A Second Chance at Life Chapter 18, a harry potter fanfic

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Please review again. I hope you like the twist at the end.

Chapter 18

The forest was dense, so any army had to spread out. But even spread out between the trees the Inca presence was too much for the two of them to overcome, not when they were also trying to keep their friends safe. Rahkesh eyed the hundred of eyes and faces staring at him from amongst the jungle green and realized that they had no way out. If he could get his broom then he could fly out, but to do that he would have to go above the canopy. But getting above the forest canopy was a sure death. The Inca would have archers in the trees or on any high ground they could find. Not to mention they probably had sorcerers. Nic had told them they were powerful enough to see and get into the Chachapoyaro's magical cities, Rahkesh had little doubt they could also cast dangerous spells. The forest offered more cover.

At the same time Rahkesh knew he was in no shape for any sort of battle. The past twenty-four hours had sapped his energy and strength and the recent demon's venom had left him feeling weak as a newborn kitten. His bloodmagic had probably been disrupted by the dragon's blood and the chance of strength potions reacting badly with the venom or blood was too high to risk. A physical fight would surely kill him. Rahkesh could feel that he was unsteady and unbalanced, despite the healing magics his side hurt horribly where skin and been forced to regenerate too quickly. At the moment all he wanted was to sleep for a month.

A quick glance at his companion revealed that Nic was not any better off than he was. Rahkesh had not noticed it before but Nic's collision with the boulder had injured him badly. His back was soaked with the blood that was running down the back of his head. His skin was deathly pale and Nic was swaying unsteadily on his feet. Nic might still have some magical strength left but it seemed all too likely that he had a skull fracture or a concussion. The idea that Nic could be forming blood clots in his brain at that moment was not comforting.

Rahkesh glanced upwards, wondering if they could take cover in the trees. Above him he spotted a long coil of green. A tree snake! Rahkesh concentrated and switched to parseltongue.

Hello.

Who speaks?

I, Rahkesh. The men with the tattoos are trying to kill my friend and I. Can you help us? The snake stared at him, flicking its tongue. Finally it replied.

How would I do that?

Go uphill towards the big stones. I know you cannot climb them. But please try to find a black snake by the name of Sygra. The tree snake thought for a few moments then nodded.

The tattooed men like to kill my kind and skin us. They are wearing snake skin. I do not like that. You fight them? I will help you. It decided, then vanished into the trees in seconds. Leaving Rahkesh staring after it, and hoping that it would find Sygra.

Realizing that Sygra was above the wall he thought hard, searching for all of his memories of his pet and reaching with all the mental strength he had to reach her. He didn't even know if what he was attempting was possible, but Sygra would have to get down the wall if she was to find him.

WHACK! The arrow suddenly protruding from the tree beside his ear made Rahkesh jump. A quick flurry of other arrows followed, but Rahkesh had already dropped to the ground. He landed, conveniently half hidden by a demon wing.

"Ah!" Rahkesh rolled over; Nic was still standing, miraculously unharmed. The cry had come from the Inca who had tried to sneak up behind Nic; said Inca now appeared to be dead or unconscious at his feet. Nic was holding a staff, where had that come from?

A man raced past, armed with an axe, Nic cracked him over the head and he crumpled to the ground. Rahkesh rolled to his feet and drew knife, hurling it into the throat of another charging Inca.

The arrows seemed to have been the signal to attack. Now Inca were appearing everywhere. Rahkesh ducked another arrow, thankful of the dense forest for its protecting.

"Reducto!" That particular spell had some rather nasty effects upon a human, Rahkesh mused, especially when it hit the throat. An effective, if messy, way to kill. "Fulguris!" Several people screamed as lightning lashed out, and thunder cracked and rumbled, halting the Inca in their tracks. They hadn't prepared for people with magic.

Someone shouted an order. The Inca shifted about a bit.

"Duck!" Nic shouted as another flight of arrows soared through the trees. Rahkesh ducked and tried to roll behind the demon again.

"Argh!" He couldn't stop his cry as he felt one arrow sink into his arm. Crap. This day just got worse and worse. Rahkesh cast a banishing charm, throwing a whole troop of Inca archers head over heals into the dense undergrowth. Then collapsed onto his side

Seeing Rahkesh go down Nic pulled out a handful of powder from one of the pouches attached to his belt, threw it into the air, followed by another powder from a different pouch. Then he raised both glowing hands and shouted. With a great whoosh of air the powder blew out into a thick fog. Nic waved one hand and a sudden gust of wind blew the fog out in a circle around them. Arrows came flying through the air, but, unable to see, the Inca couldn't aim. Second later they were retreating to keep the fog from touching them. Nic rolled across the open trail to his side.

