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Story Codes: Fantasy, Gamelit, Magic, Violence

For a list of all the dungeon builder stories click here

Click here for the world map!

Comments are very welcome. I would like all criticism, positive and negative, so long as it’s
constructive, and feedback is very appreciated.

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Click here for Part 15.

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Note: Thanks to Alex for beta reading this!

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Terra’s smiling head vanished in motes of light.

The giant Hagane warned me about rose over the building, blood spurting from her neck. She stepped forward. Olca took to the air, whip in hand. Icy daggers flew from Crystal. Vysokiy the jotunn rushed at the rubble. The giant formed a ball of iron and threw it at Olca. The demoness dodged it.
Crystal wasn’t so lucky.

It crushed my older sister. She burst into sparkles as I jumped to the side with Maya. The iron shot struck a building behind us. I came up to see Olca transforming her whip into a sword of shadow. She plunged her sword into an eye and straight into the giant’s brain. The enemy monster girl staggered. She vanished into a brilliant burst of fireworks, the sparks sizzling down around us.

Dongara, Apsara, and Spaika rose from the street around me and bowed. My three oreads were alive as was Voina the Ogress who scrambled over the ruble to join us. I thought she had died, but she had survived that brutal blow. I nodded to my growing force. Terra and Bjorni were gone just like so many others.

We had to end this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mrs. Zoe Baldwin had lost two werewolves—Bhediya and Chaandi—along with Baaghi and Zahar the Hydra by the time she found her son. She came around a street corner with Cheekha and Garadan to find him walking with Maya, a group of oread, an ogress, a demon, Garnet, and several others.

“Leo,” she gasped at the sight of her son. She rushed to him and hugged him tight, the grief for Halia burning in her soul. “Oh, Leo, I’m so sorry.”

“We’re going to save Fara,” he told her, his voice hard.

Mrs. Baldwin stiffened. “You’re not doing anything… reckless? Grief is a bad time to make decisions.”

“I’m saving Fara,” he repeated in a tone that brooked no argument.

She swallowed and nodded. The dryad knew she wasn’t dissuading her son as much as she would like to. She sighed and turned to look at the others. The group was battered. They had been through a fight. A motley group that had assembled around him.

“Lord Leo!” all four of Garadan’s heads hissed—she had grown one in the fight. She looked to the sky and spat green venom with all four of her mouths, striking a diving seraph.

More of the burning angels swooped down at them. Fireballs exploded from their wings and flung down at the party. Mrs. Baldwin threw herself into her son, knocking him down and pinning him beneath her. The fireball slammed into her back.

Pain burned across her flesh as she stared down at her son. It was a mother’s job to protect her child.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Mom!” I shouted as my dryad smiled down at me.

She vanished into motes.

The seraphim banked back into the air. I scrambled up to find Roka and Goloda missing, the kitsune and yeti consumed by the flame. My ogress Voina formed a stone javelin and threw it into the air, slamming into one of the retreating seraphim. She burst into motes. An icy hammer thrown by Vysokiy, my jotunn, hit another. Ice burst across her belly. The seraph screamed, and spun through the air, crashing into a building.

The rest of the seraphim were gone, vanished out of sight.

I pushed myself up, gripping Stormlight. I surveyed my forces. My eyes fell on Cheekha in her wolf form. “Lead the way.”

“My Lord,” she said in my mind, flashing me a wolfish grin. She spun and loped toward the library.

Garadan followed after while Maya and Garnet pressed around me. The ogress and jotunn marched behind me along with the few other remaining monster girls in my ragged party. Nothing would stop me from saving Fara.

Nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Mrs. Lucina, the demons before the library have to be taken out,” Hagane said in the angel’s mind.
Bella Lucina nodded as she soared through the sky with Feya and the houri. On the ground, the aos sithe teleported in flashes of light across the rooftops to keep up with her force. They had tangled with some of the flying monster girls.

“I see them,” Feya said, pointing toward a group of demons by the library. They were on the ground, watching the streets with care. Leo and his group headed for them.

“Do you have them, Zhinka?” Mrs. Lucina asked the aos si.

“Yes, Lady Lucina,” Zhinka reported as she peered down at them.

The angel readied her halo, the light glowing from it. “Aos sithe, teleport… now!”

