Chapter LCII: Khimairas and Death

During the length of their battle, most of which Jinxie freely admitted she spent running away, she heard a number of sounds from the Khimaira. She had heard the crackle of electricity as it focused energy through its horns. She had heard the slicing of the air as it beat its heavy black wings. She had heard it growl, roar, and howl in ranges from deep and rumbling to loud and piercing. Only now did she hear the noise the Khimaira made when it was in pain.

"Burn," Rughadjeen said softly, holding his dual-bladed sword aloft, "Algol."

Jinxie covered her eyes as a flash of light and heat pulsed from the General's weapon. The Skyserpent's famous blade erupted into flame in his grasp, blue-tinged fire licking the tempered steel as he clutched it in both hands. Springing forward, the Elvaan slashed at the Khimaira, leaving an arch of flames behind him. The beast cried out as Rughadjeen's blade creased its chest, leaving a smoldering trail of burnt flesh in its wake. Angrily, it batted him away, but he caught the strike of its paws with Algol, feet planting in the mud as he resisted the impact. With a mighty heave, he threw the monster's claws back, assuming a defensive stance as he went head-to-head with a creature whose head was as big as his body.

The Khimaira's horns surged with a fresh pulse of electricity, and with a furious toss of its head a torrent of lightning streaked towards Rughadjeen. The Elvaan held up his burning sword, gritting his teeth in preparation for impact. Instead, he was thrown from his feet as an explosion rocked the air in front of him. He fell backwards, but was stopped by the massive hands of the Galka General, Zazarg. An oppressive atmosphere of raw power weighed down upon them as Flameserpent Gadalar crouched forward with his hand outstretched, a burst of his own formidable magic countering the Khimaira's electricity. From his back he withdrew a thin-shafted scythe with a blade of ivory, eyes burning as he glared at the beast.

"Abominations like you have no place in this world," he snarled. The wet ground hardened at his feet as waves of heat began pouring off of him. "Cremate!" The Hume shouted, twirling his scythe forward towards the monster, "White Joker!"

His weapon ignited as he called its name just as Rughadjeen's had, but rather than use it as a striking implement, Gadalar only pointed the scythe towards his target. The Khimaira surged forward, teeth bared, but the Flameserpent remained where he was. Jinxie covered her ears as a booming sound louder than any thunderclap burst from his scythe, and from it cascaded a river of flames. Dirt, mud, and gravel sprayed up as the beast stopped short, too late to stop itself from being bathed in fire. Its howls pierced the inferno, underscoring Gadalar's crazed laughter. The Khimaira vanished from sight entirely, his form blanketed by the General's endless flames.

"Are you alright?" Jinxie was startled to hear a voice addressing her, and looked up to find the Galeserpent, General Najelith, extending her hand. She took it readily, pulling herself out of the mire. She brushed off the front of her dirtied tabard, squinting at the blaze engulfing the Khimaira not far from where they were.

"I'll survive," she answered, "but is that going to be enough to stop that thing?"

Najelith smirked. "Gadalar's just having fun. We haven't even gotten warmed up yet." A moment passed as Jinxie's gaze went flat. "Get it?" The ebon-haired archer asked her. "Warmed up? Because of the fire?"

"Why are you here?" Najelith made a sour face at Jinxie's blunt changing of the subject.

"Razfahd's orders," she explained. "We're here to help!" The Galeserpent smiled brightly at her. Jinxie was surprised at how young the woman was. She had scarcely paid attention to the Serpent Generals during their meeting at the palace, but now seeing her up close several details caught her eye. Besides Rughadjeen, they all wore the same red-and-gold armor over loose-fitting white garb traditional of the Empire. The Skyserpent wore a heavier, less ornate breastplate more suiting a man on the front lines. He and Zazarg seemed to be the only two possessing age enough to reasonably be considered a General. From what she could tell, the other three were barely into their twenties, likely even younger than her.

It occured to her that perhaps the Empire's military structure was not founded on the same principles of her native Bastok. In the Republic, promotions came with time and experience, soliders earning their way up the ladder by dedicating their lives to the service. Bastokans in the army could stay in for decades and not reach the upper echelons of command. Now she was looking at a girl that she likely had a good five years on who was in charge of a sixth of the entire Imperial Army.

"General Najelith," she asked aloud, crouching down to pick her fallen three-cornered hat off the ground, "how did you earn your position?"

Najelith quirked an eyebrow, perhaps as puzzled by the content of the question as its timing. "The same way everyone in the military did, through proof of my power in combat."

"So the five of you . . . "

The Galeserpent nodded, holding her bow outstretched towards Jinxie meaningfully. "Out of everyone in the Empire, we, the Serpent Generals, are the most powerful soldiers you will find"

The air suddenly crackled with electricity, and she gasped as a burst of the Khimaira's power threw apart Gadalar's dome of fire. No sooner had it emerged than the ground split at its feet, and the beast toppled over in response to Zazarg sending a shockwave through the earth with nothing more than raw strength. The beast was singed and smoking, still-burning flames smothered as it was tossed into the mud. As soon as it was down, the Galeserpent, Mihli Aliapoh, was upon it in a flash. The club she wielded was nearly as big as she was, and with bone-crushing force she battered the monster down as it struggled to rise.

Jinxie watched, taken aback by the sheer power unleashed by the Serpent Generals. The Khimaira retaliated fiercely, a bolt of lightning from its horns sending Mihli sprawling, but the Mithra landed on her feet and immediately took the offensive again. Rughadjeen and Zazarg joined her as Gadalar continued to harrass it with flames. Najelith spun away from her, nocking an arrow in her bow, but lowered it after squinting at the monster.

"Not yet," she whispered to herself.

Jinxie looked around with a start. "Oh no," she said, and took off suddenly. Najelith called after her, but she was already sliding down the short cliff wall between her and where the Serpent Generals had beaten the Khimaira back to. She halted just short of a groundburst as the Khimaira and Zazarg shattered the landscape with an exchange of blows, diving around it instead. Not far in front of her, she saw Isset's limp form stretched over the moss-covered rocks dotting the area. Lightning danced around her as the Khimaira viciously counter-attacked the Serpent Generals, and she clutched her trireme hat against her head as she darted towards the fallen Puppetmaster.

"Isset," she called out to her, kneeling in front of the other woman. Isset gave no response. Her face was dreadfully pale and smeared with blood and dirt. Jinxie pulled her up, draping one arm around her shoulders and clutching it tightly. An explosion of lightning and flame burst up beside her, and she rushed through the heat and haze, dragging the Puppetmaster with her. The ground shook as the Khimaira and the generals battled it out, Jinxie forcing her way through the warzone to rescue her friend.

She twisted first to her left, then right, trying to find a clear way free from the melee. Isset moaned as she was pulled bodily away from the battle, and Jinxie struggled to keep her steady. The mercenary was nothing but dead weight, and the quick slide downhill to retrieve her was now far more formidable going back up. Gathering her resolve, she ducked her head down and broke for the steep incline at a dead run.

Isset pressed down on her, but she continued with all her strength, pushing her legs up the hill. Looking up for a brief moment, she saw Najelith leaning down over the ledge, extending her hand furtively. She also saw that hand was still much too far away to grab. Gritting her teeth, she pressed on, but the mud was dragging her down. Desperately, with her body being assailed by loose debris kicked up by the battle raging behind her, she lashed her hand out and made a leap for the Galeserpent's grasp. The archer stretched forward, and wrapped her hand tightly around Jinxie's wrist, heaving her up to the ledge.

She was almost up when a bolt of lightning struck the space between them, sending Jinxie and Isset plummeting back towards the ground below.

A scream didn't even have time to escape her lips before her descent was cut short. With a sudden and powerful jerk, she felt the breath explode from her lungs as she was yanked from the air, and a moment later tossed bodily atop the ledge she had been trying to reach. Isset's body rolled next to her a second later, and the Puppetmaster stirred at the rough disturbance, blinking uncertainly and trying to move. Jinxie struggled up to her elbows, taking a moment to make sure her hat was still secure, and then looked around for an explanation as to what had just happened. She gave a start when it presented itself before her.

"Vaala!" She exclaimed as the Ninja landed gently on the ground. "You're alright!"

Stretching her neck to one side, the black-garbed woman rolled one shoulder forward, then repeated the motion in the other direction. "My task was to escort and protect you," she stated, "and the Special Assignments Division is not familiar with failure."

"The others," she started moving to her feet, pushing herself up, but Vaala shook her head.

"I brought them here first. When I saw you with Najelith I determined you were in the safest place possible and went looking for the others. You descended the cliff while I was gone." There was a trace of irritability in her voice for a fraction of a second. "They are not unharmed, but they should survive."

"Thank you, Vaala," Jinxie clasped the other woman's hand, bowing her head sincerely. "Thank you."

"Uggh . . . " at the sound of the voice behind them, she quickly turned to find Isset starting to stir. "Wha - what's going . . . where am I?"

"Lie still, Isset," Jinxie crouched down next to her, taking her hand. "How do you feel?"

"Like I was just hit by a Khimaira," she muttered. "Where . . . where is everybody . . . ?"

"Vaala rescued them. We're all safe."

"But . . . the monster . . . "

"Good morning, mercenary!" Isset almost leaped out of her skin as General Najelith's face appeared over her, and Jinxie felt her stomach flip-flop in surprise. She hadn't even heard the other woman approaching and now she was right next to her. The Puppetmaster bolted upright into a sitting position, clutching at her chest with a gasp.

"General!" She breathed. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving you, naturally," the archer planted her bow in the ground, looking out towards the fight. "The others sure are taking their time, though."

"Others?" Isset turned her head questioningly towards Jinxie.

"Can you not feel it in the air?" Vaala asked seriously. "This mountain of force weighing down upon us? The thickness in the air, the heat in your blood, the sense of dread you must surely feel in its presence - this is the strength of the Serpent Generals assembled in one spot."

Jinxie nodded to Isset, and then moved out of her range of vision. The battleground below them revealed, the Puppetmaster could only stare.

"Ash! Ash and smoking ruin!" Gadalar was shouting. The Hume's long brown hair was matted down with sweat as he swung his ivory scythe. "Now, White Joker," he called to the weapon, "Salamander Flame!" With both hands, he crashed it into the ground. As soon as the blade touched the mud, a river of flames erupted from its tip, crashing with terrible force into the Khimaira. It howled madly, but then unleashed a noxious gas from its maw. The Flameserpent hastily fled as the ground solidified around him, the monster's breath petrifying all that it touched.

Just before the lethal gas could lay claim to the Hume, the Springserpent General pounced out from behind him. Mihli Aliapoh swung her enormous club with a fierce cry, producing a wave of cleansing water. The two forces struck with an explosive result, with the Khimaira's putrid gas scoured away. Following through, Mihli dove through her own torrent to viciously smack the end of her club down on the beast's snout. Blood gushed from its nose, and it responded with a roar and a toss of its head that threw her aside. No sooner had she skidded to a halt, landing on her feet once more, than Zazarg and Rughadjeen were on it. The latter charged in head on, Algol still ablaze, the former launched down from above, his fists crashing with meteoric impact into the Khimaira's back.

For every attack they launched, the Khimaira had a counter. When they crowded in around it, it would release the same storm of energy that had obliterated Sefadin's assault. If they ran out of range, it shot deadly toxins from its tail and its throat. It fought their weapons with its fangs, and their magic with its lightning. The Generals were taking a beating, Jinxie could easily see, but so was the Khimaira. Its wings were flared upwards in a defensive posture, and the ground was covered with claw marks from where it had dug itself in yet still been pushed back.

