 
### THE SMITHY SERIES

Collects three stories:

The Dragon Smith

The Warrior Smith

The Fate Smith

All 2nd Revisions.

## By: Peter T Phelps

## Smashwords Edition

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## Copyright Peter Phelps 2010.

### THE DRAGON SMITH

### PROLOGUE

After the fall of Camelot there were very dark times wherein man fought with man over the lands of the ancient world. The laws that once provided order to the land were almost forgotten. Occasionally one man would take claim to enough land to consolidate a steady the state of affairs. To this man's might and wealth all other lower lords placed their banner or were driven from their lands. Even the lords that obeyed and pledged their allegiance would secretly plot to usurp their liege. These men were the easily manipulated pawns of dark forces that despised the order, and hungered for the souls they fed upon as the result of these wars. The current ruler of the Island State of Brittan is King Edward Oothier, a man in his early forties. He has ruled for over twenty years and spread his influence across the northern European continent. He is currently sending his armies against Spain in hopes of conquering that land. But, this is not his story.

### CHAPTER 1: SMITH'S CURSE

A very long time ago there was a man who for all rights existed against the normal laws of nature. The man was nearly the size of a small house. No one who knew of him would dare to call him a giant, as this particular individual would take offense at the accusation. It was rumored that this man would eat those who offended him, still alive as they squirmed. His legs were as large as tree trunks and his arms weren't much smaller. He was a very intimidating figure to behold and he would promote the reputation which instilled fear in other people. It helped keep away those he did not want to deal with.

The mountain of flesh was named Mack Smithson, but most folk just called him Smithy. Smithy earned the nickname because of his chosen profession; he was the most renowned blacksmith on the island of Brittan. Some claimed he had found a way to tap into the very molten core of the Earth to forge such strong steel. The truth of the matter would shock people if they ever learned of it. Smithy protected a dragon within the mountain cave next to his house. Dragons were hunted practically to extinction by the dragon slayers, a fearful and ignorant set of men that thrilled to the ultimate hunt. The dragon helped Smithy to forge the black steel in return for food and safe haven.

Most people feared Smithy enough to stay well clear of his lands. Smithy's crops were enviable as they were always abundant, and the local townsfolk decided this was due to his hidden sorceress talents. Some of the children told stories about him grinding up the corpses of trespassers to use as fertilizer on his land. Instead, he had to work very hard to till in the dragon's dung so that none would wonder at the stench when it piled up.

Once a month Smithy would clean himself up and take his wares into the nearby town. Smithy had a deal with a local trader, wherein for store space the trader could keep a quarter of the profits. The trader also kept a ledger of any special requests that customers might make and their offers. The storeowner's name was Jim Unison, and he knew a deal when he saw one. Smithy knew he was probably being overcharged by Mr. Unison, but also knew that the trader worked hard to sell his products at the highest coin. Besides, Smithy's size alone was so intimidating to the normal folk that he would have a difficult time at convincing people to buy the products if he tried to sell them on his own.

Smithy pulled the wagon of his wares up besides the largest building in the town. The sign read "Unison's Barters" and there were windows all along the front. The few children that were hanging around the store quickly scattered when they saw Smithy climb out of the wagon to tie the reigns to a nearby post. Smithy went up the reinforced wooden stairs that he had paid to remodel along with other things so that they could withstand his mighty weight.

As he entered the store the patrons quickly exited with looks of fear as their expressions. Jim Unison's face lit up when he saw why his customers had fled. "Ah, it is good to see you again Smithy. I have an important order for you this time. His majesty would like another two dozen broadswords and four coats of mail," Jim said while he watched the candle fixtures shake with each of the smith's footsteps.

The glass and pottery wares shook as a booming voice filled the store with laughter. "Does the King think his knights will try to kill him with one of my swords?" Smithy asked before he went to sit down in a specially designed chair that sat next to the trader's desk. "When did his majesty say he wanted this order?" Smithy asked.

"Two weeks, with priority on the chain mail," Jim replied while he retrieved a jug of wine and two glasses from the back room. "He'll pay extra, the King's money is good," Jim commented as he poured the wine into the glasses.

"Two weeks! He's mad, it'll take at least that long just to dig up enough ore," Smithy stated with a sigh before he took one of the offered cups from Jim. To Smithy, the cup was about the amount a normal person would drink in a shot glass. He tossed the wine back, knowing that it was not the best vintage that the shopkeeper had on hand. It was only good to wet his tongue for their negotiations.

"Perhaps you should hire some help to dig up the ore for you while you work in the forge? It would speed up production," Jim suggested before he took Smithy's cup and refilled it.

Smithy laughed again. "Help? Everyone in this town is afraid of me. Who would be willing to come up to my place to do the work? They're all afraid I'll eat them," Smithy stated with a bit of irony while he took the refill.

"I know a few outsiders who might be willing. They have heard some of the rumors, but for the right coin they'd do just about anything," Jim said slyly. His tone made it evident that he hoped for some type of kickback from the laborers.

"You mean robbers and killers who don't stay around in one place too long, lest the authorities catch up with them," Smithy accused. He knew Jim Unison was probably in the middle of every transaction within the town, legit or not. The man had a way of being sly enough to play both ends while still keeping out of the King's stockades.

"Aye, but I doubt they'd cross ye. Even they've heard the stories of how you fertilize the fields with the corpses of your enemies. Should they disappear," Jim shrugged his shoulders as he took a drink of his wine. "The townsfolk would probably just say, `good riddance'."

Smithy shook his head at the shopkeeper's callousness. "You're a strange one Jim Unison, very strange indeed. Coin is all that matters to you and it will be your downfall," Smithy commented before he finished off the refill and set the cup on one of the nearby counters.

"Well, you're coin has always been good here. Some things are better bought from unscrupulous men. Let's see what you brought," Jim stated as he set down his half-full glass on the desk.

They went outside to check the contents of the wagon Smithy drove to the shop. Smithy tried to ignore the odd and curious stares from the townsfolk who were outside their homes. Smithy had purposely instilled the fear into them to keep them from snooping into his business, but this had also created a very lonely existence.

Jim looked over the items within the wagon, commenting about some pieces being of lower than customary quality. It was a tactic Jim used every time to try to lower his price, each time not with any success. Jim Unison knew there were no other suppliers for these goods and that he had the distribution network in place to sell all of the items. The dickering was only the customary banter as Jim decided to take the entire lot.

Jim left to gather the supplies that were on a list Smithy brought, as Smithy took the wagon behind the shop to unload it. Smithy had designed the storeroom for Jim; it contained racks and metal poles to place the weapons, armor, pots and pans within. There were buckets of smaller items like nails and spikes used to fasten the larger support beams of a house. Jim returned just as Smithy completed the unloading of his wagon.

Jim had purchased a dozen cows, six goats, eight sheep, ten chickens and seven ducks. Smithy loaded the fowl cages onto his wagon and tied up the rest of the livestock to it. The townsfolk were convinced Smithy ate this much meat every month. Smithy did eat well, but from the bountiful harvests out of his fields. The dragon was a carnivorous creature that required meat in order to stay well.

Jim went into a barn built behind the shop to retrieve some of the other items on the list. Two spools of terry cloth, wool blanket, a barrel of sugar and flour, some churned butter and five blocks of soap. Jim loaded these into the wagon and helped to tie them on securely. Then Jim presented Smithy with a small bag of coins, the leftover profit from the previous month's sales.

Smithy held up his hand, "Keep it. See if you can hire a dozen boys to come up and dig for ore? The pit will have the tools they need in it and four handcarts to fill. They can have three coppers each if I blow my horn four times at dusk. Two if I blow three and only one if I blow twice."

"I suppose none if they haven't at least filled two of the carts?" Jim asked.

"Tell them if they don't want to see me, they had better at least fill two," Smithy commented as he climbed into the wagon and took the reigns. "Better not steal my tools either or I'll hunt them down," Smithy joked. Smithy flicked the reigns to get the cart moving.

Jim nodded with a smile as he put the bag into his pocket and waved to Smithy. Smithy watched the townsfolk grab their children and shuttered the windows as his caravan passed by their houses. Smithy always wondered why they didn't just stay inside, they knew he came on the same day each month.

By the time the caravan reached the stalls of Smithy's home, the sky had begun to turn the orange of dusk. Smithy removed the oxen from the wagon harness and tied them next to the water trough. He moved the other animals tied to the wagon to their respective stalls and pens. He made sure to water and feed all of the livestock, leaving only the fowl in their cages on the wagon. Smithy then entered the cave next to his house, the dark tunnel curved before opening into a large cavern lit by torches. "Honey, I'm home," Smithy stated.

"Very funny," a deep female voice echoed through the cavern. A large scaly creature unfurled its wings and stretched its neck. The dragon hated being cooped up within the confines of the cave. She would rather have been flying freely in the sky. She looked down with a scowl on the smith.

"Sorry, Shillseen. It's just that you're the only company I've got," Smithy said sadly.

Shillseen drooped her head down so her eyes met his. "If you were a dragon, I might be tempted. Tell me, did you bring me any young calves this time?" she asked as her forked tongue flitted out of the sharp-tooth filled mouth, saliva droplets trailing in its path.

"Sorry, the farmers won't sell us any more calves. They say I'm consuming their livestock too quickly as it is. I was able to get you the goats you wanted," Smithy replied. Smithy climbed onto a padded stone he had carved out to sit on.

"Excellent, they make much better prey. They will fight back and prove so much more satisfying. The cows just faint and fall over, no sport in that," she stated as she stretched her wings again. She stood as high as she could and turned around in the cave, trying to find a more comfortable position.

"I'll let two loose in the plain about midnight. We are going to have some company at the ore pit in the morning. Get your exercise tonight as we'll have a lot of work ahead of us. King Oothier has a special order to be filled and he wants it in two weeks," Smithy explained as the dragon emitted a puff of smoke in mirth. "Yea, that's exactly how I felt. That's why Jim is going to try to hire some kids to dig ore as we work," Smithy commented.

"In that case your supplies will only last us two weeks. You'll probably have to get Jim to purchase livestock from another town just to get me by. I can't put forth my best flame without the proper food now, can I?" Shillseen asked.

"I'll take care of it," Smithy agreed as he stood and patted the dragon's nose. "I'll be in before sunrise. Try not to be out all night. Also, don't get shot down by any dragon slayers! I can't do this on my own."

Smithy left the cave and began to unload the other supplies that were in the wagon. He didn't want them left out so some other animals might try to get into them. He then prepared dinner and ate alone at the large oak table in his kitchen area. He then took off his clothes to take a hot shower, one of the perks of having a dragon around. He dressed in a large black cloak and boots lined in fur, setting an hourglass to wake him before settling down for a nap on a feather filled mattress.

Smithy woke as the hourglass' weight shift set off a bell and he let the two goats loose for Shillseen. He then whistled a tune that was her signal to begin the hunt. He watched as she left the cave and flapped her enormous wings to get airborne. The force tossed up dust around the house. He saw her silhouette cover the moon just before she dived down toward the plain below. Sometimes Smithy would ride her on these hunts, but he knew that the coming weeks would tap his energy and strength. He wished her a good and safe hunt as he returned to the house to retire for the rest of the evening.

Smithy was abruptly woken by a pounding noise at his door. He quickly checked the hourglass to learn that he had at least two more hours before he was to wake. He lit a lamp and dressed quickly in the black cloak while the pounding continued. He ran to the door and swung it open. "What do you think you are doing? Why have you dared to trespass on my land?" Smithy roared the question at the men and their horses.

There were at least two dozen knights on horseback holding tightly to their reigns as the horses were unsettled by the appearance of Smithy. Two knights were sprawled out on the ground; each had been holding a hammer before the door forcefully shoved them aside. A piece of parchment was waving in the wind from where these knights were trying to attach it. Smithy angrily ripped the paper off the door. "What does this say?" Smithy asked the group of mounted knights.

An elderly knight came forward from the group. "I am Omar Relth sir, we were ordered to place this decree on your residence. By decree of King Eldward Oothier, all steel forged by your hand is to be deemed unfit for any purpose. The King is very angry about a sword that was sold to him some months ago, he believes that it was defective. His grandson, Prince Lefar Oothier, wielded the sword. The sword broke and was the weapon that killed the boy. The trader Jim Unison has been ordered to return all wares back to you. If the King should learn that you have continued to sell your products through other channels, we will be forced to return for your head," Sir Omar Relth explained. Omar turned to signal the two knights with hammers to get up and mount their horses.

Smithy could hear the flaps of Shillseen's wings and glanced back toward the cave. He saw her tail dragging into the cave and moved so that he was between the knights and the cave, hoping none of them noticed her. "Do you have this broken sword? I have found nothing or no one that could break my steel. I demand to see the evidence, by God," Smithy thundered. He was hoping the outburst would keep their attention focused squarely on him.

Omar sighed, "I was afraid you would require proof." Omar nodded at one of the other knights toward the rear of the group. This knight brought his horse forward and pulled a blanket from his saddle roll. Smithy took the roll from this knight and opened it. The junior knight retreated back to his former position within the group. Smithy knew the sword immediately, it was a special order of an intricate design, and with an ornamental hilt he had spent nearly a month working on it alone. It was to be a birthday gift for the grandson, a sign that King Oothier had chosen him as a successor since the King had not sired any male heirs of his own. Smithy stood there dumbstruck as he put the lamp on a nearby hook and took the hilt, lifting the bottom half of the sword. He put the jagged edge up close to the lamp to inspect it. "Were any of you present when this occurred?" he asked politely.

Omar's head drooped away from Smithy's glance. "Sir, he was practicing with the sword when it just snapped during a high swing. The tip fell right through the lad's heart. It was the darnedest thing we'd ever seen. The only conclusion was to blame its creator for a defect in craftsmanship," Omar explained.

"I've sold the King over four hundred swords over the years. Most of you have them strapped to your sides, have any of them failed you? I swear by my life that this sword was forged with the utmost care that my hands could muster and that I have never created a defective product," Smithy exclaimed angrily.

"I believe you, but there had to be someone to blame for the death of the future king. I am greatly grieved that someone had to be you in this case," Omar said sadly before he signaled the knights to begin to withdraw. "If you want to clear your name, you will have to find out why or who did cause the sword to kill the King's grandson. I fear that magic was involved here, but the King and his advisors do not believe in sorcery. Good luck," Omar Relth stated before he followed his knights off Smithy's land.

Smithy waited until he was sure they were beyond his sight before he pulled the lamp from the hook and headed into the cave. He put the blanket on the floor before Shillseen and uncovered the sword pieces. She registered both recognition and surprise, "Impossible! Our steel can't be broken. How could this happen?"

"That's what I'd like to know. I'm going to change and be right back," Smithy stated as he headed out of the cavern. He had an idea he wanted to check on.

"You were fired, we have no more work to do," Shillseen stated to his back. "What are you up to?" She asked. She had to wait for him to return before he would give her any answers.

"We're going to try to repair the sword," Smithy stated before he picked up the pieces and brought them over to a flat stone he used to hammer the steel on. "I have a theory to check, so just stoke those fires of yours," Smithy requested as he picked up his sledgehammer in the thick leather gloved hands.

Shillseen puffed smoke prior to inhaling and torching the flat stone that acted as an annealing table. She then began to focus her flame on the sword. "Hotter," Smithy ordered as he stood back to let the dragon work. Shillseen burst flames over the entire table. "As hot as you can," Smithy added.

Shillseen paused to draw in small gulps of air and built up her internal fires. The fire she belched out in the next attempt was more of a blue flame than the red she had previously been blowing out. The intensity of the heat forced Smithy to back away to a distance of nearly five feet as it engulfed the sword. The sword glowed red and the tablet was turning white when Smithy told her to stop so he could try to work the steel. Smithy used his strong hands to bring the large mallet up to strike the sword with all his might. He repeated this process several times, allowing Shillseen to reheat the metal between blows. This went on for almost thirty minutes before he called a halt to the flames and set the melted mallet aside. He picked up the sword pieces, which had left an impression from where the tablet melted around them, and dumped them into the cooling pool. A cloud of steam rose as the heated steel met the water, sizzling as it cooled.

When Smithy thought the pieces were cool enough he drew them out of the pool. He then studied them carefully, "Amazing, it is as if we hadn't even tried." He handed the pieces to Shillseen so she could inspect them. She looked them over and then pulled the mallet out of the pool. The head of the hammer was deformed and had pits from where the metal had melted onto the stone tablet.

"Some very powerful magic was involved here. No other explanation has credence. Some sorcerer or witch perhaps caused the blade to break when it did. We should consult with the Lady of the Lake," Shillseen said as she set the pieces back into the blanket.

"You know the Lady of the Lake?" Smithy asked in awe. He had heard the stories of the Lady who gave the sword of Excalibur to Merlin, and which was wielded by the legendary King Author. Camelot may have faded from existence, but the story lived on.

"Yes, and who else do you know of who might be able to mend the unmendable?" Shillseen asked. "She might be able to tell us whose magic performed this terrible deed that the King has blamed on us," she explained.

"You mean me, blamed on me," Smithy corrected as he set aside the large layered leather gloves and the leather apron. "I suppose that I should shower and dress more appropriately for the Lady," Smithy commented.

Shillseen bent her head down to inspect him. "Trim your hair and beard while you are at it, they're looking more than a little ragged at the edges," she explained. She chuckled heartily when he responded.

"Damn woman! All of me is a little ragged at the edges," Smithy exclaimed before he stormed out of the cave. Her laughter echoed behind every one of his footsteps. He mumbled under his breath about women and their obsession with presentation.

An hour passed before Smithy returned to the cave's entrance. He was dressed in his best clothes. He had trimmed the bear and hair so that they were no longer than his shoulders. Smithy carried a specially designed harness used for his rides on Shillseen. It was designed to be strong, but to be comfortable to both the dragon and her rider. He pulled a looking glass out of one of his packs and checked on the town and surrounding areas below his property. He was looking for anyone paying particular attention towards his home or the mountain. He whistled an all-clear signal to Shillseen and yelled into the cave," Bring out the sword."

Shillseen emerged from the cave carrying the blanket rolled around the sword in her left claw. She stretched out her wings as Smithy took the sword and strapped it onto the harness. Shillseen stretched out her neck and waited for Smithy to begin to strap on the harness. He tossed the main section over her back, between her wings and began to attach the straps. One strap buckled around her neck, two crossed her chest and two more wrapped around her hind legs. Smithy checked again with the looking glass, packed it away and climbed into the harness. It was extremely risky for Shillseen to be flying him about during the daylight hours. He was almost certain they would be hunted out of the sky by some glory seeking dragon slayer.

"Thank you for taking the dragon express. Please fasten straps and extinguish any tobacco products," Shillseen joked before she began to flap her wings. The force of the wind beneath the beating wings stirred up dust into the air.

"No barrel rolls or loops this time," Smithy ordered when they began to lift off the ground. The motion was more of a dip and lift as the dragon began to gain altitude.

"I suppose not, wouldn't want you to get those threads ruined until after we've seen the Lady," Shillseen joked. The livestock tied below made a variety of distress sounds as they tried to break free of their bonds. The jerky flight movements continued until they were high enough for Shillseen to glide. She would descend as she glided, flap her wings to rise and then glide again. By this point they were flying too rapidly for her to hear Smithy's curses and grumblings. It was too early for them to attempt to ride the heat wakes.

They flew like this for two hours before Shillseen descended to the edge of a crystal clear lake. Smithy could hardly move, as he had not dressed for the high altitudes his dragon friend had flown to. He slowly unbuckled the straps holding him to Shillseen with numb fingers and practically fell off her. He was shivering and looked around for anything that could warm him. There was a fallen log next to the shore. "Cccoulld yyoouu?" Smithy stuttered with chattering teeth as he indicated the log. Shillseen nodded and shot a short stream of flame into the log, setting it ablaze. Smithy thanked her and huddled next to the fire to thaw out.

A fog began to roll over the lake surface as the previously clam water began to lap violently higher and higher. Both smith and dragon withdrew from the rising water. The water formed a wave large enough to lap over both them and the log, extinguishing the flames. "Do you have any idea of how many lives were extinguished by you two building that fire?" a female voice came out of the fog. The lake was retreating back to its normal shoreline.

"Our apologies, Lady. My companion was very cold, as he has never flown with me so high or for so long. He was unprepared for the trip," Shillseen explained.

"Ignorance is not an excuse for murder," the voice stated as the fog began to recede into the lake, allowing the sun to begin to dry out the shore. "Why have you come to disturb this old lady?" the Lady of the Lake asked from underneath the water's surface.

Smithy had thawed out enough to retrieve the blanket roll off Shillseen's harness. He placed the bundle near the shoreline and unrolled it. "We forged this sword for King Oothier's grandson, Prince Lefar for his sixteenth birthday. It broke unexpectedly and the tip thrust through the Prince's chest, killing him. The King blames us for faulty workmanship. The odd thing is that we were unable to reforge the sword's steel. Shillseen here has requested that we seek your guidance on this matter," Smithy explained. He knelt behind the exposed pieces and even Shillseen bowed her head to the sand in reverence to the Lady.

A small wave of water lapped up over the sword and immediately evaporated into steam. "Ack! Even I could not mend this cursed weapon. No, you two did not do this; it was no fault of yours. The power responsible for this is much older and more powerful than I. I cannot name this evil being, as it would focus its attention on me as an enemy. You should take these and throw them into the closest volcano. Forget this happened and return home," the Lady of the Lake instructed.

"I cannot, due to the Prince's death, the King has forbade the sale of my products. Without their income I cannot afford to feed and protect Shillseen. I must clear my name. Can you help us?" Smithy pleaded.

"Very well, take the sword to the frarie called Helsnem. He may be older or more foolish than I to defy the creature that I dare not name," the Lady explained. "Beware, once this creature knows that you seek it, it will come find you," the Lady's voice trailed away as the last of the fog dissipated and the water was once again perfectly calm.

Smithy rolled the blanket back around the sword pieces and strapped it back into place on the harness. "Do you know where to find this frarie?" Smithy asked as he began to climb onto the harness and strap himself in. He had heard tales of these beings, but had never encountered one himself.

"Aye, but we should best seek the nearest town and have you buy a warmer set of clothing. The ride to the frarie mountains is much cooler than the one we just completed. The mountains themselves are not very hospitable either," Shillseen explained before she began to flap her wings. Water sprayed off the lake's surface as they jerkily rose into the sky.

"I have a feeling that we should have waited for Jim to bring back my products and coin," Smithy commented, "We probably could have used them. I'm beginning to think this is going to turn into one of those crazy quests the story tellers like to spin."

"One that I shall prey you never become drunk enough to tell," Shillseen joked while she began to circle the lake as she flapped. She used this flight pattern to both gain altitude and so that she could look for a human settlement. The signs she was looking for were the fires, usually indicated by gray pillars of smoke rising into the sky. She decided to skip two smaller settlements, as she wanted one that might have enough sheep so that Smithy could buy wool clothing.

They flew as close as Shillseen felt was safe and she found a nearby gully to settle down in. Smithy climbed out of the harness and then up the side of the gully. He pulled the looking glass out and inspected the surroundings. He then checked out the town, looking for any sign that someone had spotted their landing. Everything looked calm and peaceful. "Looks clear, no sign of pursuit so far. Take off if someone tries to attack you. I'll try to hurry," Smithy hollered down the gully. A small puff of smoke was his only reply. Smithy knew that Shillseen hated having to hide while he went and had all the fun.

### CHAPTER 2: ORGE PARTY

Smithy made good time as he lumbered over the foothills between the gully and the town. This was mostly a place built of mud and whicker huts where furs and wool dominated the trade. Six of the local knights were summoned as soon as Smithy was spotted by the townsfolk. These knights came dressed in quickly assembled battle gear to meet him at the edge of town. These knights did not hide their fear of him as they trembled slightly with his approach.

"What brings you to Havenshare giant?" the eldest knight asked. They all had their swords drawn and pointed at him. The horses they rode were skittish in motion while they waited for Smithy's answer. By the glances the younger knights made they were not so sure their leader knew what he was doing

Smithy was out of breath from the run and tried to talk between breaths of air. "Need... to...buy...wool...for...trip. Promise...I'll...behave," Smithy replied. He signaled for them to put up their swords. "I don't...want any...trouble. I'll...buy what...I need...and leave."

"There's a ten copper security deposit for entry into Havenshare," the elder knight stated before he signaled his five companions to sheath their swords. The elder knight then held out his free hand, and waited for the payment.

Smithy chuckled and shook his head. "How do I know that you aren't just a bunch of highway robbers? I see no sign of the King's crest and you are the worst looking group of knights I have ever encountered. Tell you what, I'll give you a silver if I make it into town unharmed and you lead me to the nearest tailor. Otherwise, I will have to treat you as enemies and protect myself," Smithy offered.

"Fair enough stranger, we'll escort you to town. Should you fail to pay the sum, we may be forced to take it from you. Then we would be happy to place you into Havenshare's dungeon," the lead knight explained as he sheathed his sword and began to ride back into town.

Smithy regretted not returning home to retrieve some of his belongings. He had gauntlets that he knew could easily snap the steel of the swords these knights bore. He also felt naked without any weapons of his own. He was confident that, if forced, he could disable all six knights. It was an option he would rather not test if given the opportunity to perform his task peacefully.

Smithy chuckled as he entered the town of Havenshare, these people were too curious about the giant. Instead of running like his own townsfolk, they had all gathered about the main dirt road to gawk at him. Smithy couldn't help but smile as he drew out the silver and handed it over to the elder knight. "Thank you, I suppose you are this town's protectors. Pray tell, which shop in Havenshare sells winter clothing? I am headed into the mountains and require warmer attire," Smithy explained.

"Munsig, Rotan, please show our guest around and ensure he stays out of trouble," the elder knight ordered after he gladly took the silver and slipped it into his own purse. The elder knight then led the other three members of the party back to their stations.

"Please follow me, sir...?" the young knight called Rotan asked.

"I am Mack Smithson. But, most people just call me Smithy," Smithy introduced himself as he followed Rotan. Munsig took a rear position, following Smithy.

Both knights did a double take as they looked with worried glances at each other. "The Sorcerer Smith?" Munsig exclaimed as he turned pale. "But, you're supposed to live a good ten days ride from here, how could you have come so fast? The King's couriers have the fastest steeds and they would still take six days to reach Havenshare," Munsig exclaimed.

"Let's just say it has a little to do with some of the stories they tell about me. I mean no harm to you or this town. I was forced to leave in a hurry and was unprepared for the elements that I shall be encountering. When was the last time that you heard from a royal courier?" Smithy asked as they continued to direct him toward a particular shop.

"A fortnight past, the King ordered more wool for uniforms," Rotan replied. "This is woolmaster Lance's shop. You should be able to purchase the required garments here, although you may need to wait for him to make one in your size."

"Thank you," Smithy said before he carefully walked up the steps. He ended up crouching down onto his knees and crawling in through the door. This way his weight would be distributed more evenly on the floorboards so the likelihood of them breaking would be reduced. Woolmaster Lance was an elderly man with gray and white hair in a ring around the bald dome. His employees were young females from the town.

"They said you were a big one, but I didn't believe any giants still existed. What can I do for you?" Lance asked. The owner of the shop was standing behind a counter covered with different bolts of varying thickness. The females were staring with open jaws as they waited for orders.

"I need a full outfit for freezing temperatures; a coat, pants, hat that can be tied securely, and gloves. Preferably made with this thick wool here," Smithy pointed to one of the bolts, "and lined in fur, if you have any. Otherwise just stuff it with wool and use one of the thinner materials for the insides."

"Hmm. It will be very expensive. I may need to purchase material from others in the area at their retail price. Lyyn, Pattie, please take the gentleman's measurements. I hate to ask, but seeing as you are not from here, how will you be paying for this?" Lance asked.

Smithy held out his left arm, and let a girl wrap a measuring tape around its girth, as the other measured its length. They made notes on parchment. With his right hand he pulled out his coin pouch and withdrew two silvers, setting them on the counter.

Lance picked them up and chuckled. "For a set your size it will take two more of these just to cover the materials," the Woolmaster motioned for more. Smithy agreed and put three more silvers onto the counter. "Perhaps it would be easier for the measurements to be taken outside? You'll have to excuse me for not having the shop built for people of your size," Lance apologized.

Smithy crawled back out of the store where the knights waited. The knights had tried to get their gear on in a more professional manner as they greeted the girls. "Is he being a gentleman with you ladies?" Munsig asked. The girls giggled and nodded, saying that the giant was gentle so far.

"Could we get on with this please?" Smithy requested, as he stood with his legs apart next to the shop's porch. Lyyn went down the steps so that she could measure Smithy's legs while Pattie tried to measure around his neck from the porch. Smithy had to lien down so that she could wrap the measuring tape around his neck. "Thirty two and one half inches," Pattie said to Lyyn, whom had the parchment. Lyyn wrote the number down and measured Smithy's pants outer seam length.

Munsig dismounted, as Lyyn was about to measure Smithy's inseam length. "Let me take care of that," Munsig stated as he tried to take the tape away from Lyyn. There was evidently some disagreement with what was proper here.

Lyyn held fast to the tape. "Oh, and now you are a seamstress too? Or are you trying to be chivalrous and protect my honor from being disgraced?" Lyyn asked as she flushed with anger at the knight. "Perhaps you are just afraid I'll discover his is much larger than yours?" She screamed at him before she took the tape back.

"Munsig, get back up into your horse and let the lady perform her job," Rotan ordered. Munsig acted as if he were going to continue to pursue his agenda. "Now," Rotan ordered loudly, "My apologies sir Smithy. Munsig here is in love with our fair Lyyn, too bad she doesn't feel the same."

Lyyn quickly measured Smithy's inseam, she was about to grope his privates just to spite Munsig. "Don't even dare missy," Smithy ordered in his booming voice, "Play your games with another, I am not concerned in your petty affairs and do not have the time to afford any repercussions." He then turned to allow Pattie to measure his chest width. He had to turn six times as she found the tape to be too small. "Please ask the Woolmaster how long he thinks it will be before the clothes are ready?" Smithy asked Lyyn as she jotted down the last of the measurements.

Lyyn and Pattie went inside the store. Smithy waited for a few minutes before Pattie returned. "For an additional three silvers we can have it ready in three hours, otherwise you will have to wait until this time tomorrow," Pattie informed him.

Smithy grumbled under his breath as he withdrew the extra payment and handed it to Pattie. He then checked his pouch to see how much he had left. He had six gold coins, four silvers and ten coppers. He would probably have to spend half of it just on supplies in this town. "Do you knights know of any shop keepers who sell my products? I'd like to meet them if that is possible," Smithy requested.

Rotan chuckled, "We will take you to the weapons master, Rethein. He will be very interested in meeting the Sorcerer Smith." The knights led the way.

"If there are my products here, why do none of your knights carry them?" Smithy asked as he looked to their crude swords and other weapons. They looked like they had been in battles for generations and were the worse for wear.

Munsig snorted. "Once you see his prices for them, you'll understand. None of us can afford them," Munsig explained.

The weapons master shop was a small hovel of clay and stone walls with whicker and mud on the roof. The sign hung off a beam of wood at an angle as one of the steel hooks had broken. A carving of a sword underlined the owner's name. The knights remained outside and waited as Smithy knocked on the door which he felt was more a home than a shop.

"Come in, come in," a haggard voice stated from inside. Smithy cautiously took the door handle and gently swung it open. The light that filtered through the windows dimly lighted the inside. Smithy could not fit within because the doorway was too small, so he stuck his head in through the doorway after he knelt down. The floor had wicker mats and the walls were lined with various weapons that hung from rusted hooks. Rethein sat in a rocking chair opposite the door, a cover drawn over him and several handkerchiefs strewn about the floor. "Please excuse my state. COUGH, I've been ill. What may I do for you today?"

"My name is Mack Smithson, but most people call me Smithy," Smithy introduced himself. Rethein's eyes bulged as he pulled the blanket off and tried to take a closer look. "I was wondering if you had any of my products for sale? I know it's odd for a smith to want to purchase back items he has made, but I came upon this trip suddenly and have forgotten to arm myself," Smithy explained.

"The great Smithy, I never thought I'd meet you. I have a few of your swords and some arrows fashioned out of your black steel. Let me get them from my locker, they are highly prized weapons. I have used the arrows to take out an orge or two in my day," Rethein said in an excited tone. Rethein struggled to get out of the rocking chair and had to blow his nose on the handkerchief he held. The weapons master then pushed aside a crate of spears to reveal a metal lock box. He pulled a key from his shirt to open the lock before opening the box that was built right into the wall. Rethein then began to pull the items out of the box, slowly.

Smithy pulled his head out of the doorway. "Orges, do they come here? I thought this would be too far North for them?" Smithy asked. Smithy turned so he could sit down with his back against the outer wall of the shop and face the knights.

"The King's army has drove the creatures away from the most populated cities. A few survive in packs within the lower foothills. Before they came we had over forty knights protecting Havenshare. We six, and a few of the brave townsfolk, are all that is left to stand against them. The town has too little in its coffers to offer payment to outside knights. They are trying to appease the orges with food and clothes. Still, the orges come because they enjoy the taste of human flesh. We've pleaded with the King, but he is too busy waging his wars to help a small town like Havenshare," Rotan explained.

"Well, now the greeting you provided makes sense. How long have they been attacking? How many of the orges are in each raiding party?" Smithy asked.

"Not that you're going to stay long. I suppose you have a right to know if they do attack. They've attacked regularly every month for five years. We've been expecting an attack, but they usually come at night. Your approach was at a time when we were all on edge," Munsig replied.

The weapons master emerged from the doorway carrying the items he withdrew from the locker. "Ah, knights. Are you here to purchase weapons too? I'll give you a ten percent discount on anything other than these," Rethein said. He held six arrow shafts and three swords made from the black dragon steel. Rethein handed the swords and arrows over to Smithy to inspect, not that the smith needed to do so. "One gold per sword and silver each for the arrows," Rethein stated.

Smithy reacted with shock as he saw the knights chuckle and nod. "I sell the swords for half a silver and the arrowheads for five coppers to Jim Unison in my town. How much is he charging you for them?" Smithy asked with disgust.

"Three silvers for the swords and one half a silver per arrow. The price is inflated as I also cover the shipping costs and demand for these rare items is high for such a limited supply. I also have to turn a profit seeing as there are now so few knights to buy any of my products," Rethein shrugged.

Smithy grumbled," I'll be doing business directly with you from now on. Jim Unison has just lost the job of being my distributor. If you could, try to learn all of the other weapons masters who were buying from him and pass the word that Jim will no longer have a supplier? They will need to deal with me directly; he's been taking too much. I'll take the broadsword, four arrows and a bow." He withdrew one gold and the rest of his silvers to pay the weapons master.

"The bow is five coppers," Rethein said as he held out his hand for the rest of the payment. Smithy handed over the coppers. He hadn't even begun to purchase food and he was nearly broke. He was beginning to think it would be a good idea to return home to properly equip for this journey. Rethein returned from within the shop with a large longbow made of bone and ivory. "It was mine, but I am too weak now to draw it properly. It should serve you well. Just make sure you stay alive to keep your promise of a direct supply," Rethein stated.

Smithy thanked the weapons master as he put the bow over one shoulder and set the arrows into his belt. He decided to carry the sword. "Well fellas, where's the best place to get a cheap meal?" Smithy asked as he swung the sword up to rest on his shoulder. "I have nearly two hours before I can try to pick up my clothes. Where do you suggest I spend them?" Smithy asked.

The two knights gathered and exchanged whispers as they tried to think of a location suitable for Smithy. As they argued the elderly knight and a well-dressed gentleman rode up. The two escort knights shut up and saluted the elder knight. The elder knight glanced at the weapons Smithy bought and then gave an angry look to his escorts. The gentleman passed by the knights to ride up to Smithy. "Welcome great Smithy, we are honored by your presence in Havenshare. It is a most unexpected visit. The entire town is abuzz with news about your arrival. I am Lord Dukensic and I would like to offer you the hospitality of my estate. Could you honor us by feasting at my home in, say one half an hour?" Lord Dukensic requested.

Smithy could tell that this was more an order than a request, as the lord was supposed to offer an honored visitor his hospitality. This was more an act to show the peasants that the lord was above them in all ways. "Your lordship, I'd be delighted to join you in feast. Is your dining hall large enough to accommodate my presence?" Smithy asked after he noted the smirks on Rotan and Munsig's faces.

"Ah, no. We will make due with an evening of dining outside in my patio garden. Telsock, please make sure things are in order," lord Dukensic stated before he rode back to his privileged life. The town had only one real structure, a stone mansion that jutted out from a nearby mountain.

"I suppose you want these Mr. Telsock?" Smithy asked before he pulled the arrows from his belt and held them out to the elderly knight to take. He also presented the sword with hilt toward the knight. Telsock nodded and signaled for the other two to take the weapons from Smithy. "If it were up to me, you'd be escorted out of town, sorcerer," Telsock stated with disdain before he led the way toward the mansion.

Lord Dukensic's house was lavish compared to the rest of town. Clay brick and mortar formed the bulk of the walls and there were stained glass windows above each of the standard square panels. The foliage and garden showed signs of meticulous care, as there were no indications of weeds or overgrowth. Lamps were hung along the walkways and two large fire pits were utilized to cook the meats for the dinner. Long tables had been set out for the important townsfolk to sit at, as the only sign of the lower class were the servants. The knights escorted Smithy to the place of honor, which was at the other end of the table from where lord Dukensic sat. Smithy wondered how Shillseen was doing as he waited to take his seat while the lord made a ridiculous presentation.

"Ah, ladies and gentlemen, our honored guest graces us with his presence. May I introduce to you all my good friend Smithy, or better known in these parts as the Sorcerer Smith," lord Dukensic introduced as he toasted Smithy with a goblet of wine. Smithy bowed at the applause and conversation, waving at the crowd to calm them down.

"I am only a weary traveler who was unprepared for a journey. Your town presented the best source to acquire supplies. It is you who honor me by putting so much effort over someone who was just passing through. As for being a sorcerer, perhaps in the formation of my steel, but not anywhere else. I assure you that your people have no need to fear me. I will be gone as soon as the wool master finishes my clothes. I have promised the weapons master that I will return to sell more of my goods directly as the prices were absorbent. Perhaps then I'll spend more money and time here in your town. Besides the rude welcome, the experience has been fair," Smithy acknowledged with his own speech.

Lord Dukensic bowed his head with a frown. All eyes were on Smithy, not the lord. That would not do, not at all. Smithy smirked before he raised his goblet in the same saluting fashion as the lord. "May the evening be filled with joyous celebration," the lord toasted and the servants began to bring the food to the tables. Smithy drank his goblet and sat down on the cushions provided for him. He had to stoop down to hear some of the questions the guests were asking.

"Are you a giant?" one of the ladies asked.

"People like to tell me that I am, but I don't really eat people. I sometimes tell others that I do to keep them from interrupting my business. I'm actually a vegetarian," Smithy explained as two servants brought a large platter with a roasted pig in front of him. Smithy laughed as they overheard this and began to retreat. "On an occasion like this it might be rude not to sample the host's offerings. I'll take a few slices, but give the rest to the other guests. I'll take all the roasted fruits and vegetables from that platter, thank you," Smithy told the servants, who nodded that they understood. A few minutes passed before they returned with the platter minus most of the hog.

"Smithy, what has made you journey here and what is your destination?" lord Dukensic asked as he tore off a leg from the chicken set in front of him. The servants were refilling the lord's globlet.

"Magic has forced me to leave my home, it is a difficult matter. You'll receive word soon by royal courier as to what has caused me to begin this journey. I am searching for the true reason for the King's hardship. I will not bore you with the details, only that I have contacted the Lady of the Lake on this matter. She would not give me any help, save the advice to travel to the Frarie mountains. That's why I need the clothes as they are rumored to be extremely freezing," Smithy explained cautiously.

"You say you've spoke with the Lady of the Lake and are now heading for the Frarie mountains. And you still claim not to be a sorcerer? How many other stories do you spread to try to keep people away?" Telsock asked from a nearby table.

"Let's just say that you don't want to learn them, sir Telsock. You have plenty of trouble with orges as I hear and do not need any further troubles upon Havenshare. Is it true that Havenshare once had forty knights?" Smithy asked.

Telsock's face turned sad," Aye, it's true." The elderly knight turned away to stare off beyond the gathering. The lord's eyes held the empty look from loosing too many of his friends. "Enough of the dismal talk, we're here to celebrate! Bring out the dancers and the musicians. Enjoy your meal," lord Dukensic ordered. He clapped his hands for the entertainment to begin.

Smithy drained his goblet again and asked the servant to bring a pitcher as the goblets barely wetted his tongue. He then watched the female dancers sway to the tune of the musicians. He had to try to remember the last time he had participated in a human party. He had been ten years old at the time; even then he stood towering over them. He was attending a local girl's birthday party.

Smithy broke from his daydream as shrieks of pain emitted from the back of the garden. The knights leapt from their seats to go see what had caused the scream. Smithy stood and could smell rotting flesh, he had smelled the stench before and recognized it. "Run everyone, run! The orges are attacking," Smithy ordered as he bounded toward the place the knights had left his weapons.

An orge emerged from the darkness to meet him mid-jump, swinging its wooden club at Smithy's head. Smithy twisted to avoid the weapon and landed clumsily, rolling a few times before he could regain his feet. The orge had followed and was ready to swing the club again. Smithy heard the twang and whistle of an arrow bolt from behind him. The arrow struck the orge's chest where its heart pumped. The orge clutched the arrow with his free hand before falling face down into the grass, black blood oozing from the wound. Smithy looked behind him to see the weapons master smiling proudly at the shot. "I guess I still have it in me after all," Rethein chuckled as he brought the weapons to Smithy. "Bash these creatures good for me, will you?" the weapons master requested after a fit of coughs.

Smithy patted the weapons master on the back and smiled as he pushed the orge down with his foot which forced the arrowhead to emerge so he could pull it out. Smithy notched the arrow and fired it across the garden to strike an orge fighting Telsock. The arrow struck this orge in the temple and with the force caused it to flip end over end. Telsock was shocked to see the visitor had saved him, but was soon too occupied to care.

Smithy grabbed a hold of one of the lamps and stabbed it with one of the arrows. "What are you doing?" Rethein asked. The weapons master looked on the carnage with fear.

"Summoning some help," Smithy replied as he made sure the fluid spilled out over the lamp before placing it over one of the fire pits. The oil became a ball of fire before Smithy notched the arrow and launched it into the sky. The lamp exploded as it streaked over the town toward where Shillseen sat in the gully. Smithy hoped she would understand its significance.

Smithy notched another arrow and let it loose on three orges that formed a line. The bolt passed right through the first two before embedding into the third. The remaining orges paused as they noted that five of their kind lay on the ground. One of them barked orders to ignore the knights and converge on the giant. Smithy notched his last arrow and brought two more orges down before he had to block the clubs with his sword. The orges had made a mistake when they ignored the human knights, their swords cut into them from behind. Smithy began to cut the clubs apart with the broadsword and slashed at his foes. He would drop back every so often to make sure that he wasn't cutting into the knights.

Smithy heard the flap of Shillseen's wings in the sky above them. The fighting paused as the combatants took note of the new presence. "Get your knights back from the orges," Smithy ordered as he ran to pick up the weapons master and get him a safe distance away. "Toast them to a crisp," Smithy yelled up at Shillseen as he dove over a shrub and set down Rethein.

"Who are your talking to?" the weapons master asked while he poked his head to look over the shrub. Smithy grabbed the man and yanked him down as the plume of fire torched the area where the remaining orges stood. The fire plume lapped over the bush, setting it on fire and nearly singing Smithy. Rethein looked surprised and excited," A dragon, I thought they were extinct. You truly are a sorcerer if you can summon the dead."

Smithy stood up and patted out a couple of spots on his clothes that the flame had licked. He checked to make sure that the knights had heeded his warning. He was saddened to note that one was within the charred zone, he approached to learn it was Munsig and that the fire had not been the cause of the knight's death as the helmet had been smashed by an orge's club. All the other knights were alive, although Rotan had bruises and cuts on his face.

Telsock strode up to Smithy, "Retrieve your arrows and the clothes you ordered, then be on your way sorcerer. We don't need dragons to tend with." Telsock then came a little closer and whispered, "Thank you for your help here." Telsock then presented his hand for Smithy to shake. Smithy understood, the harsh words had been for Dukensic, and he shook the elder knight's hand.

"Land in the town square," Smithy yelled at Shillseen. "Think they'll mind if I take a pig to feed my dragon?" Smithy asked as he began to pull an arrow from one of the orge corpses. He hated the stench and tried to wipe off the arrow on the grass,

Telsock let out a laugh, the first he had uttered in an age. "This party is over. Knights, gather what meat you can. We owe that much to the creature," Telsock left to get a wagon for the knights to load. When he returned he commented, "I hope that was the lot of the orges plaguing us. If not, they'll attack harder next time. Perhaps if you would deliver your weapons we could convince the lord to recruit more knights."

They quickly gathered the food and drove down to the town square. "Took you long enough! Is that for me?" Shillseen asked after she noted the cooked meats in the wagon. She didn't wait for a reply as fighting always gave her an appetite. She devoured the wagon's fill in moments and belched. "My complements to the chef, a little rare for my tastes, but excellently spiced," she commented.

"This is a female dragon. Does she get on your nerves?" Telsock asked.

"No, my master keeps me in check by telling me he'll find some dragon slayers and invite them home for dinner," Shillseen joked. She belched again; this time letting out a little flame plume that lit up the square. "And if you tell anyone we were here I'll come back and torch this petty town of yours," Shillseen threatened as she flashed her long teeth in the moonlight.

"Cut it out right now!" Smithy ordered. "She has never torched anything larger than an abandoned barn. Please behave yourself, I need to get the clothes and then we can go. Hope you got a nap," Smithy left the square toward the wool master's shop.

Lyyn was sitting on the porch, crying as Smithy approached. She looked up and began to wail even harder. "He..he's dead," Lyyn gulped out in pieces as she sobbed. "I... only... playing... hard... to get," Lyyn said as she continued to cry.

"The problem with humans is they play too many games. They don't get serious until they learn they've lost their chance," Smithy stated as he reached up to knock on the door. "I've come to get my clothes. They had better be ready as the knights want me to leave right now."

Pattie emerged from the door carrying the hat and gloves. "We lined these with fur, but the rest is the wool stuffed option," she explained as she handed them to him. She tapped Lyyn's shoulder, Lyyn nodded and followed Pattie back into the shop. They both returned carrying the coat and left it on the porch. Then they went inside once more to carry the pants out.

Smithy put on the hat and coat before putting the gloves into the coat pockets as he waited for the pants. "Thank you ladies, I'm sorry for your losses. Thank your boss for the fast work. I must go now, perhaps I'll see you again when I return," Smithy stated as he tossed the pants over his shoulder. He was already beginning to sweat in the coat as he walked back to the square. "Have you been good?" he asked Shillseen while he put the pants on before climbing into the harness.

"I've been trying to explain to these knights that you aren't even a bad magician, just a simple smith with a dragon as a friend. They won't believe me," she puffed. "I suppose as long as they don't tell anyone we were here, they could think you're the king as far as I care," Shillseen commented.

Smithy strapped into the harness and waved at the knights. He put on his gloves and grabbed onto the straps used as reigns, more to hold onto Shillseen than to guide her. "Let's get moving," Smithy said.

"Good luck," Telsock said before being drowned out by the flapping of dragon wings. Smithy saw the knights waving good bye, but did not want to dare loosing a glove to wave back.

"Can you fly to the Frarie mountains in the dark?" Smithy asked.

"Watch me," Shillseen replied. Smithy watched for thirty minutes before the prior excitement and the rhythm of her wings put him to sleep. The cooler air had made the suit much more comfortable.

### CHAPTER 3: OF FRARIES

Smithy woke to snow flakes that splashed against his face and stung his skin. He opened his eyes to find he was laid face up in the snow. His joints felt stiff as he tried to sit up and look at his surroundings. He was on a shelf outcropping of stone. Outside was practically a blizzard of snow. He turned around slowly as his joints protested. There was a small circle of stones that contained the ash of previously burnt fuel. He also noted that the shelf was the entrance of a cave. He looked for tracks that might lead him to Shillseen, but only noted the marks of her dragging tail. He looked out at the blizzard, and decided she would not be out in that. Smithy struggled against the pain to stand up, he realized he needed to get the blood flowing as he might be near frostbite.

"Shillseen, are you down there?" Smithy yelled into the cave as he began to follow the tail drag marks. The only response was his voice echoing back off the cave walls. He heard the snow shift and fall at the entrance to the cave and decided yelling might not be a good idea. The possibility of an avalanche burying the cave was too high in these conditions. It was not a particularly warming thought at the time.

As the light from the cave entrance dwindled, Smithy was forced to remove a glove and try to feel the drag trail on the floor of the cave. Puffing on his hand as often as he felt the pain stinging too much and then alternating hands. He hoped nothing bad had happened to Shillseen, it would be his fault, and he'd probably freeze to death trying to get out of these mountains. Again he thought about how he should have returned home for supplies for this adventure, candles would have come in handy.

Smithy felt the trail dip and thought it was only part of the cave floor angling lower. He took the next step and suddenly slid down and tumbled through some kind of tunnel. He tried to find purchase on the smooth rock, but could not cease his descent. Suddenly he emerged from the slide into the brightest white light, which blinded him while he still fell. He yelled out, as he was sure that he was falling to his death. Then his fall gently came to a stop and he was floating in air.

Smithy heard Shillseen's laughter from his right. He had to close his eyes and blink a few times before his eyes could adjust. He floated about ten inches off the rooftops of Frarie houses. Shillseen was wrapped around a nearby stadium; she laughed at Smithy's fall and yelling. "Quit laughing and tell me how to stand up without crushing anything," Smithy said while he flailed about over the houses.

"Hmm, the high school football field may be large enough," Shillseen told a Frarie that Smithy had not noticed until this point. The frarie nodded and several other small flying people with gossamer wings flew around Smithy. He could feel whatever force kept him from crushing the homes as it began to pull him higher and toward the football field. Smithy concentrated on keeping his limbs still, as he did not want to accidentally swat or kick one of these creatures.

"How long have you been here?" Smithy asked as the fraries began to bring him upright so that his feet could land on the grass between the goal posts. "I guess I slept too long and the fire went out. I woke and came looking for you," Smithy explained.

"Only twenty minutes. I was looking for wood or moss to use in the fire when I fell down the hole. I explained that you would require heat and they agreed to wake you. Thus, you followed me down the shaft," Shillseen replied.

"Did you tell them who we were looking for and why we have come here?" Smithy asked. Smithy felt one of the frarie kick his cheek and yell into his ear, "Don't talk like we aren't right here! Darn, the whole valley can hear you two!" "Sorry, is Helsnem among the frarie gathered here?" Smithy asked in a lower volume voice.

"No, he lives six peaks North East of this one. We have sent him word that a dragon and giant have requested an audience. We will have to wait and see if he accepts," the boisterous frarie replied.

"How long do you think it will take for him to reply? I don't think I can stand here in this stadium for hours," Smithy commented. He turned around to inspect the rest of the frarie town, looking for a place that he might sit. He envied Shillseen's location as it looked like she was comfortable. "You don't receive many visitors here, do you?" Smithy complained when he realized that there were no other locations to settle down.

"Normally we do not allow humans to enter. But a dragon and giant are unusual. We'd have left you to freeze too if it hadn't been for the Lady sending word of your arrival. She said to give you our hospitality, limited as it may be. We cannot afford to offer you food as it would take a year's harvest to satisfy even one of your meals," an older frarie explained.

A small wagon wound through the town's roads toward a position between Smithy and Shillseen. "I guess he came personally," the younger boisterous frarie stated as he flew down to the wagon. He opened the coach door and spoke briefly to those within. He then bowed and flew away, signaling for the others to follow. As soon as the other fraries were gone the wagon burst into white flame and vanished, leaving an old frarie dressed in white standing on the spot.

Smithy tried hard not to laugh at the dramatic entrance; it would've been very impolite. He had never been impressed with magicians who performed similar stunts to excite their crowds, and had not expected this from the likes of a frarie. Shillseen was frowning and shaking her head, this was not the time for mirth.

"I am the great, old and wise Helsnem! Who is it that requires an audience with me," Helsnem floated into the air without the use of his wings. His voice echoed through the village cavern with magically amplified volume.

"I am Mack Smithson, better known as Smithy by the humans and my companion is Shillseen. The Lady of the Lake sent us here. This is regarding the sword in the blanket, which is tied to the harness on the dragon's back. She said that you might be able to tell us who caused it to break and kill Prince Lefar Oothier," Smithy explained as he shifted his stance to redistribute his weight.

Helsnem floated over toward Shillseen and waved a hand, causing the straps to unbuckle around the blanket roll. The blanket roll floated up into the air and began to unroll. He let the blanket fall away to reveal the broken sword pieces. Helsnem began to fly around these pieces, using his wings this time as he inspected the parts. He shook his head before reaching out to touch one of them. "Arrg! Curse the Lady," Helsnem said as he withdrew his hand, it was severely burnt by the touch. Helsnem cursed several times in a tongue neither Shillseen nor Smithy could comprehend. The frarie spoke in that same tongue as it waved his good hand over his burn. Moments later the frarie's hand was healed with minor scarring.

Helsnem waved and the blanket wrapped the sword, before returning to the straps on Shillseen's harness. "I can not say the name of the demon that cursed the sword, just as I'm sure the Lady would not. I can spell out the name for you, but you must not say it aloud. This being is ancient and has ears all over. You will need to see the Unicorn King and the Mermaid Queen for items on this quest to clear your name. Please draw your sword, giant. I will place wards and frarie magic upon it, to ensure the being that cannot be named cannot do the same to you as he did to the prince," Helsnem explained.

Smithy nodded and drew his sword, bringing the tip a few inches from where the frarie floated. Helsnem flew around the sword six times, frarie dust falling from his wings. Then a white glow grew out of his hands and flashed over the sword, as Helsnem muttered words in frarie language. When the light subsided, Smithy's sword retained a white highlight along the edges of the black steel. Smithy sheathed the sword and thanked Helsnem.

Helsnem floated back to the place the wagon had been. "I will now display the monster's name, remember not to say it aloud. Dragon, you may have to be the one to remember the name, as Smithy does not read," Helsnem stated as he darkened the cavern and flashed the creature's name upon a wall. The message said, "Lefnariunus." Then the cavern returned to normal lighting.

"You will now go. Find the Unicorn King, he may give you use of the death steed. Only with this horse's help will you be able to enter the lands of the demon. Then you must visit the Mermaid Queen, she has medallions that will keep you from harm in the land of the dead. Without them you could expire if you remain too long as it is not the land of the living. This course is treacherous, you may still turn back from it. Destroy the sword and return to your lives," Helsnem attempted to discourage them.

"I think it is a matter of honor to seek out the one who killed the prince and clear my name," Smithy stated. "We will continue on after a stop back home for supplies."

"Your funeral," Helsnem whistled and the fraries that left returned. They split into two groups and began to fly very rapidly around Smithy and Shillseen. A glow began to engulf them and when it subsided they were both standing at the cave entrance.

The snow outside had subsided to a mild drift. "We had better get flying home, we are low on supplies and I'm just about out of coin. You probably could use a good meal about now, anyhow," Smithy stated. Shillseen nodded her agreement, she looked tired but went ahead of him into the snow.

"Hurry up, it's freezing out here," she complained as she spread her wings and flapped them gently to shake off the snow that had already gathered on them. She did this a few more times before Smithy was secured into the harness. "Let's try not to visit any more freezing climates any time soon," Shillseen commented as she began to fiercely beat her wings. The cooler air forced her to work harder to gain lift. "We're going to stop for a snack on the way back," she ordered as she decided to dive down the mountainside to gain speed. She pulled up near the base and rode the air displaced up the next mountain before pulling away and flapping to continue to rise.

