Rankyne and Ven sat side by side by side next to a placid mountain stream. Ven had pulled her hood down to concentrate. Rankyne, on the other hand, glanced all around him. Suddenly, as Rankyne began studying the clouds above him, Ven slapped the back of his head.
"Ouch!" He shouted, rubbing the resulting sore spot. "What kind of training is this?"
"It isn't training unless you begin to take it seriously." Ven responded, still staring straight ahead as far as Rankyne could tell. "I told you to concentrate on the water. Let its flow connect you to the flow of the Dreaming."
"I have no idea what that means."
"That's why we're doing this. You've been granted power beyond your imagination, but because you passed the turning without so much as an inkling of your true potential, you have no way of controlling it. And once the enemy gets wind of that, you've already lost."
"I think I can handle myself in a fight just fine. After all, I did take don Roque Ja singlehandedly."
"What you did to that… thing was a fluke at best. Relying on emotion to activate your abilities doesn't make you useful, it makes you a burden."
"That's hardly fair."
"Neither was seeing most of the people I care about turned into horrible monsters bent on my destruction. But then, that's life for you. The only thing that kept me alive during those nightmare years was the extensive training I received from the dragons. And now that same training is all that stands between those same monsters and your life. So if I were you I'd start taking this seriously."
"Fine." Rankyne crossed his arms. "Though if we're going to teach me how to use my powers, I should probably know what exactly I am first."
"I suppose I do owe you that much. I had hoped to gauge your skill first, but you've made it abundantly clear you have no idea what you're doing." Ven threw off her hood and turned to face Rankyne. "We'll start with the basics I set down when I founded the Venu. A Veni-Yan-Cari is someone who can draw energy from the flow of the dreaming and freely manipulate that energy, manifesting it in various forms. These vary wildly, from flight to enhanced physical capabilities to the ability to speak to the dead, and their strength depends of that of the user's dreaming eye.
"Only the dragons know the exact secrets of how Veni-Yan-Cari are born, but I do know that I was the first and that only my descendants have been known manifest abilities. This also makes Veni-Yan-Cari exceedingly rare, appearing only once every ten generations or so. Only a dozen or so were identified by the Venu between my death and the time of Rose and Briar. Despite the extreme rarity of a Veni-Yan-Cari manifestation, the Venu train all members of the Harvester family for years to determine their ability. And during a ritual known as 'The Turning', that training is put to the test to determine whether or not someone is indeed a Veni-Yan-Cari.
"The Turning both marks a transition to adulthood and is symbolic of the true awakening of one's abilities. Reaching The Turning without guidance can leave a Veni-Yan-Cari vastly unprepared for the path they will inevitably have to walk down, and in your case leave you unable to control your dreaming eye altogether. That's the first problem we're going to have to overcome. We'll need to train your dreaming eye so that you can control your intake of dreaming energy."
"And I take it I'll do that by concentrating."
"Precisely." Ven put her hood back over her head. "Now, let's try this again. Take deep breaths. Focus on the flow of energy through your body. Let everything else melt away." Suddenly there came a thunderous crash from the underbrush behind the pair. Instantly, they leapt to their feet and turned toward the sound. In front of them stood the Great Red Dragon, Ted perched on his shoulder.
"Must you make such a scene?" Ven sighed.
"You don't know me very well, do you?" The Great Red Dragon smirked.
"You slinked into hiding with your tail between your legs after Mim died, so I never really got the chance."
"I'm sensing hostility." Rankyne tensed up. "Have you two got a past I should know about?"
"Nothing important, really." Ven said. "It's just that when a dragon refuses to help you fight a war, and then people you care about die literally the next day, you tend to hold a grudge."
"Ven, I-" The Great Red Dragon began.
"Save it. I'm not in the mood. But I am curious why you interrupted our training."
"We found it." Ted responded. "We found the Pawans. Shard sent us to get you."
"Were is this place?" Rankyne asked.
"No time to explain." The Great Red Dragon knelt down. "It'll be faster if we just take you. Hop on."
"I can get there just fine, thank you very much." Ven said, glaring. She stood up and stretched her arms. "Kid, get on the dragon. And consider this a lesson in what you're denying yourself." Rankyne nodded and scrambled onto the Great Red Dragon's back.
"We're heading that way." The Great Red Dragon pointed over his shoulder as he too stood up. Ven closed her eyes for a moment.
"I see it." She said, opening them again. "We'd better get moving." She began floating in midair. Before Rankyne could make a comment, The Great Red Dragon took off running as fast as he could. Ven followed closely behind him, never touching the ground. As their destination, a cave on the outskirts of a small town, came into view, Ven overtook the Great Red Dragon, arriving at the mouth of the cave a split second before him.
