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 LC: Dangers Both Real and Perceived

After hearing the Khimaira's howl, Jinxie and her companions moved through the swamp with great trepidation. It became increasingly clear that even without the threat of another of the Empire's great dangers roaming free, Caedarva Mire still had more than enough peril to offer.

They had scarcely passed over the first knoll before trouble found them. The swamp was rife with Imps, twisted little flying beasts with bulbous heads and tiny, child-like bodies. While not particularly dangerous by themselves, the fiends were clever and malicious, and often traveled in groups. Not only that, but being frail as they were, they often allied themselves with more powerful monsters of the mire. Thus when they first came upon the foul things, Vaala did not hesitate in her attack.

As the Ninja sighted the first Imp upon cresting a hill, she threw a shuriken so quickly Jinxie did not realize it had even happened for a moment. An instant later, she spotted the flying fiend, by this time already spiraling to the ground with Vaala's metal blade lodged between its wings. As it fell it let out a high-pitched scream, which was cut off almost as soon as it began when the Mithra's hand clapped over it's small mouth. The Imp struggled only briefly before there was a flash of silver, and it went silent forever. Vaala stood from its limp form, sheathing the katana Jinxie had never seen her draw.

"Whoa," Speed murmured, "you're pretty fast."

"Don't let them use their horns," Vaala said without turning around, yanking her throwing star free from the creature's back. "The sound alerts others, and they'll come at us in numbers." She turned to face the others. "You see one, you kill it right away." Without hesitation, she took the small curved instrument, a simple blowing horn made of bone that the Imp was carrying, and snapped it in two.

Jinxie was taken aback by the Ninja's ruthless efficiency. Taking only a moment to wipe the purplish blood off her weapon with her sash, she left the dead fiend where it lay, beckoning them to continue on. Another concern was quickly growing in the back of her mind. If they were to encounter more, it would only be a matter of time before she was expected to use a spell. Quickly, she tried to formulate some sort of excuse as to why that would not be possible.

"Also," they all suddenly stopped as Vaala turned back, facing the rest of the group. "Do not use magic unless you absolutely must."

"What?" Isset tilted her head. "Why is that?"

"Soulflayers."

Jinxie shared a sharp and surprised look with the Puppetmaster. Before Vaala could explain further, Sefadin chimed in.

"Flayers can detect magic and follow it back to its source. It's a hard truth a lot of mercs don't learn until it's too late." The Paladin shrugged his shoulders, adjusting the shield on his left arm. "I hadn't heard that there were any out this way, Vaala," he said to the woman. "You spend a lot of time in the swamp?"

She directed a flat stare at him in response. Rather than answer, she simply turned on her heel. "We must continue on. Come."

"What was that about?" Jinxie asked Sefadin, even as she struggled to contain the relief she felt at knowing she wouldn't be asked to use magic. He smirked, casting a sidelong glance at the Ninja as she forged ahead.

"There's a lot of stuff the Empire is into that it doesn't want getting out. If other kingdoms knew that we were in the business of making monsters, we'd probably catch some mad flak." Jinxie wasn't quite sure what that meant, but could glean his meaning from context. "Anyway, the rumor is that when they want to get rid of something and keep it quiet, it gets dumped out here in the swamps."

He turned directly to Jinxie for a moment, the usual grin on his face. "And if it doesn't want to stay quiet even after that, then it's the job of people like Vaala to make it disappear."

"Where do you get your information from, Captain?" Isset asked as Shoki tapped a finger against its chin thoughtfully. "I've never heard anything like that from the other Sentinels."

"You hear some crazy stuff about the Empire hanging around the places I do," he replied.

"How do you work for people that can do things like that?" Jinxie's disapproval was obvious, but Sefadin only shrugged.

"Keeps life interesting, ma'am. Things get boring, you gotta take a ride on the wild side."

"Oh man, this place is a drag," Speed suddenly interjected. "You can't smoke any of this," he dejectedly dropped a sludgy piece of moss, sighing as it slopped on the ground.

Isset rolled her eyes. "Come on," she grumbled, "Vaala's getting ahead of us."