The higher they flew, the stronger the storm. Smithy became concerned that Shillseen's wings might be freezing up. Then they began to fly through the clouds, Smithy found his head began to feel light this high up. He pulled on the reigns and pointed back down. Shillseen had a look of concern as she nodded and began to rise higher before she began to descend. She remained under the cloud deck until she was sure that Smithy had caught his breath. She signaled that she was going to head back up, Smithy nodded and tried to hold his breath. They repeated this pattern where she was able to defrost while in the sun above the cloud deck, but then back down so Smithy could breathe. When they finally cleared the storm they descended to a safe height.

Shillseen spotted a lone buck grazing in a field and slowed her flight as Smithy pulled out his looking glass to check the area. Shillseen was in her hunt mode and would have ignored him even if there were a half-dozen dragon slayers in wait. She arched her hind legs forward and had her wings wrapped in an arc to slow the fall further. Smithy had taught her not to roar, which was a dragon's battle cry even when hunting. The problem was, that this action also alerted the prey of the danger falling from the sky. It also let creatures for miles know a predator was in the area, which caused them to hide. Dragon slayers were the only creatures too stupid to realize they should also stay away.

At the last second the buck noted the sound of air passing through Shillseen's cuffed wings. It looked up, realized it had no time to flee and brought its ten point antlers to bear, pointing them into Shillseen's belly. Shillseen flattened out her wings and changed the fall to a vertical pass. She grabbed the buck's antlers in her right claw and quickly spun her flight path. The buck struggled and was lifted off its feet, the action snapped its neck. It was drug limply along behind Shillseen's legs. She dropped the buck and circled around to land next to it.

"I've got to use the tree line for some private business, enjoy," Smithy said as he unstrapped and climbed off of the harness. He was not fond of watching as Shillseen gorged herself by tearing the flesh of still warm creatures apart. He walked away to the tree line as he heard the crunching of bones as Shillseen tore into her catch. Smithy pulled the string tie that held the wool trousers on and jumped as a frarie flew out of them. "What the?" Smithy exclaimed before he fell backward onto the ground.

"I am Telspar, I want to go on your quest," said the young impulsive frarie that had struck Smithy's cheek back at the frarie mountains. The frarie flew around Smithy.

Smithy got up angrily, "No, now go away! I'm trying to piss, give me some privacy." Smithy tried to swat at the frarie, shooing it away. He had nearly pissed on himself when the frarie had startled him.

"You outlanders and your privacy. It's a natural function, why do you insist on hiding it?" Telspar asked. The frarie flew easily out of the way of Smithy's clumsy swats. He landed on a high branch of a nearby tree.

"Fine, you want to watch," Smithy grumbled before he untied the string that held his normal trousers and aimed his member at the frarie. Before Telspar could fly away, Smithy's piss stream knocked the frarie off the branch. Smithy followed the frarie's fall with his urination and completely drenched the intruder.

Telspar choked and spat as he cursed in frarie language. Smithy then bent down and squatted to finish his business. He used nearby leaves and grass to wipe himself clean. Smithy laughed as he put his trousers back on. "Next time a man tells you to leave or give him some privacy, I suggest you heed his words," Smithy lectured.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" Telspar asked indignantly while he flitted his wings in the attempt to shake off the urine. His face was beet red with anger and embarrassment. He coughed greatly due to the stench that engulfed his entire body.

"A stowaway who should return home, on his own," Smithy replied as he began to walk out of the trees. Shillseen had finished her meal and was waiting contently for him to return. He could see her questioning expression and knew that the frarie was following him. He sped up his gait, but knew that the frarie would be able to keep up.

"Why does that frarie smell like piss?" Shillseen asked when they approached. She made a face that displayed her dislike to the stench. "Go take a bath," she ordered before she moved to allow Smithy onto the harness.

"No, I'm going with you," Telspar said while he flew closer.

Shillseen sent a small ball of fire to burst in front of the frarie, blocking its path. "Not smelling like that you are not!" she ordered. Smithy commented that he didn't want the stowaway joining them even if it was clean. He asked Shillseen to begin takeoff and leave the frarie there.

"I am Prince Telspar of the Frarie Nation. I demand that you bow to me and do as I command," Telspar ordered.

This brought great laughter to both Shillseen and Smithy. Making Telspar even angrier. "Prince, eh? We don't exactly bow to any royalty. We provide our services at a price and as long as we do a good job, we're left alone. Most of the King's knights won't face me alone. What makes you think you're in a position to demand anything of us?" Smithy asked.

"Without me you will fail to rescue Deliaues," Telspar commented.

"Who is Deliaues?" Shillseen asked.

"The Centaur Queen," Telspar replied. "She's being held by the gargoyles of Fort Locke. They are working for the one we cannot name. She must be rescued for your quest to succeed and I have to help you or you will fail to save her."

Smithy shook his head, "Do all fraries talk in riddles? You give me a headache. Why must we save the Centaur Queen, we were told to go to the Unicorn King and the Mermaid Queen? That is the plan after we return home to rest and resupply." Smithy flicked the reigns, a sign Shillseen was to take off.

"Go take a bath in a nearby well," Shillseen stated while she began to flap her wings. As soon as they were high enough she said, "If he is the frarie prince, you won't loose him so easily. He'll follow us," she explained. She began her dive to glide, not waiting to hear Smithy's rebuttal.

### CHAPTER 4: DEMONS

The fires of Hell burned hotter as its master's anger flared. The suffering here was lessened when the master was pleased, this was not one of those occasions. The flames consumed the damned souls while they writhed in pain, they performed an extreme form of penance for their sins.

Normally, few could hide within the realm of the dead. Only the oldest and most powerful of the demons could perform the trick. This would not reduce their punishment, only delay the process. The master had many names; Satan, Lucifer, Deceiver; but his memory was eternal. Hiding from his wrath only harmed the other damned souls. Not that it mattered to those who hid from him.

Lucifer gathered together the eldest of the fallen angels and began to issue orders. "The scamp Lefnariunus has failed in his mission. He hides from me in the land of the dead, a place for the souls that did not choose. I am sending you into this purgatory to find and bring Lefnariunus back here for his punishment. Fail me in this and your souls will suffer twice that which he owes me," Lucifer threatened before he waved his hand.

The demons were engulfed in flames as they were transported into the land of the dead. Lucifer turned his attention to a pool of mercury-like liquid. Through it he could view events of the world above. He played the sequence of Prince Lefar's death, "Fool, you were supposed to wait until he was engaged in battle." He then switched to the castle of the goblins that held the Centaur Queen captive. "At least they've properly played their role," Lucifer then switched to the mourning King Oothier. "Which one will you choose now?" Lucifer asked himself. "Hmm, probably Prince Rettep. Prince Paul is too nice to wage wars and Price John would be my choice since he already belongs to me," Lucifer commented.

Lucifer turned away from the pool while he tried to think of whom to send to assassinate Prince Paul and Prince Rettep. "Kenibich, you are summoned," Lucifer said and a flare of fire burst from his finger to strike the ground below. The fire formed a large ball before it faded to reveal the kneeling form of a young demon.

Kenibich's age was told by the shortness of the ram-like horns that protruded from his skull. His body was youthful, as he had died in his early twenties while in the service of Satan. This, paired with the fact that Kenibich had little in the moral department, earned the human demon status. With each successful mission his master granted him a little more power. Kenibich stood to salute his master and pay his homage. His skin reflected the redness of the flames of Hell which was the sign of evil perfection. "How may I please my master?" Kenibich asked while his chest muscles rippled with anticipation.

"Go to the world of the living. Kill Rettep and Paul Oothier, but ensure you do not damage Prince John Oothier. I have plans for that boy," Lucifer ordered. Lucifer smiled when he anticipated Kenibich's next question, "You may do as you please with any whom get in your way. I'd prefer the King were forced to declare John his successor. But, if the King were to perish, it would speed up my plans. Use your judgement," Lucifer then waved his hand and the flames engulfed Kenibich and transported the young demon to the hills above the royal castle. Lucifer laughed slightly before he followed other events within the pool.

"Damn! He's sent seekers for me," Lefnariunus stated angrily before he threw a skull across the dug out cave he hid within. The skull smashed into dust as it struck other bones. He played the event of his failure through his mind. His curse was supposed to only weaken the weapon so it would break when struck by another sword. It was not supposed to break mid-swing. He had fled to this hiding place to try to figure out what went wrong. He had to be cautious about which powers he used, as some of them would be beacons to Lucifer and the seekers.

Lefnariunus was the third angel to fall with Satan into Hell. He was in a class of demon that contained only a handful. His power was nearly absolute in the dark realm, but he could not explain how he had failed, and Lucifer would only be concerned with the fact that he had. He did fear his master as any sane being should. He knew that he could not hide from the seekers for more than a week, but hiding would not solve the question as to how he had failed. He hated to admit it, but he would have to eliminate God's influence in the event before he could pursue other possible causes. It was a journey he did not think his master would approve of, yet he knew it was necessary.

Lefnariunus used his power to transport to the ancient Mount Olympus since it was one of the few points on Earth that a demon could request an audience with angels. He sent the request as quickly as possible since his transport would alert the seekers. He actually prayed silently for a quick response because this would sometimes help. Lefnariunus was startled when a voice he recognized asked forcefully, "What is it that you want demon?"

Lefnariunus turned to face the head angel, Gabriel. "Please, if you could tell me if God meddled into the Prince Lefar Oothier's demise? I need to know," Lefnariunus asked while he bowed before the angel. He practically begged while he counted mentally every second he spent on the mountain.

"Reduced to groveling now are we?" Gabriel snickered. "Get up, the Lord has control over all things. Never forget that. But, in this instance you and the smith that forged the sword have another to seek for your answers. There is another power forming and this power is manipulating Heaven, earth and Hell to its own purpose. Don't ask me how another power can manipulate Heaven, as even God does not have the answer to that. When God does not know, we are in troubled times," Gabriel explained.

Lefnariunus was confused, God was the alpha and the omega. How could he not know what this new power was? Lefnariunus did not have the time to dwell on the matter when he came to the count number he knew it would take for the seekers to find him. The balls of fire emerged from the ground all around him. "Thanks, got to go," he said to Gabriel before he transported away from Mount Olympus. He transported quickly back to the land of the dead, to the King's castle, and then to the smith's house where the dragon steel had been forged. He hoped that the multiple hops would buy him some time before the seekers caught up with his true location.

Before he could even get his bearings a very large fist struck him from behind. He flew through the air and crashed into the side of the mountain. The event caused little pain since he got back up, dusted himself off and faced his assailant. A giant held an enchanted sword, which was pointed directly at Lefnariunus. Behind the giants stood a dragon and frarie, both were not pleased to see the demon. Lefnariunus wanted to burn the giant that dared to strike him, but he had to hold his temper.

"Why have you come here demon? Who are you?" the giant bellowed while he approached. The sword thrust out to meet any challenge that Lefnariunus might provide. There was a clear anger directed at the demon.

"I am the one you seek, the one you have blamed for the prince's death. Lefnariunus is the name that others don't dare speak. My curse on your sword was not to kill the prince when it did. I was not responsible for his death," Lefnariunus explained.

"You lie demon! It is your purpose to confuse us," Telspar commented. The small farie flitted around with his small weapons drawn.

"I could have extinguished your lives the moment you threatened me. There is something larger going on here and I need your help to figure out what. I've spoken with the angels, they don't know either. My master hunts me for my failure. I do not enjoy pain," Lefnariunus explained before he stood away from the mountain. Lefnariunus was cursed with the form of a half-goat form from his waist down, making the dust that got on him difficult to shake loose. His horns were nearly as tall as he was, their tips visible behind his hooves. His eyes glowed like embers and his skin was a fire ruby red.

"How could this thing occur without God knowing as to how?" Shillseen asked. The dragon's head moved over her two companions with curiosity. Smoke bellowed out her nostrils with each word she spoke.

Before Lefnariunus could attempt to answer eight balls of flame emerged from the ground around them. "Too late, run! They're after me, learn who has caused this," Lefnariunus ordered while he prepared to fight with the seeker demons. The pain they could inflict was not comparable to what the master would bring upon him if they captured him.

"Nay, we fight," Smithy yelled before he swung the sword at a snake with horns emerging from its skull. The demons took pause when the sword severed the creature's head from the rest of its body. Few mortal weapons could even cut demon flesh.

Lefnariunus took advantage of their surprise and hesitation when he poked out the eyes of two demons before the others could react. "Get their eyes, send them back to Hell," Lefnariunus explained. He spun around when one of the remaining six leapt at him.

Shillseen clawed the eyes out of the severed snake head and the creature evaporated into smoke. "Smithy, place the head of your arrows against the sword," Telspar ordered. Smithy gave the frarie a look of bewilderment. "Just trust me," Telspar stated while he dodged a reptilian demon's tongue lash. Shillseen blasted the demon with her fire which only caused the demon to laugh.

"I doubt even a fire wraith would be too hot for these demons," Shillseen commented. She swatted the demon away with her tail. She fired two more balls of fire at other demons in an attempt to knock them down with the force.

Smithy did as the frarie had asked, "Now what?" Telspar flew to the sword and let some of the frarie dust from his wings fall upon the arrows. He then let a similar bolt of white energy that Helsnem had used flow into each of the arrows, feeding slightly off the spell used to enchant the sword. Smithy smiled at the frarie before he ducked a bolt from one of the remaining demons. "Perhaps you will come in handy after all," Smithy commented while he pulled the bow from his shoulder. He had to whip the sword up to block another bolt that would have struck Telspar. Smithy then notched one of the arrows and aimed at the demon that attacked.

This demon was more human in appearance, it wailed at the pain of the shaft that stuck out from its left eye. It fled as fire engulfed it and left a scorched mark on the grass where it had stood. The arrowhead dropped to the ground while the rest of the shaft was burned in the demon's transportation.

Lefnariunus took out one more of the demons on his own. There were now only three combatants still there to face them. Two of them were older than he in the lineage of fallen angels. These were both more powerful and more cunning. His tricks would be nearly useless against them. "Please listen to me kinsmen, I did not fail. Another force has manipulated events beyond the control of Heaven or Hell. I must discover what this force is or we may all be in jeopardy," Lefnariunus pleaded.

"We were sent to bring you back, you will come on your own or by force," the female demon with skeletal wings emerging out of her back and horns that curled like snake coils replied. She had long nails as claws and wore a revealing battle garb.

"I prefer the force method," the demon with a skeletal head of a wolf and claws that were longer than Smithy's sword added. Its horns were forked forward out of its skull so that they also could be used as weapons. Its eyes were yellow glowing orbs within the dark recessed holes.

The third demon fought with Shillseen while the others talked. The dragon actually played with the younger demon. It was the reptile one that had attempted to eat Telspar. The dragon swatted the demon around and could have easily taken its eyes at any time she liked.

Smithy launched one of his arrows into the right eye of the skeletal demon. It screamed in pain and waved its claws at Smithy. Streaks of flame came at the smith while he brought the enchanted sword up to block them. He felt the flames singe his padded coat since they weren't entirely blocked by the sword. "Will you quit playing with that one and help us over here Shillseen?" Smithy ordered while he used the sword to block the attacks of the demon he had wounded.

Shillseen took out the eyes of her playmate while Telspar picked up the now cool arrowhead. "See if you can spit this as accurately as you blow fire," Telspar stated before he flew the arrowhead up to her mouth. Shillseen gave the frarie a look of disgust before she decided to give it a try. She used her tongue to get the arrowhead into position. She puffed up as if she were about to blow fire and stepped forward to take aim.

Smithy was amazed at the strength the skeletal demon brought against his sword. Blow for blow the demon was being chipped away, but so was Smithy's strength. He was able to pull the arrow shaft back out of the demon's eye socket while he kept the claws at bay with the enchanted sword. As he brought the shaft back one of the skeletal demon's horns caught his left forearm, piercing through the flesh. Smithy let out a cry in pain and the demon laughed. "Oh yea, well hope you like this," Smithy said while he forced the injured hand to shove the arrow's tip into the other eye socket. The demon cried out before he evaporated into smoke.

Shillseen spat the arrowhead she had at the female demon. It struck the female demon's cheekbone before ricocheting into her left eye. She screamed before she angrily turned to face the dragon. Lefnariunus took the opportunity to reach around and scratch out the female demon's other eye and caused her to vanish.

"They will be back," Lefnariunus said while he picked up the remains of the arrows and brought them to Smithy. "Dragon, you need to cauterize his would or he might develop a nasty infection," he instructed. Shillseen brought her head down and waited for Smithy to remove his coat before burning the area. She winced when Smithy cried out with the added pain and hoped that this was a necessary act. "We must ask why one would want the prince dead before a war could be started with the country the King was about to conquer. This has set back my master's plans. He will target the other good princes so that John Oothier will become the heir. Who would want such a thing to occur?" Lefnariunus asked.

"Could it be that a timetable has been advanced?" Telspar asked, "Prince John could become king if Eldward were disposed of. John would spread death across the known world and your master would be able to harvest thousands of souls from the strife. Are you certain that your master was not the one behind this?"

"I do not believe so, it would not make sense to send the others after me if it were a part of his plans. Your assessment of the reaction is probable and the exact course I would take if I were in Satan's position. This third power is supposedly manipulating Heaven, Earth and Hell toward its goal. I hate this, I'm going to be forced to interfere with the affairs of my master until we can learn the source of this influence," Lefnariunus explained. "You three need to rescue the Centaur Queen, she is being held by gargoyles that are following my master's orders. I will try to interfere with any demon my master sends to assassinate the royal family. May I keep this?" Lefnariunus asked while he held up the arrowhead that struck the female demon.

"If it will help protect the royal family, yes," Smithy replied. The demon nodded and stepped back before transporting to the royal castle. He did not try to be subtle in his entrance, for all he knew Satan's assassins were already there disguised as a servant or knight. He would have to work quickly, before his master could send more to attack him. He was standing within the King's throne room. Knights drew their swords and approached. Lefnariunus ignored them as his attention was drawn to a well-formed man in slave garments. Slaves were not well fed or given to be so healthy within the kingdom. Lefnariunus waved his hand to knock all the knights aside as he noted a glint of metal emerging from beneath the slave's clothing.

"Tisk, Kenibich. When will you learn to rely more on your powers?" Lefnariunus stated as he shot a bolt of fire from his index finger, melting the knife held by the assassin. With another bolt Lefnariunus burned away the terrible disguise, revealing Kenibich's true demon form. The knights that were closest to the royal family quickly escorted them out.

"How dare you! Lucifer himself has assigned me this job. Who are you to deny his wishes?" Kenibich accused. He leapt down from the throne dais and began to run at Lefnariunus. Rage filled the assassin's face, "I have never failed my master! You shall not cause me to do so now!"

Lefnariunus laughed as he flicked a sword out of an attacking knight's hands, sending it across the distance to stick into Kenibich's chest. "You are a young pet of our master, too eager to please to use common sense. If you had any you would have realized your place and scurried back to him on your knees. Tell me, did he send others?" Lefnariunus asked as he twisted the sword. "Another couple of assignments and this sword would have bounced off your skin, too bad you didn't realize that," Lefnariunus said.

Kenibich began to shake as if he were having a seizure, causing Lefnariunus to let go of the sword and back away. Black liquid began to ooze out of the wound to engulf the young demon's entire body. The dark mass grew four times larger than the demon assassin, before it drew the sword out of its chest. The thing began to laugh in a voice that was not Kenibich's. "You always were a pompous ass, Lefnariunus. Now you shall pay for your ignorance," the new creature said as the dark mass flowed over the sword, changing it.

"You are no demon that I know," Lefnariunus commented as he palmed the arrowhead. He waited to find out if this creature would reveal anything more. He suspected this was the one Gabriel was speaking of, but was unsure.

"Not to worry, I won't remember you after this either," the creature had formed into a cross between a giant and a demon. The sword it now carried was similar to the enchanted one Smithy had used, save that it seemed to absorb all light. Lefnariunus fired bolts of his power at the sword with little effect. The creature laughed again at his vain attempts.

"Who are you, what do you want?" Lefnariunus asked as he slowly backed away form the sword. He was unsure that the arrowhead would have any effect against this creature. He was waiting for an opening to try it anyway. The creature caught him across the chest, cutting a shallow groove. Lefnariunus immediately felt weaker from the touch of the blade.

"Just to bring enough chaos to this miserable world to ensure the death of my sister's mother and the destruction of the foundation of Heaven itself," the monster replied as it cut a swath across Lefnariunus' left shoulder. "You may call me the SoulReaper, " the monster introduced himself.

Two white flashes came from behind the creature, signaling the arrival of angels to the throne room. SoulReaper smiled at this, "Ah, new playmates." He remained with his back to the angels.

Lefnariunus watched with horror as dark matter grew out of SoulReaper's back where there would be angel's wings and it stretched out to grab the angels by their necks. The angels fought against the substance, their weapons passing though it as if it were smoke. The black substance drew the struggling angels toward the SoulReaper as it grew to engulf them. SoulReaper laughed at the look on Lefnariunus' face. "You see, your master's concept of becoming greater than God is flawed. Having souls worship him has placed limits upon his power. I, on the other hand, seek only to bring all the souls together. If I succeed there will be no more wars, no more death, no Hell or Heaven," SoulReaper explained.

"You're mad, you would destroy everything and then be alone in your delusion of a new order," Lefnariunus rebuked as he lashed out. He threw the arrowhead into SoulReaper's right eye. The path of the throw was true, but it passed right through SoulReaper just like the angel's weapons.

"Ah, Father's work. Crude, but very effective," SoulReaper commented. "What, you didn't guess? Perhaps you should try your curses and tricks on that sword on the floor, it is dragon steel. You'll find that they have no effect on the steel Smithy forges. I only timed my attack with your curse to ensure that Satan would have some one else to blame while I continued to manipulate events in the shadows," SoulReaper explained. The two angels were now being absorbed into SoulReaper's back as the dark matter had entirely engulfed them. Their muffled screams rivaling those of the tortured souls in Hell. SoulReaper shoved the sword he held through Lefnariunus' thigh, causing the demon to cry out in pain.

"Why tell me and show me all of this if you are just going to absorb me like you are them?" Lefnariunus asked after he tried to curse the sword SoulReaper had suggested. He then used his power to toss the sword across the throne room, it stuck into the stone wall without even bending. Lefnariunus was shocked to find that this monster had told him the truth. Even at full strength, Lefnariunus realized, he would have been unable to cause damage to the dragon steel.

"Now that you have earned my Father's trust, I have further use of you. Disobey and I shall end it here. I am your new master," SoulReaper stated. "As your first task, kill the royal family. All of them," SoulReaper ordered as he walked back and picked up the arrowhead. "I have other matters to attend to, so don't disappoint me," SoulReaper stated as he tossed the arrowhead into the air above him.

The dark mass that was the SoulReaper vanished to reveal Kenibich. Kenibich was stunned and angrily staring at Lefnariunus. The demon tried to speak, but was unable to utter a syllable as the arrowhead struck his head and passed straight through to emerge out of his pelvic region. A blank look came to Kenibich's face before he collapsed, a black ooze spilling from the hole in the top of his skull.

Lefnariunus sought out the location of the royal family. He brushed aside the knights who tried to protect them as if they were twigs. He had to gather the last of his power to transport the family to Mount Olympus, hoping that the angels could protect them there. Only John Oothier was left in the room with Lefnariunus, and the demon was not amazed when the boy changed into SoulReaper as it seemed a fitting pair.

"Tisk, and I thought only mortals used their free will to sacrifice themselves," SoulReaper commented as he threw his sword into Lefnariunus' chest. SoulReaper began to change into the black mass and extend out to take Lefnariunus into him.

"You want me so bad, come get me," Lefnariunus said as he used his last bit of strength to transport back to Hell. He lost consciousness in the attempt, unsure if he made it or if the darkness was the result of being absorbed by the SoulReaper. He hoped the first was the case, no matter how much pain his master would make him suffer. It would be preferable to annihilation.

### CHAPTER 5: GARGOYLES

After the demon Lefnariunus disappeared, Smithy, Shillseen and Telspar ate, gathered supplies, and plotted their course to try to free the Centaur Queen. Smithy did not like their odds, "You say there are at least one hundred of these stone devils guarding the castle. How are the three of us going to get past them and spirit the queen out of harm's way?"

"We need to enlist the aid of the golem wizard," Telspar replied.

"Wood versus stone," Shillseen asked as Smithy climbed into the harness on her back and strapped in.

Telspar asked in his better-than-thou tone, "Do you have a better idea?"

"Prince Telspar, why don't you fly to the golem wizard and plead our case? We will fly to the Centaur lands and see if we can get aid there," Smithy suggested. Smithy's attention shifted from the frarie toward the town as he heard trumpets from below. He pulled out his looking glass and checked for signs of the trumpet's source. The group of knights that had posted the notice on his door rode toward his place again, this time in full battle gear. "Something's happened, we'd better be on our way," Smithy said before he put up the looking glass. He did not like the look of the group as he took the reigns.

Telspar was not pleased with his solo task, but felt the urgency to be gone when the knights arrived. He flew off from Smithy's shoulder and used frarie magic to transport to where the golem wizard's well hidden hovel sat within the great forest.

Shillseen flapped her wings and began to rise into the sky. She was heavy and she had ate one of the cows before they were to leave. She also carried much more weight due to Smithy's packing. Her wings worked harder to attain the proper gliding altitude. She headed south, as this was the direction of the best flatlands and fields.

Centaurs used to roam with the horse herds across the country and protected the herds from predators and humans. As the human population grew, less grazing land was available and the Centaurs eventually domesticated their herds to settle down in their own form of civilization. Centaurs were stronger and lived much longer than humans. Some Centaurs would try to teach all races in their schools, while others wanted to conquer the humans. Smithy, being illiterate, was never allowed entrance into their schools. He spent some time in study of their weapons on occasion that he was fortunate enough to encounter one.

Shillseen flew to a clearing before a forest that was known to be one of the Centaur hunting grounds. Smithy climbed down and they cautiously began to enter the forest. Centaurs were extremely adept at blending into the natural surroundings. It was more likely for them to find Smithy and Shillseen, than the other way around. Of course, a giant and a dragon would be an odd sight just about anywhere on the isle. They were less than two hundred yards within the tree line when the bushes all around rustled and signaled the emergence of a Centaur hunting party.

"You two bring evil luck to our hunt," a young Centaur said while he aimed a crossbow at Shillseen. Nearly a dozen of the half-horse, half-man creatures also aimed similar weapons at the intruders. "Leave our lands," the young one ordered.

An older Centaur galloped up in front of the boy, "Do not listen to him. Tenius is brash and blames you for the day's lousy hunt. I am Narius, why have you sought us out?" Narius asked. He signaled for the others to lower their weapons.

"We seek the Centaur King, we are planning to try to rescue his wife from the gargoyles. We hoped that you might be able to provide some help in this task. Time may be of the essence, we know she's alive right now, but for how long is anyone's guess. A frarie companion of ours has gone to seek aid from the golem wizard," Shillseen explained.

"Curse you! We can handle our own battles. Begone from our land," Tenius ordered as he aimed his crossbow at Smithy's head. This earned the young Centaur a very nasty glare from Smithy.

"Tenius, go home now! Do as I say or I'll let the dragon munch your bones for lunch after I've split your gut," Narius ordered before he drew his sword and set it across the youngster's belly. Tenius glared at the older Centaur and the intruders. His tail swished violently while he decided the older one did not bluff. He lowered his crossbow and backed away from Narius' blade. Tenius slowly galloped away from the hunting party.

"You will have to excuse Tenius, his father was sent in the first group to attempt the rescue of the Queen. Sadly, none returned from the gargoyle keep. There were fifty Centaurs sent against the stone demons. Fifty good people," Narius said sadly while he sheathed the sword.

"We're sorry to hear of your loss," Smithy stated. The rest of the group had backed away some, but still looked distrustfully at Smithy and the dragon. Some looked a bit spooked about their presence.

"Why is it that two outsiders are interested in saving the Queen?" Narius asked before he made a hand signal and the other Centaurs folded back into the forest. "It's not like we have advertised our problem or requested aid. How did you even learn of our peril?"

Shillseen over the next ten minutes told the old centaur of how she and Smithy began the quest to find out how one of their swords could have killed Prince Lefar. She explained how Helsnem had told them to go to the Unicorn King and the Mermaid Queen. But, that a stowaway frarie insisted that they help the Centaur Queen. Thus, how they came to be here in their forest.

Bird chirps and snakes hissed came from behind them which caused Narius to pause and raise an eyebrow. "Interesting story, I'll take you to see our King. But, your flight here has not gone unnoticed. Our lookouts report news of dragon slayers riding across the plain toward this forest. We must get you out before they can find signs of your presence," Narius stated while he signaled for them to follow.

They came to a large lake surrounded by boulders. "Dragon, you must go into the water and swim toward this hill. You will find an underground cave to hide in until we fetch you," Narius ordered. Shillseen did not like the idea and gave Smithy her, "do I have to?" look. Smithy nodded since they could hear the approach of hooves from the approaching horses. "Smithy, enter this rock here and follow the passage. You will be able to join your friend. Wait until I return with my King. You will be safe in here until we return," Narius reassured. He had lifted a boulder half the size of Smithy to reveal a cave. Smithy was also not happy about the option, but he complied while the boulder was set across the entryway behind him. He pulled one of the candles from his coat pocket and set it between his knees as he fished a flint stone from another pocket. He struck the flint with an arrowhead, creating sparks that eventually lit the candle.

Smithy was in a dug and chiseled cave tunnel. He found it was large enough to crawl comfortably without scraping his sides. He had to be cautious of dripping water and the occasional gust of air, while he tried to keep the candle from going out. He had to fight the panic attack from that built within him from control since this reminded him of an incident from his childhood.

Mack Smithson had been born to normal human parents. His Father was in charge of mining coal for the Lord of the local manor. Mack's dad supervised many children who were the ones that dug the shafts and mined the coal. When Mack was five, his father began to teach him the operation of the mines. When he was eight a rival lord attacked the manor and killed all whom were loyal to the old Lord. Mack was sent to work in the mines along with the other children as the new lord's slaves. They were forced to double production and mined constantly. Food and water supplies were deposited into the caves and four-hour sleep cycles were all that were allowed. He lived in a dark world lit by lanterns for four years as a slave before one of the tunnels collapsed and sealed him off from the rest of the mine. Two other boys were crushed by the rocks while another one was severely injured. Mack tried to help him, but the boy bled internally from the injuries. Within a day the boy died and left Mack alone in the tunnel. Mack found that he had plenty of food and water stored since it had been for all four of them. He waited another day to see if he could hear any sounds of a crew sent to try to dig them out. Mack panicked when there were none and he spent hours yelling until his throat hurt from the effort. Mack then began to try to think rationally as he remembered how the network of tunnels cut through the mountain. He decided it would be best to try to tunnel up and hope to hit one of the airshafts. As each day passed he noticed that he was moving more stone with less effort, but that he was also more cramped within the cavern. His clothes became too tight and he ate more food than normal. Three days after he finished off the last of the supplies he began to loose his will to live. He continued to dig in short bursts of activity and rest. Sometimes he would drink from condensation that dripped from the tunnel roof, most likely the moisture released as the corpses decomposed and from his own urine. Two days later, in desperation due to the fact that his body now nearly filled the open space, Mack struck the wall with his fist. A chunk of stone broke free from the force to reveal a shaft of daylight the size of a gold coin. Fresh air blew through the hole and he could hear birds that sung outside. A worm wiggled out of the dirt and Mack used his pinkie to grab it. He was so hungry that his aversion to the thought did not matter as he ate the worm. He used the pick to widen the hole and ate any worms or insects that happened to get too close. By the time the sun went down he could stick his head out and see where he was. The airshaft he tried to find was a good thirty yards further up the hillside. He ducked his head into the hole when he heard the sounds of one of the mine's keepers that walked nearby. The keepers patrolled the mine grounds to ensure none of the children escaped. He tried to slow his breathing and prayed that the keeper would not decide to stumble over the hole. Mack was tired of mining and wanted only to escape. Once Mack was certain that the keeper was gone, he began to work in earnest to widen the hole. By morning he was able to crawl out and run down the mountain. A keeper noted his escape and ran toward him, "halt intruder!" Mack ran directly at the keeper, whom did not recognize the boy. The keeper was about to blow a whistle to alert the others when Mack jabbed his hand into the keeper's face which caused the whistle to go down the keeper's throat. Mack noted that his hand was now large enough to wrap around the man's face and he clasped onto it. Mack grabbed the back of the man's head while the keeper struggled for breath. Mack's only thought was to keep the man from alerting the others so they could take him back into the mines. Once the keeper stopped his struggle and had turned a dark blue shade, Mack dropped the man. He took any of the man's clothes that might fit before continued down the mountain. He went directly to the church within the town, where he was received with caution. They cleaned and fed him while they did not quite believe his story of escape. After he regained his strength he left the manor town, afraid that the Lord would retaliate. For a while he worked with a traveling circus since he was unusually large. During that time he was taught by fellow entertainers the art of swords play and how to fight. Years passed before he would return to the manor town alone to seek an audience with the Lord. The Lord was now very old and relied on servants to attend to his every need. "You will free your slaves or die by my hand," Mack told the Lord.

"What slaves?" the Lord asked.

"Those you keep in the coal mines above this town," Mack replied angrily.

The Lord chuckled, "That mine was tapped out years ago. You are too late to save anyone giant. Knights, kill him." Mack Smithson had arranged his audience so that he stood between two large wooden beams that held up the roof above the Lord's throne. His time in the circus had taught him about the strength of building materials and what kept structures standing. Mack kicked the main beam to his right, a two-foot thick square beam and split it in two. The masonry above the throne began to crack while the arches began to fail. Smithy then kicked the other support beam before he backed away from the throne. The stone began to hail down upon the Lord and crush him just like the stones that crushed the boys that had worked with Mack in the coal mine. The knights outside of the destruction drew their swords and advanced on Mack.

"Was he telling the truth? Are there no longer any slaves here?" Smithy asked.

"Die monster," replied the nearest knight when he lunged to attack. The other knight decided to join in on this action. In seconds there were no longer any knights that stood to oppose Mack. Mack walked to the next set of support beams and began to break them which caused the rest of the building to collapse behind as he strode out the door. He went to the mine and quickly learned that the Lord had lied. No keeper escaped his wrath as he set the slaves free. If it had been in his power, he would have destroyed the mountain to ensure no one else fell victim to its tunnels.

Smithy had to focus back on the present while he watched the cave ahead brighten and dim with firelight. He could hear water lapp against sand. He soon crawled into a larger cavern where Shillseen lay upon the sand. She puffed out small balls of fire to light up the cavern. Her tail faced the tunnel Smithy had emerged from. Smithy chuckled, "Excellent use of your talents."

The dragon leapt up and spun around to face him, angry at the intrusion. Smithy backed away when he noted in the candlelight that this was not Shillseen. "And what would you know of my talents?" a male dragon asked as he barred his teeth. Smithy pulled his sword in he hope that the dragon would recognize it as the work of another dragon.

"A friend of mine helped me to forge this with her fire. She was coming here to wait for the Centaurs to tell us that the dragon slayers had departed. I spoke thinking you were she," Smithy replied. He wasn't pointing the sword in a threatening manner, but waved it side-to-side in a warning.

The dragon brought its head closer to look at Smithy. He sniffed the air before he puffed a plume of fire against the blade, the intensity of which would've melted any human forged blade. The sword Smithy held did not even turn red from the heat.

The dragon laughed, "Some frarie magic on the blade too and you do smell of dragon. Perhaps you tell the truth. What should I call you giant? I am Norkannon, this is my den."

"I was named Mack Smithson, but I am better known as Smithy. My dragon friend's name is Shillseen," Smithy replied cautiously while he sheathed the sword. "Do you know what might be keeping her?" he asked with concern before he looked to the pool of water.

"Who sent you in here?" Norkannon asked before he turned toward the pool.

"Narius was his name," Smithy replied.

"Too bad, he is a good Centaur, but he gets riled when dragon slayers are about. He probably didn't give your friend very good directions about the tunnels. I'll have to see if I can find her. There's some dried moss over there," Norkannon pointed into a dark area of the cavern. "Light it on fire to stay warm and we should be back soon." Norkannon slipped into the pool and was gone without a splash. Only a slight disturbance across the surface showed his path out of the cavern.

Smithy's heart still pounded from the confrontation and he was very worried about Shillseen. Most dragons were very noble creatures that only defended themselves against predators. Seldom were their stories of rogue dragons, and yet it is how all dragons were portrayed by man. It was more sensational to hunt down bloodthirsty, fire-breathing monsters. He lit the moss pile as he had been instructed to do while he hoped that Norkannon was not one of the latter types of dragons. Smithy had to trust that the Centaurs would not allow a dishonorable dragon to take safe haven in their lands.

Smithy sat near the fire and added slowly more moss from another pile. He watched the calm pool or water for Norkannon and Shillseen. He had never pondered what he would do if she died, it was a course of thought which he avoided. Under normal circumstances dragons could live thirty human lifetimes at least. Man's fear and hatred of the species had caused them to become extinct.

The water broke violently when Norkannon thrust the limp form of Shillseen onto the sand. The onrush of water nearly doused the fire before the male dragon leapt atop Shillseen's limp, non-breathing form. "She's been under too long and her lungs have filled with water. Grab her head and pull it so her neck is straight, then tilt it. Open her jaw and check to see that her tongue is out of the way," Norkannon ordered urgently. He pulled Shillseen's wings from her back and reached under them to grab hold of the forearms. He pulled these so they were parallel with her body.

Smithy did as he had been ordered, pulled her head so her neck straightened and then opened her jaw. Just as he was about to reach in to pull on her tongue Norkannon stepped on her spine and gently pushed. Smithy was not ready for the gush of water that shot out of her mouth and knocked him into the pool. He flailed and began to swim back to shore. He was slightly upset at not being warned, but was unable to hold it as he heard coughing and wheezing from Shillseen. Norkannon stretched his tail out and dropped it into the water next to Smithy. Smithy grabbed onto it and was towed the rest of the way back to shore. "Are there any predators in the water, besides you of course?" Smithy asked.

"Check yourself for leaches, they don't bother dragons, but you might be inviting," Norkannon laughed while he checked on Shillseen's breathing. He used his claws to rub her back and pressed occasionally to help force out more water. "Easy there, you were under too long. Get air into those lungs and then we'll try to reignite your flame," Norkannon said.

Smithy went to add more moss to the fire and blew on it to spread the flames. "Relight her flame?" Smithy asked. "I didn't know a dragon's fire could go out," he commented before he began to strip and check himself. He did feel several spots on his back and chest that were probably leaches. He also found some on his arms and legs. He picked up a piece of burning moss and began to remove them. One he found was extremely painful since it tried to take refuge up his anus.

"Fire and water don't mix. Dragons rarely drown, but when one almost does, the water can put out our internal flames. We must first clear out all the water from her lungs. Then another dragon is required to help rekindle the torch, so to speak. In the absence of another dragon we can seek out other entities to create the fire, but these are usually more dangerous. High caliber sorcerers can wield it, and a fire wraith could restart the flame, but might burn the patient to death in the process," Norkannon explained.

"Th, Thank you," Shillseen wheezed out while she coughed a few more times. She tried to move into a more comfortable position. She slid into the spot Norkannon rested before when Smithy came into the cavern. Norkannon moved to the other side of the beach while he looked at her.

"There's so few of us left, it would have hurt me if I could not have saved you. I suspect that Narius may have told you only part of the truth. It is very possible for dragon slayers to be out in the forest as it is known a dragon hunts these lands. Yet, the Centaurs are very good at keeping all signs of my being here hidden. I think that you may have been brought into my den as a twisted kind of favor, since it has been a long time since a female of my species has been seen. I hope that we might get the chance to know each other better. Perhaps without your giant companion," Norkannon hinted.

"How come you were not with the Centaurs that tried to free their Queen?" Smithy asked when he tried to change the subject. He had stuck his sword into the sand and used the bow to build a place to hang his clothes. Small items were stuck on arrows that he sunk into the ground. He huddled naked next to the fire, sure that neither dragon really cared.

Norkannon's head drooped, "I have an agreement with the Centaurs. Neither of us is to fight for the other. They do not kill the dragon slayers and I don't kill their enemies. At the time I made the rule it seemed wise, keeping the Centaurs from dragging me into their petty squabbles with the humans. Although, I probably should have made an exception in the Queen's case. Centaurs are too proud, they didn't even ask me if I would help them against the gargoyles."

"We are here to ask them to try another rescue attempt. A frarie has gone to request aid from the golem wizard. Time may be against our task," Shillseen explained. She began to slowly breathe normally again.

"If the golem wizard comes through and they can cause enough of a distraction, the Centaurs might have a chance. How long until you hear back from the frarie?" Norkannon asked with a tone of hope. "I shall come too if the golems fight," he agreed.

"The frarie's name is Telspar, he claims to be a prince. He stowed away in my clothes when we left the Frarie Mountains. I'm unsure how much influence he really has," Smithy explained. Smithy jumped and fell into the sand as a white flash occurred before him.

"Enough influence to make sure your privates remain that shriveled for the rest of your life," Telspar threatened while he flew over Smithy's naked body. Smithy covered his privates with his left hand to keep frarie dust from them while he tried to swat Telspar away with his right. Telspar easily avoided the blow. "For that I'll make them smaller," Telspar teased before he flew over to greet Norkannon. "We have a new dragon? My name is Prince Telspar of the frarie kingdom. The oaf summoned me by name. Luckily the golem wizard expected my visit and has his forces ready. He is marching his golems to the gargoyle castle at this very moment. He will attack them even if we don't, but he is afraid that the gargoyles will kill the Centaur Queen if they take too many casualties," Telspar explained.

"The golem wizard has animated stone and steel golems. They will be the first wave as the wood ones will try to find the Centaur Queen and bring her to safety. Golems are not the most intelligent animations. He would prefer to have the Centaurs there to guide them, or perform the actual rescue themselves as he keeps the gargoyles busy," Telspar added.

"We'd better tell the Centaur King of this so that they can help, it'll take some time for them to gather their force and join the rescue. Shillseen are you well enough to fly?" Norkannon asked while he turned to face her.

"Yes, I believe so," she replied annd she turned to face him. She was startled when Norkannon gave her an openmouthed kiss, and sent fire into her. She felt its warmth rekindle her own fire and she returned the kiss. She was saddened when he withdrew from it.

"We must go now, please follow me. Smithy, you'll need to push aside the boulder if you can. If you aren't beside the lakeshore by the time we reach it, we'll open the tunnel and I'll fly to fetch the King. Shillseen will wait there for you," Norkannon instructed before he dove into the pool.

Shillseen paused to say something. "No, just go. I'm happy for you, but we don't have the time to be distracted. Go," Smithy ordered while he began to dress in his still damp clothes. Telspar extinguished the fire with magic and led the way into the tunnel. Telspar talked constantly with details of the golem wizard experience and how lucky it was for Shillseen to have found a mate. Smithy was annoyed by the ceaseless chatter, but relieved that it helped keep his mind off the time in the coal mines.

The boulder had been removed when they emerged from the tunnel. Shillseen was waited warily as she watched for signs of dragon slayers even though Norkannon believed there were none. "All aboard, frarie can you guide me to the gargoyle castle?" she asked. Smithy climbed up into the harness and strapped in.

"Yes," Telspar replied before he flew up to look at the surrounding forest. "Follow me," he said and then began to fly east. Then he flew back and landed on her nose. "Perhaps I can just guide you, my wings are not made for long distance flights," Telspar explained before he pointed back the direction he started off in.

Smithy and Shillseen laughed before the dragon began to flap her wings. "Stay low this time or my clothes will freeze to me," Smithy said over the sound of her wings. Shillseen nodded her head while they began to gain altitude. Smithy shivered as the wind blew past him. The only good part was that the wind helped to dry the suit at the same time.

Shillseen complied with Smithy's request and flew only a few feet above the trees. The whistle of the air that passed through the treetops followed their course. Smithy watched the canopy for any signs of the rumored dragon slayers, in case Narius actually protected them from a real threat. He looked up when he heard another whistle come from their left. It was Norkannon, he flew slightly higher than they did and tried to intercept them.

Smithy watched while Telspar was told to fly to the male dragon by Shillseen. Telspar landed on the male dragon's forehead and yelled something into Norkannon's ear. The dragon made a nodding motion and also spoke to Telspar. The frarie understood and flew back to Shillseen while Norkannon altered course so that he flew above and slightly ahead of Shillseen. After a few moments Shillseen nodded and Telspar had her alter course slightly. Smithy waited a few minutes before he impatiently tugged on the reigns. Shillseen looked back and Smithy pointed for her to send Telspar back to tell him what was going on. She nodded and the frarie dropped back from her head to land on his chest.

"Why are we changing course so often? What did Norkannon say?" Smithy asked against the stinging wind. He had a feeling that instead of freezing, he was being burned by the air that passed his exposed face.

"The centaur force will be too late to the battle. The Centaur King wants us to request aid from the gnomes. If they say no, then we are to proceed. The centaurs will make all haste to reach the gargoyle keep, but it may be up to us four to aid the golem wizard in their Queen's rescue. Norkannon is a good friend of the gnomes and he hopes to convince them to help. Now quit annoying us by playing backseat driver," Telspar chided before he flew back to his perch on Shillseen's head.

The rest of the flight was dull, and Smithy drifted in and out of awareness while the steady rhythm of the wing beats lulled him to sleep. It wasn't until he felt Shillseen dive that he forced his awareness to full status. They descended into abandoned castle ruins and landed in the courtyard. Giant carved stones that tumbled from the walls were strewn about. Smithy climbed down off of Shillseen to the top of one of these blocks. He had to be cautious, as the moss came loose under his weight.

"Wait here," Norkannon ordered as he walked into the dark region underneath the standing remains. Smithy watched as the male dragon's tail was the only part still in daylight. To the Giant, this place was nothing to be concerned with, as it looked like no one maintained it since its human owners had left it. They all turned toward Norkannon's tail, as they listened to a chirp and groan language that only Telspar seemed to be able to follow.

"They are arguing and bartering with Norkannon. They say the only reason he wants to rescue the Centaur Queen is to impress Shillseen, that he is thinking with his lower head. They are telling him to leave them out of this conflict, as anyone who helps will be targeted by the new third power. They have already been visited and warned by the one who claims to be this third power, and only after it killed eight of their people did they vow to stick only to their own affairs," Telspar relayed.

Fire lit up the dark area of the castle ruins which revealed over a dozen gnomes that stood about. Norkannon walked out of the area and roared loudly which caused some of the castle walls to shake. "Let's go," Norkannon said angrily before he began to fly out of the castle ruins. One of the gnomes emerged from the darkness and spoke to Telspar.

Telspar nodded and returned words in the odd language. The gnome bowed and disappeared back into the darkness. "He said they were joking about Norkannon's motives, and hoped that the dragon would forgive their decision. They have to protect themselves and hope that they have not lost the dragon's friendship in doing so," Telspar explained.

Smithy climbed back into the harness, his legs sore and stiff from the ride there. "Tell them thank you anyway. We just hope that their trying to be neutral won't cause the whole world agony as this third party conquers us all," Smithy said while Shillseen began to flap her wings. The frarie flew to the dark area and said what Smithy asked before he returned to his spot on Shillseen's head.

Shillseen was forced to play catch up as Norkannon was driven by his anger. They flew toward a set of mountains that were devoid of any shrubbery that would normally be found on any other set of mountains on the isle. Without the plants, few other forms of life found these mountains habitable. The gargoyle castle was located within a set of seven peaks that acted as the castle's spires.

"Where are the lookouts?" Smithy asked when they approached. Normally gargoyles would be perched atop these peaks and along the walls of the castle, to act as sentries. The group dived down toward the castle and noticed the gargoyles were fighting off an attacker. Atop one of the walls stood a solitary figure, it was an old human that wore white highlighted with gold. He held a staff of wood, steel and silver that entwined together around a crystal ball. Bolts of lightning were emitted from the crystal and shattered any gargoyle too brave or foolish to attempt to attack the golem wizard.

Telspar flew down while Shillseen and Norkannon circled above. The dragons chose their targets and shot flame spears into the gargoyles below while they tried not to set any of the golems on fire. Smithy felt useless while he clung to the harness, he needed to be on the ground to steady his aim with an arrow. Telspar returned and told Norkannon where to head before he relayed the message to Shillseen. They descended toward one of the peak spires that rained down fire while they abruptly landed. Smithy happily unbuckled and dropped to the ground.

"We're too big to enter, Telspar take Smithy and some of the golems. We'll guard the peak's entrance," Norkannon ordered while he whipped his head out to bite a gargoyle in two. Shillseen spat fireballs at three others that were nearby.

Smithy grumbled while Telspar gathered half a dozen golems and sent them within the spire entrance. These mindless animations were nearly as tall as Smithy and were composed of wood, steel and stone pieces that were formed into the shape of a human body. Clear crystals jutted from an otherwise featureless face which allowed the golem wizard to see what these creatures saw. The steel was solid with joints in the hands and feet, while bars were inlaid to reinforce the arms and legs. Stone spikes jutted from the knees, elbows and shoulders as these golems had been designed for battle. Smithy wondered if his dragon steel could be used somehow to improve upon the design as they entered the spire.

"The wizard said we need to descend eight levels to find the Centaur Queen. I should scout ahead, just tell them what to do and they should obey," Telspar explained before he flew over the golems and left Smithy alone to deal with them. Smithy had no time to complain since gargoyles began to clash with the golems.

Smithy pulled his bow and notched an arrow as one gargoyle broke through the golem line. Its fangs and claws gleamed as they reflected what little light entered the corridor. Smithy could see his own reflection in the creature's eyes before he loosed the arrow. The arrow struck the gargoyle in the stomach and embedded into the stone ceiling of the corridor. Blue blood oozed down the arrow shaft as the gargoyle screamed in agony. It first fought to try to dislodge the shaft from the ceiling, while it moaned and shrieked at the effort. Smithy drew his sword and cautiously approached while the injured gargoyle began to claw the air in an attempt to slash the giant. Smithy swung his blade and sliced a cut across the gargoyle's throat which spilled the blue blood onto the ground. Smithy waited a moment to ensure that the gargoyle was dead before he walked under it to send another arrow over a golem that had been knocked onto its back. The arrow knocked two gargoyles, which stood on the fallen golem, into the other gargoyle attackers. This gave the golems a chance to regroup and press the attack.

Smithy leapt back when lightning flared out of the crystal eyes of the golems to fry the gargoyles in their path. The stench of burnt flesh assaulted Smithy while they strode over the corpses and began to descend on a spiral staircase. The staircase emerged into a large cavern with bridges at each level. Smithy kicked a pebble off the staircase and counted to fifty before giving up, he just learned that he did not want to fall off.

Smithy sheathed his sword and concentrated on the descent of the stairs. Every so often a gargoyle would rise out of the darkness below to attack the group. After he sent three of the gargoyles back into that darkness with arrows, he decided to sling the bow over his shoulder and use throwing knives instead. He had nearly a dozen of these to use, but only six arrows were left. At one point a large group of gargoyles came up out of the pit and attacked. Smithy dropped two of them with knives before he had to defend his position with his sword. He was cut on the left arm and right thigh before he could repel the attackers. He cursed loudly, echoing off the chasm walls as he wrapped the wounds with cloth. He then noted only four golems waited for him to follow. One lay some stairs further down with the crystal eyes missing and the other presumably fell off the spiral staircase.

Smithy thought for a moment. "Can you operate with only one eye?" Smithy asked the golem that faced him. The golem nodded its head in response. "You take out an eye and place it into that one's head," Smithy ordered the golem that was closest to the one that had fell onto the stairs below them. The golem did as it was told and the fallen golem got up from its face down position. They lost one of the cyclops golems in the next round of gargoyle attacks. They made it to the eighth level down and Smithy had to order them to cross the stone bridge.

Just as the golems were at the mid-point of the bridge the female demon sent to retrieve Lefnariunus emerged from the tunnel opposite Smithy. She had a smirk on her face as she let bolts of fire strike the stone that held the bridge. The stone exploded and broke apart below the golems. The golems were unable to react quickly and fell into the void below. Smithy had to back onto the spiral stairs to not follow them. He glared across the chasm at the demoness with her skeletal wings and bun-like horns.

"Gargoyles, kill this giant," the demoness ordered while her eyes flared. A dozen gargoyles emerged from below to attack him. She laughed with delight at his predicament.

Smithy saw the gargoyles an opportunity to cross the expanse. He sheathed his sword and yelled, "Come get me you lousy excuse for demons!" The gargoyles, sure that they were close to a kill, were too eager to comply. Smithy leapt from the stairs to grab a hold of two of the creatures by their legs. They flailed under his weight while the others tried to keep the giant from pulling their comrades down into the void. Smithy's stunt earned him many small cuts from the various gargoyles, but also provided him a position where he could swing across the expanse. He let go of the gargoyles once he had enough inertia to land atop of the demoness.

"How dare you?" the demoness yelled when she was pinned under his weight. Smithy grabbed her hands and forced them under her arched back. The energies she summoned only scorched her own back. She tried to violently buck him off of her, with little avail. "Damn you to Hell, smith," She spat at him.

"Ah, you have the advantage there. What do I call you, Hell bitch?" Smithy asked while he noted that the gargoyles had recovered and were back on the attack. Smithy would have to admit, the demoness was a desirable figure and he couldn't help but give her a kiss before he fled. He picked her up and tossed her at the gargoyles, amazed that she was able to twist away and fly with those bone wings. Her eyes were ablaze with her anger toward him.

"I am second only to Lucifer himself in Hell! You defile my body with your disgusting lips. Hope you never meet Shentaila again," she yelled while she fired bolts of Hell energy at Smithy.

Smithy grinned a bit mischievously while he rolled into the corridor, the entrance exploded behind him. He laughed when he noted that her attack had caved in the entrance to this level. He hoped that there was another way between the levels, perhaps airshafts. He pulled out one of his candles and lit it with his flint. "Telspar, where are you?" Smithy asked loudly before he began down the corridor with his sword ready. He wondered why the demoness was here and if there might be more of her kind in wait for them. Smithy entered a larger chamber and was momentarily blinded as the torches that surrounded the chamber lit up. The torches revealed that this was a prison. Only one of the cells was occupied and Telspar lay on the stone before that cell.

Smithy looked around and wondered who ignited the torches. Whoever it was, was also probably responsible for Telspar's condition. Something did not feel right to Smithy when he cautiously approached the cell and set his sword down next to Telspar. Smithy scooped up the frarie and looked to see what damage might have put Telspar in this state. "What happened to him?" Smithy asked.

The Centaur Queen was pale and her features were drawn as she was shackled to the floor by four chains, and her arms were secured by two hanging from the ceiling. Rotted straw was strewn around her cell and the stench of her waste was imbedded in the air. She struggled just to make eye contact and speak, "I killed him. Just as I shall now kill you!" The Centaur Queen's eyes flared just like the demoness had done. She snapped the chains and kicked the door which broke the hinges as the door flew out of the cell.

Smithy had to roll in order to keep the metal cell door that would have flattened him. He dropped Telspar into his coat pocket before he retrieved his sword. He was unsure of how to deal with the Centaur Queen. Either, she was already dead and a demon had set this trap by taking her form, or she was possessed by a demon and still needed to be rescued. In the first case he could just kill this attacker, in the latter he had to drive the demon out without harm to the Queen. A task that he knew would prove difficult, as his few previous encounters with centaurs told him that he was barely a match for their strength.

The Queen and Smithy circled in the space before the cells, the candle flickered where Smithy set it down. Smithy was desperate for an answer as he called out, "Lefnariunus I could use some guidance here!" The Queen laughed at his attempt to summon the demon.