"Okay?" Rahkesh nodded, gritting his teeth. The arrow was imbedded deep in his arm. Nic examined the wound quickly while another flight of arrows bounced of the demon's partially extended wing.

"It's barbed. I can't pull it out. The only thing to do is to take it out the other side." Nic said, pulling out a knife and cutting off the end of the arrow. He braced Rahkesh's arm against his thigh and, before Rahkesh could realize what he was doing or protest, rammed the arrow all the way out the other side of his arm.

Rahkesh's vision went gray, he might have screamed, he couldn't tell. The arrow was drawn out the other side of his arm, showing vicious backward facing barbs and a long trail of blood.

"Sorry, Inca poison their arrows, the quicker they're removed the better." Nic apologized as he ripped up the bandages he'd used earlier to clean out Rahkesh's shoulder wounds and wrapped them around his arm. Around them the fog was thinning.

WHAM! An axe landed beside Nic's foot. Nic jerked back and spun, striking out with his staff. The staff smashed the Inca behind them in the groin, and then cracked him hard under the chin, then again over the head. He collapsed to the ground atop the unmoving demon. The fog was gone and the Inca returned.

"We're surrounded." Nic said, lifting his head a few inches to check. He waved his hands again and screams erupted about the forest. Nic pointed and two Inca collapsed, writhing.

Rahkesh got to his knees, searching the forest for the traps they had littered it with earlier. Anything to use against the Inca. Switching to parseltongue he called, listening for any reply from the venomous snakes he'd released.

A sudden scream distracted him, Nic was fighting off six very determined Inca. The men had axes and one was holding a broken bow. They were dodging about as Nic's deadly staff swung at their heads. Rahkesh pulled himself half up and without really thinking conjured up a wave of acid. A particularly nasty spell he'd learned from Daray.

The Inca fell, screaming and trying to wipe the acid off them. Nic efficiently knocked them all out in seconds with swift blows to their heads. Rahkesh sagged again, he hadn't thought about how much energy full chemical conjuring like that took. Usually he didn't even think about it. In his injured state it was almost more than he could take.

Another flight of arrows soared in; Nic ducked away and readied himself for another attack. Rahkesh, gritting his teeth so hard he thought they would crack, cast a few healing spells, and then pulled Nic down beside him. The fight had restarted the bleeding from Nic's head wound and he did not like the gray color Nic's skin was turning.

"Hold still." He told him, casting a quick healing spell. He knew nothing of head wounds, but the injury identification charm hadn't showed any major damage. So he assumed it wouldn't hurt to heal the flesh wound. Hopefully they'd get to a real healer soon.

"Any ideas of how to get out?" Nic asked. Rahkesh glanced around, trying to think of something. Rahkesh shook his head and cast another lightning spell at a trio of charging men. They all collapsed with screams and the noise from the thunder shook the ground. Listening to the deafening rumble and the screams Rahkesh started to hear another sound as well.

Slowly it rose around them, a deafening blood curdling war cry that stopped everyone in their tracks. Seconds later the screams were so loud Rahkesh had to cover his ears.

Then hordes of men and women wielding machetes, knives and staves charged into the clearing and swarmed over the Inca. These people were not tattooed, and they wielded superior weapons with amazing skill. Rahkesh rose to his feet as he watched the hordes of Inca falling down and dying in a visible wave as the newcomers charged through them like dragons through a heard of sheep. Beside him Nic started to laugh with joy.

"The Xuelhuala! They're here!" He called to Rahkesh over the death screams and war cries.

XXXXX

Ever since his arrival at Vailape Rahkesh had been hearing about the Xuelhuala warriors, continuously, just about every day. Lacking any form of religion the famed defenders of the Chachapoyaro were the closest things to gods the Chachapoyaro had. It seemed to be the dying ambition of every young child to join the warriors in their hidden city deep within the mountains. The Chachapoyaro sincerely believed that there were no fighters, anywhere, that could best their warriors. The Chachapoyaro were arrogant about a lot of things but their smug supremacy in the fighting arts bordered on obnoxious.

