Disclaimer: I don't own Winx Club.

I'm sorry about the wait. I came down with a particularly unpleasant virus that I'm still recovering from, and it has severely sapped my will to write. But write I did, and here's the result. On with the story!

Artis awoke well before dawn. Something had woken her. In the other bed Perdi stirred in her sleep. Artis tried to force her muddled thoughts to go in a single direction, slowly shaking off the confusion of waking up.

What was that awful smell?

Artis got out of bed and peered out the window. There was some sort of commotion at the edge of the city, but she couldn't quite make it out. Then she spotted the fire.

"No, they wouldn't dare attack Melivon..." Artis whispered. She hurried to get everyone up.

The six girls met at the entrance of the building. Fairies, witches, and everything in between were rushing around.

"It looks like the Ember Blades are back." Artis said.

"I thought we'd seen the last of them now that Ekroin's out of the picture and you're no longer commanding them." Reyva said to Nyssa, a hint of accusation in her voice.

Nyssa ignored it and turned to Dhalia. "With Ekroin dead Tellis will take command. They're a military organization. They've made plans for such an event."

"Fine." Reyva said. "Now what's that smell?"

"You don't want to know."

"Excuse me girls, but Luminé has requested you join her at the edge of the city." A wizard said.

"It's Selvus, right?" Dhalia asked. The wizard nodded. "Did she say why?"

"No, just that she wants you there."

"Let's go girls." Artis said, a strange calm settling over her. "Let's go face the Ember Blades. We owe them that much."

Luminé was waiting at the edge of the city, a bright light in her hand lighting the area up like a lamp. A hundred yards away, Tellis stood atop a hill. The other three Ember Blades were nowhere to be seen.

"Good, you're here." Luminé said to the Classix as they arrived. "Tellis here demanded you be here." She turned to the fallen knight. "They're here, now speak your piece."

"Lady Luminé, you harbor a killer among you."

"And you harbor five. Speaking of which, where are your companions?"

"Ekroin is dead. The others are near, but I thought it best to speak to you alone."

"Ekroin is dead? That's the best news I've heard in over six hundred years." Luminé said. "Who killed him?"

"She is here, with her companions."

"She's here? Even better! Who is it? I want to congratulate her myself."

"I did it." Artis said, stepping forward. "I'm not proud of it, and it cost me greatly, but he would have killed my friend. I would do it again without hesitation."

"You have my thanks..." Luminé trailed off, a question in her voice.

"Artis."

"Artis. Thank you. You have destroyed a great evil."

"I killed a man. It's not something to celebrate."

"Indeed it is not!" Tellis cried. "We demand you release her to us, so that she may face justice for her actions!"

"Just like you have submitted to justice for the crimes you have committed?" Luminé asked.

"You will give us the girl. Now."

"Or what?"

"Or this." Tellis whistled. A sickening wave of stench rolled over the Classix.

"Ugh!" Amelia exclaimed. "What is that? It smells like mildew mixed with rotten meat, maybe some bat droppings as bonus!"

"Cave Gliders." Nyssa said. Of everyone present, she was the least affected by the smell.

"What's a cave glider?" Perdi asked.

"That." Nyssa pointed.

A creature crested the hill and seemed to flow down the other side. It was roughly eight feet long, three feet tall, and shaped like a slug. Except it was armored. A reddish brown carapace covered the creature, each segment sliding under and over the others in a nauseating manner as it moved down the hill side. Sharp blades extended from the sides and the back, adding another foot and a half of height. The shell glistened sickly in the light, and the grass where it had passed smoked and crumbled. It reared up, revealing a grey, fleshy underside with a mouth large enough to swallow a person whole, and let out a piercing shriek before slamming back onto the ground.

The girls covered their ears.

"You were right, I didn't want to know." Reyva said.

Dozens of the creatures began to swarm over the hill, lead by the other three Ember Blades.