"Lefnariunus has been captured and may not be summoned so easily, the master is punishing him. Now you shall die," the Queen aimed a hand at Smithy and shot bolts. Smithy blocked these with the sword, only to have them set the decaying straw afire. "How?" the Queen asked with surprise while she shot more bolts at him, only to have them deflected as well.

"Perhaps I summoned angels instead," Smithy said, "leave the Queen's body now and they may spare you." He hoped that the bluff might work.

"No! There are no traces of Angels here. Argh," the Queen's body was being struck by a dark energy. The energy tore the demon from the Centaur Queen's body. Smithy recognized the demon as the one with the wolf skull that had sought Lefnariunus. The Centaur Queen collapsed after the demon was pulled out of her. The dark energy wrapped coils around the demon while it fought and cursed at them. It tried to return to Hell, but the flames were extinguished while the coils wrapped tighter around the demon, and engulfed his body. The cocoon of dark energy shrank until it disappeared.

Smithy went to the Centaur Queen's side and checked for a pulse, he found a very faint one. "Thank you, whomever aided in her rescue," Smithy said aloud before he pulled Telspar from his pocket. He put the frarie's body up to his ear to try to listen for a heartbeat. He could not hear anything and was saddened as he placed Telspar back into his pocket. He would take Telspar home for a proper frarie service and to tell them of the lad's bravery.

Smithy left the Centaur Queen and inspected the rooms beyond the prison. He found some water and grains stored in one of the rooms. He brought these to the Centaur Queen and splashed her with a portion of the water to try to bring her to consciousness. It worked, but she tried to slip back into the darkness. Smithy had to slap her and nearly burn her with the candle to get her to focus her mind. He then had her drink and eat, slowly due to the starvation. Smithy left and returned with more, by this point she had recovered enough to stand on her legs and help herself.

"My name is Smithy, we need to get out of here. The golem wizard is keeping the gargoyles busy, but he won't be able to hold them off until your people arrive. I have friends waiting for us above. The problem is that the gargoyles are aligned with demons. One possessed you and another destroyed the bridge to the spire staircase. Do you know of another way up or down?" Smithy asked.

She had a little more color to her cheeks as she nodded. "There is an elevator shaft they used to bring me here since I was too large for them to carry down the stairs," she stated. "Follow me," she ordered while she munched the last handful of grain and led the way.

Smithy sheathed his sword and pulled the bow from his shoulder. He notched an arrow to use in case they encountered more gargoyles. The elevator was old, with the cage part made of wood pieces that were patched when needed. Gargoyles could fly, so this was not one of their priorities. Smithy entered after the Queen and used his free hand to turn the wheel that pulled the elevator up on ropes. Smithy said a small prayer and asked that the ropes held until they could reach their floor. It took him a half-hour just to get them from the eighth floor back to the first. By that point Smithy was drenched in sweat and he was fairly certain that his body odor was offensive, even if the Queen did not make a comment.

Smithy took the lead as he checked for gargoyles and headed to where he thought the exit should be. He took down several gargoyles with arrows. When he was down to his last arrow they were in sight of the castle courtyard and neared a cross-corridor when the female demon burst through the floor to block the path. "Move out of our way," Smithy ordered.

"Make me," Shentaila shrieked before her wings spread across the corridor. They anchored into the stone walls while she prepared to launch fire bolts at them. There was a different gleam in her eyes that challenged him while she faced them.

"If you say so," Smithy said before he pulled the bow to nearly breaking before he shot it. Shentaila fired off one of her bolts which struck the arrow mid flight and burned away the shaft. The arrowhead traveled so fast that when it struck her in the stomach, the wake itself knocked her clear out of the corridor and across half the courtyard. Shentaila's bone wings were still hung where they had been anchored in the stone and dripped blood from the bones that tore from her back. Smithy caught these when he leapt over the hole she had left when she emerged from the floor. The Centaur Queen leapt the hole in a running bound that caused Smithy to squeeze against the corridor wall.

They emerged to find Shillseen and Norkannon as they mopped up the remaining gargoyles that had not fled. The golem wizard drifted down from his perch on the castle wall to land in front of the Centaur Queen. The Centaur Queen thanked him for his aid. They all turned to the screams of Shentaila when she emerged from a pile of gargoyle corpses. She clutched her stomach where the arrowhead punched a hole. She screamed in agony again before she fell forward the impact jarred her horns from her head.

Smithy couldn't help but run over to her, "What's happening to her? I thought you couldn't kill a demon." He picked her up and rolled her over when the horns fell completely off to leave exposed bloody patches on the sides of her head. He tried to keep the blood from flowing from her stomach. "She's loosing too much blood," Smithy stated the obvious.

"She became mortal when the wings were toren off. The wounds are too severe. What is she to you that you care for this demoness?" the golem wizard asked before he came closer to examine the dying Hell creature.

Smithy began to cry, "I don't know. I just don't think she should die like this." His tears struck the wounds and there was a reaction. The blood began to boil when his tears mingled with it. Smithy was forced to back away with the others as fire emitted from Shentaila's wounds. The flames were various colors, from the red of a demon to black flames that reminded Smithy of the energy that devoured the other demon. After a few moments the flames settled on a blue hue and began to jump out to the nearby gargoyle corpses. The corpses were being stripped of their flesh and this was brought into Shentaila's body to repair the damage. Shentaila began to float within the flame and convulsed violently before a new set of wings emerged from her back. These were more like the wings of dragons than birds. She also grew new horns from the bloody spots on her head, these wrapped back to touch behind the base of her skull. When the process was complete and the flames died, her skin retained the blue color and her hair was all that remained fire red. Even when she looked up, her eyes were now the color of pearls. She then passed out and collapsed to the ground.

Smithy went to check on her, she was breathing and had a strong pulse. "She's alright," Smithy said with amazement. He picked her up and strode toward the group.

Norkannon shook his head in disbelief and he was not pleased. "She spells trouble, I can smell it," the male dragon commented. Norkannon backed away and watched with a wary eye.

"I concur with the dragon. She is still a demon even if she should no longer be living," the golem wizard stated while he checked her eyes and pulse for himself. "Never seen such and don't have any records of anything like it," the golem wizard commented.

The entire group was startled when a set of knocks came at the castle gates. The golem wizard's eyes clouded over for a moment, "The Centaur force has arrived to escort their Queen home safely." His eyes cleared up as he gave the golems orders to open the gates. "You've done good work here this day smith, don't let your heart betray that work. Kill this abomination and be done with it," the wizard suggested. The wizard led the Centaur Queen to the gate without another word.

"What do you think, Shillseen?" Smithy asked before he looked up to his best friend. All other opinions were useless to Smithy, but he counted on hers. Tears streamed down his face when he looked to meet her gaze.

Shillseen looked toward the wizard and then at Norkannon before she replied. "By any rules of nature the demoness should have perished, returning her to Hell. What happened here is bazaar and unexplained. To allow her to continue to exist may be a threat to everyone and everything. You cannot be sure that this change is for the better, any more than we will be able to convince you that it is for the worse. If you choose to let her live, those who cannot tolerate her existence may force you into exile. Ultimately," she paused as she looked at Norkannon, "do what your heart tells you is right." Norkannon puffed disapprovingly at this statement before he walked across the courtyard to greet the centaurs where they were in jubilant celebration of the return of their Queen. "If you love her, take her home," Shillseen whispered before she motioned for Smithy to climb into the harness.

Smithy climbed up into the harness and used some straps that normally held him in to secure Shentaila. He then made sure his arms were wrapped tightly in the reigns. "Home first to drop her off and then we need to go to the Frarie Mountains. Telspar didn't make it," Smithy said sadly while he indicated his pocket.

"We'll go to the mountains first, "Shillseen said, "I don't trust leaving a demon alone in our home." Shillseen strode forward while she extended out her wings, "Norkannon, I'll see you soon." Smithy chuckled at this statement as she began to flap her wings. "Don't start, we have a long journey home," Shillseen ordered before the wind became too loud for them to hear each other.

### CHAPTER 6: TRINITY

Lucifer watched the gargoyle incident as his plans fell apart in the mercury pool. He was furious and the patrons of Hell paid the price for his anger. He completely lost two of his best demons, one absorbed by some new force while the other was made mortal by the tears of the smith. Shentaila had been a good follower in the worst sense of the word, and a more than adequate sexual playmate. Lucifer would miss their intimate moments together. He would have time to turn her back to his side, she was now mortal, not an angel. Lucifer was more concerned with this third power, he had dismissed Lefnariunus's rants offhand as a ploy to save his own hide. Now that Lucifer had witnessed this power attack one of his highest demons he wanted to know more.

Lucifer summoned Lefnariunus from his punishment. The punishment this day was to be injected by a hundred needles filled with acid every two hours. The internal organs would regenerate and the painful cycle would continue. Lefnariunus writhed in the ash while he received the injections just minutes before being summoned. Lucifer watched for a few minutes before he tired of the cries of agony and waved his hand to stop the torture and restored Lefnariunus to full health. "Tell me of this SoulReaper," Lucifer demanded from his throne.

Lefnariunus moved to bow before his master then he replied. "He is a half breed, a mix of a demoness and a giant. I believe that giant is Smithy and he must mate with one of ours. SoulReaper comes from a future, one in which he has become supreme. I am unsure why he would then come back to manipulate events in this time. He only mentioned the destruction of Heaven and Hell. He caused chaos on the mortal world to facilitate his ends," Lefnariunus explained.

"Look into the pool and tell me if this event was the SoulReaper's work?" Lucifer ordered before he played the destruction of the wolf skull demon. The black energy coils wrapped around the demon and then it slowly disappeared.

"Yes, that is definitely the same dark energy that attacked Kenibich and absorbed the two angels that tried to interfere," Lefnariunus reported.

"Then we must hunt and destroy both Smithy and Shentaila, before they have a chance to have any offspring," Lucifer ordered.

"Master, begging your pardon, I just remembered something the SoulReaper said. He mentioned coming back to this time to ensure that his sister does not exist. She is to become the next godhead and oppose her brother's plans for the future," Lefnariunus added.

"Even more reason to destroy them. I prefer God as he is, he doesn't make too much trouble for us," Lucifer commented.

"Sire, perhaps you could ask Him? The alpha and omega may have plans for the future. Risking more demons without His permission might just cost us more souls," Lefnariunus stated.

"You are only concerned for your own soul," Lucifer commented angrily. Lucifer waved his hand and the mercury pool displayed the last time that he had spoke with God, it had been prior to the use of the Holy Grail to heal King Aurthur so the man could die fighting his son. "Ah, I guess I could ask Him to lunch while we talk this over," Lucifer submitted with a sigh before he waved the image away.

Lucifer's request was anticipated as always and instantly accepted. Everything stopped when these audiences occurred; Heaven, Hell and the cosmos ceased to move. Lucifer, vain to the end would normally inhabit a female supermodel's body where God could end up looking like a street bum or a healthy wise man. This time God had come as a Buddhist monk in the red smock. They met at an Italian restaurant, Lucifer had lasagna and God had angel hair pasta covered in a pesto sauce.

"Are you involved somehow with this SoulReaper, does he have some special purpose that I need to know about?" Lucifer asked while he sipped some red wine.

"He is not the true reason you sought this audience," God stated before he drank some milk. "The rest of the family is what you are concerned with. They are important to the future, you may not kill them off to get rid of the SoulReaper," God ordered.

Both were startled when they heard, "That's excellent news, not that I'd let either of you do anything to jeopardize my existence." The SoulReaper walked over and tipped one of the tables to clear it so he could sit on it.

"I smite you," God stated and pointed at the SoulReaper. A bolt of lightning shot out of God's finger to strike SoulReaper. To the deity's great surprise the bolt was absorbed into the SoulReaper'' body.

SoulReaper broke out in laughter while the monk tried multiple times to kill him. He changed his stance when Lucifer also began to try to use his powers to do the same. "Surely, you two are not trying to harm me?" SoulReaper joked. "Both of you are part of me, your power allowed me to come here when all else froze," SoulReaper pointed to Lucifer. "Your memories led me to this time and location," then he pointed at God, "Too bad you passed your power to my sister before I could absorb you. Then this little trip back in time would not be necessary," SoulReaper explained. "I'll make you both a deal, let me kill my sister's mother without interference and I'll let you remain alive to serve my vision of the future," SoulReaper offered.

"Since you are here we can ascertain that we were either to disagree or you betrayed us once we were of no further use to you," God stated.

"It serves neither of our causes to help you with yours," Lucifer agreed.

SoulReaper sent tendrils of his dark energy to touch the frozen patrons of the restaurant, they wrapped their bodies and pulled them into him. "I could absorb you both now and be done with it, but you are no threat to me. For events to be played out correctly, you are both key players. I'm sure you won't disappoint me. Now I think that I'll go watch my conception, it was the best time for me," SoulReaper commented before he disappeared.

"Perhaps we could keep time stopped until we could stop him too?" Lucifer suggested. Then time started up again and patrons screamed when their loved ones disappeared before them. The waiter looked oddly at their table as he wondered where the supermodel and monk had come from. "Or not," Lucifer said before he got up to leave. "You're supposed to be the beginning and the end, so go forward and bring this sister here to stop him. She's the only thing that monster might fear. Do you know who SoulReaper's mother is, for some reason I doubt it's Shentaila? Tell me and I'll do what I can to keep the mother safe," Lucifer promised.

"Shentaila as she will sire the SoulReaper, but after his birth she learns love and will undergo another transformation before she sires the daughter. Her anger and hate will end up in the SoulReaper. Giving her the freedom to choose to return the giant smith's love. For all intents she is mortal and can die if the SoulReaper chooses to do so after his own birth," God explained.

"So she was lost to me as soon as that giant's tears mixed with her blood?" Lucifer said sadly.

"No, she has only earned the right to ask my forgiveness. If she does not ask, I will be forced to return her to you after she lives out her life. I will not request this from her, she must do it on her own as a show of faith," God explained.

"Please, don't start on how I could return to the fold too, all I have to do is ask for forgiveness? All that prattle about my being vain and too proud to admit my mistakes. We have the same conversation every time we meet. Spare me the lecture this time, besides I can recite both sides by now. I'm evil and that's just it," Lucifer said angrily before he stood from the table.

"I'll do what I have to," God said before the monk disappeared from the table.

"So will I," Lucifer commented before the model was returned to her job, while he returned to Hell. The waiter cursed because he lost the chance to get her number and they hadn't left a tip.

### CHAPTER 7: A FAMILY AFFAIR

The Frarie nation turned out to mourn the loss of Prince Telspar as a hero who sacrificed his life for that of the Centaur Queen. Smithy did not have the heart to say anything negative when he was called upon to speak of Telspar's last days. Instead, he painted the frarie as a noble and idealistic lad. He knew that the frarie scribes would embellish the story and make Telspar's account out to be even more perilous and a much grander tale that would be told to future generations.

Shillseen was also given a chance to speak kindly of Telspar before the gathering. She emphasized the times when Telspar helped them out the most and also left out his annoyances. Smithy had to stifle a chuckle when he thought of his second meeting with Telspar as a stowaway. It was definitely a story not to be told here, especially now that he knew the lad had really been a prince. Shillseen was given the honor to light Telspar's funeral pyre. The frarie believed that the spirit would be free to move to the beyond once the body was turned to dust. This dust would be scattered throughout the mountains, to help return the frarie magic to the source.

As the funeral gathering began to disperse when the ash was being swept into a sack, Smithy checked on Shentaila. The blue demoness had not woken since her transformation. A fact that worried Smithy, but seemed to be a comfort to Shillseen and the frarie. He had tried to feed the demoness, with little to show for the effort since she spat up everything on reflex. He rubbed her forehead with a damp cloth because she felt too warm.

"You sure do know how to gather the oddest creatures to you," Helsnem commented when he landed beside Shentaila's unconscious head. "I've lived a very long time and have read histories before the age of man. Only once before have I come across a similar event. You see, Hell is based upon anger and hate. Part of the power of Hell is derived from our own feelings toward the damned souls Lucifer has gathered. For one to fall in love with one entirely of the domain of Hell is rare. Your love has made her mortal, she can die. She also contains a mortal's capacity to choose either to return to her master and her old ways, or to follow a new path for good. I fear the burden that you have placed upon your own soul by loving her. I fear more the possibility that she could learn to return that love," Helsnem explained.

"Why?" Smithy asked while he struggled to comprehend what the frarie was getting at.

"For a pure creature of Hell, one who fell from Heaven, love was lost. For one as Shentaila to be redeemed by love would cause problems for both Heaven and Hell, as it would mean that God made an error. He either could not forgive her, or did not foresee the future. As the alpha and omega, God is supposed to know all. Although, he has admitted to making the occasional mistake. Take the Christian Noah's Ark, for instance, the rainbow being God's promise to Noah never to flood the world again," Helsnem replied.

"Everyone, save Shillseen, has told me to kill her. They believe she will awake and destroy me. They are afraid. I can't kill her, I love her. It's crazy, I know. What happened to the other demon you mentioned?" Smithy asked.

"She was a younger demoness, one that had been a human prior to going to Hell. She fell in love with a great warrior. Unfortunately he was tricked into returning her love by a potion and some fancy magic. This warrior broke the spell and realized his sin, to cleanse himself he leapt onto his own sword on their bed. The demoness attempted to do the same, their blood mingled and caused her transformation. Instead of being freed from her mortal coils, Lucifer played a trick of his own as a punishment for turning from him. She became the dreaded Medusa, snake hair the sign of Hell's touch and she could no longer gaze upon men without killing them," Helsnem replied as he shook his head.

"She died," Smithy commented.

"She was freed from her mortal state and her spirit went to Heaven. The warrior who finally turned her to stone pitied Medusa, and treated her death as a mercy killing. It was his performance of the task through love rather than hate that freed Medusa's soul," Helsnem explained. "I guess the lesson is that it is what is in your heart that matters most, even if all reason begs to differ." Helsnem flew away to leave Smithy and Shentaila alone.

Shillseen walked over and nudged Smithy's back with her nose. "We'd better be on our way now. I'm hungry and the frarie have nothing to fill our bellies. The demoness is no worse I take it?" the female dragon asked with some jealousy before she walked toward the cave exit.

"No better, either," Smithy commented while he picked Shentaila's limp form up and followed.

"I for one, hope that she remains out of it until we get home. I don't need a demon blasting my wings apart mid flight. We'd be killed on impact with the ground. Can we dump the broken sword yet, I doubt we'll find anyone to fix it?" Shillseen asked.

Smithy had nearly forgotten the cause of their quest, it seemed too trivial now. He agreed that they could dump it as soon as they were out of the frarie lands. The weight was useless and could help ease Shillseen's burden. He wondered what had happened to Lefnariunus while he strapped Shentaila into place and grabbed onto the reigns.

Smithy unbuckled the cover roll after they crossed the boundary of the frarie lands. He cautiously brought the roll to lie between him and Shentaila while he began to undo the roll. He grabbed the top half and was about to throw it when the hilt touched Shentalia's skin. Smithy felt drained as energy flowed out of him and into the piece of metal he held. He watched a similar energy was being drawn from the demoness. The sword jerked together and the break healed, Smithy jerked the sword up so that the hilt no longer touched Shentaila.

"What's going on back there?" Shillseen asked since she immediately went into a hover mode. Her wings flapped only enough to keep them where they were. "I felt something change," she said while she looked back, "Oh." She looked in amazement since Smithy now held the sword high by the hilt.

"It touched Shentaila as I was touching the tip. The sword drew energy from us both and restored itself," Smithy replied. He grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around the weapon and made sure that it would not touch Shentaila again. He strapped it back into the harness and then checked on Shentaila while he hoped that the sword had not harmed her. Her pulse was slightly better than before and the fever had dropped some. Smithy told Shillseen to continue on. He felt tired and it wasn't long before he fell asleep.

Smithy woke as he felt Shillseen descend rapidly. He checked to see if they were under attack and noted they were over their land. He didn't understand why she was practically falling out of the sky. He checked Shentaila, she was still out of it and could not have caused this. He yanked on the reigns in an attempt to get a response from Shillseen. Her wings trailed to his sides as the air forced them up. He cursed as he stood from the harness and greatly clasped onto the reigns. He wished he had spent some time to devise a means to survive if the dragon was knocked out.

He continued to hold the reigns as he began to use his feet to push down on the main bones in Shillseen's wings. He hoped that he would be able to shift them down without harm to Shillseen. He cursed himself for not checking to see if she had a pulse before he moved to this stance. If she was dead, he could possibly use the blanket and harness to get the demoness to safety.

Slowly, he applied more pressure and was able to move her wings down so that they were glid. He could shift one wing up and allowed him to turn their descent. He aimed straight for the mountaintop since there was a pond at its peak. This pond was fed by an underground spring and was how Smithy got all his water. Smithy doubted that he could slow them down enough for the pond to cushion their fall, but it was all he could think of at the moment.

He yelled many times in the attempt to get a response from his dragon friend. He had no indication that she heard. He checked on Shentaila, and decided to unstrap her from the harness. He held onto the reigns with his left hand to guide the glide while he unstrapped the demoness. He grabbed her garments and braced for the impact. He released the reigns and leapt from Shillseen's back just before she slammed into the pond's surface. The resultant wave caught Smithy and Shentaila in mid air and smashed them against the sand shore. Smithy had to fight against the water while it receded and attempted to drag them back into the pond.

Once he was sure Shentaila was safe he dove into the pond to try to make sure Shillseen would not drown. He had a hard time since their violent splashdown mucked up the water and so he had to go by feel. Luckily the pond was not large and he knew where the deepest point was located and he figured this would be where Shillseen would have settled. He bumped into one of her extended wings and was able to follow it to where her head lay. He grabbed onto her head and swam it up to the surface. Smithy panicked when he found that she had not taken in any breath. He swam back down and literally picked up her body and ran in the muck toward the nearest shoreline. He used all his might to toss her as far up out of the water as he could. She settled back down into the water, but was now far enough that he didn't have to keep her head out of it. He positioned her head at the low point in the shore and leapt onto her back. He attempted to repeat the motions Norkannon used to clear her lungs before. When no water came out of her, Smithy checked for a pulse. He could not find one and was unsure of what to do. He tried to find the spot that he thought her heart should be and pounded there with a double-fist blow. "No, I won't let you go," Smithy yelled in frustration while he repeated the blows.

Smithy quickly tired and fell to his knees in the water. He cried while he had to struggle for breath. "God, I know it's not her time. Please, there are so few left. She's my only friend. Don't let her die," Smithy prayed while he placed his hands on her scaly belly. "Please Lord, save her," Smithy pleaded as he cried.

"Sorry, he's too busy to hear your request," a familiar voice stated from the rocks above Smithy's position. Smithy leapt at the demon's declaration. He was simply angry at the intrusion.

"You did this to her, didn't you Lefnariunus?" Smithy accused while he leapt to climb the rocks to where the demon stood.

"Yes, but you were the intended target. You are the cause of all the trouble facing both Heaven and Hell. My master wants you dead. She was only collateral damage. Would you trade your life for hers?" Lefnariunus asked while he moved away from Smithy's advance.

"What, my soul doesn't already belong to Lucifer? He has to send his lackeys to barter with me?" Smithy asked before he bound over a crevice in the rocks between him and the demon. He pulled his sword from its sheath and advanced.

"Problem was that all the sins you carry about like wounds were done out of love. Yes, even killing the Lord and his knights who enslaved you was an act of kindness for those that were still being held as slaves. You were forgiven soon after, there was no need for your self inflicted penance and exile," Lefnariunus explained while he dodged Smithy's slashes. "Kill me, she stays dead," the demon pointed to Shillseen's limp body.

Smithy paused his attack to regain his breath. "Wouldn't help to kill you anyway, you'd just return to Hell and be back. Tell me demon, how am I the cause of both Heaven and Hell's problems? You owe me that before I decide," Smithy demanded.

"I only owe you the pain my master has inflicted upon me! Very well, by freeing Shentaila from Hell you created a series of events that led to the creation of this third power. We need your death to ensure these events will not occur. Our hands cannot kill Shentaila as she is still mostly from our realm. Her mortality allows her the choice to return to us, if we kill her outright then God gets her automatically. An option that my master is reluctant to perform as he holds out that she will return to her true form," Lefnariunus did not disguise his doubt and disgust at his master's whims.

"My life for Shillseen's," Smithy commented before he placed the sword into the ground.

"That's the deal," Lefnariunus agreed.

Smithy looked across the pond to where he left Shentaila. He was saddened by the thought that he might see her again in Hell. What would they do that could jeopardize so much? He then glanced back to Shillseen's body. She had connected with Norkannon and would most likely become his mate. Smithy had practically seen their pack in her eyes when she looked at Norkannon, and knew the male dragon had shared those feelings.

"Do it," Smithy growled at the demon. Smithy was surprised when Lefnariunus began to convulse when the demon reached out to take Smithy's soul. The dark energy that had destroyed the demon that possessed the Centaur Queen oozed out of Lefnariunus' eyes and engulfed the demon's body. Smithy stepped back and drew the sword from its place in the ground.

Smithy gawked when the dark energy formed into SoulReaper. Except for the demonic features of a tail and horns, the boy looked like a younger version of Smithy. There was no white surrounding this being's eyes and he smirked widely. "I told them to leave you alone, did they listen? No, they did not. I'll have to show Lucifer the error of his ways. Ah, we can't have aunt Shillseen dead so early," SoulReaper stated before he thrust his left hand within his own stomach. "Lefnariunus has her soul still he held it to barter with you," SoulReaper withdrew a gleaming ball of light and threw it at Shillseen's body. Shillseen immediately began to cough and spit fire before she became conscious.

"Thank you," Smithy said dumbly while he looked over the man, "son."

"I did not do this for you. Shillseen's children will become my steeds, my seven flying death storms. They will serve me well," SoulReaper chuckled while he looked across the pond to Shentaila's form lying in the sand. "So peaceful, I'll leave you alone now," SoulReaper stated before the dark energy began to disappear.

Smithy yelled before he thrust the sword he held into the dark mass. The energy coalesced back into the SoulReaper with the shock of the strike across his face. Then the shock turned to anger before he struck Smithy and knocked him three-quarters the distance of the pond.

SoulReaper stood squarely while he yelled out in pain. He bled from the wound in his chest. The dark energies battled with the frarie magic which caused a multitude of light spectrum rays to emerge from the wound.

Smithy swam toward Shillseen with the hope he could reach the sword wrapped in the blanket. Shillseen was now recovered enough to understand the situation. She sent a plume of fire into the SoulReaper and set him ablaze. "The sword, get it out of the blanket," Smithy yelled before he reached the shore. Shillseen understood and reached back to tear the straps off and grabbed the blanket and unrolled it toward Smithy. The sword splashed into the water in front of Smithy and he retrieved it.

By this point SoulReaper had pulled the frarie enchanted sword from his chest and doused the flames with his power. "Why, why did you strike me Father?" SoulReaper angrily asked while he held up the sword. SoulReaper's wound was still oozed a blood-like fluid onto the stones.

"No son of mine would take such pleasure in causing death. You may be of my flesh, but you are a far cry from my soul," Smithy replied while he bound up the rocks to face the SoulReaper. He motioned for Shillseen to fly across and protect Shentaila. The dragon frowned, but did as he requested.

"Ah, Lefnariunus must have fed you lies. You were always damned from birth. Even if all your acts were forgiven, you are a purveyor, a profiteer of death. You make weapons that kill hundreds of soldiers every year, damning you just as much as those who used them. Don't tell me they were only tools, or that people kill people. Your weapons gave King Oothier's force an unfair advantage over their adversaries. You have no idea how difficult it was to break that sword you hold now," SoulReaper exclaimed while he clutched the hole in his chest.

"Let's see if you can do it again?" Smithy yelled before he began to assail SoulReaper. Sparks flew as the impact of swords shook the bones of both combatants. Each clash reverberated across the valley below and sounded like thunderclaps to those in the village. Blows that missed sometimes struck the rocks they stood upon, shattered stone and caused boulders to tumble down the mountainside.

"Enough of this foolishness," SoulReaper exclaimed before he threw the sword at Shillseen. The frarie sword's path was true and would've pierced Shillseen's heart if it hadn't been for Shentaila. The demoness had awaked from the noise of the battle. She had understood the battle and retrieved Smithy's bow. She notched an arrow and leapt to intercept the frarie sword, she let loose the arrow when the sword pierced her chest.

"No," SoulReaper yelled out when the sword impaled his mother. He did not have time to contemplate the event before the arrow struck him in the temple and knocked him clear off the mountain peak. SoulReaper's body tumbled down the mountainside.

Smithy had echoed his son's protest before he sheathed the sword he held and ran across the ridge to the other side of the pond. Shillseen scooped up Shentaila's body and flew her to meet Smithy. She set down the demoness' body gently and flew to a nearby perch strong enough for her weight. Smithy crouched down by Shentaila's side, "why?"

"Why do you love me?" Shentaila struggled to say. The sword pierced her left lung and she bled onto the stones. "He was my hate, it had to die," Shentaila explained with a wheeze and she began to cough. "I'm cold, first time ever, I'm cold. Hold me?" she asked.

Smithy pulled the demoness up and pulled the sword slowly from her. He took off his wet coat and wrapped it around her while he used the arms to tie it tight. He then held her next to his chest with his cheek against hers. They both cried because they were not sure what to do. "Kiss me, before I loose the ability to enjoy it," Shentaila ordered with a chuckle.

Smithy took in a deep breath while he tried to summon all he felt for her and put them into this one kiss. The range of emotions he had faced this day were so diverse, so wide that he felt as if he were trying to strip his soul to bear for her within this moment. He placed his lips onto the demoness'. In that instant he lived Shentaila's entire life from when she fell from Heaven, at the same time she was living his life.

When they were finally forced to break the kiss to take in air, they both knew that from this day forward they were husband and wife. "Well, I hope that's the last time for both of you. Go look in the pond and you'll see what I mean," Shillseen commented with a shake of her head.

Smithy did not need the pond to see how Shentaila had changed. Her skin was now pale and her hair a shade of red more natural to humans. He pulled the coat off to check on her wound and found it was no longer there. The wings were now more like an angel's, with long white feathers. She also inspected him with some interest.

Hand-in-hand they went to look down into the pond. Smithy noted the change in his hair immediately, where his dark black mane had been it was now gray. A demon-like bone horn crown came out from behind his ears and peaked at his forehead. He ran his free hand over this while he studied the two large bone spikes that arched out of his shoulders toward his head. "What are these for? I look like a giant demon with these," Smithy complained.

"I told you two were an odd pair," Shillseen commented before she turned to look down the mountain. She spotted a body about three-fourths the way down. "We should probably check on your son, make sure he's dead," she commented before began to flap her wings.

"He's gone, whatever you see down there isn't SoulReaper," Shentaila stated.

"We'll look anyway," Smithy said before he offered Shentaila a kiss and hand while they followed the dragon and climbed down the mountain. Shillseen waited next to the body as they reached it. Lefnariunus lay on the rocks that stopped his tumble, broken in half with the wound Smithy put in the SoulReaper.

"Odd, we normally can't be killed by mortal weapons," Shentaila commented while she leaned in closer to inspect the body. The broken end of the arrow shaft jutted out from the demon's temple where she had fired it into SoulReaper.

"Our weapons are not normal dragon steel, they are also frarie enchanted. They killed you once, perhaps twice," Shillseen retorted before she puffed to blast the demon corpse with fire. The demon's body caught aflame and was soon engulfed. Shillseen let them get onto the harness before she flew the rest of the way down to Smithy's house. She let Smithy take off the harness before she gave him a good look over. "Sort of a wizened king crossed with a demon look. I think it's an improvement," Shillseen joked.

"Go eat what you want, rest here if you'd like. Then go to Norkannon," Smithy ordered. "Just let me visit sometime," Smithy requested before he dumped the harness next to the house. He kept his back to Shillseen.

"So it's like that? Tell me, what will you do now smith?" Shillseen asked while she tried to force him to look in her eyes. He continued to turn away.

"I'm tired of death, maybe I'll learn to live," Smithy replied before he turned to face the dragon while he wrapped an arm around Shentaila. "Do you know any good priests willing to perform our wedding ceremony?" Smithy asked jokingly. He knew no human priests would and even the fraries would want to skip it. Shillseen shook her head and did the dragon equivalent of a shrug.

A flash of light occurred and faded to reveal an angel. Shentaila bowed to the ground while Smithy took up a defensive posture. The angel smiled and waved, "I mean no harm to any of you. You were requesting someone to serve as an overseer to a most unusual wedding ceremony. The Lord has asked me to perform it as a personal favor. There is one hitch, however, you two will only have daughters. We cannot take the chance that SoulReaper might return," the angel explained.

Shentaila stood up at this requirement. "If he didn't exist to set these events into motion, how would we have met?" she asked. "If he didn't break Smithy's sword in the first place, he would never have embarked on the quest that brought us together," she pointed out.

"Who is this angel?" Smithy asked with a hand placed so he could pull his sword. Shentaila halted him when she set a hand on his. She shook her head, but this did not ease Smithy's concerns.

"He is Gabriel, head of all angels of Heaven," She whispered into his ear. "Calm yourself, he means us no harm." She nodded back at the angel.

"Let's just say that events will be changed so that you two still meet and end up together. I will return when you have had time to get to know each other better and have planned your wedding. There are many on both sides who will wish to attend. I will return when you are ready," Gabriel smiled before he became light and disappeared.

Smithy picked up Shentaila, "See you and Norkannon at the wedding," he told Shillseen before he kicked the door to the house open. Shentaila giggled mischievously when he kicked the door shut. "Daughters are fine with me, " was the last thing Shillseen wanted to hear before she picked a cow to snack on. Then she flew toward the Centaur lands to Norkannon's den for some mating plans of her own.

### THE END OF BOOK 1.

### THE WARRIOR SMITH

### PROLOGUE

The wedding of Mack Smithson and Shentaila was a grand event of proportions that even the King would come to envy. Gifts were presented by the Frarie nation, the Centaur Kingdom, the gnomes, the angels and even Lucifer. The night sky was lit with both human and dragon made fireworks. The wedding rings were crafted by Frarie jewelers and bound with magic of several realms.

As a side note: Shillseen and Norkannon were wed the same day with the Centaur King and Queen which presided over their custom ceremony. Dragon vows were much simpler, as they took into account the hunted nature of their kind and called on the other to re-mate if one died. It was a happy, but more somber ceremony.

The King offered Smithy a lordship and lands to the East. Smithy asked if there were slaves on this lordship. When the King said there were, Smithy rejected the offer and told the King that he could not in good conscious support such a practice and that the King should be ashamed of himself. Only because it was Smithy's wedding day, did the King let Smithy question his rule. Shillseen and Shentaila quickly pulled Smithy away so he could not force the issue.

Within the next bliss-filled month Shentaila was pregnant with a daughter. Shillseen announced that she was pregnant with a son. Both families prepared for the arrivals and made changes to their homes. Smithy built new rooms on the house as Norkannon dammed up a section of the underground water pool for a new den.

Smithy was allowed to return to sell his products. Without Shillseen, his steel was only slightly better quality than any human smith's. He vowed never to make weapons again to the dismay of most of his customers. Jim Unison's store went out of business when he could no longer profit from Smithy's wares.

The townspeople still feared him even more since the battle atop the mountain. Rumors quickly spread that he was really a demon who battled and defeated a lower god on the mountain peak. There was some truth to their fiction. He did not try to stave off their stories since he had even more reason now to remain private. He moved the distribution center of his products to Havenshare which helped to boost their economy. All of the left over weapons in his storeroom that were not needed were given to Telsock to be used to defend against Orges.

Smithy spent the next several years raising his family. He tried to stay as far out of the public eye as possible. Then the King died mysteriously, some thought he had been poisoned. Prince Paul perished abroad in one of the King's expansionistic schemes. Smithy was summoned to the castle by Prince John. Shentaila did not want him to go and plead for him to take the family out of the land to a place they could live in safety away from the schemes of evil men. "Don't you see what is happening, Lucifer lost and is now looking for revenge?" Shentaila pleaded.

"I know, but Prince Rettep's only chance might be my help. Should I run, you know that is not my nature? Take the children to Aunt Shillseen's and stay there until you learn else wise or I come for you. Please?" Smithy begged before he kissed her.

Smithy assembled the remaining pieces of dragon steel weapons that he had. He wore a chain mail vest and strapped on an arsenal of weapons that he had forged many years before. The main pieces being the sword that he used to kill the Soulreaper and the one he had healed with Shentailia's help. Both he and Shentailia remembered their son, but no one else did -- not even Shillseen.

Smithy was surprised when he strode out of his house. Norkannon loomed over the structure and wore the spare harness Shentaila had fashioned so they could both ride dragons. Telsock and Rotan were dressed in full battle gear and riding horses. Narious and Tenius were also garbed for war. Helsnem flew with a group of younger Frarie near Norkannon's head. Smithy shook his head and indignantly asked, "She told you I needed babysitters?"

"No, she thinks you need an army. We're what you've got," Rotan said flatly.

"Thank you," Smithy stated before he climbed into Norkannon's harness and strapped in. He admired Shentailia's work since there were two sections at the front and back of the harness that contained sheets of cloth tethered to create air bags to use if the dragon lost consciousness. She also designed a more comfortable saddle-like device that could be used to sit up on the dragon's back or if laid down on your stomach. Smithy found that if he sat upright was easier on the dragons since his shoulder spikes tended to hit the dragon's neck while they moved.

"Let's be off to the King's castle. Prince John is sure to be anxious to see me. I expect a trap, be on your toes and hooves," Smithy warned before he tugged the reigns slightly. Norkannon gave him an odd look. "Take off will you," Smithy said, "Please?"

"Now that's the magic word," Norkannon said before he began to flap his wings. The male dragon's ride was smother than Shillseen's since his muscles and wings pushed more air with each flap. Those below shielded their eyes when the dust kicked up.

"See any dragon slayers on the way here?" Smithy asked. Another of Shentailia's additions were a pair of small flexible tubes that ran up the dragon's neck, one led to its ear as the other wrapped into its mouth. The other end of the tubes were tied to Smithy's coat next to his neck and one went into his left ear.

"No, but I think they're loosing interest. Can't find any of us to hunt anymore," Norkannon commented. "Neither of us better die today or our wives will drag us out of Hell to whip us good," Norkannon added with a laugh.

"With eight mouths to feed, I hear you," Smithy said in agreement. Norkannon flew in circles every so often to allow those on the ground to catch up. They wanted to present a unified front when they arrived at the castle.

The royal castle was one that had been conquered by King Eldward Oothier and then built even larger over the years. Nine spires rose into the sky on towers larger than six peasant hovels wide. From above the castle looked like an unplanned patchwork of different engineering concepts. Granite blocks, slate chunks, cobblestone and shale were used for building materials to form the different sections. Banners whipped in the wind atop the sires and on posts attacked to the castle's outer walls.

Norkannon waited for the group below to reach the castle moat before they descended to land upon the guarded drawbridge. The guards were startled since they had only read of dragons in story books. "I am Mack Smithson, Prince John has requested my presence. These are my friends and shall be treated as guests, or I shall return home," Smithy stated while he stared at the guards below. One of the guards ran off into the castle to tell Prince John of this development. "I would also request Prince Rettep's presence at my audience with his brother," Smithy stated while he unbuckled from the harness and dropped to the drawbridge.

"I'm sorry sir, but Prince Rettep died in a hunting accident last evening," the guard told him.

"Take me to him now!" Smithy ordered after he waved for the others to remain there. "I need to see the body!"

### CHAPTER 1: LOST FUTURE

Smithy was led into the church structure where peasants and friends of Prince Rettep mourned his death. Smithy ignored the priests who tried to bar his entry, they were smart enough to move rather than be moved. He searched the faces that were interrupted from their mourning and did not find Prince John's among them. Not that he expected John to be here, was most likely busy in the attempt to ensure his ascension to the throne.

Smithy stood over the casket and sadly looked over Prince Rettep's body. "Tell me how this happened?" Smithy asked after he turned to face the knights and lords that were Rettep's closest friends. He turned back to the casket because he did not want to let his threatening presence cause their tongues not to work.

"It was an accident sir. Our hunting party was in the woods to the West of the castle. We had tracked a very skittish buck for several miles. Prince Rettep ordered that the party split into four groups. Two would spread out in the current position to form a half circle while the other two would flank the buck's position to form another half circle and drive the buck back toward the first two groups," a squire answered.

"A very effective method under normal circumstances, sire. We had performed this maneuver many a time without injury to any of our hunters," one knight added.

Smithy ignored the sire title while he turned to face them with a calm expression. "How was the circumstances of this hunt different? Why did he die, what was the cause?" Smithy asked.

"Sire, we can only say that we do not believe the buck was a dear, or any other natural creature we've ever faced," Omar Relth stood forward to say.

"Why do you keep calling me sire?" Smithy asked after he turned to the body, "He should have that title."

Omar Relth came to Smithy's right side. "King Eldward Oothier left a proclamation to be followed should his death have been by other than natural causes. He feared that Prince John had allies with the demons from Hell. He knew that these demons would help Prince John destroy his brothers. In the proclamation he named you to succeed to the throne if Prince Rettep were to die unnaturally. Prince John summoned you here to try to kill you, then none could challenge his claim to the throne. I pledge my sword and those I lead to you," Omar Relth claimed. The senior knight bowed to Smithy.

Smithy was about to protest before he turned to watch and listen as every knight and peasant within the church claimed their allegiance to King Smithy. Smithy was about to laugh and leave the castle before Queen Penelsie Oothier and one of her daughters came forward. "Mack Smithson, please listen before you decide. We have all lost our husband or children to the forces of Hell. My husband disliked you, certain that you would come to challenge his rule. When you did not, we kept you under surveillance. Reports came in that you cherished your family more than anything. Before he died, Eldward freed the slaves you were so passionate about. The declaration did not see the sight of those who could enforce it, Prince John burned the document. If he is allowed to rule, all lives will suffer," Queen Penelsie pleaded.

"On that point I am entirely in agreement, my Lady. If I had known I was being summoned to war I may have gathered a larger force. As it is, we must tread cautiously. How do I know there are none here that are Prince John's spies? Omar Relth, please tell Prince John that I will attend his request after I have mourned properly for his brother. Also, I have friends at the gate. Let them also pay their respects. We will have much to discuss," Smithy requested.

The elder knight nodded, told two knights to follow and left the church. The Queen and her daughters smiled, bowed and returned to their seats. "Squire, can you learn exactly where Prince John is within the castle and report back here," Smithy asked a young blond boy. The boy looked doubtful that he could.

"I may be able to sire," a young female peasant said from the back of the room. "I bring Prince John his midday meal. He will either be in the war room or his quarters. If he's in his quarters, it may be some time before I can report back." The girl blushed while she stated this. The Queen and her daughters glared disapprovingly at the servant's suggestion.

"How long until you are expected?" Smithy asked since he was uncertain of the peasant's motives for volunteering.

"A quarter-hour sire," She replied.

"Come here girl, let me have a better look at you," Smithy requested before he had a thought on how to check her loyalty. "Kneel down. Good, now do you swear on your very soul that your intentions are true? Do you swear that you are not an agent of Prince John sent to spy on us?" Smithy asked.

The girl's bright blue eyes met Smithy's. "Yes sire, by my soul I am yours to command," She answered. Smithy pulled the sword he and Shentailia healed, and placed it on her shoulder with the edge against her neck. "Sire, I swear I am yours only," she desperately pleaded. The priests all yelled at Smithy while the others were taken by surprise. Smithy concentrated and let some of his energy flow into the sword, it began to glow red.

"She lies, please take her so she cannot tell her master that we are plotting against him," Smithy pulled the sword away from her neck while two knights approached to comply. The peasant shrieked before her eyes flared fire and her nails grew to be three foot long claws. Small horns burst through her matted black hair. She slashed out at the knights who were barely able to leap out of the way. A priest ran up and was unable to defend himself with words and the holy book when the demoness' claws passed through the leather bound pages into the priest's heart. The priest's blood was flicked across the mourners while the demoness threw the body at Smithy.

Smithy ducked and the priest's body smashed through the stained glass window to land in the courtyard below. Smithy sheathed the sword before he pulled the long bow off his shoulder. He notched two arrows into the bow and watched the demoness' movements. He did not want to cause the deaths of innocent mourners. Although, he had not been in any true battles these many years, he had practiced on dummies with Shentailia's direction. He took careful aim and yelled, "She-demon, it's me you want! Come get me!" The demoness turned her full attention toward Smithy and was about to leap toward him. She left the floor and Smithy let loose his arrows. They struck true into her eyes and carried her over the mourners, the flame burst knocked everybody down. Smithy sat back up to see the two arrows cool down from where they embedded in the stone across the room, another one of Shentailia's improvements was to make hollow steel shafts with wire feathering that would not be destroyed when a demon was sent back to hell.

"Anyone else hurt?" Smithy asked while he waited for the arrows to cool so he could retrieve them. He was startled when a voice replied from the broken stained glass window.

"Sure, couldn't wait for us to kill a demon. You go in and burst things up, typical," Helsnem commented when he and his group of Frarie landed on Prince Rettep's casket. Helsnem checked the body, "Definitely her work alright. But she did a bad job. His soul hasn't left yet. There's a chance we could save this boy. But we need to get him to the Unicorn King's palace. Only a unicorn's horn will heal his wounds and restore his soul. We have only a few hours before his soul will become lost in purgatory and forgets who he was."

Smithy pulled the arrows out of the stone and stood to face the Frarie. "Are you sure, they probably won't let us take him?" Smithy asked before he swung the bow over his shoulder. The Frarie all nodded. "Queen, mother of Rettep, I need your permission here?" Smithy turned to ask.

"Yes, go. If you can save him go," Queen Penelsie replied. She was practically in tears of joy. So was the wife of the prince.

Smithy wrapped his left arm around the casket and lifted it just as the sound of armored knights came crashing through the church doors. "Halt monster, how dare you desecrate our beloved Prince Rettep in this manner," Prince John barked. The knights within the church drew their weapons and advanced toward the ones with Prince John.

"Beloved, you claim to love your brothers? Come now, you plotted with Lucifer himself to have them and your Father murdered! You will join your master in Hell soon enough. Out of my way," Smithy bellowed while he ran toward the doorway. Prince John's knights launched arrows at Smithy, who laughed when they struck his chain mail and bounced off. Smithy gently pulled Prince Rettep's body free of the casket and threw it at the line of knights, knocking them into the courtyard. Smithy leapt their bodies and ran toward the gate. "Norkannon, get us out of here," he yelled through the gate as he punched the guards into the moat. He could hear Prince John's Knights clashing with Omar Relth's behind him. "Where is Omar Relth, I sent him to fetch you," Smithy asked as he drooped the limp body of Prince Rettep over the shoulder opposite his bow and began to crank up the metal cage door. Norkannon reached under the gate as soon as his claw would fit and shoved it up.

"Quickly now, they're coming," Norkannon ordered while he waited for Smithy to clear before he dropped the gate back into place. "They slit Omar's throat as he came to order our entry. They wanted you inside alone for this trap," Norkannon explained while he shot a burst of flame to burn the rope spool to the gate.

Smithy leapt into the harness and began to strap Prince Rettep securely into it. "Let's fly to the Unicorn King's palace," Smithy ordered while he waved the others to take off. Smithy strapped in as Norkannon ran along the dirt road and zigg-zagged when arrows fell from the castle escarpments. "Why are you running instead of flying?" Smithy asked.

"Prince John expected a dragon to show with you. There are dragon slayers with harpoons and other devices along the escarpments. They're not made to shoot at the ground. I'll fly once we're out of their range," Norkannon explained before he zagged to avoid a boulder.

Smithy pulled the bow from his shoulder and notched an arrow to return fire. Then he noted that the knights inside the gate had rigged their horses to the remaining section of rope, they would soon have the gate open. He fired the arrow at the remaining rope, cutting it in two. The gate slammed down on the first group of knights trying to climb under it, impaling them on the sharp spiked bottom. Smithy fired four more arrows before they were out of his range.

Smithy looked down at Prince Rettep's body and hoped they could save the boy in time. He glanced at the knights and centaurs he had brought with him. "Well, we have officially gone to war," Smithy stated. "Tenius, Narius, please head back to your king and request his support against Prince John. Also, tell our wives our destination and that we hope to restore Prince Rettep to his proper place. Knights of Havenshare, it is up to you if you wish to join this quest or return home. I will not blame you if you choose Havenshare. Frarie, I make the same offer to you," Smithy said.

"We are needed for you to meet the Unicorn King," Helsnem replied.

"Rotan shall return to Havenshare to prepare it for any retribution Prince John may send against it for because we backed you. I will continue this course for our rightful king," Telsock replied. Rotan wanted to object, but Telsock made it clear that his statement had been an order. Rotan grudgingly took the next path fork toward Havenshare.

"Helsnem, which way do we fly?" Smithy asked.

"North West about two rivers and a valley," Helsnem replied. Stay in the valley and we'll seek the Unicorn King. Helsnem and the Fraries he brought spun into a circle flight pattern. Their glow brightened to engulf the group and they were gone.

"Try to catch up when you can, but don't tax yourself. I may need you to save me," Smithy ordered before Norkannon began to rise from the dirt into the sky above the trees. They adjusted in the direction Helsnem stated and quickly flew across the land. Norkannon poured all his energy into the flight because he knew that Prince Rettep's only chance lay in the rejoin of his soul to his healed body quickly.

Smithy pondered the actions he took. Shentailia did not want to be a Queen over the land and that much he was sure of. She had her fill of power while she served Lucifer and did not want the temptation a similar state would bring. Smithy only wanted to be left alone, but knew if he did not save Prince Rettep, he would definitely be at war with Prince John. Even with Prince Rettep restored to life, it may take a war to make him King. He wondered where the gnomes stood now that his son was no threat to them. Somehow he knew they would probably attempt to remain neutral again.

Just as Norkannon flew across the first river Helsnem mentioned, he veered off course. "We have company," Norkannon explained before he dove toward the enemy which rose from below. Smithy caught a glimpse of it before Norkannon pulled up to move his rear claws into attack position. The creature probably had been a dragon at one time, but this was definitely a demonic version. There were no wings that stretched across the bone structures that the monster flapped, flesh was existent only on the arms and body as the skull eyes were filled with flame.

Smithy held the reigns with his left arm while he drew the Frarie sword in his right. Norkannon struggled with this demon dragon received more wounds than he gave. "Disengage and fly around it. Let it think you're going to attack again and then dive below it," Smithy explained.

Norkannon got the idea and pushed away from the demon dragon while he swooped in a circle to bear back on the enemy. The demon dragon smelled Norkannon's blood and hungered for his flesh. It quickly turned to face Norkannon, ready for the next strike. When Norkannon folded his wings back at the last moment and dove just below the demon's claws, the demon dropped his head in astonishment. This was to the demon's downfall since Smithy's Frarie sword dug into the creature's neck.

The dragon demon snapped back its neck in pain while it screeched out. Smithy was forced to let go of the sword or be drug off Norkannon. He watched while the creature flailed about in an attempt to draw the sword from its neck.

Norkannon laughed while he swooped back around to face the demon dragon. He bellowed a mighty roar before he blasted the monster with a stream of fire. The demon merely flapped its fleshless wings and the flames extinguished.

"Can you fly at it and flip over so we pass just over its neck?" Smithy asked before he pulled out the other sword. Norkannon nodded and flapped to gain both height and speed. Smithy tied the reigns to his belt so he could free both hands. There would be only one chance to kill this thing, and he hoped that the harness straps held.

Norkannon performed the maneuver with near perfect precision. Smithy struck with the healed sword while he grabbed a hold of the Frarie sword. Norkannon's speed did the rest as the blades sliced off the demon dragon's head. Norkannon righted his flight and circled once to watch the demon parts crash into the earth below. The head rolled into the river and was quickly carried away by the current.

"Let's go, we've wasted too much time," Smithy stated while he sheathed the swords. He cursed Lucifer silently since the ruler of Hell knew there was a time limit to any possible revival of Prince Rettep. Smithy silently prayed to God to keep the Prince's soul close to this edge of purgatory.

As they crossed the second river another delay tactic was used when gargoyles that survived the Centaur Queen's rescue were sent against them. "These I can take care of," Norkannon said happily while he sent bursts of fire at the dozen or so attackers. Smithy threw a few knives into the ones that made it past Norkannon's wings and caused them to fall back to the ground. They lost barely a few minutes, Norkannon ate one of the enemies while he flew on.

By the time they reached the valley the sun began to set. They could see the assemblage of white horse-like creatures and descended as quickly as was safe. Norkannon muttered under his breath that he did not trust unicorns since what healed could also kill. Smithy ignored the remark as he unstrapped Prince Rettep and himself so they could disembark as soon as they landed. He noted Helsnem flew beside the biggest stag and hoped that it was the Unicorn King.

As soon as Smithy dropped to the ground Norkannon flew up to settle on a valley ridge overlooking the assemblage. "Sorry for his rudeness, doesn't seem to care much for Unicorns," Smithy stated before he approached and set Prince Rettep in front of the gathered unicorns. "We have come to ask for your help in restoring the young Prince Rettep Oothier to life? Helsnem says that you may have the power to do so, o great Unicorn King," Smithy bowed to one knee to display his servitude.

"Helsem's claim is true, but he has not yet convinced us that this human deserves the effort. To save his life the group here will have to die a little. What makes you believe he is worth this price?" the Unicorn King asked directly by thought into Smithy's mind.

"Countless may die if Prince Rettep does not become King. Prince John is Lucifer's pawn, he will bring death to the known world, the which we may only barely imagine. I believe that Prince Rettep is a good man who may do great things as King, if he has the chance," Smithy pleaded.

"Why not take the kingdom yourself? Most mortals would jump for the opportunity, rather than seek another to take the position. You would be equally good for the people and the land. Perhaps even better, this perplexes us," the Unicorn King stated with concern.

"Ah, yes. I can imagine it now. The giant King and his demoness Queen bring their half-breed daughters to court. No, I'd rather my private life remain just that. King's lives are open to the scrutiny of everyone at all times. If my bedroom habits were known it would embarrass and shame me. Please help me place one who was born into that lifestyle into the position? He is much more suited to the task," Smithy requested.

"Ah, human civilization does have strange rules when it comes to the natural coupling. Very well, we shall try," the Unicorn King stated before he snorted and the other unicorns approached. Smithy backed away while the unicorns surrounded Prince Rettep's body. They lowered their horns in unison and touched Prince Rettep in various parts of his body.

Smithy had expected a flash or some indication that the process worked. Instead the unicorns walked away and the prince's body began to take shallow breaths. The Unicorn King paused momentarily by Helsnem and communicated silently in thought before he followed the others. Smithy noted Helsnem's sad expression while the Frarie flew to the body. Smithy approached warily and expected more bad news.

"The body is now whole, but the spirit has been gone too long. It has become lost in the realm of the dead. The Unicorn King can do no more as he does not have Death's steed any longer. The unicorn that kept Death's steed here died of old age and they now live together with Death in purgatory. I probably should have said stay since neither is truly alive," Helsnem commented while he explained.

Smithy stood and looked to the sky, "Gabriel, if you can hear me, I could use some help here?" He hoped the angel would hear and remember a promise he made at Smithy's wedding. Gabriel promised to return if Smithy needed him bad enough, and Smithy couldn't think of a time he needed the angel more.

Gabriel appeared on the ground laid on his side next to Prince Rettep's body. "Meddling in the affairs of the world again Smithy? I would think you learned to leave them alone last time. Ah, but you are you and as God made you. Though I have to say you would make a good King," Gabriel praised while he poked the Prince's body. "Death has the pleasure of the Prince's company. Can we wait a few minutes? I believe they're in the middle of an interesting chess game. One in which the Prince is likely to win and return to life on his own. Death has a few trick moves to still bring to play, but the boy is crafty. I think he'll win." Gabriel stood and pointed to a hillside which caused the image of the chess game to be displayed there. "Can you believe the Roman Church outlawed chess as a game of chance?" Gabriel asked. "Sorry, will outlaw it with any other game that could be used to gamble. They'll claim it as a sin and make decrees. Of course, there isn't a single place in the Bible that says, 'thou shalt not gamble.' God said to take care of your family first, should your affairs come to harm your family--that was the sin."