"Bloody Stars!" Rankyne shouted as the Great Red Dragon came to a halt and Ven came back down to earth. "That was-"
"Flashy." Ven interrupted him. "But impractical. Flying consumes too much energy for long distance travel. I can maintain levitation for thirty seconds at most before it drains me. It's only advantage is that it allows me to move at blinding speeds, but even then the risk usually isn't worth taking."
"Then why even show me in the first place?"
"Flight is but a taste of what you could be capable of. With the right training, fully developed Veni-Yan-Cari can be capable of leveling armies. I was, at any rate." She staggered and clutched her head for a moment. Rankyne rushed to steady her, but she pushed him away. "I'm fine." She winced. "Though I'll admit flying took a larger toll on me than I'm used to."
"Good, you're here." Shard said, emerging from the cave's entrance. "There's a monstrously high concentration of energy inside. In my time, I've seen maybe half a dozen energy spikes as powerful as this, so we've got to assume the worst."
"Six fully recovered nightmare entities." Ven grimaced.
"Six?" Rankyne asked. "Nagratek said there were seven others."
"I killed Sozenga some time ago." Shard replied. "But she was their weak link, so her death doesn't change how dangerous they are as a group."
"Speaking of which, I'm going to need a minute to recharge." Ven interjected. She sat down and began concentrating.
"Are you serious?" Shard asked. She didn't respond. He shook his head. "Fine. Though I'm only allowing this because we need you at full strength. Next time, don't blow half of your reserves showing off. I'll be waiting inside." He turned and retreated into the darkness of the cave. The Great Red Dragon followed him.
Rankyne, however, sat beside Ven and stared out at the horizon. The sun had just begun to dip below the horizon. As the fading rays illuminated the town below, Rankyne began looking over the handful of buildings. Burn marks, faint but visible, snaked across however few were still standing. The rest lay in the dirt like collapsed husks. Vegetation grew in the streets. A wooden stage stood in the town square, bearing the flag of the Pawan army. Rankyne's heart skipped a beat.
"How did they…" He muttered.
"Is something wrong?" Ven asked, opening her eyes.
"This is my hometown." Rankyne stammered. "I didn't think the Hooded One's crusade left anything standing."
"That's no mere coincidence. They kidnapped your people and took them to a place at the center of the past you're trying to leave behind. Obviously they want to provoke you."
"That seems like too much trouble to go through just to get at one person."
"Shard and I have fought this enemy before. They know full well what we're capable of. But you're different. Deyavara was the only person who knew you were a Veni-Yan-Cari, and even then he didn't know the full extent of your potential. No one knows what you can do. And that's probably scared our enemy more than anything Shard, Nagratek or I could do." She closed her eyes. "Now I'm going to be out here for a little while longer. You might as well go inside and give Shard a hand."
"Right." Rankyne nodded. "Just… Don't take too long." He stood up.
"You'll be fine." Ven said as Rankyne entered the cave. "Just remember to stay focused. No matter what."
"I'll do my best." Rankyne replied as he disappeared into the cave's interior. He winded through an unlit passageway for a minute before he stumbled into a dimly lit cavern. The light came from massive glowing crystals nestled in the walls. The cavern itself wasn't very tall, but it stretched as far as Rankyne could see.
"And where have you been?" Shard asked, looking down on Rankyne with his arms crossed. The Great Red Dragon and Ted stood behind him, muttering to each other.
"I was talking with Ven. Getting some last minute advice."
"Well let's hope it helped because we're about to be in the thick of it." Shard turned around. "This cavern is saturated with dreaming energy, if that's even possible." He pointed to the massive crystals. "These things are the source. The Pawans are trapped inside. I think the crystals act as some sort of siphon, slowly pumping their dreaming energy into the surroundings."
"My people are trapped inside those things?"
"It's the only explanation. Their energy is still flowing, so they aren't dead yet, but there's no telling how long that'll last."
"Do you know how to get them out?"
"I've never seen anything like this before. Your guess is as good as mine. We could just try smashing them, though I don't know how that'd affect the people inside."
"Oh, I wouldn't do that." A woman's face formed out from the nearest crystal and spoke. "It's considered bad manners to interrupt someone while they're eating." Instantly Shard smashed the crystal. The body of the Pawan inside, a child no more than twelve years old, slumped out like a ragdoll.
"Linara." Shard said as the shards of crystal began to coalesce into a humanoid shape. "I was wondering when you'd show yourself."
"The Shattered One." Linara spoke as her body reformed itself and took on the appearance of a tall, blonde human woman. "So you were foolish enough to come here by yourself after all."
"I brought back up."
"A child and an overgrown lizard. Hardly the showing I was expecting." Linara laughed.
"Is that a Nightmare Entity?" Rankyne asked while he checked the unconscious child's breathing.
