ShipTeaser

  Shiratori Himeko, Shirohime

  The moment Tan spoke, the ese girl, Na, acted. She had remained slightly behind Shiro and Hyath, letting them draw the attention of the enemies, and as Tan’s arrogant words made the green-eyed and blonde-haired woman, who was surely Mary Stuart, from Akio’s description, twist her fato an expression of disgust, Na unleashed her power.

  Sudden bubbles of force swallowed up the three hostages, shimmering, ransparent fields surrounding them. The axes wielded by the Judges bounced back, staggering them, and Eleanor blinked in surprise. Bubbles also enclosed Mary Stuart herself and the red-headed woman standing with her.

  Drawing their attention was a good move, Tan! Now we don’t o worry about the hostages being exploited. Though with Mary Stuart trapped, this should be over…

  Do not be so sure, princess. The followers of the Ninth Heaven have many abilities fuelled by powerful adherence. I anticipate her escape… Even as Tan’s thoughts reached her, Shiro heard a painful, esoteric word, that made her spirit shiver and head burn with phantom pain.

  [Open!]

  At that word, a colle of strange, inhuman sylbles, the bubbles of energy taining Mary and the other woman turned fully transparent, and the two of them stepped out, Mary Stuart looking particurly offended. She wiped away a trickle of blood from her mouth, and gred at Tan furiously. “Vile demon, your kind should not be here! The True Revetion says we should be protected from your ilk until the shallow eddies around this world calm and shatter!”

  “Demon? I am rather offended.” Tan shot back coolly. “Demons are grotesque things, whereas I am fwless, pure.” She tossed her head, red hair trailing out behind her like a fiery tail. “No, I am no demon, though my father was often called one. Now…” Tan’s gaze flickered to Princess Eleanor. “I have e to aid you, at the behest of him.” She waved one arm backwards, to where the pilr of yellow fmes had died down, but was still burning, acrid smoke rising. “So you may y down your burdens. rotected your allies.”

  Eleanor’s face tightened, and she clutched her sword tightly, shaking her head. “I’m grateful for your aid. I didn’t expect it. I thought… I would have to die here.” she admitted. “Though I would make sure to take you with me, Mary Stuart!” Her voice was cold, calm. “Now that you are here, I will fight with you! The Tower has to be protected at all costs!”

  Tan turned her attention to the Tower, and the storms of adherend ether it ulling in. Shiro was more sensitive to such when Tan ossessihe Divine resonating with it, and it was quite beautiful, like a maelstrom of barely-visible diamonds. “Yes, I see why. It is a treasure, or rather, two treasures overpping. You have ma improperly. How disappointing.” Tahed out.

  What do you mean?

  “No wohis Territory is pitiful.” Tan snorted, and Eleanor looked ashamed. “The treasure here draws in adherence, but also ether. Most of yains would be drawn away from you. Power without trol is nothing but a curse. Disappointing.”

  Eleanor flinched, but Mary Stuart glowered, her annoyance pin. “Wretched creatures…” she looked at Hyath, realising she also wasn’t human, and teically Na was her, since she was reborn by the Throne. “… mog the stolen power of the Lord. They say that despite evil speaking with a forked tongue, sometimes the Devil tells truths though. Yes, it is a travesty, the waste of power. It must be taken bato our hands. Now… [Kneel and Prostrate!]”

  Shiro felt a painful tugging on her spirit, but her body did not bend, as Tan stood strong, sneering, her ruby eyes and hair bzing with fmes. Hyath fell to her knees, but her defiant expression as she kept her body upright was quite magnifit. Na hit the ground, kneeling with her forehead pushed down, but Tan and Shiro paid her little mind. Since she ’t hold Mary Stuart, she’s only an auxiliary…

  “Be careful!” Eleanor cried. “Those strange words are powerful!”

  “Yes.” Tan said, stepping forwards slowly. “They tai adherence. Always the way of the Ninth Heaven, so wasteful. But then, they have the reserves.”