The unfailing devotion the citizen of Vailape showed the secretive warriors had always amazed Rahkesh. For such a logical, often cynical, people, they either had an amazing blind spot, or the warriors were really that good. Every command from the hidden city was followed instantly as if it were a mandate from god and when the warriors had shown up to help the city through the plague the local defenders instantly bowed to their orders without the slightest complaint. The warriors of Xuelhuala were always right about everything. And, to Rahkesh's surprise, the warriors never abused that respect and obedience.

Now, seeing the warriors destroy the Inca like an industrial lawnmower through a field of high grass Rahkesh had to admit that perhaps the fame was completely deserved. Never had even imagined such efficient ruthless killing to be possible. The Xuelhuala warriors destroyed the Inca, at a run. Their speed was frightening, even at a run they could cut down a score of Inca in less than a minute. Behind the advancing lines of the warriors not a single Inca was left alive. The warriors moved in three lines, one behind the other, the first two mortally wounding the enemy and the third finishing them off. Not a single Inca put up enough for a fight to slow them even for a moment.

As the massacre passed behind them and away into the forest, the Inca now fleeing in terror, the fourth line came through. These warriors made absolutely certain that each and every Inca was dead. They also were disabling all the remaining traps (there were almost none left) that had been put up only two days earlier. Behind them came a patrol. Eleven warriors running a slow lope, checking each trail for any injured allies. Nic waved a hand and beckoned them over.

As the men and women surrounded them Rahkesh, feeling safe at last, went to check on his vampire friends. The warriors saw the demons and did a complete double take at the sight of the two unconscious demons, and two unconscious vampires, who were all still glowing.

Rahkesh cast a charm to reveal any injuries. As he ran it over the vampires he was relieved to see that the injuries taken in battle with the demons were healed. But neither vampire was moving, neither was conscious, and Rahkesh went cold as his scan of their brains revealed absolutely no brain activity at all.

"Rahkesh!" Rahkesh turned, to see Silas running down the trail behind the last of the patrol, Nuri bounding along beside him. Sygra was wrapped around Silas's neck.

Rahkesh sighed in relief, and then threw himself out of the way as Nuri let out a roar and charged the demons. Before their startled eyes the panther went right for the throat of the nearest demon (which happened to be the darker one) and ripped into it with claws and fangs. Snarling and growling the panther gnawed into the neck, spitting out scales.

"Nuri!" Silas said, pulling the panther away. "What is that?"

"That," Rahkesh replied, "is a demon." Silas stared at him, then grabbed Nuri by the collar and dragged him away.

"Nuri stop it. That things blood can't be good for you!" The younger panther snarled at his owner and threw himself forward again. Silas yanked him back and pressed the panther to the ground with a hand at the back of his neck. Nuri spit and hissed furiously.

The eleven warriors formed a circle around them, eyeing the demons warily.

"How did that happen?" The woman who appeared to be in charge finally asked.

"The Inca. They summoned the demons to help them." Rahkesh replied.

"And the vampires?"

"Got into a fight with the demons. I have no idea what's happening right now." Rahkesh said with a shrug. He was exhausted and his head was starting to spin. The adrenaline of the brief fight was wearing off fast and his arm ached. His whole body ached. Rahkesh sat down on a fallen log and slumped.

Silas caught Rahkesh as the human suddenly toppled to the ground. Levitating Rahkesh the vampires finally stunned his panther to stop the enraged cat. Sygra slipped off Silas to wrap herself protectively around Rahkesh.

"What happened?" Silas asked. Nic, who was sitting down and looking deathly pale, shook his head, wincing when it pulled at his wound.

"A very long story. Can we go back to the city first, before I pass out as well?"

XXXX

Late that night the warriors finally called it off, returning to the wall and the city. Over a hundred sentries posted about the forest and mountain would sound an alarm if anything happened. The demons, in chains, were brought back and chained to a few massive boulders against the mountainside. A score of warriors and a half dozen sorcerers stood guard over them and the vampires.

The vampires were still out and still glowing. Kalahimran and few of his best sorcerers were examining the vampires and demons, trying to figure out what was happening.

His head wound, and the minor concussion, healed, Nic told them what had happened to the four. Predictably the sorcerers threw a collective fit at the idea of Rahkesh drinking dragon blood. But the fit the Xuelhuala warriors threw at the idea of the Inca summoning demons was much worse.

Thirty warriors were dispatched to the clearing where the summoning had taken place, accompanied by four warrior-sorcerers. Nic explained its exact location and that the altar had been made of solid gold, and was therefore very heavy. Moving it would not only be very difficult, but would leave an obvious trail through the forest.

