The Battle, Part 2

Odomus glided beside his mate, staying between the lines of warriors on the ground and in the air. All together there were nearly 2000 warriors. They'd just crossed the first landmarks of Constantine's domain, a smaller, desolate island that was almost like a tag-a-long to Crystal Moon. A mere sliver of sea separated the two islands now, growing larger with each passing day. Spotting it from midway across the sliver of sea had sent chills up many of the warrior's spines. Never before had they seen a land so dark and dry. He sympathized with their fear, but for much different reasons. This battle would not only save the world from a doom they'd hopefully never know but it meant his second son would be restored. All the while he prayed for Goliath's safety. He didn't want him to fall again.

"Love."

He glanced at his mate. She looked dangerous but exquisite in her battle armor. It had clear Egyptian influence but with pants styled after the training hakama of samurai warriors, tied up at the lower legs to prevent entanglement.

"Stay strong," she urged gently. "Our sons will survive this fight."

"Aye, love," he agreed, taking her hand. "I'm just an ol' worry wart."

She nodded sympathetically and turned towards the horizon. "Courage, love. We've arrived."

Odomus nodded, closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

In the tunnels, Goliath paused. He'd felt the subtle touch of his father's mind against his own and stopped to listen. Torchlight reflected off the walls. It was dark enough in these tunnels that even a gargoyle needed light to see by. Sea water leaked leisurely from high above, coating the tunnel walls with salty water. Puddles sloshed beneath the many feet following him, but other than that, all were quiet.

He nodded after a moment of silent communication and gazed ahead. They were almost there.

"Stay alert," he muttered behind him, his voice carrying eerily in the inky darkness. "We're at the edge of Constantine's domain."

"Where are his warriors?" Sonar asked nervously. "Surely we would have encountered them by now?"

"Aye," Goliath growled softly. "Most unsettling."

They traveled on. Soon enough the stone tunnels became dry, barren rock. They traversed a steep incline filled with noxious odors and breathed through their hands in hopes of deflecting any poisonous gases. Nausea filled their bellies and some stumbled.

Having read about the dangers of certain volcanic gases, but also fearing intentional poisoning by their foes, Goliath roared a challenge and simultaneously released a blast of invisible energy that blew the gases away. After several tense minutes heads began to clear and they moved on, but only for a short time. Even before his mighty roar his senses had begun to tingle. Their enemies approached.

"Why did ye do that?" Hudson cried in dismay. "They'll hear ye lad!"

"It doesn't matter," he muttered, his voice a dangerous snarl. "They're already here."

And so they were. Many dragon men, including several of those giant, digging beasts, emerged from the very walls and surrounded the warriors. "Attack!" Goliath roared, swinging his sword in a wide arch that blinded the nearest digging dragon man.

"Go for the diggers eyes!" Hudson yelled, his sword executing an efficient jab. His opponent dropped dead, his head impaled.

Sonar and the other warriors roared as one, creating a noise in the tunnels unlike anything Goliath had ever heard. They surged forward with rage and determination. He felt Sonar's clumsy but determined thrusts and felt his satisfaction when he felled his first opponent. His feet were indeed sure, just like his mother's.

Once again he felt the touch of his father's mind. From high above, muffled by hundreds of tons of rock, were the booms, crashes and thuds of a great battle. The earth trembled with each booming impact and dust and debris fell on their heads. He threw a punch that snapped a dragon man's neck, kicked another in the waist with enough force to break the hip and surged forward. A digger fell to the ground before him, clutching its stub of an arm, roaring in agony as Hudson leaped over it. A passing warrior struck the beast in the head, killing it instantly.

Goliath frowned and raced towards the tunnel's end. He touched his father's mind and saw the progress of the surface battle. It was devastating. Many of their warriors had died despite precautions taken before the attack. Mines had left deep pits in the ground where warriors had foolishly tread while others had been deliberately set off. Several cannons fired on each other rather than their intended targets thanks to Odomus's manipulations and others exploded due to freak overloads – if there was such a thing in magical weaponry. Dragon men and other creatures, including some misguided gargoyles and humans – which surprised him – had already engaged the topside warriors. He could hear the clash of steal against steal, the crunch of clubs on bone, and the smack of fist against flesh. Even the smells were strong.

The joys of war, he thought dismally, heavy on the sarcasm.

