The two fought back and forth through the battle, sparks flying from their swords as they collided again and again. Eventually the other fighters unconsciously cleared a circle around them and Vulpuz and Rain stood in the center of it, trading blows with deadly precision and intent.
Vulpuz swung at Rain, hitting the squirrel's left greave and sending it flying off, also knocking Rain off his feet. Rain blocked a second strike with his arm guard, then spun and swept Vulpuz's feet out from under him with his other foot. Rain rolled away from Vulpuz and got up, his sword at the ready. Vulpuz slowly rose, then lashed out with his sword, lightning-quick. Rain felt a hot flash as the sword lacerated his cheek. The squirrel ran forward, his sword thrusting and slicing. Their duel reached a new level of ferocity as the battle raged on around them.
Vulpuz was actually surprised that such a young creature could give him this much contest, but enough was enough. He swept the squirrel's sword aside then clubbed him across the face. Rain went flying a short distance before slamming into a ruined wall.
The battle stopped. The demons watched with anticipation, the woodlanders with fear and tension.
Vulpuz stopped in front of Rain, who was still moving, apparently trying to get up. "And so, it ends. A valiant effort, young one, but in vain. And now, you would do well to prepare yourself. I look forward to torturing you for the rest of eternity!"
Rain's paw suddenly lashed out. There was a loud bang, a puff of smoke, and a cascade of sparks.
Rain still sat there, alive, with his head facing away from Airon's weapon, its barrel still smoking from its recent discharge. Vulpuz stood there, dumbstruck, as a smoking hole in his forehead seeped black blood. "Incredible…" the Lord of Hellgates whispered as he dissolved into ash, the smoke that had broiled within him all along fleeing back into the portal. The remaining demons, screeching in fright at the possibility of abandonment, fled after him.
Martin ran over to Rain. "Rain! Are you alright?"
Rain was breathing heavily, but was otherwise fine. "I…didn't think…it would work," he panted, showing them Airon's weapon. Martin took it and turned it over in his paws.
He then handed it back, smiling. "It looks like your…" his voice trailed off at Rain shaking his head.
"It wasn't me," Rain said. "Thank Airon. He helped build it."
He grabbed a nearby windowless windowsill and pulled himself up, leaning on his sword. He looked at the remaining woodlanders, then raised his sword in victory. The army let out a great shout of triumph, dancing and yelling and hooting in joy as the last demon went through the portal.
Rain did not join the festivities, however. He started to limp through the carnage. Dead demons and woodlanders lay everywhere, blood flowed freely, and wounded creatures groaned. Some of the surviving woodlanders began the grisly affair of finishing off mortally wounded demons. Rain was sure that he had looked all around the battlefield, then sensed something.
Someone was gone. Their presence in the word had vanished. He turned, spotting the body of a large demon, the kind that had ambushed him, Airon, and Katrina on the beach. It looked like it was lying on something…
No. "No!" Rain shouted as he ran on his limp towards the monster. Bracing himself against it he pushed with all his might, and when it fell over, he saw the very thing he had hoped he wouldn't.
"No…" he whispered, kneeling with a small click of armor rubbing together. "Please, no…"
Katrina's body lay on the ground. Rain picked her up gently and rocked her body to and fro, sobbing. "Not you, Katrina. Anyone but you…please…wake up…"
Martin and the others stopped a short distance away. The surviving otters from Katrina's village looked at one another in silence. Martin finally worked up enough courage to walk up to Rain and place a paw on his shoulder. Rain didn't appear to feel it.
"Rain." Martin whispered. Rain looked up. Martin knelt and took one of the squirrel's paws. "She died bravely. Don't think any less of her for that."
Rain looked at the ottermaid's body. "I never even got to say goodbye."
Martin embraced the squirrel in a clack of armor. "It'll be alright, Rain. You'll see her again."
Some of the woodlanders suddenly cried out and stumbled as if suddenly drunk. Rain looked at them. "What's wrong?"
Luke spoke up. "In order to seal the portal, all of the magic that came in has to work to close it up. It's leaving the world and soon after, we, and all the dead, must follow it."
Even as he spoke, there was a loud noise, like the wind blowing. Everyone looked up to see the portal to Hellgates slowly closing. With one final, loud noise like a wave on the shore, it closed. Then, there was a bright blue light. The woodlander army watched in awe as the demon bodies dissolved and an enormous wave of magic swept across the sky and the land. Ash disappeared, trees grew leaves instantly, and the clouds receded, allowing the setting sun to shine through the clouds that had lingered for so long. Grass became green and alive again. It was as if the war had never happened at all.
Rain looked at it in awe. "I spent so much of my life with a wasteland as the norm," he said, "I never even considered how it might look if we won."
Martin smiled. "And it will stay like this forever." He turned to look at Rain. "All because of you."
Rain gave a halfhearted smile, then picked up Katrina's body and walked out of the castle.
Didn't see THAT coming, did you? I told you Airon's weapon would come into the plot later. Anyways, the rest is going to be the return and the departure, but you'll get to see all the characters again. R and R!