Xeri collected Daray's bat and convinced the creature to leave off pining for its master long enough to feed and rest. Satan had settled onto Daray's shoulder and promptly started shrieking and wailing, unusual high-pitched sounds that no one had ever heard a bat make before. The bat's reaction to its master's state hadn't done anything to calm anyone.

Rahkesh was oblivious to all of this, still unconscious. Xeri, Vey and Silas settled around their own fire with their two exhausted friends. The healers had said that all Rahkesh really needed was sleep. Nycahalia had studied Rahkesh's magic and had come to the same conclusion. He was magically exhausted so far it was amazing he wasn't comatose.

Silas had enervated Nuri, but the panther had to be restrained again from attacking the demons. It was well after dark before Silas calmed him enough to sit down and relax a little.

"You're sure there were only two demons?" Silas asked Nic as the three ate dinner. Nic nodded.

"Yes. I don't know anything about portals but it looked like it heated up more and more with each demon, it was glowing by the time the second one was completely through. Another few might have melted it." Nic recalled.

"That's why there are never very many demons in this world, the portals can't handle it." Rahkesh whispered softly. The three looked at him, Rahkesh blinked and looked around. It was dark out, there were no clouds and the stars were visible. Nic was cradling his head in his lap while Nuri was draped over his legs. The great cat purred softly, the sound rumbling through his body and into Rahkesh.

"How do you feel?" Nic asked. Rahkesh closed his eyes again and searched, from his toes to fingers, searching for any pain or damage. He felt fine. Exhausted, but otherwise fine.

"Okay. Daray and Sharahak?"

"Still out, and still glowing. Kalahimran is starting to think that there's some sort of telepathic/mind-link going on." Silas said.

"The healers say you need to sleep. The more you sleep the quicker your body will repair itself." Nic told him. Rahkesh snorted.

"Sleep? When Daray and Sharahak are sharing their minds with demons? Not likely."

"It is the fastest way to heal." Nic told him, Rahkesh rolled his eyes.

"And I want to be awake if anything happens," he said. The three traded looks and glanced over at the healers. Nycahalia had been rather adamant about Rahkesh sleeping. Xeri signaled something to Nic over Rahkesh's head and Nic nodded. He placed his hands on Rahkesh's temples and slowly began to massage his scalp. His hands were still covered with the gold gloves and they soon began to glow. A warm, contented, sleeping feeling began to spread throughout Rahkesh's body. In second Rahkesh was asleep again.

"Neat. What was that?" Silas asked.

"A type of magical hypnotism." Nic said as Rahkesh went limp and relaxed into a deep sleep. "Very effective."

"About the vampires. What are we going to do if they wake up possessed by demons?" Xeri asked. The others had no answer.

"We'll deal with that if it happens," Silas decided. Nuri looked over at the demons and growled.

XXXX

Rahkesh woke the next morning feeling better rested than he'd ever felt. He was lying on his back beside the still warm remains of the fire, head pillowed in Nic's lap. Sygra was coiled on his chest, watching him wake. She was also glaring at him with a sort of absolute fury Rahkesh hadn't seen before. Oh no.

You are NEVER going ANYWHERE without me again. Do you understand? The snake demanded. Rahkesh stared for a moment, then he thought about that.

Absolutely. Not happening again. Sygra flicked her tongue and waited. But you know I can't do that. I can't take you everywhere.

Someone has to look after you, obviously you can't do it yourself. And the vampires weren't much help.

I'll try not to leave you behind, but you really can't go everywhere. Rahkesh said with a sigh. Sygra twisted her head about and tucked it under her coils. Communicating with out words her displeasure at that.

"What did the snake say?" Rahkesh looked up to see Nic watching the annoyed serpent.

"She doesn't want me to go anywhere without her again. Apparently I can't take care of myself." Rahkesh said. Nic smirked.

"She has a point." Rahkesh stared.

"What?"

"Hmm, well there was the fight with the dragon, then drinking dragon blood, then getting bitten by a vampire, then getting attacked by demons, then getting poisoned by a demon, then taking an arrow through your arm…I don't know, she might be right." Nic said as Rahkesh glared up at him.

"You're not helping."

"You do have the worst luck."

"Or the best. I lived didn't I?"

"And we still don't know what the dragon blood actually did to you."

"No, but I'm alive. And the blood was probably good."