Smithy watched the game progress, only vaguely familiar with the rules. Shentailia had tried to teach it to him, but it seemed to parallel the moves of the real world too much. He never found a single piece he could identify with and had a hard time with the concept of sacrificing pieces. He quit playing after a few months of trying, frustrated with the process. Shentailia protested that he should continue since he learned something new each time he played. "What matters that if each time all my men die?" was Smithy's retort. He slightly regretted the act now that he tried to comprehend the image.

Prince Rettep had a slight advantage since he had both Rooks and Queen still on the board, wereas Death only had one Rood and two Bishops. They were equal in the number of pawns and knights that remained on the board. All other pieces were off the board, casualties of this friendly play war. It looked like it was Death's move since Prince Rettep watched casually and made comments meant to distract his opponent, but ones the watchers could not hear. Death's cowl shadowed his skull face and made it hard to read any expression off the opponent. Death moved his white square bishop across so that it threatened the Prince's Queen while it was protected by his last Rook. He said something to the Prince and sat back to coolly stare at the boy.

Prince Rettep took one of Death's pawns and placed his in the enemy Bishop's path. Death took the pawn with the Bishop, Rettep took the Bishop with a knight, Death took the knight with his last Rook, Rettep killed the Rook with his Queen. With three more moves Rettep had wiped Death's pawns off the board. It was evident that Prince Rettep was about to win this game. After eight moves he forced Death's King into Checkmate.

"Well, that wasn't expected, or was it?" Gabriel laughed before the image dissipated. "God didn't want Prince Rettep yet since it was not his time. But, he granted Death some play time since so few souls of any caliber stay in purgatory long. The game, albeit interesting, was rigged from the start. It will be a few minutes since they will toast the boy's luck and say their good byes. Death will assure the lad that he should not see him again for years to come."

Gabriel looked up as if someone were talking to him. "My apologies, I must be off. Get the Prince home and save the Queen's daughter-in-laws. She, I'm sad to say, has already been hung as a traitor to Prince John. I must go," Gabriel said before he winked out of the valley.

"Helsnem, can you go find Telsock and let him know we're running in circles?" Smithy asked while he watched Prince Rettep for any sign of movement.

"He'll be cresting the valley any minute now. His horse will be worse for wear, I think he ignored your advice and ran it hard. I believe we should gather more help prior to our return. You were right about this becoming a war. The Golem wizard may help, he's been itching to test the ones embedded with your dragon steel. The Centaurs are sure to send a force. Too bad we're on land, the Mermaid Queen could help," Helsnem paused while he tried to think.

Norkannon flew down to join them. "The human knight from Havenshare is killing his horse," the dragon shook his head. "Do you think he'd mind if I ate it after it dies?" Norkannon let his tongue lick across his teeth. "Horse meat cooked from the inside is a delicacy, trust me," Norkannon commented while the others in the party gave him frowns for a reply.

"One thing I've learned about dragons, they think with their stomachs," Smithy commented. "You can ask Telsock after he mourns for the horse," Smithy said before he returned to the item of importance. "Norkannon, know anyone we don't who might come to the aid in placing Prince Rettep on the throne?" Smithy asked.

"The gnomes might, but only if they feel threatened by Prince John in power. I'd suggest the Leprechauns, but they're difficult to find, besides being on the next island over. Forest sprites could be convinced to hinder any forces that used roads or paths through their land, but would not leave their trees to aid us," Norkannon answered.

"Perhaps the people will rally to my side," Prince Rettep said from where he sat up and had listened to the conversation. His comment startled the group and quickly caused them to bow to him. "Nonsense, you are equals. It is I who should thank you for my rescue, and for what I shall further ask of each of you. We must go to save my Mother and the wives of my brothers."

"Well sire, if you are to lead a battle, you need a sword," Smithy looked to Helsnem, who gave him a nod. He unsheathed the Frarie sword and held it out to Prince Rettep, hilt first. The prince grasped the hilt and Smithy focused his energy into it, the sword glowed briefly white before Smithy released the blade. A trick similar to that he used on the demoness in the church. If the sword had gone black, Smithy would have known the soul of the true Prince Rettep had not been the one to return to the body. Smithy would hate to admit it, but he did not even trust the angels at times.

"Telsock has arrived," Norkannon stated before he flew up the valley side. They could see Telsock's horse stumble and fall on its side. Norkannon had to help pick the horse up so Telsock could climb out of the saddle.

"We'd better get up there," Smithy muttered. He shook his head at the impulsiveness of the knight. A man on a horse was a better warrior than one that killed his ride.

### CHAPTER 2: DEVIL'S SCHEMES

The fires of Hell burned high while Lucifer smacked around the female demoness that had failed to kill Mack Smithson. He was even further enraged when he learned that the giant smith had brought Prince Rettep back from the dead. He was angry that God's meddled on that front and took it out on the young demoness. With every possible conception of ways to give her pain at his disposal he left few untried against her.

The problem that made Lucifer even more enraged was that this demoness enjoyed pain. In her life, she had inflicted as much pain as possible on herself. It was the only way she knew of that would get her off, until one day she pushed too far and died of her self inflicted wounds. God considered this a suicide and sent her to Hell. Lucifer had noticed her only after Shentailia's rebirth. For the first couple of years Lucifer was so angry that he tortured the damned souls without remorse. Only when he accidentally came across this demented soul who asked, no begged, for more did he begin to think of other things. He began to train her in the ways and powers of a demon and fed her desire for pain as a reward. Then he would satisfy his every carnal desire with her, as he planned to do after her punishment this day.

It was two hours before his current physical lust was sated. "Mellseeliana, you are going to kill the giant smith for me. I will send help this time as the fool has learned over the years from the traitor Shentaila. Perhaps you won't fail me again," Lucifer threatened. He didn't wait for her to request more, even he was amazed at her lust for pain. He snapped his fingers and summoned the group he had selected to send with her.

A dozen balls of fire emerged from the ground and dissipated to reveal a dozen demons. Few of these were Lucifer's original seekers. Sin was the snake creature with horns that faced toward its victim so they'd impale as he struck. Caniage was the reptilian dinosaur-like demon, his horns were bent behind his head with serrated edges. Kenibich stood tall and proud while his muscles flexed in anticipation. Aflertain was a giant centaur-like creature with a half human-half scorpion body, its tail a death strike. Hammerstone was the gargoyle god, about four times larger than any live gargoyle. These made up the elder demons that remained, all hated Melseeliana's fast rise in their ranks.

Melseeliana had helped to choose the other seven demon seekers, all of which credited their rise to her and gave her their loyalty. Partchanton was the demon dragon that had failed to take out Norkannon and his passenger. Carfarr was a black wizard in life and his power for destruction only multiplied when given demon status, his presence was the least intimidating albeit the most lethal. Pakarr Kammon was the fullest sense an Egyptian practitioner of human sacrifice, his demon form was a mummy. Topee was a cyclops sent to Hell for eating humans while they were still alive. Lisspilee was a very attractive siren that had led sailors to their death. Karnoch was a giant demon only slightly smaller than Smithy, he was sent to Hell because he destroyed several small towns and killed all who inhabited them before knights were able to kill him. Rentax was a dragon slayer in life, he killed more dragons and humans than most other patrons of Hell. He was an expert shot with a bow or a harpoon, and just about any other projectile weapon created by man. Lisa was the youngest seeker in the history of Hell, she had been only nine when she was sent there. Lisa had tricked her younger brother into hanging himself and when her parents tried to punish her, she killed them too. She was hung by the local constable.

"Kenibich take Carfarr, Lissplee, Karnock, Rentax and Lisa to the Centaur lands. You are to find and kill Shentaila and family. Your secondary target is Shillseen and her brood," Melseeliana ordered.

Lucifer laughed at this, as he should have thought of it first. "The rest of you are to find and kill Prince Rettep and any who have allied with him. You will start at the royal castle since that is where they surely will head first. Do not fail me," Lucifer ordered as he snapped his fingers. All of the demons were consumed by flame, which transported them away.

Lucifer was now stood alone in his throne chamber. He snapped his fingers again after he sat on his throne. Another dozen demons appeared before him, these were his plants in the local governing bodies. "You must convince those around you that Prince John Oothier is the true heir to the crown, and that Prince Rettep is a demon summoned to animate the body by Smithy. Raise forces from your towns to fight against Prince Rettep's return to the castle. Now go," Lucifer ordered as he sent them back to their posts.

He summoned another two dozen of his minions. These were placed in high posts among the nations being attacked by the dead king. "You are to convince those around you that the nation is ripe for the picking due to the internal strife. They need to raise troops and lay siege to the island. They should kill all males," Lucifer ordered before he sent them to the task.

He then had to leave to make a few personal visits. He stopped to give a large group of Satan worshipers a pep talk and call to war. Then he visited a few bishops that were low on faith to promise them whatever they desired if they supported Prince John's ascension, a lie but they did not know that. He could have probably sent others to do these tasks, but he wanted them done right.

When he was finished and was happy with his work he tried to return home. Instead he found he stood inside Death's house in purgatory. Lucifer was angry by the summons, Death was one of the few beings that could bring Lucifer to him without his free will. God was the only other who could do so. What angered Lucifer more was that with all his power and might that he possessed he could not touch Death. The gate keeper and guide of the dead was neutral in most events that shaped the world. He had the same job whether only a few or hundreds of souls perished. Death's mantle was passed on every few decades since the spirit would be worn down by the multitude it escorted.

"Still trying to make me a very busy spirit, I see?" Death stated from across a table made of skulls and bone planks. Atop the table lay two bone goblets filled with blood wine. Death motioned for Lucifer to drink while he picked up one of the goblets. This was one of Death's more distracting habits since as he drank the wine it would pour onto the floor and drenched his cowl.

Lucifer drank his glass while he ignored the distraction. He had seen it enough times to be bored with the attempt. "Why did you bring me here?" Lucifer asked since he wanted to cut through the niceties. He was not happy to be in purgatory and could only leave with Death's permission.

"Play me a game of chess. You win and you can go. You loose and watch your schemes play out here, unable to interfere or aid your demon forces," Death suggested before he made a chess set float off a shelf onto the table. Death allowed the hood of his cowl to fall back onto his shoulders, he gave a skull grin to Lucifer. Only a slight glint out of one of the eye sockets indicated a kind of mischievous wink toward the ruler of Hell.

"How dare you! You are not allowed to interfere. When God hears of this," Lucifer launched a bolt into Death's face in his anger.

The bolt winked out of existence before striking Death's skull. Death let out an eerie laugh that even sent chills through Lucifer. "Oh, and you aren't breaking the rules by sending your demon spawn after Shentaila and her daughters? You know very well that God has protected them. Is that she bitch Melseeliana so engrossing that she made you forget that fact? Out of fairness I have presented you with a way to leave and go about your schemes. God wants me to hold you here for a few decades so he may fix the damage you've done already. Play or stay," Death ordered.

Lucifer's anger shook the house and he tried to use his power to destroy the place. His power was limited in purgatory, whereas Death was this realm's master. He was angered even more when Death stated his game with Prince Rettep was more a ruse than a true challenge, as God had already declared the boy's fate. Although, the game did help distract Death from his ominous task, for a while. Lucifer glared at Death silently while he fumed.

"Ah, we'll have to wait. Prince John has decided to send Queen Penelsie on her final journey. Sorry, she'll not be joining your ranks," Death laughed before he stood, he strode out of the house and whistled while he placed his hood back on. His horse bound out of the stable and stopped before his master. "Please try not to be in such a sour mood when I return, and don't make yourself at home," Death laughed again before he mounted the skeletal horse. They leapt into the dark sky and disappeared.

Lucifer began to thrash about the house and smash what he could. Then the bones that made up the floor came to life and created a cage around his soul. He had to watch inside a small cell while the items he smashed were removed by various small creature skeletons and replaced within minutes. The cage changed into a seat with bones that secured across his legs, chest and arms. Lucifer railed against the bonds while he cursed both God and Death for their interference.

### CHAPTER 3: LADY'S VENGEANCE

Shillseen chased through the treetops of the Centaur forest while she searched for her brood and Shentaila's daughters. It was late and they had not responded to her hails. They were probably playing hide and seek with her, but she did not feel patient with Norkannon and Smithy clear across the island in the attempt to get themselves killed. "Munsigor, you'd better find your siblings and reveal yourselves now or you all will loose supper," she roared across the trees. She began to worry since this was the longest they had ever gone to disobey their mothers. She had already searched the children's favorite retreats and likely hide away places.

She noted the glint of metal off her left flank and circled to head towards it. She soon discovered her error since this was not from one of the Centaurs. A large metal harpoon was fired straight at her chest before she curled her wings closed and fell under its path. It had been a while since any dragon slayers had dared enter Centaur land to hunt them. She felt a surge of dread in her heart while she unfurled her wings and flew toward where the harpoon was launched from. She felt the sting of arrows strike her wings and roared angrily while she circled overhead.

She was relieved not to find any of her children slain by the attacker. She circled once more to make sure that none of Shentaila's daughters were in the vicinity and paid for it with two more arrows through her wings. Shillseen blasted the entire area below with flame with the hope that the attackers would perish, and that she could keep the blaze contained so it would not set fire to the rest of the forest.

She was shocked when more arrows struck her and another harpoon nearly made its mark. These were launched from within the blaze which should have killed any foolish humans. She fired more bursts toward the assailant and decided to fly further from the area. She watched in shock when a dragon slayer and a giant emerged unscathed from the flames. She then noted their demonic features as their eyes emitted an even brighter fire red. She was not ready to fight these two. She flew quickly back toward the lake in the hope to warn Shentaila.

As Shillseen settled down next to the tunnel entrance used by outsiders to enter the dragon den, she noted that her brood and Shentaila's daughters were there. They played with a couple of human girls Shillseen had not met before. "Shentaila, come out here please?" Shillseen said into the tunnel while she watched the new girls suspiciously. One looked about nine while the other's age was hard to pinpoint. The dragon could not get a scent off of either girl which was a sign that something was not right with them.

Shentaila emerged from the tunnel with a confused look. "They've been back at least five minutes," Shentaila commented before she noticed Shillseen's expression. Shillseen pointed her nose toward the two outsiders and then shook her head. She leaned down to whisper into Shentaila's ear, "I was attacked by demon dragon slayers. I think these two girls are also demons."

Shentaila looked across to where the girls played with concern and shock. "But, they're so young," she whispered in disbelief. "I know, get the kids inside," Shentaila said before she nodded and strode into the group.

Shillseen also strode in and told her kids to get inside for supper with an attempt to make this look like a natural part of the evening. Shentaila was being asked if "Lisa and Plee" could join them for dinner. Shentaila said they did not have enough to share and apologized to the girls.

It was this moment that the girl disguises were dropped and they attacked Shentaila. Shillseen bit down on the one they called Plee and threw her out into the forest violently where trees broke when they were struck. Shentaila kicked Lisa in the face after she avoided the girl's nails. The kids screamed at the fight. "Get inside, it is not safe here," Shillseen ordered while she clawed Lisa's eyes out. The girl demoness disappeared in a ball of flame.

Shillseen let out a roar of pain when a harpoon struck her right thigh. She whirled to face her attacker, it was not the giant demon she had expected. This was a different demon than the two she had tried to torch. He was more muscular and did not really care about her.

"Kenibich, you old devil, what does Lucifer want here? We are supposed to be off limits," Shentaila stated after she strode around Shillseen to face the demon. She had pulled two knives from her boots and was prepared to fight.

"He can't reply, after his last failure Lucifer got tired of his excuses and made it impossible for him to talk. He's mute but I'm not," Carfarr explained when he emerged from the tree line. The black robed wizard began to summon a storm as he muttered words long lost to mankind.

Shillseen had to push the harpoon's barb through her thigh at great pain. She then puffed two bursts of fire to cauterize the entry and exit wounds, she wimpered slightly. She pointed the harpoon at Kenibich, "I'll take that one, you deal with the wizard." Before Shentaila could say a word of caution, Shillseen bolted into the air and flew directly at Kenibich. The demon held out a sword to block the harpoon. Shillseen feinted with the harpoon and used her other claw to rake lines across the demon's face. Kenibich had closed his eyes and pulled away enough to remain in the fight. Shillseen angrily drove the harpoon into the demon, only to have the thing break against his chest. She cursed the poor quality steel before she kicked the demon into the lake with her good leg. She quickly dove in after him while she hoped the demon would be at a disadvantage in the water.

Shentaila found the wizard demon difficult to approach. The storm winds blew against her while rain and hail stung her skin. The wizard directed lightning to strike at her which made each step a possible death sentence. She was within feet of the wizard demon when the one called Plee leapt from behind him. This was a mistake since one of the lightning bolts struck the siren demoness and gave Shentaila the chance to stick her knives into the demoness' eyes. Shentaila pulled the knives free quickly to keep from being burned as the demoness was sent back to Hell. When Shentaila turned to face the wizard he no longer stood there. She turned when she heard the lake begin to boil and Shillseen emerge from the water. Her moment of distraction cost her since an arrow struck her right shoulder to emerge next to her collarbone. She shrieked at the pain, but bit her lip while she turned to see her attacker. A giant figure strode out of the woods and Shentaila's heart filled with dread when she thought Lucifer had somehow enslaved her husband. A flash of lightning directed at Shillseen revealed that it was not Smithy. She was relieved, but also had to focus since this demon approached.

Shentaila tried to remember if she had seen this demon before, there were so few giants that she should have. She slowly backed away while the demon advanced. She then remembered who this was and that he had a thing for women. When they rejected him he destroyed the entire village and even took the lives of babies. She shuddered at the thought, but it gave her an idea. One she knew her husband would be ashamed of, but it would work. She slid the knives into her hair so they would be held by her horns and approached the giant with her hands held so he could see they were empty.

"Karnoch, isn't it? Tell you what, if you spare my daughters I'll let you have your will with me. Then you could kill me as your master ordered," Shentaila suggestively pulled down her blouse in the attempt to manipulate the giant. She ignored the pain in her shoulder since she bet that he had not experienced carnal pleasures since being sent to Hell. The giant demon's pent up lust might be just enough to get him to drop his guard.

A thin archer demon approached, "Kill her Karnoch now! Don't let her play games with your head. She was one of us, remember?" The demon notched an arrow and aimed it toward Shentaila. He mistakenly trusted the giant demon to listen to his words and had not guarded against his fellow demon's possible assault. The arrow went wide since the archer was thrown down toward the lake by the giant demon.

The giant turned to face Shentaila. "Now you love Karnoch? Not hurt me?" the simpleton asked. He put down his bow and approached warily. He drooled a bit at the thought of satisfying his lust with her.

Shentaila replied in as kindly a voice as she could muster, "Yes, now we make love." She laid down as she pulled her blouse down further to reveal her breasts. She noticed the giant demon's member began to bulge against his pants. He was about to pull it from his pants when he was struck by lightning. Shentaila did not hesitate to take advantage of this when she pulled the knives from her hair and leapt to shove them into the giant's eyes. She had to drop away and leave them since he burst into a ball of fire. The knives fell to the mud with a sizzle from the heat.

"Damn fool, told her he would be easily distracted. Did she listen, no?" the wizard demon muttered from behind Shentaila. He lifted a staff and was about to plunge the sharp pointed base into her. He chanted some incarnation before he followed with the attack. Shentaila wanted to roll away, but found the wizard's spell kept her body frozen in the mud.

If Shillseen hadn't noticed, and tossed the archer/dragon slayer demon at the wizard, Shentaila would not have survived to see another day. Shentaila retrieved her knives from the mud. She spun around to face the last two of the demons with her blouse still open.

The dragon slayer demon was already absent one eye from his struggle with Shillseen. He was now cautious while he recovered from the fall and pushed the wizard up so he was behind cover. The wizard angrily shoved the other away before he tried to regain his bearings. The storm began to clear while he refocused on the two targets. He began to chant a new spell.

"Shut the fuck up," Shentaila yelled before she threw a clod of mud into the wizard's mouth. This gave Shillseen an idea while she blasted the ground below the demons to dry the mud around their feet. The wizard spat and coughed to clear his mouth while the dragon slayer tried to break his feet free. Shentaila tossed one knife into his remaining eye and sent him home.

"I wonder if its true, does a tree really fall if no one hears it?" Shillseen asked when the wizard began to weave his spell anew. Shentaila understood and covered her ears before Shillseen roared directly into the wizard's face which drowned out his words. Shentaila threw the other knife into the distracted wizard's left eye.

"You are out of weapons my dear, now you both shall perish," the wizard said before he completed his spell. The ground that held his feet burst apart and freed him to move about. He came after Shentaila while he spun the spell of paralysis on Shillseen.

"You're just a cheap hack, a wind bag who must rely on words for his spell. Come get me you moron," Shentaila goaded before she ran behind a large tree. She heard the crackle of thunder before lightning stuck her shelter while she had not heard him say a spell. She had to run since the tree split into shards. She jumped over a fallen tree and crouched there to wait. The wizard demon was wrong about her not in possession of more weapons. She grabbed a hold of the arrow still sticking out of her chest and pulled it through in a quick yank. She screamed at the pain and nearly passed out when her blood squirted out.

"Ah, there you are," the wizard said after he poked his head over the fallen tree.

Shentaila jabbed with all her might at his face with the arrow. She hadn't regained her vision clarity and desperately hoped the head would pierce his other eye. She was elated when she felt the Hell fire singe her hair and burn her hand. She then let go of consciousness with the knowledge that Shillseen would take care of her.

### CHAPTER 4: THE CRUSCIFIX

Smithy and Norkannon flew back toward the royal castle. They had decided to attempt a quick raid while the others spread out to gather an army to support Prince Rettep's claim to the throne. Norkannon was not pleased with the plan, but knew that the giant would attempt it without him. Norkannon's wife would never let it down if he let Smithy go to his death alone.

When they crossed the second of the rivers Norkannon laughed," guess who put himself back together and is coming to give us a warm welcome?" Norkannon altered course enough that Smithy could look down on the demon dragon's flight. Norkannon circled a bit, "What should we try this time?"

Smithy looked to the sun," We don't have time for this." He growled a bit before he decided that a battle like before would probably delay them enough so any rescue attempt would be a moot point. "Fly upward about five seconds and then dive after me," Smithy ordered before he began to unbuckle his straps that held him to the harness.

"Are you nuts, what are you ...? " Norkannon did not get the chance to finish his question before Smithy dove backwards off the harness. Norkannon stayed where he was four seconds and then turned about to dive after the giant. He still couldn't believe Smithy jumped.

Smithy could see Norkannon above him while he fell with his back to the ground. He had to push his head back against the wind so that he could look down at his rising target. The demon dragon noticed his fall and altered course to get its meal. Smithy pushed out his arms so he could steer his fall and aimed right for the demon dragon's head. The demon dragon was too excited that his prey was falling directly toward its mouth. Smithy arched up slightly at the last moment and used his arms to help change his angle. The dragon demon's surprise registered in its eyes milliseconds before the horns on Smithy's shoulders pierced them.

Smithy was engulfed in flame when he passed through the air the dragon demon had previously occupied. He had to pat his beard and hair to put them out while the wind blew out the parts of his clothes that had caught fire. He flattened out his fall and spread out his limbs to slow his fall.

Smithy could not see Norkannon anymore and he began to panic. "Where is that blasted dragon?" he asked himself while he searched the sky. He was answered when he felt an object strike his back from below. He found the harness rising at his ass and he quickly grabbed a hold of what he could. He settled into the harness backwards and had to struggle to turn around. He strapped back in and placed the tubes on. "Thank you," Smithy said while he took the reigns. He then laughed a bit nervously before they continued toward their destination.

"What's so funny, you scared me to death by that stunt?" Norkannon scorned.

"I finally found a use for my shoulder horns," Smithy chuckled.

"You're making me too old for this," Norkannon complained. "You're worse than Musigor and four times his age. How does Shillseen or Shentaila put up with you?" Norkannon asked. He began to flap to gain altitude, they wanted to be above the clouds on final approach and fall straight into the castle courtyard. This was the most likely place for guillotines to be set up to behead the Queen's daughter-in-laws.

"Quit bellyaching, it cost us only seconds. We should have time to spare," Smithy replied while he pulled out of one of the pockets on the harness a device Shentaila had helped to develop. It was basically two bags that held air from ground level that were attached to a leather mask that he could strap onto his face. This allowed him to breathe for about ten minutes before the dragon had to return to the lower altitude.

"We're going home after this to tell our wives what we've, or should I say you've, gotten us into," Norkannon ordered. Smithy grunted his agreement since the dragon had a point. They should've sent someone else to the Centaur lands to give them an update.

Smithy always liked the clouds, once he was prepared for the temperatures and thin air. He still felt light-headed when they flew above them, an effect of the low pressure. The clouds were different colors at different times of the day, and Smithy thought this was the closest a mortal could get to know what Heaven must be like. Smithy had argued with Norkannon about this since dragons believed that the stars were the Heavens. It was always a draw since neither could prove their theory.

The maneuver they were about to perform was also planned out by Smithy, a radically whipped together plan. The giant would cut the leather lines from one of the air sheets attached to the harness and tie them through his chain mail. He was then supposed to wait while Norkannon began a spin dive in the attempt to look as if he had been injured and fell from the sky. Smithy would leap away when they approached the castle. Norkannon would pull up just above the castle spires and torch anyone on the escarpments before he tried to aid Smithy. With the sheet's help, Smithy would float down and free the daughter-in-laws. He would try to keep the sheet attached and drape it across the guillotine while he fended off the knights. As soon as Norkannon could, he would fly down and grab the sheet. Smithy would need to have freed and held onto the women at that time.

Smithy hoped the leather strings were strong while he carefully pulled out the roll of sheet and string from one of the pockets in the harness. He cut their tied sections from the harness and strung each through his chain mail, double looped for more strength before he tied them. He pulled tight to make sure the strings were well fastened, reminded of Norkannon's earlier statement. "That gives a strange meaning to 'life by a string'," Norkannon had muttered with dismay.

Norkannon circled a bit while he waited for Smithy to finish the preparations. "Ready if you are," Smithy told him. Norkannon sighed before he began to dive straight through the clouds. As the dragon emerged it began to spiral. When Norkannon believed he was within sight of the castle guards and dragon slayers he inverted so that his back was the lowest point and his wings flailed limply against the air that passed. Smithy felt the air push him against the harness. He unstrapped and counted to ten before he leapt away from Norkannon. Then he tossed the sheet into the air to cause it to unroll and begin to catch air. Norkannon fell below him while his fall slowed. The dragon waited five more seconds before it righted itself and began to assault the castle with plumes of flame.

Smithy watched and laughed when one of his guesses played true. The dragon slayer's weapons were set to fire outside the castle. They did not expect a dragon to fall within it before the attack. Norkannon easily destroyed their weapons before they could be turned to bear on him. Smithy had to shift his attention so he could guide his fall while archers began to fire torch tipped arrows at the sheet. He also didn't think the arrows would do much good if they struck someplace the chain mail did not cover. He pulled a sack from his belt and untied it so he could drop the contents on the archers, the bag was full of metal stars that came to razor sharp points. They were once one of his products used by the King's forces against enemy horses, but they worked equally well when dropped onto the archers.

Smithy cursed when two arrows found their way into the sheet material and set it on fire. He had to alter his course so that he would fall into a hay pile. When he landed he was followed by a dozen fire torch style arrows. He had to roll out of the pile of hay since it began to burn. Smithy drew his sword and cut the lines to the now consumed sheet so he could untangle his bow.

Norkannon roared above whiel he assailed the archers with a burst of flame. Smithy noted a few arrows had pierced the dragon's wings. Smithy searched the courtyard and found the guillotine set up for execution. He was glad to see that it had not been used already while he fired arrows into the knights that guarded the Queen's daughter-in-laws. He used the Frarie sword to cut down any who dared to get near and let out his own fearsome roar to ward the foolish away.

Smithy cut through the last knight in his way. The daughter-in-laws were dressed in long white robes until he went to touch one. Smithy heard the shriek and felt the claws rake his left arm, as the robe was torn to shreds. He backed away in surprise and pain.

"Remember me? I sure want to gut you," the girl demoness from the church said as she dropped the robe. "I am Melseeliana and these are my friends," she introduced while she waved to the other robed figures. Smithy watched while streamers of fabric came out of the closest robe to launch out and wrap around Smithy's neck. "Meet Parkarr Kammon, a foreigner to these shores. Oh and then Topee would like to lay his eye on you," the demoness explained as a bolt of energy seared Smithy's left cheek. Smithy screamed at the pain and struggled with the fabric before he cut it with his sword.

Smithy backed away as the three demons approached. "Where are the Queen's daughter-in-laws?" Smithy asked while he notched an arrow. The demons did not answer with words before they began to attack again. The Cyclops demon's bolt struck Smithy's chain mail vest which caused no damage while giving Smithy a spot to launch his arrow into. Topee burst into flame and left a burnt robe behind. Smithy noted how quickly Parkarr Kammon moved from the flame and guessed this demon did not want to get its bandages burned.

"Kill him," Melseeliana shrieked while she backed away with fear in her expression. The mummified demon complied with the order as four tendrils of fabric flared out of the robe. Smithy jumped forward so two wrapped around his legs and the other two wrapped around his sword. Parkarr Kammon laughed eerily while the ones on the sword quickly made their way to wrap Smithy's hands.

Smithy only smiled at this before he fell onto his back and tugged hard with his arms. The mummy demon was unprepared for this action and it flew toward Smithy. Smithy kicked the demon into the air and cut the bonds. He had planned the act to send the demon into the still burning hay pile to cause the bandages to catch fire. What he hadn't realized was how he had narrowly avoided landing on a pitchfork when the sheet gave out. Parkarr Kamon's return to Hell caused the hay pile to burst which sent burning straw across the courtyard.

Melseeliana hissed at Smithy before he approached. "Where are the Queen's daughter-in-laws?" Smithy repeated. He notched two arrows to try to repeat the shot in the church. He was still wary because she was not on the attack, as if she waited for something or someone.

Smithy would've probably lost his head if Norkannon had not intercepted the flying demon gargoyle. They crashed into the wall behind Smithy and knocked a hole in the granite block construction. Smithy did not get the chance to help or watch since more demons emerged from their hiding places. Some he recognized from earlier encounters, while more were new to him.

Smithy was forced to spar with the tail of a scorpion-man demon as it lashed out at him. Smithy then rolled away as the snake demon tried to strike. Smithy shoved the Frarie sword through the reptilian monster's mouth and out its skull when it tried to bite a chunk out of him. Smithy was forced to leave the sword there because the scorpion one attacked, and it accidentally struck out one of the reptilian's eyes. The two demons began to fight each other while the female yelled at them. Smithy drew the other dragon steel sword he carried and cut the fangs off the snake demon.

Melseeliana slashed Smithy's left thigh just before the gargoyle demon struck her. Smithy glanced back through the hole to see Norkannon limped to join the fight. The snake demon tried to wrap around Smithy in an attempt to crush him. Smithy slammed the demon's head with his sword's hilt several times, "get off me!" Smithy noted that Melseeliana had brought the two feuding demons back to task. He shoved the healed sword into the snake's head when it tried to strike and guided the snake's horns into the reptilian's eyes. He retrieved the Frarie sword and blocked the scorpion tail with it. He used the snake demon to block Melseeliana's claw attacks.

Smithy felt tired and knew Norkannon was probably as well. The giant gargoyle demon fought hard against Norkannon's attempts to return it to Hell. At least two more castle walls were destroyed as their rampage continued. Smithy prayed that the whole castle wouldn't be destroyed in this conflict when he noticed the fires had spread to other wooden structures.

He had enough to worry about on his own since the scorpion and girl continued to attack. Smithy brought the snake demon's head to block the scorpion tail, so that it struck the snake's left eye. The snake lashed about with its tail in an attempt to break free of the sword embedded through its skull. Smithy was able to slash Melseeliana across the cheek with the Frarie sword held backwards. He saw the strange glint of pleasure as she wiped her own blood and tasted it. It definitely did not help Smithy's morale before he caused the scorpion to strike out the snake's other eye. The flash of flame momentarily paused the battle. Smithy used the pause to retrieve his bow from where he was forced to drop it, the arrows still notched on the string.

The two demons left were on him in seconds. He lashed out with his sword to block the scorpion's tail. He rolled away from the female demon's attempts to slash him. He needed space and time in order to use the bow. He pulled the string with the hand that held the sword and used the other hand to aim while he rolled to his feet.

Melseliana ran off for some reason and only the scorpion demon had followed Smithy's roll. Smithy launched the arrows at the demon, only one struck an eye while the other was blocked by its tail. The demon howled in pain before he pulled both arrows out, bent them and tossed them behind him. Smithy then rolled forward, used the bow to block the tail, and tossed both knives into the demon's face. Neither made contact with its remaining eye, and Smithy had to grab the tail to avoid the strike of the stinger. The human part of this demon went to pull the knives out and use them on Smithy. As both of the demon's arms went wide with a knife in each hand, Smithy tugged hard on the tail while he crouched down. The scorpion demon moved his head to one side while it tried to avoid Smithy's horns. Smithy noted the tactic and head butted the demon's face into the horn. The flare of fire caught Smithy's hair and beard on fire again. He dropped his weapons while he patted out the flames.

"Heads up," Norkannon yelled from above. Smithy barely had time to drop to the ground when the gargoyle demon crashed where he had stood. The demon was absent one eye and struggled to get up. Smithy grabbed one of the knives while Norkannon landed atop the demon to pin its limbs. The gargoyle tried to bite at Smithy when he approached its head. Smithy flicked the knife into the creature's remaining eye.

Norkannon had released the demon at the last moment and flew up to avoid the flames. He then settled back to the ground. Smithy noted several cuts and injuries to the dragon's wings. "We still need to find the Queen's daughter-in-laws," Smithy commented while he retrieved his bow and swords.

"I wouldn't mind finding Prince John and tearing him in two," Norkannon commented angrily while he limped behind Smithy. "That female demoness went into the church. I don't think we'll like what we find there." Smithy nodded in agreement since he also limped from Melseeliana's cuts.

"It does make you think, Lucifer sent a lot of demons to stop just us. He must be getting desperate or just taking us more seriously these days," Smithy commented ironically before he reached the large wood doors. Scorch marks from burning debris crawled up to scar the oak planks. Smithy struck the door with his shoulder and the burnt areas splintered.

They were both shocked and disgusted when they found the Queen's daughter-in-laws. They were crucified on crosses with nails driven through their arms and legs. Their eyes had been tore from their sockets and stuffed into their mouths. Their stomach cavities were disemboweled and their intestines tied around their necks. These were used to hang them with their crosses from the main ceiling beams.

"Ah, I see you like? One of my best works, don't you think?" Melseeliana asked before she emerged from the shadows. She was covered in blood and licked it from her claws with a wicked smile. "My minions should be doing the same right now to your precious Shillseen, Shentaila and their spawn." Melseeliana laughed wickedly before she leapt down to the aisle between the benches. Come, give me what you've got," she ordered.

Norkannon was about to blast her in fire. Smithy let him do so, as it was the best way to send the victims to a proper burial without having to actually take down their bodies. "Let's go, our task here has failed. We only waste time if we listen to her lies. She enjoys pain, to give it to her would only feed her lust," Smithy said before he sheathed his sword and slung the bow on his shoulder.

Melseeliana leapt from the flames to attack Smithy. He was ready and struck a mighty blow to her face which sent her back into the blaze. He then got into the harness on Norkannon and strapped in. Norkannon sent two more bursts of fire into the church before he took off.

They were about one hundred feet up when they saw Melseeliana emerge from the church. She shrieked and cursed them for their cowardice. The church collapsed on itself moments later, the fire grew as more air reached the flames. "Home," Smithy commented. He was much more worried than he let on, and he knew Norkannon would blame him if Shillseen or any of his brood were killed in their absence. The flight was about to be a long silent one.

### CHAPTER 5: TATTERED PIECES

Shentaila and Shillseen sat atop a flat spot on the mountain overlooking the lake. Their children were within the den, put to bed for the evening. Their mothers guarded the location and took alternating periods of rest. From this vantage they could see most of the forest for miles around the lake. Shentaila had brought out some of Smithy's weapons. He had built her a couple of crossbows and a light sword to use just in such a battle as they had survived. Both females sported bandages and dressings on their wounds. They both were exhausted and hurt, but knew they had to defend their children. Munsigor wanted to join them, but Shillseen had insisted he stay with the others to reassure them that they were safe.

It was just a little past dusk when Shentaila noticed a rustle through some of the bushes below. She nudged Shillseen's, whom snored, head when she noted glints of metal armor and the size of the force that approached. Shillseen sat up, looked and laughed at Shentailia. "They're Centaurs armed for battle by the sound of it. We should descend and welcome them. They probably have word from our husbands," Shillseen sounded optimistic.

"Like they've died foolhardily," Shentailia commented bleakly while she placed the cross bows into loops on her forearms and climbed into the dragon's harness. She strapped in with a bit of a moan at her injuries. "Maybe they can stay the night, we could both use some real rest. We could try the damsels in distress ploy," Shentaila suggested.

"Ploy? We are in distress girl," Shillseen said before she leapt from their perch and glided down toward the closest Centaur group. She used as little force as possible to make the glide and land near the lakeshore. She torched a nearby bush to create light while Shentailia climbed down from the harness.

Corforr, the Centaur King, led the small group cautiously toward the two females. He noticed their wounds and looked about warily. "We saw the fire and the sudden rain storm, did you two have something to do with those events?" Corforr asked suspiciously.

"I caused the fire," Shillseen stated, "a dragon slayer tried to harpoon me in flight. I blasted him in flame, too bad he was from Hell. The rest was our fight to survive and save the lives of our children. We are much worse for wear from the battle, as you can see."

Corforr looked doubtfully at them, "Narius, set a perimeter around the lake. I don't want anyone getting past us this night. Evidently your husbands have embarked on a quest to save Prince Rettep Oothier and place him on the King's throne. We've been asked to join an army forming just for this purpose since Prince John Oothier has plotted to kill his brothers and take the throne for himself. He is said to have allied with Lucifer in this purpose."

"So would it be so odd for them to send demons to kill us?" Shentaila stated.

"You have not heard the oddest pieces of this tale, my lady. Evidently, King Eldward Oothier left instructions should he and his chosen heir perish unexpectedly, your husband was to become the next King. Most men would've snatched up the opportunity. Instead, he and Norkannon steal Prince Rettep's body from its casket. They head off to try to heal the body by taking it to the Unicorns and get Death to return the boy's soul. They are sending the Havenshare knight and Frarie to escort Prince Rettep here," Coffor explained.

"Sire, my husband has too big a heart and would prize his privacy over any kingdom. He's just that way," Shentaila said while she shook her head. "There are times I miss the power," she said sadly. "Why aren't they escorting the Prince here personally?" she asked when she became worried.

"They evidently agreed to fetch the Queen's daughter-in-laws from the castle. Helsnem found me and Tenius mid-way to the king's forest and told us their plan. Crazy if you ask me, or flat out foolish," Narius replied.

Shentailia and Shillseen exchanged glances. "Idiots is more like it," Shillseen chuckled and moaned at the way it hurt her wounds. "Bet you ten coins they had a demon party waiting for their arrival," Shillseen commented. She torched another bush since the other died into embers.

"I won't take that bet, look," Shentaila pointed into the sky. She could see a dragon fly across the sky with the moonlight that passed through tears in its wings. It was evident that pain wracked the dragon's movements as its flight path was erratic. Shillseen launched into the sky to meet the erratic dragon with the hope to help her husband. She bellowed out a roar to greet him and had a weaker response that was definitely Norkannon.

"He's coming in too fast," Corforr commented while he tried to assess how this might effect his troops. "Narius, move the line away from the lake by six paces," the Centaur King ordered. Tenius also assisted when he ran around the lake in the opposite direction to spread the order.

Shentaila watched as Shillseen flew over her husband and latched onto Smithy. She saw the straps that held the harness in place unbuckle. Shillseen lifted Smithy off her husband to releive the burden. She flew for a few moments before Smithy was able to open and unfurl the second wind sheet. Shentaila prayed slightly when Shillseen let go of the harness and hoped that the sheet device would work as planed.

Shillseen then tried to help her husband slow what had turned from flight into a fall. She was able to slow it enough that Norkannon created only a small splash into the lake and Shillseen drug him on the surface across to the other shore. She cursed her husband and Smithy so loudly all those around the lake heard.

Shentaila watched her husband float down to the ground some distance away. She wanted to run to him and vent someof her own, but tried to remain poised with the Centaur King's presence so near. She would have to wait until she could get him inside the mountain for a proper tongue lashing. If Shillseen didn't give it to him first, the Centaurs had enough trouble while they tried to keep a straight face since the triad continued to echo across the lake. If Shentaila weren't so concerned with her own husband, she would have probably laughed with them.

Smithy trudged up with a limp to his gait. He carried the harness over a shoulder, he had taken the time to stuff the sheet back into its pocket. He was covered in dirt and had blackened areas of his white and gray hair where fire had burned it. He smiled ear to ear, his usual response when he knew he was in big trouble. "You look horrible, are the girls alright?" Smithy asked before he dumped the harness and winced.

Shentaila balled up both fists while she took a deep breath. He wasn't going to just charm his way out of this one, she wouldn't let him. He was supposed to be the protector, although their relationship was far from normal, as most mortals would define it. "Get your horned-shoulder ass inside so I can patch you up! Then you're sleeping at lookout point," Shentaila ordered before she pointed toward the cave entrance.

The Centaurs laughed and commented about dog houses. This did not help as Smithy pouted while he obeyed his wife. This was not the time to play master of the house and he knew it. A few of the Centaurs made whip sounds and received reprimand from their King. Smithy entered the cave he had widened and added supports so he could walk upright to the cut out chamber built for visitors. He checked on the girls while Shentaila waited in the kitchen area and she impatiently paced the floor around the wood oval table.

Smithy was glad to find his four daughters slept soundly next to the six dragon children. Munsigor lifted his head to nod while Smithy waved and smiled. The boy was as rash as the Havenshare knight he had been named after. Norkannon attempted to reassure Shillseen that the boy would grow out of the phase. Smithy left them alone under the boy's sleepy guard.

"Strip and bathe first," Shentaila ordered while she looked him over. "And don't even think you're getting any for a while," she added before she noted that male smile that crosses their face when they have a glimmer of hope that they might get lucky. She was angry with him and that was one of the few places she could put her foot down.

Shentaila heard the splash of water breaking in the dragon den and hurried to head off Shillseen. "Where is that husband of yours? I'm going to tear him a new one," Shentaila roared. She puffed smoke while she spoke. "It'll be months before Norkannon can heal those wings enough to fly again!"

"Shh, let the children sleep. We'll patch the men up as best we can now, and send them to sleep on the lookout point. Say, two weeks should have them thinking hard about taking such risks," Shentaila said.

"Ha, Smithy will be good to go again in three days, tops! We both know he'll join this army to fight to put Prince Rettep on the throne. Norkannon cannot go, I won't allow it. He's in no condition to hunt, much less fight a war. He claims they learned of the demon attack on us and left as soon as they could to fly home. It doesn't help that they also failed to rescue the Queen's daughter-in-laws in their suicidal mission! Damn men," Shillseen railed on.

"I'm sorry Shillseen. You're right, Norkannon did not want to return to the castle, he wanted to come home. This is all my fault, I should have known they'd go after you in our absence," Smithy apologized while he stood in the doorway between the chambers. "What they did, what that she demon Melseeliana did to them is beyond description. It is an image both of us will have burned into our skulls forever. It was that image that drove us to risk everything to return home as we are. We would not have been able to live with ourselves if that happened to our families," Smithy was crying as he tried to explain. "I let that bitch live so we could leave faster," Smithy said, "she will probably come for us."

"Great, just great," Shillseen fumed while she shook her head and dove into the underground pool. The water splashed over Shentaila to soak her clothes and bandages. She had to pull a leach from an arm and tried to toss it at Smithy's naked body, it slapped against the stone of the cavern.

"Melseeliana," Shentaila commented while she tried to remember the name and place it with a face. "Short girl, maybe about sixteen years old, possibly eighteen. I could never place her true age, she was always thin and one of the more tweaked souls. She enjoyed pain and committed suicide in her lust for it," Shentaila shook off the water and chuckled a bit. "Lucifer tried every punishment on her and she begged for more. He had to create a special Hell for her. It was a world of padded objects, bunny rabbits and butterflies. It worked for a time, but then she began to kill the bunnies so she could break up their bones and use them to cut herself. She ended up in a padded cell with a coat that kept her from being able to harm herself," she explained.

Smithy had withdrawn back to the table, but then decided to get her a towel. He returned with it and handed it to his wife. He obediently sat in a chair while she dried off quickly, she would need to redress her wounds later. "She definitely enjoyed pain and the taste of blood. I think she got off on the taste of her own more than her victims," Smithy sadly added.

"Were all of these caused by her?" Shentaila asked while she examined his wounds. She looked worried about the damage. She walked around to inspect each wound.

"Not all of them. This burn on my cheek is from a single eyed demon. Most of the cuts were her work. Other burns are from various demons, the dragon one hurt the worst. Let Norkannon tell that story, he had a better view. Ouch," Smithy yelled when his wife jabbed a fingernail into the oldest gouge in his thigh.

Shentaila shook her head, she did not like what she saw. "Did Norkannon receive any wounds by Melseeliana's claws? I need to know, these cuts are infected and will need special treatment. If he was, we need to treat you both accordingly now," Shentaila explained.

"No, but he was fighting hard against a gargoyle demon about four times the size of those we faced before. They tore nearly half the castle down while they fought," Smithy replied while he took a napkin and wiped the dark ooze that seeped from the point Shentaila had poked. "Norkannon kept it from severing my head," Smithy commented, "but I ended up using a knife while Norkannon held it to send the monster home."

"Norkannon and you fought the Gargoyle God" Shentaila commented in awe," and you beat him?" She could barely believe it, the demon was older than Lucifer. "Never mind," she commented when the look of worry returned. "Go jump into the pond and try to get some leaches, then move them atop these wounds. It'll help pull the infection out while I ask the Centaurs to gather some items for their treatment. Don't give me that face, you'll die if I can't slow and treat the infection. Now go," Shentaila ordered.

She strode out of the cave and found Tenius. She gave the Centaur a list of herbs and rocks that she required to make a salve for Smithy. She gave Tenius quantities that should cover Norkannon's treatment, if he required it also. She yelled across the lake, saw Shillseen puff a plume of fire and then fly across the lake. "What?" Shillseen asked angrily.

"Take me across, I need to see his wounds. Smithy's are infected and I believe that Norkannon's may be too. I've asked Tenius to get some Centaurs to gather supplies for a treatment, but we need to get leaches on the wounds to slow the infection. That is, if I'm right," Shentaila explained.

"I've already cauterized his cuts and drawn out what I could. Very well, you know demons better than I," Shillseen sighed. She turned around and waited for Shentaila to climb into the harness. She took off and stayed close to the water as she practically skimmed the surface while they flew to the other side.

Shentaila dropped out of the harness and walked to Norkannon's side. He was asleep while she approached. She could smell fish on his breath and guessed that Shillseen had fed them to him. "Could you?" Shentaila asked for more light. Shillseen nodded with a sigh while she brought forth a small arc of flame. Shentaila checked the cuts on Norkannon's legs and body while she tried not to wake him. A few oozed dark liquid on their own. "See here, these need to be treated or he could die," Shentaila indicated the oozing wounds.

Shillseen cursed while she examined and confirmed Shentaila's description. "Two minutes ago they were fine," Shillseen said. "Why didn't we have these festers when Smithy and I fought your kind before? Why weren't we infected the same?" Shillseen asked.

"Smithy said your husband fought with the Gargoyle God, a very powerful demon who predates Lucifer as a symbol of evil. I believe he may have shared some of his venom with another demoness. Their wounds will poison our lovers if we don't act quickly. Fetch leaches and place them on these wounds, I'll go see about the treatment," Shentaila instructed. She fetched a nearby Centaur warrior and requested a ride back to the other side.

Smithy sat on the lakeshore near the cave entrance, a towel wrapped around his midriff and leaches attached to the cut wounds. He smiled faintly when Shentaila rode up on the Centaur warrior. "How long do I have to have these things sucking me dry?" Smithy asked.

"Until we make the salve to apply to your and Norkannon's wounds," Shentaila said before she dismounted and thanked the warrior. The Centaur said it was an honor and left to return to its post. Shentaila found Narius and took stock of the items gathered so far. "There's enough to treat Smithy, but we'll need more sulfur and licorice root to make enough to treat Norkannon," Shentaila commented before she began to pick up the supplies and drag them into the cave.

"You're welcome," Narius said with a huff while he issued orders to expand the search for the required items. He sent more Centaurs from the lake to go look, a hard task in the dark. It was a good thing the land was known by these people better than any other, or Smithy and Norkannon would probably perish.

Shentaila drew the old black pot out of its cupboard and retrieved water from the pool, only a small amount. She then began to cut up the roots and leaves to place into the pot. She had to crush up the sulfur, it was set aside while she ground up the other rock ingredients and placed them into the water. She gutted several lizards and other creatures that were required. She stirred the concoction and thought of how this probably looked like witchcraft. She then tossed in the sulfur and stood back when it reacted with the water in the mixture. She stirred quickly to spread the reaction and heat throughout the potion. Within minutes the salve was ready and she used the large wooden spoon to scoop it out into a bowl.

Shentaila ran out to where Smithy sat, "Get in here!" She then was presented with the rest of the supplies needed to make the larger batch for Norkannon. She thanked the Centaurs and drug the sack used to gather the supplies into the cave. She dumped these next to the pot and quickly pulled off the leaches so she could apply the salve to the wounds.

"Damn woman, this stings and stinks,' Smithy complained while he winced. He yelped when she shoved the gunk into the wounds with more force. "OK, I'll shut up,' Smithy said in an attempt to try to get her to calm down.

"Here, take the pot and fill it with water," she ordered when she was finished with his wounds. She began the work to prepare the larger batch for Norkannon. Smithy did as he was told while he feared to speak since it would only earn him a tirade of curses and sore words between them. "Smash those there, keep the yellowish white stone separate," Shentaila ordered while she sliced up leaves and tossed them into the pot.

Munsigor came sleepily out of the children's room, "What's happening? Can I help?" The young male dragon asked as he walked over to look into the pot. "Phew, stinky stuff," Munsigor wrinkled his nose as he withdrew.

"Your Father needs this medicine placed on his wounds he received while helping my husband. Your Mom is looking after him while we make this. If you want to help, try heating the pot while we work," Shentaila explained. She began to gut the lizards and other creatures before she tossed the pieces needed into the pot.

"So you were right, they were trying to get killed," Munsigor commented before he sucked in air and backed away from them. The young dragon was old enough to breath fire, but still too young to have the practiced control of his parents. He spent a lot of time in practice at a nearby rock quarry, when the Centaurs went home. It was the closest place he could find to practice without burning things down or catching the attention of any would be dragon slayers. At times, the Centaurs would allow him to help melt crude metals found in the quarry or some mines they worked. Usually, they cleared out of the area before he used his flame for these tasks.

Munsigor spat out a small ball of flame that dissipated before it struck the pot. He breathed in again and fired a flare that wrapped around the pot and nearly caught the wood table on fire before he cut it off. "Sorry," Munsigor said in dismay while he looked at the pot with disdain.

"You're trying too hard lad, just think of the amount of flame required. Breath in and let the fire come out in a slow steady exhale," Smithy instructed. Smithy used a hammer to smash the rocks into dust and added them to the mixture while he left the sulfur for last as he was told. He nodded at Munsigor to try again.

"Fire ball's at it again," Neltee scared the group before she bound into the kitchen.

"What, can't boil their soup?" Limatar commented before he slid into another location.

"What's going on?" Smithy's eldest daughter, Meana, asked sleepily after she came out in a robe wrapped around her nightgown. "All this fuss is going to wake the others," she commented while she sat in a chair Smithy offered.

"You two aren't even smoke stacks yet, so shut your traps," Munsigor ordered. He drew in a breath and let a steady stream of fire blast the sides of the pot. After a few of these he had the mixture bubbling and a proud smile across his face.

"Mom's working on a salve to put on Norkannon's wounds like she did for me. Demon cuts that fester poison, good we have an experienced practitioner of their ways, eh?" Smithy asked his daughter while he crushed some more pink stone and tossed the remains into the pot.

"That's good enough," Shentaila said to Munsigor," Thank you." The male dragon was happy and proud with himself. He puffed up a bit and his siblings laughed at him. "You two, take turns stirring the pot," Shentaila ordered the younger dragons. They groaned, but knew they had better do as Aunt Shentaila ordered or Mom would give them a worse punishment for their disobedience.

"Meana, get a sheet from the cupboard and cut it into hand wide strips. Norkannon's going to need this held into his wounds," Shentaila ordered before she threw the final ingredients on her table in. "You can smash the yellow-white rock now." She checked on the stir actions of the dragons.

Smithy smashed the final rock and gathered up the dust. Shentaila took over the spoon and told the others to get back. Smithy held the flat steel plate he crushed the stones on and was about to toss the whole thing in. "Slowly spread it in a circle around the pot's rim," Shentaila instructed. "Children, if you tell anyone what I did here, I'll make you part of my next stew," she threatened while Smithy began to dump the powder into the pot.

The water began to violently sizzle and spark as the powder touched it. Smithy leapt back from the pot some, "Lord, a demoness witch's cure. You could've warned me." Smithy shook his head before he continued to dump the powder into the pot. The pot glowed as the reaction took place.

Shentaila waited until most of the substance was added before she tried to stir it. The children moved away when the smell became worse and began to fill the cave. "Smithy, Munsigor go fetch the pot bars. We'll need to get this out and across the lake. Netlee and Limatar, go fetch your Mother. She'll have to carry this across," Shentaila ordered.

"No she won't," Meana commented. "I can send it across, heck I could send it from here."

"And drop it on their heads? No. From outside if you are sure you want the Centaurs to know," Shentaila agreed.

"I could make them forget,' Meana said.

"Get this pot outside," Shentaila ordered Smithy and Munsigor. "They'll think you're a witch or demon spawn," Shentaila said with concern for her daughter.

"Mom, I'm a daughter of a giant that fought and beat gods in order to marry the Hell Queen demoness. Even if I let them remember, things are already strange. I think most here would expect odd and miraculous events from this family," Meana stated with a laugh.

"True, but don't flaunt it. Eyes more powerful and hateful than these mortals are upon us, watching. Freeze them all, transport it and then bring them back," Shentaila stated. She hugged her daughter and left the cave. Shentaila kept a hold of her daughter's hand since this was the only way to be kept from the stopped awareness Meana would cause. Smithy understood immediately, but was too slow before he tried to reach out. "Keeping this between the girls?" Shentaila asked.

Meana giggled," Something like that." Meana snapped her fingers and the pot transported across the lake with them. "Touch Shillseen, we need a private talk amongst us girls," Meana stated while she tossed the strips of sheet into the pot. She then smiled when her Mom did as told.

"Huh?" Shillseen stated when she felt Shentaila's hand. "Well, about time! He's really weak," Shillseen stated with sadness. She looked back at Norkannon, "Damn, he's stopped breathing!" She was about to perform the dragon version of CPR when Shentaila broke the connection.

"Can we patch him up first, or do we need to talk now?" Shentaila asked her daughter.