  “You resisted the Words of the Metatron?” Mary said, stunned. “You truly should not be here! You have to fall! You are too dangerous to be allowed to live! Attack!” she ordered, and her forces raced out, the Choir starting to sing, the Judges f up for an assault, and the white-cd warriors charging.

  Tan, don’t kill them if you help it. They aren’t monsters…

  I will do what I must, princess. But take heart, I am not so cruel as to kill needlessly. Although… She gestured with one hand, and a fming humanoid six metres tall appeared, and it breathed out, fmes dang like dragon’s breath. The red-haired woman, her expression pale, stepped into the bst, shield raised.

  “Sarah!” Eleanor cried, and one of the protected hostages, a battered and bloody man, also called out, calling her a damn fool. The expected end was not met though, as a shimmering shield blocked the fmes, and though she ushed back, her fad hair a little scorched, she was unharmed.

  “Shit, ye be a real handful, ye ken?” The woman, Sarah snorted, her arms trembling, only for energy to fill her as the Choir directed the surroundiher and adhereh their droning songs. Hey, this is a bit like Tillyae and her musis, right? So, a group of bards for buffing. I bet they debuff too…

  Shiro found herself proved right as baleful energy started gathering rapidly in the air above them, and Eleanor cried out another warning. The fire giant Tan had summoned was barraged with halos of light, shrinking by a full metre as fire scattered, the rings f bindings holding it trapped. The white knights were charging, and as Shiro panicked, Hyath moved, her violet eyes shining with rage. Her legs trembled, bug uhe pressure of the words Mary had spoken, only for blood to spray from her mouth as she bit down hard. Slowly she rose to her feet, and stood, Mary’s eyes going wide in shock.

  “Hyath will never kneel again. I am a sve nooo more. This pain… is nooothing to me now.” Her cold gaze saw the oning soldiers, and nature energy surged around her, a thick, dark tide of jumbled e and red energies, being brown like the bark of an aree.

  “This… this is madness, that strength…” Raidre managed, still impaled on spears ihe protective cage of energy. “… I knew she was dangerous, but…”

  “Hyath, calm down!” Shiro took over and spoke for a sed, but Hyath merely shook her head.

  “I am calm. I am very, very angry thooough. Ooonly the foulest would force others to ko be sves. Hyath prooomised herself that she wooould shatter them all, for Akio, and make a wooorld where everyone be happy. There is nooo room for these in such a wooorld.” Raising her hand a tide of spores billowed outwards, drowning the oning white-armoured warriors.

  “Such strong power.” Mary said. “But it is useless. The martyred dead are simply that. Already dead. Your natural curse will have no… effect…” she tilted her head, puzzled as Hyath grinned.

  “Bone is food just as much as flesh, and spirit, that die toooooo!” The warriors stumbled to a halt, and as they started shuddering and twisting, t into shapes no living creature could, armoured helms and ptes fell away, only to reveal gleaming white bone being dark and mottled with fungus, fihreads at first, before mushrooms, toadstools and more sprouted, eating into the bone, redug them to powder, the entire host disiiher scattering, of which a rge portion was swept up in the maelstrom around the Tower and taken inside. Is that…

  Yes. What lies beh is powerful a greedy. Well, no matter. What does matter is…

  Eleanor watched on open-mouthed as the entire army of skeletons colpsed to powder, all that remained a field of massive fungi amidst the scattered armour, like an eerie, Faerie graveyard. “That’s… impossible!” she gasped.

  “Yes, it is, isn’t it?” Mary agreed, suddenly solemn. “How… frustrating. The martyred dead are not infinite. So wasteful.” She clicked her tongue. “Everyone, kill her first, an abomination such as she ot be allowed to live!”

