Their return to Rhas’s world was uneventful, though Zogrusz stayed on edge for much of the journey. He half-expected another ambush by those robed wraiths, despite Origenius’s assurances that the creatures would bide their time and wait until he was no longer under their protection. Anecoya had offered to transport the stone warrior on her back, but Origenius had declined the offer, claiming that he was far heavier than he might appear. Instead, he had displayed his telekinetic control over rock once more by ripping away the chunk of asteroid he stood upon and then compelling it to follow the Phoenix and the Eldritch Horror as they flew home through the frozen dark.

As they neared the world, Anecoya made to lead them towards the southern continent where she nested, but Zogrusz extended a mental tendril into her mind.

No. We should return to my mountain>

Why? I’m starving and all I’ve been thinking about are the sea wyrms I caught just before Qala summoned me>

We should stay together, I think. At least until we’re sure those Desiccated are not going to return. And Qala is back in my cavern. She’ll want to know what happened>

Anecoya gave a mental sigh of resignation. Fine. But why did you leave her there?>

I couldn’t think of anywhere safer> he told her. For if . . . if . . .>

If we failed> Anecoya finished for him bitterly. Which you think we will when that Reaper finally decides to show up. You’ve half given up already>

I haven’t> he replied forcefully, trying his best to convince her by letting her feel the emotion woven into this statement. I will sacrifice myself for this world if need be. But as I told you, I’ve felt the power of my kin before . . . I have no illusion about our chances>

He could sense Anecoya’s annoyance leeching across their link as she dove into the clouds shrouding their world. Well, at least it seems we have one more ally in the fight>

It would appear so> Zogrusz granted, twisting his head around to glance at the stone warrior in his quartz armor. He looked rather dashing, with his head held high and chest thrust out as his shard of rock hurtled after the Phoenix, wisps of dust glimmering in its wake.

They descended and alighted on his mountain near the collapsed entrance to his home. As usual, he felt a pang of sadness gazing at the ruin of his hard work, and he wondered if Anecoya had any guilt at all about what she had done.

Highly unlikely, knowing her.

A crunching thump reverberated as Origenius brought his rock down on the slope hard enough that for a moment Zogrusz feared the stone man might have started an avalanche. Anecoya twisted around to stare at him with thinned lips, but apparently Origenius was oblivious to her annoyance, as he moved past them with his attention fixed on the craggy peak clawing at the sky.

“By Terrax’s glittering geodes! Is this truly thy home, friend Zogrusz?”

Yes, I dwell within.”

Origenius put his hands on his hips, his expression evoking something like satisfaction. “Thou hast chosen well,” he said, crouching down to place his palm flat on the ground. The light in his faceted yellow eyes faded and he seemed to be momentarily transported elsewhere. “The hallowed bones of this grandfather are strong, reaching deep into the earth. I would be grateful to shelter under his arms.” Origenius’s eyes brightened again as he stood, fixed on the destroyed entrance. “Yet what hast befell here?”

“Ah,” Zogrusz said, swiveling to face Anecoya. “Someone made a rather large mess.”

Origenius picked his way over the scree to inspect the shattered masonry and broken statues. “Indeed,” he said sadly, shaking his head. “They hath defaced this proud elder with gaudy ornamentation.” He reached down and scooped up the half-obliterated graven head of an Eldritch Horror. “At least there was an attempt to destroy this travesty. Was that thou, friend Zogrusz? Didst thou try and restore this mountain to its former glory?”

Laughter burst from Anecoya, and it looked like she had to put her hands on her waist to keep from doubling over. Zogrusz tried to avoid glancing at her as he strode stiffly towards the passage leading into the mountain’s depths, his mouth tendrils writhing in annoyance.

“Friend Zogrusz, is something the matter?”

***

“Zog!”

Qala’s excited shriek rebounded off the walls as he entered his cavern. She jumped up from where she had been sprawled on his throne, then with some effort lowered herself from the seat of the chair and onto the topmost tier of his ziggurat. He couldn’t help but wonder how she had managed to climb up in the first place, given that the base of the throne was higher than she was tall.

Over near his fish pond, Rhas uncurled from where he had been sleeping atop one of the benches, then stretched languidly before leaping down with the easy grace peculiar to cats.