"One of the more annoying ones, yes." Shard grunted. "She's not going to be much trouble though. The one we've got to watch out for is Eosutana. The rest are small fry."
"Just because I can't eat you doesn't mean I can't kill you." Linara spat. "You've got to pay for what you did to Sozenga. I'm going to start by taking your head, and-" Before she could finish, the Great Red Dragon crashed into her and slammed her against the wall.
"Nagratek gave us a job to do, Shard." The Great Red Dragon said, grunting as he struggled to pin Linara. "Stop playing with your food and get serious." Linara managed to get her arm free and punch The Great Red Dragon square in the jaw, knocking the cigarette out of his mouth. The blow sent him staggering back several feet.
"Alright, fine." Shard sighed. He grabbed Linara's throat and crushed her windpipe. "Playtime is over." Before he could absorb her, a leg tore itself through his abdomen. He dropped Linara and turned to face the other Nightmare Entity staring him down. This one was a lanky black haired man.
"Playtime's just beginning, Shattered One." The Nightmare Entity laughed as he pulled his leg from Shard's stomach. As it left his body, Shard grabbed the leg and lifted the Nightmare Entity into the air. Shard turned to the Great Red Dragon.
"I'll leave Linara in your capable hands." Shard said, throwing his captive Nightmare Entity across the cavern.
"With pleasure." The Great Red Dragon smirked. Linara rushed at him and threw another punch at his head. He caught it just before it hit is face, but the force of the strike moved him back slightly.
"You certainly know how to throw a punch." The Great Red Dragon said, picking up his cigarette with his free hand and putting it back in his mouth. "Now let's see if you can take one." He punched straight through her gut with his free hand. Scrambling, she pulled herself off of his arm, but before she could recover he lunged at her again, his mouth spewing a torrent of flame.
"So, what all are we dealing with here?" Rankyne asked as he stood up beside Shard.
"Two Nightmare Entities, at least. Linara and Zakaita. But there are probably more lying in wait somewhere in here." As he spoke, another crystal took on a human form, this time that of an old woman, and walked over to Zakaita.
"Get up, you buffoon." She chided, standing over his sprawled out body.
"Ronuba." Zakaita smiled as he dragged himself to his feet. "You never fail to brighten my day. How was your meal?"
"I hoped all the time we spent trapped in crystal would have done something about your attitude, but it appears I was mistaken." Ronuba frowned.
"Oh this is fantastic." Shard said, showing off as close an approximation of a grin as his crystalline features allowed. "All three of the idiots, gathered under one roof." He rubbed his hands together. "We couldn't have asked for an easier fight."
"The idiots?" Rankyne asked.
"These three aren't exactly the most effective soldiers in the Councilman's army. They're dangerous enough to a normal mortal, but compared to fighting Eosutana this'll be a walk in the park."
"Well we can't all be born special." Zakaita said, standing back up. "Some of us actually have to put the work in." He rushed Shard again and punched him in the chest. Shard barely moved.
"Rankyne," Shard sighed, "I'm going to put eat Zakaita now. Keep Ronuba busy until I'm finished."
"Alright." Rankyne gulped. "I think I can manage that." He locked eyes with Ronuba. She raised an eyebrow.
"Everyone else gets the pleasure of killing one of our greatest enemies, and I have to settle for this runt?" She asked aloud.
"Well, if you hurry up, maybe you could give me a hand." Zakaita said as he stepped back to avoid Shard's first strike.
"Must you be so persistent?" Shard asked, attempting to grab Zakaita. The two of them moved around the room, Zakaita jumping around and keeping just out of Shard's reach. "I'm starting to think none of you are capable of dying with dignity. Take Sozenga for instance. She barely even put up a fight, dying with this idiotic look of surprise on her face."
"Shut it!" Linara shouted, jumping out of her fight with the Great Red Dragon and kicking Shard in the temple. She had barely landed before her pursuer was on top of her again, still spewing flame from his maw. The two returned to grappling and punching each other without either side making much progress.
"So you're one of Ven's brats?" Ronuba asked Rankyne as she sized him up. "Her Veni-Yan-Cari."
"I like to think so." Rankyne replied, readying himself for attack.
"I guess this didn't turn out so bad after all." Ronuba smiled and licked her lips. "I've never had the pleasure of eating a Veni-Yan-Cari before."
"If you want a meal out of me, you're going to have to work for it."
"Not if what you did at Sinner's Rock is any indication of your fighting prowess. You barely managed to kill one overgrown cat, and even then your brother died in the process."
"You're trying to goad me into attacking first." Rankyne shook his head. "I'm not falling for it."
"I'm inclined to disagree." Ronuba smirked. Her face began to contort, taking on the form of Rankyne's father. Her voice lowered to match his. "I think you'll find this much more tempting."