Watching them in combat was seeing a perpetual motion machine in action. Every time one of them was forced back, there was another to take their place. They never let up, never gave quarter, they only pressed harder with every fresh assault. The Khimaira was powerful, that was clear, but she knew just from watching them that the outcome of this battle was not in question. The Serpent Generals were going to win the day.

Coughing nearby tore her away from her thoughts, and she turned to see Sefadin, lying propped up against a tree some distance away, slowly coming to his senses. Krista was next to him, and she called for help as soon as he started stirring.

"What's goin' on . . ?" His eyes were bleary, and his arms were limp at his sides.

"We took a pretty bad hit," Isset replied to him, the woman still coming to her senses herself. "You're missing a great fight, Captain. The Serpent Generals are here."

"Oh man," he breathed, "I gotta see that." He strained, trying to rise, but collapsed quickly. "Ugh . . . you got anything that'll kickstart my heart?"

Isset lifted her hand up, and for the first time Jinxie saw clearly the manipulator she used to control Shoki. It snapped into place in her palm, and she began twisting her wrist while moving her fingers. She caught Jinxie staring and smiled.

"The band around my wrist has a length of wire inside of it, and that's attached to the manipulator," she explained. "That way I can drop it and fight with my fists without losing it. Once my palm is on it, I can control Shoki through specific finger movements on the surface or verbal commands, or just manipulating my chi a certain way. He'll even react to changes in my pulse that the manipulator picks up." She frowned, pulling at nothing with the hand holding the device. An apologetic look came upon her as she turned back to Sefadin. "The Serpent Generals' spiritual energy is giving us too much interference, I can't reconnect with Shoki while they're fighting like this."

"They're so strong," Jinxie could feel the intense power being released from their battle growing even greater. "Why don't they finish it off already?"

"Because," Sefadin coughed, "they need to destroy it completely."

"What do you mean?"

"Ah," this time it was Krista who spoke up, "I can answer that." Rummaging through her pack, she produced her harp and began plucking rhythmically at the strings. To Jinxie's surprise, a cloud of images began appearing in the air, moving in time to the Bard's tune and voice.

"Khimairas are not what you might imagine," she said, and a rough purple shape formed in the cloud above Krista's head. "They're not born or summoned, they're not an ancient monster of any kind. Khimairas are engineered through science and magic - soulless creations assembled from the remains of other monsters!" The images of several other creatures appeared in the cloud, with arrows pointing from them to the purple mass in the center. Jinxie realized that the comical display was the same as what she had experienced when Pixel had told them Kkel's story, only obviously to a greatly lessened degree.

"Making Khimairas is strictly forbidden by the Empire," a large "No" sign appeared above the Khimaira in her image, and Jinxie had to force herself not to roll her eyes. "But the Beastmen still produce them regularly. However, it was discovered . . . " the tempo of her song increased, and the image solidified into the form of the blank-eyed beast the Generals were fighting below them, " . . . that new Khimairas were being created using remains from previous ones which had been slain!" She lowered her voice, and the illusion lapsed into a series of rough shapes and colors. "Therefore, in order to prevent old Khimairas from being used to build new, stronger ones . . . " Five red shapes appeared around the Khimaira in her song, closing in on it rapidly, with a white flash as the result. " . . . you must obliterate that Khimaira entirely!"

"The Serpent Generals are waiting for the perfect moment," Sefadin spoke as Krista's song was carried away by the wind, "so that they might capture the Khimaira at a point of its greatest energy release and turn that energy back upon it. That is the only way to ensure it is completely destroyed."

"A monster made from other monsters . . . " Jinxie looked back over her shoulder, eyes widening at the sight of the beast. "Then it doesn't just have powers like a Behemoth . . . "

"No," this time it was Vaala whom confirmed her suspicion. "It is very likely the Khimaira you see before us was constructed using Behemoths native to your continent."

"That's . . . terrifying." She shuddered openly.

"Wait," Sefadin managed to edge himself up on his elbows, looking out over the ledge, "do you feel it?"

"Yes," Vaala confirmed, "the time is growing near."

General Rughadjeen was ruthlessly battering the Khimaira with his sword, forcing it up against the wall of the cliff around them. It attempted to break to the right, but was met by General Zazarg's fearsome strength and turned back. To its left, Mihli and Gadalar closed in on it, countering its magic and assailing it with their own. It roared in fury as it was boxed in, and Jinxie could see a white glow beginning to pulsate from beneath its stolen skin. The wings on its back were stretched wide open, and the hungry look in its soulless eyes had been replaced by sheer rage. It no longer wanted to simply eat its attackers, it wanted to hurt them, to punish them.

The monster was thick with wounds now, scars from the burning sword the Skyserpent brought against it. Beneath the cut flesh, a ruddy white glow was slowly pulsing outwards. The horns on its head were no longer crackling with lightning, but instead burning with that same white light. All over, the Khimaira was beginning to glow, and its chi was growing massively. Jinxie felt the air become stifling as its spiritual energy rose to greater heights than ever, overpowering even that of the Serpent Generals. Its howl was like an arrow, piercing through the oppressive river of colliding forces. The ground swelled up and burst around the Khimaira's feet, and the four Generals were forced back in unison, shielding themselves from the sudden surge.

At exactly that moment, a new source of chi suddenly burst to life, and with a gasp Jinxie turned to see Najelith, the Galeserpent, drawing back her bow.

"Almost," she whispered, squinting one eye as she leveled an arrow. To Jinxie's astonishment, the point of the projectile flickered briefly, and then burst into radiant light. Barely a moment later, the Khimaira let loose a deafening roar, its body erupting with power. A sphere of blinding energy formed around it, holding in place for a fraction of a second.

"Now, Selene!" The Galeserpent shouted, letting her arrow fly. "Typhonic Arrow!"

Jinxie should have felt, as everyone else did, the catastrophic collision of power as Najelith's arrow collided with the Khimaira's fulmination. The archer had spent the entire battle letting her bow, Selene, gather energy for one tumultous release. At the moment of the monster's greatest attack, all that power was brought to bear, resulting in an energy wave deadly enough to completely eradicate the beast. For everyone else, being in the presence of such incredible power was enough to make their bones rattle and the breath leave their lungs.

However, Jinxie could not feel any of it. She was lost in the dark and infinitely vast ocean of terror which had just swept over her.

From just beyond the entrance to the Khimaira's clearing, the Dark Rider had appeared.

Even as Najelith prepared to release her arrow, his crushing aura struck her like a great, pulverizing weight. She stood in rapt fear, gaping at the horseman as he reared his steed just beyond where they all had gathered. His burning eyes returned her gaze from beneath his helmet, and in the next instant he lowered his lance and charged. Trapped in the cage of his power, she could feel nothing but terror. He was here to kill her. She knew it without a doubt, and there was nothing she could do to stop him.

Her legs moving seemingly of their own accord, Jinxie screamed, running as fast as she could. Escape, she told herself, she had to escape. This was no foe she could fight, no battle she could win. This was death, and it was coming for her.

The voices of the others were lost as the ground gave out beneath her. She tumbled head over heels, landing on her back to see the Dark Rider leaping over the cliff, the hooves of its eight-legged horse bearing down to crush her.

She covered her face desperately, still crying out, and then a wave of darkness swept across her.

In the next moment, the entire area erupted as Najelith's arrow pierced the Khimaira's dome of energy, and the battlefield was scoured clear by light.


Kkel Solaar's eyes came alight as a portal within the Chamber of Passage flared to life. He had waited through the night, dozing in a chair propped up against the wall from time to time. All the members of his elite squad had long since been sent home to recover from their day of lightning-fast assaults. Razfahd had returned to the palace, confident that allowing the Serpent Generals to follow Jinxie would bring quick and decisive victory. The guards had all locked up for the night and retired. Only Pixel remained with him, and she too turned in anticipation as a soft blue glow filled the portal.

It was Sefadin, the mercenary Captain, and with him the Bard that he dragged along. He stood up to greet them, but stopped when they came fully into view. The Paladin's head was hung, and his companion was looking away. In the brief moment he saw her eyes, he caught their redness, along with her tear-stained cheeks. Before he could raise his voice to them as they stepped away from the portal, it came to life once more. This time it was the other two mercenaries, Speed and Isset. Both appeared in a similar state to the Captain.

"What happened?" They looked up, surprised by his presence in the darkened Chamber. All four of them looked away from him, and each other. No one seemed to want to speak. Rising from his chair, he felt his emotions beginning to churn. "Why did you come back?" He demanded. "Answer me!"

"General . . . " Isset whispered, biting her lip.

The portal flared to life once more, and the dark form of the assassin, Vaala, appeared within it. She kept her masked head high, walking past the others without a word. Stopping in front of him, she drew a deep breath under the intense gaze of his blue eyes.

"General Solaar," she said perfunctorily. "I must report mission failure."

Kkel could feel his cheeks growing hot as Pixel placed a hand over her mouth, shaking her head. "What are you saying, Agent?" He could no longer keep his anger in check. "Somebody tell me what happened! Where is Jinxie? Well?" Vaala continued to meet his gaze, but said nothing in response.

A flash of blue told of the portal being used again, and this time they all turned. The platform it rested on filled up with the forms of the five Serpent Generals. Kkel brushed past Vaala, walking towards them, but Rughadjeen quickly came forward and headed him off.

"Kkel," he said, "my friend," the Elvaan's voice was low, "I am sorry."

"What are you - " he stopped, realizing the Skyserpent was pressing something into his hands. He looked down, and his heart nearly stopped in disbelief.

"We lost her, Kkel," Rughadjeen whispered, handing him Jinxie's tattered hat. "We lost her."

Kkel could only stare at the object in his hands in the stillness of the Chamber. For a long while, no one said a word, and the only sound was that of soft, silent tears.

Chapter LCI: Giant Monster Number Three

Braced against the wall for support, Kkel forced himself to his feet, steadying his legs beneath him. He was starting to feel his strength coming back, a sensation of relief spurred on by the sight of Pixel reappearing in the Chamber of Passage. All the soldiers of his piecemeal squadron had made it out of their last lightning-fast assault in one piece. Making it back out again was another story.

Half of them could no longer stand under their own power. Two were receiving emergency treatment just to keep their hearts beating. Injuries sustained in battle with the undead were superficial at worst, as they were always too quick to be lured into any drawn-out confrontations. The whole of their problems stemmed from the Runic Portal. They were burning out, and quickly. As he caught Pixel's eyes, he knew that there would be no more return trips. Their squad was decimated by weakness.

"So . . . it's so . . . "she started to say softly.

Kkel gently motioned her to silence. The silver-haired Tarutaru closed her eyes, sliding down against the wall and breathing heavily as she clutched Gjallarhorn. With some great effort, he managed to turn away from her as the door to the Chamber of Passage opened. Footsteps carried down to where he stood, and it was only a few moments before the figure of Razfahd appeared at the opposite end of the hall. With a dispassionate eye, the Grand Vizier surveyed the exhausted soldiers of the Sunserpent's assault team. Slowly his gaze turned to Kkel himself, and there was a pained understanding within them he had not expected to see.

"This mission is over, Solaar."