"Is such a series of events normal for you?" Nic asked. Rahkesh shrugged.

"Maybe. A little. Sometimes." He said. Nic snorted in disbelief.

"I'll take that to mean that such things happen frequently."

"Not that often!"

"Of course not." Nic drawled, clearly not believing a thing a he was saying. Rahkesh huffed in annoyance; he didn't get into such messes that often!

"What's happening?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"The Xuelhuala warriors have the forest covered. No threat really. It's the demons that has everyone worried. Them and that dragon. Something needs to be done about those demons, and no one knows what to do." Rahkesh carefully removed Sygra from his chest, wrapping her around his neck. Sygra glared but didn't complain. Nic helped him sit up and Rahkesh looked around.

It was well after dawn but much of the camp wasn't stirring yet. There were sentries everywhere and smoke was rising from the morning cook fires. A larger group of sorcerers, easily visible in their colorful robes and holding long magical staffs was standing beside the bodies of the demons and vampires, talking amongst themselves. Kalahimran was there, easily identified by his bald head and white eye patch. He was waving his staff in circles over a demon. And then talking to a apprentice who was writing things down. Alert warriors were surrounding them, watching the demons for any sign of life. Silas was with them, sitting on a rock watching his unconscious cousin glumly.

Rahkesh got up and walked over to them, Nic following. Silas ignored their approach but Nuri growled a welcome.

"Feeling any better?" Kalahimran asked.

"Yes. What's happening?" Rahkesh asked. Kalahimran gestured to the demons.

"Well we know what's going on here. This isn't the first time the Chachapoyaro have encountered demons. The city of Xuelhuala has records from many centuries ago of demons attacking, they captured the portal used from our enemies at that time, along with all their records." Kalahimran explained. "The demons are weaker than they would ever otherwise be after first coming into this world. How weak depends upon the portal. This portal was poorly built. Most portals can't be moved. In making it mobile its creator also damaged any demon that tried to get through. So much energy is expended just getting into this world that there is little left."

Rahkesh found that hard to believe. The demons had been plenty strong enough the way they were. They could be even more dangerous?

"So what is this?" He asked, gesturing to the demons.

"Well we can't say for sure, but by examining the magics we have some idea. The demons knew they were weak and so when given the opportunity they tried to take over the vampire's minds and bodies, drain them of their magic and strength. Only Sharahak has evaded body snatchers before and your friend here has some powerful magics. And they both noticed what was happening in time to partially block the demons. The demons can kill them this way by feeding off the vampire's magic and life until they fully die. In order to stop it I think we'd have to kill the demons. While somehow separating the vampire's minds from those of the demons." Kalahimran finished with a sigh and shrug.

Rahkesh had no formal education on mind magic, but even he could see the problem. How to get to the vampire's minds without getting trapped by the demons? And, once there, how to separate the two enough that the demons could be killed without harming the vampires? Like surgery to remove a deadly parasite. A parasite with telepathy, magic, and ability to kill instantly when awakened.

"Do you have any people good with mind magic?" Rahkesh asked.

"Yes, Nycahalia is very good at it, the best we have. And with Silas here, and yourself, getting Daray out is certainly possible. But I don't know about Sharahak. He doesn't have any blood relatives…" Kalahimran drifted off, staring sadly at the dying vampire.

"Actually that might not be true. I saved his life with my blood, I'm sure that created some sort of connection." Rahkesh replied. Kalahimran's one eye brightened immediately.

"yes, yes, that could be very useful. Let me go talk to Nycahalia." Kalahimran hurried away, leaving them to watch the unmoving demons.

"We were very lucky." Nic said finally. "They could have been a lot more dangerous." Rahkesh nodded his agreement.

"He'll be fine Silas. We're going to get him out as soon as Kalahimran comes back." Rahkesh assured the vampire. Silas didn't appear to hear.

XXXX

"Remember telepathy of this sort is inherently dangerous. If at any time you start losing contact with your physical body leave at once. Whether you're done or not get out as soon as you feel the connection with your body starting to fade. Understood?" Nycahalia asked. Rahkesh and Silas nodded. The sorceress placed her staff aside and directed them to their positions surrounding Daray. The three sat down and got comfortable, the process was likely to take several hours. While they did that Kalahimran sat down beside Sharahak, while Rahkesh sat between Sharahak and Daray. Kalahimran had decided that freeing both demons at once was probably the best thing to do, which was making Rahkesh nervous because he would be helping to free both of them.