"Don't you dare!" Rankyne screamed. Before he knew what he was doing, he rushed forward and swung a fist at Ronuba's face. She dodged his bunch effortlessly and drove her arm through his stomach. It only went a few inches deep before his flesh became hard as steel, and her hand was stuck.
"Interesting." She mused, still wearing his father's face. "Ven never manifested such an intriguing ability so soon. I just might keep you around for father to study."
"Shut your mouth, witch." He spat. Grabbing her head, he slammed her temple against his knee. She staggered back, managing to wrench her arm free. Immediately Rankyne took several steps back and tried to control his breathing. "That isn't him." He muttered to himself. "Focus." He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to sense the energy around him.
"Don't mock me!" Ronuba shouted. Rankyne's eyes shot open, but before he could react Ronuba turned two of her fingers into long blades and impaled both of Rankyne's legs. Rankyne screamed in pain. "That's unfortunate." She laughed. "What happened to that stamina you had just a moment ago? I was just starting to have fun." She tried to pull her fingers out of his leg but, like her arm, they were stuck. His body had hardened around them.
Fighting to see straight through the pain, Rankyne drew a knife from his belt and stabbed Ronuba's hand. Then he grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him. He began stabbing her in the head continually, though each wound seemed to affect her less and less.
"Enough playing around." Ronuba chuckled as Rankyne began to lose steam. "Let's put you out of your misery." She liquefied and wrapped herself around Rankyne's body. He struggled against her, but as her grip on his body tightened he began to lose consciousness.
"Well, this is just fantastic." The Great Red Dragon said, blood running down the side of his face. "They aren't slowing down." He stood next to Shard, their respective fights having reached a brief suspension.
"It's the Pawans." Shard replied. "They're feeding them a constant supply of dreaming energy. We need to take them out if we're going to win."
"Easier said than done." The Great Red Dragon winced, a dull throbbing pain beginning to creep into his fists. "This would be going much smoother if Ven were here."
"She's no good in a fight without energy. We're just going to have to wait this out until she gets back up to strength."
"Are you two done talking?" Zakaita asked. "Because, if you are, I'd like to get back to the part where we kick your asses." Linara chuckled at that statement.
"And to think, the great Shattered One would be so powerless before our might." She said, to herself more than anyone in the room. "I never thought I'd see the day."
"I've been wearing the kid gloves, Linara." Shard shot back. "Didn't want these fine people getting hurt. But if you're going to give me no choice…" Shard's body began to glow. "I guess I can make an exception." He rushed forward and impaled both Zakaita and Linara on his arms. Linara began pounding on his shoulder while Zakaita pushed himself off of the spike using Shard's chest as a springboard. Linara just managed to free herself as well when The Great Red Dragon grabbed her head and slammed her face first into the floor several times. She liquefied and began spreading up his arm. Instantly he set his arm ablaze with his breath, driving her off.
As all four of them rushed at each other, the ceiling gave way. The body of a white dragon crashed through the cavern's roof, destroying much of the hillside above their heads. He was quickly followed by Ven, who jumped into the cavern and surveyed the damage. After taking in the sights before her for a moment, she put her hands together and began to emit a massive sonic blast. It shattered all the crystals in the room and blasted Ronuba off of Rankyne, who had almost lost consciousness. Right after she finished, she collapsed.
As soon at the white dragon recovered, he rushed to impale Ven on his claws. Both the Great Red Dragon and Shard moved in front of his path and dealt him a series of heavy blows.
"Not so tough without your backup supply, are you?" Shard asked, impaling the white dragon on a spike as the Great Red Dragon tore off one of his wings. It immediately began to grow back. 'The other three Nightmare Entities in the room quickly recovered and came to the dragon's side, forcing Shard and The Great Red Dragon back.
"We need to leave." The White Dragon said, his voice booming across the ruins of the cavern. "The Pawans are no longer an asset, and these targets are no longer our primary concern. Father has need of us elsewhere. The time fast approaches."
"As you wish, brother Xondriss." Ronuba grimaced as the three nightmare entities climbed onto Xondriss's back. "We live to serve father." She turned to Shard. "We are not done, Shattered One. This will be the last mercy you receive." Xondriss lifted into the sky. The Great Red Dragon prepared to launch after him, but Shard held him back.
"We need to tend to our wounded." He said. "And we need to call Sybron. Get these people to safety."
"You can handle that." The Great Red Dragon said, shrugging off Shard's grip. "But someone needs to keep track of them. Find out what their next move is." He began bounding off after Xondriss. Ted jumped onto his shoulder as he cleared the edge of the newly formed crater.
"He's stubborn, I'll give him that." Ven said, standing back up. "Though I doubt he'll be able to match Xondriss's speed."