"We need to talk now and quickly. Those forces you spoke of, some are nearing. We need to be ready," Meana said before she touched Shillseen. "Listen to me dragon, we don't have time. Norkannon will be well once we put this on his wounds. I need to speak with you now, he and every other creature are only frozen in time. We have to discuss the events of the next few hours," she stopped when Shillseen gave her a confused look.

"You don't remember, but I was to be killed by my brother. My Father killed this brother and God decided to make it so Mother could only sire females so that this brother would not be born. The time approaches for the events and trials that will lead to my appointment as the godhead. Tragically, these events will cause the people and land much pain. The rivers will run red with the blood of slain warriors. The fields will become bare because there are too few to properly maintain them. Prince Rettep will kill his brother in war, and then he will be forced to war with nations his Father attacked. For him to succeed, Smithy will need to forge once more the dragon steel weapons for King Rettep. An army that has no life will be built to fight off a horde of demons that will form their own army. These events are already set into motion.

"There are events in the upcoming hours that can sway the future. Choices and freedom of will shall subtly effect them. Melseeliana is on her way here. So is Prince Rettep, Telsock and the Frarie escort. It is time for you two to decide whether you trust your husbands' judgment and help Prince Rettep, or that you prefer to sit this one out and let events fall where they may. You may very well hold the future of the world in your hands and ah claws," Meana explained.

"We both knew this was coming," Shentaila commented.

"Yes," Shillseen commented with a snarl. "Doesn't mean I have to like it. Very well, what should we do next oh wise girl?" Shillseen said with her normal sarcasm. She never took well to Meana's gifts. To her this girl was barely child rearing age. It was preposterous and yet at the same time the power she displayed was enough to make the dragon listen.

"You and Mother will have to trust me to patch up Norkannon. You need to find Telspar and the Prince. Ask Helsnem to direct you to the gnome castle. The gnomes will allow the Prince to hide there until we fetch him. Mother, you will take the Prince's place with Telspar and wait for Melseeliana to attack. You will use this," Meana held up a gold globe in her previously empty hand. "Throw it at her forehead or stomach and bring it back to me. We need her out of the picture for now, but she may play a role later. This will only trap her soul until I release it. I'm gambling that Lucifer won't kill me since I will be the only one who can release her. Now, please go," Meana ordered before she let go and snapped her fingers.

Time started again and Norkannon moaned. Shillseen wanted to stay and felt almost like she had to abandon him at his greatest need, but only licked his face with her tongue. "Meana will put the ointment on, your wounds but we have to run an errand. Be back soon," Shillseen told him before she moved so Shentaila could climb aboard. "I'll drop off so you can gather your weapons," she commented before she flapped her wings and launched across the lake.

### CHAPTER 6: FEM FIGHTERS

Lucifer watched the events of the world unfold and was powerless to stop them. He watched through a large domed skull of a lost dinosaur. He had lost all attempts to beat Death at chess and felt that the game was rigged. He was currently alone becuase Death had to service his accounts that were his job to help souls to purgatory and direct them to their next destination.

Lucifer learned quickly that his freedom here was completely out of his hands. He wondered how long he'd be left on this sideline while events played out. He watched while the giant smith and dragon male were healed. He cursed the fates, but also took note of Smithy's eldest daughter. Meana had paused time and transported things instantly. He could not hear what she said to Shentaila and the female dragon, but he bet it wasn't good for his cause.

"Oh, enough of this, God let's talk," Lucifer tried to request an audience with the lord.

Lucifer jumped when a voice came from behind him. "God is busy, he sent me instead," Gabriel stated. The angel was garbed in full battle attire and strode over to face Lucifer. "I know what you want. You broke an oath by sending that pack of demons after Smithy's daughters. Did you expect Him to let you kill the future godhead? I have a better question: who should be your successor?" Gabriel asked before he sat down heavily in Death's chair.

"You can't be serious," Lucifer said while he shook his head. "I was given this world to be my realm. I alone rule over its miserable populace. I say how things work here!"

"You are no longer on that world. We're in purgatory and Death rules here. For your disrespect of the Lord's word, you are going to be imprisoned here for a thousand years. You may name another to entrust Hell and Earth to in that period. If you refuse," Gabriel laughed," I get to choose."

"Anyone?" Lucifer asked.

"Anyone," Gabiel agreed.

Lucifer smiled as he thought he knew how to trick even this angel. "I want Soulreaper to become the ruler of Hell while I am imprisoned here," Lucifer laughed at the register of the impossible request. "You said anyone, and he is the only entity to ever have threatened all of existence. You have to either fulfill this request or send me home where I belong," Lucifeer ordered.

"Soulreaper is not to exist," Gabriel stated with a look of certainty. He drew up to stand when Lucifer struck him in the face. Gabriel fell back into Death's seat. The bones of Lucifer's seat wrapped around him to keep him from striking again. Gabriel's jaw was bruised from the hit. "Stay here a bit," Gabriel said before he laughed. He got up and disappeared.

Lucifer launched into a triad of curses in every language that he knew. He waited after he calmed down. If Gabriel was so sure about Soulreaper, he would've set Lucifer directly into his purgatory prison. Instead the angel was probably consulting God for an answer. Lucifer would admit the concept of possibly being absorbed by Soulreaper concerned him. But, for Soulreaper to absorb him would be a type of freedom since the boy would have to break him out of purgatory. He wondered if the boy's soul would dominate, or if he'd find a way to take possession of it. He was arrogantly certain no boy could absorb him without becoming Satan to some extent. Soulreaper would not be held by the constraints and rules God created. It would be his ticket to do as he pleased, completely outside of all realms. He laughed at this thought while he was reminded of the bonds that currently held him.

Gabriel returned to Death's chair. He was no longer garbed for battle. He frowned, "God has approved your request. We have set into motion the process. I pretended to be you and ordered Melseeliana to take the form of Shentaila. She will return to Smithy's bed and become pregnant with his child. She will then try to kill him before she flees. Her pregnancy will be extremely painful since it is a giant's son. She will be torn apart on birth and then be absorbed by the baby. The child will become a sort of soul vampire, it will not require food to sustain it. We both know what he becomes and," Gabriel smiled, "how he dies."

"We shall," Lucifer began and was transported to a cavern filled with sculls," see." He laughed and cried at the same time. Perhaps, he thought, it was I who was tricked to make that choice. He hadn't thought that Heaven would resort to trickery or lies to bring about Soulreaper's birth. He figured they would just undo Shentaila's restriction to having only female children. As bad as he was he had really liked Melseelaina. He could even have called it love, in its twisted sense of the possibility. He hadn't meant to risk her on this gamble, now he regretted his decision. He hadn't cried in centuries, he didn't remember how much this could hurt.

Shillseen quickly found the little group that contained the Prince, knight of Havenshare and Frarie. They rode horses that were more suited to pull plows than to ride. The horses wondered from the course and were not very obedient to their masters. Telspar had to grab the reigns on Prince Rettep's horse when Shillseen descended toward them.

Shentaila dropped from the harness. "Your highness, there's been a change of plans. You are to ride Shillseen here to the gnome castle, where they will hide and protect you. We will ride on in your place to lure out any possible attack. You will be fetched from the gnomes as soon as it is safe."

Prince Rettep looked doubtfully at Shillseen and looked to his guides. "Are they serious?" Prince Rettep asked before he looked back at the dragon. He did not look like he wanted this course at all. His knuckles were white on the saddle's stirrup.

"Afraid so, sire," Helsnem commented before he flew to Shentailia's ear and whispered," his highness is afraid of heights." The Frarie chuckled a bit and flew back toward Prince Rettep. "Shillseen will refrain from any aerial acrobatics, but there is a sense of urgency sire. I believe a hunting party has been sent for you, a very powerful one. We here cannot assure your safety if you decide to remain."

Prince Rettep grumbled a comment that he would rather face death than attempt a flight on a dragon. Telspar assured the Prince that he was in good claws and that Shillseen only wanted to protect him for the good of the kingdom," She won't eat you, I promise." This last part earned Telspar an earnest frown while the Prince dismounted and handed the reigns of the horse to Shentaila. "Well, if I'm about to fly to my death, could I trouble you for a kiss lady?" Prince Rettep requested.

Shentaila fumed slightly while the others laughed at the request. "If it will get your highness' arse up into that harness faster," Shentaila replied. She kissed him fully on the lips without feeling and then shoved him toward Shillseen. She bolted onto the horse, "I'm no lady, either!"

Prince Rettep blushed in the moonlight while he stumbled toward Shillseen. "Sire, I'd get on now or you might be unconscious for this ride," Shillseen advised. Prince Rettep gave her the, "She'd never," look. "Oh yes. Shentaila is a demoness, don't doubt that she'd hurt any mortal foolish enough to disobey her. Now get on," Shillseen ordered while she turned and backed up so he could climb into the harness. The Prince reluctantly complied before Shentaila rode the horse close enough to help buckle him in.

Shillseen waited until the Prince was secure before she leapt up and flapped her wings. She had visited the gnomes with Norkannon on occasion, although she never truly understood their relationship. What could a mighty dragon see in such tiny, insignificant people? Her attempts to find out were usually sternly warded away. At least now they might offer a safe place to hide the prince.

Shentaila waited until they were far enough away so the Prince could not hear. "We have a very nasty demoness called Melseeliana coming for the prince. Helsnem, can you and your Frarie friends make me appear to be the Prince? Meana believed you could and we might be able to trap the demoness with this," Shentaila explained before she held up the gold globe.

Helsnem consulted with the Frarie group and returned. "Yes, we can. But it will only last about fifteen minutes. Once it dies out, we will be unable to recreate the effect," Helsnem explained. Shentaila nodded while she tried to think. "It's about twenty minutes to travel to the lake," Helsnem tried to help.

"I doubt she'd try to ambush the Prince so close to the lake with all the Centaurs on guard there. Go ahead, if we don't contact her within the fifteen minutes, something will have gone wrong. Telspar take the lead please?" Shentaila asked.

"I am only a knight of the world miss. Prey tell, how do I defend against this demoness? I would rather survive the next hour," Telspar asked with the bravado he could muster.

Helsnem and the Frarie began to form a loop around Shentaila. "Telspar, I want you to run when we encounter Melseeliana. Don't try to fight with her and don't let her claws touch you. She's been given a type of poison and I've already tapped the local supplies used to make the cure on Smithy and Norkannon. I'll take care of her, alright?" she asked. Telspar nodded while he watched the Frarie spin a tube of light around her. When they stopped the very image of Prince Rettep sat atop the horse. "Is it good," Shentaila's voice came from the prince's lips. Telspar nodded since he had to break eye contact. "Good, let's get going and hope we meet up with Melseeliana in time," She ordered.

The fifteen minutes passed quickly as they tensely waited for attack. Shentaila returned to her own appearance and the Frarie spread out to search the forest around the group. They returned with no news of Melseeliana in the vicinity. "Something's wrong. Let's get to the lake now," Shentaila kicked her boots into the sides of the horse and galloped the rest of the way to the lake. The others followed.

Narius and Tenius met the group at the cave. "Shentaila? Is that you? But, you came back here about ten minutes after you left on Shillseen. You said she could handle it and was worried about Smithy's condition. You're in there," Narius stated with confusion in his tone while he pointed into the cave.

"And by the sounds that ended a couple of minutes ago, you were making up," Tenius added. The Centaur's face blushed in the moonlight. The way they flipped their tails, and slightly pranced indicated how embarrassed they were to tell her the news.

Shentaila wailed as she leapt off the horse and headed into the cave. She was knocked out of the cave by a slashed blow while Melseeliana leapt out of the cave entrance and ran. The demoness already began to grow large in the abdomen and laughed joyously at her success. Shentaila tried to throw the gold globe at the pregnant demoness, her toss thrown off by the cuts raked across her right arm. "Get that bitch!" Shentaila ordered while she ran to pick up the orb. Telspar rode up next to her with the horse. Shentaila thanked him before she leapt into the saddle. She ran the horse hard in the attempt to follow the demoness. Tree limbs whipped cuts across her cheek while the heat and sweat of the horse washed across her body. She fought off tears while she tried to focus to not allow Melseelaina escape. The implications of this event just began to enter her mind and she had to shove them aside, although her female sensitivities made her want to curl into a ball right now.

The Centaur warriors caught up with Melseeliana and had her trapped within a section of the rock quarry. The young demoness moaned and panted, as if she were about to give birth. Shentaila rode down the slope into the pit and handed the globe to Tenuis. "Throw this at her," Shentaila ordered, "Quickly!" Tenius nodded and threw the gold ball at the demoness.

At that very moment Melseeliana split asunder and tore into four messy pieces to reveal a toddler who caught the ball. Dark energy engulfed the remains of the child's mother to absorb them into the child. The toddler changed quickly into a boy about two years old and then threw the gold orb at Shentaila. "No!" Tenius jumped into the way and was drawn into the orb. The boy approached to retrieve the ball since this was all the object was to him. A young Centaur warrior tried to block the child and was engulfed in the same dark energy that absorbed Melseelaina.

"Back, everyone get away from him! This is the Soulreaper! Stay away from him! Do not let him touch you," Shentaila ordered while she backed the tired horse away. She hadn't realized how tired the beast was until it stumbled and fell. It dropped her to the ground beside the boy.

The boy was now nearly five years old. "Horsey fall mommy," the boy said with concern before he ran to touch its head. The dark energy engulfed the horse where it lay. The boy began to cry while he absorbed the horse and aged to about seven. "I killed it mom, why did my touch kill it?" the boy asked in a sad tone while he looked at his hands.

Shentaila was stunned at the speed of growth of the boy and his belief that she was his Mother. She struggled with herself while she tried to decide what to do. The boy looked wounded and confused while he began to walk toward her. She felt frozen while she watched the boy in terror whom once claimed in the future to have absorbed Lucifer.

Two of the Centaur warriors launched arrows into the boy's chest. The boy cried out in pain and fell to his knees only a few feet from where Shentaila lay. When the boy looked up his eyes met Shentailia's, they were pure black when tendrils of dark energy enveloped the arrows and retraced their flight path to catch the two Centaurs that launched them. The tendrils coiled around their bodies and began to pull them toward the boy.

"Don't attack him! It is probably only a defense mechanism at this point. I don't believe he knows what he's doing or why. Stay back and let me see if I can get him to stop," Shentaila said while she picked up the globe and backed away as the two Centaurs were drawn into the boy. She wanted only to be far enough that she wouldn't be touched by the dark energy. The screams from the Centaurs rivaled the worst she had listened to in her ages in Hell.

The boy shifted to about ten years old when the dark energy returned to his body. "Tell them not to hurt me again, Mom," the boy requested before he stood up. "Why don't you talk to me?" the boy asked.

"Uh, son. The horse-men here are only trying to help me. You must not touch them, do you understand?" Shentaila asked. The boy nodded his head. "Good, Shentaila said while she stood up. "Honey, you can't touch Mommy, okay?" She asked before she approached.

The boy looked disappointed, "Why?"

"Do you remember what happened to the horsey? If you touch Mommy or anyone else the same could happen to us. You don't want to do that again do you?" Shentaila asked before she slipped the gold orb into a pocket.

"But I'm hungry Mommy," the boy stated while he made a painful expression and rubbed his belly.

"We can get something to eat on the way home," Shentaila assured the boy. "Come, follow Mommy. Get your people back and clear a path. I'm taking him home," Shentaila ordered while her head swam. What was she doing with this freak boy? Why did God allow this to happen? Gabriel said they could only have girls as it would be too risky to sire sons. Now that very curse was for naught since this child who would become the Soulreaper now lived.

The boy was quiet while he walked a few steps behind her. She felt a chill down her spine and glanced back to see the dark energy reached tendrils out to grab any animals that were along their path. Two bats were drug in along with a few frogs. Shentaila frowned at the boy. "I'm hungry Mommy," the boy said again with a shrug.

It was only then that Shentaila realized he wasn't hungry for food, but for souls. The boy's rapid development would only increase his appetite for death. It would be the only way he could sustain himself. This was a far worse curse than the one placed upon the Vampiru, as they could at least choose to die by not drinking the blood of others. This boy's own body would not allow this, it would seek out sustenance on its own. Shentaila rethought their destination. She was distracted from this line of thought as an owl flew too close and became the child's next victim.

Then everything froze, her reeling mind included. She felt the familiar touch of her daughter, Meana. She turned to face her daughter, with tears that welled up at the insanity of the last few hours. "Why, why send me away so that demon bitch could make him? How could he not know it wasn't me? Why did God do this?" Shentaila railed in despair she sat in the dirt and looked up at the boy. The owl tried to fight against the absorption into the boy which made the boy look like a black ooze covered angel. She just began to cry harder at this image.

Meana sat beside her Mother and held her hand. "I can't go into all of it, and I'm sorry for you. You will suffer the most since Father will have to try to forgive himself for this sin. God had intended to fulfill his promise to you. Lucifer tricked him into allowing this monster loose, we have to work things out until he goes back in time. The dragons need to leave lake Loche for one in the new world. It won't save them entirely, but will buy them time. Father will want to kill the boy on sight. For this reason I am going to send him to the gargoyle castle. He will feed his hunger there and then learn his only means to fill the emptiness. The Soulreaper will then travel by his own power to purgatory. He will free and consume Lucifer's soul."

Meana paused to look at her Mother in the eye, "When Dad killed him in the past he also killed Lucifer. The balance of power will shift. I will become the new godhead during this struggle," Meana then began to cry while she looked up at the boy. "Father and you will become Hell's King and Queen. We will work in our own ways to make things better. But, I will only be able to see you again after the world begins to rule itself without wars."

"As long as there are men; there will be wars," Shentaila ran her free hand through her daughter's hair. "How long before you must leave?" She asked in a heartfelt painful tone. She wanted to wrap her arms around her oldest daughter and tell the galaxy they couldn't have her. At times, God could be thought of as the ultimate Indian giver. He giveth and he taketh away those you love. How come those you hate seem to remain around much longer just to bother you? Some would say that they were there to test your soul. Shentaila believed this was because they killed off the good people sooner.

Meana looked up toward the boy and snapped her fingers. The young Soulreaper disappeared from where he stood before them. "He will reach maturity and absorb Lucifer's soul within the week. He will then come after me and seek to kill me. Father needs to be healed, Melseelaina cut into parts of him that will never fully recover. I can only help there in the physical aspect, it may be years before his soul is returned to normal. I'll be gone in three nights, but will not be far. Just out of the Soulreaper's range until God passes his power to me," she replied.

"We need to prepare for war. Once Father is physically ready, he will need to help the Merwins, otherwise known as Mermaids. For helping them, the vessels sailing to attack the island will be damaged. The Merwins will create a blockade against any attack. We are already under siege by armies that have landed on our shores. We cannot survive if all of these nations combine their efforts. I've already spoke with the Golem wizard and his creations are marching to intercept the invaders. He will buy us the time we need to get Father ready to help the Merwins. Come, let's walk while we continue this talk," Meana said before she stood and pulled her Mother up.

"What do the Mermaids need my husband to do?" Shentaila asked. "I vaguely remember they needed help for some reason. She was being pulled to keep up with her Daughter. Shentaila found she did not like her Daughter being superior in this situation, she was too old to be drug behind her like a little girl. She then increased her pace to match the girl's.

"The Frarie told Smithy to help the Merwins in search for the truth about the sword that killed Prince Lefar Oothier. If Telspar had not interfered, they would have gone to the Merwin's aid. Now, years later, the Merwins are still in need of help. Their King Trident was captured by the sea witch Ursulia which left the Merwins leaderless against her whims. Smithy needs to kill the sea witch and restore King Trident to his throne. Father's hatred of slavery and his heart are the things that will drive him on this mission. He will go alone except for a few Golems I asked the Golem wizard to craft. These Golems will be Dad's to control and keep after the job since they are forged of dragon steel," she paused while Shentaila objected to Smithy going alone. "Mother, he must do this on his own. He needs to prove to himself that he is not physically scarred for life. Only then can his ego begin to heal."

"What of Prince Rettep, how does he fit into things?" Shentaila asked.

"He will be kept hidden until the final battle," Meana replied. Shentaila asked for more information. "He will be blessed with an heir before the final battle. This heir will reunite the tattered nation and lead it to new civilized stages. That is all I can say since the final battle is fuzzy with the influence of my Brother."

"Wars are usually fuzzy to those involved. Can you take the girls somewhere safe until we are out of danger? I hate to send them away, but I don't want them to die either," Shentaila pleaded. They neared the cave entrance outside the lake shore. She tried not to cry again when she looked into her Daughter's eyes.

"The dragons may agree to take the girls with them. The new world I spoke of would not accept them as their skin color is different and they have very primitive people. It would be best if they were placed with ones more like ourselves later," Meana explained before she let go of her Mother's hand. The outside world had returned to action while they entered the Kitchen area. "He's in the bed still," Meana said before she picked up the pot with a new batch of the salve used earlier.

Shentaila entered the bedroom and lit more lamps. The bed was a sad sight to see, blood soaked the covers, sheets, and mattress. Bandages were wrapped around Smithy' chest, arms and legs. One wrapped around his privates brought Shentaila's most direct attention since there he had a part that that he missed. She nearly threw up when she found the discarded piece laid under a nightstand. She held in the vomit while she felt his pulse, his skin was very pale and cold to the touch. His pulse was weak and she cursed.

Meana set the pot near the bed and began to smear the stuff across the bandaged areas. "He will still be able to function as a man, but there will be no more children," Meana told her. Shentaila began to cry while she walked to take portions of the salve in her hands and rub it into other bandages.

Smithy didn't even moan when she forced the goop into his bandaged wounds. He was too far gone to feel what she did to him. Shentaila cried at this and quickly worked to apply the salve where it was needed. They turned him over and there were points where Melseeliana's claws had pierced all the way through his body. They put the goop and dressings on these before they turned him back over.

Shentaila stayed in the room, sat and sobbed on a rocking chair. She cursed all creation for this vile deed and hated herself because she could not have stopped it. She slowly calmed down while she listened to Smithy's shallow breaths. The room stunk from the blood and she knew the first task in the morning would be to change all of the sheets and mop. She felt the day's events when the weariness overtook her and she fell asleep.

### CHAPTER 7: DEATH MATES

"God forgive me," the Golem wizard knelt down on the ground of the hill he had chosen as the best vantage point to watch the battle. He cried in pain while he looked down upon the pre-noon scene. The French soldiers were the first to make landfall. They began to march North from where their ships anchored. The Golem wizard had his battlefield picked and was ready when they reached the area he chose. He gave their commander the order to withdraw after he explained who he was and that they would all die if they continued their advance.

The egotistical French commander tried to kill the wizard right then. The image of the Golem wizard projected around a Golem vanished when the commander's sword lopped off the wooden head. The trees literally came to life when the hidden Golems emerged from their slumber. More Golems emerged from nearby streams and ditches that were hastily dug to hide them.

The Golems may have been slow and clumsy warriors, but they were methodically controlled by the wizard. Foreign weapons broke when they contacted the dragon steel embedded in some of the Golems. Golems killed with weapons or crushing blows and received only cuts in their wood parts.

By dawn of the next day the army was in retreat and the Golems followed. The Golems tracked the stragglers and continued to kill until only enough to pilot one ship back remained. The Golems escorted these survivors into one of the ships and destroyed the other seven. The Golem wizard projected onto a Golem. "Leave our land and never return. Tell all other nations that they will share your fate if they try to invade Brittan," the wizard ordered. He had the Golems push the vessel out to sea.

It was the aftermath of this battle that caused the Golem wizard such grief. The blood from the dead stained the ground and nearby water red. The flies swarmed the bodies while he directed the Golems to bury them all of the victims of the battle. Each gruesome face was burned into the wizard's consciousness while he was forced to watch and direct the Golems in their task. He knew these weren't evil men and they were only followed orders issued by evil people. Each one perhaps left a family behind to fulfill their duty to their masters. Killing demons or gargoyles was one thing, but the deaths of fellow humans disturbed him.

He tried to rationalize his role here. These few had to die to ward off the larger battle that could kill thousands. He wanted to help when asked because it was the only time people accepted his work. But, his work was not about death. It was about sharing his life with these children of his creation. He longed to be able to make them more than puppets. It was hard for others to look at the Golems as anything more than tools at his disposal.

He stood from where he knelt and began to walk down the hill toward where the Golem that had been beheaded lay. The head still sent images from where it lay amongst the bramble. The wizard picked up the head and brushed away the leaves that stuck to it. The wizard knelt down beside the body and pulled out a crude drill from a bag he tied to his belt. He drilled holes into the head and body. He put three dragon steel dowels into the body and then a substance to glue them in before he shoved the head onto the dowels. The angle was slightly off, but when the glue cured the wizard could bring it back after reanimating the creature.

A shadow overcast the Golem wizard while he finished packing his supplies. "Archer Saint, you've kept me very busy yesterday," Death's voice said from behind him. Archer only nodded in his grief before he stood to face the ruler of purgatory. Death could see that the wizard had not slept in at least two days by the appearance of his blood shot eyes. Death dropped his hood and smiled, "Don't worry, I haven't come for you. I need to talk. A great change is about to occur. We are all players in that change. I've come to tell you that you've been chosen to be my replacement," Death said.

"No, never! I don't want to face this every day for eternity. Who would? I don't accept, I'd rather die and go to Hell for what I've done this day," the Golem wizard replied angrily. He picked up a fallen sword and moved to plunge it into his own chest. "It's what I deserve," Archer Saint commented. He then thrust the sword at his heart with all his might, but the sword only sliced through his garment.

"You are not to die here, or by your own hand. The smith giant will require your service a little longer. Please put that thing down," Death requested. He stepped forward and touched a bony index finger to the Golem wizard' forehead. "You were made to forget a piece of the past, but it is imperative to our future. I'm only removing the block," Death said while a chill entered Archer's head and then Death pulled away. "Do you remember the Soulreaper?" Death asked.

Archer Saint nodded somberly before he dropped the sword to the ground. He brought his eyes to focus on the eye sockets of Death's skull. "He was killed by his Father, Smithy," the Golem wizard replied.

"Our past will be his future, but he was born last night. He is currently absorbing the last of the gargoyles. When he finishes, he will have reached maturity. He will come to purgatory to free Lucifer and absorb him. In this deed I will also be absorbed by Soulreaper. This is why you were chosen to succeed me since souls will still require a guide. Death's powers do not belong to a single soul, but to purgatory itself. My horse will come for you when it is time," Death explained before he whistled for his steed.

"Why me, out of all the souls on this world, why me?" Archer Saint asked.

Death laughed before he mounted the horse of bones. "Your experience with animating dead objects and your solitary lifestyle have made you the best candidate," he pointed to the repaired Golem. "They don't talk back and neither will the bones in purgatory." He kicked off and disappeared from the world of the living.

The Golem wizard finished the burial and returned his children to the places they hid in before. He walked toward the nearest town with the thought to spread life until he was required to return to service. He wondered what would happen to his children when Death's horse came to take him from this world. It would be cruel to just let that much work go to waste. He thought that he should look for an apprentice, but thought there probably was not enough time to train one.

The next couple of days were spent in the arms of various females he could convince by either charm or money to be his companions in bed. He was in the middle of the act when a Frarie appeared beside the bed and scared the poor young farm maid. The girl shrieked and leapt out of the bed while she wrapped the sheets around her slim, supple form. She dashed off quickly and let curses echo down the hall.

"Good timing as always, Helsnem," the Golem wizard grumbled whilehe sat up. His member was still erect and he did not make to cover it. He had learned that Frarie didn't care, so he wasn't about to be modest in their company. "You owe me eight coppers," Archer Saint commented before he stood to pour water into the wash basin. He was not quite sober either.

"We need you," Helsnem began.

"Of course you need me, you never visit just to say Hello. Tell Smithy and company to meet me on the North East shore of the island. Meana's special Golems are there in wait for him. I'll be along shortly, but you may not be able to find me after. Death wants me to take his place," the Golem wizard instructed.

"Ah, an honor," Helsnem stated seriously.

"You want the job? I'll give it to you in a heartbeat," Archer Saint said. He began to dress after he washed and his member now flaccid. "I don't want the job, Death says I'm the most qualified because I made the Golems. So I've decided to try to make real children in the time I have left," he pointed to the door, "That wench would've made a decent Mom if she survived the birth."

Death returned home to purgatory and sent his steed and its lover to Gabriel's stalls. He then entered the house and wrote a note to Archer Saint to read when he arrived. The note revealed where he kept a mystical diary that contained the experiences of everyone who served as Death from the beginning of time. The note and diary could only be read by the soul that took the mantle of Death.

Death then said goodbye to the land of the dead. This would be the first time a Death would release his position because his soul was stripped from it. Death had not shared his knowledge of the Soulreaper with others, only he and God knew this secret. He now wondered how wise it was to keep the secret, he questioned God's belief here.

Death placed his house in order and then brought Lucifer to his home. The Hell's ruler was kept trapped within the guest seat. Lucifer looked terrible almost as if he had spent the time mourning the loss of someone dear. His flesh was pale and big dark bags were under his eyes. "I suppose this means it is time?" Lucifer asked when his eyes met Death's.

Death nodded, " for both of us." He pulled a glass of blood wine and offered it to Lucifer after he released one arm. He then drew another for himself. "To change," Death stated with a half-hearted sound of hope. He then drowned the contents of the glass. He had not died to take the post and hoped that the Soulreaper's process would not be painful. As Death, he feared no being, but now he was scared. Most of the prior Death mantle holders had retired to Heaven which was not guaranteed after his absorption by the Soulreaper.

"To fallen loves and hates," Lucifer commented before he drank. When he finished the room suddenly darkened and felt cooler. They turned to see a young Soulreaper now sat at the couch in front of the fireplace. "I suppose you wouldn't mind letting me fight this monster?" Lucifer requested while he pointed to the bone bonds.

"Actually, I do mind. The boy is not what I fear. He's not powerful enough to kill either of us. He is waiting for his future self to take you and me. Then he will share our power," Death stated.

"What? Smithy killed his son, I watched it," Lucifer exclaimed with surprise.

"No, he only wounded me badly. I've spent the last few years absorbing souls from swamp creatures and the occasional passer by. I believe only my sister can kill me off," the older version of Soulreaper entered Death's home. He had a scar across his left cheek. "Young me, you may have Death's soul now. I will make it so Lucifer here is also yours to absorb," the older one ordered.

Death breathed out just before the younger one could touch him so his soul and body returned to his former human form. Instead of Death, the young one's dark energy wrapped around Hector Valentez -- a Spanish pirate of his time. Hector laughed while the young Soulreaper cursed, the boy thought he'd get to absorb Death's power. Soulreaper cursed again when he found the absorption was commencing at a very slow rate. "Why can't I absorb him?" the boy asked the older one.

"It's not my time to die," Hector laughed.

Lucifer struggled with the older Soulreaper while it engulfed his soul. The older one quickly pulled back away. "You will spend three days trying to absorb that one and then you can have this one. One more thing, never touch me!" the older one ordered before he left.

The younger snarled at his older self. He then let a tendril reach out for Lucifer. "Ah, yes. You are much more satisfying," the boy said before more tendrils reached for Lucifer. The boy left only one coil around Hector while he drew Lucifer's soul into his body. Within an hour the boy was finished absorbing Hell's ruler and returned his full attention to Hector. The boy was even more furious that he still was only allowed to slowly drain the former Death.

### CHAPTER 8: FISHY FRIENDS

Smithy's recovery was filled with fever born nightmares that repeated the events that put him in the damaged state. Then there were images of his wife and daughters that hung from the rafters of their house by their own entrails. He could hear the sobs and concerned voices of his family as barely audible echoes in his subconscious. Once in a while he would come out of it and open his eyes, before he slipped back into the abyss. He alternated between extremely hot and extremely cold. He felt like he drowned several times, but could not control his reactions.

It seemed like a year before he finally broke the fever and could sit up. He drank soup and wondered how he had gotten home from the Centaur lake. It was a trivial matter that he let slip because he knew the pain in Shentaila's eyes, and its cause. He also saw sadness in his daughter's eyes when they poked their heads in to check on his condition. Smithy would admit that this was one of the few times he truly felt mortal because very little of his body was not in pain. But, his physical pain dulled in comparison to the emotional turmoil. He knew exactly how King Author must have felt after the human slept with his step-sister.

Meana visited only once and placed her palm on his forehead and whispered, "I love you." She cried before she hugged Shentaila and left. Smithy felt better from her touch, but sad because he felt it would be the last time he saw her. He couldn't say why he felt this way, only that he did.

A day later he was rudely woken by the Frarie Helsnem. "Up and at 'em, you bump on a log. You have work to do," Helsnem ordered. The group of Frarie that accompanied him pulled off the covers. Helsnem avoided the groggy swat easily. "Did we catch you in a bad mood?" Helnem laughed, "good. There is a bit of unfinished and forgotten business that you must attend to."

"Shoo fly, don't bother me! Can't you see I'm still healing?" Smithy asked before he tried to retrieve the blanket. The Frarie dropped it to the floor and then began to assault Smithy while he tore off the bandages. He was even angrier as the pain of hairs being pulled out struck him. He flailed at the Frarie when he sat up from the bed. "Curse you to infinity," Smithy roared as the Frarie flew out of reach.

He then noted that his wounds were only red scar tissue, "How? He prodded the one on his arm and winced at the action. "Do you care to explain this, or do I have to refuse to help to get the story?" Smithy asked before he cautiously tore a bandage from his leg. He continued to take off the other bandages while he waited.

"Meana and I have helped accelerate your natural healing. She had to leave, but left you in my care. We need to help the Mermaids retrieve their King Triton. You were supposed to have rescued him before Telspar interfered in your quest. Now the task is most urgent since fleets from foreign nations will come to take advantage of the spit in the ruling family. Get all those off and get dressed. Shentaila is waiting in the kitchen," Helsnem explained. The Frarie flew out of the bedroom.

Smithy did as he was told and waited to take the one wrapped around his privates for last. He played the very last moment of consciousness from the deception and attack in his mind. He began to weep at the recollection and the fact that he did not have the nerve to remove this bandage. Even though Helnem said he was healed, he knew that he had lost a part of himself that night. He looked up when he felt the presence of another enter the room and close the door. "I, I can't," Smithy shook his head in sorrow.

Shentaila also cried when as she approached. "You must," she said while she knelt before him, "we must." She placed a hand on his cheek, "They need you now. Whole or part, you must go. Meana has left to fulfill her destiny and we have to continue to play our parts." She guided a hand to take hold of the bandage. "We will have no further children," she explained before she carefully helped remove the wrapping.

Smithy stifled the cry by biting his lower lip. He had been often asked by her if he thought he could bear the pain of childbirth. He wondered if the pain of every kick, hit, or other strike to a males private regions added together might come close. He would have to admit a woman had to bleed every month was not an appealing prospect. He looked down to the exposed region, somehow dreading the sight. He was relieved to see that his member was scarred, but intact. He continued to weep when he confirmed the lost piece of flesh.

Shentaila wept also before she stood and sat on one of his enormous legs. She wrapped her arms around his chest and cried into his beard. He wrapped an arm around her. "Why didn't you know, couldn't you feel it was wrong?" Shentaila asked between sobs.

Smithy placed his fingers in her hair and ran them through it. "It felt as real as this does. I didn't know until the end when that bitch began butchering me," Smithy replied. He saw the pain in her eyes when she looked up from his beard. "I'm sorry, I know it's not enough," Smithy said while he tried to stem his sobbs.

"No, it's not. But we must get you dressed and fed. Others need you now, we can talk about this when you return. The Golem wizard waits for you, let's not make him wait long," Shentaila said before she hopped from his knee. She had already set out a set of clothes and began to toss them at him.

"How did I get here?" Smithy asked while he placed the undergarments on.

"Shillseen flew us back. We burned the bedroom at the lake, it was the only way to sanitize the place. There was so much blood," Shentaila's tears grew stronger while she explained. "At least I was there to see Melseeliana's final death, a very painful ordeal indeed. Please don't ask me to elaborate now. We need to focus on today, I'll explain our roles in the coming days when you return," she explained.

Smithy dressed and they entered the kitchen. He sat at the intricate oak table and wordlessly ate the stew and bread his wife had prepared. Shentaila had gone outside for some reason. "Helsnem, I've screwed up bad this time. She will hate me for some time. I should stay here and be her husband now more than ever. How can the world ask this of us now? Even the Bible advises that it is a sin to put other affairs over that of my family," Smithy complained.

"What she needs now is a little time to herself to sort out her feelings. She still loves you, that hasn't changed. But, right now she's in the anger and despair stage. She's blaming everyone, including herself for allowing this act. She needs to forgive herself before she can even try to forgive you," Helsnem replied. The Frarie ate pieces of bread while they waited.

"How is Norkannon?" Smithy asked while he spooned in another helping of the stew into his bowl. He hadn't realized how hungry he was and how good the stew could be after a steady diet of pea and chicken soup. There were some spices he hadn't tasted before and he chalked them up to possible medicinal herbs.

"His wounds are healing slowly. The damage to his wings was severe and Shillseen is still very angry with you. She says it will be months before he can fly again. I'd stay off that subject when you fly with her to meet the Golem wizard, it's a touchy area," Helsnem warned.

"Perhaps I shouldn't talk to anyone, seems I've become an explosive person," Smithy commented while he took another chunk of bread. He dipped it into the stew water to soften it and then ate it. He felt better now that his stomach was nearly full. He also enjoyed the smells and comfort of being home the lake cave was always too damp and musty for his tastes. He wondered how long it would be before they tried to revisit the site.

Smithy was broke from his thoughts when his three younger daughters bound in from the door. They giggled and were happy to see their Father out of bed. "Now girls, be careful with Dad. He hasn't fully healed," Shentaila sounded as if this was a reminder when she came in and closed the doors. The girls paused with frowns since they were unsure how to proceed.

"If you don't jump, you can sit in my lap," Smith explained. He picked up Treanna, the youngest daughter, and set her on the table. Beolia climbed to his left leg and Sheafiala onto his right. These two were twins and they could only be told apart by their eye color. Beolia had yellow eyes like a cat, while Sheafiala's were crystal blue.

"Poppie, are you good?" Treanna asked before she gently tugged his beard.

"Better, pumpkin, better," Smithy said before he kissed her cheek.

"You're going to visit the mermaids, right? They're supposed to have sunken treasures. Maybe you can bring some home? Gold matches my eyes," Beola fluttered her eyelashes and smiled.

Sheafiala rolled her eyes at her sister's suggestion. "Father has more important things to do than bring us gifts. He's going to rescue the mermaid King and then help Prince Rettep regain the country. Isn't that right?" Sheafiala asked.

"Perhaps he can do both," Shentaila commented before Smithy could reply. She gave him a forceful stare that let him know that if there was a reward, he'd better take it. If not, he'd better try to buy some trinkets for the girls before he returned home.

Smithy nodded at his wife. "I'll try girls," he said before he gave the twins each a single-armed hug. He then set them down on the floor and picked up Treana to set her next to them. "I thank you for the meal Mother, and the additives. Girls, you be good to Mom and do as she says. I think I've kept everyone waiting too long," Smithy said. He found the flight clothes and put them on before he left the house.

Shillseen waited impatiently outside where there were tracks left as she paced impressions in the dirt. "Finally, climb on. I want to be there before dusk," Shillseen ordered. She forced her backside down in front of him and waited for him to climb aboard.

"Nice to see you too," Smithy muttered as he climbed into the harness and began to strap in. Shillseen began to flap her wings before he was finished. He groaned and cursed at her, but the communication tubes were not in place. Even if they were, it would've been ignored.

The flight was cold and dull, so much so that Smithy fell asleep. "Wake up knucklehead, we're about to land" Shillseen yelled into the tube to shock him from his slumber. She then dove, rolled and descended quickly toward the beach below. If the yell hadn't woke him, the barrel roll sure did. The touchdown was one of the roughest he had while he rode dragons, and he knew Shillseen did it on purpose. He kept quiet while he disembarked, trie to swallow the pain from the harness that jerked into his private region. He silently cursed the female dragon while he walked slowly toward the small group of Golems that faced and looked out to sea. Shillseen settled down in the sand and yawned.

Smithy grumbled some while she settled in to take a nap. He looked over these new Golems. They looked like two giant tanks with legs and arms. Smithy inspected the tubes from these tanks when he felt a new presence. He jumped back and reached for one of the swords.

"You don't need that," the Golem wizard said while he waved a hand. "Here," he held up an odd looking crown. The thing was made of steel inlaid with silver and wrapped around to touch the wearer's neck. "These have been specially designed for you to use. The tubes plug into this piece that swings over to buckle on here, sort of like the air bag device you use on the dragons. You know how to swim, don't you?" the wizard asked with a smirk.

"Yes sir," Smithy nodded in response while he took the helmet and put it on. "Anything I should know about these things?" Smithy asked as while he looked toward the Golems. He didn't know what they were good for other than as walking air tanks.

"Let us begin with a simple lesson, try to get the last in line to walk into the water. Bring the circular parts of the helmet down to cover your eyes. Yes, that's it. Now concentrate on the last Golem, you should be able to see through its crystal eyes. Don't try to look through all of the Golems' eyes at once, it's like looking out of a fly's eyes," the Golem wizard paused.

"O.K. I think I've got the right one," Smithy stated after a few moments. "How do I make it move?" Smithy asked while he swiveled his head from side to side. He found that the helmet blocked his own sight and was uncomfortable with the experience.

"Think about walking into the water and send the image to the Golem," the wizard replied while he stood a few paces away. His previous attempts to train others to do this warned him that any stray thought could cause unexpected results. One of those attempts had laid him out for a week because the Golem performed a spin kick that caught him in the jaw. The boy was one of the most gifted and promising of his pupils. He died when his Father sent the boy to serve in the King's army.

The second to last Golem jerkily began to walk into the water and within minutes was submerged. "Now what?" Smithy asked as he was breathing hard. "This is weird," the giant commented. He put up his hands and the hands of the Golem raised out of the water, "I can feel what it feels."

Archer Saint chuckled, he hadn't expected the giant to catch on so easily. "You almost did it right, you need to try again for the last one in line. You connected to the second to last, it's now the one in the water. Try raising just the hand and I'll tell you if it is the right one." He walked toward that end of the line while he kept a distance of three Golem leg lengths between where he was and where it stood. "Good, now send it into the water," the wizard instructed. The movement was slightly less jerky as the Golem descended into the water.

"Now let's try to give a command to the remaining three on shore. Take the round parts off and choose one to ride. Then we'll try to give them all commands," the wizard ordered. He made the one with its hands raised drop back into the water. Smithy gave him a quizzical look. "They need to be in sync when you try to control them all. This is the hardest part since you need to issue a single command to all of them. Remember, you are their brain. You can give them directives, but they won't be able to decide to stop without you."

Smithy nodded and climbed on the middle Golem. There were straps to buckle him on and plugged the tubes that dangled into the mask. "Ready," Smithy said as he faced the wizard. He found this strange, but fun in its own way. He had only a little nagging from his thoughts about sea monsters that destroyed whole ships, and he was about to walk into their territory.

"The trick here is not to try to be all of the Golems at once, but to cycle through them while issuing commands. You'll probably find it hard to know which is which at first. I've given each one a different color control crystal. Did you notice that the first one's vision was tinted yellow, while the second was red?" the wizard asked. Smithy nodded. "Good, once you learn the colors to the Golem positions, you should find it easier to control them independently. Practice on your trip to the Mermaid Kingdom. Don't worry about finding them, it's a large ocean. They've been informed and will send guards to escort you."

A splash in the water out a few yards was followed by several others. "Ah, they heard me. One other point, do not try to swim to the surface from their depth. You will descend slowly on the Golems and will need to come up slowly or the change in pressure could kill you. There should be enough air in the Golems to last a week if needed. Good luck Smithy, I won't be here when you return. I've been appointed as the next Death. Please feel free to keep the helmet and use it when required to utilize my Golems," Archer Saint explained.

"You're what?" Smithy hardly could believe the statement. Then he saw Death's horse descend from the sky and land near the wizard. The horse neighed and nudged the wizard with its skull. "What happened to the old Death?" Smithy asked while he instructed the Golems to turn to face the wizard and his new steed.

"You haven't been told yet, and Helsnem has requested that you not learn until this task is finished," the wizard replied while he mounted the horse. The robe he wore changed into the shroud and his flesh suddenly disappeared from his bones. "Odd, it's just a tingling sensation," the wizard commented while he felt his own face. "What I can say is that events are out of normal order, but you'll play a major role in the future. Even if you don't want to, much like this job wasn't one I wanted. Farewell," Death said as he waved a bony hand and the horse leapt into the sky.

"At least we now have a friend in purgatory and won't be stuck there long," Shillseen commented from where she lay in the cool sand. The sky began to turn red as the sun began to fall. "You'd better get going before it's completely dark," Shillseen instructed.

Smithy wondered what it was that Helsnem and the others knew that he did not. His mind returned to the incident with Melseeliana, he was certain that it had something to do with that. His bones felt something powerful was released on the world, something familiar. He shuddered at the thought while he tried to do the instruction to have the Golems go into the water.

The seven remaining Golems moved in a series. Smithy latched the air mask onto his face before the Golem he rode entered the water. He now wished he had dropped the extra clothes on the beach since they became heavy with the liquid.

Smithy had to play catch up with the other two Golems when the group of seven passed them. He returned to the view of the Golem he rode since it was the best way to see where he was going. He now wished he had brought Shentaila's cross bows instead of all his blades, they would come in more useful in a water battle. The water was dim and he found he could only see a limited distance. They walked like this for at least five minutes before met by the mermaids.

Actually, mermen guards. They wore eels that glowed around their necks. A row of fish that glowed created a path before the Golems, and Smithy nodded as the guards pointed toward it. Smithy made the nine Golems form three rows and had them enter to follow the rows of fish that glowed. He was seated in the middle of the last row and tried to keep order within the ranks of Golems. A couple of times they tripped over each other, and he could hear the mermen laugh. "Give me a break, it's my first time," Smithy mumbled.

The Golems seemed to walk for hours and Smithy enjoyed the scenery. He hoped that when he returned it would be daytime so he could see more of this underwater paradise. Of course, he was probably not about to be invited on a sight seeing tour by the mermaids. They finally arrived at a well-lit city of coral and he was told to leave all but the Golem he rode at the city boarder. He decided to switch from the one he rode here, in case the air might be low. This one's crystal eyes were a blue hue while he became accustomed to it.

He was led into the large coral palace at the center of the city. They twisted through a maze of circular corridors before they emerged into a vast chamber. The chamber was empty save the one female Mermaid that sat next to the empty throne. He made the Golem bow while he bowed his own head behind it. "Your majesty, Mack Smithson at your service," he introduced.

Smithy was taken aback she a voice in his head said, "We have waited long for your arrival Smithy. We know you and hope that you can rescue my Father. As the princess, I have to pray it is true. What is the service we can offer a land walker for such a task?"

"The land I come from is to be attacked by foreign nations. As they must sail the sea to reach it, we hoped you might be able to turn them from this course," Smithy explained. He hoped that would be enough, he didn't want to ask them to sink the ships.

"Ah, your thoughts betray the true course that may be required. Also, there's a personal request from your wife and daughters that you are too shy to ask. If you save my Father, King Triton, both are yours," the mermaid assured. She snapped her fingers and a large clam shell was brought into the room. "Please watch as I explain," the Princess requested. "The evil sea witch Ursulia has developed a way of absorbing most of the energy of her victims. They are turned into eternal sea urchins, enslaved to do her bidding. These energies are stored within a mystical mirror, which she uses to draw power as needed. To free the slaves and my Father, the mirror must be destroyed. This is where we have failed, no weapon we have made or found has been able to break it. Every brave warrior who has tried has become part of her urchin slave farm. We are praying that your legendary dragon steel can pierce the spell. The guards who escorted you here are going to take you to her lair. They will attempt to distract the sea witch while you destroy the mirror. I wish you luck," the Princess thought into his head before she waved.

The guards turned around and waited for him to follow them. They returned to where the Golems waited and began to head in the direction of the sea witch's lair. "Her name wouldn't happen to be Areil?" Smithy asked.

"No, that's a younger sister. Areil does not live in the Kingdom anymore," one of the mermen guards replied. "Why do you ask?" another guard asked.

"Just a story we land walkers like to tell," Smithy commented. He must've thought about the story because the whole group of guards broke into laughter. This puzzled Smithy, "What?"

"The Prince was much older," one guard replied. "And black skinned," another said with a laugh. "We think she was impressed with his physical assets, if you get the drift," a third added. "Oh, we didn't mean it like that," a fourth said while he read Smithy's reaction and thought of his own deformity.

Smithy decided to try to only think about the task at hand since none of his thoughts were private in the present company. "Do you know where this mirror the sea witch uses came from?" Smithy asked to change the subject. He had to focus to make the Golems leap over a chasm.

"There are many theories. One is that it belonged to a witch of great power who died when Atlantis sank beneath the sea," one said.

"You spoke," Smithy said aloud and felt stupid immediately after it came out. He was so embarrassed when he thought they were only telepathic. "Sorry," he said, "I seem to be bumbling things a lot lately. Mind if I ask your names?"

"The one who spoke is Carnius, I'm Fepltar, this lug is Menorr and the young one is Slehp," the eldest guard replied. "We each have at least one member of our family enslaved by the sea witch. My son, Carnius' finance, Menorr's brother and Slehp's Mother are all part of her urchin farm," Fepltar explained.

"Beware, we're nearing the sea witch's territory," Carnius said.

"There are many dangerous creatures guarding this area. Keep your Golems close to us," Menorr thought.

Smithy was about to ask what kind of creatures when he received images from the guards. Several types of sharks, eels, stingrays, squids, and other dangerous animals of the sea were played through his head for an answer. He shuddered at the thought of any of these being sent against them.

The waters here were murkier and Smithy wondered how wise it was to carry glowing animals into it. He thought that it would make the mermen stand out as targets to any creature that lived there. But, he also didn't know how they would get around without them.

"He has a point, we should call the Porpi," Carnius stated while he pulled the glowing eel from his neck and let it swim away. Fepltar nodded and the other three did the same. All of them let out a squeak and bark type of sound.

Smithy was sad to see the eels leave while he listened to the strange sounds and wondered what they were for. From above swam six animals with long noses and a hole they breathed through on the top of their head. These creatures made similar squeak and chirp noises back to the mermen. He was sent an image of using his coat so that the Porpi could pull him toward the place they headed. Smithy shook his head, he sent that he needed the Golems to breathe. A modified image where the Porpi only led him was more acceptable.

The mermen silently communicated with the newcomers and sent an image that indicated they would go ahead. The two Porpi guides knew Smithy's destination and mission. They would help where they could. Smithy nodded, he knew the plan was the guards were to try to be a diversion while he found and destroyed the mystical mirror.

Smithy carefully pulled the coat off over the weapons he wore and flipped it out so the sleeves floated over the Golem's head. A moment later he felt a tug at both sleeves as the two Porpi grabbed them. He held tight to the back of the coat and directed his small Golem army to head in the direction they pulled the coat toward. It was soon evident that the Porpi knew how to get him around, but were unaware of the Golems that accompanied him. One time they altered course and avoided a hole, but Smithy accidentally led a Golem into it. Smithy had to stop the group, order the Golem that fell to climb out and make the Golems form a line behind the one he rode. The Porpi continued to tug on the coat and he wished he could tell them the problem.

Once he was ready, the single file line began to move forward again. The one who fell was now at the back of the line. Smithy was able to direct the Golems to duplicate the movements of the one he rode and they had no further trouble with land obstacles. Smithy wished he could see in this murk because he didn't like having to rely on these creatures to guide them.

He felt the water above his head move and he had the Golem behind him look there. He only saw the tail fins of a large animal that swam by. He felt the coat sleeves go limp and became worried. He drew his Frarie sword and flipped the eye covers up on the helmet. The Frarie sword provided some illumination and he saw the shark come back around toward him. It sped up and opened its big maw as it was prepared for a meal. Smithy then noted the two Porpi swam equally fast from both sides of the shark. Smithy braced his position and prepared to strike with the sword.

The shark noticed the Porpi too late when it tried to pull up. The Porpi struck its sides and forced it faster toward Smithy's blade. Smithy smiled at their plan and he waited to swing just as the Porpi forced the shark into the blade. The shark tried to struggle, but the Frarie blade cut easily through the cartilage skeleton and emerged from its tail. There was a moment where the shark continued to swim forward in one piece before the Porpi swam away from the shark. The shark tried to turn to attack them, one half going one direction as the other tried to follow the other Porpi. Shark blood filled the water and Smithy felt the Porpi take their coat sleeves. Smithy reluctantly sheathed the sword, and let them lead the Golems quickly away.

Smithy saw light emit from a tunnel ahead and thought that must be the sea witch's lair. He then noticed a Porpi lay dead in the cave mouth. The Porpi with him let go of the coat and swam cautiously to the fallen friend. They nudged the body with their noses and made soft squeak sounds. There was no answer or movement from the obviously dead Porpi. The two squeaked something at Smithy and then took up positions on each side of the corpse. They then swam away from the place as quickly as they could.

"Thanks," Smithy said with full knowledge they would not understand. He knew they were going to perform some kind of burial for their fallen friend. Smithy was now more concerned with the mermen, did they receive the same fate? He sent two Golems into the cave, one had seaweed and other sea plants clung to it becuase this was the one that fell in the hole. Smithy used their crystal eyes to inspect the cave. He looked for any signs of the mermen and where the mystical mirror might be kept.

The cave entrance was the only part of the lair that looked naturally formed while the rest was man made structured. Smithy wondered if that Atlantis story could be true while he sent the Golems deeper into the lair. Signs he found were in a symbolic language he did not know, not that he could read much of his own language. He entered a large coliseum area with the Golems and saw flashes of light come from above. The cavern's ceiling had a hole in it and he was able to see a storm from the sea surface light up the chamber occasionally.

From the coliseum area he split up the two Golems and sent them to explore different streets. The lair was a maze and he wished the mermen had a map of some kind. He finally decided to carefully enter the lair and go to the coliseum since it was the most central location. Once there, he sent two more Golems in different directions. The other four were his guards in case the sea witch or her creatures attacked. Smithy alternated between his four explorer Golems while his heart pounded with each turn of a corner.

Smithy found a large garden room filled with sea urchins that tended the foliage. Smithy left the Golem covered in plants there and made it lean against a wall filled with similar plants. This way he at least knew where the slaves were in the complex. He hoped they wouldn't alert the sea witch of the new plants.

The flashes above grew more frequent and lit the cavern in a strobe-like fashion. Smithy alternated between the three Golems sent to explore and the four that guarded his position. He found a building filled with mirrors and set the Golem there to the task to smash them. He made the other two explorers head to the same structure to aid in the task. He knew if they found one that they couldn't break, it was probably the mystical mirror he was sent to destroy. He headed toward the building with his group of Golems.

They made their way slowly through the streets with caution while on alert for any threats. As they passed a structure where the front columns were knocked down and the wall had a large hole, they were attacked by a giant crab. The incident was over nearly as fast as it happened. The giant crab grabbed a hold of the Golem Smithy rode from the island shore to the mermaid kingdom, it's claw pierced the tanks. The Golem exploded when the pressure within was released and its metal body tore the crab's claw into pieces. The crab creature left with a stub on one arm and screeched with pain. It was about to attack again when Smithy noted the bubbles rose from another Golem since it had been damaged by the shrapnel of the first. Smithy forced this Golem to walk under the crab as quickly as it could move. The crab noticed and grabbed this Golem with his remaining claw and the resultant explosion knocked the crab upward into the building's roof. The impact caused the building to crumble on top of the crab and trap it. By the time the murky result dissipated the crab had stopped twitching.