"Give us the girl, or we will raze Melivon to the ground."

"You think you can threaten us with these things?" Luminé said. "You're wrong. Also, my daughter has a message for you. 'Not even if you were the last male in existence, so stop asking.'"

"So be it."

"If they attack, Melivon is doomed." Nyssa said.

"What? There are thousands of people here!" Dhalia said. "There's no way four men and their pets could defeat them all."

"If those pets are immune to magic, yes they can."

"Oh."

"We can't let that happen." Artis said. She stepped forwards. "Stop!" Everyone turned to look at her.

"What is it, murderess?"

"I will surrender myself to you, but only if you leave this city in peace."

"Very well. Rengal, halt the beasts."

"Artis, no!" Perdi said. "You can't do this!"

"It's only fair Perdi."

"No it's not!"

"You can't stop me."

"Then we're coming with you." Amelia said.

"No!"

"Don't argue Artis. You came with me when I went to Univix. We're staying with you until this is resolved."

"I'll come too." Nyssa said. "This is all my fault anyways."

"Then it's settled." Dhalia said. "We'll all go."

Six girls walked across the city limits, leaving Luminé to stand there. Her sad stare followed the girls, but she made no move to stop them. She knew the value of sacrifice. It was why she was here in the first place.

The Classix walked out of the city. Amelia noted several protective barriers at the city limits as they passed through them.

"Couldn't let your friend go I see." Tellis's voice taunted. "Now I have all five-" He paused as he caught sight of Nyssa. Then he grinned. "Six of you. I'm going to enjoy this."

"Tell us what you want." Reyva demanded. "We're on a schedule here."

"Blood demands blood!" He drew his sword and pointed it at Artis. "You will pay for the death of our leader!"

"I already have." Arits said. "It cost me my life."

"Yet you walk amongst the living."

"My life was restored with the power of an Ember Stone."

"Thief! Murderess! You shall pay for your crimes!"

"And you shall pay for yours."

Tellis paused. "Is that a challenge?"

"No. A promise."

"Then you submit to our judgement?" The other Ember Blades stood flanking him.

"No." Artis said. "I will not answer to you for protecting my friends."

"Then you challenge our justice!"

"You don't offer justice. I challenge your hypocrisy, I challenge your lies, I challenge you."

Tellis smiled. "Excellent. Trial by Arms it is then."

"What?"

"You challenged me. We shall see who the better man is on the field of battle."

"If that's what we're looking for than neither of us qualifies."

Tellis almost did a double take. "You've sealed your fate. Let's settle this, just you and me."

"As you wish." Artis stepped forwards, drawing her daggers.

"What are you doing?" Amelia hissed. "You'll be killed!"

"No I won't, and I won't kill him either, but this is the only way to settle this. To prove to them that they can't beat us in a fair fight."

"Are you insane?" Reyva demanded. "He's a sorcerer knight with millennia of experience! You can't win!"

"Yes I can." Artis turned to her friends. "This is something I have to do."

"I... be safe." Perdi said. "Promise you won't die again."

"I promise Perdi. I promise to be there for you."

"Go." Dhalia said. "This is your battle. You need to face it."

"Thanks Dhalia."

Artis turned back to Tellis, who had used his magic to clear a space for them to fight in.

Artis stepped onto the burnt earth.

A/N: They're baaaaack! And they brought friends. Speaking of which, the Cave Gliders hold a special honor. These are the first creatures I've used in this story to come straight out of one of my nightmares. Everything else, I came up with while awake. Not these things. The smell was a particular feature of the things, and I can't do it justice with mere words. They're creepy, they're foul, and they're dangerous. But are they really immune to magic? We'll have to find out.

Artis has really changed, even getting in a not-so-subtle insult. She's confident she can win. We'll have to see how that works out too.

I promise I'll get to Luminé's story soon, but first I have to resolve this. Soon! I promise!

That's all for now, see you all next chapter.