"How are you feeling?" Shard asked.
"I'm alive. Worry about someone else." She walked over to Rankyne, who was lying on the ground fluttering in and out of consciousness. "He's still breathing." She announced.
"Bringing him along was a mistake." Shard said, crossing his arms. "He almost got himself killed and I wasn't able to keep track of him."
"How else are we supposed to test his potential?" Ven stood up from his side and began pulling unconscious bodies out of the rubble. The crystals had largely protected the Pawans from the falling rock, but quite a few of them suffered injuries regardless. "He knew the risks going in. So what did you learn?"
"Well, his current abilities certainly leave everything to be desired." Shard replied, pulling a small mechanical device from inside his body and placing it on the ground. "Hurry up Sybron." He muttered to himself. He then went to Ven's side and began helping her dig up the bodies. "But he did manifest almost your almost inhuman durability when pressed."
"What do you mean when pressed?"
"It seems stress, and negative emotions like anger, seem to draw out his abilities more than your teachings."
"That can't be possible. Veni-Yan-Cari get their abilities from being in tune with the flow of the world. Negative emotions, stress, and trauma all distance people from that flow."
"Unless they're a Nightmare Entity." Shard pointed out. "If they are, that's where they draw their power."
"Shard, we've both seen his soul. He's no Nightmare Entity. And besides, they're nothing more than glorified parasites, sucking other people's energy. If what you're saying is true then…"
"What?" Shard asked. Ven's face darkened. "I know that look. What's going on?"
"It's possible he isn't a Veni-Yan-Cari either. I learned to draw me energy by gong with the flow, like the dragons do. So I just assumed that's the only way to go about it. But maybe it isn't."
"You're starting to freak me out, Ven. Where are you going with this?"
"You assumed, after what happened with the Locust, that Briar Harvester was a Veni-Yan-Cari that had managed to keep her dreaming eye hidden. But what if that wasn't the case? What if she drew her power from the same place he does? Negative emotions, stress, anger, fear, trauma."
"Are you saying he isn't a Veni-Yan-Cari?"
"No, it's clear he has a powerful enough dreaming eye. He has the potential to be a Veni-Yan-Cari. But he isn't using it. When he manifests abilities, he draws his energy from a much darker place."
"It can't be." Shard said, a tremor running through his voice. "I saw him die."
"Yes, but the facts can't be avoided." Ven looked back at Rankyne's body. "He's drawing his strength from the Lord of the Locusts."
Former Admiral, and ex-President, Satranik Haenkos stood in what should have been her command center. Usually, more than two dozen army personnel gathered around the table in front of her. Instead, the group of four that she had brought back with her from the Norgabard took their place. And in the middle of the table was a screen displaying the possibly the last face in the world she ever wanted to see again: Jigafta Utenki. Or, as he preferred, Nagratek.
"So… Let me get this straight." Satranik rubbed her brow as she attempted to order all the information Nagratek had just given her. "You all need to get some ancient artifacts from Camp Stalwart to keep them out of the hands of what amounts to a god in order to save all life on the planet."
"More or less." Phoney shrugged.
"Well…" Satranik collapsed into the chair behind her. "That certainly is some story."
"It's a lot to take in, I know." Nagratek said. "Take your time. But we're going to need you ready for battle sooner or later."
"A lot to take in?" Satranik asked. "None of that made any kind of sense. I don't even want to know what's really going on if that's the best you could come up with. What I'm having a hard time processing is… This!" She motioned around to everyone else in the room. "Half of you were dead a week ago for crying out loud."
"You gave me your word you'd join the Vedu."
"No, I said I'd work for you. Not join a cult." She turned to Faldr. "What about you. Do you buy this crap?"
"Well… I did come back from the dead, so I'm just about ready to believe anything. And Nibet's on our side now. And Glaian's dead. And, from what you've told us, he hasn't exactly kept his invasion of the Valley a secret, so…" He shrugged.
"You cannot be buying into this. Dragons? Gods? Demons? The Chosen One? This sounds like something straight out of Fone Bone's books."
"He did base them almost entirely on our time in the Valley." Phoney interjected.
"Because that inspires confidence." Nibet rolled her eyes.
"Is that an insult, or are you just being unhelpful again?"
"Well, I'd better get going." Nagratek said. "The world isn't going to save itself. Find those Extinction Drives." He ended the call.
"Fine." Satranik threw her arms into the air. "Don't tell me what's really going on. I don't care. Not that it matters much anyway." She pointed at Phoney. "I expect you'll be taking charge of the war effort, now that you're back." She began to stand up.
"Don't." Phoney put out a hand to stop her. Hesitantly, she sat back down. "I'm no military strategist. With Victor out of the picture, you're the next best thing. And even if you don't believe me, I expect you'll do what I ask."