Smithy's four guard Golems were now down to two. He was sad about the loss of one full Golem since he might need the air. It was another ten minutes before they reached the structure with the mirrors. He made the first Golems there pause in their work while they entered, he did not want to be cut by pieces of glass that still fell. He found a safe place to have the Golem he rode stand and then added his two guard Golems to the task. He had never seen so may mirrors and wondered if he incurred the accumulated bad luck from their destruction. As his luck was, he wondered if it could get worse.

Smithy became bored while he watched the Golems work. He unlatched the harness and decided to stretch. His scars were still tender and his muscles were crampped from the ride. The tubes were thankfully long enough that he could walk around the Golem and see the destruction. Sounds of muffled glass that shattered drifted through the water. Smithy decided to try to fire an arrow in the water at a mirror on the entrance's ceiling. He wasn't sure how the arrow would work under water and wanted to check before he needed to use one. This way he would learn if they were ineffective in this environment. He notched the bolt and pulled as hard as his muscles would allow before he launched it. Smithy watched the wake of the projectile's path as it spun in the water. Smithy noted the speed at which the arrow slowed was much more rapid in the water, he also noted that the air trapped within caused the arrow to arc upward from its intended path. The arrow struck another mirror and stayed embedded in the stone behind it as shards fell in a way descent.

Smithy notched another arrow and compensated for the upward drift of the first. This time his shot struck the spot he intended and shattered the mirror into shards. He smiled since now he was confident he could use his arrows to hit his mark. He slung the bow back on his shoulder and pulled out an odd looking mace about the size of a human's fist with more of a star shaped head. Smithy used it at home more to tender meat for Shillseen when she lived in his cave than for battle. He decided to use it to help hurry along the process. He and the Golem air tank climbed to the highest floor. They slowly began to smash the mirrors there.

It was only when all the mirrors were destroyed that Smithy realized his error. This building was most likely a decoy to fool the mermen warriors through the time they wasted and possibly alerted the sea witch of the intruders. He decided to get out of the building quickly since each glass shard could be a potential weapon.

"Ah, this land walker is the first to ever figure it out before his death. He thinks differently," the female voice that had to belong to the sea witch said in Smithy's head. The shards of mirrors began to drift upward from the floor as Smithy drove his Golem quickly down the stairs. He watched as the glass knives began assail the other Golems and broke into even smaller pieces against the metal. Smithy instructed the whole group to get out at once. He cursed when small shards embedded into his exposed hands and made it past the thick padded leather pants. Pieces that tried to strike his face were deflected by the helmet and mask.

Outside the building he learned the glass did not follow them, but that it had cut the air tubes on the Golem he rode. He quickly swam off it and found another with intact tubes before he yanked the broken ones from the mask and attached these. He had to swallow the sea water in order to get air into the mask and his lungs. He then worked to pull the mirror chunks out of his hands and legs wrapped the worst areas with strips cut from a handkerchief. He hoped no predators were near because the smell of blood would draw them.

Smithy decided the best bet might be to see if the sea urchin slaves could help, or at least tell him where the mystical mirror might be found. He first checked to see if any of the other Golems were damaged. Three of the six with him had cuts in their breathing tubes. Smithy decided his week of air was now closer to three days, and he doubted he could attempt to repair the problem under the ocean surface.

Smithy decided to have the three damaged Golems lead the way since they were now the most expendable. He switched between the lead Golem and the one left in the urchin structure. He noted that the urchins had added more plants and some small creatures to the Golem, he wondered if they purposely attempted to do a better job to hide it.

Smithy had to focus on the six he led while he wanted to try to clear his mind. The sea witch had thought directly into his head like the mermen, it would be hard to keep her from reading his thoughts. That would be Smithy's biggest disadvantage since how do you fight something that knew what you thought as soon as you thought it?

He reached the garden the urchins worked to maintain. He let the observation that he could not see the Golem left there glance quickly across his mind before he got down from the one he rode. "Do you know where the sea witch is?" Smithy asked the room filled with urchins. He noted their motion upward and he looked up toward the ceiling dome.

"Wretched scum, they'll pay after you and those men with you join them," Smithy heard the sea witch exclaim in his head. A dark cloud of ink issued from the ceiling and Smithy could not see. He drew the Frarie sword in time to see large octopus-like tentacles drop from the dome. "What kind of land walker are you?" she asked when the light cut through the ink and reached the dome.

Smithy noted a glint off of something circular above, he wondered if that was the mystical mirror. He had to focus on his surroundings when a tentacle wrapped around one of the damaged Golems. He didn't have the time to free it as another tentacle tried to wrap around him. He cut the tentacle with a slice of the sword. He heard an audible scream from the sea witch. The room filled with a green glow while she tried to use the mirror on the Golem she held. Smithy laughed when the magic was ineffective.

"What are you, a demon?" the sea witch asked before she tossed the Golem away and turned her attention to Smithy. She dropped from the ceiling on top of the garden and the urchins took cover on the structure's walls. "No, I've made pacts with Lucifer. You are no product of his," the sea witch stated. The image before Smithy would have frightened any mere mortal as it composed of an octopus as its legs, one lobster claw from her left arm, and eels for her hair. The rest of her was vaguely identifiable as Merwin scales which the upper chest.

"I am Smithy, I have sent demons to Hell," Smithy said while he pointed the Frarie sword at her. He wished he had the time to notch an arrow. She smiled and he knew she had read that thought. He directed the six Golems to attack her as while he disconnected the air tubes so he could swim.

The Golems were easily knocked aside when they approached her. In the process Smithy cut two more tentacles and then settled back to attach the tubes of a fallen Golem to the mask. He heard her angry laugh. "Land walker needs these things to breath here," she said before she began to grab the nearest Golems and smash them into each other. Smithy brought the one he used to a sit position and ducked behind it. Smithy notched an arrow while he waited for the explosion that did not come. "You killed Marchner by letting him pierce these things," the sea witch yelled before she tossed the Golems at him. They landed short of the place he hid.

Smithy didn't reply, didn't think, just reacted. The arrow's arc was right but the sea witch moved to block it. The arrow pierced the hard shell of her left hand. She cried out in pain and surprise as she tried to break the shaft with her normal hand. She cried out in more pain and anger when she realized that it was no normal shaft.

Another black cloud issued from beneath her before Smithy could bring another arrow to bear. He switched to the hidden Golem and smiled when he saw she swam back toward it. He switched to the other Golems in series before he returned to the hidden one. He figured she had eavesdropped enough to know he did this often. This time she stood directly in front of the Golem. Smithy had it wrap its arms around her head and lock them in place.

"Curse you monster," the sea witch yelled out while she struggled to get the Golem off her. The wake of the struggle pushed away the ink and gave Smithy a view of the fight. Tentacles had already tore off the Golem's lower legs and tried to batter the Golem with its own limbs.

Smithy took his time and waited for the shot. His arrow was true this time and it struck the mirror where it pierced into the sea witch's chest. She shrieked at both the loss of the mirror and the pain. Smithy saw the urchins swim out of the garden in droves. He hadn't thought of how they would fit in this room when they returned to normal. Already a green glow surrounded them and they began to grow in size. Smithy sent the other damaged Golems to grab a hold of the sea witch.

The sea witch struggled against the Golem attempt to capture her. Smithy was forced to send the other two free Golems to help. He made them move her out of the building and take her to the coliseum. The freed mermen and mermaids were gathered there while they talked. The noise silenced when Smithy brought the sea witch to the center of the arena.

"King Trident, I am Smithy. I offer the sea witch to you for judgment," Smithy said. Smithy could not figure out which one was the king, but hoped they knew. He searched the faces of those assembled.

"Sorry, I'm late. I had to retrieve a certain object from Ursulia's vault. She has caused great pain and should receive the same in kind. Please pull your automations away," King Trident requested. The merman was a wise, but powerful looking figure that commanded with a deep toned voice.

Smithy nodded and did as he requested and moved five Golems away with only the legless one on her neck. The sea witch cursed in tongues that made the assembled Merwins blush. Smithy understood none of the words and looked to the king. " Ursulia, for your crimes I sentence you to death," King Trident decreed.

"You don't have the power, you never did. Your threats are meaningless," the sea witch laughed at him while she turned to sneer at the gathered ex-slaves. "You'll all be serving me again soon, might as well stay and save yourselves the pain," she yelled at them.

"You're right, I don't have the power. But Smithy here has brought me the means," King Trident stated as he raised the three tipped spear of gold and threw it at the Golem. The King laughed as the trident's two side tips pierced the bottoms of the tanks. The air pushed the trident out and burst out of the bottoms of the tanks and caused them to act like jets. The sea witch was launched up through the hole in the ceiling and out of the water before her body exploded from the change in pressure. "Good riddance," King Trident commented before he retrieved his spear. "Come, let's go home," King Trident ordered the group.

Smithy was still in shock from the experience since he had not expected the Mermaid King to be so heartless in the disposal of his enemy and he glanced back up the hole. He wondered how he would tell this tale to his wife and daughters when he went home. His thoughts were interrupted as one of the mermen guards he came there with approached.

Fepltar pointed toward the other guards. They carried a small chest. "Ursulia collected treasure from the sunken land walker vessels. We think this should satisfy your family. Please take it, we don't value them," he instructed. Smithy was about to object, but knew that they meant it. He instructed a Golem to get the chest from the guards.

"Mack Smithson, we are in your debt. Please come and celebrate this joyous occasion. Then we can discuss the service you wish of us in the morning. Ah, don't worry. I promise to keep the ladies at bay, no stories of that kind will occur," King Trident sent into Smithy's mind from across the coliseum. The King waited for them.

"Do you have a means of blocking out other's trying to read your minds?" Smithy asked before he climbed onto the Golem he breathed air from. "Land walkers can't read each other's minds and prefer their thoughts to be private. I feel like you know way more about me than I of you here."

"Ah, I apologize for that. My daughter was suspicious of your arrival to save me. She needed to know you had no interest to take the throne for yourself. The guards were ordered to kill you if they thought you would betray me. We will get a block for you when we reach the castle. I see you've already refused a crown and hope to give it to Prince Rettep. Is he a good man, one I may have the honor to treatise with?" the King asked.

"I sure hope so, if you've read that much, you already know what we need from your people. We just need to buy time," Smithy replied. He got the Golems to move and gave the guards a frown. He sent them the image of his battles with demons and gargoyles and shook his head.

"Ah, so this is not the first time you've had to be a great warrior, and hero. It is actually a curse, the longer you survive these events, the worse they become. Death comes for us all and he doesn't enjoy being cheated," King Trident commented.

Smithy began to laugh at the statement with large bubbles that burst from the mask. They all gave him strange looks. "Sorry, but Death is now a friend," Smithy said before he replayed the Golem wizard's acceptance of the mantle. "I don't think I'd try to cheat him," Smithy chuckled.

They had emerged from the cave and walked toward the mermaid city. King Triton turned to face the lair and began to chant in a language Smithy could barely hear. The ground trembled and shook hard as cracks formed all round the lair.

"Come, you may not be prepared for this," Carnius said while he waved his fish tail to indicate Smithy should follow.

"Yes, we must be further away from the heat," Fepltar suggested. The other two mermen guards swam quickly away with some urgency.

Smithy ordered the Golems to move faster before he looked back. The cracks widened and a wave of heat struck the sea which caused steam to rise and bubble toward the surface. The sea witch's lair had become an island surrounded by lava. Smithy now knew why the mermen guards were so worried and he wondered how their King could survive the heat.

The lair began to sink into the lava and was soon engulfed by it. They heard more words from King Triton as he pulled the spear from the ground. The lava began to cool and form new ground across where the lair had been. The King then swam toward them, his face drawn with the effort. "I couldn't chance someone else finding a relic that could harm my people," King Trident explained.

Smithy nodded his agreement while he blinked to try to clear his vision of the image the lava had burned in his eyes. He decided it was best just to close his eyes and use the Golem's. He was actually glad the place was gone from the Earth.

They made their way back to the city where sounds of cheers and music assailed the group. The King was carried off to the castle and the guards were celebrated as heroes. Smithy let them take the spotlight while he made his way to the castle, only a few bothered to congratulate or thank him. He left the extra Golems outside the city limits where they sat upon the chest to hide it. He wondered what was in it after he reached the palace.

The mermen guards immediately stood aside to let him in and a mermaid servant escorted him back to the throne room. He was greeted by the princes who had sent him on the mission. "We are preparing a chamber with air so we can feast together tonight. This room will also serve as your quarters until the morning. Thank you," she swam down and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I hope you will able to visit later, or perhaps your daughters would enjoy the chance?" the Princess commented.

Smithy nodded, "I believe they would, but I'll warn you to hide anything of value from Beolis. She has a tendency to get her way, if you get that drift." He frowned at the thought of her attempt to wrangle with the King.

The Princess nodded, "I see. Perhaps we could find a distraction to keep her occupied. Reading land walker minds helps on that subject." The Princess swam out of the room and returned with what looked like a starfish. "This will feel strange as it will attach to your skin," she brought the small starfish up and pressed it against his forehead.

Smithy felt like a slug stuck to his forehead and tried not to laugh as it tickled. The area that felt this way spread to touch his temples underneath the helmet. He waited to feel something else and smiled at the Princess. He then tried to think of doing the nasty with her before he felt guilty and sad at the thought.

"I don't need to read your mind to know you were thinking something inappropriate to test the Smnurg. But, your sadness after puzzles me. Mind if I ask why?" the Princess spoke to him in a melodic voice. She swam back a bit when she noted he was uncomfortable with her proximity.

Smithy paused a little while he tried to decide whether to trust the Princess. What kind of judgment would he receive if he confided in her? He wondered what Shentaila would say if he told her that he had discussed their situation with the Princess. He waged an internal battle for possibilities and consequences as he remained silent.

"It's alright if you don't want to tell me. I won't be offended," the Princess said before she swam to check on the room's progress.

Smithy mentally kicked himself as he knew she would be. Women tended to say one thing when they meant the other. He decided then that he would give her a short version and hope that would satisfy her. He didn't want to make it a group discussion around dinner. It would be hard enough to explain why he told the Princess, but he was curious about the woman's perspective.

The Princess returned, "Another five minutes and we can go in."

Smithy nodded, "I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to share it. Can you do that?"

"Secrets are hard to keep here. I can assure you that it won't leave these waters," the Princess replied.

"What is your name, no one told me?" Smithy asked.

"My full title is Princess Eliannia," she replied.

"May I address you as Eliannia?" Smithy asked. She nodded that he may. "Eliannia, are you married?" he asked. She shook her head and displayed an empty right finger. "Well, I am. My wife's name is Shentaila, she used to be Lucifer's number two demoness. I fell in love with her and she with me. She became mortal because of the love we had. Before I came here I accidentally slept with another demoness," Smithy paused while she raised an eyebrow. "This monster's name was Melseeliana and she somehow took the form of my wife. She crawled into my bed when my wife was out hunting this very demoness. After we coupled she changed into her true self and began to dice me with some very long claws. Only this morning I was still healing from these wounds and had the bandages removed. If it weren't for some very powerful magic, I'd still be lying in bed."

"So you and your wife haven't had time to talk or make up yet? I could see why thoughts of the mating would bring you pain. It is still too fresh for both of you. Perhaps time will heal the emotional wounds," Eliannia suggested.

A servant merman entered and said that the dining room was ready. The Princess led him to the dining room and he was able to unstrap from the Golem. He found the air breathable and only slightly damper than that in Norkannon's lair. Only when he emerged from the water did he realize how heavy his soaked garments were. He ended up taking off the thick insulated pants and the process allowed his some of his wounds to reopen. The blood dripped onto the floor and back into the pool of water. He winced because the salt water entered the cuts again.

"Come, let us patch you up before the feast," Eliania said. There was a large set of cushions laid out for him to sit on. He stripped off his weapons and set them beside the cushions. He then pulled the chain mail and then followed with his shirt. The gasps from those gathered brought up his attention. They stared at his chest and back. "How long were you tortured?" King Trident asked.

Smithy looked down at his chest and back at their looks of sadness. "I spent many years as a child slave in a coal mine. Whips were used to keep the slaves in line. The other scars are from various fights since. The ones that are still red came from a very nasty demoness," he explained. A pair of mermaid girls began to tend to the cuts on his hands and covered them with a sticky goop that smelled like honey. The goop sealed the wounds without the sting like Shentaila's salve.

Smithy hiked up his pants to reveal the cuts in his thighs. He was not about to strip in front of this group. He definitely did not want them to know he missed a certain piece of his anatomy. He thanked the girls while he pulled the Golem helmet off carefully in an attempt not to disturb the starfish creature attached to his forehead. He sat cross-legged on the cushions and faced the table.

The next four hours he ate, drank, and exchanged stories with the Merwin people. Smithy stomached some of the raw fish since he did not want to offend his hosts. He did find some of the fruits and odd shaped vegetables to his liking. He wondered how they were able to remove the taste of salt from everything. There was much laughter and awed looks as he told of his battles with demons and gargoyles. He was extremely exhausted by the time the meal and celebration wound down. The guests left after they requested he and his family come to visit.

"Most land walkers don't make much of an impression here. You evidently have, we will do what we can to delay these ships. Rest well," King Trident stated before he left.

Princess Eliannia was the last to leave. She came over and kissed Smithy's cheek. "Thank you again for returning my Father. Rest well," she said before she also left. She waved her tail before she turned the corner and splashed into the water.

Smithy did not sleep easily since his bed of cushions was wet from the excess water in his pants. The room was also colder than he liked and he wished for a fire. He knew the fire would choke him as it consumed the air. His subconscious kept playing nightmares where the room filled with water to drown him in his sleep. In another nightmare, the starfish creature bored through his skull and began to feed off his brain.

By morning Smithy was dressed, ate from the leftovers and was pulled the starfish creature off his forehead. He could care less now who read his mind. All he wanted to do was get out of the sea and dry off in the warm sun. He wondered how far it was to the nearest human village, he would need to replace his lost coat and have the insulated pants repaired.

Menorr splashed out of the water and entered with a yawn. "Heard you were awake and was ordered to escort you back to the beach. It's not quite dawn top side, but should be nearly noon by the time we get there. We have to go slow so you depressurize. The longer you're down here, the longer it takes. Sorry, no quick way around it," Menorr explained with another yawn.

"Maybe I can get some sleep on the way," Smithy commented before he strapped the mask on and approached the pool.

"Doubt it, that storm that came in last night has still hammered lightning across the clouds. A bolt has flared every minute or so. We'll be alright since our scouts say it should pass an hour before we reach the danger depth," Menorr explained.

Smithy still moaned just before he stuck the breathing tubes onto the mask and dropped into the water. He strapped to the Golem and waited to follow the merman. Menorr dropped in a dive and swam forward quickly. Smithy had to get the Golem to move to keep up. He didn't think his two trips into the palace were enough that he could find his way out through the winding tunnels.

Just as Menorr said, it was a long, slow trip back to the surface. The sky cleared, but the area was still very wet when the Golems climbed onto the beach. Smithy laughed when he saw a fire pit was dug and a blaze burned within. He was glad the Lady of the Lake wasn't near while he took off the soaked pants and had two Golems hold it near the fire. He decided to do this with all his clothes while he tossed dignity to the wind.

### CHAPTER9: DEVIL DEALS

The royal castle was filled with the sounds of busy labor while slaves were forced to repair the damage done by the dragon and giant smith. Every so often these sounds were drown out by the clash of weapons as Price John Oothierr's knights trained for the war ahead. Prince John watched these exercises with half-hearted interest, his thoughts continued to wonder back to the burning rubble of the church that served as his Aunts burial plot.

He wasn't ashamed at their deaths since he planned to behead them anyway. But the way they died disturbed him. Lucifer had asked him if he'd do anything to rule Brittan. At the time he had said yes and agreed to give Satan his soul in return for ultimate power. It was a pact and path that he could not go back upon and now was his curse to bear.

The winds still carried the smell of smoke from the charred remains of wood beams. He wanted to just scrap this castle and move to the one his Grandfather used as a winter retreat to the North. His Mother said no that this castle represented the royal family and the center of power in the land. Tradition and honor of the past would not be set aside on a whim. This was a minor argument, but he knew that he would have to have his Mother placed in a prison or his subjects would believe she was the new Queen, and he only her puppet. Instead of putting her away in the common prison, she was allowed to stay in any room she chose with guards posted at the door. These guards would escort her to the lavatory and kitchen. She could even visit the garden if she desired. But, under no circumstance was she to visit him unless he requested the audience.

Bored, Prince John entered the training zone. He had watched a couple of promising youth and wanted to test them. "Kranar and Leafill come forward," the Prince ordered. Karnar was from one of the fishing towns in the Southeast of the island. His long black hair waved in the wind and his skin was more of a brown color. The boy was about sixteen, but faster and stronger than most of the adults in the army. The curious part was that Kranar carried a pair of well-crafted dragon steel daggers, and a short sword. These were prized weapons again since the smith quit making them, the Prince wanted to know how a simple fishing boy could afford them.

Leafill surprised Prince John when he joined his army. Leafill belonged to one of the more prominent Lord families near the heart of the kingdom. His Father had been a strong supporter of King Eldward Oothier. Leafill was well trained, and skilled with both blade and arrow. Prince John was only a couple of years older than Leafill, and had attended some of the same schools with him. The boy had very different political views and this was what worried Prince John the most. Prince John suspected that Leafill's Father may have sent the boy to try to kill him. Prince John did not like the fact that Leafill also carried a small arsenal of dragon steal weapons, but knew the Lord could easily afford them.

Prince John carried a broadsword similar to the one used to kill his cousin Lefar. He had cursed the timing of that event since it had canceled the creation of several dragon steel coats of mail intended for the princes. He also had daggers and a mace made of the super strong black steel. Prince John smiled at the nervous look in both opponent's eyes. The training of the other knights stopped since they wanted to watch the show.

"I want you two to try to disarm me, any way you can," Prince John ordered. He figured it was as good a time as any to test Lucifer's promise and the power he had been given. He drew the broadsword and held it high while he waited to give the order, "Now!"

Time seemed to slow as he spun around and struck Kranar with the flat of the sword against the boy's cheek which left a small cut and a large bruise. Leafill used the chance to strip a cut on Prince John's side. Prince John struck Leafill in the face with his fist after he winced from the cut. This gave Kranar an idea while the brute of a boy kicked the hand that held the broadsword. The sword flew at one of the knights that watched and nearly cut off his head. Prince John cursed while he drew the mace and one of his daggers before he brought them up to block Leafill's sword when it swung at him. Kranar drew his swords and tried to cut Prince John's hands. Prince John kicked Leafill away and rolled backwards to come up next to Kranar. Kranar parried a thrust of a dagger, but was too slow to react as Prince John threw the mace into his left foot. Kranar yelled in pain and it was the first time Prince John saw the boy's inner animal unleashed. Leafill waited just out of reach while Prince John was assailed wildly by Kranar's swords. The boy's lack of skill was made up by strength, it was soon evident that even augmented by Lucifer, Prince John was no match for this. Daggers blocked each strike of sword while sparks flew off.

Leafill drew out two strange looking discs and tossed them at Prince John's hands. These weapons were of normal steel, but they cut Prince John and caused him to drop his daggers. The rage was still in Kranar's eyes when the boy was about to strike at his unarmed Prince. Leafill stepped in to block the fisher boy's attack. "It's over, we've won for now. He's disarmed, that's enough," Leafill ordered.

Kranar's eyes displayed his inner war while he tried to decide whether to knock this spoiled brat aside or back down. His body dripped with sweat and he was still very angry. Only the pain in his foot and the looks of fear on the knights who watched caused him to sheath his swords and give Leafill a bow. He decided to leave out this courtesy to the Prince while he angrily limped away. His foot left a trail of blood while he walked to the medical facility which was a crude hut with wood benches.

Leafill turned toward Prince John, "You sire, should not be so eager to get killed prior to the real battle with your cousin's forces. You underestimated that one's strength and it could've cost us our reason for forming this force." Leafill was evidently upset at what had just occurred.

"What is your reason to be here, what motivates you to be part of my army? We never saw eye to eye in school, what makes this any different?" Prince John asked while he pulled the discs from his hands. "And what the Hell are these?"

"They're called shirken," Leafill answered before he took them from Prince John wiped them off, and put them away. "They're from the Eastern lands. As for why I have come to you, let's just say Father has spent too much and the family is in debt. We hope that if you become King those debts could be forgotten."

"Ah, greed. Good, and now that I know of this I will seek out your creditors and buy the debt from them. Fail or turn on me and your family lands will be forfeit. Good day," Prince John said before he retrieved his weapons and left. He had to be so controlled for the troops and now he needed answers.

Prince John ran into the tower his Mother had made her residence and quickly up the stairs. His hands were still bled when he reached her room. He ordered the guards to open the door before he ran within and slammed the door behind him. "Mother, how can this be? I was supposed to be impervious to man made weapons, but I'm bleeding here," Prince John wined while he approached his Mother.

Prince John's Mother lay on her bed face down. He approached and noticed that she did not take breaths. He forgot his wounds while he grabbed her shoulders and flipped her over, her face was the white of death. She had been dead for some time by the look of it. Prince John's tears mingled with the red stains his blood made on her white nightgown while he held her to his chest.

"Ah, how touching. I thought you'd be happy to see her gone," a deep voice echoed through the room. The intruder followed with laughter which boomed that sent a chill through Prince John's spine.

"Guards, guards get in here now,' Prince John ordered before he dropped the corpse back to the bed and tore the drapery to use to bandage his hands. He then drew his broadsword and began to stalk around the room while he searched for the intruder. "Heaven help you monster," Prince John barked in anger when he couldn't see the intruder, and when he did not find the guards posted at the door.

"You're weak, always were and now that Lucifer is no longer, you always will be. But I need you to still fight. Your Mother was going to tell you to flee, I couldn't have that. You will make war for me," a figure emerged from the shadows behind the Prince.

Prince John noticed the movement from a mirror on his Mother's nightstand and quickly whipped around to slice at the intruder. The sword struck true across the giant's chest, but only a black ooze came from the cut. The ooze quickly sealed and repaired the cut. Prince John looked up at the giant demon thing and thought it resembled Smithy. He stood there in shock and looked to the area where the wound had been and back to the intruder's face.

"Odd, why didn't Father's steel hurt this time?" Soulreaper asked himself. "Frarie magic or perhaps something else? Ah, well. No concern of yours, I'll bet. You are going to take my young friend here," Soulreaper indicated the younger version of himself, "Into the midst of your war. He will assure your will and become King. Disobey me and you will share a worse fate than your Mother. Pity though, I would've liked to have absorbed her soul, she decided you wanted her dead but did not have the strength to do it. She took the choice from you and knew you'd have to lie to keep your image. So long."

"Wait, who are you?" Prince John asked.

"We are Soulreaper," the younger one replied. "Why can't I just absorb this slime ball and take his guise?" the younger one asked. He had a hunger in his black eyes that frightened Prince John.

"Do so if he gets out of line, otherwise he is still useful alive, he's the bait," the older one laughed. "Be good John and do as he says," Soulreaper ordered. The older giant demon turned into a blob of black matter before he disappeared.

The younger Soulreaper walked into the bedroom and looked at where the corpse lay. "Shame, she would've been delicious," the younger giant demon commented. He then went to the window and looked down on the work outside. "I'm hungry, who would you not care to loose?" Soulreaper asked.

"What, you're insane?" Prince John replied.

"I'll take the young girls first if you won't decide," Soulreaper told him. "Get over here and point to one I can have or you'll force me to take the best," Soulreaper let a tendril reach out and grasp Prince John's neck. The young Soulreaper had learned to control his body and with it, how to keep from absorbing everything he touched. The Prince told Soulreaper to just take him now. "Can't, he'd know the instant I disobeyed. He's my future self and we share some experiences, at least those he chooses to reveal to me," Soulreaper replied with disdain.

Prince John was thrust to the window to look over the courtyard. He was ordered to choose a victim for the monster. He scanned those below while he tried to think of the least important below. He then thought of an idea, "Do you know where the market is? Good, you should be able to find the blind beggar there. Will he do?" The black ooze tentacle released from his neck.

Soulreaper nodded, "For now." Then he changed into the glob of ooze before he disappeared.

Prince John ran back down the tower stairs and was about to tell the guards to the tower entrance of the intruder. Soulreaper was already there and had absorbed both guards. "You were warned, don't try to tell anyone else. Your Mother committed suicide, create whatever story you want to cover it up and why the guards are gone. Say it was punishment for not ensuring she couldn't poison herself. I'll be joining your army, so we need a story for that. Perhaps as a key against my Father, it'll help troop moral, as they see the damage and death from his visit. Now go and don't try anything else," Soulreaper ordered. Soulreaper's back was still bulged with the guards who fought to live. Then Soulreaper disappeared from the tower to seek his appointed victim.

Prince John wanted to retreat into the depths of his castle, but he also knew he had a responsibility to have someone bury his Mother. He shook while he walked toward the nearest slave laborer and ordered the work to stop so they could work on his Mother's funeral. He then gathered the knights and explained how he had been forced to poison her because she had begun to say that he was not fit for the throne. He knew neither Leafill or Kranar bought the story by their expressions. He also gave the story of the death of the four guards and an explanation that if any of them failed similarly, there would also be no body to be found.

Soulreaper entered this gathering and many of the knights drew their weapons. "Put up your swords, this is Soulreaper and he has come to aid us against Smithy. He is our best hope to defeat the force building against us, welcome him. I suggest staying out of his way as he is the one I ordered to kill the guards that failed my Mother," Prince John ordered. There were many nods and whispers while the knights parted to allow the giant demon to enter. Many sensed the evil and crossed themselves.

"Sire, it is time to plan the war to come," Soulreaper's deep voice boomed through the hall. Some of the older knights commented that they already had done so. "Sire, the forces being gathered against you are unlike any army ever assembled. We will be facing Frarie, dragons, Golems, gnomes, unicorns, centaurs and humans. As skilled as your warriors are, I doubt they are ready to tackle this kind of battle." One of the previous commentators said they could face anything. "Sir, do you know how to disable a Golem? No, well then know that they are not alive and weapons may be able to disable them, but to kill one you must tear out the jewel eyes. This is easier said than done because Smithy has helped build ones reinforced with dragon steel. Perhaps you already know how gnomes hide so well that they're nearly impossible to find, well we will have to choose a battlefield that gives them no quarter. These are the issues that must be addressed or we will loose this battle, sire," Soulreaper looked with his black eyes at Prince John.

Prince John knew this was more an order than a request and nodded. The next six hours would be spent with the Soulreaper while he described the weaknesses of creatures most humans thought were extinct or mythical. New types of weapons were constructed and they chose a plain some distance to the West to fight the war since it would give horse-ridden knights an advantage.

Soulreaper assured the knights that he would take care of any advantage from magical creatures. His eyes displayed his hunger for their souls to be his. Prince John knew he could not trust Soulreaper to only absorb the enemy, but he was clueless as to how to attack this monster. Soulreaper told them how to make armor that could protect against dragon flame or unicorn horns. They raided towns for materials and slaves to make the armor.

After the meeting Soulreaper requested another soul to absorb. Prince John sent the demon giant to a leper colony and told him to freely absorb these filthy outcasts as a favor. Soulreaper had no problems with this concept and left to feed.

Prince John summoned Leafill and Kranar to his throne room before he dismissed all others from the chamber. "I've called you two here because I do not trust Soulreaper. This demon giant serves no master and is here only because our purpose feeds his. I'm afraid he will betray us at the first opportunity. Believe me, this monster could destroy all life on the island if it so chose," Prince John explained.

"Then why have we allowed it to live your highness?" Kranar asked while he tried not to allow his anger into his voice.

Leafill laughed, "For the same reason I'm here. You made a deal with the devil and this is what you got from it? Your price was the kingdom, I'll bet. How else would you have this demon among us?"

Price John looked down at the floor, "Yes, I sold my soul. But this wasn't the deal I made. You two were not supposed to be able to cut me at all!" Prince John held up the blood stained bandages on his hands, "This should never have occurred."

"What do you want from us?" Leafill asked as he tried to move closer to Kranar, unsure what the fisherman's beliefs might make him do.

"Defect, tell Smithy and my cousin about Soulreaper. They may be the only ones who can stop him," Prince John replied.

"I should just kill you and save us all the trouble. Your soul would wind up where it belonged all along, and I'd save hundreds from being slain for no reason. Stand aside Leafill or I'll have to spill your honorable blood too," Kranar ordered after he drew his swords.

"Listen to me, if Soulreaper is a demon he'll know the instant you get close enough to cut him. We'll become the demon's next victims and plans will proceed without us. If we do as he has offered, perhaps we can still save those lives. Sire," Leafill turned to face Prince John, "I suggest you do yourself once on the battlefield. It is the best way to confuse and shock our force and cause the reason for them to fight to end. It's my hope that this Soulreaper will be too busy then to protect you. We will go and do as you wish, from this day on we are enemies. Come Kranar, we have to find Prince Rettep's force and join it."

Prince John watched them leave sadly with the knowledge there were words of truth from the Lord's son. He then realized they were both more men than he should claim to be. Prince John wept because he knew he did not have the courage to contemplate suicide. He had always worked from the thought that suicide was a coward's way to go, that it was tougher to live and struggle on. Now his life was the pivotal point for a nation and it was his own doing to bring such evil upon it. Prince John wept himself to a fitful sleep. His Mother's ghostly image haunted his nightmares.

### CHAPTER 10: STONE COLD

When news of Lucifer's demise was confirmed by those in Hell and it was evident that Melseeliana would not return, a war began amongst the top demons in Hell. Each demon vied for the top post and total dominance over the others. The fight was shorter than most thought it should have been, but they could not deny that the strongest took the post.

"Was there ever any doubt that you fools could beat me?" the Gargoyle God laughed. "I was here before time began on this miserable mud ball. I will be here long after it crumbles to space dust. For wasting my time you'll be punished." The Gargoyle God sat on Lucifer's throne and tried to use Hell to punish the lower demons without success. The other demons laughed at him since it was evident that the powers Lucifer held were not returned to Hell.

"Well, my own powers are enough for you jokers," the Gargoyle God spat out balls of flame that engulfed each underling. It caused pain to the younger ones while it only annoyed the others. This only infuriated the Gargoyle God's anger more. He had liked it when he was the only demon image, before Lucifer and his lot were sent down to rule Hell. These children where gnats in his soup, and he wanted them out. When he tried to send them to Earth, he found only the younger ones were transported. They had been sent to the ships of foreign nations that attempted to break through the Merwin blockade.

He tried to transport himself and discovered that only the portal to his gargoyles was open to him. He was very angry and roared into the sky which caused the castle and mountains to shake. He waited for his children to come to him. When none were in view he began to enter the mountain spires to look for them. When he could not find any he returned to the courtyard, puzzled and worried. He would not admit it to the other demons, but the gargoyles were his family and his children in the flesh.

The Gargoyle God flew into the sky and circled out from the castle with the hope to find some sign of survivors. He roared out to call for any of his children to reply. He was nearly three miles from the castle when he heard a cry come from the dead forest. He descended to the trees and stomped around while he followed the cries. It led him to a trunk of a twisted oak tree. Underneath the exposed roots sat two baby gargoyles bundled in a blanket. He pulled them out and checked them, they were slightly dehydrated and cold. He checked their sex, one boy and one girl. He nearly cried when he saw the claw and drag marks from what was probably their Mother. He took them back to the castle so he could look for supplies. He changed them to new blankets after he cleaned them up and fed them small chunks of dried meat with water. Once they were settled back to sleep he left to fetch a couple of cows: one for milk and the other to butcher.

When he returned and fed them a second time, he entered the courtyard. He looked skyward and, for the first time in at least four centuries, prayed. "God almighty, who has caused this tragedy? My children are gone from the world and only these two little ones are left. I cannot be Hell's leader and protect them. Please Lord, let them live and prosper. Please don't allow them to be taken from the world," the Gargoyle God pleaded while he knelt to the ground.

A flash of light before the Gargoyle God was a sign that God heard him and before him stood the angel Gabriel. "A very powerful creature called Soulreaper absorbed all but the two we protected from his notice. We will pledge to you that they will never be completely erased from the world, but there is a condition. From the next generation on, gargoyles will become stone during the day and allowed to hunt only at night. They may not taste the flesh of humans or they will remain stone thereafter. Humans will adorn buildings and castles with your children to ward off trespassers, this will be their new role. This will be the price you'll have to pay and Hell will not be your concern. Another has been chosen to take on that responsibility, in the mean time you are free to care for and raise your children. Be their Father and keep them out of trouble for us," Gabriel ordered before he left in a flash of light.

The Gargoyle God smiled and thanked the true God for his generosity. He then went to work to hide the castle from humans since they would be the only ones too foolish to realize the place was cursed. In a sense, this was a way to start over. He would miss those who were gone, but he had to hold onto the hope for a better tomorrow. The problem would be to make sure they did not eat human flesh. Even the accidental bite could be fatal to his children.

The Gargoyle God set up a viewing pool similar to the one in Hell so he could continue to watch the events of the outer world unfold. It would be unwise to believe those events would never influence the hidden castle and his children. He watched while the forces gathered together around either Prince John or Prince Rettep. He found that his choice of sides changed after he thought about what would be best for the island. Prince John was Hell's choice because it would place a warmonger on the throne and cause chaos throughout the region. Whereas Prince Rettep would work for peace and stability, it didn't hurt that his army was compromised of species the other side would force into extinction.

Every so often he would check on Norkannon's condition, saddened that this great foe took so long to heal. The battle in the royal castle was the best workout the Gargoyle God had in centuries and he wished he could honor such a warrior. Instead, he could only watch sadly while Shillseen had to hunt and care for the crippled foe. The Gargoyle God now understood a piece of what it was like for honorable creatures that fought just so their species could survive. He wondered if there was some way to help these creatures, a way to create a place separate from the world where they could propagate away from the influence of man.

The days that followed would be filled for him by baby chores and retrieval of items to be used to pursue his new goal. He knew that the other species would be difficult to convince because his reputation was not the most trusted of entities. He had to take on the thought that it didn't have to be a single place where all could live in harmony, but a way each could live in their environments safely. Instead of openly giving them the gift, he would have to sneak in the idea and process so that it looked like they came upon it themselves.

He borrowed a lot from the way Fraries lived with magic that allowed entry only if the ones inside the barrier gave permission to do so. He experimented with the cloak and barrier around the gargoyle castle. He had to tweak it so that certain animals might pass through accidentally to allow dear and birds to come in if they strayed into the lands. The effort kept him busy between bouts to raise the children.

There were lonely times when he sat with the children curled up after a feeding. He would allow his thoughts to drift to the first of his children. He had found another Goddess like him, and in their lust was born the first male and female gargoyles. They had raised these two to multiply into the largest sentient species on the globe, mostly they were the cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs. With their meat source practically destroyed so did the gargoyle populace die out to a handful. In this period he and the goddess argued and fought often. She blamed him for the children's greed and blood lust that had caused their downfall. He blamed her because she would not allow their children to cannibalize meat from the gargoyles that perished to save more of them. He hadn't seen her since that argument. He had heard rumors that she returned to Heaven in disgust with the world and him. He wondered how she was while he looked at the bundles that slumbered in his lap.

"Selfieea, what should we name these two?" he asked the air with the hope she would hear him. He wished that she would appear and answer him. He knew that his fantasy may not be shared by her. He blew a burst of flame into the wood he gathered to keep the room warm and drifted asleep while he dreamed of his one time mistress.

When he woke the fire had died out and he was shocked to find he no longer held the two bundled up gargoyles. He panicked and dove out of the room to search for them. They were still too young to have left on their own, and he wondered who could have taken them. He was in full attack mode when he came upon their location.

"Shh, you'll wake them," the female gargoyle Goddess said before she rocked the two children in her bosom.

"Shelfieea, thank God," the Gargoyle God commented while he breathed to clam down and retracted his claws. "Or should I say Goddess?" he whispered before he checked the babies. "I'm sorry," he apologized in reference to their old argument. She only nodded.

### CHAPTER 11: WAR'S CRIME

The morning was dew strewn on every blade of grass that covered the field chosen to be the sight for the bloodshed. The chilly air blew across those assembled to partake of this travesty. Although, one side would be declared the victor at day's end, no side would actually win since friends and lovers would perish here. The dawn light barely lit the sky while leaders of both fractions met to discuss the terms the other could surrender by, neither side totally agreed upon the terms.

Smithy had not listened to the banter while he and the young Soulreaper locked eyes with hatred. Smithy was informed of his son's birth when he returned home from the Merwin's castle. It helped explain how deep Shentaila's despair and anger were. They spent time in the attempt to work through the problem. But, now he faced his spawn, he had only one thought, he had to try to kill the boy. He didn't care that this was the one who had to age before it could come back in time to prevent his daughters from being born. He would do what he could to end this abomination's life this day.

The leader groups returned to their respective ranks and waited for the other side to flinch. Prince Rettep rode before the troops of various species and tried to help boost their morale. He paused in front or the two defectors, still unsure of their motives. "So you're sure they won't be ready for the wizard's risky maneuver?" Prince Rettep asked.

"Sire, if anything can disrupt their ranks, we think that fire wraiths could do it. There is a risk that the fire wraiths will burn everything, so it is best they not be out long. We'll have to do the rest," Leafill replied. "Sire, if I may? Can I have a crack at your cousin? I'd like to put a shaft through his throat for you."

"I owe him for my foot, you can put a shaft in him after my sword," Kranar argued.

Prince Rettep laughed," Try if you can get John, but make sure you take out as many of them as you can before reaching him. Archers up!" Prince Rettep withdrew as the archers lined up to wait for their order to fire. He went to Smithy, "Are the gnomes in place?"

Smithy smiled at the Prince and pointed to the area just this side of the place the fire wraiths were to be summoned. "You can't even see them well in this light. They spent all night to dig under the field and set up that ditch. Bet those knights will be surprised when they're thrown from their horses," Smithy commented.

"Good, I just wish we had more time or could settle this war another way," Prince Rettep commented.

"I know, but the words are already scrolled in the book of life. No matter how hard I've tried, Soulreaper still came to be. We may be able to redirect fate some, but we can never avoid it completely. It is your destiny to rule Brittan," Smithy assured.

They waited for the other side to make its move. Steam rose from the backs of the Centaurs and Unicorns while the others puffed on their hands and tried to stay warm. The sky began to brighten slowly and it would be a while before the mist that now rose burned away. It was the tense time before a battle that tested men's nerves, since once the battle was upon them it was fight or die.

They watched while one solitary figure walked to the place the fire wraiths were to emerge. One was too many when it was the Soulreaper. "Don't bring the fire wraiths yet, he can possibly absorb them. I'll go talk with the boy," Smithy said before he brought up the Clydesdale and rode it down to the spot his son waited. He knew the few paths that were safe over the ditch.

"Father, you must not fight me this day. If you do you will perish with them all. I'm not here to help one side win. I'm here to absorb them all. Please, for Mother's sake, go," Soulreaper pleaded gently.

"I've killed you before and I intend to do so again," Smithy stated before he leapt off the horse to land squarely in front of his son. He drew both the Frarie sword and the one healed by love.

The boy's eyes looked sad for an instant. "No, you've only delayed your own doom," Soulreaper commented before he lashed out with the dark energy. Smithy was too slow to slice the tentacle that struck him and tossed him back behind the ditch.

This must've been the signal Prince John's forces waited for since they charged across the field. Smithy sat up in time to watch them reach Soulreaper and the fire wraiths emerged from the ground when they were summoned. Four foot tall plumes that burned as bright as the sun stood all around the Soulreaper. Many of the closest mounted knights were tossed when their horses reared away from the fire wraiths. Soulreaper's body sent out tentacles and began to draw the fire wraiths into him. Soulreaper screamed in pain and pleasure while he absorbed the creatures. By the time he had finished, the only evidence that the fire wraiths were there was the burnt ground where they had stood.

"Archers now," Smithy yelled while he stayed low. The mounted knights fell into the ditch, but their bodies were used to cross by the next wave. He heard the arrows fly and begin to strike their targets. There were two rows of archers that alternated to create a constant barrage of projectiles. Spear throwers would come in after every three launches of arrows.

Smithy threw knives into the knights who made it past the arrows and bore down on him. He watched as every animal or knight injured was absorbed by his son before they could die. At one point he counted at least fifty strings of black energy that came out of the Soulreaper. Smithy struggled to defend his position and was unable to focus on his son.

"I thought John said that demon would take care of this brute for us," one of the enemy knights said before he swung his sword at Smithy's head.

"He lied, the Soulreaper only wants to absorb us all," Smithy yelled while he blocked the blow and kicked the knight's horse. Smithy heard the crack of bone when the kick crushed the steed's ribs into its lungs. The horse bucked and bayed out as the pain engaged its senses. The knight rider was thrown back into the gnome ditch. Smithy did not have time to debate with the next knight before he attacked.

Smithy found that he had become the focus of this battle while knight after knight bore down on his location. The next ten minutes were a blur of swords, shields and horses around him. He reacted more than thought and he nearly cut into knights on Prince Rettep's side a few times. Blood dripped off the horns that extended from his shoulders onto his hair. Only once before did he remember a time he had to be this savage or covered in enemy blood.

Once he earned room to breathe and most opponents now fought with soldiers on Prince Rettep's side, Smithy took the opportunity to check on his son. The Soulreaper was no longer recognizable as either demon or giant. A black ball about the size of a cannon ball was the center point for hundreds of black threads that ensnared the dying souls on the battlefield. Smithy pulled the bow of his shoulder and went to draw an arrow to notch. He felt a chill before he found his arrows were not in their proper place.

"Can't let you do that, Father," the voice of the older Soulreaper said from behind him. Smithy felt as though a very large hand grabbed a hold of him and threw him back to where Prince Rettep's horse stood on the ridge that overlooked the battlefield. Smithy lost his bow in the flight and had the air knocked from his lungs upon impact. His sword struck the Earth several yards behind where he lay.

Someone shook him, "Damn it, wake up!" Smithy fought the darkness and heaved heavily to fill his lungs with air. It seemed like every inch of his body's backside hurt and was bruised while he labored to breathe. Several breaths and a lot of will power were required before he could see out of his eyes. Only when he rolled away did Prince Rettep stop. "Thank God you're alive! How can there be two of them?" Prince Rettep asked before he pointed toward the battle below.

"Because I failed to kill the older version in the past," Smithy labored to say while he crawled toward his sword. Prince Rettep ran and fetched the weapon for Smithy. "Thanks," Smithy stated while he took the weapon and stood cautiously. "I advise a retreat sire, this battle will have no winners other than Soulreaper's appetite. It is the only way to save those that remain," Smithy instructed before he began to walk back toward the battle.

"What about you?" Prince Rettep asked.

"I have a demon to destroy," Smithy replied without pause as he continued to walk. Every joint in his body was in pain and he wished he had taken some of Shentaila's herbs with him. He didn't like to take them often because they dulled his mind and reflexes, but he could definitely have used them now.

The retreat trumpets played from behind him and he watched as the combatants paused. It was evident that Prince John's force would not let them go easily. The human knights were picked up by both Centaur and Unicorns to ride from the battle. Prince John's knights looked to him for orders, he told them to follow and kill the enemy. Then Prince John found an arrow jutted from his chest. He looked toward the area the bolt had been fired from and spotted Leafill notch another arrow. "Good boy," Prince John chuckled and smiled before the second shaft struck him. The second arrow pierced the helmet and entered Prince John's skull at the forehead. The force knocked the body clear off the horse to bounce once on the sod.

Those who had fought on Prince John's side stopped as their leader was dead. The older Soulreaper leapt across the field and swatted away the thread his younger self extended with the Prince John's own broadsword. Soulreaper extended his own dark energy to envelop Prince John for absorption.

Smithy used this opportunity to draw his throwing knives and launch them into the cannon ball center of the younger Soulreaper. He was shocked when the knives passed straight through the substance to land in the grass beyond. He then approached one of the victims and drew both of his swords. He tried to cut at the substance with the Frarie sword, but received the same effect as when he threw the daggers.

"I've prepared him for that attack Father," the older Soulreaper laughed, "Frarie enchantment won't harm me again." Prince John's body looked like a large black ooze bulge from this monster's stomach. The armor the Prince wore was spat out into a pile before the Soulreaper.

Smithy cursed before he sheathed the Frarie sword and tried the one healed by love. He heard a shriek emit from the ball when the sword cut through the black substance and left a trail of black ooze while the rest of the tendril reeled back into the main mass. Smithy smiled when he saw the older Soulreaper also curse when a scar formed across his face. Smithy began to wildly chop through the nearest tendrils which sent them back into the younger Soulreaper.

"Ayee, go leave them now," the older Soulreaper barked, "I shall deal with Father." More scars appeared on the older Soulreaper with each tendril severed. His black eyes were clouded with gray and he had a look of pure hatred while he forced the rest of Prince Rettep into his body. The younger one began to protest. "Damn, go now! He must not be allowed to kill you here or we both loose," the older Soulreaper ordered. He leapt across the field to land before Smithy and block the way to his younger self.

Smithy crossed swords with his son as he saw the dark tendrils retreat into the main mass of the younger one before it disappeared. "One of us dies this day son," Smithy stated before he shoved the boy away. He noted the glint of fear in those cloudy black eyes and felt hope while he pressed the advantage.

If it hadn't been for all the souls the boy had absorbed, his skill with the sword would've been nonexistent. As it was, all the soul's skills were hard pressed to protect him from Smithy. He retreated while he tried to formulate the best way to take care of Dad. He wondered if he should try to go back again and kill his sister after her birth. The thought did not fill him with a longing to do so, it had taken three years to recuperate from the previous effort. It would be easier to wait somewhere else. As they continued to emit sparks with each clash of swords that shook the Earth around them, Soulreaper decided to compliment his Father. "You do make some of the best instruments of Death Dad, too bad I can't convince you to work for me," Soulreaper said before he laughed. He disappeared from the battlefield and took the broadsword with him.

"Damn coward," Smithy yelled in frustration before he surveyed the field. He sheathed his sword since he found no enemies were near. He had kept at least sixty dead from being absorbed by the younger Soulreaper. The numbers were not what he was concerned about, but what his son, or sons, would do next.

Prince Rettep rode down to where the survivors had gathered. "Get the bodies into the ditch and the gnomes will fill it over to bury them," Prince Rettep ordered. He dismounted and approached Smithy cautiously. "Are you well friend?" Prince Rettep asked.

"No sire I'm not. Until my son is stopped, none of us are safe. I'm probably the only one who can do it, and I had many near misses this day. We have won the battle due only to a few courageous men like Leafill and," Smithy looked around. "Where is Kronar anyway?" he asked.

Leafill was close by, "He went chasing after the retreating knights of Prince John's army. I think a few of them owe him some blood. He will return once he's either killed them or calmed down enough to realize the foolishness of the act. Let's just say I don't want that boy after me," Leafill chuckled.

"Men, we ride home tonight to the royal castle. I hope to invite you all to the coronation celebration, but will understand if you choose to go home. Those rogues may cause trouble now that they are criminals to the crown. At least ride to the castle to eat and rest before you return to your lands," Price Rettep announced.

### CHAPTER 12: CAPTIVE WEAPONS

Munsigor was several miles east of his home on a hunt for deer to bring home to feed the family. As the eldest son it was his responsibility to learn the art to find and kill meat while his Father recuperated from the wounds. He also enjoyed the peacefulness that he had when he flew out on his own. It was his escape from at home where his Mother complained almost constantly about Smithy's recklessness.

Once when Shillseen hunted Munsigor and Norkannon talked about the incident that caused him to be invalid. Munsigor asked his Father if he would do it again if he had the choice. Norkannon had laughed," You bet I would have son, Mother tends to forget that I'm at least two decades her senior. I'm not a young dragon and yet I can still hunger to have some adventure. Smithy gave me an adventure and more, a sense that I contributed to a cause. Not that Mother cares for matters outside our existence. This was probably my final crazy attempt to capture that feeling. I'm sure you'll be trying to test your wings soon enough, just try to do so without making Mother angry for a while." Norkannon nudged Munsigor's head with a closed claw.

Munsigor reflected upon this discussion while he flew over the tree tops of an apple orchard. He was under strict orders to leave human farm animals alone. They didn't need amateur dragon slayers searching for them. He hoped some deer might be in the orchard to steal apples from the farmer. He flew around the edge of the field in the hope he would not be seen this way. He wondered if Mother would be upset if he brought back some apples too. Aunt Shentaila would use them to make pies and he liked those treats. Shillseen and Norkannon frowned at him when he wanted to consume food other than meat.

He decided not to when he spotted a group of two does and a buck. He had learned that the best approach to a buck, which had more meat on it, was to come from behind. He dove down after he corrected his flight path with claws extended. If he had been older and bigger, he would've tried to grab two of them. He clenched his claws into the animal's haunches and bit down on its neck before it could move its antlers back. With a quick twist of his head, Munsigor broke the buck's neck. If he hadn't been so far away from home, he would've chased down the does as well.

The sound of hands that clapped startled Munsigor. He breathed heavily while his heart still pounded from the exhilaration of the kill. Out of the forest walked a young giant and Munsigor knew who it had to be. He spat out the blood from the buck, "Leave me alone monster. I want no quarrel with you."

Soulreaper smiled at this statement. "Don't worry, there shall be no quarrel. You are going to become my lead steed and we will bring the reign of the Soulreaper to the masses. Ah, don't shake your head. You have little choice in the matter," Soulreaper explained. A tendril of black energy shot out of his index finger to strike Munsigor's forehead.

Munsigor cried out in pain before he released the buck and tried to pull away. He blasted his attacker with fire and set the trees behind Soulreaper ablaze. Munsigor tossed the Soulreaper around as he tugged hard on the tendril. The tendril held fast to his skull and the Soulreaper would reform from the black ooze after each strike on objects. Munsigor panicked and launched into the air to drag Soulreaper behind by the tendril. He tried to crash the Soulreaper into tree, but was unable to free himself.

The pain in Munsigor's skull increased while the tendril continued to bore into it. His vision began to blur and he roared in distress in the hope his Mother might hear. He had to wonder why this monster wanted to ride him.

"Because, with the right training and influence, you will lead your siblings to battle for me. You will be the death of many as you burn the nations to a cinder for me. Ah, I see you were told to leave for your protection. Too bad you didn't listen, although I would have found you anywhere you could hide," Soulreaper said directly into Munsigor's mind.

Munsigor found he was no longer in control of his own body when they slowly descended to the forest floor. He cursed and tried to cry out, but silence was his answer. He felt the tendril in his head while it spread throughout his brain. A shock of pain worse than anything he could ever imagine caused him to become unconscious.

When Munsigor woke he was bewildered and found it hard to focus. He didn't recall the events from the last hour and still had a headache. He decided to go home since the sky began to turn dark and he was in no shape to continue to hunt. He wondered about the dried blood on his claws and face. He decided he had better wash it off or Mother would think he ate his kill. He could tell that wasn't the case because his stomach growled. He hoped there were herbs for the headache, it was hard to think as he flew home.

After he washed in the lake he entered the cave, ashamed to be empty-clawed. He wondered if Mom had tried to see why he returned so late. He found everyone but Norkannon asleep. "Shh. I had to give Mom a sedative herb to keep her from going ballistic when you came back. We ate some fish tonight, what kept you? Were the deer so elusive tonight?" Norkannon asked. He had a very concerned look on his face before he leaned down.

"I don't know what happened. I was flying toward the East to check the apple orchards for deer. The next thing I know I wake up in the Centaur forest with a splitting headache," Munsigor replied before he fetched the required herbs and mixed them with water. He drank the concoction before he continued. "Don't tell Mom, but I was covered in blood as if I had made a kill before I woke up. But, it was dried, as if some time had passed since the kill. I don't understand Dad."

Norkannon puffed a ball of fire into one of the torches that were held by dragon steel settings. The torch began to burn and Norkannon looked with shock at his son. "Come here," Norkannon ordered in a worried tone after he lit up another torch.

"What?" Munsigor asked when his father approached. He couldn't fathom what could cause such a worried look in his Father's eyes. The expression changed from worry to anger.

