Daemron was still flying twenty feet above the battlefield. Keegan felt him gathering Chaos, possibly to dispel the last of the purple clouds. Seizing on the opportunity to strike while his enemy was distracted, he called upon the Ring to knock the Slayer from the sky.
A ferocious gust of wind sprang up out of nowhere and sent Daemron spinning wildly out of control. Focusing his will, Keegan lashed out again, and a powerful downdraft sent him plummeting toward the ground.
At the last instant he managed to pull up and spread his wings to slow his descent, and he landed heavily but not hard enough to be injured. And then Scythe was on him.
She and the Sword moved as one in a beautiful dance of death. She attacked with a perfect combination of grace, precision, speed, and strength. The Slayer fought back by slashing at her with his fearsome claws and lashing out with his long tail. But his blows failed to make contact; over and over he struck the empty air where Scythe had been a split second before.
First blood went to Scythe, the Sword biting deep into Daemron’s thigh. He managed to knock her off-balance by buffeting her with one of his wings and tried to follow up with a vicious butt of his horned head. Scythe ducked at the last instant and drove her blade up toward the Slayer’s throat.
Daemron slapped the blade aside, but the edge sliced open his palm. He tried to retreat, but Scythe was too quick and she cut him off. He tried to take to the skies, but Keegan summoned another gust of air to knock him back to the ground.
Scythe leapt forward, but this time Daemron was ready. He dropped into a crouch and wrapped his wings around him in a protective cocoon. The Sword bit into the tough, leathery flesh but couldn’t cut through it, catching Scythe by surprise. Taking advantage, Daemron lashed out with his tail, sweeping her feet out from beneath her.
Before he could leap atop his prone opponent, Keegan thrust the Ring to the sky. A wall of Chaos flames shot up between the two combatants, and Daemron stumbled backward. It lasted only a second, but it was enough for Scythe to get back on her feet.
We’re winning! Keegan thought, but in the back of his mind he knew they were running out of time. If Scythe didn’t finish this soon, they’d once again be fighting both Daemron and his entire army.
—
Cassandra forced herself to stand. She was still exhausted, but she knew what had to be done. Somehow, Keegan and the Islander were battling Daemron to a standstill, but they needed her to stop the monstrous army from coming to the Slayer’s aid.
The Crown had flown twenty feet from where Rexol’s body had fallen. She staggered over and picked the Talisman up. Steeling her resolve, she placed it atop her head.
To her shock, without Rexol’s intrusive presence battling against her, the Crown didn’t threaten to overwhelm her with its limitless power. Instead, it revitalized and energized her, washing away her fatigue.
She also realized that she could suddenly see into the minds of Keegan and the Islander. Scythe. Her name is Scythe!
Suddenly she understood why they had been here, waiting for her arrival. They’d come to stop her from accidentally destroying the Legacy.
You are one of us, Keegan said to her, speaking without words as he felt the touch of the Crown brushing up against his thoughts. We were all born under the Blood Moon. We are all touched by Chaos and bound by fate.
She saw that it was true, the connection of their birth allowing her to peer inside the young mage’s mind.
Leave the Slayer to us, Scythe chimed in. You just stop the army!
The purple clouds that had turned Daemron’s army against itself were gone, and reinforcements pouring through the still-expanding black spheres had swelled the enemy numbers to over a thousand. They were no longer ripping out each other’s throats, but she could sense they were still dazed from what had happened.
Knowing they would still be vulnerable to suggestion, Cassandra pushed out with her mind in a piercing mental scream.
Flee!
Hundreds of the enemy turned and ran, scattering across the island. Others simply dropped to the ground and cowered in fear, buying Keegan and Scythe a few more moments of precious time.
Their terror wouldn’t last long. And the next time, Cassandra knew, they’d be less susceptible to the Crown’s power. But at least she’d bought them some time.
Still, reinforcements continued to pour through as the Legacy continued to crumble, and Cassandra knew even the Crown wouldn’t be strong enough to stop them all.