He growled when he noticed they'd come to the end of the tunnel. Something didn't feel right. Amidst the shouts and snarls of the battle around him another sound had gotten louder. At first he thought it was his father's perception of the topside battle, but then he realized they were directly beneath the battle. They were coming out too far ahead of where they needed to be.

Odomus realized the same thing. He sent a burst of energy that completely leveled the area of land above them, creating a safe exit for Goliath and his troops.

Send the dragon men to me, my son.

Goliath nodded, roared and through his magic threw three dragon men into several dozen of their comrades. He blasted the walls, created a rain of crushing debris. He pelted the weakening wall with everything he could find.

"Herd them towards the weakened area of stone!" he called to his warriors.

The response was immediate. The warriors, including Sonar, fought with a renewed strength and forced the dragon men back. There were more of the giant diggers than there were regular dragon men left and they were proving to be the most difficult to fight regardless of Hudson's earlier instruction. Their claws were not just for slashing, but also for crushing. Several of his warriors were already dead. It was difficult for them to move efficiently in this confined space. It was even more difficult for the diggers yet their size made them formidable.

Eager to get his army out of a possible death trap, Goliath roared and ssent out an energy wave that thrust seventeen of the remaining thirty diggers into the wall and molded the stone over their bodies. They slashed at the stone with their talons, raising sparks but could not get free. The absence of the diggers left wholes for his army to move. One female made an incredible leap that took her to eye level with a particularly large digger. With a scream, she blinded it and was knocked dead to the earth for her trouble, her side ripped open.

"Rookery sister!" Sonar screamed, rushing forward and smiting off the beasts head, silencing its agonized screams. He swung a second and third time, driving away their enemies so he could reach his sister's body. Goliath watched, pained, and followed.

With shaking hands, Sonar cradled her face and then used her wings to cover the wound. He closed her eyes and gazed tearfully up at his approaching leader. Simple hand gestures knocked two or three dragon men aside at a time. Most didn't get up again and those that did were seized by passing allies.

"Lad?" Goliath cried urgently. "Steady yourself. We must move!"

He reached out a hand and Sonar took it. They ran ahead, Sonar glancing behind him to stare at his fallen sister's body. Most of the dragon men were ahead of them now, cornered against the weakening wall.

"Guardian!" a human soldier called. "They are in the weakened area. Do what you have to do!"

Goliath pushed his way towards the front of the line, a shaken and enraged Sonar not far behind. His army moved aside quickly. The dragon men surged forward, each eager to kill the son of their master's most hated foe in the hope that it earned them great favor in Constantine's eyes. But Goliath held his ground, and surprisingly so did Sonar. Everyone watched as Goliath assumed a unique stance and then, with a roar, thrust his arms forward. A gust of wind struck the dragon men while at the same time the earth and stone in the weakened wall blasted outwards, sucking their enemies out. The few that were not sucked out were buried when the roof above them collapsed, weakened by the digging, explosions and the sudden loss of support in the wall. Dismal light flooded the tunnel.

"We did it!" shouted a young female.

"Easy, lass," Hudson growled gravely. "The battle's not over yet."

"Hudson is right," Goliath said. "Let's keep our wits about us until the battle is truly over."

The small force of warriors cautiously approached the opening. The sounds of battle, no longer muffled by several dozen meters of earth, raged in their ears. Dust and smoke and noxious gases swarmed around them. Between wisps of smoke and dust they could see the domain Constantine had created for himself. It was a truly dark and horrific place, beyond words. Beyond and around them were the forces of Crystal Moon. Gargoyles dotted the skies and the earth, engaging in battle against creatures too terrible to describe. Bodies of foe and friend alike lay strewn upon the hard, dry earth.

Snarling softly, Goliath steeled himself for battle. He'd been right earlier. They'd come out too far ahead of their intended target; the castle. He glanced at Sonar and sighed. The boy was shaking and tears streamed down his dirty cheeks, but he remained determined. Behind them he could still see the young female laying as if asleep, peaceful and comfortable in her bed, only now her bed was a pool of blood and dry, dead stone.

Sighing, he patted Sonar's shoulder. "Take heart, nephew," he said gently. "She will not be forgotten and she will be given a proper burial, I promise. But for now, we MUST keep moving."

Sonar nodded. "I understand, my Guardian – uncle," he said, his voice surprisingly steady. "But I will miss her."

"Do her honor in battle," Goliath told him, then charged into battle. "Onward!"