In a flash of light, the aos sithe appeared amid the demons. The Darkness monster girls were caught off-guard as radiance flashed. Feya flicked her wand, a beam of light shooting down at them while Mrs. Lucina unleashed the light of her halo. The houri descended and landed on either side of the demons. They danced, throwing out blades of lights as they moved their sensual bodies.

The light cut down the demons. They burst into motes as the survivors fashioned whips out of darkness. But the aos sithe surprise attack worked. More light from the houri, the angel, and the fairy destroyed the last of the demons. The aos sithe and the houri took up guard position before the front of the library.

“We have to hold the entrance for Leo,” Mrs. Lucina sent as she and Feya descended. She focused on Hagane. “We could use backup.”

“I know. You have seraphim incoming.”

Mrs. Lucina turned and motioned to Feya. Fiery seraphim flew for them. Her halo burned bright. Light flashed across the sky. Fire answered.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

“There’s a group of aos sithe and houri between Leo and the library,” Hagane said in Alizee’s mind as she soared through the sky

“On it!” Alizee answered, so excited to beat the enemy. She was so furious over Halia’s death. She would make sure they won. “Let’s go, team! For Halia! Woot!”

“For Halia!” shouted the hippogriffs and the griffins. They had lost one of the hippogriffs, Rajaliya, but she still had Asvaya and Tarkiyusis. Plus both griffins, Simhaya and Manna. Paetu flew with them.

Alizee spotted the group of light monster girls between a building that was shaped out of a large, rounded stump and a fenced-off garden. The sylph pointed at them. The two griffins streaked forward in a blur and crashed into the aos sithe, ripping through them with their claws.

One blinked out of the way of the second attack. The houri turned and threw out blades of light with deadly precision. Both griffins were cut down in bursts of light before Alizee and her hippogriffs could attack.

The sylph slashed her arms before her. Blades of wind hurtled down at the dancing beauties. A hail of turquoise fathers rained down on them, too. Alizee’s blade took off one houri’s head. Another fell to the ground, riddled with darts.

Paetu became a whirlwind that knocked aside a blade of light, throwing it into a building. Alizee swept out another scythe of air, stopping the houri from escaping. She was swept up in the djinn’s tornado and thrown hard into a building. An aos si blinked onto a roof.

The hippogriffs pounced on her and tore her apart.

Paetu’s tornado fell apart, the street now clear for Leo’s team.

“The way is clear!” Alizee answered, keeping up her spirits. She had to stay chipper and positive and keep everyone fighting despite the pain of Halia’s death.

“Meet up with Lana Fulmine’s group,” Hagane ordered.

“Right, coach!” Alizee said and motioned to her team.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nina Naughty threw a pitchfork of fire that struck a cherub in the back. The lightning angel screamed in pain as her flight of monster girls descended on Leo’s party battling it in the streets. The hydra spat poison at a group of animated armors. The jotunn smashed her hammer into one, flattening it.

Fireballs from the two seraphim and Vida, the lone surviving phoenix, slammed into the cherubim as they broke apart. Another one burst into flames. The other three spun about. Their lightning wings crackled. And fired blasts of lightning at Nina Naughty and her flight.

She dodged beneath the lightning and threw another pitchfork, taking a cherub in the throat. The enemy monster girl fell to the ground and vanished. Motes burst off to Nina’s right as Ciela, one of the seraphim, died.

Nina Naughty soared for the cherubim with Ala at her side. The surviving seraph threw a ball of fire, roasting a cherub. The devil’s pitchfork struck a blast of lightning, the two attacks bursting in the air and obscuring the enemy.

The porn star flew through the chaos and slammed a pitchfork into the surprised cherub on the other side. The impact hurtled both of them to the ground. Nina slammed her enemy into a roof, standing on her belly. She burst into sparks as Nina jumped back into the air.

“Watch out!” Vida cried.

Nina flapped her wings hard. A blast of lightning just missed her. She spun about in the air and threw a pitchfork. It took the cherub in the face. Nina laughed, taking delight in killing the enemy monster girls. Halia was dead, and it was Fuegin’s fault even if he didn’t slay her.

Lightning sizzled from the last surviving cherub, killing Vida. The last phoenix in the flight died. Nina formed her pitchfork, but Ala’s blast of fire consumed the enemy cherub. She burned bright for a moment before she became glitter, sent back to Fuegin’s Void.

Nina Naughty smiled. The director rushed toward the front of the library held by the angel-MILF’s forces.