  As Hyath gred at her fidently, her eyes showing no fear, the Judges all paused, and the song of the Choir was suddenly off-key, the effects broken, as a massive pressure pressed down on everyohe effects of a great League, though Shiro merely felt it as a soothing, reassuring balm, Hyath too. He’s here. About time. How long does it take to destroy a fey towers?

  “You… I should have expected this seeing her.” Mary Stuart said, looking at Aki as he strode forwards, his trenchcoat armour that almost seemed to su the light fpping as he moved, long sword in hand.

  “Yes. Me.” Aki agreed calmly. “Sorry I’m te, turns out there was a sed Territory with a lot of Buildings that were causing trouble, so I nipped over to wreck them. I left the Anchors ihough, it’s not for me to judge British traitors. Oh…” he smiled, looking at David trapped in the bubble in bad shape. “How’ve you been, David? Looks like this battle didn’t go your way?”

  “No shit.” David ughed, his voice crag. “I thought I was fucked for sure. Was going to go out like a mother-fug boss though, crag heads to the end.”

  “Ach, David, ye damn fool…” Sarah said bitterly, her expression grave, even as she looked at Mary who was frozen, her firag the golden ring on her fingers idly. In fact, the sudden pressure had frozen everyone, and even now, the fire giant was struggling free of the failing bindings of the Choir.

  “So, yeah, you’re te!” David spat, and Aki ughed, a sound that Shiro really liked to hear.

  “I’m not accepting that this time. In fact, we’re early. I thought we would have had time to prepare and then this erupts whe here. But…” he looked at Eleanor, who was standing there, red-faced and unfortable. “Princess, it’s good to see you are still okay. Though there was one of your panions we saw heading for the Tower, which was a bit puzzling.”

  “Donovan, that treacherous piece of shit.” David growled, his wounds worsening as he ched his fists. “He sold us out just to get the Princess. That mother fucker. Don’t just stand here, go back there and protect her, break the fug neck of that rat!”

  “It’s all right.” Eleanor said, the shog appearances of unlooked for aid having rattled her calm acceptance of her fate. “I’m not where he thinks I am. If we defeat Mary Stuart and Sarah quickly, we go back.” She peered at Aki, and Shiro couldn’t help but notice she was smiling in relief. Yeah, I get that. When Aki says everything is going to be okay, it will be. “I also locked the door.” She said, and nobody else there seemed to know what she meant, except Hyath, who snorted.

  “Looks like yooou listened. I still hate yooou though. Hyath will not five your so Akio and the mistresses!”

  “Oh, I’d say it’s more than all right. I sent someoo take care of it. In fact, here she is now… as well as…” Aki smirked cheekily. Shit, Tan. Is it wrong of me to love Aki more when he’s being an arrogant prick? He just looks so cool doing it!

  I think your brain has rotted, princess. But then, I suppose that is what love does. But arrogance when warranted is necessary for an Astral Emperor. After all, those with power must express power.

  From behind, the t troll form or came rushing over, dragging a massive mace the size of a small tree effortlessly with one hand. The speared seal-man opened his eyes wide at that. “A troll? One of great power too. By the salt and the smoke, is that Grulgor, leader of the trolls under Duke Formor?”

  “Oh, and do I not-not merit a mention, skin-shifter?” Shirnised Shaeu’s voice, as she appeared, entering the Boundary from the Tower beside them, the Territory defenceless after the barrier colpsed and most of the Buildings were destroyed. “I fear I am quite-quite offended.”

  “… who are you? You smell of Nobility… no… that tang…” Raidre cshed his tusks, fused. “Like lightning streaking across the skies…”

  Shaeu ignored Raidre’s puzzled words, strolling over as though the frozen stalemate itlefield did. “I dealt with the wretched male. He was quite-quite the piece of trash. Well, he will live, if you - call that life.” Her gaze fell on Eleanor, and her lips curved up into a smile. “You were quite-quite clever. It is a good pce to hide, I am now o you, and have added some additional defences. As long-long as we finish this quickly, nobody shall touch us.”