Sonar and the army followed their leader, their roars and cries merging with those of their allies and startling their foes.

Hell's Castle -

Constantine purred with uneasiness as he watched the battle unfold. Odomus had arrived first and now Goliath and his group joined the fray. They all fought fiercely, relentlessly. Not one of them allowed a single dragon man to make a kill. History was repeating itself, only under slightly different circumstances.

"Hmmm," he hummed thoughtfully. "They'll be here soon. No doubt Goliath will come to free Thailog." He grew silent again as he watched Goliath and Odomus rush towards the castle. Suddenly, he had an idea. "I've wanted to knock the sons of Odomus out of existence for years. Why not his grandson as well, hmm?"

He laughed, turned and snapped his fingers at two large dragon men. "C'mere you two!" he snapped. They rushed to him obediently. "Go down to the dungeon and take Thailog to the execution chamber. We're going to give Goliath a bit of a surprise."

The two dragon men nodded, bowed and left to do as told.

"One way or another, Odomus," Constantine growled, "I will defeat you yet."

Manhattan

The Guardian's Manor

The mist was everywhere, thick, impenetrable. The warriors from Crystal Moon stood behind him, on the guard walls, on the balconies, everywhere conceivable. They were clad in polished armor and stood resolute. Their eyes glowed like tiny stars in the darkness, creating an illusion of earth-bound heavenly light. Soft growls rumbled through the air. He felt it in his bones, at his feet and in his heart. He felt their steadfast determination within himself and lifted his chin to the sky, his left hand on the hilt of his enchanted sakabato. His long red hair swayed crazily in the breeze that swept up from the streets, creating speed and strength in the turbulence of tight spaces. It howled with urgency, warned of the impending danger but he didn't need the warning. He could see them now, could hear them.

He briefly closed his eyes and drew a deep breath before releasing it. When he opened his eyes again the serene violet of his eyes had become a hard, determined gold. He stared at the swirling mists, his gaze unwavering.

"Here they come," rumbled the team leader, his rhinoceros-head lowered as if in charge. He was a large warrior, big bellied like the blue-skinned Broadway, but tall and muscled liked Goliath.

He nodded and without glancing behind, spoke to his wife. "Kaoru-dono, it is coming," he said, his serene voice oddly cold.

The sapphire-eyed, raven-haired beauty he'd married so many years ago nodded grimly, her own sakabato held reflexively at her side. "I'm ready," she said.

He nodded, sensing her determination.

"So where are they? They didn't turn tail and run, did they? Che! Figures."

Kenshin turned as his old friend, Sagara Sanosuke, strolled casually into the courtyard, a new zanbato carried lazily across his shoulders. Forged by magic, its strength was eternal. He smiled. Sanosuke was the same man he'd known years ago; scruffy looking, cocky, easy going and loyal to the end. His style of dress hadn't changed much either, it was just a little more 'modern'. He still wore a bandana across his brow but the original had long since gone the way of all the world. Seeing him brought back many memories.

"They are coming, Sano," he assured his friend. "Keep your guard up."

"Already done," the street fighter told him with a smirk. "And there they are."

Kenshin turned, golden eyes flashing, as several distant figures finally pierced the mist and soared straight towards them, red eyes glaring. "Everyone take your positions!" he shouted, assuming the stance of batojutsu. He glanced at his wife. "Kaoru-love, are the children . . .?"

"Daijobu!" she assured, also assuming a batojutsu stance. "These monsters won't reach them."

He nodded and turned as the dragon men dropped towards them in steep attack dives. The warriors around them roared and burst from the shadows, engaging the startled attackers with claw, fist, sword and spear. Archers unleashed a volley of arrows that knocked dragon-men out of the sky with barely a grunt of surprise. Dozens of warriors collided with the ground, rolling and lashing at their attackers.

Kenshin stepped forward with a yell, sword flashing as it whistled from the saya with god-like speed striking a dragon men across the throat. He was already moving forward, sword slashing upwards as he twisted around catching to more before the first had even rolled to a stop a few feet away. He performed a series of complicated, furiously fast kata as more and more dragon-men surged in from above, some of those moves new and enhanced from over one hundred years of study. All five hundred schools, including his wife's school, Kamiya-Kashin Ryu, had been incorporated into his own style, improving and enhancing it. Even his speed had increased and he could easily boast that he'd long ago surpassed shukuchi and Enishi's watojutsu.

