The pair with the net tried to unfurl their rope trap in time to throw it up and over the alu, but she lunged past them and glided to the ground on the far side.
Her newfound freedom didn't last long. Once again, the archons materialized ahead of her, cutting her off. No matter which way she turned, they appeared there. It was maddening.
Can't outrun them, she decided. Got to outsmart them. Got to hide, slip away.
Aliisza turned to sprint in yet another direction, aiming for a small draw between two large and rather prominent trees. Her sense of foreboding warned her that something menaced her from above the hollow, but she ignored the sensation. If she executed her plan well enough, she might be able to slip away undetected.
The alu darted into the shallow depression and flourished one hand in the air as she uttered a magical phrase. A cloud of mist arose, thickening into an impenetrable veil that obscured Aliisza from everything around her.
In the next breath, she reached within her tunic and pulled out two different bits of material needed for another pair of spells. The first one, a small lump of a sticky substance, she squeezed between her thumb and forefinger as she verbalized the magic needed to render herself completely invisible.
Once she had vanished, she took the second one, a small fragment of fleece, and tossed it to the ground near one of the two trees. Instantly, an image of herself appeared. The illusory version of the alu crouched down next to the bole of the tree as though hiding.
Satisfied, Aliisza turned and pushed herself up from the ground as quietly as she could and spread her wings wide. Just as she was rising from the thick, cloaking mists in which she had hidden, the first of the archons drew near. With one last mental command, the alu sent her illusory image aloft, causing it to wing its way in the opposite direction from her own path. The mirage version of the half-fiend appeared from within the mists and shot forward.
The closest archon gave a shout and pointed, and other celestial warriors took up the pursuit. Giving a small, silent sigh of relief, Aliisza flew away.
She hadn't made it twenty feet before she became visible again.
Above and slightly behind her, a commanding voice yelled, 'Here! She's trying to sneak away!'
Cursing, Aliisza glanced up and spotted one of the angels swooping toward her. He was pointing at her and motioning for the archons to pick up their pursuit again. A heartbeat later, several of the archons appeared nearby, teleporting into positions to surround her once more.
Aliisza cursed again and drew up into a hover. She spun and flew straight at the deva, hoping to catch him off guard.
You're not taking me back there, she swore. Not so you can play mind games with me.
The deva, who wore his golden hair trimmed short, started at the sight of the alu rushing at him. Aliisza thought she might have stunned him enough to feign an attack and zip away, but the angel recovered and opened his mouth to speak.
The next thing Aliisza remembered was spinning dizzily as she fell to the ground. Her ears rang and she could not orient herself so that up was up. She struck the soft forest floor with a jarring exhalation and bounced across it until she finally came to a stop. She lay there, gasping for air.
A pair of archons appeared near her and began to unfurl their net. 'Surrender,' one of them said dispassionately as he worked to envelop her within the confines of his snare. 'It's pointless to keep fleeing. You cannot get away.'
To the Hells with you, Aliisza thought, but she had no strength to resist.
Two more archons gathered around her and the deva joined them. As a group, they stretched the net out over Aliisza and pinned her to the ground.
'This doesn't have to be painful,' the deva said, and he smiled at her. 'We're not trying to kill you. But there are laws here, and you must obey them.'
'Rot in the lowest levels of the Abyss,' she snarled. 'I came willingly before and had the word of one of your own that I was free to go whenever I chose. So don't lecture me about breaking laws!'
'Tauran was not in a position to-'
The deva's sentence died in his throat as Kael dropped to the ground next to him. The flat of the half-drow's blade crashed hard against the back of the angel's head and sent him staggering forward, where he collided with one of the archons holding the net down.
'Get out of here!' Kael shouted, spinning to smack another of the celestial warriors with his weapon. 'Now!'
Aliisza stared at the sight of her son waging furious combat with the three archons still surrounding her. He flowed from one stance to another like a dancer, all grace and balance, shifting with the weight of his sword. Even attacking to stun rather than kill, he wielded the sword with exacting precision. The archons were no match for him, but as soon as one was put down, two more appeared.
'Go!' Kael shouted. 'I can't do this all day!'
Recollecting her wits, Aliisza tried to wriggle herself free from the netting, but the archons devoted at least a small part of their attention to standing on the snare, keeping her pinned down.
Fine, she decided. There are other ways to depart.
She summoned one of her magical doors beneath herself and slipped through it. Acting as much on instinct as reason, the alu positioned the other end of the magical portal near the corpse of Tekthyrios. Aliisza tumbled through the opening and sprawled upon the loamy earth, hoping none of her pursuers were nearby. When she heard no immediate shouts of discovery close to her, the half-fiend gingerly crawled to the storm dragon's body, seeking a place to hide.
One of the dragon's wings was cocked at such an angle that Aliisza could squeeze under it and nestle up against the impaled beast's body. She slunk into the hiding place and collapsed, still suffering the residual effects of the deva's divine attack. She closed her eyes and sat still for a few moments to allow the last vestiges of dizziness to leave her.
The forest was quiet, though she could discern the sounds of battle continuing in the distance. Aliisza wondered if it was Kael in the midst of that, or Tauran.
It's certainly not Kaanyr, she decided with a grimace. He took off like a roc when Tauran gave the word. He's halfway to Sundabar by now.
The alu sighed and settled back, wondering how long she would be safe where she hid.
What difference does it make? she thought ruefully. Without Tauran here, I have no idea how to get out or where to go. I'll find no friends, either.
Feeling a little bit sorry tor herself, Aliisza tried to relax and wait. Tired, aching muscles reminded her of the harsh fight she had endured against the archons. She wanted more than anything to sleep for a short while, but her worries about being caught kept her on edge, unable to give in to her weariness.
Despite her angst, Aliisza must have drifted off for a least a few moments, for the next thing she knew she was startled awake by a noise. She jerked forward, then remembered her situation and froze, listening for the sounds of discovery. Whatever had roused her did not come for her in her hiding place, but she could clearly hear something rummaging around near her concealment.
She peered from deep within the shadow of her secret lair but saw nothing. Worried about capture but hating not knowing what was out there even more, Aliisza moved to get a better look. Very slowly, she inched her way forward to the edge of the hollow until she could widen her view.
A pair of hound archons worked nearby, gathering the bodies of the humanoids that had been slain alongside Tekthyrios. The two creatures seemed to be stacking them, perhaps for some form of funeral pyre or similar last rites.
As she studied them, several more arrived in the clearing, appearing magically. The creatures spoke to one another as they worked, but their words were too soft to be understood.
How long before they decide to do something about this dragon? Aliisza wondered. I can't stay here.
But there was nowhere for the alu to flee, at least not yet. A far greater number of the archons were unaccounted for, most likely still roaming the forest around the clearing. And regardless, she had no clue where any of her companions might be.
Careful to remain quiet, Aliisza crept back into the depths of her hiding place and waited. She continued to watch the work being done beyond her shadowy enclave as the celestial warriors passed in front of her field of