  “Thank you?” Eleanor said, phrasing it as a question for some reason. “Please excuse my rudeness, but could I have your name?”

  Shaeu gowards Raidre slyly, and nodded regally. “I am Shaeu Tu Shae Dannan, princess of the Seelie and Duchess of the Spring of Clear Refles. As one-one prio another, after this, we should talk. But for now-now…” her amber gre fell on Mary and Sarah, and the scattered Judges. “… I believe we should-should do what we came for.”

  “No, no. No, no, no, no!” Mary said suddenly, her face t. “This isn’t how things are supposed to be!” Her anger ged to ughter, disturbing everyohe Lord of the Ninth Heaven is with me, I have luy side. I am always lucky. No, perhaps this is good fortune. Sarah, we sweep away more heretic filth. Everyone, [Every on Fashioned Against Us Shall Fail]”

  Again, those strange words. The fire giant burst apart, scattering into embers, and everyone else staggered, the oppression offsetting the League Aki was throwing out, though he stood there untouched, and so did Tan and Shaeu. What is she doing, Tan?

  “Such a waste of precious adhere will not serve you though.” Tan looked at Eleanor, who had dropped her sword and was trembling, her whole body wracked with pain. “It is time. But… such victories e at a price.”

  ********

  Princess Eleanor Elizabeth Diana Windsor

  “Such victories e at a price.” The words spoken by the fme-haired woman resonated with her. Victory? we win here? I know Akio is strong, and so should that womahe Princess of the Seelie too. And I’ve seen that maid perform a hellish miracle, and the troll looks strong… even with all that, Mary is powerful…

  Mary was giving off an aura of great strength, for a brief moment a match for the thing below the Tower. Swallowing blood and spit, she nodded. “I uand. But I ot promise on proteg what lies here.”

  “You could not stop us if we wished to take it.” The fme-haired woman said seductively. “However, he likes win-win trades. Perhaps we shall show you how to use it as it was intended…”

  “No! That grace belongs to us, to the Lord!” Mary decred. “Now e forth, Principality! Let the unbelievers burn under your holy light!”

  “That’s a shit-ton of adherence.” Akio remarked, seemingly uned. “It’s got to be nearly on the level of that stupid bastard toad e. How is she holding so much? Won’t that colpse the Boundary?”

  A brilliant light was f, rainbow energies coalesg into a golden radiance, in whi abominable figure was f. Sarah took a step backwards, her eyes revealing she had seen such before, and as she did so the troll attacked.

  “Grulgor thinks letting this happen is folly!” he roared, mace whistling, a ton of heavy metal swung with great force. It then hit a shimmering, nigh invisible barrier.

  “Bellona, fortify me!” Sarah groueeth, jaw locked in stress, pushed back by the heavy impact, the troll, Grulgor, boung back too. He shook his massive stony arm and grinned, a frightening sight, especially the cold ing in his beady yellow eyes.

  “Grulgor thinks you are iing, little human. But there is nothing Grul ot break now!” He ughed, and another impact resouhe shield Sarah had summoned quivering, her own wooden shield splintering a little.

  That’s impossible. When Sarah invokes her gift from Bellona and couples it with the shield she received from the Tower… how she be pushed back?

  Bubbles of force simir to those proteg David and the others appeared, trapping the Choir, and the ground exploded, vines bursting free to snare and capture the Judges. Those that tried to cut themselves free were struck by lightning that fshed from the hand of Shaeu, drawing wide-eyed gasps from Raidre.

  “Royal lightning! How the foolish weasel princess wield such?” he barked, only to quieten as she looked at him, irritated.

  “I was indeed-indeed foolish in my youth, but is it not-not more foolish to disparage your rescuers?”

  “I fear she is right, master Raidre.” Sir Arthur managed. “My apologies, good Princess.” As Shaeu looked pleased at his words, the fme-haired woman and Akio tiheir calm versation, watg as the golden figure became clearer, legs and arms with multiple odd joints giving it ahly silhouette.