“Leo, you—”

Pain burst in Nina Naughty’s back. She exploded in motes and found herself in a gray room, a prison with a lot of other monster girls. Vida glanced at her as Nina snarled. She had no idea what had just killed her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Leo, you—” Nina started to say. She died.

Damn.

But I was here. The entrance to the library guarded by Mrs. Lucina, Feya, the aos sithe, and the houri. They stood poised, not to keep people out, but to keep people in. They stared at the doors with concern. It wasn’t the real entrance to the library, but the wall that surrounded the library and cut it off from the rest of the world.

It wasn’t fully enclosed, of course. Then it would be in Fuegin’s dungeon.

“Leo,” Mrs. Lucina said, smiling at me. “This isn’t a good idea.”

“It’s the best idea,” I said and marched up to the entrance.

“We need to get everyone down here to have a chance of invading the dungeon,” Feya said.
“There’s not much left,” I said. “And we’re not invading.”

“What?” Maya gasped.

“Then what are we doing here, big bro?” my little sister asked, her red wings folded around her.

I reached the entrance to the dungeon and made sure my sleeve covered the bracer. Since I could still communicate telepathically, I had a feeling this would work. I opened myself up to Fuegin’s dungeon, in its territory.

“Fuegin,” I projected to his dungeon, “I swear by my Void Crystal that I, Leo Baldwin, and my vassals, Maya and Garnet, shall not harm you or yours. I ask leave to enter your dungeon and be granted safe passage to your presence.”

“My, my, this is interesting,” Fuegin answered.

I waited. This was a massive gamble, but it had to work. I was risking everything on who I thought Fuegin to be.

“I am intrigued, Leo. I swear by my Void Crystal that you shall have safe passage to me and be allowed to leave unmolested so long as you do nothing to threaten or harm myself or my vassals.”

The doors opened. Amante stood on the other side. My monster girls gasped. I raised my hands, stopping them. Then I held out my arms. “Maya, Garnet, shall we.”

“Big bro,” my little sister gasped, taking one arm.

“I can’t wait to speak to Fuegin,” Maya said with a calm smile on her lips as she took my arm. Mentally, she hissed, “What is this dumb plan?”

“Leo,” Amante said, glancing at me. “You look… shaken.”

We passed lots of monster girls. He isn’t sending out his forces. He’s waiting.

“Not shaken.” The numbness hadn’t left me. I felt so hollow. “The elves killed Halia.”

“Oh.” Amante looked away. The glowing cracks across her black body grew muted, their light almost fading. “I’m sorry. I know she was close to you.”

I nodded.

She led us into the dungeon and down a hallway into the stairs. A lot of monster girls were staged in the passageway, ready to pour out. It was interesting that he hadn’t sent them out. It gave me hope that this would work.

We reached a meeting room. A table with seats, three on one side, two on the other. Amante motioned us to sit. We took the three chairs as she sat across from us. She folded her hands together, smiling at us.

“He’ll be here shortly,” she said. “He’s in his Vault. Lots of Monster Girls are dying since our forces are… tangling.”

I nodded. I fought to control his breathing. The next few minutes would decide so much.

Chapter Forty

Fuegin entered the room, a weary smile on his bronze face. He didn’t have on his cloak of burning flames. He marched across the room. I rose and extended my hand across the table. Fuegin grasped and shook.

“Well, this is interesting,” said Fuegin. “Not the response that I expected. I doubt you’re here to demand that I surrender the city, or… Are you really going to do that? Do you have the strength to drive me out and hold it?”

I sat back down and said, “I want Fara returned to me, and I want to cease fire.”

Fuegin’s brow narrowed. “My wife informed me your lover Halia is dead. The elves killed her?”

“I made the mistake of going to them thinking they would be my ally,” I said bluntly. “They betrayed me. She died to protect me.”

“Ah.” Fuegin stared at me with such piercing eyes. His hands folded tight before him. His eyes flicked me up and down. “You have figured it out, haven’t you?”

I nodded.

“How?” The greed in his eyes gave me hope.

“I want Fara returned to me along with her parents. They are also held in the library.”

“And you’ll tell me what you have learned?” asked Fuegin.

I nodded. “It’s the only way you’ll ever find out. Fara is prepared to kill herself to prevent you from getting the answers.”

“And if I kill you, she’ll die,” Fuegin said. “And none of your monster girls will join my forces. They would rather stay with you in your underworld palace and serve you in the boredom of the afterlife.”