"No, wait," Kkel stumbled forward, shaking his head when his vision blurred. "I can still go on by myself. Give me just a little longer and - "

"General, do not make me repeat myself." The familiar coldness of Razfahd's voice crept back in. He sighed deeply, clasping his hands behind his back. His stern, hawk-like features softened slightly. "Kkel," his tone was placating, "you will kill yourself. You have done all you can do."

"There's no way the Lamia will keep their forces on alert if the attacks don't keep coming," he protested. "Jinxie must be practically to Arrapago by now, we'd be practically laying a trap for her! Even if she does succeed she'll only find the undead swarm waiting for her and her son when she tries to return."

Razfahd looked at him, maintaining his haughty veneer. "When I first saw you return from your last mission, I gave orders that reinforcements be sent to accompany Jinxie."

"Reinforcements?"

The Grand Vizier nodded. "Their orders are to assist her in completing her task . . . or bring her back here if the situation seems unable to be salvaged."

Kkel put a hand against the wall, watching the Runic portals pulse steadily. Clenching his fingers, he smashed a fist against the brick and mortar, letting his head hang. "I can't let her down, Razfahd," he said without looking at him. "She saved more than my life. She saved my soul. I have to repay her."

"Then do it some other time, Sunserpent," the Grand Vizier ordered, "whatever happens from here on out is entirely up to her."

The General closed his eyes, letting a breath escape slowly. Under his breath, he uttered a silent prayer to Walahra. He asked for nothing more than for Jinxie to be kept safe.


"I hate this Empire!" Jinxie screamed as she darted backwards. The Khimaira crashed down into the ground snout-first, tearing the dirt apart in its failed attempt to bite down on the blonde woman. Jerking its head free, it snorted, looking around for the fleeing meal. When its soulless white eyes fell upon her, it lunged again with a hungry snarl. Jinxie narrowly avoided its crushing jaw, breaking into a run as its fangs missed her. Diving forward, she snatched her sword from the ground and rolled up, holding the slim blade forward defensively.

The Khimaira looked at the blade, then snorted derisively, stomping its way towards her. Jinxie felt the hilt tremble in her grasp as the monster closed in on her, but she held her ground. It was still blocking the only exit, and if she had to take it apart one slice at a time to get free, she would. She wished fervently for the power to fight it with magic as she had the Hydra, but that was no longer an option. Her eyes widened when she saw a surge of electricity begin forming from its thick horns, and the bat-like wings on its back flared open. The beast was hungry, and did not feel like playing with its food.

The sparks flying from the tips of its horns abruptly died as the Khimaira roared, rearing upwards and bucking violently. Jinxie lowered her sword, confused, as the monster twisted and writhed, but then she flew backwards as it crashed its front paws down on the ground. The force tore her from her feet, sending her hurtling towards the cliff wall surrounding the area. She tensed her body, bracing her arms in front of her head as she prepared for impact. Before it could happen, there was a flash of darkness, and the next thing she knew she was settled on the ground.

Blinking, she looked up and saw a lithe figure wrapped in black standing above her, two katana outstretched. Gray eyes did not move from the Khimaira as the woman moved up and down on the balls of her feet, preparing for an attack.

"Vaala!" Jinxie exclaimed, scrambling to her feet.

"It would be best if you flee, provisional Major Jinxie," the Mithra told her as the Khimaira's eyes found them. "I will not be able to hold this monster back for long."

"Let me help," she lifted her sword up, leveling it at the beast. "I can't just leave you here."

Vaala did not move from where she was. "You have not used magic since we began this journey," she said in a matter-of-fact tone, "not even now, when your life was at risk." The Khimaira roared, and then began closing in on the two of them. "Am I correct in saying that there is something preventing you from doing so?"

"I - "

"Your assistance would be unwarranted. Run away while you can." Before she could argue, the monster was on them again, swiping at them with its enormous front paws. Jinxie dove to the side, avoiding a strike, but Vaala ran forward instead, planting her feet on its gargantuan limb and running up the sinewy length towards its head. Her hand flashed, and a row of shurikens suddenly blossomed on the Khimaira's muzzle. It shook, almost as if a sneeze, and they all fell to the ground. Vaala pulled away from the monster with a backflip to the ground, watching her weapons fall harmlessly, not even going in deep enough to do more than make the creature itch.

Jinxie watched as the Ninja darted back and forth, astonished. There was no wasted motion in anything the assassin did, not a single exertion more than necessary. When the Khimaira came at her with its mouth open, her hands made a rapid series of gestures and then a cloud of purple smoke erupted in front of her. The beast reared back, coughing violently as another spray of silver shuriken broke from the haze. They embedded themselves in its chest, but fell out as soon as the Khimaira's feet impacted with the ground. It spun about, searching for Vaala, but she was running swiftly behind it, just beyond its range of vision.

Her ears caught the sound of something grinding together as Vaala lanced one hand forward. A moment later, flames sprung up on the Khimaira's back, the scent of burning fur mixing with the odor of swamp water and fumes. This time the beast did roar, feeling the intense heat of Vaala's eastern chemicals eating at its skin. With an earth-shaking clamor, it toppled itself over and rolled into the thick mud around it, squelching the flames. The Ninja watched with some surprise as the still-smoking monster righted itself, shaking flecks of dirt from its thick mane.

"A smart one," she said in an even tone. "Not ideal."

As soon as it was upright again, the monster leaped towards her, black-and-red wings stretching upwards as it tracked down the Mithra. Vaala ran towards it as well, and Jinxie shouted at her in confusion as she went headlong into the towering creature. Just before the moment of impact, however, Vaala's lithe form slid down into the muck, momentum carrying her forward, beneath the Khimaira's belly. In a burst of leaves and black powder, she emerged behind it, brandishing both her katanas and a fresh batch of her flammable tools. Like Jinxie, she gave no thought to the monster's fur-topped tail.

Only when a burst of a foul green spray shot out from it, enveloping Vaala in a sickly-colored cloud, did Jinxie see the stinger concealed beneath the hair.

In a puff of acrid green smoke, the Ninja burst out from inside the cloud, but almost immediately fell to the ground. She planted her arms beneath her, struggling to rise as the Khimaira turned. Its eyes fell on Vaala's struggling form as she coughed, trembling with pain as poison began spreading through her body. Jinxie ran to her side immediately, trying to pull her up as she started going limp.

"Jinxie," Vaala breathed, her voice hoarse, "run," a fit of coughing swept over her, and her body convulsed.

"Hang on!" She shouted at the Ninja. "We'll - "

The rest of her sentence was lost as the Khimaira rammed into the both of them, sending them sprawling in different directions. Jinxie came down hard on the ground, crying out as pain shot through her leg. She rolled a distance after the impact, and when she finally stopped the world kept on spinning, leaving her completely disoriented. Trying to shake her vision clear, blurry shapes in the distance suddenly came into focus. With a gasp, she saw Vaala lying motionless beneath the Khimaira's fangs.

"No!" she started to shout, fumbling for her sword, but the Khimaira paid her no heed.

"Hey you purple abomination," a higher, louder voice with a distinct Imperial accent shouted through the trees, "get away from them!"

A cloud of needles shot out from the trees, peppering the Khimaira's thick hide. To Jinxie's surprise, the slender form of the puppet Shoki rocketed out from the bush, its tiny hands firing a barrage of the deadly projectiles. Turning, it roared angrily at the intrusion to its meal, swiping a crushing paw at the marionette, but Shoki vaulted upwards in mid-air, as if pulled by a set of invisible strings. A moment later there was a surge of motion on either side of the monster, and a jarring impact that shook the clearing. The Khimaira's eyes rolled back in its head as on one its left side, Isset's foot was buried in its face, and on the right, Speed's great axe was thrust up against its jaw. They seemed to hang there for a moment in time before breaking free of the beast, both landing safely as it reeled.

"Jinxie!" Isset shouted. "Are you alright?"

"Vaala," she urged in response, desperately indicating the fallen Ninja, "you have to help Vaala!"

"I'm on it," the Puppetmaster declared. "Keep this thing busy, Speed!"

"What? Aw, maaaaaan . . . " the mercenary loosely hefted up his great axe as the Khimaira snorted, easily brushing off the earlier attack. It's attention fell on the dark-haired Warrior as he sighed. "This place is such a downer, man."

As Speed prepared to fend off the hulking creature, Isset and Shoki appeared by Vaala's side. "It's some kind of toxin, the Khimaira shoots it from its tail," Jinxie explained. "Do you have more of your antidote?"

"Of course," with a flick of her wrist, a compartment on Shoki's torso sprang open, revealing a row of vials within. "Is the poison resistant to magic?"

"What? I don't know, I - " she stopped as she realized what Isset was asking her. "I can't help her, Isset. I'll explain later," she spoke over the raven-haired woman's question, "we need to help Vaala now!"

A breeze suddenly blew past, and they both blinked as something large flew in between them.

Isset gave a gasp as a loud thud shook the leaves from the ground, and they both turned to see Speed collapsed against the cliff wall, sprawled head over heels. Turning back around, the Khimaira loomed over them, Speed's amood between its teeth. Growling irritably, it spit the weapon out, looking down at the two women beneath it.

"Run," Jinxie said without looking at Isset.

They broke in opposite directions, the Puppetmaster scooping Vaala up and darting away in one smooth motion. The Khimaira roared, bounding after Jinxie with growing speed. She pumped her legs as fast as she could, but in one mighty leap the creature flew over her head, spinning in the air to land directly in front of her. Thinking quickly, she dropped to her side and pushed down hard, sinking her arm into the mud and jerking her body to a stop just in front of the beast's gnashing teeth. Pushing forward with her free leg, she propelled herself in the opposite direction.

She had only made it a few steps when Isset sped past her, and she turned to see the Puppetmaster smashing her fist square into the monster's nose. Ignoring the strike, the Khimaira opened its jaws to swallow her up, but she ducked beneath its muzzle and delivered a stunning uppercut to the creature. It stared at her in annoyance.

"This isn't good," she admitted, then cartwheeled quickly aside as the beast swatted at her with its paw.

This time, however, the Khimair did not chase after her. Rumbling with anger, its horns began to spark once more. Jinxie felt her hair rising up as lightning started surging from within it. The air became thick as she turned, trying to get away from the storm which was suddenly and inevitably brewing. She heard Isset shouting towards her, but her words were overpowered by the sudden and shocking release of pent-up energy from within the monster's body.

A wave of thunder cascaded from its horns, striking down the area with force which caused the ground to erupt. Jinxie cried out as she was creased by a column of electric force, her red tabard burned dark black by the contact. Gritting her teeth as she fell, she struggled to make her body stop shaking and get back up. The current which had run through her was making her muscles contract, and her legs weren't listening to her commands that they move her back to her feet. She twisted her head up and found the Khimaira looming over her, and her eyes went wide when it scooped her leg up in its open mouth, fangs glistening above.

With a jarring impact, something struck it dead in the center of its face. It dropped Jinxie down as its wings went limp on its back, as for the first time it appeared genuinely stunned. The next thing she knew, she was being scooped up off the ground and watching Isset fly by again, this time with Shoki in tow. The duo rapidly attacked the monster as Jinxie looked up and found Sefadin's smiling face looking towards it. He set her down, raising up his shield.

"What a beauty!" The mercenary grinned widely. "I haven't seen a Khimaira this big since that one they fished out of Hazhalm. Of course, that one had three heads."