It was fairly easy for the four to reach the vampire's minds. The telepathic fight going on was quite 'noisy', in that they could find the vampires by the amount of telepathic energy they were giving off. The instant Rahkesh started trying to reach he was swamped by uncontrolled, undirected telepathy. The excess power flowing off the four battling creatures. Colors and sounds and sensations poured across his mind, none of them making any sense, all of them random. He could feel the fight going on. Harsh telepathic energy struggling back and forth for supremacy.

Rahkesh had never done telepathy like this. This was mind magics of the sort that a master would perform. He understood telepathy very little, having learned what he knew from books on occlumency, meditation, and observing the vampires. But Nycahalia's directions had been exact and easy to follow. She was talking now, though Rahkesh could barely hear her.

"You need to find your way to the one you want to reach. Try to find the telepathy that matches their personality." She said. How Nycahalia could talk while surrounded by unrelenting waves of telepathy was something Rahkesh couldn't fathom. He was being so drawn into the telepathic maelstrom that it was hard to think or hear, he could understand what Nycahalia had said about getting lost in it and loosing connection to your physical body.

He found Daray first, it was fairly simple, he knew Daray's fighting style. Even in a telepathic battle that didn't change. Slow powerful attacks, then a single lightning quick vicious attack, followed by another series of slow blows. Then another strike, fast, and highly damaging. Rahkesh felt as though he could see his friend's mind warring with another presence.

The plan was to slip between the demon and vampires, while still letting them fight. Molding his mind to their battle so that neither sensed him. Once he and Silas were both like that then they could make their presence known and throw the two back into their own minds and bodies.

The demon's mind was as different from Daray as oil form water, and they mixed about as well. Rahkesh could clearly see the line between them. His goal was to become that line, so that the energy of each attack flowed though him unchanged, as though he wasn't there.

Rahkesh slowly slipped in, unnoticed, and let his own mental presence drift between the oil and water. The fight was now going on all around him, the destructive energy of both flowing through him. It didn't hurt. Rahkesh was quite surprised with this development. He had assumed that being between the two would mean feeling the brunt of each attack. But with the attacks flowing through him he didn't feel their destructive power. He was getting pushed back and forth along the line, but he wasn't being harmed.

fascinating Rahkesh felt Silas say across the waves of telepathy. The vampire joined him, moving with the battling powers. I've been telepathic all my life but this is new Rahkesh, not sure if he could speak or if he would be heard, chose to stay silent. Drifting back and forth with each strike and block he could do, but direct communication wasn't something he wanted to try.

Silas, being a lot better at this than him, was assessing the situation. Rahkesh couldn't figure out how to tell who was winning or loosing, or how bad off either side was, but Silas was watching and detecting things that were beyond Rahkesh's ability to sense.

this is not good Silas said. The demon's magic is present throughout Daray. We may be able to separate the minds, but it could destroy Daray physically. Rahkesh didn't ask how that was possible, he didn't see how mind magic could destroy a body, and just trusted that Silas knew what he was doing.

A third presence joined them, this one was Nycahalia, and she was being very cautious. She didn't know either presence and was only touching their mind with as little power as possible. She must be very skilled at mind magics indeed, Rahkesh realized, to easily navigate and around and between all four minds without being sensed.

Rahkesh, if you are ready you can reach out for Sharahak, just follow me Rahkesh didn't respond, but Nycahalia reached out again and sensed his agreement.

This was the really tricky part, being present in both battles at once. They would have gone one at a time but for the problem of one demon notifying the other of the attack. As it was Rahkesh would have very little presence in the battle between Sharahak and the demon. Kalahimran and Nycahalia had known the vampire all their lives and would be doing most of the work there. Rahkesh needed to be able to sense that battle because his connection with Sharahak would allow him to 'talk' the vampire into doing what was needed if he proved problematic.

Nycahalia formed a bridge of sorts between the two battles, Rahkesh just followed her. Here he could observe the second battle and be ready to help if needed. Nycahalia then joined Kalahimran's invisible presence in the other fight. Nycahalia then reached out to all of them.

When I say make your presence known and tear the two apart, make sure that no part of either mind is left behind with the other. Ready. Begin!

Rahkesh and Silas attacked, instead of moving along the line when the two fought they stayed put, refusing to move. Now they were absorbing the attacks instead of allowing them through.