"Tell me, do you remember when we visited the Golem wizard?" Norkannon asked. Munsigor said he did. "Then what did you do there that caused Mother to ground you for a month?" Norkannon asked sternly.

Munsigor tried not to laugh at the memory because his father acted so seriously. "I used one of his wood Golems to pick my nose. Then I sneezed and burnt the Golem to a crisp. Mother was so embarrassed and apologized about thirty times. I was sent to stand beside the stone Golems so that I couldn't accidentally destroy them," Munsigor replied.

A look of relief came over Norkannon's face. "Sorry, but I had to prove you were you. Your eyes have changed. They're now entirely black and you have a scab over some small wound on your forehead. Right here," Norkannon explained while he pointed to the spot. "I thought perhaps you were some new kind of demon sent to kill us," Norkannon explained.

Munsigor's head jerked back, "Not exactly. He's my puppet and will help me make the rest of you serve me." Munsigor couldn't help himself when he spoke the words in Soulreaper's voice. He began to laugh in the same tone, involuntarily. The unbearable pain returned while a tendril of dark energy emerged from his head wound.

Norkannon swatted Munsigor away and caused the young dragon to crash through Smithy's kitchen . Norkannon roared angrily to wake the rest of the family. He fired bolts into the cave ceiling above the doorway to Smithy's cavern to cause the rock to crash down to seal off the access. "Munsigor's possessed by the Soulreaper, he wants us all. Flee quickly," Norkannon ordered while the others emerged from their slumber.

Shillseen forced the young dragons out into the lake. "You must come too," she said with desperation. They exchanged a look that broke both their hearts while he shook his head. She began to cry as she knew his next words.

"I'm not fit enough, but I can buy you the time to flee. I love you, but you must go now. Tell Smithy and Shentaila that the next we meet they must kill us. Now go," Norkannon ordered before the dark tendril emerged from the rubble.

Shillseen dove into the water while she prayed for help. She was not ready to loose her husband after these long weeks of taking care of him. She also just realized she had lost her eldest son as well. She emerged from the lake and gathered the others. She was startled when a plume of flame nearly as tall as her emerged from the ground.

When the plume died out it revealed the Gargoyle God and Goddess. Shillseen snarled at them before she pushed her children behind her. "We are not here to fight you. We have been watching events and would like to offer a way to leave the Earth we know for a safe place out of the Soulreaper's reach," the Gargoyle Goddess stated.

"Why would you who caused so much pain wish to save us?" Shillseen snarled. She did not trust these demons and felt like she was stuck between two types of death. She knew if these two decided to attack, she could not possibly survive.

"To honor and rebuild species that will go extinct due to the influences beyond our control. Our own gargoyles are one such example as the Soulreaper absorbed all but two babies. He will enslave your children if you remain on this plane of existence. We are offering safe haven because your husband impressed me," the Gargoyle God explained.

The lake began to bubble, and suddenly both Norkannon and Munsigor burst from it. Their eyes were as dark as space itself and they roared at the group. They began to dive toward them while dark tendrils of energy extended for each of them.

"O.K, get us out of here," Shillseen said while she silently said goodbye. They were engulfed in a blue flame that did not burn and found they were still alongside the lake. She looked around and there were no signs of Norkannon or Munsigor. She looked at the Gargoyle saviors, "I thought we were going someplace else."

"Not really, we're still on Earth in a way. But, we are not in the same sense. Let's just say you've been moved out of the normal realm of time. The events on Earth will happen much faster than they will occur here. You'll still be able to eat anything you can catch and live a normal life. Just remember that if you choose to return to the world, many things will have changed. Friends may either be old or dead, it may be an entirely different world than we currently know," the Gargoyle God explained.

"Please excuse us, we need to get back to the castle. Only five minutes here is an hour of normal time, and I'm sure our children are probably hungry. You may visit us if you wish, or maybe the Unicorns since they have also accepted our offer. We hope to make more of these environments and a central commune they can gather in. Of course, we need to better control all of the species first. Take care of yourselves here," the Gargoyle Goddess handed Shillseen a mirror, "Use this to watch the world and to rejoin it if you wish." Then she and the Gargoyle God disappeared in plumes of fire.

"Mommy, weren't they the ones who hurt Daddy?" Neltee asked.

"Yes dear, at least the male one did," Shilleen replied before she looked into the mirror.

"Why help us then?" Limitar asked.

"Warrior's honor I suppose. It's definitely a male attribute," Shillseen explained. The images in the mirror showed the disappointment in Munsigor and Norkannon's faces. The black strands coalesced into a singe blob when they emerged from each dragon's forehead. The blob grew until the strands detached and it changed into the Soulreaper. The dragons were still under his control and he cursed that Norkannon was still too damaged to make real flights. Soulreaper climbed onto Munsigor and ordered Norkannon to stay there in case Shillseen and the others returned. Then Munsigor flew off with Soulreaper.

Shillseen's tears fell to the ground while she walked to where Norkannon stood on the real Earth. She placed a paw where he would have been and sobbed. The children were not used to seeing their Mother cry, she normally yelled when angry or sad. They found that they did not know what to do and could only sit around to wait for her to pull back together.

### CHAPTER 13: SACRAFICES

Smithy watched the celebration from one of the castle parapets when the sense of loss of several loved ones struck him. He immediately sought out Helsnem to ask what had occurred. The problem was the Frarie drank too much and was unable to perform even the simplest magic. Smithy touched the love sword and knew that Shentaila was still alive, but he was still worried.

He requisitioned a pair of Clydesdales from the stalls and left the castle without King Rettep's knowledge. He knew the King had little belief in the very things that had helped earn his crown. Smithy only prayed King Rettep would stay alive while he was gone. He had too much to deal with to keep his own family together to have to rule the kingdom too.

He barely crested the forest around the castle when a bright flash spooked the extra horse. He cursed colorfully when he lost the reigns and the horse galloped off. He then looked toward where the flash came from with the expectation that it was Gabriel and prepared to curse out the angel. His anger evaporated when he recognized who it was.

"Hi Dad, I have some bad news," Meana said softly. "You felt the loss and I thought I'd visit to explain. Munsigor and Norkannon have been possessed by my Brother. Shillseen and the others escaped with the help of the Gargoyle God and Goddess. Don't worry they're safe for now. Not even the Soulreaper can find them where they are," she explained.

"Can I do anything to help Munsigor and Norkannon?" Smithy asked. He felt as if the events had forced him to choose the Prince over his friends and family. As if he was now punished for that choice and this thought made his heart ache.

"No, only I can save them without killing them. It is sadly, not the time to do so. I wish this was easy, and we could return to a happy time. That is not going to be the case. Much darker times will come before we can bring back the light. You'll have to trust me and God," Meana explained.

"I trust you dear, it's God I'm wondering about. What possessed him to change the rules so Soulreaper could exist? Can I kill my son or will I die by his hand? I can't see another path here, my child," Smithy asked with a sense of despair.

"That's precisely the reason I have come to visit you here. I hope that my presence will draw Soulreaper like a moth to a flame. It will be the older one who I'll face many times in the future. He is desperate and thinks I can be defeated in this time. He forgets that God is the alpha and omega it will cost him. But, I will need your help and the blade reforged in your love for Mother. He will try to absorb me, you must allow this. The tree line will provide a hiding spot. Now the hardest part is going to be driving the sword through us. Please trust me?" Meana pleaded.

Smithy grimaced when he heard her plan, he did not want to harm her in any fashion, and it was what she wanted. He shook his head, "Can I at least get a kiss before I send you to the beyond?" He rode over and picked her up by the waist and she was lighter than he recalled. He kissed her forehead and she kissed his cheek. "You're sure about this?" He asked.

She nodded and pointed to the trees. "He'll be here soon, go hide," Meana said sadly while she tried to wipe away the tears. She had him set her back down and turned so he could not watch her cry too. She walked slowly away to a point on the path where she was clearly in the moonlight.

Smithy did as she requested and found a large oak to hide behind. He drew the love sword and waited tensely. He did not like the plan, but knew it was probably the only way to rid the world of one Soulreaper. He had to work hard to keep the horse still and quiet.

The moonlight made Meana appear so angelic as streams were parted though her hair. She was still so young to have the fate of the cosmos on her shoulders. She was still so innocent, how could she also be so wise?

The dark mass that emerged out of the air before Meana formed into the older Soulreaper. He loomed over her frail figure and shadowed her features. "Are you crying because you know I'm going to kill you tonight Sister?" Soulreaper asked.

"No I cry because you were given no other choice in life. God made you worse than a vampire, leaving you with no soul of your own. And nature abhors a vacuum, so it fed you every other creature's soul. I pity you Brother," she replied.

"Don't, never!" Soulreaper yelled before he struck her. He changed into the black ooze and engulfed her. Smithy could see Meana hold up both hands and point to her heart from within Soulreaper's cocoon of dark matter.

Smithy kicked the horse's sides and ran it straight for them. He prayed to God that this was the right course before he leapt from the horse and used the force to carry the sword forward. He plunged the sword into the place Meana indicated with both hands. He then left it embedded in them when he saw and felt blood spatter across his face.

He began to weep when he realized the blood was not Soulreaper's. He heard the painful wails of two people while the sword began to glow red. A swirl of both white and dark energies engulfed them. It was as if their souls were released from their bodies and fought for life. Smithy felt awash of both hate and love emotions when these energies passed through him. He backed away from their circle of influence and knelt down on the ground to watch.

He sat there for several minutes before he noticed a change. The dark energy was drawn into the sword while the white energy began to reenter Meana. Smithy got up and approached while the last of the dark energy entered the sword. The sword snapped apart exactly where it had previously broke and the hilt end fell to the ground.

Smithy was just in time to catch Meana when she fell towards the ground. Her white gown was drenched in her own blood. She was dying and Smithy had caused it. He cried while he drug her to sit upon his lap and held her in his large arms, "Why?" His whole being longed to trade places with her.

"Every generation a sacrifice must be made to keep evil from destroying the Earth. It was my turn. We will not meet again in the flesh," she chuckled before she coughed and spat up blood. "At least not this flesh," she joked while her eyes dulled and she took her last breath. She still smiled at him while her last heartbeat faded.

Smithy roared at the Heavens while he cried. It would be an hour before he would pull the sword tip from her breast. He carried her back to the royal castle in his arms since he lost both horses and would require at least one to carry her home. He refused all attempts to convince him to bring her there and offer to accompany him home. He told them thanks for the offer, but he would not want anyone else around when he came home with the corpse. He alone should face Shentaila's wrath, it was only just that it be so.

### END BOOK 2.

### THE FATE SMITH

### PROLOGUE

Mack Smithson returned home with the corpse of his Daughter, Meana, and buried her within the mountain cave. His rocky relationship with Shentaila was no better, and yet surprisingly no worse for the loss. They spent the next few years isolated to keep out of the construction of the new kingdom and its affairs. They continued to miss their dragon friends and Smithy was no longer able to create dragon steel. They would hear reports that Munsigor or Norkannon attacked towns along the continent's coast, but none on the island. This puzzled them greatly because they torched the island's enemies.

King Rettep had banned slavery of any form in Brittan, and only waited to do so to the colonies. These were unpopular actions against the families of wealth. He knew he needed to win over those on the island before he took on the others. He needed to show it work successfully here first.

The knights that fled from the final battle with Prince John joined armies of the island's enemies. Leafill had found Kranar with at least a dozen arrow shafts in him and a dozen of the knights he pursued lay about. He brought Kranar back to the castle for a proper hero's burial.

For his own heroism, the King agreed to reduce the debts Leafill's family owed. Leafill was glad, but he needed more than that. He ended up with a deal with the knights turned outlaws which he discovered in Sherwood forest. When he was with them he would be called Robin of the Hood, when he was gone he would be addressed as Sir Leafill. He even became appointed the lead knight responsible for the apprehension of these renegades. For his services, he received a one-third cut from everything stolen by Robin Hood's merry men.

More of the various magical species seemed to die out over this quiet period. In truth, they accepted the Gargoyle God and Goddess' offer of safe refuge from the world. Shillseen's children fared well in the temporary isolation, though her health suffered. She constantly watched over her son and husband's actions and wished she could stop them. She prayed daily that God would intercede and save them.

Finally, on a spring morning Smithy and Shentaila's family received a visitor. A flash of bright light was to catch their attention while they fed the animals. Gabriel stood just inside the cave entrance and he was garbed in armor as if going to battle. "Please excuse the interruption, but the time of darkness draws near. Soulreaper's attacks along the continent have angered these nation's rulers. They have bonded together to lay siege upon Brittan. Demons are amongst the crews to come, disguised as ordinary men. I have warned the Merwin to let these ships pass since these demons could boil the seas to get their way. These warriors carry a disease that has spread throughout the continent, in weeks this disease will start to kill them. The infection will spread to those here and do the same several weeks later. It will be called the black plague and will cause many deaths across Europe. The time will be bleak for even those that survive," Gabriel said sadly.

A flash of blue and red fire burst from the earth on each side of the cave. The Gargoyle God and Goddess emerged from these flashes of fire. They had their wings folded and their claws grasped their knees while they attempted to look as non-threatening as possible under the circumstances.

"What are they doing here?" Smithy asked while he brought the pitchfork he used to toss hay into the stalls to bear on them. He did not trust these two newcomers. He wondered how the angel could look so calm when these two were nearby.

"Put the pitchfork down honey," Shentaila ordered after she stood next to him and set a hand on his arm. Smithy looked into her eyes and found them to be filled with sadness. He nodded and tossed the tool into the haystack. She took his left hand and waved for their daughters to gather nearby. "You've come for them, haven't you?" Shentaila asked with a hesitant voice.

The Goddess nodded, "The safest place for your daughters right now is with Shillseen and her pack. They will be safe there over this terrible time. Once it has passed, they will be allowed to choose to stay safe or reenter the world."

"You two have left a vacancy in the balance of the cosmos too long. It is time you filled that vacancy so that nature can return to normal. It is a destiny you have kept from your husband, it is time to tell him," the Gargoyle God stated.

Shentaila cried when Smithy released her hand. "What do they speak of?" Smithy asked. He did not understand what they talked about. He only wanted to have his family and damn the rest of the cosmos.

"Meana told me this day would come and I chose to keep it secret from you. We were already stretched to our limits with the Meelseeana incident and the Soulreaper aftermath. Now you must know, we've been chosen to take the reigns left vacant by Lucifer's absorption by our son. We are to rule Hell," Shentaila explained.

Smithy looked to Gabriel, whom only nodded. "No, never!" Smithy yelled at the trespassers. He stormed away from his wife and children to enter his house. He slammed the door with such force it broke the stained glass windows.

### CHAPTER 1: REFUSAL

Shentaila cried still when she sent her daughters away with the Gargoyle God and Goddess. If Gabriel had not been there to vouch for their motives, she would never have trusted those two. She had given each daughter a kiss and hug, told them that things would be alright. She lied because she had no idea how fate would play out. She hurt inside and she knew there was a battle ahead like none she had seen in her long lifetime.

The children cried also since they heard their Father smashed things within the house. They had never been around when an adult threw a tantrum, and were amazed that their gentle Father could. They reluctantly did what they were told and took a hand from the gargoyles. A blue flame engulfed the group from the Goddess and they were gone.

Gabriel looked to the sky and he moved his lips but not a sound emitted. It was as if he spoke to some unseen ghost. He walked out of the cave entrance while he continued this weird discussion to stand before Shentaila. After a minute of this he nodded and looked back at her. "Meana says I cannot force him to take the mantle of the ruler of Hell. It will be up to you to convince him that he is needed there most by everyone in this world. I must remind you that time is short, if you both remain when the war comes you will die. Then there will be no choice to be made, you will both assume the mantle as rulers of Hell. But, you will never be able to visit the world in your own bodies again. I need to go now, I have a few demons to send back to Hell," Gabriel explained before a bright flash transported him away.

Shentaila decided to wait out Smithy's furry and entered the cave. She visited Meana's grave daily, more when things got tough. Smithy had carved out a piece of marble for a headstone and sank it into the cave wall over the grave. Shentaila painstakingly took care of an odd flowerbed next to the mound, it was full of rare flowers that needed only the few hours of light that filtered through the cavern tunnel. She knelt down beside the grave and looked over the flower bed while she wondered who would find it after they no longer could tend to it. Her tears fell into the rich soil and on the flower petals.

Shentaila marveled at how painful love could be at times, and then how euphoric. All the pain she knew and felt in Hell was pale in comparison to the pain she felt now. She wondered what Smithy's reaction would have been if she had told him the whole story. She was certain the answer would have been the same, and he would've done everything in his power to change events. She was almost certain that Munsigor and Norkannon would've died at her husband's hands if he had knew all she did where even more blood and sin to be on his soul.

The sounds caused by his fit soon died out while Smithy's yells that echoed into the cavern from outside. She knew this mean he had either destroyed all the furniture or had sated his furry. She hoped it was the latter, even though they might not need the things in the house much longer. Her tears were almost dry on her face since she also became calmer. She always found a sense of peace here and wished Smithy would visit more often. He blamed himself for the death of their oldest daughter, Shentaila understood the truth was more like he freed her soul to redeem the Earth.

Shentaila heard the sound of pebbles crushed against the tunnel floor. She did not turn to see Smithy enter, but waited for him to kneel down on the dirt on the other side of the grave. His expression was of a man weary of the life he had fought so hard to have and survived against the odds. He placed his hands on his knees where they bled from objects he punched. The blood filled into the depressions his legs made in the dirt. He showed no signs of the physical pain, but every drawn line on his face showed his psychological pain.

"You let them go," Smithy said in a crackled voice filled with despair. His eyes looked down at the grave. "We've lost them all then," he stated after Shentaila nodded to his question. Smithy's tears began to fall and mingle with his blood as he breathed heavily, "Why us? Why can't we just be left alone?"

Shentaila did not reply to these questions becuase she did not have any answers. She tried to think of something, anything, to say to convince him to take the role of Hell's ruler. She had been there before and was unsure that she wanted to go back. It had been a place filled with all the negative emotions and pain.

After a while Smithy's tears dried up and he looked sadly up. Shentaila stood and reached out a hand, he gently took it and let her pull him out. They returned to the house where she had to dig to find the medical supplies. Smithy had left their bedroom and their daughter's rooms intact. They went into their room and she bandaged his hands.

"I'm not going to be Hell's king, at least not right now. I need to find someone to use the Golems against the invaders. Then perhaps I may be ready," Smithy said after she finished with his bandages. He thanked her and sat back on the bed.

"You've been looking for a talent all these years and haven't found a single person you'd trust to handle the responsibility. What makes you think there's time to wait until someone is born with the gift? Gabriel said we will die if we stay," Shentaila explained.

Smithy shrugged, "Are you so eager to return to Hell? I know I have no desire to go there, I've sent too many demons back there to wish to be the one they all want to take down. Just give me the time if I'm to be forced into this, I'd rather die fighting.

Shentaila shook her head, "Then you can fight alone. I'll go and prepare for your coming. Don't keep me waiting long or I'll send some of those demons after you." Shentaila kissed his cheek and was about to leave.

Smithy grabbed her wrist, "Do you have time for a roll in the hay?" He smiled wickedly before he pulled her gently back. He rubbed his beard across her bare arm, he had never forced her to hide her figure as there were few who'd challenge him for her. Those who tried normally found Shentaila's fist was strong enough to break their nose.

She tugged back, "You're such an animal." She feinted to run away as a similarly wicked look crossed her face. "Sure you can handle this, big boy?" she teased as she wiggled her ass. She knew it might be a long time before he could attempt to please her and thought that Hell could wait a bit longer.

"No, but I'm willing to try," Smithy replied before he pulled her onto the bed.

### CHAPTER 2: SIBLING RIVALRY

Soulreaper was aloft on the back of Munsigor while they flew over a remote region of France. They torched a village and its farms. Tendrils of black energy absorbed every human below within a 100 yard range. He was bored with these attacks and had begun to grab maidens so he could play around with them sexually. These maidens would struggle as he forced himself inside them and the culmination of his ecstasy would absorb them from the inside out.

He currently worked to this point with a young blond girl who cursed him in French while his member was about to pierce her virginity. He stopped when the girl changed into the clothed version of his sister, Meana. "It is time for you to pay for your sins brother," Meana said while she raked her nails across his face. Trails of blood appeared while Soulreaper yelled and struck his Sister.

"Die bitch," Soulreaper said while he tossed her off Munsigor's back and instructed the dragon to turn her to ash. Munsigor changed course and launched a spray of fire that engulfed the girl. When Munsigor stopped and pulled away the fire went out to reveal Meana was still in perfect condition. She fell through a burning hut and walked out unharmed.

"Tisk, you've accomplished little with that act. Perhaps you aren't as powerful as you think Brother. Come and get me," Meana said while she waved her hand. All the fire in a fifty yard radius was extinguished with her single gesture. The smoke trailed into the sky and caused the air to be difficult to see through.

Soulreaper commanded Norkannon to break off his attack and join them. He dove Munsigor at his Sister after he dropped all bodies he had currently attempted to absorb. He wanted to focus all his energy in the attempt to destroy her. She screamed when Munsigor's claws grabbed Meana and flew her into the sky. He laughed before he looked below to see Meana did not bleed. He cursed in several tongues as she began to pry open the claws and climb up Munsigor's tail toward him.

Soulreaper was about to knock her off when she struck a spot on the tail of the dragon. An automatic reflex was triggered and the tail flicked her forward over Soulreaper to land on Munsigor's head. "No don't!" Soulreaper yelled when Meana reached a hand over to touch the spot on Munsigor's forehead where the dark energy that controlled the dragon had bore into.

Meana held on tight to Munsigor's neck with her legs while a bright glow formed around her hand. She looked as if she was in pain while she used her power to extract the dark energy from Musigor's mind. She had to duck when Soulreaper tried to stop her, and then she had the dark ball of energy encased within a white orb of energy within her left hand. She turned to face Soulreaper, "Here Brother, I believe this belongs to you." She threw the orb at Soulreaper's chest which knocked him clear off Munsigor's back. She climbed to sit on the dragon's back.

"Uh, where am I?" Munsigor asked in a bewildered voice. "Who is riding me?" he asked while he paused in fight to look back. "Meana? What is going on?" he asked. The dragon had no idea of the events that had passed since he was taken control of by the Soulreaper.

"No time to explain everything. Your Father's coming to kill us and I want you to give me to him. He's possessed and I need to be close to save him. Do you trust me?" Meana asked.

Munsigor remembered the cave incident before he lost all memory. "What kind of treat do I like that Mother and Father frown on?" Munsigor asked. He noted his Father's flight against the fire light to the West. He decided to fly in the other direction to buy them some time while he waited for her answer.

"Pies, your parents don't like you eating pies, Mom did bake the best in my opinion," Meana replied. She had snuck a few pies to him in their youth. She remembered fondly that he preferred the berry type over the others and the lattice crust was their favorite style.

"Elaborate please, Mom made pies but they were only filled with?" Munsigor asked. He wanted to make sure she was not just in his head like the Soulreaper had been. It was possible for a Demon to know that detail.

"Meat, they didn't like that you preferred fruits or vegetables in yours," Meana replied. "Now turn around and get me into your Father's jaws. Don't worry about me, I'm not really alive anyway. Your Mother will explain when you join her." She felt an urgency to get the dragons freed before Soulreaper could attempt to recover.

Munsigor looked back, "How old am I?" He had noticed that his wings were at least three-quarters the size of his Father's. He noted the white ridges on some of the scales on Norkannon meant that his father was well into a dragon's senior years.

"Twenty three years old," Meana replied while she prepared to leap from Munsigor's back. "Don't fight him. A quick burst of flame before we reach him will do," Meana explained. She wanted the possessed dragon to catch her in his mouth so she could reach his forehead.

Munsigor's mind raced with doubts while he approached his Father. The eyes were black pearls and his expression was filled with anger. Munsigor felt fear while he approached since there was no recognition on the elder dragon's face which meant this was definitely not his Father. Munsigor prepared to fire a burst at his Dad and hoped Meana knew what she was doing.

"Now!" Meana said before she leapt from Munsigor's back. Munsigor launched the fire burst at his Father, but he realized too late that he had shot an explosive ball. He had not learned the technique before and was shocked when it came out of his mouth. The ball struck his Father's chest and result explosion nearly knocked Norkannon out of the sky.

Meana grabbed Norkannon's neck since her jump combined with the explosion put her off course. She dangled precariously from where she held on while Norkannon flapped hard to maintain his altitude. She struggled to get her legs wrapped around Norkannon's neck and swung over so she sat on top of it.

Munsigor dove down while his Father reoriented on him as a target. He flew hard and fast while Norkannon's flames lapped at his tail. He hoped Meana held tight when he looped around and changed directions. He was amazed at how quickly his Father caught up.

Meana inched her way up Norkannon's neck while she held on tightly. The aerial acrobatics did not help her progress. She nearly puked a couple of times since her stomach and eyes did not agree on their positions. She finally reached Norkannon's head when she felt the chill of her Brother's presence.

A tendril wrapped around her slim waist and yanked her off of Norkannon's neck. She was slammed onto the dragon's back while Soulreaper extended several tendrils to keep her there. "You shall not redeem this one Sister," he yelled at her.

Munsigor noticed the Soulreaper and made a fast twist. He launched two explosive fireballs at his Father's back with the hope Meana would see them. He had to fold his wings and dive to keep out of his Father's claws while they raked the air he had previously occupied.

Meana did see the fireballs, but was pinned down and could not move. Soulreaper approached with his back to the projectiles. She closed her eyes and continued to squirm with the hope to keep his attention focused on her. Norkannon roared a warning, but it was too late. The fire balls struck Soulreaper's back and exploded. Meana was knocked off too and dangled from the end of Norkannon's tail with the black ooze that dropped away.

Norkannon stopped pursuit of Munsigor to turn back on Meana. He brought his tail and head together to chomp down on her. Meana swung from the tail to drop onto Norkannon's nose. Norkannon's forked tongue wrapped around an ankle and began to draw her into his mouth. She used one hand to grab a hold of the nostril while the other hand stretched to reach the spot on the dragon's forehead. She was tugged away by Norkannon's tongue while she tried to touch the area. She smiled when she saw Munsigor approach on a course to intersect their flight. The boy shot out a slim stream of fire that burned his Father's tongue with a sizzle. Norkannon released Meana's leg as he wailed in pain.

Meana reached the spot and quickly pulled the dark matter of her brother out of Norkannon. She then tossed the orb down to the ground. She then looked into Norkannon's right eye, it was back to normal. "Meana, who the hell burned my tongue?" Norkannon asked angrily with a lisp, "and why are you dangling from my nose?"

Meana laughed, "Actually I'm not. I've only borrowed a local's body to free you and Munsigor. You must return to Brittan, you're in France right now. Go back to the lake and wait for the Gargoyle God and Goddess. Do not to fight them. They have created safe zones for nearly extinct species. Your family is within one of these zones. You two will have aged faster than they but I know Shillseen watches you both every day and misses you badly," she hopped up to jump down to land on Norkannon's back.

"I have to go now, please drop the girl off in a village further to the East. She will need some time and help, she has a family in a pear orchard there. She'll probably pass out before you reach the village," Meana explained. She waved at Munsigor, "It's good to see you both free again. I wish you both the best." Then Meana disappeared to return the village girl's body.

Just as Meana had predicted, the girl shrieked before she passed out. She stayed unconscious the entire trip to the village farm. Munsigor gently picked up the girl and set her in a haystack near the barn. He gave her a lick with his tongue and flew back up to join his Father. Norkannon and Munsigor roared loudly to wake those in the farm so they could discover the maiden. Then they flew toward home.

### CHAPTER 3: WAR ROOM

King Rettep hated the war room, it was a musty place of sweat and death. Maps were nailed onto boards that ran around the stone walls. His top knights and Lords were very concerned with the possibility of war with all the great kingdoms of the continent. Not that he looked forward to the prospect as many of those who had fought to place him on the throne were no longer to be found on the land. He had word from Helsnem that the Merwins were ordered by a higher power to stay out of this conflict.

Days were already wasted in endless debate and discussions that made King Rettep's head ache. His patience with this process wore thin. "By God, Rotan, enough!" he yelled at the young knight from Havenshare. "We can create no battle strategy that can defeat our foes. We don't even have enough in our treasury to defend against half the number coming toward us. Without help from our mystical allies we are sure to lose. How long until the first group of ships make landfall?"

"Two days at the most sire," Leafill replied.

"Do you think your bandits would be willing to fight these invaders," King Rettep asked seriously.

"Sire? I know not what you speak of," Leafill replied while he tried to act innocently.

"Sir Leafill, don't insult my intelligence. Will you as Robin of the Hood be able to persuade these merry men of yours to fight? I'd be willing to pardon any crimes of those who survive, including yours," the King said bluntly. "I purposely appointed that buffoon as the Sheriff of Nottingham to allow you to organize the remaining bandit knights and their families. If I had wanted them dead I'd have hung you as a traitor some years ago and raided Sherwood forest. I promise you that I'll do just that if you continue this charade," King Rettep threatened.

Leafill bowed, "Aye sire, the men are yours to command.

"Good, have them move to the South Eastern shore line. I want those bows ready to rain down arrows onto the ships landing there. Rotan, take four squads and eight troops of archers to the South Western shore line. Keep this first wave off the shore as long as you can. Telsock take the same and create a line just North of them, you are to stop any who get past their lines. Fatchen, I want messenger birds sent to all the main coastal towns. Tell them to bee very watchful for signs of foreign ships. They are to send the birds back at the first sight of one," King Rettep paused when the lords began to talk amongst themselves. They were not happy that those towns would not have knights sent to protect them.

"I can't afford to spread the army out and leave the front unprotected. We will do what we can to protect the entire country, but some battlefields will have to be sacrificed in order that we don't loose the whole island. Each of these larger towns has a cannon or two, we will try to ensure they have powder and balls. It's all we can afford to move from the main effort," King Rettep explained.

The King used a quill pen to circle a lake surrounded by forest, "This area is to be left alone. The Centaur King has asked that we stay out, as he is gong to give his warriors orders to kill any human that enters. I don't wish to loose any of our people because we were too proud to listen to the warning. Make sure every knight, squire and messenger understands this part of the island is off limits. We may be able to direct our enemies into this area and have the Centaurs help in the effort. It's a trick I'd like to use only if necessary."

"Sire, may I request catapults be constructed to lob boulders and fire at the ships that make it past the cannons. Our best chance will be in sinking as many ships as we can before they land on our shores. Also quantities of oil could be boiled and dumped on enemy soldiers trying to scale the cliffs or other areas with a slope," Leafill suggested.

"Lords, what do you think?" King Rettep asked while he tried to give them a sense of being part of the plans. They would be the ones who paid for the suggestions. They tossed it back ad forth across the room, and agreed that these measures were acceptable. "Then each of you will return to your lands and begin construction of at least four catapults. Send two down to the Southern shore and move the others to a town along the rest of the coast. Talk amongst yourselves so no two of you choose the same town. Sir Leafill, appoint someone to seek out the required oil and appropriate it. If the word of my request isn't enough, steal it," King Rettep ordered with a grin.

"Anything else?" King Rettep asked while he looked around the room. No one spoke and they looked nervously away from his glare. He was disappointed with them all before he dismissed the group. He headed for his private door that led to his bedroom. He pulled out some pain killer and drank a dose to try to dull the migraine that pounded in his head. He now respected Mack Smithson when he opted to pass on the throne, the giant had his wise moments.

He called for a sandwich and milk to be brought up to his room. He spent most meals away from the court while he had enough talk about the war from those he had to deal with. He didn't want to hear more from the courtesans. He thought perhaps he should attempt to find someone to be his Queen, with such perilous events so near he thought he should at least try to give the kingdom an heir. He thought of Meana, Smithy's daughter. She had been so beautiful even as a corpse, it was such a waste. He wished she had been able to grow into full womanhood, he thought she would've made an excellent Queen.

A knock at his door signaled the arrival of the meal he ordered. The servant girl was of age to be bedded, but he had little interest in her. Not that he had much for the spoiled daughters of the Lords either. He had trouble fathoming what kind of girl he would want to be with since the one he desired was no longer among the living. He smiled politely at the servant girl and told her to place the platter on the table. He watched her body sway and how her hair fell when she bent to place the tray down. He thanked her and sent her away without even a flicker of sexual interest.

He ate the food slowly without much enjoyment from the taste it as he was preoccupied with his thoughts. He tried to decide what he wanted in a woman. He placed many of his Grandmother's qualities of honor, truth, humor and dedication at the top of the list of traits. He wanted someone he could talk with and have them understand his burdens. He also wanted a good figure on the woman since it was expected that the Queen set a good example for the masses.

He left the tray on the table and looked out his window. He had built this new tower so that it overlooked the remains of the church. A new church had been built just outside of the castle walls to leave the old one as a tomb to his Grandmother, Mother and Aunts. He wished they were still alive to give him some guidance in the relationship department. He then decided to take a nap.

### CHAPTER 4: RESCUE

Smithy was very wet while he rode the Clydesdale through the mud. It had rained the last day and he did not stop to find shelter like he normally would have. Helsnem paid him a visit before Shentaila left to go prepare Hell. He had learned that the war was coming and he was out of time. He set out to the Northern provinces to search for one with possible skill to use Golems. He had visited the Lady of the Lake to ask her if she could point him in the right direction, she had been as haughty as ever. The answer was a riddle to be solved.

"To the Northern twin peaks descend to the sea where a boy who speaks with the dead, he will lead you to the one who can take the Golems to war in your place," the Lady of the Lake had replied before sinking back into her waters. Smithy had thanked her and began this wet ride North.

Smithy knew of the twin peaks since villagers said it was a place to stay away from, sort of like the way they made rumors of his mountain. It was said all lost souls were drawn there to gather in their sorrow. The living were warned with signs to stay away or share the ghosts' fate. The story was backed by the tales of foolish knights that never returned from the place. Smithy gave only a small concern to this as he had never actually ate anyone, but the villagers believed he would.

He slowly crested a hill and could see the twin peaks. He wondered if the area would've looked so bleak if it hadn't been raining heavily. He watched it light up as a lightning bolt flashed out into the sea beyond. It made him think of the Merwins and he wondered how they fared.

His daughters had enjoyed their visit to the sea kingdom and delighted their rides on large seahorses around the castle. Smithy had made smaller versions of the tanks on the Golems that could be strapped with leather belts onto the girl's backs. Shentaila spent a lot of time in discussion with Princess Elianna, which he actually hoped would help their strained relationship. He smiled when he recalled how much it had helped, Shentaila hadn't touched him for six months after the incident with Melseeliana. When they got home they had a discussion about it and she at least hugged and kissed him. Slowly thereafter they came closer and forgave each other.

His thoughts of this time were interrupted when the horse stopped in front of a sign and neighed. Smithy had been forced by Shentaila to learn to read after they were back on good terms. She insisted that it was a skill the possible future King should have. "Beware death lurks beyond," Smithy read aloud. He tried to get the horse to continue, but it refused to go beyond the signs. He was forced to dismount and tied the horse to a nearby tree. "Stay here, I'll be back," Smithy told the horse. It neighed in response and stamped at the mud.

Smithy hoped the Frarie sword would be enough if he did face any trouble. He had to struggle against the mud and watch out for slick rocks while he made his way down toward the peaks. He had expected the area to be dead like the lands around the Gargoyle castle. Instead, there was a lush forest and grass along the trail. Even in the down pour he could hear birds chirp and he startled more than a couple of deer while he trudged through the mud toward his goal. He wondered if there would be a place to find shelter from the rain and thought the boy would have to live somewhere. Smithy tried not to curse when the horns that extended out of his shoulders caught on limbs of trees above.

Smithy came to the point where he jumpped at every noise and had to tell himself to concentrate to continue to move forward. He had faced so many other creatures that he wondered why he was spooked at possibly facing ghosts. He still watched the path and trees while he slogged through the mud. He wished the rain would stop, but knew it would help delay the ships of the foreigners that were headed to invade Brittan and give King Rettep's force more time to be ready.

Smithy finally noticed a small trail of smoke that rose against the rains and picked up the pace. He was very wet and only wanted some place to dry out. He smiled when he broke out of the forest and saw a small mud house in the clearing. He then heard sounds from behind him.

Smithy turned to see the trees along the clearing had come to life and now approached him. He drew the Frarie sword, "I don't want to harm you! I'm looking for a boy and only want to ask him something. I will leave after I learn what I need. Stay back or I'll turn you into kindling!" Smithy now wished he had brought some Golems with him while he retreated toward the house. These were definitely not ghosts and they could tear him limb-from-limb if they grabbed him.

One came close enough to reach out to grab at him. Smithy sliced the tree limb clear through and he heard an odd whistle of a wail from the tree. They stopped as the one injured withdrew from Smithy. It was as if they made sure that the injured one had really lost a piece of itself.

Smithy used the time to reach the mud house and banged hard on the door. He wanted to kick it down, but felt he needed to be courteous. It was very possible that the boy was in control of these tree men and would not pause to use them to take care of him. "My name is Smithy, I've come here by direction of the Lady of the Lake. I'm seeking the one who could use the Golems to help in the war ahead. I have no wish to further injure these trees. Please let me in," Smithy requested. He still had his sword drawn and watched the tree men whom waited to receive some further silent instructions.

Smithy heard the bolts slide aside. The door hinges creaked while the door was opened. A red haired boy with a freckled complexion opened the door. "Come in," the boy said in Smithy's head. Smithy frowned and entered the house, he had to lean over so his head would not go though the roof. The boy pointed to a carpet in front of the fireplace and Smithy knew that was where he was to sit.

Smithy sat down and set the Frarie sword aside to dry. He pulled the sheath off and dumped the water out before he set it beside the sword to dry. "Do you speak or are we going to do this Merwin style?" Smithy asked. He hoped the boy would stay out of his head, but there was little he could do to stop it.

The boy sat in a chair and looked like he was listening to other voices in the room. He shook his head several times before he nodded and looked directly at Smithy. "You tell the truth, but the ghosts want you to join them in death for trespassing. They have learned to use the trees for bodies so they can take vengeance on the living. They are unsure about you though, you cut off Harmon's hand with that sword. No one has harmed a ghost here for centuries and they are angry about that. I will tell you what you want if you can get me out of here. They've kept me a prisoner here because I can talk to them. I would rather have a normal life," the red haired boy requested.

"What should I call you?" Smithy asked while he looked around the house. He wondered who built the place since it was too well crafted for a boy his age. It seemed to be set up to provide almost all necessities and contained some script Smithy recognized as symbols of magical protection.

"Myrlen will do," the boy smiled. He hopped up and silently yelled at the air, evidently angered by something one of the ghosts said to him. "Sorry, Avrice thinks I'm soiling the great wizard's name. I told him to piss off, but since he's dead he just laughed," Myrlen said.

"Do you know why these souls haven't moved to purgatory where they could get help to move on? I know the current Death and his hands are pretty full. He doesn't have the time to come here," Smithy asked.

"They're all nuts, they think they are still alive. Death visited them, and they refused to go with him. He can't force them to leave, so they're stuck haunting this place if they died outside of houses," Myrlen replied before he walked into a small bedroom.

"How did you come to be here?" Smithy asked while he turned on the rug to face the doorway. He had begun to dry out and wanted to delay the return to the rain that poured outside. He also found that he was hungry and had left his supplies with the horse.

"There's food in the cupboard above the table. Some dried venison strips and apples if you want them," the boy said. He sounded like he gathered clothes while drawers opened and shut. Smithy took the offer and headed to the cupboard since he knew the boy had read his mind. "My family went on a pleasure cruise on their yacht, we were caught in a storm. The yacht smashed against the peaks and we were swept into the dark waters. I was about six then, and cried out for help as a swell came crashing down on me. Next thing I know I'm lying with my face down in the grass and someone's pushing on my back. I must've coughed up a lot of water as there was a small puddle in front of me. My parents died that night and I believe my Sister ended up on the isle across the channel. She's the one the Lady of the Lake must have spoken about. She used to make my toys fight each other through the use of her gift. I never told Father, he was one of those Lords who didn't believe in magic. Mother was a closet witch and I think she died in the attempt to save my Sister," he explained. The boy came out with a blanket wrapped around his belongings.

Just as Smithy was about to tell the boy something, the boy nodded. "Of course, you're right. I'll get the leather hides off the walls and wrap the bundle in them. I'm not amazed that the ghosts have gone. They're probably trying to decide how to attack you to keep me here," Myrlen stated. He set the bundle down and began to take the leathers off the walls.

Smithy couldn't help but chuckle at the boy. He then finished his quick meal and opened a barred window to look outside. The tree men had tripled in number and more amassed out of the forest. "Seems they prefer spruce," Smithy commented before he shut and barred the window. "Could they leave this place in those trees?" Smithy asked.

The boy shook his head, "The spires are a kind of opposite divining rod that draws the lost souls here. It keeps them within the zone marked out with the signs. They didn't like me making those signs, but they couldn't reach the place to stop me," Myrlen stated.

"I wish we had the time to wait out the storm. I could ask the Merwin to help us leave by water rather than have to cut my way though them. No use dwelling on it. Can you shoot a bow?" Smithy asked.

The boy closed his eyes and then smiled. He opened his eyes and said, "I can now if I can physically draw the string on that bow of yours. I'm not even twelve and my muscles are not well used, but I'll try."

Smithy frowned at the boy as he took the bow off his shoulder and handed it to Myrlen. "Did you poke in here for the skill?" Smithy asked in an accusing tone while he pointed to his own head. The boy nodded and Smithy handed him the arrows. "From now on, please stay out unless I direct you to invade my privacy," Smithy requested. The boy nodded and set the arrows in place on his back. He then tied the pack over them. Smithy swung the sword sheath back into place and grabbed the sword. "How do you keep the fire going? I don't see any wood," Smithy asked.

"Carlon, come out," Myrlen said after he opened the door. "Stand back Smithy, Carlon sick them," Myrlen ordered with a laugh. Smithy barely saw the streak of red and yellow that launched from the stove. "Carlon's a fire wraith, he won't like the rain, but will be more than happy to help burn the trees," Myrlen chuckled.

Smithy looked out the door and saw at least three of the trees ablaze. "You let me worry without telling me you had a secret weapon against them," Smithy said with a stern tone. He looked to the boy, whom just shrugged. Smithy grumbled as he exited the house with the sword ready. The boy followed closely behind with an arrow notched into the bow string.

Carlon's streak of red danced around the gathered tree men as it set them on fire joyfully. Smithy had to trust the boy could keep the creature from burning them when they approached. "Have him burn the trees on the path, it will keep the ghosts from using them against us and create a defensible space," Smithy ordered. Myrlen nodded and the fire wraith changed course to comply eagerly.

The tree men that were not on fire came toward them. Smithy yelled while he ran forward to meet the attackers, he cut into where there would've been a heart on a man. The tree he struck suddenly froze before he pulled the sword out. He was about to yell at Myrlen to shoot for their hearts when a shaft embedded in an oncoming tree's trunk. The tree stopped in its tracks and he saw the boy nod. Smithy decided to continue the attack.

He tried to cut a path for the boy so Myrlen could reach the pathway between the trees that were aflame. He noticed that the fire wraith had completed the task and was now burned the fringe tree men. It looked like Carlon's intensity dimmed with each fire it set and as he sizzled from the rain that struck his body. Smithy watched while Myrlen whistled and held up a gem about the size of the boy's fist. Carlon streaked across the distance and hit the gem to enter it which caused it to glow. Myrlen put the gem into his pocket and smiled at Smithy.

Smithy shook his head and thought that the great Merlin would be hard pressed against this kid. The tree men began to retreat as Myrlen entered the passage that was set ablaze. Smithy covered the rear and listened as embers sizzled out in his drenched hair. He was very nervous as they reached the mid point of the trail and found the fire had begun to die out in the rain. The remains of the trees now reflected what Smithy had expected to find here. At least now he no longer snagged his horns on tree limbs.

Myrlen tapped Smithy's shoulder and pointed into the sky. "Your friend?" Myrlen asked. Smithy nodded when he saw the death horse descend from the sky with its master in a very wet robe.

They landed at the end of the path and came slowly to meet them. "Freeing more souls for me to reap?" Death asked before he pushed aside the hood to reveal the skull within. "At least now they don't have a choice to stay, but they'll be in purgatory a while before I can send them away," Death commented with a slight tone of distaste.

"Sorry, I warned them to leave us alone. Seems these spirits are stubborn and don't listen at all," Smithy laughed. He sheathed the sword and took Death's bony hand. "This boy's sister may be able to take over your Golems and use them in the war. The Lady of the Lake sent me to him," Smithy explained.

"Ah, good. You've been a barely adequate keeper, but they are going to rot away if someone doesn't use them soon. Tell your Sister that she has my blessing," Death said. Myrlen's face was a few shades paler in fear while he nodded. "Don't fear, I'm not here for you, I have work to do. Go now before they loose their fear of me," Death instructed while he made the horse pass them and galloped into the midst of the frozen tree men.

Smithy had to tug on the boy's pack to get him to come back to himself. "Th, that was once human? I tried to read it and there's just an empty void, like an anti-soul," Myrlen stammered. The boy shivered with the thought.

Smithy chucked at the knowledge the boy did not know everything. "He has a soul, but it's only the one from the mortal that assumed the role. Death is the absence of life, even in the afterlife. I'm glad he's a friend rather than an enemy." Smithy passed the warning signs and found the horse where he had tied it. He lifted Myrlen into the spot in front of the saddle and mounted. The boy handed him the bow and they untied the horse.

"Ireland then?" Smithy asked while he turned the horse South. The boy nodded before he drew the fire wraith orb out and checked on it before he returned it to his pocket. "What do you say we dry out and hire a ship?" Smithy asked. Myrlen said it sounded like a plan, without words. "Knock it off," Smithy said aloud before he turned his concentration back to the horse. Smithy let the thought that he wished his son had been more like Myrlen pass through his mind. Myrlen did not comment, but leaned back to touch Smithy's chest. They rode like this the entire trip.

### CHAPTER 5: BLOOD TIDE

Leafill was drenched while he looked out at the now calm ocean waves. The night had battered his merry men with gale winds and a violent downpour. The only solace they took was in the fact that they survived the night, unlike those who were to be the first of the invaders. The storm had made the ocean swells nearly thirty foot high and caused the invading ships to either sink or crush into pieces upon the rocks. Those few who made it on shore were not allowed to get off the few beaches. In all, they had fired less than a dozen arrow bolts.

Leafill's other pride was that his people complained less than the royal knights. They had spent the last few years in worse conditions and were hardy for it. His group was also happier as both the men and women who could fire an arrow were there. It was something that earned him frowns from the royal knights, and provided him with some laughter. Debating with the royal knights was always a waste of energy, they were too stubborn to think a woman could kill you just as dead as a man with the same weapons.

The wives who were not to fight as warriors or the elderly, helped cook the meals and performed other small tasks for those that watched the coast. Every half-hour a role call was performed to ensure no invaders killed one of the merry men and slipped past them. The roll call was actually a song that had pieces assigned to each member on guard duty.

Leafill took a wood bowl of semi-warm leftover stew and a chunk of bread from the little boy that helped to distribute breakfast. He thanked the boy and walked to another lookout point while he ate the dull fare. He handed the empty bowl to a girl on his way to the position.

The lookout point was a perch on a large oak tree limb that stood upon the ocean cliff side. Footholds had been cut into the tree trunk so they could scale it quickly. Leafill had been up it prior to the storm's full fury. He was now only interested in when the next set of invaders might arrive. His warriors were anxious while they waited and it would be hard if it dragged out too long. He pulled a looking glass from a pocket and extended it so he could scan the sea line. He was sure someone on the royal knight's side probably did the same.

"Any sign of 'em, Hood?" the thin man posted to the lookout asked.

"Give me a moment, Hisleer," Leafill replied as the man's impatience was understandable. The water looked clear while he swept the looking glass across and back. He was about to collapse the device when he saw a glint about seven feet off of the shimmering water. He refocused on that spot and waited. "Hisleer, go tell the royals to confirm a ship sight. It would be thirty seven degrees South East near the water horizon. Go now, tell the merry men to get ready. We may have about thirty minutes before this strong wind brings them here," Leafill ordered.

Leafill set the looking glass down and pulled out a crude leather map of the isle. He then positioned it against the bark of the branch and looked again toward the glint. He could now see two more glints in the area and a bit of brown hull from the first. He tried to mark the leather map where he first noted the ships. He waited another five minutes before he marked the map again. There were at least six ships that came from that direction, their banners were Spanish colors. He then plotted where he expected the ships to make landfall. He cursed since they would end up North of their position.

Leafill climbed down and ran to fetch messengers. "We need everyone to move North two coves, they're going to pass us if we don't get horses to move the catapults and cannons, quickly! Leave the oil if it will take too long to move and set it up. Move now," Leafill ordered. The messengers were young eager lads that ran swiftly to spread the word as those within earshot began to fulfill his request.

Hisleer ran up, he was breathless and had to pant some time before he could speak. "Hood, the royalists have another set of ships coming from the South East. They have German banners and about ten ships counted so far," Hisleer explained.

"Go to Telsock's backup force and tell him to come to aid Rotan. There will be at least a dozen ships in the German force. We need to move North to intercept the Spanish craft and it will leave the Southern tip of the isle as a weak point. Telsock will have to close that gap. Go tell him," Leafill ordered. Hisleer nodded and began to run North.

Leafill wished that Kranar had lived, the fisher boy's insight into ships would've come in handy. It would also have helped to have the Navy rebuilt by a competent officer, most of the ships were stolen or destroyed after Prince John's death.

Leafill brought his horse out of it's makeshift shed and tied it to one of the cannons. He hoped they'd have time to get into position before the Spanish craft landed. He rode the horse hard as he passed those of his force on foot. He was proud of them, they were less protected than the knights in armor, but they could also move faster.

Leafill tied up the horse when he reached the cove, and pulled out the looking glass. He looked out onto the water and noted they were now eight in size. They were still on course and he thought they'd be in the cove within ten minutes. "Get the catapults and cannons into position. Our best bet will be if we can sink them," Leafill ordered while he returned to his horse. He got the horse to pull the cannon into place and then untied it from the cannon. He tied the horse back to the tree and hurried to pull out the leather plug used to keep water out of the weapon. He aimed the thing into the cove and then helped the others set up the rest of the cannons. He then checked on the catapults, they had pots of oil and rocks ready to rain down fire on the invading craft.

The merry men spread out in their positions to prepare to launch volleys of arrows into those that came ashore. Their faces were drawn as they knew the battle would most likely be serious. Within five minutes they began to perform the roll call song to ensure everyone was in place.

Leafill had to sing Hisleer's part so it wouldn't interrupt the flow of the song. He sang twice that roll call and waited beside the cannon he brought. The Spanish craft just entered the cove and were still outside of their range. Leafill drew his sword and held it high while they waited. Once the invaders were within range he yelled, "Die well!" He then dropped the sword to signal the launch of projectiles. The catapults were launched first because they made less sound and their fire rocks struck the ships before the cannons were fired.

Two of the ships were splintered into pieces as the projectiles struck. Two more burned due to the oil covered rocks. A mast on one of the ships was knocked down. The other three ships were undamaged while the cannon balls and rocks splashed around them.

It was less than a minute before the Spanish ships began to return fire. Trees shattered and the ground exploded when cannon balls struck around them. It was a mad rush to reload the cannons and catapults while the enemy cannon balls smashed into their line. Bodies were scattered into pieces while splinters pierced their lines and dirt rained from craters.

Leafill aimed his cannon while dirt fell into his hair. He lit the fuse and the boom launched a cannon ball into the side of one of the remaining intact ships. The ship began to take on water since the hole was close to the waterline. The craft he damaged had time to launch another volley before the water reached the cannon ports. One ball struck the tree Leafill's horse was tied to, the splinters struck Leafill's left arm and killed the horse. Leafill cursed while he painfully pulled the four inch shard of wood out of his arm. He then used a scarf to tie it around his arm to stem the flow of blood. Dirt few all around him while others were being killed by enemy fire.

Hisleer walked up behind Leafill. Leafill noticed," Help me load this," he requested. He picked up the black powder keg in his right arm and turned to dump some into the cannon. Then he noted the strange eyes of Hisleer. He dropped the keg after he recognized the eyes since they were like Soulreaper's. Hisleer leapt at him with his crude sword drawn. Leafill pushed the cannon so it blocked Hisleer's lunge. He pulled out his own sword and blocked the advance of the thin man.

Dirt exploded nearby which caused Leafill to move his right arm up to shield his face. He dropped the arm and noted that pieces of rock were embedded in Hisleer's face. Only a black ooze came from the wounds. "If you're Soulreaper, face me with your own form," Leafill yelled while he struck Hisleer's sword. The dragon steel cut easily through the crude sword. Hisleer kicked Leafill's stomach while he tried to slash with the piece of his blade that remained.

Leafill watched as three arrows struck Hisleer's chest. The black ooze came out of these while Leafill kicked Hisleer away. Leafill grabbed the powder keg and threw it at Hisleer. Hislear thrusted his broken sword through the keg. Leafill tossed the torch he had used to light the fuse on the cannon into the trail of powder before he dove behind the cannon. The powder trail caught on fire and followed up into the keg and the explosion blasted pieces of Hisleer clear across the forest.

When Leafill looked up he saw who had fired the arrows into Hisleer's chest. She cried as she knelt on the ground and was oblivious to the battle around her. "I'm sorry Leanna, really," Leafill walked over to Hisleer's sister. He had to get her on her feet and away from the battle line as she was in no condition to fight.

"He was possessed, I could see it in his eyes. Demons, they've sent demons against us. What can we do to stop them?" Leanna asked frantically. She let him pick her up and lead her away. She trembled and sobbed as they walked from the front.

"We have to keep fighting, they can't win if we don't let them. That demon was different; it has no soul and seeks others. Please stay here behind this rock unless you see Spaniards get past us," Leafill requested. He set her down behind a rather large boulder behind a row of trees. A cannon ball would probably deflect off the rock if it reached this far.

She nodded as she agreed. He stroked her hair once and then ran back toward the battle. His men were courageous, but they would probably retreat if they thought he was dead or had fled the battlefield without them. He took stock of the situation. One of the ships that were on fire survived along with two of those that were unharmed. They began to make landfall on the beach below and the invaders quickly disembarked.

They ran out of rocks for the catapults and cannonballs. Leafill looked around and noted that the large jars of oil were still available. "Get the oil into the catapults and launch it onto the beach," he ordered some nearby men. "Archers prepare fire brand arrows," he ordered. The men began to pass the word and notched arrows designed to be launchable torches. The jugs of oil were lobbed at the beach where they broke and soaked into the sand along with the invaders. After all the jugs were launched, Leafill gave the order to fire the arrows.

Over a hundred streaks of flame rained down upon the invaders and killed many instantly. Then the oil caught fire and spread quickly to engulf most of the invading force. The screams were terrible when the fire engulfed the enemy bodies. "Now lob all remaining powder kegs into that blaze, try getting them as close to their ships as you can," Leafill ordered. "The rest of you prepare to fight any survivors," Leafill ordered before he helped load powder kegs into the catapults. The catapults fired the kegs at the Spanish ships. The kegs crashed into their hulls and sparked ablaze. Then the ones that fell into the fire exploded and tore holes through the wooden ship hulls.

Over the next four hours the merry men fought the straggling survivors and ensured none escaped onto the isle. They lost nearly one-quarter of their number that battle and retreated back to the South. Leafill ordered ten men to stay there. They would eat and rest before they tried to see if they could find any salvage from the Spanish ships. Another five were assigned to search the dead invaders to bring their weapons and valuables back to camp.