Twice more after their initial encounter, they happened upon Imps too close by to sneak past. The first time, Isset manipulated Shoki from behind a tree, and the puppet's hand unlocked at the wrist to shoot a deadly crossbow bolt directly into the creature's forehead. Its eyes rolled back as blood gushed from its ears, and it fell to the ground. They moved on silently, leaving it twitching on the swamp floor. Their next encounter did not go so smoothly.

Rounding a sharp bend in a narrow section of the mire passages, Vaala came to an abrupt halt, throwing her hands back in warning. Jinxie almost tumbled into Isset as the two bumped into one another. Regaining herself, she was about to ask what had happened when she saw Sefadin motioning for silence. Rather than say anything, he maintained a finger over his lips, gesturing with his other hand just past where Vaala was struggling to flatten herself against the rock. Through the moss-lined rock passage, in an open area just past where they stood, three Soulflayers wandered freely.

Jinxie could see right away that they were nowhere near the level Kkel had been as one of the creatures. He had been tall and strong, in a robe woven from darkness with skin white as chalk. These Soulflayers looked no taller than Sefadin or Speed, and were covered in light blue robes over skin no pinker than her own. Indeed, their flesh was little more than an oily membrane covering gaunt, elongated frames. Like Kkel, they had bulbous eyes on either side of their large, bald heads, and their faces ended in a row of tentacles, giving them the look of a squid. Whereas his eyes had been sharply blue, theirs were dull and red. If she could take anything from simple appearance, then it was clear that these fiends were far lower on the hierarchy than the General had been as one of them.

However, there had only been one Kkel Solaar, and it had never been necessary to fight him. There were three of these Soulflayers, and it was clear from the way Vaala and Sefadin anxiously eyed them that there would be no negotiating with them.

Slowly, Sefadin slid his sword out from its sheath, and then turned towards Speed and inclined his head. The dull-eyed Warrior blinked a few times before finally taking his meaning, but finally loosened the great axe at his back, gripping it loosely as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. Jinxie heard Isset draw out the bladed knuckles she wore over her fists while Shoki made punching motions in the air. Vaala remained unmoving, not taking her eyes off of the Soulflayers. The powerless Hume felt completely out of place, fingering the hilt of the sword buckled to her waist, wondernig if she could make any difference in the imminent battle.

"Wait," Krista whispered, "look."

The Bard pointed just past the trio of fiends, to a hill nearby them. Flitting through the air near the Soulflayers, an Imp was casting a dispassionate eye over the area. A horn of bone much like the others used was resting at its tiny waist. From where it was positioned, there was no way to get out to the open marsh without attracting its attention.

"We go out there, that thing will call its friends," Sefadin warned, "and then it'll be a dead man's party."

"We cannot waste time," Vaala reminded them.

"Take out the Imp first," Isset suggested. "Vaala, you can make it there quietly, right? Just slit it's throat."

She nodded. "The Soulflayers will not go down so easily."

Sefadin took a step forward, a serious expression overtaking his visage. "We can handle them. Privates, Sergeant, you're with me," he pointed to Speed, Krista, and Isset. "I'm not going to lie; this will be tough. Vaala, once we have their attention, you get Jinxie out of here, and we'll catch up to you."

"That is unlikely," the Ninja responded. "Three Soulflayers will not be so easily - "

"Just make sure Jinxie gets through," he cut her off. "That's the job, let's get it done."

The mercenary and the assassin shared a long stare, the Mithra weighing Sefadin's words carefully. After a tense moment, she finally nodded. "Very well," she acquiesced. "I will await Jinxie where the Imp is."


"Okay," he turned back to the others. "If we're all ready, let's - "

"Wait," Jinxie stepped forward, looking out at the Soulflayers and watching the Imp circle the grounds nearby. She turned quickly towards Vaala. "You can get to the Imp without being seen?" Vaala nodded once, then with a flash two slim-bladed katana appeared in her hands. Jinxie felt a rush of exhiliration. A plan was forming in her mind.

"Do it," she commanded, "and bring me back its horn, intact."

Vaala looked at her for a moment, and then bowed briefly before bounding over the rock face and disappearing into the brush.