Was that true? Was Halia waiting for me in the afterlife? No, no, she wasn’t bound to me like that. She was off to whatever paradise awaited the people of this world.

“But if I don’t kill you, and you’re the one who solves this and protects the Incarnation, what does that mean for me?” asked Fuegin.

“I have no idea what happens when we protect her,” I admitted. “But I am down the path now.”

“Why, it’s the end of the game, isn’t it? One of us will triumph, the others will be brought low.”

“This isn’t Highlander,” I said.

“Highlander?” Fuegin asked, his brow furrowing.

“Sorry, I guess the 80s are after your time on our world,” I said. “A movie. It doesn’t matter. I don’t know if there can only be one, but she brought us to protect her. To defend her. And what have we done for thousands of years? Warred with each other and failed her over and over again. If you hadn’t cooperated with me, I never would have even started looking. I never would have found out what I had. We can keep working together, or we can destroy each other.”

“And let you get the glory?”

“As I said, I’ve already begun the process.” I stared at him with all the confidence I had. “You can’t take it from me.”

“Why not?”

“Once Fara and her parents are safely in my dungeon, I will divulge what I am doing.”

Fuegin stared at me. I could see the hunger in his eyes. The calculation. This was the gamble. He wanted what I knew, and he couldn’t get it by killing me. Everything that I knew would die with me. I had no idea what would happen to the goddesses I claimed already. Would they be bound in new swords? Set free? Become Fuegin’s?

He didn’t know that, though. He wanted it so badly. It burned in his eyes.

“Done,” Fuegin said. “I swear on my Void Crystal that I shall order my forces to cease fighting for the day if you do the same.”

“I swear on my Void Crystal that I shall order my forces to cease fighting for the day if you do the same,” I said, the power tingling over me. I concentrated on all my surviving monster girls, “Stop fighting Fuegin’s forces now! We have a cease-fire!”

“Understood,” Hagane said. “Fuegin’s forces are ceasing. As are we.”

“I am having Fara and her parents escorted out now,” Fuegin said.

“Mrs. Lucina, Fara, and her parents will be leaving the dungeon. Escort them to the nearest entrance. Hagza or Kassie, meet them there and teleport them to Astovin.”

“Will do,” Mrs. Lucina said.

“We’ll get them there,” said Kassie.

“Fara, are you being escorted out of the library with your parents?” I sent.

“Yes, Lord Leo, by the werefox. She is leading us out. You have negotiated with Fuegin?”

“I told you I would save you.”

“Indeed.”

I stared at Fuegin. My little sister fidgeted. Maya was calm as was the cherfu. Fuegin studied me. He leaned back in his chair as we waited. My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for word from my angel.

“I’m escorting Fara back,” Mrs. Lucina reported.

“Let me know when they’re in the dungeon,” I said and smiled to Fuegin. “As soon as they are safely in my territory, we can talk.”

“Of course,” said Fuegin. He sighed. “I am sorry about Halia. I know she hated me, but…”

“Her father tried to kill you,” I said. “She… understood.” I wanted this to work out. I knew Fuegin was right now plotting on betraying me down the road, but maybe we could forge a true friendship if we had the time to work together. If he could just see that there was a benefit in having an alliance, then we didn’t have to fight.

There was no reason we all couldn’t benefit from protecting the Incarnation together.

Time stretched and on until Fara sent, “Kassie is teleporting my parents and myself to Astovin. We are safe.”

“We need the Blessed Swords to protect the Incarnation,” I said.

Fuegin stared at me in shock before his brow furrowed. “But they’re all lost. All but Halia’s, and she just died. Which means that her sword has teleported away. I saw that with her father. That blade that nearly killed me vanished from his hands. It did the same with Halia, right? I know she doesn’t have a child. Or does she? No, no, she cannot have had your child. You haven’t been here that long.”

“She has no child,” I said. “And the swords are not lost. I recovered the Blessed Sword of Water from Myrecilla. From the Temple of Water. As for Halia’s blade, I destroyed it as I did with the Blessed Blade of Water.” This was the lie I chose. The blades were not destroyed but in the slots. “By doing that, I freed the trapped Goddess inside. I’ve claimed Lady Sherida and Lady Ninli. To save the Incarnation, I must claim all the Goddesses”

Fuegin stared at me in shock. “They are the enemy of the Incarnations!”