Leafill found Leanna and brought her back to their main camp. He placed her in his tent and fetched food for them both. She insisted to look to his wounds. Leafill allowed her to take off his shirt and scarf he had used to bandage his arm. She boiled some water and cleaned out the wounds, he hadn't noticed that rocks were embedded in his side until she showed him. He had to grin and bear the pain while she used a knife to dig out the shards. She used some herbs and bandaged all his wounds with clean cloth.

After they ate and spoke a little Leafill said, "You'd better go now, they'll think we're making love if you stay much longer." He was tired and unsure what the others would think since he had killed her brother. They knew it was in self-defense, but it could be seen differently.

"Would that be so bad? We're all probably going to die in this war, we should live each moment as if it were our last," Leanna stated. She slipped a hand down Leafill's trousers while she placed his hand on her breast. "Live life while we have it," she whispered into his ear.

Leafill pulled his hand away from her breast to wrap it around her waist. He pulled her onto the blankets and began to kiss her. She pulled down his trousers and began to fondle his member. He began to undo the ties on her blouse while they kissed passionately. Leafill had not let this happen with her before in respect to her Brother, but now it was her choice.

### CHAPTER 6: EMERALD ISLE

Smithy found it harder to hire a fishing vessel to transport them to Ireland, than he had thought. With the threat of war most kept their vessels at the docks and those few brave to launch were not fond of the Irish. Smithy had forbade Myrlen from placing thoughts into the heads of the shippers, it was bad enough they were scarred of him, they'd probably try to lynch the boy.

After four coastal towns they came to one that had an Irish trading vessel that had to make repairs after being caught in the storm. It was a rather large ship with four cannon ports. "To keep the pirates at bay," the owner replied when Smithy asked about them. Smithy saw Myrlen nod and knew the owner spoke the truth. "We'll be launching dawn tomorrow if the weather holds. Five golds one way each if you wish to ride on the Haveshnem," the owner explained.

Smithy grinned and handed the rough man twelve golds, "Two extra if you keep to your business and leave ours alone." The man looked them over and nodded his agreement after he took the golds. The man bit down on the coins and smiled when he confirmed them to be genuine. He then showed them to their quarters within the cargo hold.

"Biggest room in the ship and the only place we have room to fit a giant. I'm called Oshmir by my friends. Pull some blankets from that crate and I'll return when supper's ready," Oshmir said before he left them in the cargo hold.

"Well, is he going to try to rob us as soon as we're off shore?" Smithy asked before he drew a knife and used it to pry off the crate lid. He pulled out four blankets and then knocked the lid back into place. He then put the knife away, "Not bad work." He tossed two of them to Myrlen.

"No, he's heard stories from the fishermen. They make you out to be some kind of demigod that can't be killed with normal weapons. They say you ride dragons into battle and cause thunder. You like the taste of human flesh," Myrlen winced.

"You know they're all stories, no truth to the lot of them. So he fears me? That might be to our advantage and keep them from interfering. Anything else?" Smithy asked while he unrolled a blanket onto the hold's floor. He hoped the planks were thick and that he would not end up lying on the ship's hull.

"Just that this is a pirate vessel," Myrlen said before he unrolled his blanket atop a couple of crates. "The speed of this ship allows it to attack the larger ones and board them before another ship can help. Oshmir stole it from a Spaniard designer and killed the man to keep more from being built," Myrlen explained. "I didn't tell you because this is the only means across to Ireland. Pirates don't care if there's war, in fact they hope to seize items off the invading craft. We'll be fine if the crew doesn't decide to kill Oshmir and take the ship for themselves," Myrlen settled down to take a nap.

Smithy muttered angrily at the news before he sat down with his back against a large crate. He had felt this was too good to be true and now had to trust the red haired boy's abilities to warn of danger. He wished they would launch now, the war had to have already reached Brittan's shores, and he was about to leave. He was now glad that Shentaila wasn't there with him since he was probably going to drown when the pirate ship was holed by a cannon ball.

He was able to calm down and drift to sleep while the craft rocked gently in the water. He dreamt of Shentaila in Hell with images that she set up house and changed how the damned souls had to be punished. A limit to the amount they had to pay back only ten times the pain caused in the world by their actions was put into effect. He laughed in the dream until he saw his body hung from hooks and Shentaila came toward him with blades just like those Melseeliana had used to cut off his ball. He woke with a scream at the pain and checked his physical self to ensure things were still intact.

Oshmir and two other men ran into the hold with swords drawn at his outburst. "What happened?" Oshmir asked. The guards were anxious while they were waved back by Oshmir.

"Nothing, just a nightmare," Smithy replied. He still panted with the panic reaction. His covers were soaked with his sweat.

"A horrible one by the sound of it, I've heard some of the worst cries. Yours was amongst the ones I'd rather not hear again. Guards go eat, we'll be there soon," Oshmir ordered. He waited until they were beyond the door. "Put yourself together and join us on the deck for supper. We're having seal meat and pastries," Oshmir stated. He left them alone in the cargo hold.

"Stay away from the berry flavored pastries, he's making a point to the crew and you might survive but it'll make you very sick," Myrlen warned before he hopped from the makeshift bed. "That was a very ugly dream, I wasn't prying. It's just that you projected it into me. I'm sorry for your losses. We must go before they think we're being rude," Myrlen tugged on Smithy's hand.

Smithy told the boy to go ahead while he stood slowly. The cargo hold was big enough for him to crouch and he had to squirm to get through the door. It would've been easier for him to climb through the cargo doors on the deck, but he hadn't requested it. The hardest part was the attempt to clear the horns on his shoulders.

Smithy noted the looks of fear and distrust from the pirates when he emerged from he cargo hold. He was used to these since the rumors and stories had fostered these feelings in men. He took an open spot near the main mast and glared back at the crew. There were tables with food spread out on them. Oshmir approached and offered Smithy the first chance at the spread. Smithy thanked him with the knowledge that it was a ploy to see how the crew reacted. Smithy took what he wanted and avoided the pastries Myrlen had warned him about.

Oshmir took a similar fare from the layout and then sat next to Smithy while he watched the other pirates take their meals. Smithy waited until they were all served before he began to eat. He hoped they wouldn't mind or that there wasn't some rule to wait until Oshmir ate first. The seal meat was tough and salty, but hit the spot since the venison jerky was not enough since his last real meal. He gave his compliments to the chef and continued to eat. He tried not to watch those that took the berry flavored pastries, he didn't want them to know he had known of the poison and did nothing to stop it. Myrlen and he needed the crew or what would be left to get to Ireland.

"I noticed you didn't take the berry pastry, it's one of the chef's best. Would you like to try one?" Oshmar asked. He stood up as if to fetch one.

Smithy looked with a glare into Oshmar's eyes, "No thank you. I'm allergic to berries." Smithy let the man know he lied to his face, but would not elaborate on his reasons.

Oshmar sat back down and leaned in close. "You know, don't you? They say you're some kind of God, perhaps it's true. But, why not stop me? Smite the pirate captain and take his place. They'd be able to handle the transition and would fear you enough not to try to kill you. Why are you doing nothing?" Oshmar whispered.

"Bigger fish to fry, I have a task that requires experienced people to get me there. I'm no sailor and would have no clue how to navigate this vessel. This crew is your responsibility and I'll see you again in Hell. You'll pay for your sins, I guarantee it," Smithy whispered back.

Oshmar laughed loudly and patted Smithy on the back. "Aye, we shall all pay later. Some sooner than others," Oshmar said while the crew who ate the berry pastries began to show the signs of their reaction to the poison. "Crew of Haveshnem, witness how I deal with those who conspire against me and remember, you may join them if you plot to kill me," Oshmar yelled. The crew members that were poisoned began to have a blue foam come out of their mouths while they choked and finally keeled over dead.

A young blond haired boy ran up the plank. "Captain, there are reports of Scottish ships approaching. They're looking for the Haveshnem and want our treasure to return to their hands," the boy explained. He panted and his cheeks were red.

Smithy looked to Myrlen and the boy nodded. He watched while Oshmar confirmed the boy's story and then checked on the repairs. He then ordered the crew into action. "We'll be launching early, the ship's seaworthy. We were hoping to have more time to repair the steam motor, but we must go now. Please take the boy and get below." Smithy nodded and Myrlen was already by his side. They returned to the cargo hold.

"What is this about a steam motor?" Smithy asked. Myrlen sent images from the other crew members into his head. The machine had a single piston driven by steam. Evidently the pin that held the piston to the rod had snapped under stress. Smithy chuckled at the design, it was simple to see that the pin was too small for the forces it had to endure. Only dragon steel could help, but even it would wear out if the dimension wasn't changed.

Smithy decided to break the order to stay below after he left the cargo hold. "You boy! Yes, you. Take this dagger to the steam engine room and tell them to use it to replace the piston pin. It'll be ugly, but it'll get the steam motor working for a while. Just tell them to keep the output low or they'll tear the motor apart," Smithy ordered. The blond haired boy took the knife and nodded as he ran aft.

The sails were up and the bodies of the poisoned pirates floated in the water while the rest of the crew pulled ropes and tightened the sails against the wind. Smithy wondered what was so valuable to the Scottish to risk in battle after the pirates.

"They stole the new royal crown of the Scotts along with several highly valued documents and the royal seal. The Scotts will not rest until they either destroy this ship or have the items returned," Myrlen thought into Smithy's head.

Smithy cursed under his breath. He now thought he should've just purchased a boat in the first town and tried to sail it on his own. It might have been a safer alternative. He watched the seas while he looked for the Scottish ships that moved in order to try to trap them here.

Oshmar angrily approached, "Get back down there!"

"Sir, if you think I'm going to hide in the hold during a battle, you're foolish. I have no wish to be trapped in there while this boat fills with water. I'll fight," Smithy explained with equal anger. "You should return their property or they'll hunt your ship to the end of the Earth," Smithy commented before he pushed the man aside.

They heard a clank sound from the aft of the ship and the boat began to move faster than the wind could carry it. The blond boy ran back, "Sir, it worked! The knife's not exactly right, but we should be able to outrun the Scotts now." The pirates began to bring the sails down since they held the ship back. The pirates were happy that the motor worked again.

"You did this?" Oshmar asked. Smithy nodded before he pulled out a dagger similar to the one he gave the boy and handed it to Oshmar. The boy commented that Smithy knew exactly what was wrong with the steam motor.

"Perhaps the stories are true then," Oshmar said before he handed the dagger back. "Phelsar, stay with Smithy. He wants to help, let him. But if he does anything odd, tell me immediately," Oshmar ordered before he went back toward the captain's wheel.

"I don't think he likes me much," Smithy commented before he put the dagger away. He looked toward the shore and wondered if they could still jump and swim back. He got a negative thought about the option from Myrlen and sighed. "Why are you here boy, do you like to be a pirate?" Smithy asked.

"I don't know, I was sort of born to the task," Phelsar replied. "My mother was killed when I was in her womb. Oshmar rescued me and has raised me as his own. I've never known another life."

Smithy looked out over the water and noted the appearance of the Scottish ships. "Sometimes I think I've lived too many lives," Smithy said while he watched the pirates. They also noticed the Scottish craft. They prepared the two cannons on the side that faced the enemy ships. Smithy sighed, "I've also taken too many lives and am sure to do so again." Smithy walked over and picked up one of the cannon balls. He tossed it up and down while he attempted to gauge its weight.

"What are you doing?" Phelsar asked. The boy's face showed a quizzical expression on his face. The cannon ball would be too heavy for him to even pick up, much less toss about like it was a toy.

Smithy pulled from a pocket a looking glass and tried to estimate the distance. "Look though this and tell me when you think they're within six hundred yards," Smithy ordered before he handed the looking glass to the boy. The boy took it with a puzzled look while he did as asked.

"Our cannons only go three hundred yards at best," Phelsar commented. He watched while Smithy stood in a clear part of the deck with the ball in his right hand. "Eight hundred yards," the boy stated.

Smithy began to spin around with the cannon ball in his cupped hand. He gained everyone's attention while he sped up his spinning. "Seven hundred yards," Phelsar stated. Smithy's steps shook the deck while he continued to speed up and he hoped the wood would hold while he readied to release the ball. "Six hundred yards," Phelsar stated eagerly. Smithy launched the ball into a high arc. He panted and was dizzy while he came to where the boy stood.

"I'm too dizzy, tell me what you see," Smithy said while he tried to get his head to stop spinning. It had been decades since he had thrown larger balls in competition for the circus. He hoped his skill was still on target.

There was a long quiet minute as the pirates waited to see what would happen. Phelsar watched the ball travel across the sky and come down. "It's taken out the main masts of at least two ships," Phelsar exclaimed.

A volley of cannon fire was launched from the Scottish craft, only to splash three hundred yards off the bow. "Can you do that again?" Phelsar asked while he looked through the telescope. He sounded like he wanted to see the ships sink.

Do I need to? They should not be able to catch us now and it will take a week to repair the damage. Plenty of time to reach Ireland and go our separate ways," Smithy said. He retrieved the looking glass and checked the Scottish craft. The Haveshnem already pulled quickly away after another desperate volley of cannon balls splashed short of their target. "Well, perhaps I don't have to kill this day," Smithy chuckled before he put the looking glass away. He saw Oshmar frown at him and he bowed to the captain. Smithy then went into the cargo hold through the deck doors. He slid them shut and looked to Myrlen. Myrlen also gave him a frown. "What? Was I supposed to let them shoot at each other until both ships sank? Oh, you wanted me to toss the Scottish their property? How far would we get if I had?" Smithy asked. Myrlen did not answer, he only shook his head.

Ireland was definitely a different place to Smithy, the air smelled fresher and dew stayed on things well past noon. He had a hard time understanding the local tongue and just had Myrlen translate into his head. They purchased a wagon and began to make their way toward a castle that evidently was rumored to be the home of the Banshee.

Myrlen had been able to piece together some of his Sister's story. She had been rescued by a Merwin female and brought to Ireland after the crash at the twin peaks. She was placed in a church orphanage until her ability to animate dead objects got her into trouble. The church had tried to hang her as a witch, but the trees moved to set her down. They tried to burn her at the stake and ended up with the village on fire since the twigs moved away on their own. She had fled to the castle of the Banshee as a safe haven since the Irish were very superstitious of the place.

Smithy allowed Myrlen to guide the wagon and anxiously watched the fog. The tickle on the back of his neck's hairs was a sensation he sometimes had before trouble was in full force, and he was tense because of it. No matter that Myrlen told him there was no threats or life for miles. He knew someone or something watched them as soon as they stepped on Irish soill. "I think your sister knows we're coming?" Smithy commented.

Myrlen turned to him," What makes you say that?" Smithy pointed to the rear of the wagon where the fog cleared a moment. The road was lined by skeletons that pointed the way. "Oh, well. She never really distinguished between what was inappropriate and what people could put up with," Myrlen commented. Smithy stated that the animated bones were creepy to him.

The fog began to lift and they realized that the same group of skeletons kept pace with the wagon. They came to a fork in the road and the skeletons pointed down one path. They followed the skeletons' instructions and soon pulled into a castle courtyard.

"Isn't it odd, the horses haven't spooked by seeing the skeletons?" Smithy commented before he got out of the wagon. It was his experience that horses and other animals usually could sense danger and would let their masters know. He did not understand why they did not react at all to the skeletons that stood around them.

Myrlen shook his head, "I've been keeping them calm. They think these are flesh people escorting us. I'll have to drop the illusion soon because the effort is giving me a headache." The look of strain on the boy's face told Smithy that it had been an effort to keep the horses calm. It was cool due to the fog but the boy wiped perspiration off his forehead.

They tied the horses firmly to a post and walked up the stone stairs. They knocked on the door and noted that the skeletons had left. Myrlen dropped the link with the horses while he rubbed his temples. There were sounds of footsteps echoing beyond the door as they approached. "That's not my sister," Myrlen said just before the door creaked open. "It's the Banshee," Myrlen thought with alarm.

A very beautiful lady dressed in black silk stood in the door, Smithy would've guessed she was in her thirties by human standards. "I've been expecting you boys, come in," the Banshee said while she waved an arm for them to enter. She closed the door after they entered and led them into a large study with cushioned couches and dusty books. Smithy noted how she seemed to glide over the floor and he couldn't see her feet, even though there were sounds from her footsteps. She indicated one of the couches before she went to a silver serving set. "Hot chocolate," she said while she poured each of them a cup.

"Miss, thank you. We've come to find the young Myrlen's sister. I'm hoping she will decide to take the Golems in Brittan to use against our enemies. I realize she has taken to your care and will not force her to go," Smithy explained before he blew on the hot drink.

"Ah, you cut directly to the point. I have so few visitors and was hoping to socialize a while," the Banshee looked disappointed. "Your sister is very important to me," she said to Myrlen, "I won't let her leave lightly. I've come to rely on her animations to provide so many comforts." The Banshee sat atop the desk and the dress collapsed where a human woman's legs would have been. "How is Brittan these days? It's been years since I was able to visit. I've been very busy with the Leprechauns, they've spread through the island and I'm trying to keep their insidious magic from spreading," the Banshee asked.

"She wants them for slaves, to capture their magic and gold," Myrlen thought into Smithy's mind. "This is a very powerful and evil creature that cannot be trusted. Use caution with her." Myrlen played a few images through his mind to try to fill in some of the history between the Banshee and the Leprechaun people.

Smithy sipped from the hot chocolate while he attempted to keep from any outer sign that he registered Myrlen's statement. He stalled while he formulated a threat assessment. He began to talk of the events that led them to cross to Ireland to seek out Myrlen's sister. Myrlen let Smithy know he was impatient with this action, but Smithy explained that he was buying time to observe the Banshee.

"You two are probably hungry by now and I'm certain Myrlen is bored by the discussion. Please follow me," the Banshee requested before she hopped from the desk and glided into the next room. The room lit up when she entered to reveal a meal had been prepared and set out for them. Smithy took the end of the table opposite the Banshee. Myrlen took one side of the table and a fourth place had been set out.

Myrlen sat down with a smile since he hoped the empty setting was for his sister. He frowned a bit when he picked up the platter cover. The plate was filled with candy and small cakes. "Uhm, any way I could get something else? Perhaps baked fish and potatoes?" Myrlen asked.

"Of course, I thought all children liked those foods. Sorry," the Banshee apologized. She clapped her hands and the two dragon statues in the table centerpiece came to life. They approached and took Myrlen's plate before they hopped off the table. They left through a small swinging doorway.

Smithy smiled after he revealed his meal. There were potatoes, carrots and other steamed vegetables that surrounded a chunk of stewed beef. "Thank you for this kindness. Who is the fourth setting for?" Smithy asked.

"Me," a young female voice said when a girl in her late teens entered from the study. She had most attention drawn to her eyes because they were nearly the opposite of Soulreaper's, with only gray lines to indicate the pupils. She wore a red dress with black frills. She seemed to stare right through Smithy when she sat down in her place. "Good to see you toady," She teased before she pulled the cover from the dish in front of her.

"Yea, me too. Are you still going by the name Hazel or have you chosen another?" Myrlen asked. There was a slight silent exchange between the siblings.

The girl laughed," You've chosen Myrlen as your name. I've changed mine too. From now on call me Lady Azriela, Azy for you brat." Her plate was similar to Smithy's with some blocks of butter on the side. "Do you want to stay a while, Aunti would enjoy the company, and I'd like to catch up with you?" Azy asked. She began to cut the slab of meat while she avoided Smithy's eyes.

"Good to see you're well," Smithy commented while he looked straight at the Banshee. He knew that if Brittan was to have a chance of surviving, the girl had to return with them. "Tell me, do you know why we are here Lady Azriela? If so, what is your wish? Would you like to remain here, or to help Brittan by taking over the Golem wizard's creations?" Smithy asked. He watched the Banshee to see what her facial expression might display in reaction.

"Both, if you two don't mind. The Banshee has the power and has helped train me. I can animate any object on this world with her help. Why should I go into peril in Brittan while I'm safe here? Auntie needs me and I owe her for my care. You're welcome to stay if you like toad," Azy replied. Lady Azriela froze when Myrlen entered her mind, "No, get out of my head! I don't want to see that!" She ran out of her seat with tears upon her face and up the stairs that led to the higher floors.

The Banshee turned angrily on Myrlen, "What did you do to her? If you've hurt her I'll make this the last of your days boy!" The Banshee stood and glared across the table at Smithy. He shrugged and stuffed a carrot in his mouth. He knew it was best to stay out of it unless there was no choice.

"I just reminded her of our life before the accident, where she came from. She's been gone so long and has blocked most of that life from her mind. She didn't like what she saw," Myrlen replied calmly.

The Banshee shrieked with all of her power and shook the room which caused them to cover their ears. She then stormed after the Lady Azriela, as if she was the girl's concerned Mother. She left them alone while the small dragons poked their heads out to see if the coast was clear. They then came out of the swinging door with a new platter for Myrlen. They hopped onto the table, delivered the plate and returned to their solid state as part of the table centerpiece.

Myrlen began to cut at the fish while he did not look at Smithy. "Azy will not come on her own accord, not with the Banshee around. I think she's been brainwashed by that monster. I stole some of the images from the Banshee when she was distracted," Myrlen thought to Smithy. The boy met Smithy's gaze, his eyes held tears of their own. "The Banshee was there, she used her power to force the yacht into the spires. She was after Azy's power, she wants to use it to force the Leprechauns to be her slaves. Without a family, my sister came here to be molded by the Banshee," Myrlen explained in thoughts while he sent Smithy the terrible images of the event from the Banshee's point-of-view.

Smithy shook his head while he watched Myrlen wipe the tears off his face with the napkin. He wished he had spent some time learning the full story of what the Banshee was, and possibly how to fight her. The pieces of the tales from pirates and villagers only led him to believe that they should have already been dead. The scream alone was supposed to kill those she turned it on. "Are there any other living beings in this structure?" Smithy thought the question to the boy. Myrlen shook his head while he ate some of the potato. "Can you knock your sister out? She'd be too dangerous to take if she can animate anything for her rescue. We'll need to leave quickly if we try to take her from the Banshee," Smithy thought the question while he ate some more of the beef.

"Yes, but we won't be able to outrun the Banshee. She may look like flesh to our eyes, but she is more spirit. No walls will keep her away, no trap that I can think of would hold her," Myrlen explained without words.

"Myrlen, did you feel the presence of any of these Leprechauns? Perhaps they know of a way to fight or trap her. What about Carlon, could he help or kill her?" Smithy asked. He shared his hatred of slavery with Myrlen.

"Ye two lads have nay a clue as te what ye inta," one of the dragons stated.

"Aye, they be out of de woods and 'bout ta be burned. 'haps we'd better be help'n or de get us all killed," the other dragon said. Out of each dragon came a small green clad person with red hair.

"This mate be Iinsil and I be Ryias, we've served as the Banshee's dragon waiters for near a decade. Be spyin' on'er to keep ours free of 'er scheming. We thinks the girl will come with ye once she has tim'n to realize the Banshee be evil," Ryias stated.

"We eplan'd to Azy many a time this, nay she'd hear of it. Ye forced her ta live it through Banshee's eyes. She know de truth of it now, wait 'n' see. We go ta fetch our kin ta help if need be," Iinsil said. They nodded at each other and disappeared from the dining table.

Smithy was glad to have backup before he finished the food on his plate. He was very hungry since he ate little since the pirate ship. Potatoes seemed plentiful, but meat was at a premium on Ireland. He had found the older he became, the more he craved to have some kind of meat in his diet. He stood and returned to the study to allow Myrlen to finish his food without Smithy's presence.

Smithy was curious about the books along the shelves and began to pick through them. He thought it odd that the Banshee hadn't required him to disarm which was usually custom when he entered other houses. He looked for anything that might be usefully in their current condition. He did find a book on the Leprechauns and pulled it form the shelf. He began to read it as he sat down beside a lamp.

"Leprechaun; commonly called "the little people", can exhibit mischievous attitudes and love to play pranks on unwary humans. It is rumored that they guard their gold by placing the pots within a dimension accessible only during a rainbow by outsiders. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is extremely difficult to find as the rainbow moves with an individual's perspective. Leprechauns draw their magical powers from these pots of gold and will fiercely protect them. Any Leprechaun too careless to be caught must give the captor either three wishes or their pot of gold. Without the gold, a Leprechaun's magic is lost, although the new owner may not receive their power."

Smithy closed the book and returned it to the shelves. The information only helped enforce what Myrlen had claimed, the Banshee would need the Leprechauns alive to use their power. To enslave the little people was the only way for her to do so. Smithy turned when he felt a cold breeze and knew that the Banshee returned down the stairs. There was no footfall sounds now while she glided down and Smithy thought that perhaps the ones he had heard before were from Lady Azriela.

Smithy wondered if his Frarie sword would cut this spirit. He had doubts it would harm her since he could feel the ancient ebb of power about her. The Gargoyle God had a similar presence, but this was more like a vacuum of energy. It sent chills down Smithy's spine while the contrast of what he felt and what he saw fought for a conclusion. She glared at Smithy while she floated next to the desk.

"It is time for you two to leave. You've upset her badly and I don't want to suffer fools. If she hadn't plead to let you leave unharmed, I would devour both your souls," the Banshee threatened. "Fetch the boy and be gone before I change my mind," she ordered.

"I've had my share of soul stealers come for me, what makes a windbag like you think I won't just kill you too? Don't threaten me again, or we'll test whether your bite is worse than your scream. We are not leaving until the Lady Azriela personally requests it, or she decides to come with us. End of story," Smithy angrily explained. He tensed to draw the sword while he faced off with this monster. His memories of being a slave, and how he dealt with his captors with all the associated feelings flooded to the surface. He knew that if he could take this creature to Hell as his last act in this life it would be enough. He could see the doubt in the Banshee's eyes, she had heard more marvelous and colorful stories about the giant god-like smith than he had told.

She demurred, "Perhaps we should retire for the night. We've all had stressful days. We should be in better moods in the morning. I'll have an escort sent to take you to your rooms. Good night and sweet dreams," the Banshee smiled wickedly at him. She floated quickly back up the stairs and out of sight.

Myrlen came into the room and watched her go. "She'll try to kill you in your sleep tonight. There won't be a noise as she'll pass right through the wall and cut you with your own knife," Myrlen thought. He shook his head, "Sorry to have gotten you into this," the boy said.

"You didn't drag me here, the Lady of the Lake sent me on this course. I'm already cursed to go to Hell to be their king, taking another demon to the flames will be a bonus. The balance will tilt toward good if she's where her spirit belongs. I guess we follow them," Smithy stated when two suits of armor entered the study.

They followed the suits of armor out though a winding corridor and emerged into the garden in the courtyard of the castle. The mist had parted to allow them to see the amber clouds of sunset. Smithy didn't like the place, it looked too perfectly kept. He couldn't see a single fallen leaf or ugly rose in the garden and there was an absence of birds here. Usually that would mean something was not quite right about a place.

The two men of armor stopped in the center of the garden. They drew their swords and turned to face Myrlen and Smithy. Smithy, already on edge, quickly drew his sword and pushed Myrlen behind him. "Why didn't you know this was coming?" Smithy asked aloud while he blocked the clumsy strikes from the armor men. He then noted that skeleton warriors emerged from the ground in the garden. He cursed while he tried to keep the boy safe.

"Can't always read her, she can keep me out when she concentrates. Didn't see this coming," Myrlen replied. He was about to pull the gem that contained Carlon from his pocket when Smithy stopped him. Smithy sent a thought that they should only reveal the fire wraith when no other way to deal with a problem occurred. Myrlen understood that the Banshee might have sent these to test them and it was too soon to play all their cards. "Give me a weapon," Myrlen asked. Smithy gave him the bow and arrows.

Smithy had no more time to debate with Myrlen since he had both of the armor suits and a few skeleton warriors about to attack them. He kicked one of the skeleton warriors across the courtyard, it struck a granite wall and broke into pieces. Smithy chopped the helmet off one of the armor attackers only to have the rest of the thing continue to fight as it cut a small gash on his left shoulder. He then noted the skeleton warrior he had smashed pull itself back together. "How do I kill these things?" Smithy asked while he kicked, slashed and stuck at their attackers.

Myrlen was busy firing arrow shafts into the heads of the skeletal warriors that approached from Smithy's rear. "Can't kill what's not alive," Myrlen commented. He quickly ran out of arrows and began to swing the bow to bat away the attackers.

"Can you knock out Azy and stop this?" Smithy asked after he threw a knife to pin one of the skeletal warriors to the granite wall. He spun around and used the sword to cut off the heads of the ones that attacked Myrlen. He decided to use the flat of the sword to bat them away.

"No, these aren't being directed by her. My sister is still in her room crying. I think the Banshee either learned how to do this or stole my Sister's magic over time," Myrlen explained. The boy swung the bow up between Smithy's legs to knock one of the armor men down.

"Helsnem, if you can hear me, we could use some help here," Smithy said while he tried to summon the Frarie. He smacked aside another group of skeletal warriors. The battle was futile since each time he broke the attackers, they put themselves back together, and renewed the attack. He handed the mace to Myrlen while he pulled out a short sword. He already tired and knew this was not a battle that could be won by force. "Can your Sister fight her Aunt's control of these things? Try to get her to," Smithy requested while he pierced the two armor men and used their shells to block the skeletal warriors that attacked them.

Smithy began to throw the skeletal warriors over the courtyard walls with the hope they'd have to spend some time before they could return. He tossed the armor men over the walls and sheathed the swords as the skeletal men began to fight each other. "I think she's trying, we need to get her out of here, follow me," Myrlen said before they went back into the structure. The boy led back through the corridors and up the main stairs. He paused a couple of times while he checked on his Sister. "The Banshee has locked Azy in her room, we'll have to break her out," Myrlen said.

Smithy followed closely while he watched warily the items along the corridor. Any of the statues or armor suits could come alive. He began to throw the armor suits through the stained glass windows, just in case. One of these came alive and struggled while he tossed it through the glass, it kicked him in the privates on its way out. Smithy cursed while he tried to concentrate on the task. The fact that he only had one part there to damage seemed to reduce the amount of pain he experienced.

"Here, this door," Myrlen pointed to a large oak door with bars of steel reinforcing the structure. A large padlock secured the door to the stone entryway. Myrlen had a look of panic, "she's coming for us, hurry!"

Smithy muttered at this since he still hurt down below and didn't want to do anything but piss. For some reason this was his reaction after every time he was struck there. It usually helped to ease the pain. Smithy grinned and bared the pain while he drew the Frarie sword. It took him two tries before he cut through the padlock. Myrlen quickly pulled the lock off and swung the door open. He rushed in while Smithy followed slowly.

"You're too late, she's mine now, and forever," the voice of the Banshee came out of Lady Azriela's lips. She laughed before she raked Azy's nails across Myrlen's face and left four trails of blood in their path. "You weak fools, you'll never hurt her. I've won," the Banshee proclaimed.

Smithy couldn't hold it any longer before he pulled Myrlen out of the way. He dropped the front of his trousers. The Banshee asked if he wanted her to remove the rest of his manhood before she realized what he was about to do. Lady Azriel was drenched in the stream of urine while Smithy released the pain. Even Myrlen was shocked at what occurred while he looked at his Sister. Smithy returned his indecency to his trousers before he laughed.

The flash of anger in Azy's eyes told Smithy he had hit the Banshee's buttons. "I've soiled your host, why not try to take me instead," Smithy said before he put his Frarie sword on the bed. "Come on, you know you want this. Otherwise you would've never led us here," Smithy goaded. Smithy sent Myrlen a mental message while he approached Azy. The boy wanted to set Carlon on her, but Smithy said not to. "You're a good boy, do this and we save more than Brittan," Smithy thought.

The Banshee emerged from Lady Azriela's body while Myrlen stunned his Sister into unconsciousness. The dark spirit was about to head into Smithy when Myrlen struck him in the back of the knee with the mace. Smithy fell back before he saw the Banshee enter Myrlen's body. "No!" Smithy yelled when the boy jumped on the bed and impaled himself with the Frarie sword.

Smithy got up and began to cry since the sword had pierced Myrlen's heart. "Why?" Smithy asked sadly while he watched the blood flow down the length of the sword to stain the bedding. He wrapped his arms around Myrlen and set him on the pillows.

Ryias and Linsil appeared on the bed. "Only a human body can contain the Banshee's spirit and take it to the other side as he dies. We have to wait until Death comes to collect them, then perhaps we can convince him that the boy should survive," Ryias explained.

"You can pull the sword out now, it's no longer needed," Linsil said.

Smithy did as the Leprechaun asked and wiped the blade on the bed before he returned it to the sheath. He looked down at Azy's limp form and prayed the sacrifice was worth it. He was sad about the whole trip since Lady Azriela had thought the Banshee was her savior, not enslaver.

Ryias walked to the end of the bed and waved a hand. A sparkle filled the space between his hand and the girl's head. She began to squirm awake. She blinked several times and wrinkled her nose. "Who pissed on me?" she asked before she sat up. Then she noticed her Brother's body and the blood on her dress. "No," she said as she got up and brushed Smithy out of the way. She began to sob,"You killed him!"

"Nay, lass, the lad did this ta save ye," Linsil commented.

Death walked into the room then and slid up next to Smithy. He left his cowl on, and held the scythe above his head. "It wasn't the boy's time, he'll remain. I'll take the Banshee now, but there may be side effects for the boy since their souls are intertwined. She'll fight my removal, there's no way I can predict the results for the boy. Your wife is anxious to see you, Smithy. Finish your business on Earth soon or she'll have a dog house like none any other husband has ever come home to. Please try not to kill anyone else, I'm too busy as it is with the war and plague," Death said sternly before he brought his sickle down into the open wound in Myrlen's chest. A green glow surrounded the harvester while the Banshee wailed.

"No, I won't go! You can't make me leave! I'll get you all for this," she screamed. Death hooked her soul on the sickle and pulled her out of Myrlen. He then drug her out of the room wile she kicked and screamed the entire way.

The room filled with Leprechauns that appeared out of thin air. They began to hum and chant while they spun a spell. The blood on the sheets began to flow back into Myrlen's body and the wound slowly healed. Then a sparkle emitted from each Leprechaun to strike Myrlen's body which caused it to lift off the bed and glow for a few seconds. Myrlen fell back to the cushions and then the Leprechauns disappeared.

Lady Azriela was the first to check on her Brother. Smithy could already see that the boy was breathing and decided to leave them alone. He walked out to the corridor and could immediately tell something was wrong. The blocks that made up the structure were beginning to crack. He turned back around, "We have a problem, the stones are breaking." Smithy pointed toward one of the nearest walls to the bed which also began to crack.

"The Banshee's magic, without her this entire estate will begin to decay. We must leave," Azy stated. She went to her closet and drew out as much clothes as she could hold. Smithy took his cue and gathered up Myrlen. They ran down the stairs while dust began to fall from the ceiling. When they passed through the door and ran to where the wagon was tied the blocks began to fall from the structure. Smithy set Myrlen into the back of the wagon while the post that held the horses withered into dust. He gathered the reigns and waited while Lady Azriel tossed the clothes on her Brother before she climbed to take the seat next to Smithy.

"Hold on," Smithy said forcefully before he whipped the reins and steered away from the castle. Blocks fell down from the outside walls and caused Smithy to fight to keep the horses calm. Lady Azriel watched while the building and all of its contents were reduced to dust after it decayed. She had tears in her eyes when she finally turned back forward.

"Where will we live?" Azy asked while she glanced at her still unconscious Brother. He looked alright and perhaps only slumbered. She had figured they, or at least her Brother, would be convinced to stay with Auntie in the castle. She never thought she would loose the entire life she had built there, even if it had been a lie.

"Brittan if you'd like. My house is going to be vacant very soon. It's a bit of a mess right now, my fault actually, but people stay away from it. Most do, the occasional knight might be foolish enough to visit. With the Golems at your service, it may be even better than it is," Smithy replied.

"Where will you stay?" Lady Azriela asked. She had a glimmer of hope in her eyes while she whipped the tears from her cheeks. "Won't you need a home?" Azriela asked.

"I'm afraid, dear, that I've already been forced into a new home. My wife sent our daughters to a safe place and awaits me to join her in Hell. I'm supposed to take the place of Lucifer as the King of the lost souls. I suppose that makes me one too," Smithy replied.

"No, if you were a lost soul my brother would not be with you," Lady Azriela said while she smiled before she glanced back again at her brother.

### CHAPTER 7: INEVITABLE LOOPS

Soulreaper stood amongst the village of dead Germans, all wiped off the Earth by a disease he learned to create. He found that he could secrete a viral agent that would spread quickly and kill all it touched which sent their souls to him. The infection was rampant throughout Europe and he hoped it would reach Brittan within the next few hours. The time of death and chaos was upon the world and it fed his lust like never before.

It was now time, he thought, time to find God and absorb his power. Soulreaper felt the word and then disappeared. He was transported to a solitary hut in the frozen Siberian region of the world. A very old man sat in front of a fire, he only nodded at Soulreaper's presence. "I've come for you," Soulreaper said before he angrily grabbed the man to jerk him away from the fire. His hand passed through the shoulder and he stared in shock. "What trick is this?" Soulreaper asked while his hand continued to pass through the old man.

"I'm no longer the deity you seek, but the shadow of what I once was. Take me if you wish, but it shall not add to your evil power. Fate required your existence, I no longer care," the old man grinned.

"Actually you must or you would have chosen a more populated location to wait. Here there are none to carry my plague but you and without a body at that. God, you are a horrible liar," Soulreaper stated. He changed into the dark ooze and flowed around the old man to engulf his spirit. Minutes later Soulreaper reformed because he completed the absorption. "Very disappointing indeed," Soulreaper commented while he looked at the fire. "You sent the power to my Sister and now I have to face her. We will fight, she will win and then I will flee to the past. My Father will eventually kill me. Perhaps, I need to find another path, one where I win," Soulreaper said to himself. He disappeared from the cold stone hut and reappeared within Africa.

Soulreaper sought out some of the most ancient gods and goddesses to absorb their power while he sought to become more than God. He spread his plague to every continent he touched in his path in the attempt to absorb everyone around him. When he tried to transport to the Americas, he was blocked.

"Brother, it is enough, you have killed too many in your quest to fulfill your craving. My predecessor created you to contain Lucifer for destruction. He erred in his belief that your curse would be satisfied there. It is time that error be remedied," Meana stated.

The deserts of the Arab world lit up as pure energy from Heaven rained down upon Soulreaper. He felt pain that seared his soul like nothing before, while every cell of his being screamed in reaction to the energy his Sister brought to bear on him. For a few moments he thought that he was going to die while pain filled his senses totally. He spread out his cells so that only one side of him was exposed to the attack. Then the energy faded away and he reformed right in front of Meana.

"Nice try Sis," Soulreaper spat at her. He lashed out with the largest tentacle he had ever formed to send Meana fly back into a crevice. He launched into the crevice and was caught again in the bright painful energy. This time he had no way to protect any of his body since he was still in the air. He balled up while the pain seared through him and he did not fall to the Earth. He cursed in many languages while he tried to decide what to do. He tried to transport away and learned he was stuck there.

"Feeling something brother? Perhaps you're loosing the very souls that make you such a powerful threat," Meana stated before she began to pull away the souls her Brother had taken. She was only able to retrieve those that belonged to Heaven. With each loss of a soul he became weaker.

Soulreaper desperately had to focus before he decided there was only one course of action left. He was fated to go back in time and so he focused his remaining power to make the attempt. He felt as if every particle of his body fell apart, and left his mind while the pain seared through him. He blacked out and thought that perhaps he had committed a kind of suicide.

When he woke he was in a black puddle upon the desert floor. He was extremely weak and could not move. He had to watch and wait as small creatures came too close. His body reacted instinctively when it absorbed scorpions, snakes and birds of prey that were too curious for their own good. A week passed before Soulreaper could begin to move about on his own. He absorbed anything that he could and slowly began to shape his mass into simple creatures. It was three weeks before he came on a human village and could feed properly. No one survived when he fed on their souls and was restored to his giant-demon body. He laughed while he rode a horse toward the next town, he would feed many times before he was strong enough to transport to Brittan. His first act would be to blame his Father for Prince Lefar Oothier's death. It would keep Mack Smithson too busy to interfere with his work.

### CHAPTER 8: LAST RITES

Smithy flew a white surrender flag fashioned from one of the undergarments Lady Azriela had grabbed when they fled the Banshee's castle. He waved it back and forth while their vessel approached the Brittish coast. He figured they could explain better to anyone who might mistake their little fishing skiff for one of the invaders, if they surrendered to them. At least this way the craft might reach the shore without the land's defenders attempt to sink them.

They reached the shore to be greeted by several archers. Smithy recognized one of them, "Leafill are these Robin of the Hood's merry men?" Smithy leapt from the ship and drug the keel onto the sand. He was happy that they were the ones he found first as some of the kingdom knights would have shot first and asked questions later.

"Put down your weapons, he's a friend of the kingdom. Where did you run off to in the middle of a war Smithy?" Leafill asked while he helped Lady Azriela and Myrlen down off the boat. "You bring us children, where are the real warriors?" Leafill asked with a laugh.

"All around you, sir," Lady Azriela replied. Smithy had asked her to try to contact the Golems and bring them toward the shore in case they were needed to defend their landing party. The Golems were overgrown, dirty, rusty, and some were missing a few parts that had rotted since Smithy was given their care. It seemed as if they emerged from the very forest itself. Their sudden emergence spooked more than a few of the merry men.

"Leafill, this is Lady Azriela. She is going to take the Golem wizard's place, and help the King. The red haired lad is called Myrlen, and yes he has his own abilities. It's how I knew these were your men, Robin Hood," Smithy smiled while he introduced the children.

"Come smith, we have much to talk about and little time for it," Leafill stated. He glared at the boy, Myrlen replied by flipping him the bird. Smithy shook his head and took Leafill's shoulder while he led the man away so they could began to talk. The children followed while two Golems came down the slope to pull the boat further on shore and to gather their supplies from it.

Smithy learned that the knights which defended Brittan ran low on food and munitions. The King had already tapped the treasury and begun to requisition materials and food from the Lords. The number of knights that remained to fight were nearly half of those that began the war. "Telsock died after the second wave was repelled, his force is now under Rotan's leadership. We've lost a lot of good men and women here," Leafill stated sadly. They came to the main camp of tattered tents and very poor hospital mats of wounded patients. Some had died and awaited burial.

Lady Azriela threw up at the sight and sound of death. "Is that what I am to do to the invaders?" she whispered while she looked away. "I can't stay here," Azy commented, her face several shades paler. She had not personally experienced the worst of war and seemed queasy at the thought of what she might have to do.

"Yes, my Lady. That and more will be required of you in the next weeks ahead. If Brittan is to rule itself, we must kill the invading forces. They must be crushed entirely to give pause to their rulers, so they know how futile sending further forces against our kingdom will be. We will strike to kill them all," Leafill said passionately. Leafill nodded at Smithy and left them there.

"I can't do this. I don't see things when I use the other animations. With the Golems, I'll see everything their jeweled eyes see. How can you ask me to commit hundreds of murders?" Azriela asked Smithy.

"If these invaders make it to shore and spread out, there will be a plague that will ravage the island. Thousands will die," Smithy replied.

"Too late," Myrlen said while he walked around those in the crude hospital. "One in two of these already are infected with the disease. I'll bet many more here are also. We should leave this place immediately, and eat garlic to help prevent catching it. It's not a cure, but will ward off the contact we've already had."

"Myrlen, get the way to my house out of my head and take your Sister there. I will stay and help here. Use the Golems to protect yourselves, and keep others from raiding the land," Smithy ordered. Smithy was crushed to learn they were too late. He sent Myrlen images of how the land could be, how the people when desperate could commit any number of atrocities.

"But, you'll die here," Lady Azriel complained.

"Then I'll go to Hell the only way I should have," Smithy said before he drew his sword and handed it to Myrlen, "fighting." He ruffled the boy's hair and fetched them a horse. "If you ever see any of Shillseen's brood, tell them I loved their Mother, even when she was a pain in the arse," Smithy smiled before he swatted the horse's flank. The horse galloped away from the camp and the Golems began to follow the children.

Leafill ran up, "What are you doing? Those two were our best chance! Now we're all going to die. What were you thinking, I thought you brought them here to fight?" Leafill was about to order some men after them when his arm signal was caught by Smithy's large hand.

"See your people? They have a disease that will rapidly spread throughout the country. Thousands will die from it, and no war will save us from its wrath. We can fight to keep the invaders from winning, but all sides will loose to the disease. I'm sending those two away to be safe. Tell everyone to try to get garlic and eat massive quantities. Those who haven't been infected might be able to survive. I'm staying to fight, as it does not matter whether I die infected or in battle. I'm going to Hell either way. Leave them be," Smithy ordered.

Leafill looked at those that would soon die and then toward the Golems that also left. "Leanna, get the women to fetch garlic, as much as we can find. Steal it if you have to and give a portion to the king's knights with instructions to eat it," Leafill ordered. "I hope you're right about this, giant," Robin of the Hood stormed off to gather his men to the camp.

Smithy strode to the lookout tree and pulled out his looking glass. He scanned the sea to look for the invading ships. At least a dozen ships approached from the South East and another sixteen from the South West. Their banners were from every nation along the European shoreline. Smithy muttered a curse and followed his assessment by talking to himself.

"What was that sir?" a blue eyed, black haired lad asked from atop the lookout tree.

"Nonsense boy, just pure nonsense," Smithy replied before he put his looking glass away. "I'd suggest that if you can, flee and hide in the North. The battle will not be the only death we will face this day," Smithy said while he walked back to camp. He tried to figure out a way to sway the tide while he walked on to find the King's troops. He wanted to speak with Rotan and tell the lad why they needed to eat the garlic.

As Smithy approached the King's knights several of them drew their swords to greet him. "I'm not in a very good mood this day, sheath those toothpicks and fetch Rotan. Tell him Smithy wants to talk," Smithy ordered. After a few moments of the knights talking it over, Smithy's patience snapped. "If you don't want to be discussed as being delicious while I use your bones to pick my teeth, I suggest you go now!"

The men nodded and ran to fetch their commander, one left a trail of urine down his armor. The terror in their eyes let Smithy know he had not lost his touch. He found a fallen tree and sat on it while he waited for Rotan to arrive. He allowed thoughts of his daughters and wife to filter through the jumble of concepts in his mind.

"Father, you must not stay here and fight. The fate of these people and Brittan was cast in the Book of Life before we were born. Accept that there is nothing you can do here as a mortal, but there may be something you can do as the new Satan," Meana appeared beside her Father on the log. Smithy noted that all other sounds had ceased, and it was as if time stood still for the world. Meana took his hand and touched it to her heart. "I'll always love you and Mother, just know that your daughters and Shillseen's family are safe. The two you sent North will live and become legends in their own right. It is time that you become what fate has led you to be. Come with me," Meana asked while she tugged on his arm.

Smithy began to cry at the sight of her, "Why me? I'm not a terrible sinner. I should have been allowed some kind of normal life. Why is it there was no other path?" Smithy just sat there and stared into his daughter's eyes.

"Because you were chosen," Meana replied patiently. Her eyes pleaded with him to accept his fate. It hurt her to see him in pain like this.

"So, I never had any choice in the matter," Smithy stated before he pulled his hand from his daughter. "Everything in my life was preordained to happen, and because it was I will be banished to Hell. How do I bear the sins if there were no different choices that I could take? No other paths were available for redemption? You and your sisters are the best thing I ever did, and I can't even raise you. How is that fair or just? No girl, I am not going to Hell without a fight. God or not, Fate or not, I will not bow to another being's idea of what I am. Not even yours," Smithy stood and walked away. He could hear Meana his daughter cry in anguish before the world returned to normal.

Rotan quickly rode up," Why are there tears on your face?" The knight dismounted and tied the horse to a bush. He looked worried before he made eye contact with Smithy.

"What is the toughest thing you've ever had to do?" Smithy asked before he wiped away the tears. He hurt deep inside because he had turned away from his daughter and knew Shentaila would make him pay more later. He defied not only his own fles but also God and knew he'd pay for it, gods don't like to be scorned.

Rotan looked around, "they told you that Telsock died?" Smithy nodded. "I killed him," Rotan said sadly while he looked up with tears of his own. "He had black marble eyes like the Soulreaper's and had already cut down three of my best knights. I reacted instinctively, he had to be stopped. Telsock was still in there when I shoved my sword through his chest he said, "good lad." I held him until there were no more breaths. Then I savagely cut into the invaders," Rotan explained.

"You did what you had to do and I'm sorry for the loss. Telsock was a true hero," Smithy commented. "I called you here to tell you that a disease is being brought by the invaders. It has already infected and begun to kill Leafill's people. He has sent women to gather garlic to help ward off the disease and will bring you some for your force to eat. Make sure they do consume the bulbs," Smithy explained.

"Where's your sword?" Rotan asked when he noticed the empty place on Smithy's back.

Smithy smiled," I gave it to a very gifted boy. I hope he'll have better luck with it. Come, tell me how King Rettep fares, and what you plan to repel the invaders." Smithy began to walk toward the front controlled by the King's army.

"Sorry Smithy," Rotan stated before his dragon steal broadsword plunged into the giant's back. Smithy roared in pain when the weapon pierced his chain mail. The point of the weapon barely pierced through the front of the vest near his heart. Smithy spun around and smacked Rotan with the back of one fist. Rotan flew through the air and crashed into a nearby tree before he fell limp to the ground.

Smithy heaved and began to cough up his own blood before he knelt to the ground. He found that he could not reach the spot the hilt emerged from his back. His blood pooled on the ground while his panic reaction forced his heart to beat faster. He then noted the white angel energy that came out of Rotan's limp body. "Why?" Smithy spat while he struggled to breathe. He felt the pierced lung filling with fluid and had to cough to get air into it.

"You wouldn't go where you were needed," Gabriel replied. "Death will take you there since it is no longer your choice to make. Hope I don't see you soon," the angel shook his head before he disappeared.

Smithy screamed angrily before he decided to join Shentaila in Hell before Death could come for him. Flames leapt from the ground to consume his body and transport it to Hell. The ground and nearby shrubs were scotched befroe the broadsword dropped to stick in the ground where Smithy had knelt.

### CHAPTER 9: THE UNBATTLE

Leafill cursed when he received the news that Rotan was dead and it was likely that he had slain Smithy. He sent a request for more troops to King Rettep. He then tried to decide how to bring his merry men and the knights into a single force. He hated the fact that he was now the only surviving officer on the front. He ordered the two groups to intermingle since the mixture meant they would have to protect each other in order to hold the line.

Less than an hour passed before the two groups of invading ships reached cannon range. Leafill made the people at the cannons wait until the ships began to fire. The line was tense while they waited for the attack. When none of the invading ships fired a shot they were very puzzled. The consensus was that this was some kind of trick to draw them out.

Leafill gathered a horse, "Leanna, this may be a trick. If I draw my sword you are to have the men fire, even if I'm in the way." Leafill gave her a kiss as she sadly nodded. He rode down to the shore and yelled at the boats that had struck ground. He received no answer, but that of the ship's sails that flapped in the wind and the sea that splashed against their hulls. "Something's amiss," Leafill said to himself before he dismounted. He placed his right hand on his sword while he cautiously approached a craft from Portugal. The smell of death and decay rode the wind to assail his senses. He backed away from the ship and approached one with Italian banners, only to receive the same stench.

Leafill signaled for the men to come forward to join him. He sent word to check the other ships that drifted ashore. He then took ropes with hooks and tossed them up to the deck to cause the hooks to embed into the wood. He climbed up the rope and looked at the dead bodies of the crew. He couldn't stop his reaction when he threw up onto the deck. He scrambled back down the rope. "Burn the ships, don't inspect any more, just burn them," Leafill ordered before he walked away. He went to where the gathered garlic was and ate four whole before he washed them down with water.

Leanna had followed him back and wore a worried look on her face. Leafill handed her two garlic bulbs and some water before he requested that she eat them. "What did you see?" Leanna asked before she did as told.

Leafill's eyes glazed while he looked past her back down to the ships that were set ablaze. "I'm no stranger to death and have fought many battles," Leafill looked back to her, "Nothing prepared me for that. Smithy was right, a disease is spreading. The entire crew was dead, their flesh spotted black and decaying. I suspect we'll find them all dead, and it's only going to spread to our homes, to our loved ones." Leafill cried, "To us."

"I thought that was why we gathered the garlic," Leanna said.

"It was to ward off infection. How many of our people did you help treat the last couple of days? How many times were we in intimate contact," Leafill asked while he ran a hand down her cheek. He hated the questions he had to ask and the point behind them.

"Oh, my God," Leanna's face went ashen when she understood. She began to cry as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "What will we do?" Leanna asked while she cried.

"It's too late to stop the infection from spreading. We can't kill everyone here or force them to stay here and die. Sending for reinforcements may have sent the plague into the heart of the kingdom. Soon there may be no safe place to go. All we can do is live what life we have together, and hope Heaven forgives us," Leafill said sadly.

The sky began to dim into dusk and the fires that burned the invader's ship tombs lit up the Southern shore of the island. Owls could be heard in the forest while the waves beat their rhythm against the island. The merry men led their routine roll call song while the knights counted off. Soon there would be too few of either to make the effort worth the energy.

### THE END.

### EPILOGUE

Lady Azriela and Myrlen arrived safely at Smithy's mountain home. They repaired the house with the Golems' help and Myrlen made the cave his research area. The Golems kept most intruders out and those who weren't scarred away by them were introduced to Carlon. This usually was effective in spreading the story of new landlords on the mountain.

Eventually the Centaurs joined Shillseen and the children in the safe haven provided by the Gargoyle God and Goddess. Only those not infected by the plague were allowed to cross over. Munsigor used this period to return to the normal world because he was too impatient with the solitude of the haven. He returned to the lake cavern and hunted solitarily in the evening. Shillseen visited him once to tell him to visit and keep an eye on Azy and Myrlen.

Smithy fell into his new role much more eagerly than Shentaila had expected. He was angry at how Heaven had forced him into Hell, and used that anger to assault Heaven's power at each chance he could find. The only time he found peace was when he was allowed to visit his daughters and during the brief ecstasy of his wife's embrace.

Helsnem spent his final years tutoring a replacement and guiding Myrlen's experiments. Helsnem's wife disapproved of his visits to Myrlen, and divorced him several years before he passed away. Helsnem's funeral was almost as grand as Telspar's. A truce had been agreed upon and everyone that knew Helsnem attended his funeral. The odd part was that Death made an exception, and attended with Helsnem's spirit, so he could say goodbye before going to Heaven. Smithy behaved during the entire ceremony and exchanged small talk with Meana, Gabriel was not in attendance.

Robin of the Hood and his merry men were never heard from again as the plague killed off the entire troop. The plague would kill off nearly ninety percent of the populace in Brittan. King Rettep was blamed for the plight, the common folk believed that he incurred God's wrath for allying with so many unholy creatures. They were also angry that he seemed protected from the very illness they thought he had brought down upon them. King Rettep was forced into exile while the peasant rule of chaos crossed the land. The time of darkness fell across the world which would last two decades before the plague ran its course.

### —THE END: CONCLUDES SMITHY SERIES—

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The author likes to write some fantasy as it allows for slightly less restraint as to what can occur. The only limitations are the imagination. Of course, many believe that the technology of today would be seen as magic if it were presented to a less advanced civilization. These stories were originally written as samples, but I decided to revise and combine them into one volume for more general distribution.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Peter T Phelps is currently 37 years old, lives in Rancho Cordova, California. He has always liked science fiction and fantasy.

### LOOK FOR THESE OTHER WORKS BY PETER T PHELPS:

Polyethic Randomness: Short Sci-Fi Story Collection #1

SPI-FI 1: The Rasnic Delta War

SPI-FI 2: The Renishie Extinction

SPI-FI 3: The Shirimolt Revelation

### POETRY COLLECTIONS:

Youth Scribbles

Trying Moments

Mystisistic Thoughts

Deep Ponderings