He leaped backwards as a large dragon-man came down with a huge hammer, smashing it into the roof, creating a crater. It leaped at him, swinging angrily, driving him back. He waited patiently, hopping steadily backwars, sensing the battle behind him. He could hear his wife's cries as she valiantly fended off several large dragon-men and even dragon-women on her own. He could hear the crunch of bone as her sakabato connected with each creature, her stance and stamina never swaying.

He ducked at the last possible second and heard his attacker's hammer collide with one of its comrades, sending it sailing into the large pool several feet away. He was beneath the creature in an instant, sword flashing, and the hammer's head popped off second's before the startled beast collapsed to the ground, dead.

Wife and husband shared a significant look, nodding once before rushing off to find new opponents.

A few feet away, Sanosuke bellowed and cursed as he usually did, fists and feet flying in powerful punches and kicks, all of them enhanced by the boots and gauntlets he wore. Bones crunched under his blows. Weapons were decimated and when a foe was far still far out of reach of his preferred method of fighting, he'd revert to his zanbato. Its huge size and weight would've been impossible to wield by anyone else, but not for Sagara Sanosuke.

The dragon-men came forward, teeth flashing in mocking laughter when he reached for the huge weapon. There was no way this tall, lanky man could wield such a thing with great accuracy, let alone move swiftly without sacrificing a good defense. They were wrong.

Sanosuke leaped forward with startling agility, swinging the zanbato in a vicious arc which caught the dragon-men in a heap, cutting them down and sending them flailing. He swung in a downward stroke as several more sailed past, crushing their backs as he smashed them into the roof.

Grinning, he grabbed the zanbato by the hilt and charged fully into a large mesh of the things attacking the gargoyle strike force sent from Crystal Moon. Most scattered, but others weren't so lucky.

Castle Wyvern

Brooklyn howled angrily, snatching a dragon-men by the tail and flinging it into an opposite tower wall. Cracks spread out from the impact as the creature slumped to the ground, dead. Higher in the air, Katana's screech echoed down through the courtyard, parrying the odd cries of the dragon-men and women, he reminded himself, surging through the castle. The occasional laser blast struck out of their heads, scorching the breastplates of the dragon-men in fatal hits. They plummeted through the air, falling to the streets below.

He launched into the air, arching backwards as Broadway sailed by beneath him, plowing into an equally large dragon-woman who'd taken a nasty swipe at Lexington. Their reinforcements, warriors from Crystal Moon, darted here and there, sending volleys of arrows into the air which picked off dozens of the attacking creatures at once. He used his own laser pistol to pick off one or two as he exchanged blows between enemies and didn't wait to see if they fell or not.

He glanced towards the Guardian Enterprises Building in the distance, hearing the sounds of battle there carry back to his ears.

"Brooklyn-san!"

He crushed the jaw of an attacking dragon-men as he sailed to the topmost tower and landed on Goliath's perch, facing the city side by side with Sata. Her katana glistened with the reflected light of the moon and he could see specks of blood along its surface.

"Xanatos is ready," the jade green female informed him. "The steel clan robots are in position."

"Good! Get them fired up and flying. Our friends out there could use help too."

Sata nodded, swinging up and out as a dragon-man came at them wielding a spiked club, and left to find Xanatos again as the creature crumpled into the tower. Brooklyn turned as another came at him from behind and shot it square between the eyes, then launched into the air to help his mate and another female warrior against three of the largest dragon-men he'd ever seen.

Lexington appeared alongside him, using his smaller size for greater speed. He zipped through the dragon-men lines, using his tail to slap an enemy or two in the face or knock their weapons out of their hands. Once or twice he managed to knock off enough armor for Katana to stab or slash successfully.

"Keep it up, Lex!" Brooklyn called, shouldering a dragon-men into its companions with enough force to knock them into the opposite building.

Lexington took a sharp dive, drawing a few out of the way as Katana and Brooklyn performed a series of beautiful but deadly aerial maneuvers that confused their attackers and eventually left them open to deadly counter attack.

A resounding boom echoed through the air, momentarily silencing the battle. Everyone looked up as several dragon-men/women plummeted from the skies, their armor and flesh smoldering.

"Xanatos has got the guns working!" Broadway yelled as he soared up to meet them.

"And look!" Lexington added, pointing. "The steel clan!"