"You are the President." She responded.
"Good. First things first, I want to know how the war is going."
"Hard to say." Satranik sighed. "Project Thunderbird, your attack on Glaian's 'ceremony', and several divisions of human soldiers gave us the edge we needed to begin pushing back. We locked down the entire coast on day one, and began pushing west as fast as we could. Amidst all the chaos, isolated resistance cells in the south began striking back too. There's still some sporadic fighting across the provinces, but by and large they've forced most of Glaian's army north of New Taebid. Unfortunately, our efforts here have stalled, and we can't link up with them. Glaian's successor, Izaroth Lazbethed, arrived on scene just as we began to lose momentum and organized the enemy's efforts. Based on current intel, he's leading his men from Camp Stalwart, just a few miles west of here. In preparation for an attack on his position, I sent as many men as I could to the north to cut off any reinforcements from the Norgabard. And that's where I ran into your pilot."
"So, the next step is to take Camp Stalwart and go after Izaroth himself." X'lish mused.
"That was the plan. Unless you would like to prioritize locating these 'Extinction Drives'."
"The drives come first." Phoney said. "But I'm not letting Glaian's successor slip through our fingers again." He turned to Nibet. "You've worked with him before. I want you and Satranik's men to find him and end him. During the confusion, I'll take X'lish and Faldr and find the drives."
"Absolutely not." Satranik stood up.
"Excuse me?"
"I can't just send the President of the Republic into an active warzone."
"What makes you think you have the authority to stop me?"
"What makes you think you have the authority to be so reckless?!" Satranik shouted. "This country just got its leader back. I managed to get us into my command center quietly, but that isn't going to last. People will hear about your return, sooner or later, and you need to be where they can see you when they do. You need to remain here and lead your people. You need to be a symbol of hope. You need to prove Glaian wrong. And you can't do any of that from a battlefield." Satranik paused. Phoney stood silent for a moment.
"You're right." He said. "I'll stay. But I expect the rest of you to pick up the slack with me gone."
"Faldr and I will be just fine." X'lish smirked. "You never were much good in a fight anyway."
"I'm going too." Satranik announced.
"But I need you here to coordinate the troops." Phoney protested.
"You'll be fine without me. Besides, I'll do more good in there than out here. My father used to run the place, so I know it like the back of my hand. Nibet's going to need my help if she wants to find Izaroth."
"I don't remember that working out so well for us last time." Nibet scoffed.
"You lived, didn't you?"
"Last time?" Phoney asked.
"That's a story for another day." Faldr chuckled. "Preferably when we're not in the middle of a war."
"Speaking of war, what kind of reinforcements are we looking at?" X'lish asked.
"Thin, to say the least." Satranik frowned. "I sent more than a thousand soldiers to siege the Norgabard, and most of our remaining outfits are busy holding the line against Izaroth's coordinated attacks along the coast. The attack force I managed to scrape together includes two Primarily Y'threni divisions from the UHF 2nd Army and a similar number of our own soldiers from the remains of the Western Army. So far, human soldiers seem to outperform our own in open combat, so I had planned on sending half the Y'threni forces to catch Izaroth off guard while the rest set up a perimeter around the base to prevent the enemy from-"
"I hope you haven't started planning the attack without me, Haenkos." Said a sharply dressed human standing in the doorway.
"General." Satranik said dryly. "Didn't I tell you I wasn't to be interrupted?"
"Yes, well, that was before you began preparing orders for my troops without my knowledge." The General entered the room, followed by another human. "And before the President of the Republic came back from the dead."
"I'm in the middle of something, General, so I'd appreciate it if you'd…" She paused as she got a good look at the second human. "Foreign Minister Cromwell? What are you doing here?"
"I'm afraid my business is for Y'threni ears only. But I did hear that the President was back, so I took some time out of my busy schedule to come see it for myself."
"Hello Elizabeth." Phoney said, crossing his arms. "How are the kids doing?"
"Hello Phoncible. They're doing fine. Amanda's starting school soon. How about you? Did Glaian treat you well in captivity?"
"I…Don't feel like discussing what happened."
"Of course, of course. Being held in a place like the Norgabard can't have been pleasant. I'm sorry I brought it up."
"No you're not. Why are you here?"
"Besides making sure you were doing alright? Well I suppose the Prime Minister would like some sort of assurance that you'll continue to uphold our agreement, even if the Admiral is no longer running the show. But, really, do I need a reason to visit a friend?"
"Elizabeth, this is a warzone. I don't know why you're actually here, but I think it's best you leave before we begin mobilizing forces against Izaroth."
"I could say the same to you, Phoncible. Shouldn't you be evacuating to a nearby island until all this blows over?"
"I don't have that luxury. I've got to see this through to the end. Now, for your own safety, leave."