—
Scythe heard Cassandra’s scream, but it wasn’t directed at her and she felt no ill effect. Daemron also seemed oblivious; he seemed to have learned how to protect himself after what Rexol had done to him.
He’s getting stronger the longer this lasts, she realized.
She was still the one pressing the fight, but her advantage wasn’t what it had once been. With every pass, Daemron seemed to ward off her attacks with greater ease.
He’s learning my moves. Studying me and my tactics.
The realization spurred her into an all-out assault, trying to take him down while she still had the upper hand. Daemron was driven back once more, a desperate retreat as he flailed and floundered against the ferocious assault. But somehow he still managed to keep her from dealing any kind of serious damage, dodging or deflecting her blows with his impenetrable wings.
He’s gathering Chaos! Keegan warned, his thoughts transferred through Cassandra and the Crown via the bond they all shared.
Scythe stepped back and threw the Sword up in front of her as Daemron breathed out a jet of blue fire. The flames struck the Sword and were swallowed up, absorbed by the Talisman. But the Slayer wasn’t finished. He followed up the thwarted attack by slamming a hoof into the ground.
Scythe’s world vanished in a flash of blue light and a ferocious bang. The next thing she knew she was flying backward through the air, swept away by a concussive blast of magic. She landed hard on the beach, a full fifty feet away. Her clothes were torn and tattered from the detonation and the only sound she could hear was a single, high-pitched squeal.
Her mind was dazed from the impact, but some part of her instinctively knew she had broken several bones. Acting on instinct, she called upon the Sword to heal her wounds.
It was only then that she realized she no longer held the blade.
—
Keegan sensed Daemron’s spell an instant before it was unleashed. Keegan lashed out to counter it, striking quickly. He threw an invisible shield up around Scythe, but in his haste he wasn’t able to properly call on the full power of the Ring. The Slayer’s spell ripped through his shield unabated.
He’s getting stronger!
In horror he watched as Scythe was launched through the air by a powerful burst of Chaos. She slammed into the ground hard, where she lay motionless.
He took an involuntary step toward her, then heard Cassandra calling to him.
She’s alive. Grab the Sword!
The Talisman lay on the battlefield, pulsing with energy. It had absorbed enough of the blast to keep Scythe alive, but she hadn’t been able to hold on.
Daemron was rushing toward it, his own reserves of Chaos temporarily drained. Calling on the Ring, Keegan was able to get to it first.
Hand extended out in front of him, he used Chaos to call the Sword. It leapt from the ground and flew toward him, the hilt slapping itself into his waiting palm.
In a flash Daemron changed course and rushed at Keegan. The young wizard felt a rush of power coursing through his body—his muscles coming to life in response to the Sword’s call to battle.
He met the Slayer head-on, confident the combination of the Ring and the Sword would bring him victory. But though his body was faster and stronger than it had ever been, he wasn’t anywhere near as skilled as Scythe. Instead of the smooth, deadly dance, he felt disjointed and awkward as he hacked away at his foe.
The Slayer batted his first clumsy attacks aside, then tore open Keegan’s cheek with his long, sh
arp nails. Keegan managed to parry a slash from his enemy’s tail but was sent reeling by a fist to the jaw.
Keegan called on the Ring to defend himself, but Daemron was too close. Before he could summon enough Chaos to do anything, the Slayer had picked him up and lifted him above his head.
Daemron slammed Keegan’s body to the ground, face-first, stunning him. Somehow, Keegan managed to hold on to the Sword as all the air rushed out of his body. A heavy hoof slammed down on his lower back, shattering the vertebrae.
Scooping the fallen wizard up, Daemron raised him above his head a second time.
Throw him! Cassandra cried out, her command hitting them with a frantic urgency far greater than anything Rexol had been able to muster.
Daemron hurled Keegan through the sky instead of slamming him down at his feet. Still clutching the Ring and the Sword, he landed on the beach at Cassandra’s feet.