  “It is but a copy. A true Principality would rend apart the Boundary like a rotten shell. She has no power to and such. But even a shadow like this will be dangerous if it persists.” She shook her head. “I suggest we destroy it now. Or rather…” she licked her lips. “Leave this oo me. I thirst for the adherehin.”

  “ you ha, Tan?” Akio asked.

  “I , and my Fht prickles at me, keep your strength. It will be needed.”

  “You stop the Principality, demon? Unless you have a power equal to those half-Fae witches, and fortune exceeding my own… you are finished!” she cried, as the golden radiance disappeared, and Eleanor fell to the ground, the pressure even more intehan Akio’s. Her mind reeled at what she saw, wings spread out covered in a multitude of unblinking, reptiliahe feathers like swords, hands a bird cws, the head eyeless, yet with beautiful white hair. On seeing that, the fme-haired woman ughed.

  “Yes, I know your hair is prettier.” She said, seemingly to herself. “Now… Akio, Shaeu, you may front the summoner.”

  “Such arrogance.” Mary snorted, and Eleanor clutched her own sword as she stepped up beside the others, watg as Grulgor tio pound on Sarah’s defences, f her back step by step, her shield crumbling away slowly. “Well, fools who don’t uand never will. But… Judgement day is ing! [Let Your Blood Boil, Your Spirit Bze, For The Ninth Heaven, Be Martyred!]” Mary slumped to her knees, blood spraying down the front of her robes, bells tinkling. Eleanor flinched, prepared to be struck again, only to realise it wasn’t directed at her. The prisoned Judges suddenly roared, a brutal aura radiating from them. They tore free from the vines or pulled themselves to their feet, despite the lightning that had struck them. Grabbing fallen ons, they surged forwards like a horde of zombies, muscles bulging grotesquely.

  “It will be fine.” Shaeu suddenly patted Eleanor on her shoulder, whiapped her out of her fear. “Such petty-petty tricks will be useless. Even strengthened, a horde of mice ot-not defeat the lions.”

  “You’re right. We ’t lose here. Not… not now.”

  The Principality moved, and Eleanor’s eyes could barely follow it. A great fme giant roared ience again, blog it, grabbing at the cwed hands. The giant ushed bad the eyes on the wings glowed, a number of beams of golden light pierg it. Akio threw up a wall of water, steam billowing, while Shaeu hurled lightning, aiming at the stri Mary, yet the bolts curved, smming into Sarah’s barrier.

  “Annoying. But useless.” Tan decred, fmes r, wreathing her and ing the bolts of light. “I ma more of my strength, now that the princess is stronger. It is still merely a fra, but…” she exhaled, and fme rained down on the Angel. It let out a pierg, uhly cry, the words indecipherable, simir to the words Mary often spoke. Eleanor shuddered, ears bleeding, but ehe first of the Judges who rushed at her. It swung aioners’ axe at her, and she blocked it, only to nearly lose her own sword, the impact massive. S. But… Undaunted, she smashed her shoulder into the face of her assaint. Bone gave uhe impact, but the berserk warrior did not fall.

  Pushed back, Eleanor spun, and her sword plunged into the throat of her attacker, the axe missing her, burying the bde deep in the ground. As her first attacker fell, she put aside the fact she had killed another person, fog on what mattered. A mace crashed into her side, denting her armour and breaking ribs, but she was used to pairieving Samuel’s dagger she stabbed it deep into the eye of her oppo, and the third who attacked with a sword longer and heavier than her own she allowed to strike her, the bde cutting deep into her shoulder. Got you. Her head smmed into the oppos’ nose, again and again, until she felt only soft wreckage when she impacted him. Pulling free, more were rushing at her, and her arm and ribs were still broken, even her great gifts of healing far from inexhaustible, her recovery rate dropping, perhaps hampered by the curse from earlier as well.