"Of course it did," Jinxie said flatly.

The Khimaira spun around rapidly, flaring its wings with a howl. Isset leaped backwards to avoid its slashing paws, skidding to a stop on the ground as the monster turned towards Sefadin. It eyed him for a moment, tilting its head, then let out a ferocious roar. The trees shook as the ground rumbled beneath their feet, and the mercenary stood as the focal point for the violent display. His face was stoic even as his hair blew back and the mud at his feet broke apart and went flying. When its howl died down into a low grumble, the man and the monster stood face to face, Sefadin staring up at the beast towering over him.

"Oh, you're coming on to me now?" Sefadin's voice was a low, excited growl. "Well I should warn you babe, I'm a cold heartbreaker, fit to burn," with the ringing of steel, he tore his blade from its scabbard, "and I'll rip your heart in two." There was burst of chi at his feet, sending the dry leaves around him circling upwards. As he looked up at the Khimaira, a smile broke his lips. Jinxie covered her eyes as a blinding flash burst from his sword, and the beast howled as well. When she looked back, blinking spots from her vision, she was amazed to see that the weapon had taken on a golden sheen.

"Sing," the Paladin said, bringing his sword to bear, "Hauteclaire!"

Sefadin's sword burst into brilliant light, shining radiantly as he held it out towards the monster. It recoiled from the light, roaring in confusion as Sefadin brandished the golden blade. "Krista!" He shouted out. "Fight music!"

"Aye, Captain!" Jinxie spun around to see the Bard running up to join them, panting and waving, fumbling through her belongings until she produced a harp. Rapidly, her fingers strummed the strings as her voice rose, and soon a stirring march was spreading through the clearing. Krista's spellsong wrapped around Jinxie, and she felt her limbs becoming lighter, her thoughts clearer. The urge to find her sword and take it up again began drumming at the back of her brain. She had to fight down the feelings, but was surprised by the strength of Krista's song.

Sefadin, on the other hand, was reveling in it. His sword, Hauteclaire, made a distinct ringing noise everytime he swung it. What was more, depending on the way he held it, the ring would alter in pitch and duration, making it truly sound like the blade was singing. The Khimaira reared back from his repeated strikes, and she could see streams of bright red blood trickling down from where Hauteclaire's bites were succeeding in making shallow cuts. Smirking, the Paladin held the beast at bay with his strikes, moving in time to Krista's frantic tune.

"I like it," he declared over the sound of battle, "it's got a good beat, and I can dance to it."

"What is that sword?" Jinxie asked, shielding her eyes against its brilliant sheen.

"Captain Sefadin's famous golden sword, Hauteclaire," she turned to see Isset approaching her, pausing to catch her breath. "It amplifies his defense and fighting power so long as he wields it, and sings upon his command. I gave Vaala an antidote," she continued, "but this poison is strong, it's going to take her some time to get through it." She twisted the hand holding Shoki's manipulator around, and the puppet appeared at her side, holding up a familiar silver length. Jinxie blinked, drawing her rapier out of its grasp.

"You're not joining in, Jinxie," Isset said plainly. "What's happened?"

"Isset, I . . . " she looked at her friend, her eyes pleading. "I have to find my son. There's no way they'd let me come along if they knew."

Isset's gaze was imperceptible, and there was a long moment gone before she spoke again.

"Speed!" She shouted, turning her head towards the Warrior.

"Lemme alone Issy," he mumbled, still in the position he had been when the Khimaira swatted him away. "I'm unconscious."

Marching over to him, she kicked him in the side, causing him to topple over into a sitting up position.

"Get your axe and get back in there, this thing isn't dead yet."

"Man," he muttered, pushing himself up off the ground, "such a buzzkill."

As Speed retrieved his weapon, Sefadin went screeching past Jinxie, his shield held up as he was propelled backwards through the mud. Halting himself with a burst of chi, he immediately ran forward again, colliding with the monster and holding off one of its paws with his shield and fending off a second set of claws with Hauteclaire. Releasing the parry with a backstep, he avoided the Khimaira's fangs and then stretched out his sword, which emitted a fierce shine towards his foe.

"Hauteclaire," he ordered, "Sentinel!"

The sword flashed, and the air around the Paladin grew thick. Just as it did, however, the Khimaira reared back with one paw, roaring as it took a fearsome swipe. Jinxie gasped as it struck Sefadin full on. Krista's song stopped as the Bard shrieked, and Isset and Speed froze in their rush to assist the Captain.

As for Sefadin himself, he turned his head back towards the monster, grin still splitting his face. "What," he asked, the air gleaming around him, "is that all you got?"

A fresh wave of chi burst from him as he slashed with fresh vigor at the beast. Krista immediately fumbled with the strings of her harp, but managed to grasp it and strike up her tune again. Isset nodded to Speed, and the Warrior gave a sigh, hefting his crescent-bladed axe. As Sefadin drew the monster's attention, the two of them launched a fresh assault. Speed's weapon dug into its side as Isset's bone-crunching blows hammered its ribs. Shoki flew up from atop the Puppetmaster's shoulders, hands pumping out a series of white-hot balls of flame. It flared its wings up, but Sefadin bashed it in the face with his shield, stunning it, and they immediately drooped back down.

The beast reeled, and Sefadin drew back as well. "Soldiers, form up!" he shouted, and the other two pulled back their attacks. "Let's finish this bad girl off," he ordered, and immediately the level of spiritual energy he was pouring out flared even higher. Isset and Speed followed suit, and Jinxie could feel the intense pressure coming from them as they prepared to launch a final assault.

"Now then," Sefadin yelled, Hauteclaire near blinding with divine light, "on my mark." The Khimaira had recovered, and was roaring with fury at the pain it had been caused. "Over here, sweet thing," he yelled. "I'm back, and I'm coming your way!" He exploded from where he was, blade forward, heading right for the creature's head as Isset and Speed closed in on it from the sides. "Well now I'm supercharged," he leaped into the air, preparing to cleave downwards, Hauteclaire's song filling the air, "and I might just - "

An ephemeral mist burst from the Khimaira's skin, and all at once all the chi Jinxie had been feeling vanished. Hauteclaire's song died in the air and the sword's shine vanished as Sefadin dropped like a stone to the ground. Isset stumbled in her charge, and Speed's axe scraped ineffectually off of the monster's side. All traces of their power dispersed, just as the beast's mist did. Krista's song abruptly stopped as she and Jinxie gaped at the scene.

"What - " Sefadin started to say.

"Captain!" The Bard screamed. "Look out!"

Sefadin did not have time to raise his shield before the beast's enormous head struck him, horns carrying him off the ground and into the air. With incredible agility, it spun around, striking at Isset. The Puppetmaster skipped backwards a step too slow, and its claws left a deep rend in the front of her garment straight down to the skin. She gasped at how close it had been to disembowling her. Speed was already making his way away from it, and the stinger on its tail shot out bursts of poison which narrowly missed the Warrior as he fled.

"Augh, dammit," Sefadin sputtered, scraping mud off his face, "what the hell was that?"

"Tenebrous Mist, sir!" Krista leaned over him, trying to help him get back on his feet. "It disperses any spiritual energy immediately around the Khimaira's body. Very few of them are able to use it."

"Well, I hate it," he spat, clenching his sword in his hand. "Sergeant! Private!" He barked. "Get over here!"

"Busy!" Speed shouted back, the Khimaira now putting its attention on tracking down the fleeing mercenary, like a cat stalking a mouse.

"Shoki!" Isset's puppet snapped to attention, saluting the Puppetmaster. "Distract it!" Shoki nodded, then took off into the air. With one incredible burst, it fired a shockingly large burst of flame spread over the monster's skin. The scent of burning Khimaira washed over them as the creature howled, searching for the source of the fresh assault. Speed wasted no time in darting away from it, making his way over to join Sefadin and Isset.

"It's hurt, too," the mercenary Captain told them, "we can still do this. Let's finish what we started and get out of here, alright?"

"Right!" Isset confirmed. Speed shook his head wearily, drawing his great axe out again.

"This sucks, dude," he complained.

"Dude, I know," Sefadin said sourly, "but you gots to get paid."

"Word," Speed confirmed, and leveled his axe into position.

A moment later, the Khimaira finally laid eyes on Shoki. With a single whip of its tail, the puppet was blasted from the sky, skittering into the mud and out of sight. The Khimaira's attention remained on it just a second too long, and off of the trio of those attacking it.

"Now!" Sefadin commanded.

All at once, Sefadin, Isset, and Speed rushed forward, weapons drawn, closing in on the wounded Khimaira.

In the very next moment, the monstrous beast's howl tore through the surroundings, even as the energy it released did to the trio of attackers.

A dome of pure force erupted from the core of the Khimaira, bursting the ground apart in a violent upheaval. The dread storm of energy crashed into the mercenaries, sending them hurtling backwards through the air, tearing their bodies apart with sheer crushing force.

Sefadin bore the brunt of it, throwing himself forward, shield raised. His feet sank into the mud as he tried to resist the pressure, but within moments he was completely bowled over. Isset was like a leaf in the wind, the energy wave battering her form into the ground and then back towards the cliff wall surrounding them. Speed was picked up completely into the air, coming down so hard he sank into the ground, his axe landing several feet away from his unmoving form. Krista and Jinxie were swept up in it as well, both women torn from where they stood and buffeted through the clearing. Darkness washed over Jinxie as her body hit the ground, and a wave of dizziness turned her stomach.

The energy storm died down, but then a second impact shook the area. Jinxie was thrown into the air, landing hard on her back as the vibration tossed her up and then let her fall. Shaking off the surprise, she opened her eyes to see what had just landed.

Jinxie screamed, covering her head as the Khimaira's fangs wrapped around her.

A blast of hot, fetid breath washed over her, and she could feel the vibrations from the Khimaira's growl shaking her bones. She tensed her body, waiting for the sensation of the monster's fangs piercing her flesh.

It never came.

Her eyes flashed open as she realized she had not been eaten, and a gasp escaped her lips. The Khimaira was being held back, a sword in between its teeth, and a single man in armor bracing against the entire thrust of the beast's weight. With a slicing motion, he tore his blade free, and the monster recoiled with a howl. Gripping it between his armored hands, the swordsman brought his weapon into an attacking posture, the two curved blades rising from the single hilt confirming his identity even before he turned an eye towards Jinxie.

"Sorry we're late, Major," General Rughadjeen told her, and with a start, she realized she was surrounded. The enormous General Zazarg and wiry Gadalar were at her side. The archer Najelith took position behind her, and next to Rughadjeen was the club-wielding Mithra, Mihli Aliapoh. The Five Serpent Generals. the strongest warriors in Aht Urghan, now stood ready for battle with the Khimaira. Bracing his sword, Algol, the Skyserpent rushed forward.

"We'll take it from here!"

Chapter LXXXVIII: Departures and Arrivals

First light had not yet breached the horizon when Kkel Solaar struck.

Like a sudden monsoon, his attack breached the Lamiae defenses at Ilrusi Atoll. In a landscape dominated by half-submerged islands, little more than clumps of mud emerging from the shallows, he seemed to be everywhere at once. The sound of swords clashing against Lamian spears echoed through the fog which blanketed the area. From their makeshift bases, formed from the remains of half-a-hundred shipwrecks, the Undead Swarm rallied to meet their attackers. The reef which crowned the top of the Arrapago Islands became a nest of activity in moments as the Sunserpent made his presence known.