"What's this about?" Isset asked, but Jinxie motioned her to silence.

"Just wait," she urged. They all peered anxiously down the narrow pass, waiting for whatever happened next.

It all happened quickly. One moment, the Imp was softly beating its wings against the thick Caedarva air, lazily eyeing its surroundings. The next, they just barely saw a flash of silver before it went stiff, falling to the ground. From where they stood, they could see Vaala catch it out of the air, pulling it back out of sight in the blink of an eye. Below the hill, the Soulflayers continued their silent congregation, oblivious to the events only a few yards away. Only a few heartbeats later, the Ninja reappeared, sliding down the rock to rejoin them. She held out her black-gloved hands, revealing with them the small, bone-carved horn of the Imp.

"Thank you," she took it from Vaala's hands, turning it over in her grasp. It was small enough to fit in the palm of her hand, and for a moment she worried about how feasible her idea was. She was tired of feeling helpless, however, and if she couldn't fight with her friends then she would support them however else she could. "Krista," she extended the instrument to the Bard. "Can I trust you with this?"

"Yes ma'am," she answered quickly, taking the delicate bone carving from her.

"Good," she clapped a hand on the Mithran girl's shoulder. "Then I need you to go somewhere remote and play us a tune."

"Clever," Isset smiled, Shoki throwing his hands up in delight.

"Will that work?" Sefadin asked. "I don't think I've ever heard of someone using an Imp's horn. Besides, you know, Imps."

"I'll do it," Krista said in a determined voice. "How far away should I go?"

"Vaala," Jinxie rounded on the Ninja, "are there any good hiding places near this spot?"

"Four," she confirmed.

"Pick one, and take Krista close to it. Let her play until she starts attracting attention. Then drop the horn and come back to us."

She mulled it over, cocking an eyebrow slightly. "We've never tried that," she admitted. "I don't know if it will work."

"We won't know until we try. Like you said, we don't have time to spare, and I'm not losing good soldiers to Soulflayers if I don't have to." Her voice brooked no opposition. "That's the gameplan, now let's do it."

"Ma'am, yes ma'am," Krista barked, then fell to silence as Sefadin hushed her, eyeing the Soulflayers meaningfully.


Vaala and the Bard vanished into the brush, leaving the remaining four to wait for their signal.

"Are you feeling okay, Jinxie?" The question startled her, and she looked towards Isset with surprise. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything from it, you just seem a little off." The Puppetmaster's face fell almost the moment the words escaped her lips. "That probably sounded a lot more insensitive than I meant it."

"It's okay, Isset," the Hume forced a smile. "I'm doing alright. I'll be better tomorrow, after we win this."

Her words earned her a fierce smirk. "Right," Isset replied, and Shoki pumped its arms, psyching up. "Let's get through this."


"You guys hear that?" Speed asked aloud, ignoring Sefadin's call for silence. "Something sounds funny, man."

"Speed, would you - " Isset halted in the middle of her reprimand. "Wait," her tone turned serious.

She did hear it, and a moment later, Jinxie did as well.

It was a single note, in a high register, making its way from some distant location to their ears.

"Is that . . . ?" Isset started to ask. Then another note sounded, vibrating slowly through the bog, lingering just a moment before passing on.

They waited another moment, and then a third shrill bleat from the Imp's horn broke the mire's stillness. After its last echo faded, Isset looked around them, an expression of uncertainty plain on her face.

"So . . . what happens now?" she wondered aloud.

"I think - " before Sefadin could even reply, all four of them began scrambling for cover.

A Soulflayer burst from the narrow passage in front of them, the sound of its robes brushing over dead leaves on the ground the only forewarning they had of its arrival. Sefadin grabbed Speed and forced him down as Jinxie and Isset pressed themselves against a narrow outcropping, just barely deep enough to hide the both of them. The fiend stopped right in front of them, snorting revoltingly as it listened, tilting its head in the direction Krista had gone. It shuffled past a moment later, and not long after a second of the creatures followed behind it. In the air beside the Soulflayer, two Imps circled, following the sound of the horn. A third Imp trailed the first group, and following closely behind came the third Soulflayer, and another group of the flying terrors along with it.