  I still have to fight… Clutg her sword in her good hand, she looked on as more and more of the Judges raced at her, blood and silver mist rising from their bodies. Some were falling, cut down by bsts of emerald air and citrine fire, but more were there to repce them. I do this. I . I didn’t survive this far to fail now…

  “Dooo not make that face.” Hyath, the Fae maid said, stepping up beside her. “These fools are already dead. Have nooo pity for those who would throw away their lives fooor such a cause.” She raised her hand, and spores spread over the battlefield like a cloud, targeting them. Immediately they fell, fungus spreading on their arms and legs. A few erupted pletely, dying and f new growth, but most simply fell, immobile and raging, though more died from struggling in vain, ruining their own corrupted bodies.

  “You… you are a monster!” Eleanor said reflexively, before shutting her mouth, cursing herself for her rudeness. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.” She apologised, but Hyath merely tossed her head.

  “I am nooot a monster, I am whatever I wish to be. Akiooo said that, and Hyath believes him. Pooower is not evil, power is power. Evil is what ooone does with power. This is merely mercy. Hyath has nooo wish to make them suffer. But death for a cause is fooolly. Only death for those you looove is worthy, and even then, Hyath hates it. What use is a deed that hurts thooose you love?”

  What use a deed that hurts those you love? Eleanor echoed Hyath’s words ihoughts. Henry you meant well, but you failed. Melissa, grandmother, brother Richard, mother and father, me… trying to help is fine, but… don’t leave us with regrets. She nodded. “I uand, if I am to sacrifice myself here, even for victory, I hurt those I leave behind. And… I make all your efforts futile.” She smiled for the first time at the strange Fae maid.

  “Yes.” Hyath nodded. “Dooo not do that.” Her pout was surprisingly cute. “Nooow, we go to help them!”

  As Eleanor turned her gaze back to the furious battle between the Angel and Tan, as well as Grulgainst Sarah, while Akio and Shaeu fronted Mary Stuart, she saw she wasn’t the only one affected by Hyath’s words. Sarah was frowning, looking at her and David, her expression anguished, even as she wielded her defensive might, far in excess of any strength Eleanor had ever seen from her.

  “Sometimes, we have tae make choices we nay want tae.” Sarah shook her head, staggering as the great metal mace smmed her barrier once more, causio wince. “Even now, it’s oo te tae stop this, Eleanor. The Angel is nae easy tae defeat, I promise ye that.”

  “You’re pathetic.” David snorted, shaking his head. “Trying to justify betrayal. And holding to false hope. You think the Angel will win?” He flinched as light from the multiple eyes cascaded everywhere, and then looked angry at himself for panig as it bounced off the barrier bubble he was in, though it couldn’t take much more, as it cracked audibly.

  Eleanhed. It’s terrible, I feel my knees quivering just looking at it. But they… they are terrible too. Just what have all of us been pying at here? It’s like childreending to be adults… and then the real adults e and kick down our toy houses and trample on our pride…

  ********

  “Too slow.” Mary ughed, as my bullets of water and fme were drawn to Sarah, or annihited by beams of golden light. Beside me, Shaeu clicked her tongue, growing frustrated.

  “Grulgor, you not-not handle one female?” she scowled, and he ughed heartily in response.

  “Grul and Grulgor will. But she is strong. This is fun, what Grulgor wanted. Strong oppos, fierce battles. rength.” His mace was bent, the metal twisted and bug, uo take the repeated furious impacts.

  “It is simply a matter of adherean said, a great fming wheel serving as a shield blog the cws and light rays from the ahe other wheel twisted and malformed into a sort of fiery saw-type sword. When one fire elemental fell, aniant roared ience, and Tan was b the angel with her own violet-gold fmes, which was making the creature flinch. Oilian eye popped with a sizzle, and Tan grinned, and I could feel her strength increase a little. “It is like a fountain. While the adherence flows their strengths be enhanced many times over. Of course, as with all things, there is a ensurate price to pay.”