An explosion shook the early morning skies, sending wooden planks careening through the air as the mast of a long-beached trireme toppled like a redwood falling to the ground. The bones of the crew still aboard the vessel were splintered by the force, sinking into the mud as they hit the ground, unusable by the Lamiae which commanded them. Orders were hissed violently in the tongue of the snakewomen, and the rattle of their foot soldier's remains marked them spreading out to search for their foes, hidden deep in the dense fog surrounding the reef. They retreated almost instantly as fire flew from the haze, streaking towards their ranks and leaving the rotting wood of their sunken fortresses in flames.

The confusion was short-lived. A Merrow sorceress emerged from the depths, holding a staff aloft which blazed with intense heat. A wave of flames crashed through the morning fog like a living thing, eating it alive as it roared with great fury through the obscuring mists. Within moments, the fire had devoured enough to clear the air, and the undead charged forward to face their bold assailants head on.

Nothing was there to greet them. Not so much as a ripple creased the water to mark that anything was there. The Undead Swarm stood amongst the flaming husks of the ships which dotted the reef, indecision gripping the Lamiae which pulled their strings. Of the attackers there was no sign, not even a clue as to what direction they may have come from or gone. Angry voices hissed back and forth, and ultimately search parties broke in all directions to sweep the reef and find their hidden foes.

In the time it took for them to make that decision, the Sunserpent and his men were already back in Aht Urghan.


"Through the power of the Astral Wind, the soldiers of the Empire may come and go as they please."

True to his word, Captain Sefadin did look more impressive in armor. As the first vestiges of sunlight crept over the rooftops of Whitegate's Commoners Ward, the polished chain mail links beneath his surcoat glittered brightly. Heavy gauntlets and leggings gripped his limbs, and a scabbard hung from his side, the hilt of his sword never far from his grasp. Save for the grin on his face, the sandy-haired mercenary was unrecognizable from the man Jinxie had met the night before. In his silver armor, blade at his side and shield at the ready, he appeared far more the guardian she had been promised. At the moment, his gaze was locked intently on the massive iron doors which held behind them the Chamber of Passage.

"I'm not sure how it works, or why it can only take you to certain locations, but it's the most important strategic advantage we have." He appeared to be talking as much to himself as the others. "The ability to assault the enemy strongholds and return our soldiers back to their home sweet homes in an instant. I've even started writing a song about it." He cleared his throat, and then in a bold voice, declared "Take me to your heart, feel me in your bones, just one more night and I'm coming off this long and winding road." Pausing, he then gave a nod. "That's all I've got. You should finish the rest."

"Me?" Krista looked startled when her Captain's attention suddenly fell on her.

"Of course! I can't do everything for you, Private. Now finish that song."

She blinked repeatedly, and then began patting herself down. Gone was the heavy cloak and robes she had been wearing the night before. The Mithra was now suited in pants and boots with a simple cape around her shoulders and an open blue jacket with a shirt far too revealing for Jinxie's taste. She was definitely prepared to be mucking about in a swamp rather than performing in a city, and the belt at her waist held a dagger in addition to her flute. "I know a brought a quill and paper," she muttered, searching herself without much luck.

"We'll have to work on this," Sefadin chided, then looked back at the Chamber of Passage. "You never know when the urge to rock is going to strike, Private, you have to be ready. Where was I?" He paused briefly, and then looked towards Jinxie. "Right, using the portal inside. No one has ever attempted what General Solaar is doing today."

"Why is that?"

"Well, using the Hall multiple times is like trying to check out some baller concerts one after the other. You get to the first and it's awesome, and you hear some sweet tunes. Then by the time you get to the second, it's like, "hey man, this is cool, I'm still working a good buzz, let's enjoy it." But then you hit up the third and you're all like "damn, I should've quit drinking like an hour ago, this isn't even my jam, you know?"

Jinxie stared at him. Slowly, she nodded, and Sefadin smiled. "Sweet, I knew you'd get it."

"Using the Hall multiple times exacts a strenuous toll on the user." They turned to find Vaala standing before one of the tall columns lining the broad avenue. As daylight crept across the street, it chased away the shadows concealing her. Jinxie gave a start at her voice, not even realizing the Ninja had joined them until she spoke.

"That's what I said," Sefadin replied, then focused on the apparent newcomer. "So," he gave a low whistle. "they're bringing in the black ops for this one, are they?"

Vaala did not respond. Instead, she took a knee before Jinxie briefly, and then raised her head to await further instruction. Swathed all in black, there was no way of knowing where or how many weapons she had concealed on her person. The mask which hid her face from the bridge of her nose down gave away no expression, and her slim gray eyes never changed.

"The General faces the distinct risk of exhausting himself and his troops," she advised. "To act as we are doing currently goes against all the safeguards normally put in place for use of the Hall."

"Now those military guys, they can go in as much as they want," Sefadin folded his arms as he spoke, brow creasing in thought. "Mercs like us are allowed a few passes a week if we get hired for a mission. Part of it is so we don't stress the magic of the Astral Candesence, but another part is for our own protection."

"Will he be alright?" Jinxie had seen Kkel and Pixel off in the early hours before dawn, and neither had shown any concern for themselves. Pixel had assured the Red Mage she would be seeing the both of them again soon. "They have Pixel, and Gjallarhorn, and Kkel himself . . . "

"It is possible General Solaar's constitution will allow him to use the portals, and the Bard's spellsong will help the others endure as well," Vaala's words were matter-of-fact, "but they will wear out eventually."

"So," Sefadin interjected, his voice far more reassuring, "we'll just have to be done with our part before that can happen."


Bones crunched beneath Imperial boots as the soldiers beneath Kkel Solaar beat a hasty retreat from the Leujaoam Sanctum. The fallen undead at their feet were too battered to respond to the commands of their Lamian masters, torn apart by the powerful magic unleashed by the Sunserpent. From every cavern, the sounds of battle echoed throughout the subterranean lair of the beastmen. Centuries-old crystal formations which grew from the cold granite shook as Kkel's lightning barrage filled the corridors with combat.

Beneath the sound of steel against steel, an undercurrent of something entirely different ran through. A fast-paced March, performed at double the regular tempo, laced itself into the din of battle. It played almost constantly, only audible in between the shouted snarls of Lamian guards and the battle cries of Imperial soldiers. While the rest of the action ricocheted back and forth through the vast series of caverns, the song stayed stationary, its melody reaching out to those whom would hear it. Frequently, a patrol of the undead or even one of their masters would come in search of it. The area around the musician was littered with their remains.

Pixel finished weaving her spellsong for the twelfth time since they entered the underground Lamian domain, and lowered Gjallarhorn from her lips. Kkel nodded to her, and she fell back into the tunnels from which they came. Within moments, the absence of the music became a noticeable void in the rest of the cacophony around them. As soon as it was noted amongst the Imperial soldiers, they fell back from their position, obeying the signal to retreat.

"Are you alright?" Kkel asked with concern when one of his borrowed soldiers came back with a cut across his brow, blood mingling with the sweat which covered his face.

"I'm fine General, I'm fine," he gasped, lurching forward as he struggled to keep his sword in hand, "let's get to the next one."

Kkel clapped him on the back and sent him down towards their escape route. Both he and Pixel shared a look of concern as the last of their brigade made for the extraction point. The strain in their own eyes showed clearly.

The sound of a distant, angry chorus of hissing grew rapidly closer, and the pair followed after their soldiers as serpentine shadows appeared on the cavern walls.


The sun was breaking fully free of the horizon line when Isset arrived, a heavy pack slung over her shoulders. Shoki skittered faithfully by her side and, trailing distantly behind them, a forlorn-looking Speed followed them in.

"What a drag . . . " he complained, dragging his feet as they approached the others. "You shouldn't be able to get up this early, man, there should be like, a law, man."

"Speed!" Sefadin exclaimed. "What's up my man?" The Captain greeted him with a handshake so brief it appeared more like they simply clapped their hands together. "I didn't see you at the show last night."

"I was gonna go, but some major buzzkill made me stay home and get ready for this."

"I'm right here, Speed," Isset reminded him.

"You two know each other?" Jinxie asked, watching them share their greeting.

"Yes ma'am," Sefadin confirmed. "Speed and I met at last year's Crew Fest."

"Crew Fest?" She cocked an eyebrow curiously.

"Ma'am, Crew Fest is a gathering of all the biggest bands, or "crews" in the Empire for an all-day performance, ma'am." Krista received a look of approval from Sefadin as she explained. "It's a treat for Bards and those who just appreciate good music and a good time."

"Word," Sefadin nodded.

"Which word?" Speed scratched his head, confused.

"Doesn't matter, are we all here?"

Jinxie appraised her gathering. Isset and Speed had been with her almost since she had arrived in Aht Urghan, and certainly through all her greatest trials. The Puppetmaster was a true friend, and had proven herself one many times since their meeting outside the palace. Speed was not reliable by any means, but she would have been lying if she said his antics were not at least amusing, and when his head was clear he was the most formidable warrior she had ever come across. She was happy to count the two of them amongst her companions for this latest ordeal. The reminder of their presence, however, also served as one of Xaerus's absence.

Sefadin and Krista she remained unsure of. The Hume certainly looked the part of the Paladin, bedecked in shield and armor, but his disposition was troubling to say the least. And while his trainee certainly displayed an eagerness to perform, she was a greenhorn at best, completely untrained and unprepared for what they could be marching into. She reminded herself that he was a Captain of Salaheem's Sentinels, a higher rank than even Isset held, so he must have proven his mettle in some way or another. It was nothing she had seen with her own eyes, and thus her skepticism remained. They were a colorful pair, but Jinxie would have given much to have Kkel and Pixel by her side instead.

Then there was Vaala. The woman had barely moved and rarely spoken since revealing her presence. None of the others knew anything about her, and that worried Jinxie immensely. She knew the Imperial Palace had been infiltrated up to the very highest levels, who was to say Chiz and his allies had not left agents behind? She watched the Ninja watching all of them, and felt the fear of uncertainty creeping up her belly. She did not want to be uncertain of anything in this endeavor. Her son's life was at stake, there could be no risk of failure.

The thought of Drake in the hands of the beastmen tore through her again, like a wound reopening. She almost doubled over as the still-fresh pain of loss struck her, compounded with the absence of her power. She had surrendered her magic to rescue Kkel Solaar, and it was all for nothing in the end. That which she had been striving to save was taken from her.

She had no recourse, she knew. Whatever misgivings she had, this was the team she had to work with. They had to succeed, and that was all there was to it.

"Miss Jinxie," she turned, almost giving a start as an Imperial soldier appeared at the iron gates which marked the Chamber of Passage, "we're ready for you."


"The scouts are all reporting in. The Undead Horde is on high alert." Razfahd had donned his imperious black armor again, and gestured towards the pedestal before him. Jinxie was amazed to see that images of the Empire appeared on its surface, so real they looked like sculptures made from light. "Garrisons from all over their usual stations in Arrapago and Caedarva are being drawn towards the areas Kkel is assaulting. We will have no greater opportunity to get your unit past enemy lines."

"Alright, let's go get this witch," Sefadin was growing excited. "We'll drop right into Arrapago Reef and take Medusa down today."

"No," the Grand Vizier snapped, "don't be a fool. The Lamian fortress where she dwells is still crawling with snakes. No, you're going in through the ruins."