They remained still as the grave while the horrifying procession made its way swiftly past, grunting and snarling as they rushed towards the horn. A palpable aura of malevolence accompanied them, stifling the air with a sickening pall. Jinxie struggled to keep from gagging as the Soulflayers made their way past, a cold, sick feeling trailing in their wake. She did not move again until they were completely out of sight, having made their way up the hill and far away from their small hiding place. She almost cried with relief when she tasted air again, not realizing until that moment she had been holding her breath.

"Alright," Isset said, her voice not betraying a tremble, "I'm not too proud to admit that was terrifying."

"Come on," Sefadin stood up, brushing twigs out of his auburn hair, "we've got to get moving."

A sudden snort sent Isset leaping several feet in the air, and Sefadin's sword came out of its scabbard in a flash. A moment later, a whining rush of breath accompanied it, and they looked down, startled, to find Speed still lying on the ground where he had been shoved. The Warrior was fast asleep, drooling and snoring into the muck.

"For Walahra's sake," the Puppetmaster slapped a hand against her face, even as Sefadin struggled to contain a laugh. "Get up, you ridiculous stereotype," she ordered, and with a swift motion of her wrist, Shoki stepped over to the slumbering mercenary and began shaking him violently.

"It's always something new with this guy," Sefadin chuckled, "right, Jinxie?"

Jinxie did not respond to the Paladin's question. Nor did she share in his laughter. She only looked straight ahead, her eyes registering the growing terror welling inside her.

The Dark Rider looked back, his horse stamping the ground impatiently as the white-armored giant lowered his massive curved spear.

"No," she whispered as she saw him tighten his grip on the beast's reins, two red-burning spheres of light behind his visor falling on her. This was not like their confusing first encounter at all. The frightening power radiating from the rider had a focus now, a purpose.

He was there to kill her.

"NO!" this time she screamed, and before she realized she was doing it, Jinxie was running as fast as she could through the swamps of Caedarva Mire.

She was distantly aware of voices calling after her, but did not let them stop her flight. Leaves and broken twigs were kicked up at her heels as she ran, feeling the terror of the Dark Rider's presence behind her. Where this monstrous being had come from, and why he was there, she did not know, but for some reason his intentions were clear as day. He meant to kill her, to cut her quest short here in this forsaken bog, to leave her child at the mercy of the Lamiae, an orphan with no one to come looking for him. She had to run. She could not face him, but she could not stand by and let herself be killed either. The sound of his mount snorting and whinnying struck her, and she pumped her legs even faster.

The ground squelched beneath her feet as she pressed into the mud and muck. Her lungs burned and her legs strained to keep her moving. She stumbled over a log half-hidden by the swamp and almost fell, fear blossoming anew at the prospect as she desperately righted herself. Everything around her looked the same, and she had no concept of how far she had run. She stopped for just a moment to take stock of her surroundings. Dead trees and thick bog water enclosed her, and the thick vines and bush on the ground obscured any paths in or out of where she was. Isset and the others were nowhere in sight. She was panting, trying to catch her breath and regain her senses when she felt it.

Stirring at the base of her spine, the foreboding presence crept over her like a swarm of insects. It was as if bugs were crawling under her skin, and snakes wrapping around her body. A wave of revulsion made her stomach clench, and she involuntarily stumbled backwards several steps, fighting the urge to throw up. Gagging slightly, Jinxie looked up, searching for the source of the revolting presence.

She did not have to look far to see the Soulflayer in front of her.

Gasping, she instinctively reached for her power only to find the void inside of her being. The Soulflayer garbled something from its disgusting-looking mouth, the tentacles on its face writhing as pale, dull eyes settled hungrily upon her. She backed up as it slowly glided forward, gnarled, pale-skinned hands wrapping around an inky black staff. Slim fingers tapped against its ebon shaft with something resembling anxiousness. Her eyes darted back and forth, but she could see no way out except back the way she came. Between her and that sole exit stood the eldritch fiend. Behind her was only a sheer cliff, too high to climb. She was trapped.