  “You will not be here to see the bill e due.” Mary procimed, looking at us with a wicked gleam in her emerald eyes. "[And He Pced A Fming Sword That Fshed Bad Forth To Guard The Way]” At her words, invisible furrows were carved in the ground, heading towards Shaeu and I. We leapt aside as the ground exploded, fmes r, golden to match the Angelic fires. I tered with bsts of light energy, focussed into a ser, but somehow Mary suffered only a few superficial cuts.

  “To injure a woman’s skin. You Asians really are barbarians. Has your mother aught you to treat womely? I believe you said she was British? She should have.” Mary chided me pretentiously.

  “In battle, there isn’t male or female, only victory or defeat.” I said, and Shaeu ughed, her own bursts of light element fshing out, f Mary to t more words to defend herself, her already pale skin rapidly whitening, her lips spotted with dark blood. Several bolts were drawn away, boung off the shield Sarah was holding, one even pierg a smoking hole in Grulgor’s shoulder, which oozed clear water before healing up. As his reproachful gaze, Shaeu grinned apologetically.

  “I apologise. Her ability is most-most annoying. Now…” she turned bae, pulling out her pinwheels. “… I am pleased you realise this. Though I should not-not have worried. You have sin females that deserved it, just-just as males. But this one…” Her gaze glittered as she sent her pinwheels arg towards Mary Stuart, yet somehow, despite her stats seemingly being lower than Shaeu’s, and far lower than mine, she was able to dodge the wires. Even when Shaeu activated the hidden trick, more thin bdes sweeping out, Mary got away with only a few superficial wounds, though her robe was torn, bells scattering.

  “Trying to disrobe a woman of the cloth in front of a man.” She said primly, holding the severed fabric together, heedless of the blood on her hands. “How shameless. You make a good couple. I was lucky I suffered no great harm, but then, the Lord protects me.”

  “We do make a good couple.” I agreed. “But do you really think your luck will hold?”

  “Oh, I guara. The loss of so many believers, so much adherence, I dare say that the Revetion-Cardinal will se, but as long as I recim the false Grail, these losses are nothing. [For We Wrestle Not Against Flesh And Blood, But Against Principalities, Against Powers, Against The Rulers Of Darkness In This World, Against Spiritual Wiess In High Pces] … agh. I envy Konstantin for having no to feels as if it is burning. Ahh, Metatron…” she said, ecstatid delirious.

  A vast surge of adherence poured from her, my Eye not strong enough to see it all, and the Angel went berserk. A halo of light formed above it, and suddenly Tan was being forced back, her shield of fmes shattering, arm broken. I held in a cry, as Tan stabbed out with her fming sword, and one wing was torn free as the jagged bde cleaved deeply, her Fmes of Thirst and Famine ing it, making the creature scream, the sound like knives. Light fred, heading in random dires, one bolt heading for Hyath, but she was suddenly in a shield bubble, which shattered uhe blow, throwing Hyath clear.

  Hyath! For a moment I panicked, only to sigh in relief as she staggered to her feet, smoke rising from her armour, merely a little dazed.

  “Grulgor has had… enough!” he roared, casting aside his mace. Reag out with one hand he pu into the ground, and the earth shattered, stone rising to coat him in massive rocky armour, but he was not done. His other hand stretched out, and water from the Thames gushed up, f a whirling vortex as it rushed to him. Abs it all into his body he grew to a t height some eight metres tall, looking down on Sarah like she was an ant.

  “Little girl was fun, but Grul has to end this.” With oony foot he stamped down, and her shield cracked, the backsh tearing her skiomped again, and again, faster and faster, and I was amazed at the way she was holding up, even if my Eye could see thick adherence shrouding her. I had no time to watch though, as I unched Foehn at the enraged Principality, supp Tan. I know she wao take it alone, but we o end this. It gushed over one arm and a leg, spreading like wildfire. Tan grinned, f her broken arm to heal, and jured another wheel, smming it down on the head of the Principality, even as the other arm reached for her and was ed in the Fmes of Thirst and Famine, even adherence burning away.