Several of the Goliath-sized robots roared out of hidden compartments in the sides of the castle, glass eyes glinting blood-red in the darkness of night. Angela took advantage of the distraction they caused, circling around by their enemies while their allies engaged those closest, knocking them out of the sky. Snarling, she released a wave of magic that caught two of the female dragon-like warriors by surprised, thrusting them into the parapets. They crumpled in a heap, the stone work giving way beneath the force of their impact. Angry, their companions swerved to avenge them. Angela was ready and used a blade made of her own magical energy to cut the in two.

The magical blade sputtered out of existence when the world spun crazily and she dropped. She'd forgotten it took so much energy to wield the magic her mother had taught her.

"Careful, sister!" a turtle-faced warrior exclaimed, catching her. "This is no place to faint!"

"Yes, thank you," she breathed, rubbing her head as he settled her on the nearest battlement. "I'll be alright now. Don't worry about me."

He – what was his name? – nodded once and leaped off the parapets, returning to the battle as she turned to face the creatures who had landed behind her, ready to take advantage of her sudden dizziness.

Above her, the steel clan robots, sixteen in all, roared in perfect formation through the enemy ranks, laser cannons firing angrily. No matter how powerful a single dragon-men might be, they were no match against the precision of laser guided accuracy and began dropping from the sky like lifeless stones. Six of the robots veered off in the direction of the Guardian's Mansion, following the programming to give aid to the people there. Three carried two very large guns and within minutes reached their destination.

Guardian's Mansion

Kenshin was the first to hear their approach. The simple jet engines, while not as large or powerful as those of a fighter jet, still produced an unmistakable roar. After felling the closest dragon-men, probably one of the largest he'd faced yet, he looked up at the sky as six points of light drew closer. At the same instant, three beams of red light streaked through the sky. One beam decimated six of the large beasts at once while the other two managed to hit one or two and destroy one of the far guard walls to his right.

Now closest to the pool, Kaoru gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth. She shared a glance with her husband, who chuckled helplessly and scratched the back of his head.

"Obviously these beasts don't care for the expenses of keeping an empire in order!" boomed a voice from behind him.

Kenshin turned in surprise, though he'd sensed the presence before the warrior had arrived, and stared. "Shisho!" he cried, disbelieving and incredulous. "Finally! What took you so long?"

The huge thirteenth master of hiten mitsurugi ryu, smirked at his pupil, the fourteenth master, eyebrow twitching. "The city's a big place, baka deshi," he growled out, lifting one big fist to smash the brow of a dragon-men who'd gone flying after a devastating punch from Sanosuke. "Just because people don't want to move for me, never mind the fact I can't easily make good jumps in this place . . ."

"Oh, shut up!" Kaoru shouted, swinging with all her might and then ducking to avoid a return blow as the steel clan finally roared by overhead, firing as they went. "This is no time for catching up!"

Kenshin shrugged at his master, smirking, and sliced at the back of a dragon-woman who'd managed to pin the rhinoceros-faced strike force leader. The steel clan robots circled back around, their sharpened wings striking a few of the dragon-men as they passed, killing them. They pulled evasive maneuvers that even the most skilled dragon-man could only dream of and scattered the heavy bodied brutes.

"What power!" one of the Crystal Moon warriors gasped as he helped a wounded friend to a hidden alcove to rest. "It is like magic!"

Hiko scowled indignantly and thought to threaten abandoning the battle just to ease his bruised ego, but thought better of it when one of the dragon-men managed a lucky strike, destroying one of the steel-clan robots. Having been startled by the metal monsters at first and doing everything they could to avoid their enhanced speed and apparent invulnerability, they now realized these machines could be destroyed.

"Humph!" Hiko snorted, unsheathing New Moon, his ancient – and favorite - enchanted blade. "I am too generous for my own good."

He darted forward with blinding speed, startling several of the dragon-men charging him. Apparently they hadn't figured that such a tall man could move so quickly, which worked in his favor. He smirked, and lashed out, his blade singing in the chaotic night. He'd end it all here.

To be continued . . .

Author's Note; There's SO much more I wanted to do with this chapter, and yes, surprise, surprise, but I managed to bring Sanosuke in here. I couldn't help it. Kenshin's not Kenshin without his right hand man at his side, and who could ignore Hiko? The guy's just too darn cool!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the somewhat randomness of this chapter and stick around. This part of the – well, maybe not so epic – struggle is almost over.

PLEASE REVIEW! See ya next time!