pretty sure intelligence and reason deserve a bit of respect as well.”
“Jerico,” Lathaar said, gesturing to his wounded brethren. “He’s wounded. Please, get him through the portal.”
“Forget me,” Jerico said, his voice hoarse. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Like the abyss you aren’t,” Tarlak said.
High above thunder rumbled, and at its sound, Mira shivered.
“The goddess is strained,” she said. “Please hurry.”
“Just a hundred more,” Lathaar said as people rushed into the portal. “We can hold.”
Another crack of thunder, and as its force rumbled through the land the demons dove for Mira and her protectors. They were tightly packed, as if they would bury them in metal regardless if they died or not.
“For war!” they shouted, a communal roar that shook the hearts of all remaining.
“For Ashhur,” Lathaar cried, rising his swords to the sky.
“And may Karak have them,” Tarlak said, fire leaping from his fingers. Aurelia joined him, their barrages of ice and fire swirling together. Demons crumpled and shattered under the power. Harruq and Lathaar stood at either side of Mira, and as the bodies came racing in they cut and blocked, slamming away any who would dare strike her. Lathaar’s swords blinded and repulsed the demons. Harruq’s cut their flesh and broke their wings. Haern circled about, eyeing the battle for any opening. If Harruq faltered, Haern was there, killing the attacker. If Aurelia’s lance of rock or ice missed its target, he was there, his sabers a blur of death.
Lightning filled the sky, some magical, some not. Fire joined it, and smoke blurred the clouds. On and on the Veldaren people entered the portal. The demons could find no opening, no weakness, but still they came. Antonil’s soldiers joined the ranks of the fleeing, unable to fight any longer. The demons’ attacks focused, more desperate and brutal. At last an elderly couple passed through the portal, and only the Eschaton remained guarding Mira. The ground shook, and the ethereal wind surrounding Mira vanished.
“It’s time to go,” Tarlak said. “Everyone, get your ass in the portal!”
“Someone take Jerico!” Lathaar shouted as he parried away the attacks of three demons. The light on his swords flared, and as the blinded demons pulled back, he cut them down.
The runes atop the hill cracked and exploded, showering them with chalk. The portal shrunk to half its size.
“Now or never!” Tarlak said. He tipped his hat to the others, hurled one last fireball, and jumped through.
“Harruq, help him!” Aurelia shouted. She lifted wall after wall of ice from the ground, trying to buy themselves time.
Harruq ran to Jerico, ducking blow after blow from demons that swooped above the walls of ice. He was almost there when he heard a horrible cry. He turned to see Aurelia on her knees, her hands pressed against her neck. Her delicate fingers were soaked in blood. A red-tipped spear lay beside her. Harruq looked back, and when his eyes met with Jerico’s, he saw understanding without anger or pity.
“Go,” Jerico said.
Harruq ran to his wife, took her in his arms, and disappeared through the portal.
More spears fell down, exploding whenever they neared contact with Mira’s skin. Lathaar fought with a frantic new urgency. The demons flocked to the holy light of his blades like moths to a torch. Mira walked to the portal and stood there, shaking her head as the waves of death and suffering assaulted her mind.
“Does the tragedy destroy the valiant sacrifice?” she asked the battlefield.
“Get up!” Lathaar shouted to Jerico. He stood beside Mira, fending off demons one after another.
“We cannot save him,” Haern said, joining his side. His sabers danced, demon after demon died, but at last he would wait no more. He yanked his blades free from a shredded throat, twirled his cloak, and leapt through the portal.
“Leave,” Jerico shouted, his face locked in pain.
Lathaar stabbed his longsword through the eye of a demon, twisted it, and then kicked away the corpse.
“I will not abandon you!”
Jerico knew this true, and that was why he hurled Bonebreaker through the air. The mace struck Lathaar in the chest, and even through the platemail he could feel his bones trembling. He staggered back, his balance lost. Mira saw Jerico’s intent and aided him. She pushed Lathaar through.
The ground shaking, the sky furious, and with demons all about, Jerico laid back to the dirt.
“Thank you,” he said to Mira, who stared at him with an expression he did not understand.
“Die well,” she told him. “And I’m sorry.”
She stepped through the portal, and at her passing the blue vanished. Lightning struck where it had been, and at that final release of power the clouds lost their anger. The wind died. Light pierced through as Jerico lay on his back. He stared at the newly freed sun and prayed that Ashhur would grant his soul passage to the Golden Eternity.
Epilogue
Qurrah stirred as the sun crept above the dull horizon. He felt a weight on his chest and an ache in his temples. Tessanna huddled in his arms. In her hands she held a knife. She smiled at him as blood ran down her face from five vertical cuts.
“Pieces,” she said as she slashed off her ear without a single grimace of pain. “Mommy left me in pieces.”