I shook my head. “Only the Gods. The Lords. You see, the Gods were afraid that their Goddesses would side with the Incarnation, Queen Puabi. That’s her real name, by the way. So the Lords bound their wives in Blessed Blades. They’re the key. That’s why the swords disappear when the hero wielding one is killed. To keep us builders from getting our hands on them. We need the Ladies’ help to protect the Incarnation.”

“That’s why you defended Myrecilla,” said Fuegin. A smile spread on his lips. “Yes, yes, that makes sense that the Blessed Blade of Water would be in a city famed for its connection to Lord Enki and Lady Ninli.”

“The sword was just a bonus. I liberated that city from a disgusting despot who was butchering the men so he could turn all the women into his breeding stock.” My hands clenched tight into fists. “I would not be sitting down with Tuerien like I am with you.”

Fuegin nodded. “I have done some regrettable things in my youth, but that…”

I nodded and continued, “Each of the remaining Blessed Blades is held in a different temple around the world. Fara came here to research where these temples may be found. Some of them are in your territory. Some way outside mine. I don’t have the details of what she learned here on me, but if you agree to an alliance, I swear I’ll share them with you on my Void Crystal.”

The air tingled around me.

“If we gather the swords then, together, we can save the Incarnation.”

Fuegin nods slowly. “An alliance… You want to continue our friendship.”

“Why not?” I smiled. “You didn’t attack me. It was just bad luck that Fara was here when you seized the Library. I only wanted to get her back. I saw how you treated the elves. You aren’t cruel to them. You’re not executing them. You have a soft touch, but the elves…”

The anger burned in me. I wanted to set fire to the entire town and butcher their miserable race.

The fury frightened me. I took a deep breath. “I am not their savior. They rejected me. I should have just come to you from the beginning. So, do we ally ourselves, or do we resume trying to kill each other?”

Fuegin smiled. His eyes flicked to my wrist. “You’re bound, aren’t you?”

My blood ran cold.

“Yes, the elves put that sealing bracer on you.” Fuegin nodded. “I can see it peeking out of your sleeve.” He threw back his head and laughed, slapping his hand down on the table.

Sweat beaded on my forehead.

“You just walked across this city unable to use your magic. Unable to fight. You can’t manipulate your dungeon, either. When you walk out of here, I could just overwhelm you and kill you. No, I can capture you.”

“I have bound the Goddesses,” I said, giving him a flat look. “I’ve started it. I’m the only one that can finish this now. Killing me only ensures that we will never save the Incarnation.”

“Is that the truth?” he asked.

“I swear on my Void Crystal,” I said, speaking very carefully, “that if you kill me, we will never save the Incarnation.”

My vow tingled over me. It was true. If he killed me, how could we do anything?

“Then I offer you an alliance,” Fuegin said and reached across the table. “I shall aid you in finding the Blessed Blades and protecting the Incarnation.”

“You’re not swearing on your Void Crystal,” I said.

“You don’t want that any more than I do,” said Fuegin. “That’s the sort of vow that could haunt you.”

I smiled. “True. I saw what happens if it’s broken.” I stared at his hand. I would have liked the vow, but I would take anything right now. “You have changed from the man they whisper horror stories about, Fuegin. I want to end the cycle of grief that befalls this world. I want your help. This is the only way things chang.”

I took his hand.

Fuegin snorted as we shook on our alliance. “I must have changed, Leo. You know, I was planning on killing you. On conquering my way to you and destroying you, but… I like you. I really do. You have panache.” He chuckled. “Walking through a war zone, fighting enemy monster girls, with nothing but a sword. Damn, you have balls.”

I nodded. I liked Fuegin, too. If we could avoid going to war, but… I didn’t think it would happen. All I had done was postpone our conflict. Bought me the time to grow stronger. I hated thinking it would come to that. Maybe…

I could not be that naïve. I would hope for our partnership and plan for the betrayal.

I rose and paused. “Oh, one more thing, an ancient dragon has been enchanted by the Gods to guard each city that possesses a sword. The dragon is in hiding and under control of the city’s leader. That is why Agubnamus was with the King Thanitis’s forces.”

“Interesting,” said Fuegin. “That was a startling moment when I watched your fight and she appeared.” He moved around the table. “Let me do something for you since your monster girls and, I presume, your non-monster girl vassals, cannot remove it.”

I was surprised. I held out my arm. “Thank you. It’s… frustrating.”

“How did they even get this on you?” Fuegin asked as he pushed up my robe and pressed on the glyph.