The immediate impact of the last blows struck hit Rahkesh hard. Pain and fury washed across his mind in furious waves. He tried to ignore it and stayed where he was. The two overpowering presences clashed, the demon striving to attack again, while Daray quickly understood what was happening and tried to move back into his own mind. Reaching out to the other battle Rahkesh sensed Sharahak doing the same.

Then the problems began. The vampires couldn't return to their own minds. The demon magic that they had sensed throughout the vampires wasn't so much the demon's mental presence, as it was a physical magic that now fought against the vampire's retaking control of their bodies.

A mind without a body quickly dies. And the demons were not going to let the vampires get away. The people watching saw the glow around the four intensify to the point that it was hard to look at.

Suddenly Rahkesh and Silas were no longer in charge of the separation. The demon called on its magic residing in Daray and they were being attacked from both sides. Daray's presence vanished as the demon lashed out from all sides.

The demon was very powerful, Rahkesh felt horrible pain spreading through his mind, and his body as it attacked with telepathy and telekinesis. Seeking to destroy those who had interfered. Rahkesh lost contact with the other battle going on, trying desperately to withdraw from this one. He could hardly sense his own body anymore, the demon's presence beating him down too much. Suddenly Silas vanished. Rahkesh searched for where he had gone and abruptly sensed a physical presence in the telepathic battle. Following he found himself again.

Rahkesh reeled and collapsed as his mind slammed back into his body painfully. Someone was holding onto his arms, dragging him away from the vampires and demons. Somewhere he could hear screaming. Everything seemed very faint and dreamlike.

SMACK Some slapped him. Rahkesh reeled and shook his head, everything fell into place. He was lying on his back several meters away from a glowing pulsating light that covered the demons and vampires. Rahkesh looked around. Everyone was watching, the warriors with bows drawn and machetes ready.

Kalahimran, Nycahalia, and Silas were sitting beside him, Silas looked to be unconscious. Nic was kneeling beside him; he must have been the one who'd smacked Rahkesh.

"Sorry, you were passing out." Nic said softly. Rahkesh shrugged and looked over to the others.

"What happened?"

"It didn't work." Nycahalia replied when Kalahimran didn't.

"And?"

"We don't know." Nycahalia said after a moment. Those watching say the vampires and demons started glowing like the sun right before we all started screaming."

"I don't remember screaming."

"Neither do I," Silas moaned from the ground. Kalahimran and Nycahalia had risen and were walking around the bright light at contained the vampires and demons. Their staffs were glowing and Nycahalia had her eyes closed as she searched out what was happening with her mind. Kalahimran worked more with physical magic, waving his staff to get bursts of light and muttering to himself. Silas looked over at Rahkesh, Rahkesh shrugged and watched. The two met and whispered for a few minutes before coming to a decision.

"Well, there is one solution." Kalahimran said finally as he sat down beside them. His one eye was tired and sad.

"Given how strongly the vampires and demons are now connected they're not all going to survive. We know now that we can't help the vampires, they're going to have to do this by themselves. The demons are attacking the vampires from both sides, from within the vampire's bodies and then telepathically. However in attacking them like that they left their own bodies undefended. The vampires have utilized that. They've taken up a small amount of control over the demons, and the demon's magics, as accessed through their physical bodies rather than their minds. The vampires, however, are dying."

"So what do we do?" Rahkesh asked.

"What we can do, in essence, is to arrange a body switch." Nycahalia said. Transfer the vampires into the demons living bodies and the demons into the vampire's dying bodies." Rahkesh stared, body transfer?

"Uh, that's better than death but my cousin might be a little upset if he wakes up a demon." Silas said.

"Better than death, as you said. And we'll have to do it soon." Nycahalia replied. Silas thought about that, then he nodded.

"Very well. How do we do this?"

"We told you earlier that losing the connection between mind and body is extremely dangerous. All four of them are losing that. All we have to do is to drug the demon's bodies and their minds will lose the connection. We then need Silas to signal them, with vampiric telepathy, to pull everything from their own bodies, into the demons. We then have the vampires withdraw their minds until they're in the demons bodies entirely, and then knock them unconscious so that can't be harmed as easily. We then kill the vampire's bodies, which the demons will have been forced to occupy." Nycahalia explained.

"The two of you are geniuses." Rahkesh told them. "Can we start?"

XXX

The drugs took an hour, since they had to be customized for demons, and the best potion brewers knew nothing about them. Rahkesh and Silas waited impatiently, eager to get their friend out.