"Safe," Vaala remarked. "We often use the ruins to approach locations undetected."

Razfahd nodded. "Your window of opportunity is small, so make the most of it. The ruins will bring you as far as Caedarva Mire. Once there, it is up to you to find your way to the Lamian Queen and recover Jinxie's son."

"But that could take days!" Isset sputtered. "How long do you expect General Solaar to hold out?"

Razfahd managed to contain his sneer. "He will be given time to rest, mercenary. The other Serpent Generals are already lining up to take his place so he can recover. Truth be told, our offices are flooded with requests from volunteers wanting to help out the famous Jinxie in any way they can. We will not falter on our end of the operation. Make sure you uphold yours."

"I can guide us through the Mire," Vaala offered. "It will take us more than a day, but not by much. By dawn's breaking tomorrow we shall be near our goal."

"We're ready," Sefadin stated, indicated himself and Krista. The Bard nodded in affirmation.

"So are we," Isset clasped Jinxie's shoulders, looking at her compassionately. "Just say the word, Jinxie. Let's go make them pay for what they did."

She gave her friends, old and new, another look. After only a moment's pause, the Red Mage straightened the brim of her hat, affixed atop her mass of blond locks, and gave them a fierce nod. "Thank you," she managed to find some of her old strength in her voice. "but enough talking. Let's get going."

Isset smiled widely as they all clapped a salute in her direction. At Razfahd's order, they were allowed into the Chamber itself, which was little more than a single hall. Six portals through which soldiers returned to the city from missions abroad were separated by a broad walkway, and situated three on each side. At the end was a staircase, leading straight up to the central portal which would take them to their destination. It flared to life, pulsing waves of blue light towards the low ceiling.

Sefadin was first, ascending the stairs and turning as the light engulfed him. Before he even had time to grin at them, he vanished in a flash. Isset followed after him, both she and Shoki becoming points of brilliant light before blinking away entirely. Then Krista disappeared after them, and then Speed. Vaala gave a short bow to Razfahd and Jinxie before she stepped into the portal, leaving only Jinxie herself behind.

"Jinxie," she was surprised when Razfahd called out to her as she began walking up the stone steps, "I want you to know that I am sorry."

She gazed at him. She had not the energy left to hate this man. "I know, Razfahd," she told the Imperial. "I know."

"Good luck, Bastokan," he wished her sincerely, and then he was gone as her whole world became blue.

"Grand Vizier, sir?" The Tarutaru at the entry to the hall spoke, and Razfahd cast an eye down on him.

"Yes, Sharin-Garin?"

"Sir, I, er, I wasn't notified of any further rotations of Imperial soldiers to relieve General Solaar. Should I prepare the Chamber for . . . ?"

"That will not be necessary," Razfahd interrupted, clasping his hands behind his back. "Kkel Solaar will not be relieved. He knows our soldiers are stretched too thin at the moment. He is prepared to keep this up for as long as he has to."

"But, what you said to the others . . . "

"I said what was required to keep them moving," the Grand Vizier explained, "and to make sure Jinxie's son returns to her safely. I said . . . only what General Solaar and I agreed would be said when the question was raised."

He stared for a long time at the portal in front of him, hoping the Empire would not lose more than it already had by the time this was all over.


Jinxie arrived in the Undersea Ruins of Alzadaal and found the others waiting for her. Like them, she marveled at the expanse of the ruins, which went on endlessly in all directions. She gaped at the windows, revealing aquatic life she had never even dreamed of swimming past them. She admired the intricate work of the ruins, of which every inch from ceiling to floor had been delicately crafted from the finest metals. As Vaala led them through into the deeper parts of the massive underwater complex, it became clear that the astonishing place had an endless supply of surprises and marvels.

With the amazing location surrounding her and the task at hand, it was easy for Jinxie to forget the face she had seen in the moment of her transport from Aht Urghan to the Ruins of Alzadaal.

A masked face, hidden behind a horned white helmet, and mounted on a terrible steed. A knight, waiting for her in the space between worlds.

Watching her.

Chapter LXXXVII: Bodyguards

By day, the Shaharat Tea House was a gathering of the peaceful and erudite. The scholarly of Aht Urhgan congregated there to discuss the current events of the day, engage in philosophical debate, or listen to scheduled poetry readings. Subjects from as close as the Commoner's Ward and as far away as Tshaya passed through on a daily basis. A wide range of accents filled the air with the same thickness as the scents of jasmine and chamomille. Foreign dignitaries, regular citizens, and average tourists sought out the Shaharat Tea House as a quiet spot of intellectual discourse and silent contemplation, along with savory hot drinks of exotic flavor.

By night, the story changed entirely.

Jinxie struggled to keep her bearings as flashing lights assailed her from every angle. A piercing spectrum of strobe lighting that was further obfuscated by the glut of humanity crowded together in the tight space. Bodies which were little more than animated shadows against the intense lighting bounced up and down arhythmically. Adding to confusion, some of them were wearing wristbands that lit up in the dark, sending a flurry of rainbow colors swirling through her already affronted vision. Every few seconds she had to blink the lights out of her eyes, but it proved a futile effort as they grew brighter with every step she took.

The noise was worse by far, however. Around her, the wildly spasming congregation of teenaged Imperials shrieked and grunted in a gross parody of singing and dancing. A mixture of leather, hair dye ,and body odor filled her nostrils as she struggled to push her way deeper into the mass of people. They hooted and hollered, and more than one of them tried to grab at her before she ducked behind someone else. She was buffetted about from one body to the next as they recklessly hurled into each other, bouncing her slight frame about like a leaf in the wind. Some of them were shouting things, but it was lost in an unintelligible sea of noise emanating from the crowd itself and the unbearably loud performers they had gathered around.

Lacking a proper stage, they had simply cordoned off an area and set up their instruments behind it. Jinxie had attended musical performances before, but nothing like this. The singer was a stick-thin red-haired Hume thrashing wildly as he spit screaming lyrics out into an amplifying stick. She could see where the device was attached to a set of amplifiers, which further artifically boosted the sound of his screeching. An Elvaan with raven locks reaching down to his waist wailed on a modified lute, his fingers slicing up and down the strings. All the members of the band, in fact, were men with hair nearly twice as long as Jinxie's.

"Ack!" Her protest was lost in the overpowering sound as a mass of sweaty hair struck her in the face. She turned swiftly, only to find that the offending smack could have come from any of dozens of the teenaged revelers, all of them sporting hairstyles emulating the band. Jinxie brushed stray strands away, making a disgusted face as the scent of fresh dye assailed her. It had been less than ten minutes since she had entered the scene and she was already regretting her decision. The question of why the Empire would assign her an escort which frequented such places was also prominent in her mind.

The group completed their number with a drawn-out wail from the singer. As he held a warbling note, the drummer, a surprisingly swift Tarutaru, punctuated every second of the scream with a rapid-paced hammering that sent the crowd into a frenzy. The screaming was deafening as they finished the song, and the percussionist leaped up onto his own drum set, hurtling the set of sticks he used into the audience. A scuffle broke out as people dove over one another in an attempt to grab them. Jinxie pressed herself as hard as she could up against the wall, watching long-haired kids crush one another in a pit of human stink and struggling to understand the appeal.

It was more than an hour later before the area had finally cleared. Maintenance crews who worked for the Tea House labored to clean the stains of food, sweat, and blood before the next business day began. A few straggling fans hung out around the entrance, and Jinxie's nose caught a familiar scent coming from them.

"It's a good thing I didn't bring Speed," she murmured, making a sour face as the acrid aroma wafted by her. With a heavy sigh, she looked over the area. She had been told the mercenary Naja had ordered to accompany her would be waiting for her here. Now the crowd was all but gone, and no one had presented themselves. One by one, she watched the security guards supervising the event go home for the evening, and not a one of them presented themselves to her. Bitterly, she turned to leave, only to be nearly run down by a Mithra girl running by her.

"Oof!" She cried, and the Mithra squealed in surprise as she nearly tumbled head over heels. They both fell to one side, Jinxie rolling with practiced ease and regaining her footing. The other girl fell flat on her face, and came up groaning as she held her nose.

"Are you alright?" Jinxie realized her voice had much less concern than it did annoyance. If the Mithra caught it, she didn't let it show as she held her nose, rising to a sitting position.

"'M I bweeding?" She peered up at Jinxie with quavering brown eyes, nose held tightly in-between two fingers. Kneeling down, she brushed the Mithra's hands away, examining her.

"Tilt your head up," she ordered, looking her over. The girl looked to be barely out of her teens, and was wearing robes entirely out of fashion for the crowd which had just gathered. Her eyes caught a glimpse of a harp firmly strapped to the Mithra's waist. "You're a Bard?" she questioned.

She nodded, sniffling noisily. "I came here with my boss, but I lost track of him." Her lowered her head down in response to Jinxie's hands making her do so. "Is it broken? There won't be a scar, will there?"

"You're fine," Jinxie stood up, brushing off her tabard. "There'll be a bruise, it'll go down in two or three days. Try to watch where you're going."

"A bruise?" She pouted. "That's kind of cool, I guess . . . but it's definitely not going to look good." The Mithra looked around, snorting again and holding her nose. "Maybe I can find a mage to heal it." Suddenly, her eyes locked onto Jinxie, looking her up and down for the first time. "Hey! Are you a mage? You're dressed like one. Could you wiggle your fingers and make the bruising go down?"

"I - " Jinxie froze. A week ago she could have done this with as much effort as it would take to blink. Now when she reached for the magic inside her, she felt nothing. A hollow pit where once was the ocean. Every second she felt the loss stinging inside of her, and only an even deeper loss kept her going.

"No, I'm not a mage," she told her. "I'm not anything. I'm just here looking for somebody."

"Well, I - "

"Krista!" Jinxie spun around as a booming voice rang out through the emptied square. Beside her, the Mithra girl jerked upwards, To Jinxie's surprise, the Bard stood at sharp attention, body stock still save for a halway-decent salute, her eyes fixed straight forwards. Turning, the Hume stumbled back a step when she realized the object of the other's attention was standing directly behind her.

It was a man, sandy hair disheveled and loose about his hard, yet smiling face. He had prominent Aht Urghanian features, and his skin tone was the darkened tan common of Imperial citizens. He was wearing what might have once been a shirt but was now a tattered cloth over a torso of rigid muscle. A belt held up loosely-fitting pants which were then tucked into heavy leather boots. The grin on his face was rogueish and sly, more befitting a man much older than he appeared to be. Tucked into his belt, Jinxie spied the drumstick which had been tossed into the crowd.

"Sir, the operation is complete, sir!" Krista barked from beside her. The larger man clapped his hands together, rubbing them enthusiastically.

"Excellent, Private Krista, now; what did we learn?" His voice was rough, like sandpaper was scratching across his vocal chords. Planting his fists on his hips, he tilted his chin up, appraising the young Mithra with an intense stare.

Her lip trembled for a moment, but she composed herself quickly. Taking only a moment to rub her nose again, Krista shouted out what Jinxie judged to be a fairly well-composed response. "Volume is not a substitute for talent, sir!"

"What else?"

"Sir, showmanship is key, sir!"

"Good," he nodded, leaning in closely, "what else?"

"Sir, music can affect emotion on a mass scale, sir!"

"What else?!" The big man barked, now practically nose-to-nose with the Mithra.

"Sir, always leave them wanting more, SIR!"