It came free.

He would think I was a trusting fool, and I was. “I agreed to wear it to put them at ease. They were afraid I would use Siren Wail on them.”

Fuegin smiled and handed me back the bracer. “I hope our alliance is long and profitable. Let’s save the Incarnation.”

I nodded to him. He thought I was a trusting fool. Good. I would be ready if he betrayed me. It was hard to trust, though. Hard to think he wasn’t scheming against me after Halia. They took her from me. I just wanted to be their friend.

I just wanted to save their people.

The fire burned in me as I turned and marched away, Garnet and Maya scrambling to catch up to me. I could feel them both were confused. They had questions, but they held off before Fuegin. I slipped the bracer into my robe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fuegin smiled. He did like the kid.

“You’re really doing this,” Amante said. His wife stared at him. “I thought we were destroying him.”

He shrugged. “If I don’t have to destroy him. Maybe he’s right. Maybe he is the only one that can do it now. Better to get a piece of the pie than lose it all.”

“He’s lying about that.” Amante stared down the hallway. “He held something back. Something big.”

“I know.” He motioned for his wife to follow him. She had been with him from the beginning, burning cities with that fiery passion. She had always loved to fight. Well, when she was younger. They had some explosive fights in their small apartment in Havana.

He led her down into the dungeon, passing hordes of monster girls. He had not sent out his reinforcements into the city because he didn’t want Leo to sneak any monster girls in here. He had rooms above, below, and to the sides full of monster girls who could fight wraiths and ghosts.

He needed his Vault close at hand.

He entered through the door, the Void Crystal humming. The Soul smiled at him. He nodded to her and moved to a lectern with a journal on it. He had been reading through it, but hadn’t gotten far when the attack started.

“Fara burned her journal,” Fuegin said and shrugged. “But…”

“Restore the Destroyed,” whispered Amante.

An Ultimate Tier Life ritual that could repair anything broken.

Fuegin turned to the next page. “Let’s find out what he’s hiding. I’ll work with him, but only one of us can win. I want it to be us.”

“You fear only one builder can be left alive.”

“Leo believes that’s not the case. He truly thinks he can share power, it is why he has recruited Siwang and Munjan. Neither of those two realizes it, too. If Leo succeeds, they will be killed like you and I.” Fuegin smiled. “You have to admire him. Leo. I really wish it could be him, but…” He cupped Amante’s cheek, stroking one of the fissures across her cheek that gave such character to her beauty. “I can’t lose what I love, either.”

Chapter Forty-One

The next day, Leo and the others gathered at a stone coffin in the heart of his dungeon. He would move this off his Vault once the funeral was over. Today, it was in a much larger room. One that could hold so many. All his monster girls that could be spared from guard duty, his companions, his servants, the adventurers, King Thanitis, Knight General Arthemar, Mayor Bevlin, and the citizens of Astovin.

All had come to pay respect to Halia Vobria, Daughter of Anguin, Heroine of Light.

She lay in the coffin, Stormlight resting on her body. She held the blade in death, the pommel between her breasts. He had made it for her, and though it had kept him alive in the fighting, it was only fitting it should be buried with her. His hands shook.

He had Ultimate Magic, and there was no ritual to restore the dead. Life did not hold a resurrection spell or ritual. It had one called Restore the Damaged, all that did was mend the burns to her flesh and regrow her hair. Halia had regained her beauty.

Cold. Sterile.

One by one, the monster girls, adventurers, the king, the general, and more came up to the coffin and paid their respects. Some placed flowers into her coffin. Garnet wept. The adventurers and the knight-general saluted. Maya kissed her brow. His mother placed a beautiful bouquet of white roses beside Halia’s head.

Each said their goodbyes in their own way.

Vilkas nodded. Nina shook her head. Mrs. Lucina kissed her brow. Alizee and Morana wept, clutching to each other. Hagane folded her hands before her and bowed like she was at a shrine. Terra looked like she would weep if she could. Ms. Trueno sang a soft song. They came one by one. The villagers wept and placed more flowers around her until she was covered in them. Their perfume filled the air. Siwang whispered his goodbye while his fiancee placed a red flower with the others. Munjan stood with his monster girls and gave me a commiserating look.

He understood.

He loved his monster girls. His cheerleader squad.

Lastly, I stood over her, everyone seated, watching.

I had to speak.

My eyes burned with tears.