"Fine." The Y'threni Foreign Minister said. "I'll leave. But, before I go, you should know that the UHF will be holding an emergency session soon. And they expect you to make an appearance. Until then, Phoncible." She left the room, and Phoncible, stewing in thought.
"General." Phoney turned to the remaining human in the room. "Could we get a few minutes of privacy before we begin planning the assault? I have something sensitive to discuss with my people."
"Of course, Mister President. I'll just be outside." The General left the room and closed the door. Phoney turned to Satranik.
"What did you do when I was gone?" He asked.
"It isn't easy to convince a council of egocentric humans to come to the aid of an isolationist power like us." Satranik responded. "I had to make some deals to ensure their cooperation."
"What kind of deals? What's this 'agreement' you and the UHF had?"
"They wanted compensation for sending their own men to die on foreign shores. Frankly I don't blame them."
"What did you promise them?"
"I gave the Wadralians their islands back. The Cartonals and Je'iorad are no longer territories of the Republic."
"Well, that figures." X'lish sighed. "I was just about to pay the house off, too."
"How did you get the Y'threni and the Rhumenese to help?" Phoney continued to press Satranik, ignoring X'lish's comment.
"I…" Satranik rubbed the back of her neck. "Sort of granted them the rights to the Valley. Colonization, mining, that kind of thing. Apparently, they're convinced they'll find oil or something out in the-" Phoney grabbed Satranik and slammed her against a nearby wall.
"Ow!" Satranik winced. "The hell's gotten into you?"
"I could ask you the same. You made a deal with that she-devil and gave away those peoples' futures."
"We needed the UHF's support to launch this counterattack. Without them we probably would have lost the war by now. That deal saved our people."
"And it doomed another!" Phoney spat. "All I've ever done to them is bring misery, I'll be damned if I'm responsible for any more of it!" Silence hung in the air. After not speaking for as long as he could bear, Phoney let go of Satranik and slumped into a nearby chair. "Five years ago, I accidentally instigated a war, robbed an entire town blind, almost got all of my friends killed, and tried to steal Thorn's only means of establishing control over her kingdom. In the last two months, I've brought them a second war, mass kidnappings, deaths in the thousands, and more pain and suffering than I thought possible. After all that, causing suffering seems to be the only thing I'm capable of doing. But I'll be damned if I let it happen to them again. They've already lived through too much."
"Listen, I know you've got a history with these 'Valley' people. I can respect that. And if you can figure out some way to maneuver around the deal I made, I'm all for it. But I did what I had to do. Don't lose yourself trying to help another country and forget about your own. Glaian's put our people through living hell while you were gone. He's still got thousands of those 'clinics' cutting peoples' heads open, for crying out loud."
"Clinics?" Nibet asked.
"Have you guys not heard of them?" Everyone around the room shook their heads. "Glaian set up these impromptu body shops that cut people apart and extract parts of their brains. On the air he kept going on and on about "cutting out the enemy" and whatnot, but more than a few people never come back out of those meat factories."
"Freaky." Faldr chuckled. "I knew Glaian was twisted, but I didn't think he would be that sadistic."
"This isn't a laughing matter." Phoney glared at Faldr. "We've got to find those Extinction Drives now more than ever."
"Well, yeah." X'lish said. "They could end the world. It doesn't get much worse than that."
"Except it does. Glaian began removing everyone's dreaming eyes. Which means he didn't want them connected to the dreaming. And now the Extinction Drives are being moved eastward. There's only one conclusion I can draw from that." X'lish and Nibet's faces suddenly turned grim.
"Is someone going to fill me in on what's happening?" Satranik asked.
"Deyavara didn't want to use the Drives to wipe out just the Valley. He planned on hitting everywhere."
"Didn't Jigafta say Deyavara was dead?"
"That doesn't matter. He's obviously left someone behind to carry out his orders. And whoever they are, they're waiting until Mon'Yaran reconnects the dreaming. Then they're going to wipe out every human on the planet in one fell swoop."
An eerie quiet had settled over Atheia in the days since the climactic battle that had claimed the life of Glaian Nagratek. Nothing living had dared return to the site of the massacre, save for the few flies that buzzed over the charred sea of Bone, human, and rat corpses that filled the ruined streets. The scale of the bloodshed and the maelstrom of dreaming energy Fone unleashed had sent every other living thing running, wide eyed with terror. Through this city of death moved a great shadow, a being shrouded in the purest darkness. It basked in the storm of fresh souls as it ascended the temple steps.
Inside the crumbling walls of the temple lay two bodies of interest. The shriveled husk of Deyavara, and the mangled remains of Glaian Nagratek. The entity initially moved toward the former. As it knelt down to examine Deyavara's body, it let out a sigh.