Attack! she screamed at the cowering remnants of Daemron’s army. In response, they leapt to their feet and threw themselves at the Slayer.
“They won’t slow him for long,” she told Keegan. “Use the Sword to heal yourself and Scythe and give her the Talisman. Together we can defeat him.”
In that instant, Keegan finally understood.
“No,” he said to Cassandra. “We can’t.”
Everything finally made sense to him. Jerrod’s visions of a savior bathed in flames. His own dreams of being overwhelmed by the Chaos horde. The recurring image of a flaming giant towering over him. At last it was clear.
“It has to be you, Cassandra. You’re the Burning Savior!”
—
Their minds still linked through the Crown, Cassandra experienced Keegan’s revelation even as it was happening.
When Scythe fought Daemron, he used magic to defeat her. The Sword alone wasn’t enough to protect her.
The Talismans were meant to be used in concert. But simply possessing the Talismans was not enough.
When Keegan had both the Ring and the Sword, he was no match for Daemron physically. He lacked the physical and mental training of a warrior. He didn’t know how to use the Sword.
Like all members of the Order, Cassandra had trained in the martial arts. And her flight with the Crown—hunted by the Minions—had given her a warrior’s will and strength of spirit.
I can use the Sword.
Rexol had given her training in the ways of magic. Through her dreams, she’d served an entire apprenticeship under the most powerful Chaos mage in the Southlands.
I can use the Ring.
And she already knew how to use the Crown. Her years in the Order had given her the necessary mental discipline to control it, even while wearing the Ring and wielding the Sword.
And you were born under the Burning Moon and touched by Chaos, Keegan added, still connected to her through the Crown. You are one of the Children of Fire.
Cassandra realized that her entire life had been leading up to this moment. Everything that had happened to her—everything she had ever learned and done—had been for this one purpose. Her early days under Rexol as a young child. Her years studying in the Monastery, learning the ways of the Order, ingraining the mental discipline to use the Crown and mastering the martial abilities required to use the Sword. Her endless flight, strengthening her will. Her recent apprenticeship to Rexol, learning the Mage’s art so she could control the Ring. No other person had her unique combination of abilities, training, and experience. She was the only one who could stop the Slayer.
“I am the Burning Savior,” she said aloud.
She took the Sword from Keegan’s grasp. Then she slipped the Ring from his finger and placed it on her own.
The infinite power of all three Talismans flowed through her—Old Magic, forged by the True Gods. It was incredible. Exhilarating. Unlike anything she had ever experienced before.
It wasn’t like a river of Chaos rushing through her. Not even a flood. She could call upon an entire ocean, drawing on the pure essence of magic from the Burning Sea itself.
With a mere thought and a wave of her hand, she fully healed both Keegan and Scythe of their injuries. At the same time, she created a barrier between her mind and theirs, severing the bond that had linked them through the Crown for their own protection.
The Talismans were drawing their power directly from the Burning Sea—an infinite well of Chaos that could destroy a mortal mind. Despite this, she felt no sense of being overwhelmed. She had no fear of any backlash or losing control. The Ring, the Sword, and the Crown were in perfect, harmonious balance.
Her body spontaneously combusted, but she felt no pain. She began to grow and change, transforming from an ordinary young woman into a living pillar of fire, twenty feet tall.
On the battlefield, Daemron had cast off the last of the hapless underlings Cassandra had thrown against him. He turned as if about to charge, then hesitated when he saw the flaming figure standing defiantly on the beach.
He roared out his fury and unleashed a powerful blast of Chaos. But instead of targeting Cassandra, he directed it at the Keystone. The obsidian monolith exploded into dust, and the Legacy dissolved completely. The twenty black spheres became a hundred, then a thousand, then ten thousand. As one, the rest of his army crossed into the mortal world.
Calling on the Ring, Cassandra cast a spell that froze the entire horde dead in its tracks. Enraged, Daemron threw back his head and roared, summoning Chaos to use against her.