The drugs were administered and then they waited while a healer timed the demon's pulse, waiting for it to slow a little as an indication that the drug was working. That in itself took over an hour, as the potion brewers had underestimated the demons.

Silas settled as close to the blinding light as he dared, eyes closed, and searched out his cousins mind, and then Sharahak. Without distracting them he gave an impression of their plan. Rahkesh watched, with his own mind magics, fascinated by the mind magics. Despite months of watching the vampire's magics he still couldn't duplicate them himself, though his abilities had increased a million times over from what they had been a year before.

Knocking a demon unconscious proved to be rather difficult, they simply couldn't tell when they were actually unconscious because they couldn't see them. Nycahalia used her mind magics to check, but the demons bodies were built for battle and it took several hits with a club from strongest of the warriors before Nycahalia decided that they were unconscious.

Next they had to kill the vampires bodies. Which was difficult because they couldn't see them. Again the sorcerers were necessary, they picked out the vampires and demons with magic.

Kalahimran killed Sharahak's body himself, with a long spear through the heart, followed by a wave of fire from his staff.

As the fires turned Sharahak's old body to dust, something unexpected happened.

There was a massive magical backlash.

The demon was not going to die that easily. The first indication anything was wrong came with a massive wave of power that sent every person in the crowd, over a hundred of them, spinning across the ground. Rahkesh felt his body picked up as though by a tornado and flung away. He hit the ground and rolled to his feet, staggering.

Sparks and flashes of light were flying from the location of Sharahak's body. Loud roars and screams echoed from an non-existent throat. Lightning crackled and bursts of flame flew out twenty feet. Black whorls of magic flung themselves in every direction, melting the earth where they hit. Then the massive disembodied magic found an outlet for its fury, the body of the vampire.

The demon's last magics turned on Daray's body, turning it to ash it in a rush of heat and black fire. Then the demon's spirit dissipated, finally defeated.

The remaining demon glowed more and more, and then the ashes of Daray's body began to glow as well. The ashes rose into the air and settled over the dark demon that was now Daray. They glowed bright gold and were absorbed into the demon in seconds.

Then both the bodies began to glow even more, the light grew so bright everyone began to back away. Finally stopped, and began to shrink, halting at last in a small bubble of light surrounding the two unconscious vampires in their new bodies.

Silas got up and carefully approached the glowing bodies, finally having to close his eyes from the light. Just as he got into the part in the center, and started to vanish, a crackling trail of electricity streaked out and hit him.

Silas didn't have time to scream, he was thrown over Rahkesh's head and slammed into the rock side of the mountain with such force that the ground shook. Several of the warriors were beside him in an instant, but the vampire appeared to be unconscious. Nuri leaped, from lying on the ground, straight into the air at the light. Rahkesh caught the panther in a mobilicorpus spell before he could get knocked out as well.

Nuri turned on him, roaring and hissing. Rahkesh stunned him, the panther shook the spell off, snapped Rahkesh's mobilicorpus spell with a shiver, and lunged again at the demon bodies.

This time there was nothing to stop the panther; Nuri vanished into the bright light where the vampires lay with a scream of fury. Second later the sounds of snarling and growling were heard. The group watched, unable to do anything. After several minutes though, the bright light began to fade. Then Nuri came flying out of the glowing mass as if his tail was on fire. He leaped over the people surrounding them and crouched beside Silas, growling and hissing, his tail lashing.

Silas slowly sat up and stroked the panther's neck, whispering in his ear and trying to calm the angry cat.

As the light faded the crowd peered into the center, searching what had upset the panther so.

Daray and Sharahak were awake.

The two demons rose and turned, unsteady on their four feet, but very much awake. The two looked at them, and then slowly approached the nervous crowd. Guards moved in, spears held forward. Daray hissed at them and glared.

"Stop that." He growled at them. The warriors were so shocked that they stood staring, open mouthed, as the two walked over to Rahkesh and Silas, and flopped down onto the ground. Nuri stopped hissing and growling and sniffed at the darker demon, Daray purred at him.

"Yes Nuri, just me, sorry about the smell." He rolled over, careful with his new wings, to glare accusingly at Silas and Rahkesh.

"That hurt." He whined.

Whew! Wrote it all in seven hours. Seventeen pages on MW. Tired. Need to go to bed. Goodnight.

Please review. As always. Next update coming as soon as I can, probably sometime next weekend, or the week after. I'm not making any promises.