Desperately, she tore her rapier from its scabbard, holding it warningly in front of her. Hubby's lessons instinctively came back to her, and she thrust towards the creature. It hissed, eyeing the weapon warily as it moved away. A moment later its arm lanced forward, and Jinxie let out a cry as its staff struck her wrist. It felt like a venomous sting had just pierced her flesh, and her rapier dropped from her grasp. Something escaped the Soulflayer that sounded like a laugh, twisted with decay. Jinxie bared her teeth at it. This thing was no great phantom, riding her down from some dark realm. This was just another monster. And she had learned long ago not to be afraid of monsters.

"You - " she snatched her sword from the muck at her feet, slicing it upwards. The creature dismissed the strike, and a streak of black lightning burst from the tip of its staff, striking Jinxie in the chest. She dropped to her knees with a gasp, pain screaming through her entire body. A shadow fell upon her as the Soulflayer drew near. A sound of hunger escaped it as it began to envelop her.

The roar which shook Caedarva Mire was like a typhoon striking. Trees broke underneath it, splinters and branches propelling through the swamp. Leaves blew up from the mud and struck at Jinxie as the ground quaked, and she covered her face, surprised and confused. The Soulflayer was staggering away from her, its eyes shooting left and right, searching or the source of the powerful cry. A second roar bombarded the area, and Jinxie covered her ears to try and protect herself from its force. She too looked for where it was coming from, seeing nothing which could account for such a howl.

Then the murky skies above went completely dark, and she saw what was causing the tumultuous noise.

Jinxie was literally thrown into the air when the Khimaira landed, its full weight crashing down upon the ground's surface causing a shockwave effect. It gave another roar as it settled following its leap from the cliff behind her, and she gaped at the monster she saw before her. She had seen the Behemoths which roamed Qufim Island long ago, and this beast was reminiscent of their hulking forms. A mass of purple-colored fur, muscle and sinew bulging beneath. Unlike the Behemoths, this Khimaira was more compact, its four powerful limbs even bulkier than that of the other monster. It stood nearly as high as three of her combined, and she felt she could fall inside of its fang-filled mouth without the beast even noticing, so large was its jaw. The Soulflayer let loose a cry of terror as it felt those jaws close in around it.

With a single motion, the Khimaira tore the fiend's head from it shoulders, crunching its skull between molars the size of a man's fist. A fountain of black blood burst from its neck as the body toppled to the ground. Violently, the giant beast tore into its corpse, bones snapping and organs popping like balloons as it devoured the creature, massive paws pressing down on its body as its teeth tore it apart. She watched in a mixture of shock and awe as the beast feasted upon the Soulflayer, rending apart its oozing black innards and lapping up the juices. It was sickening and fascinating at the same time. Blood spotted the thick golden mane of fine hair which framed the monster's massive head, the same hair found at the tip of its long, prehensile tail. That same tail clubbed at the air as it ate, and a pair of bat-like wings stretched up from its back, curling and uncurling at random. Claws like battle axes dug into the ground as it sat back on its haunches, tossing the dessicated remains of its meal away.

Smacking its blood-encrusted lips, the Khimaira snorted once, sniffing at the air. A low growl began to resonate from its throat, and slowly it turned its head. A pair of large, blank white eyes settled on Jinxie.

Sitting now in the mud, completely taken aback by the turn of events, Jinxie had not even the emotional strength left to feel panic as it opened its jaws again, a blast of hot, fetid breath escaping its maw.

She had felt the unbridled malevolence radiating from the Dark Rider, and knew that he meant to kill her. So too had she known just from the Soulflayer's presence that it wanted to use her for some dark, unspeakable purpose. Just as those two had made plain simply through their aura what their intentions were, the Khimaira's motivations were also clearly understood as it stood again, leveling its gaze on her.

It was still hungry.

Chapter LXXXIX: Spectre

As they made their way through the gilded corridors, Krista passed the time by telling them the tale of the Ruins of Alzadaal. Jinxie scarcely paid attention.