He’s feeding off the power of the Talismans, too, Cassandra realized. They were bound to him once, and he can still draw on them.
Despite the realization, she felt no fear. Daemron could only touch a fraction of the Talisman’s potential. Her power was that of the Old Gods themselves.
Like Cassandra, the Slayer’s form was suddenly covered in flames, and he grew until they were of equal size, two twenty-foot-tall titans engulfed in fire, standing face-to-face. He threw himself at her, but to Cassandra he seemed to be moving in slow motion.
Without even thinking about it, she stepped to her left and brought the Sword up in a wide diagonal arc. Daemron feinted as if he were going to her right, then suddenly changed direction, charging headlong right into the upstroke of the blade.
The Crown lets me see the future, Cassandra thought. I know what he’s going to do even before he does.
As the Sword struck him, Daemron exploded into a trillion crystals of blue light. They fell over the battlefield like flakes of glittering snow, winking out of existence a few seconds after they touched the ground.
With a wave of her hand, Cassandra released his army from their paralysis. Seeing their leader obliterated and facing a giant made of Chaos fire, they turned and fled back through the dark spheres, running back to their blighted netherworld.
The Slayer was defeated, his army driven back. But Cassandra knew her work wasn’t done.
With several massive strides she crossed the island to the spot where the Keystone had stood only moments before. Throwing her head back, she thrust the Sword up to the heavens, calling on the power of Chaos to once more do her bidding.
—
Keegan and Scythe watched Daemron’s fall with awestruck wonder, amazed by what Cassandra had become.
When the Slayer fell, neither dared to speak or look away. As Cassandra released the Chaos horde and sent it scurrying in terror from the mortal world, they remained rapt. And when she went over to where the Keystone had stood and thrust her magnificent flaming sword to the sky, they could only stare, enthralled by the sight of a God walking upon the earth.
The thousands of black spheres began to wink out of existence, disappearing with tiny pops amplified by their sheer numbers. When the last one vanished, Cassandra spoke to them.
As before, they heard her in their heads. But this time she sounded different—hollow and far away, as if calling to them from a great distance.
You must go. Return through the portal before it closes.
“What about you?” Scythe aske
d. “Aren’t you coming with us?”
The True Gods sacrificed themselves to create the Legacy. How can I restore it without doing the same?
“Daemron is destroyed,” Keegan argued. “His army routed. You don’t have to do this.”
The Chaos hordes still live. They will still seek to return to this world if they are not banished. I must see that will never happen. But I must work quickly.
My power comes with a price. I am not an Immortal; omnipotence is too great a burden for me to bear for long. Already I can feel it beginning to devour me. Soon I will cease to exist. I must restore the Legacy before that happens.
“Then we stay until you are finished,” Keegan declared. “Whatever you create using the Talismans, someone else might try to destroy.
“We will gather up the Talismans after you are gone and keep them safe to honor your sacrifice.”
“That’s what the Order tried to do,” Scythe reminded him.
The Talismans will not survive this ritual, Cassandra said.
“If the Old Gods couldn’t destroy them,” Scythe asked, surprised, “then how will you?”
The Talismans were created by the Immortals, but they were forged in our world. Bound to it. The True Gods could not destroy them because, unlike the Talismans, they were not of the mortal world.
Born from Chaos, the True Gods could not break the connection between our world and the Burning Sea. But I can.
Though they were no longer linked directly to Cassandra’s mind, Keegan had a sudden glimpse into the true nature of what she was doing.
“You’re not just destroying the Talismans,” he said, horrified. “You’re going to make the Legacy so strong that Chaos will not be able to enter the mortal world at all!”
The essence of Chaos is death and destruction.
“You’re going to create a world without magic!”
Magic is the offspring of Chaos. Inevitably it leads to pain and suffering.
“You can’t do this!” Keegan shouted. “I won’t let you!”
You can’t stop me.
Scythe reached out and grabbed Keegan’s arm.