“Halia…” I cleared my throat. “Halia, I really don’t know what to say. You were a noble heroine who lived up to your ideals. You wanted to make the world a better place. I believe in that dream. I desired a world where builders could live in peace with humans, elves, dwarves, and halflings. A world where we all could prosper. The Gods have turned this world into a battlefield, unable to let Puabi be in peace.”

I stared out at them all.

“I vow to you, Halia, that we shall make that peace in your name.” I thrust my fist into the air. “We shall liberate the cycle of pain and grief and chaos that grips this world for Halia!”

“FOR HALIA!”

The shouts echoed through the air.

I stared down at her, the tears almost coming. I leaned over and kissed her brow like the others. “Rest in peace, Halia Vobria, Daughter of Anguin, Paladin of Light. May you dream of happy days and be surrounded by those who love you.”

To my surprise, she started to glow. A light engulfed her body and faded. It was like… Lady Sherida had blessed her body, preserving her. She would forever be sleeping here in death, lying in the peace of the grave.

I would do it. I would save this world for Halia. I had so much work to do. Swords to gather. Shrines to find. It would be months of work ahead of me. A challenge as I had to uncover them all and deal with the threat of Fuegin.

No, I had to hope. For Halia. Even she had agreed to work with him.

I stared down at her body for a long time as the guests filed out. Maya hugged me. So did Garnet. My mother and the other companions stayed around me. So did Kassie, Hagza, and Fara. The adventurers maintained their vigil with us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Auniasiiriliiania embraced her lover, Therodin. They stood in the entrance of their puppet builder’s dungeon.

“Travel safe,” whispered Therodin.

“I will,” she said. Auniasiiriliiania had a long march ahead of her. Months of travel through dangerous lands to reach her grandfather, the Great Sage of the Great Library of Lyrialiasa. He had to know what they found. This Shrine of Fire.

Something had to be done about it. This was a mystery that might finally destroy the builders.

Auniasiiriliiania broke away from her lover. She had been with Therodin since they founded the Company a decade ago. It was a short time for an elf, and yet he had made it feel so wonderfully long and happy despite the dangers.

Already, her heart ached to be parted with him.

A group of hellhounds loped with her as she marched out into the wilderness. They could move with stealth, but it was a risk bringing them. Just like it was a risk for her to travel alone despite her skill with magic.

She had no choice but to visit her grandfather. This discovery would change everything. She had to share it with the elves and with the Great Library of Lyrialiasa. Therodin and the Company would be fine. Barany grew stronger with the builders they fed him.

Soon, he would be up to his first challenge. Wai the Drowner. The powerful dungeon builder in the south-eastern reaches of the world where they were at. With his death, would come even more power for Barany.

He would have the strength to challenge Tuerien Ironbane or Leo the False. Maybe even the Razer of Kelias himself. Fuegin. Hope beat in Auniasiiriliiania’s breast as she walked across the landscape with the hellhounds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lady Sherida led Halia through the light.

“Where are we going?” Halia asked her Goddess.

“I am sorry that you cannot rest yet,” said Lady Sherida. “Death has ever been the conduit between worlds.”

“Worlds?” asked Halia.

Suddenly, the light ended. She gasped and stood on legs that wobbled. She fell forward naked onto grass. It was cut short and tickled her bare body. She rolled over onto her back and stared up at a blue sky.

“Holy shit!” a familiar voice shouted.

Hope surged through her.

She sat up to see Lord Leo rushing up to her. Only, he looked more boyish. Younger, somehow, and not as strong. Scrawnier. He looked at her with the same innocence he had when he had first captured her all those many months ago.

“My Lord,” she said as he stood over her. She reached out and cupped his face.

“Why is there a naked girl here?” asked another familiar voice. Garnet’s. Only…

This Garnet wasn’t a succubus. She had no ruby eyes or red wings. She was human and clothed, her body petite. And moving up beside her was… Maya. It was her, though she wasn’t made of water but of flesh, her face freckled and brown hair spilling around her face.

Understanding snapped into Halia’s mind. The paladin shifted to kneel and said, “I’m here to serve you, Lord Leo,” Halia said, knowing she had died for him. Now she had found her way to that other him. The world spun as he took her hand. She felt so light-headed. This body was so weak. “I love you, my Lord.”

He stared at her in shock as darkness crashed down on her. She fell into sleep with a smile on her lips knowing she was safe and sound.

Click here for Book 9, Part 1.

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