  “Goodbye.” Shaeu ughed, lightning st around her, f a number of glowing balls, shimmering with fme and wind energies. “The shield girl is busy now. Block this-this!”

  As Grulgor stomped down again Sarah’s shield pletely colpsed, and David and Eleanor cried out as she was about to be crushed to death. She looked up at the colossal desding foot, rosary in hand, her blue eyes sorrowful, only for the foot to turn into a mass of shimmering water. The impact was still mighty, f her breath from her lungs, but instead of turning into a messy paste of red and white, she was left bedraggled and stunned in a rge, water-filled crater, Grulgor returning to his normal size, grinning in satisfa, while Eleanor was sighing in relief, David shutting his eyes, to hide his plicated emotions.

  “Ball Lightning Storm!” Shaeu intoned, followed by more words as wind energy surged. “Emerald Wind Prison: Sed Form!”

  The shining balls of energy were unleashed, s towards Mary Stuart. Ohey were close enough, crag arcs of lightning fring in all dires, she encased her and the balls in a whirling mass of vibrating winds, f an imprisoning sphere around her. “Let us see if you be so-so coow.” she sniffed, satisfied, as the wind energy began to give off the strong st of ozone.

  At that, the burning Angel grew more frantid was n tee itself, new flesh bubbling out of the severed stump of its wing. Hyath raced in, vines rippling out to hold it, though light bsts quickly severed them. Grulgor attacked from behind, mace crashing into it, boung off, while even Eleanor approached resolutely, but I waved her away. “Get the injured clear. I don’t like this…” I shouted. “ Na, drop the bubbles, the ready!”

  The woman nodded, and moments ter the shields fell. Eleanor ran to David, helping him up, before moving towards Sir Arthur. “Hyath, help her!” I said, and she retreated, a thorny shield of her vines barely enough to block a burst of light from the eye, ashes and sparks falling everywhere.

  “Damn, this thing is an annoying bastard!” I said, frustrated, as even being burned by Foehn and Tan’s fmes, it was still going. Tan smmed it with the fming wheel again, and this time it separated out into a colr of s, holding the Angel fixed in pce by burning anchors. Now’s the moment…

  “Prominence Dawn!” I decred, the shining orb f, ringed by a dark aura, feeding my Foehn into it. Moments ter it exploded, bathing the Angel in the ever-burning radiance, all its eyes exploding into fmes, body smouldering. Even then, it reached at me, somehow breaking the s that bound it, one leg ripped free, golden and silver blood filled with adherence scattering. My bde met the outstretched cws, and I poured aether in, triggering the lightning element within, defleg the strike. Lightning poured in from the side, Shaeu staggering it further, boiling into the burning wounds, entering ihe Angel.

  “Pale shadow. If you wish to defeat me, set foot on this world in person!” Tan ughed, a tidal wave of fme smming into the blinded Principality, which shuddered and shattered, a great rush of ether and adherence flowing out, though Tan’s fme devoured a great deal of it, her hair growing longer, and fmes flickering brighter.

  You have gained in strength. Your level has increased from one hundred and twenty-seven to one hundred and twe. Your…

  Only the one, huh? Well, Tan got most of the good eating. I was able to absorb a respectable amount of adherence, replenishing my fgging supplies, which was useful, as due to carrying Laverna’s Favour, mine was stantly tig down. I gnced over to see Eleanor and the others looking back at us from the safety of the Tower entrance, her supp David, Hyath carrying Raidre and Sir Arthur over her shoulders like they were bloody sacks of potatoes. I turned once more, to see that the wall of wind was crumbling, the air shimmering with electric sparks…

  ShipTeaser