The area was breathtaking, she had to admit. Sretching out as far as she could see were corridors and rooms that looked as if they had been hand-crafted from the floor up. Each piece of intricate metalwork was uniquely shaped and fitted into an incomprehensibly vast pattern, each room another link within it. The walls of the outer chambers were the most impressive part - panes of glass stretching from floor to ceiling, letting occupants see outside into the undersea world which had claimed the Ruins of Alzadaal centuries before.

From what she heard Krista saying, the ruins had been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent years. Excavation teams would regularly travel down to try and salvage what they could of the ancient Imperial treasures, and encounters with archaic monsters set as guardians were not uncommon. The upper levels of the ruins were clear, but down in the depths there were still menaces to contend with. Fortunately, the path they were to take led them nowhere near the more hazardous areas.

"And that's why the Qiqirn are allowed to explore the area," the Bard was saying, concluding some story Jinxie had only half-heard. She rubbed her nose where a slight bruise discolored the skin. "At least, that's how I heard it."

"Issy," Speed tugged on the Puppetmaster's sleeve, his voice a failed attempt at whispering, "that cat is talking."

"Walahra give me patience," the raven-haired woman muttered.

"We are nearly there," Vaala said from in front of them. The Ninja skirted the halls lightly, remaining ahead of the rest of the group. "There is another portal up ahead."

Jinxie took stock of her companions once again. Vaala was a black ops operative for the Imperial military. Sefadin was a Captain of Salaheem's Sentinels. Krista could use the spellsong, and Isset had Shoki, in addition to her own well-developed fighting skills. When Speed's head was clear, he had strength which Jinxie had seen sever the head off a Hydra.

And she stood among them, powerless. She began to feel upset just thinking about it. These people were willing to risk their lives for her son, and she would not even be honest with them. As far as she knew, no one was aware her powers had disappeared as the price for Kkel Solaar's life. They might be counting on her arcane strength to see them through the inevitable oonfrontations to come, and when they needed it, it would not be there. Their lives were being put in danger under false pretenses. But what other choice did she have? If they knew the truth, there's no way they would have let her come along.

She would not let that happen, she resolved. It would be the same as abandoning Drake, and that was not an option.

The loss of her powers stung ever more sharply, and not for the first time she knew she would do anything to get them back.

Sharply, she turned. She heard no voice nor footfall, but the feeling of a presence behind her was inescapable. The pressure of spiritual energy struck her like a thunderclap. A gasp escaped her lips as her eyes fell upon the source of it, staring right back at her.


The Chamber of Passage jolted into view as Kkel returned once more from an Imperial staging point. Stumbling forward, he found his legs in no condition to support him. He just barely managed to put up a hand and brace himself against the cold stone walls so as not to fall. The sword in his grasp fell with a clatter, and for several moments he let it lay where it was. When he finally was able to kneel down to pick it back up, he felt like he might never stand again.

"Walahra," he gasped, "I'm almost too tired to breathe." He might have worried about saying this around his men, except that he was the only one of them to make it back. A fact that did not go unnoticed by those monitoring his progress.

"You're alone," the familiar voice of Aht Urghan's Grand Vizier was devoid of concern, as usual. "Have the others fallen?"

Kkel shot an icy glare at him. "They stayed at the outpost," he forced the words out. He wanted to explain further, but it was taking everything he had to just stay conscious at this point. The dangers of abusing the Runic Portal had been explained to him, but he never anticipated the sheer level of exhaustion. He'd never felt so bone-weary in his life.

Razfahd stood waiting at the end of the hall, watching the Sunserpent. He said nothing else, only watched the General slowly gather the strength to once more make it to his feet. Arms hanging limply, Kkel raised his eyes to meet those of the Grand Vizier. Gradually, he gathered his breath enough to speak again.

"We all made it out. Pixel is helping them recover enough to make the trip back." Even speaking made him want to collapse and sleep for a week. He left it at that, concentrating on keeping his lungs working.

"Mm," his imperious eye looked over the haggard General. "And you left . . . simply to see if you could?"

Had Kkel the strength to bare his teeth, he would have, but Razfahd's assessment was not far from the truth. He used the Runic Portal ahead of his men to test whether or not another jump would kill them outright.

