When Ravasha put the fifth weapon into the ground, Sugriva willed his staff to grow, striking Ravasha in his scorched throat hard enough to lift him from the path. The demon rolled onto his back. The skull shifted through the skin, and his legs shifted so he landed on them.
Ravasha, back on his feet, slammed Sugriva into the final gate. Air pressed out of Sugriva, and the monkey couldn't breathe. The gate came down, and Sugriva did his best to dodge as he fell.
"This is futility, monkey. Move aside. Let me plunge into the pool. Why would you want to defend the people who call you outcaste? Even now the priests look at you with disdain, yet you and Divyan are the only two capable of slowing me down."
On cue, Divyan swooped down and kicked Ravasha in the chest. The demon didn't even stumble. He grabbed Divyan by the ankle and slammed him repeatedly into the ground. After the third strike, Divyan's eyes rolled back and his body went limp. Sugriva grabbed a sword, rolled under the rag doll body, and thrust up into Ravasha's armpit. The general flew off the platform.
Black blood bathed Sugriva. The warmth soaked into his skin. Soon, everything turned red. The Master blesses you with great power. Use it!
Ravasha's arm went limp, but another palm struck Sugriva's chest, sending the janaav reeling. "You felt it," he said, grinning. "You felt the darkness."
The fight fell away, and instead Sugriva saw himself sitting on the throne, the corpses of those who made him feel lesser strewn across the floor. A twisted army of demons, his brood, waited to serve him. Prisha was by his side, a pleasing sight, a chain around her neck fastened her to the floor, and her wings were torn off.
A messenger said, "Ji-Wei is yours, demon lord. The other lords bow to you and your whim."
Women attended him, and young men eagerly trained to serve him. He ate as he pleased, though mostly human flesh, and the thought snapped him from the vision, disgust making him wretch.
Ichor blinded him, and he wiped it from his eyes. Where the blood touched, Sugriva noted, the flesh turned like coal with red lines crackling through. "I will not give into your visions.”
Ravasha picked up a priest and crushed his throat, tossing him aside. He stabbed another through the chest. The third he ripped in two. "How will you stop me? I just need to reach the Well. You need to kill me within a few steps."
Sugriva grabbed a sword, slid between Ravasha's legs, and thrust up. The sword caught the demon's crotch, and it howled. Then Sugriva placed his staff against the hilt and made it grow, the sword flying up until it shattered through the top of Ravasha's skull.
"I lose," the demon gurgled, with a grin. Then he laughed. "But so do you." His form turned into a large worm, writhing toward the Well. A priest cut the slithering flesh, and as the worm went over the edge, it had enough weight to fall in.
Once the flesh touched, the Well of Ghuma turned black, spreading out from the appendage. The worm went limp. Once the well turned black, the plants withered and died, and the dirt turned into a putrid smelling muck. "No," Sugriva howled. "We need to run."
The muck touched a priest, and the priest's veins turned black, his skin ashen, until it reached his head. His eyes were red, then he fell to the ground and died. Ichor expelled from his mouth.
As panic hit, the Ashtadash appeared. Wuzi contained the water, Taro Taro lifted the corrupted earth into the sky, and Ishva caused it all to incinerate into nothing, sweating from the exertion.
Hope lifted in Sugriva's chest, and was swiftly replaced by anger. "You were here the whole time?"
"And we saved your people in the end," Ishva said, brow furrowed. "They cannot stay here, and that was the truth from the beginning."
Chapter Twenty-ThreeYosheket: The City of Three Nations
Age of Finality
"Taro led us to Bahimatt. My son is still in Sankive, or wherever the Asthadash went." He shrugged, wiping away tears.
Dameneh touched his shoulder. "You lost a lot and gave a lot. You sound like a good man, and one day you will be a great leader."
Sugriva laughed. "Leader? I'm hardly a warrior."
"The little black boy is right," Divyan said. "You will make a great leader. Not while General Humbari is alive, but we live in rapidly changing times."
The city came into view, and a horn blared in the distance. Divyan said, "I will go ahead and let Anka know they come in peace."
The little boy held Sugriva's hand. "You survived another attempt on your life, but this time Humbari was willing to sacrifice Divyan to see it happen."
"I know." He stared at his feet. "I will be executed when we get into the city."
"No. Volden has plans for you. Great plans."
DIAN XIAO LED THE ARMY and refugees into Bahimatt. His two guards were beside him, and Dameneh and Sugriva stood behind them. It was a position of honor, something Sugriva felt he hadn't earned. While Dameneh displayed the miracle of understanding languages, Sugriva only showed he could shift into a monkey and monkey-man. When Sugriva went to show off his elemental powers, they were cheap tricks compared to what the foreign warriors could conjure. It made Sugriva feel sick.
The massive gates of Bahimatt opened, and Sugriva felt like he was entering with the large army, not returning home. Horns blew and soldiers lined the streets at attention. Prince Anka and General Humbari waited at the nearest square. Prince Anka smiled, though it was reserved. His arms were behind his back, and he wore his finest jewels and silk. General Humbari was in his janaav form, arms crossed, teeth bared. He wanted battle, and his advice to Prince Anka was definitely not