His smile returned, and he leaned back up, satisfied. "Good work, Private. We can consider this operation a success." By the way she exhaled, Krista was obviously relieved things had worked out well. Before she could be addressed again, the sandy-haired man's attention fell on Jinxie, and she felt the surprising weight of his stare.

"How do you do, ma'am?" He inclined his head smartly. "I apologize if my apprentice here has disturbed you."

"N-No," she stammered, surprised, "not at all." Composing herself, Jinxie straightened her back and raised her eyes to face the larger man. Even at her full height, she was still head and shouldered below the musuclar Imperial. She always felt so much taller with her magic. Now she felt differences in physicality so sharply that they stung. "I am here looking for someone, and Private Krista was going to assist me."

"You were?" The Imperial turned curiously to the Mithra.

"I was?" She said, confused. Then she caught Jinxie's glance and snapped back to attention. "Sir, yes sir! Er, ma'am." She scratched her head, and then rubbed her nose again. "I'm confused," she admitted.

"Don't worry about it, Private, the operation is a success." To Jinxie's surprise, the larger man went to attention himself, offering her a salute. "Provisional Mercenary Major Jinxie, I presume?"

That wasn't so shocking. Most of the people in Aht Uhrgan knew her by now, so she nodded in acknowledgment. "Yes. I'm here to meet the bodyguard assigned to me by the Empire. I hadn't expected the scene to be . . . what it was."

"It's the band," the man Jinxie reasoned was a soldier of some kind explained. "They're a motley crew, but I like them." Then, he clapped his fist against his heart, and indicated to Krista that she should do the same. Realization creeped across Jinxie's mind with a mixture of distress.

"Captain Sefadin of Salaheem's Sentinel's, at your service," the soldier introduced himself. "Pleasure to be aboard."

"You're Sefadin?" She tried somewhat unsuccessfully to mask her astonishment.

"In my native habitat," he grinned. "But don't worry, Major, I'm much more impressive in armor."

"You're Jinxie!" Krista was suddenly staring, open-mouthed. "You're the one we'll be traveling with? This is phenomenal!" She suddenly produced a quill and parchment from within the folds of her robes, scratching at the blank sheet furiously. "All the other Bards in the city are dying to write songs about you, and I'll be able to one-up all of them! This is incredible! I'm - "

"Private Krista!" Sefadin barked, and the Mithra nearly dropped her items, scrambling to keep them from falling. "What have I told you about using language like that?"

"Sir, my apologies, sir!" Krista shouted. Then, with full sincerity in her eyes, she turned back to Jinxie. "Ma'am, this will be totally baller, ma'am."

"Much better," He approved. "Well then," his hazel eyes returned to Jinxie. "what are your orders, ma'am?"

It was a lot to take in all at once, but Jinxie's mind worked quickly. Naja Salaheem and Razfahd would not have assigned this man to her if he was not the best. Despite his appearance, she had to trust that they knew what they were doing. There was no time to quibble or debate. She had to be on her son's trail by first light.

"Gear yourself for travel and meet at the Hall of Transference at dawn," she commanded. "We leave for Caedarva Mire tomorrow morning."

"Yes ma'am," the Captain acknowledged, still grinning. Krista went to bow, but then remembered herself and saluted instead.

After answering a few more basic questions, Jinxie left the Shaharat Teahouse, heading back to her lodgings. She had been promised two of the finest soldiers in Aht Urghan to accompany her, and she supposed Sefadin and Krista were it. That bothered her, however. She couldn't properly take the measure of the former, but Krista was obviously a greenhorn in the whole business. Also, a Bard was hardly a bodyguard. If she was talented in the spellsong, she would be useful, doubtlessly, as Xaerus was still conspicuously absent. But to protect her from the dangers of Caedarva Mire? Jinxie had to wonder if there was something she didn't know.

What she did know, as she walked down the darkened and emptied streets of Imperial Whitegate back to her room, was that she was not alone.

A tingle along the back of her neck told her there were eyes on her. The familiar sensation of being watched was one she wouldn't forget even without magic to confirm it for her. She continued walking, picking up her pace. The feeling persisted, and she heard something scrape against the roof of one of the buildings surrounding her. The wide avenues of Aht Urghan suddenly felt very confining as she sped up again.

Practically running, she pumped her legs faster. Every street looked the same in the dark. She felt a twinge of panic at the base of her skull, and forcefully suppressed it. Someone was following her, she was certain of it. She had no idea where she was, and couldn't find her way around the city in the dark. Whomever was trailing her was not giving up. If it were an assassin, someone sent by Doshu to finish what Chiz started, she would have no cover, no defense. As the aching absence in the pit of her stomach reminded her, she would have no magic, either.

"I refuse to be helpless," she told herself, and in a flash she spun around. The rapier buckled to her side rang out as she tore it from its scabbard. Her husband had been a magnificent Samurai, his wife was not helpless in swordplay.

"Come out where I can see you," she demanded. The night was still. Nothing answered her call. "I know you're there! Come out and face me!" She tried to sound commanding, and not let the fear edge its way into her voice.

She was proud of herself when she kept from gasping as a woman appeared before her.

Rather, it seemed as if she appeared from nothing, but Jinxie could just faintly make out the smell of some sort of spell component in the air. Before her, a Mithra swathed from head to toe in black kneeled on the cobblestoned streets. At first she thought it might be Xaerus, but then realized this woman was taller, more muscular, and sported a pair of matching katana blades on either side of her hips. Her eyes were downcast, and she touched her knuckles to the ground as Jinxie nervously leveled her blade down towards her.

"Who are you?" She demanded. "Why are you following me?"

"Forgive me . . . " her voice was near a whisper. "It was not my intent to scare you."

"Answer my questions," Jinxie found the steel in her spine. It was much easier to face down a physical person than the phantoms of her imagination.

Slowly, she lifted her head. Two pale, slanted eyes stared out from beneath a mask of black cloth. "I am your second bodyguard. You met with Captain Sefadin and his assistant earlier a the Shaharat Teahouse. I have been trailing you since that event."

"You? But I thought Krista - "

"Krista is still in training, under the charge of Captain Sefadin. I am the second one chosen to defend you in Caedarva Mire." They remained where they were, Jinxie with her sword forward and the other woman on the ground. "May I rise?" She asked.

"Slowly," Jinxie agreed. "Very slowly."

The Mithra nodded. Then, like a flower unfolding, she gracefully stretched out to face Jinxie, her hands remaining visible at all times. Cautiously, Jinxie lowered her rapier.

"Forgive me, making direct contact with a client is not my usual mode of operation." She kept her hands up, but her voice was steady, and her stance left little doubt that she could attack at any time. "I am employed most often for things which must be carried out . . . discretely."

A black ops Ninja, Jinxie realized. A mercenary hired to do things which those doing the hiring could not associate themselves with publically. "What's your name?" She queried.

"Vaala," she answered simply. "I have no official rank designation, so simply Vaala will do."

"Vaala," Jinxie repeated. Gradually, she eased her sword down completely. When she had been promised the finest soldiers available, never did she imagine one would be a teenager in a man's body and the other an untraceable assassin. "Well then, Vaala," she felt weary from the night's activity. Tomorrow would be a trial that she had to be ready for. She needed sleep, and badly. Her head had scarcely seen a pillow since Drake's kidnapping. "Could you . . . escort me home?"

The Ninja nodded, and began guiding Jinxie through the winding streets of Whitegate. It wasn't long before they arrived back at the apartment afforded her by the Empire. She and Vaala parted ways, with the understanding that they would see each other again when they departed together for Caedarva Mire, on the trail of the Lamiae. Despite her reservations about her profession, Vaala's lithe movements and the practiced ease at which she swiftly and silently moved did much to reassure Jinxie during their walk together.

As she finally fell asleep, the last nagging thought in her mind was the fact that even after they had parted ways, the feeling of being watched had never quite gone away.

Chapter LXXXI: Loss

Jinxie felt wearier than she ever had before. Her physical strength had returned insofar as she could walk without falling over, but now her entire body wanted to simply shut down. The desire for sleep was overwhelming. She managed to stay on her feet, even managing a smile as a celebratory Imperial citizen appeared and shook her hand. The Hydra, she remembered. In Aht Urghan she was already considered a hero for her victory over the Hydra, and now she had helped them triumph over the beastmen. She was their foreign heroine, first slaying the giant monster and now rallying the citizens to turn back the invaders. Through bleary eyes, the Red Mage smiled and waved at people who whistled and cheered as she walked past. She shared their spirit, simply not the faculties to express it.

Order was gradually being restored. They had won victories over beastmen incursions in the past, though never against so many at once. Still, the Empire had proven its strength once again, and the Astral Candescence remained in the Hall of Binding. More than that, the leader of the Trolls, Gurfurlur the Menacing, had died in the attempt to take it. There was much cause to rejoice, but they were, after all, still soldiers. Slowly but surely they were remembering this, and slowly but surely the celebration was dying down. What protracted the post-victory joy was the great number of common citizens mingled in with the trained soldiers. Those men and women had chosen to pick up arms and defend their city, and it had worked. Their zeal carried on as the regular soldiers began to be corralled by their superiors.

However, if they were brought away from the cheers regarding victory, it was only so they could be ushered to cheer for a return.

Jinxie stopped in the middle of the road, turning her head to face the Hall of Binding. He was emerging now, from the spot of his terrible battle, and she could feel the waves of excitement building. Everyone from the lowest rank-and-file to the Serpent Generals themselves crowded round the passageway which led to the Hall. Mihli and Gadalar looked no worse for the wear, but Najelith and Zazarg were both being supported by their soldiers. Rughadjeen was on a medical stretcher, and Jinxie could see him order it to stop, forcing himself upright as Kkel Solaar emerged.

He was carrying Pixel atop his shoulder, and the worn-out little Bard smiled the same gentle, happy smile she always did as the people of Aht Urghan cheered their arrival. Kkel was smiling too, a fierce and exultant grin as he raised one of his curved swords in triumph. Jinxie basked in the good cheer emanating from the crowd. Their missing Serpent General had returned at last. Like a favorite relative returning from a long absence, so was the Sunserpent's arrival in the Empire viewed. People laughed and cried, clapped their hands and whooped greatly. Soldiers flashed their swords in the air and saluted. She watched as he was swallowed up by that throng, turning to clasp hands with his fellow Serpent Generals as they came to him in turn. It was a proud and happy moment. She took the time to close her eyes, her bone-weary legs grateful for the respite.

Then a sudden impact nearly took the wind from her. Jinxie would have stumbled over if not for the arms wrapping around her, squeezing her tightly. She opened her eyes to find a mass of black hair beneath her, and a moment later Isset's face appeared from under it. The Puppetmaster hugged Jinxie tightly, jumping up and down excitedly. Shoki was behind her, wildly flailing his arms, as well as Speed, idly rocking back and forth on his heels.

"Jinxie! You're alive! You really came back! And you saved Kkel! I can't believe it! He's not a monster anymore! We beat the beastmen! Did you see him fighting? He's really back! I'm so happy! Can you - "

"Isset!" Jinxie spoke as loudly as she could manage. "Isset! Let me go! I can't breathe!"

The raven-haired woman released her, blushing. Shoki hid his face in embarassment. Still, her smile remained bright as ever. "You really did it, Jinxie. You have to tell me all about it! What happened after you ran off? How is Kkel back to normal? Who was that man that took Pixel?"