The hours had been full with skirmishes. The elite cadre of soldiers the Sunserpent borrowed from his fellow Generals burned through the early daylight hours with daring attacks against the Undead Swarm's most well-protected strongholds. Only a dozen in number, they used hit-and-run tactics to infuriate their foes and confuse them as to their size and strength. Their assaults had left a swath of destruction across Lamian territory from Periqia to Ilrusi Atoll, causing a general uproar throughout the entire Arrapago Reef. As soon as real confrontation became imminent, they pulled back and retreated to the nearest Imperial stronghold. Thus far, the scheme had worked flawlessly. With only ten soldiers, Pixel, and himself, Kkel Solaar had convinced the Undead Swarm all of Arrapago was enduring a full-scale attack.

With reinforcements rushing to bolster their defenses and their hordes rushing through the swamps, searching for the phantom Imperial army, the path to Medusa herself was quickly opening up. Kkel's gambit was paying off, and Jinxie would be able to recover her child. That was assuming, of course, that he survived using the portal again.

They had gone three times through the radiant blue light which ushered them from one point of the Empire to another before they started feeling it. At first they dismissed it as the fatigue natural from sustaining such an effort. Constant haranguing of enemy forces, striking with such force and precision, maintaining mobility enough to flee at a moment's notice; any of this would wear out even the most conditioned soldiers. After five times through the portal, they knew it was more than that. They began having trouble breathing, and some began to feel faint. Two of the small battalion were powerful magic users, but found themselves unable to conjure up the dimmest spark for several minutes.

At present, they had gone back and forth through the Chamber of Passage eleven times, and Kkel swore that his heart had stopped for a moment after the last one. His powerful blue magic felt as far away as the moon. Only one thing kept him going.

"I owe her my life," he breathed slowly. "And I will repay that debt in full if I have to."

Razfahd gave no outward reaction to the declaration. Instead, he turned to the Tarutaru soldier whose job it was to oversee the Chamber of Passage and muttered some hushed instructions to him. Snapping a salute to the Grand Vizier, the diminutive trooper hurried out of the room. Once he was gone, the dark-haired Imperial gave a powerful sigh, collapsing unceremoniously into a chair backed up against the wall.

"It seems good people are still paying for my actions, Sunserpent," he addressed Kkel, but directed his words to the open air. Composing himself, he returned his sharp gaze to the Elvaan. "Your men won't be joining you for some time. Reports from our scouts tell us all of Arrapago is in an uproar. You can rest a moment."

"If we stop now, they'll know it was a ruse." He wanted to say more, but found the words caught in his throat.

The Grand Vizier's stoic visage returned. "Jinxie knew the risks, Sunserpent, and she would not want you to die for her." He carefully pyramided his fingers, looking down at them contemplatively. "She is a powerful mage and a brave woman. I am certain there is nothing out there she can't handle."


The manner of steed the man rode she had no name for. It looked like a horse - a creature she had seen in fantasy storybooks as a child - but to call the beast a horse would be calling a grand palace a hovel. It stood twice as high as Jinxie herself, and its head alone was as large as her whole body. A coat of gray hair with a sheen like burnished metal covered the animal, and mane richer than the most exquisite fur was draped down across its thick, powerful neck. Two burning red eyes stared towards her as it bucked its head impatiently, snorting flames and baring a mouth full of thick, pointed teeth. Stretching down from its imposing visage, two curled red horns reached out menacingly. Eight hooves beat against the metal ground, four legs of taut sinew and muscle on each side, but where they stamped there was no ring of iron-like hoof against metal. Only a plume of dark flame burst up from the ground on each movement of its powerful limbs.

Seated atop it, impossibly using this fantastic creature as a mount, was a man covered head to toe in armor. Shoulder plates the size of a human head surmounted a gloriously crafted breastplate inlaid with gold. Mammoth silver gauntlets which grasped the beast's reins stretched up to joint guards which had been forged into nefarious-looking blades. Gilt cuisses matched the heavy steel boots in the stirrups of the incredible horse. Every inch of him was sheathed in armor of gold and silver, right up to a helmet which concealed his face entirely. Instead, it appeared akin to a death's head, and like the horse, it was surmounted by two curled and dangerous horns. From behind the faceplate, though she could not see his eyes, Jinxie felt the power of the man's stare. One hand held the horse in place, the other grasped the shaft of a spear bigger than any man, hooked blade on the end gleaming with wicked intent.