"Thank you for everything you've given, brother." It muttered. "Now just leave Nagratek's misfits to me." It stood back up and turned to Glaian's ruined form. Dried splotches of black substance still pockmarked his body, but otherwise he was almost unrecognizable. A massive crystal protruded from his neck, and a web of lacerations covered his body from where the substance welled up from underneath his skin. His forehead was also still caved in from his extremely brief attempt to fight Nagratek head on.
Standing over Glaian's corpse, the entity stretched out an unnaturally long limb and touched the crystal. Suddenly it sparked to life. It began absorbing energy from its surroundings and repairing Glaian's body. The entity stood back and watched as Glaian Nagratek reformed and regained consciousness.
"Are you the one called Glaian Nagratek?" It asked. Glaian smirked.
"Guess again, Eosutana." Glaian staggered to his feet. "I'm not going to let you get rid of me that easily."
"Deyavara." Eosutana said, the shroud around her head peeling back to reveal a human-like face sitting just on top of a mass of black, rippling liquid. "Is there any depth to which you will not sink?"
"I'm not happy about my circumstances either. I had planned to take Nagratek head on inside his mind, but his pet freak Shard showed up and I had to act fast. This was the best I could do, given what I had to work with. If I had more backup, things might have gone differently."
"We had more pressing concerns after we broke free than fighting a losing battle. We required energy."
"Speaking of which, did you find the present I left you all?"
"We did, but I couldn't stay long. And from what Xondriss told me, neither could the others. Their meal was interrupted by Nagratek's allies."
"Shard, I take it?"
"And two Veni-Yan-Cari."
"The 'Chosen One' and the anomaly. I knew keeping an eye on him would prove useful."
"Actually, the child Thorn wasn't present. Instead, the second was our old enemy Queen Ven." Eosutana said. Deyavara slammed his fist into a nearby section of wall. He began shaking.
"After all this time, he still thinks he can have whatever he wants." Deyavara spat. "He's still laughing at me."
"Let me handle Nagratek. You're in no shape to fight a Nightmare Entity, not in that mortal form."
"Don't test me, Eosutana!" Deyavara exploded, lashing out at Eosutana. "I have to be the one to kill him! He took everything from me!"
"You forget your place, pitiful lost disciple." Shadows began rippling out from Eosutana's body, forming several unnaturally long, segmented limbs. "I allow you to live only because we're shorthanded at the moment, with Sozenga dead." Her limbs began constricting his body. "You still have a debt to repay to us before I consider you worthy of Father's blessings. Do I make myself clear?" She locked eyes with Deyavara.
"Absolutely." He said, not breaking eye contact. Suddenly the two Nightmare Entities were interrupted when Gabriel trudged his way up the temple steps. As he got to the top, he examined the scene in front of him and froze in his tracks.
"Is this a bad time?" He asked, after a moment of silence. "I can come back later. I just thought-" He was cut short when Eosutana rushed forward and grabbed him by the neck.
"Speak, tiny human. Who are you?" She hissed.
"Glaian, what's going on?" He asked.
"You can put him down, Eosutana." Deyavara said, walking up to Gabriel's suspended form. "This one was a great ally of Glaian's, and I still have a use for him." Reluctantly, Eosutana lowered him to the ground.
"If he does anything slightly suspicious, I'm killing him." She growled.
"I appreciate the sentiment." Gabriel said as he rubbed his neck. He turned toward Deyavara. "You're not Glaian, are you?" He asked.
"Glaian is dead." Deyavara responded. "I'm just borrowing his body for the time being. My name is Deyavara. From now on, you do as I say."
"And you do as she says?" Gabriel asked, pointing at Eosutana.
"You don't need to concern yourself with who I answer to."
"It's not like I have much choice." Gabriel shrugged. "So, where are we headed?"
"To find the Crystal Councilman." Eosutana said, turning to leave the temple ruins. "And then to destroy Mon'Yaran." Deyavara and Gabriel followed after her. "But first, we need to secure the Extinction Drives."
"Oh, I already did." Deyavara beamed. "By now, they should be on their way around the world, ready to be activated as soon as Mon'Yaran finished reconnecting the Dreaming."
"You moved the extinction drives outside the Great Wastes?" Eosutana asked. She whirled around and struck Deyavara across his face. "You imbecile! You've put the entire plan in jeopardy!"
"Would you relax? All I did was shrink our window a bit."
"Has hate blinded you so completely that you would rather see the humans destroyed than put an end to Mon'Yaran's reign?"
"No. I plan on doing both."
"I should kill you where you stand for your insolence."
"But you won't. Not if you want to activate the drives before Mon'Yaran begins the conversion." Deyavara resumed walking. "I've had more than a thousand years to plan my revenge. I will not let you, or anyone else, keep me from it."