Jinxie waved off her questions. "I'll explain everything later Isset. Right now I feel like I could sleep for a week. I'm happy to see you're alright. And you too, Speed."

"Yeah, I'm good," Speed mumbled. "Really need a smoke though."

"I'll tell you all about the big battle, Jinxie," Isset promised, "and you can tell me what happened with Kkel. Are you going back to the inn?" Jinxie nodded. 'I'll meet you there later." She hugged the blonde woman one more time, then stood waving as Jinxie began trudging towards Whitegate. She would go back to the inn she had been staying at when she first arrived, but she had one stop to make first.

She was almost out of the Ulthalam Parade Grounds when a steel-covered hand caught her by the shoulder. She spun, unsteady on her feet, to face the person taking hold of her, and found herself face-to-face with Razfahd. The Grand Vizier of Aht Urghan looked the same as ever; imperious, condescending, and mean. There was a softening around the edges of his eyes, however, His anger and resentment were gone, though what they had been replaced by, Jinxie couldn't say. Curiousity, perhaps? Wariness? Whatever it was behind his gaze, he spoke to her with a tone that was not even the least insulting. She was surprised to learn he possessed the ability.

"I owe you an apology," he told her, though he had not the least bit of remorse in his voice. "You have done the Empire a great service."

"Razfahd, I'm exhausted," she said bluntly. "Can we do this some other time?"

"I do not often feel pangs of regret at my actions, Bastokan, you would do well to take advantage of the moment while it is still here."

Jinxie sighed, rubbing her fingers against her forehead. She removed her feathered hat, brushing back an errant strand of blonde hair. Taking a deep breath and forcefully opening her eyes, she kept herself from falling over. "Alright, so talk."

The Grand Vizier removed his helmet, staring hard at Jinxie as he cradled it in the crook of his arm. "The events transpiring in your homeland are not disconnected from what has happened here today. I know a great deal about the people involved."

"Why is that?"

"I have been dealing with them in secret for over a year now."

Jinxie was almost surprised, and almost outraged, but found not the strength to support either emotion. "Go on," was all she said.

"Tomorrow, after you have rested, come see me in the palace. I will tell you what I know, and hope that the knowledge aids you in striking back against these serpents."

She nodded, too tired to object. "Why, though?"

"Why am I telling you this now?"

She shook her head. "Why did you work with them?"

Razfahd turned his head, looking out upon the celebrating crowds filling Al Zahbi's streets. His gaze was distant, and he slowly donned his helmet again, not turning to face Jinxie.

"It is a difficult thing, ruling an Empire," he finally replied. "The Empress Nashmeira is still but a child. Inexperienced, and still in mourning over the loss of her parents. Much of the burden falls upon me." His expression had become reflective, and Jinxie would even go so far as to say mournful. "I love this Empire, Bastokan. I would do anything to keep her safe. Everything I do is for the good of its people. I have found, by and large, that my decisions are sound. Sometimes hard, sometimes harsh, but always sound." The sunlight on his armor gleamed, and he stared ahead, assessing the exultant jubilee occuring just in front of them. "But I have found that the occasional misstep is not unheard of. I am put at ease, however, by the knowledge that Al Zahbi has heroes who will keep her safe should my judgment fail." The Grand Vizier's lowered his head now, simply looking forward. He still did not glance at Jinxie. "Come see me tomorrow, in the palace. I must go speak with General Solaar."

Jinxie stood in place for a long moment, watching him disappear into the throng. Perhaps Razfahd was not the kindest man in the world, but she now understood him a little better, or at least she thought she did. She caught herself falling over, and managed to regain her balance just in time. She was so weary. When Kkel had resumed his human form she thought she might lose the strength to keep her heart beating. Now she was strong enough to walk, at least, but she needed to collapse into something sooner rather than later. There was just one thing she had to do first, she told herself, and then she could sleep.

The gate to Whitegate was swung open still, and was flooded with people coming to see if Kkel Solaar had indeed returned. Jinxie stayed close to the walls, swimming against the tide of humanity as she did so. It was heartening to see the people so happy. She cared little about her personal weariness now. The obvious fact was that bringing back Kkel from that dark place he had vanished into was like a miracle for citizens of the Empire. Their smiles of joy comforted her, telling her she had done the right thing. It made the walk much more bearable.

She had finally pressed forward through the gates, passing by the rush heading in the opposite direction, when she saw Pixel in front of her. Jinxie looked back, confused, and then stared questioningly at the Tarutaru. As usual, she was returned a warm smile. The silver-haired Bard waited as Jinxie made her way to her, kneeling down to meet her eyes.

"How did you get here before me?" Jinxie murmured, wondering if dropping to her knees was the wisest choice. "I saw you back there with Kkel."

"Oh, all eyes are on him, it was easy for me to sneak away. And you're moving like molasses, I passed you awhile ago without realizing it. I've been waiting here for you a few minutes now." She laughed, like a silver bell pealing, and Jinxie couldn't help but smile.

"Why were you looking for me?" She had to remind herself she couldn't fall asleep in the middle of the street.

Pixel put her hand under Jinxie's chin, lifting her head and staring her in the eye. "Kkel and I owe you everything, Jinxie. Our freedom from the Emptiness. Saving me from that kidnapper. Rescuing Kkel. It's all because of you."

"I was only - "

Pixel shook her head. "I'll not hear you downplaying your achievements. This kind of story is the stuff Bards dream of." She smiled again, wrapping her tiny fingers around Gjallarhorn and bringing it to her lips. A deep, powerful etude rang out from her instrument, and Jinxie suddenly found the strength make it back to her feet. She felt no less awake, but her balance was steady, and she felt she had enough to keep her legs moving now. The Tarutaru played only a few bars, and then tucked the magnificent relic away once more.

"A lot is going to happen very quickly now," she told Jinxie. "But no matter what the Serpent Generals or Razfahd or even Nashmeira herself say, Kkel and I will stay with you as long as you need us. We're yours to command, Jinxie, come what may."

"Thank you, Pixel," Jinxie replied softly. She dared not risk leaning down to hug the small woman, but Pixel smiled up at her understandingly.

"Where are you going now?" The Bard inquired.

"To see my son," she hoped the ache in her heart did not betray itself in her voice. "I've never been away from him for so long. Before I do anything else I want to hold him in my arms and let him know everything is alright."

"Your son?" Pixel said with some surprise. "You hadn't mentioned."

She nodded. "Just a few months old. He's been in the care of Abquhbuh from Salaheem's Sentinels since I left. He hasn't . . . his father is . . ." she stopped, sniffling a bit, but brushing it off quickly. "I'll tell you all about it, Pixel, I promise. We'll all sit and exchange stories tomorrow while we plan our trip back across the sea."

The Tarutaru's smile was infectious. "Then we will see you and your son tomorrow, Jinxie." She gave a half-amused sigh. "I should get back to the spectacle around Kkel. I hope it's not going to his head."

"You think it will?"

Pixel giggled musically. "Of course not. But it's fun to tease. Take care, Jinxie."

She watched the Bard walk back toward the Al Zahbi portion of the city, and then continued her trek into Whitegate. The office of Salaheem's Sentinels wasn't far off now. As she moved further away from the entrance to Whitegate, the crowd thinned out, and it became easier to move freely. She thought of the stairs which led up to the mercenary headquarters and groaned. So close now, she told herself. She wondered how Naja and Abquhbuh had managed with Drake in her absence. The mercenary taskmistress seemed highly unsuited for the task of babysitting, but her assistant was both kind and attentive. She could have left her son at the palace, but she trusted the blunt and crude Naja Salaheem far more than the scheming Razfahd. Dragging herself up the steps, she finally placed her heels on the overpass which led to their head office.

So tired was Jinxie that she failed to notice the rubble strewn about outside. A series of cracks had appeared in the wall since last she had been here, and bits of brick and stone lay scattered on the walkway. It failed to register as they crunched beneath her boots, and she stopped in front of the thick oaken door which led inside. She noticed it was slightly ajar, and placed a hand upon the heavy door knocker to push it open.

With an extensive creaking noise, it fell from its brass hinges. Dust billowed up at Jinxie's feet as the door boomed to the ground, the surface splintering from the impact. She stood at the now empty portal for a moment in shock. Cautiously, she stepped inside, unsure of what to make of this. Turning down the entrance hall, she stopped immediately, pressing her hands to her mouth in horror.

Two mercenaries were laying in the hallway, their bodies dessicated. The floor was thick with syrupy blood, slowly congealing as it pooled beneath the corpses. A third was pinned to the wall, his feet dangling just off the ground and a cutlass still embedded in his chest. His head hung limply to the side, mouth open and dead eyes staring blankly at Jinxie. She shook her head rapidly, fighting the urge to scream. Terror rapidly filled her as she forced herself to move forward, stepping over the dead men as her heart began beating out of her chest. A cold sweat broke out over her face as she ran down the hall to Abquhbuh's reception room.

She found him lying face-down on the floor. His glasses were a few feet away, crushed into the carpeting, the lenses shattered. A trail of blood marked where he had attempted to crawl towards where he had been injured to the cradle resting in his office. Bloody fingerprints were smeared against the cloth surface. Jinxie was frozen in place. She could not make her legs work. Her exhaustion was forgotten, replaced by stark fear. Her breath came in gasps, and her green eyes would not seem to blink. She could not see inside the cradle from where she stood. She would have to step forward, but could not make herself do it. That was her baby's crib, where he would sleep, peaceful and safe. That was her baby's crib.

Haltingly, driven by impulse more than thought, Jinxie took a step forward. Leaning down, she peered over the edge of Drake's cradle, her lip trembling as her mind raced through what she might find.

For a moment, her heart stopped. The cradle was empty.

She did not know how long she stood staring at it before Abquhbuh moaned beneath her feet. She dropped to her knees, grabbing the secretary by the shoulders and turning him over. There was a gruesome cut across his stomach, and his entire torso was stained red. Jinxie's eyes blazed as she shook him violently, her voice a shrill scream.

"Where is he?" She demanded, "Where is my baby?" Abquhbuh groaned, his eyes flickering only slightly. "Where?" She was shrieking at the unconscious man as hot tears stung her eyes. Panic gripped her gut, clenching tightly and twisting.

"Jinxie," a voice called out to her, and she dropped Abquhbuh, her head snapping up. Naja Salaheem had emerged from her office, crouched down on her knees. She was holding on to her enormous mace simply to stay upright. Her carefully styled hair was undone, loose and matted with blood stemming from a gash just over her right eye. It was closed, blood trickling down over it and dripping from her chin. The mercenary leader's red garment was torn and slashed, her body a mass of bruises. "Jinxie," she repeated, gazing up with her one good eye. "I'm so sorry, Jinxie. They took him."

"Where?" Jinxie demanded again, her voice anguished. "Who took him? Where is my son, Naja?"

The Mithra's head dropped low, her breaths strained. "They took us by surprise, Jinxie. You gotta believe we fought with everythin' we had." She looked up for a moment, and then turned to avoid the helpless devastation in the Red Mage's eyes. "The Lamiae took him, Jinxie," Naja whispered. "The undead swarm has your son."

A heartbroken wail escaped Jinxie's lips as she collapased, tears streaming from her reddened eyes. She didn't know how to get up anymore. She didn't know what to do. She was lost.

It had all been for nothing.

Her baby was gone.