What struck her even more than his appearance was the overwhelming power radiating from his being. The rider was at the end of a long hallway, far behind where Jinxie stood now, but the oppressive weight of his essence nearly crushed her. The waves of sheer malevolence emanating towards her froze her in place. She gaped, unable to move as the rider lowered the blade of his tremendous spear, leveling the weapon towards Jinxie's head. The horse beat its hooves impatiently, flames of darkness rising below it. Locked in position, she could only watch as the rider steadied himself for a charge.

"Hey, boss lady, what's up?"

Startled, Jinxie spun around to find Sefadin's confused face behind her. Gasping, she turned back, only to see an empty hall behind her.

Groping fruitlessly for words, she looked at the Paladin, shock still on her face. He returned a quizzical gaze, taking a step back away from her.

"You shouldn't straggle behind, ma'am," he told her. "We almost went on without you."

"There was . . . " she started to talk, but his expression told her everything. He saw no dark rider, felt no presence. She no longer did, either. Only the long, empty expanse of the Ruins of Alzadaal greeted her eyes when she stared down the hallway. "Nothing," she said finally. "I just got turned around. Sorry to worry you."

"Are you alright?" He put a hand on her shoulder, concern in his voice. "I hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain."

She brushed him away gently, collecting herself. "I'll be fine. Thank you, Sefadin."

"Just doing my job, ma'am," the Captain inclined his head briefly. "Let's catch up to the others, Vaala says we're almost there."

When they reached the rest of the group, Vaala was standing before a platform glowing with the same soft glow of the Runic Portals back in Whitegate. "Through here," she told them. "The ruins are connected by a series of portals like these. This one will take us where we need to go."

True to her word, moments later the cadre appeared within an expansive and ornate chamber, at the end of which was a hallway that took them back to the surface. After a brief word with the Imperial guards stationed at the exit, they took their first steps into the Caedarva Mire.

"Welcome to the jungle," Sefadin proclaimed, outstretching his arms with a flare.

"It's a swamp," Krista said, blinking. "Jungles are different."

The Captain slapped his palm into his own face. "Alright, first thing when we get back, we're going over your lessons in being dramatic."

"Yes, sir," she sighed, kicking a clump of soggy ground.

"Half a day's march will take us to the Arrapago Reef," Vaala told them. "From there we will - "

She stopped. They all did.

From somewhere deep in the mire, far off in the insect-laden swamps and bogs, through the muddy marshes and endless muck, a howl had broken the air.

It was deep, like some great horn bellowing, but rough and guttural as well. The gray skies above suddenly became alive with motion as flocks of birds took wing, fleeing from their nests in the howl's wake. For a long moment it persisted, and then slowly faded away, leaving a trailing echo to crawl its way through Caedarva Mire. Not one of Jinxie's group said a word at first, only exchanging glances as they listened to the wail die down.

"What was that?" Isset finally whispered, and Shoki visibly trembled.

"It sounded huge," Krista was gripping her flute tightly in both hands, her eyes darting back to the entrance into Alzadaal they had just emerged from.

"That," Vaala's voice was quiet, and the Ninja had perhaps unconsciously crouched down slightly, "means we need to be very fast, and very careful."

"What is it, Vaala?" Jinxie could not afford cryptic answers. She had to know what was in the swamp, perhaps even lying in wait for them.

"There's a Khimaira out here," she replied, and in a blur a pair of katana appeared in her hands. "And if we want to see Arrapago alive we must avoid it at all costs."

The proclamation sank in to each of them as she spoke, and a crushing silence overtook them. Jinxie was not even sure what a Khimaira was, but even Speed looked spooked at the thought of it. All the Imperials were given pause at the idea of its presence in the Mire.

As for herself, she had frozen for a different reason.

The moment Vaala had told her what the source of the howl was, she had felt the presence of the dark rider wash over her once again.