“It’s good to see you,” he said as he padded over to Zogrusz. “I was quite worried when Qala told me about our visitor.”

“You’re not dead!” the little girl shouted as she careened down the steps with reckless abandon. Zogrusz winced, half-expecting her to lose her balance and bounce the rest of the way. “Did you kill the Reaper? Was it dangerous?” She skidded to a halt when she reached the bottom, her eyes widening. “Wait – you brought it back! It’s here, it’s coming! And it’s . . . not an Eldritch Horror. What an interesting mind! It feels like . . .” Her face twisted like she had just tasted something bitter. “It feels hard as iron!”

“Stone, actually,” Zogrusz said, then gave a surprised grunt as the girl wrapped her arms around his scaled leg.

She turned her face to look up at him, grinning impishly. “Did you bring me back a present?”

“What? A present?”

“Annie,” Rhas said in relief as the Phoenix entered his cavern. “You’re all right.”

“Of course I’m all right,” Anecoya said, then with a wave of her hand summoned a roiling ball of golden light. “I don’t know how you all can stand this darkness,” she muttered as it floated up to hover just below the mosaic covering the arched ceiling, drenching the cavern with a soft radiance.

“What entered my system?” the cat asked, his tail flicking in obvious agitation. “Is it a threat?”

“Rhas . . .” Zogrusz said as he heard a heavy tread approaching. “I’d like you to meet Origenius.”

Qala gasped as the huge stone man suddenly filled the entrance to the cavern, stooping slightly so that the hilt of his greatsword would not scrape against the top of the doorway. “Oh, wow! Are you really made of rock?” she cried.

Origenius took a few more steps into the cavern and then dropped to one knee, his head bowed. “Greetings and well met. Any friends of mine saviors are also mine friends.”

Rhas circled the motionless stone man warily. “Are you a golem? Something created and then given the spark of life?”

“Nay, world spirit,” Origenius rumbled. “I come from an ancient and vanished people.”

“I know why your mind is so different!” Qala suddenly yelled, clapping her hands together. “I can feel that it’s not tissue, but instead some kind of crystal! Oh, it’s beautiful!”

Origenius’s jeweled eyes focused on her with what looked to Zogrusz like respect. “Indeed, inside mine head is an element called silicon. Tis one of the few substances in the cosmos that can conduct thought, much like the fleshy ball in thy pate.”

Qala giggled. “You talk funny. Is it because you’ve got crystal between your ears?”

“Nay, little princess,” Origenius said, finally straightening as his gaze swept the cavern.

“He said I’m a princess!” Qala cried delightedly.

“What else could thou be, since we find thou in the company of this world’s spirit . . .” Origenius’s words trailed away, and Zogrusz noticed that he was staring intently at the scenes carved into the walls, his fissure of a mouth slightly parted.

He almost looked aghast.

“Friend Zogrusz, who hath mutilated this beautiful realm with such crass imagery?”

Anecoya guffawed again, even louder than when they’d been outside.

“All right, that’s enough,” Zogrusz said, sighing deeply. “Origenius, there’s something you have to know.”

***

He was contrite when told that it was Zogrusz who had carved the rock of this cavern, his face darkening with embarrassment. Anecoya kept chuckling through his stammered apologies, which annoyed Zogrusz even further, but in the end he simply waved away the stone man’s words.

“It’s not important,” Zogrusz said simply. “We have other things we must talk about.”

And so they did. Rhas introduced himself and his world, describing how the other cosmic beings had found themselves on the planet and then the looming threat of the Reaper.

Origenius’s gleaming eyes flickered at this, and he expressed his surprise over their belief that Anecoya and Zogrusz would be unable on their own to defeat the Eldritch Horror who was drawing ever-closer. He was apparently still very much impressed with how easily they had defeated the Desiccated.

“About that,” Anecoya interjected before Rhas could respond. “This world does now have three powerful defenders – are we so sure this Reaper is still beyond our capabilities?”

“Four,” Qala piped up, thrusting her hand out with that number of fingers aggressively displayed.

Anecoya pursed her lips, and Zogrusz suspected she had just stopped herself from rolling her eyes. “You’re just a fledgling.”

Qala scowled. “I can help! I can do a lot of things!”

“And she can,” Rhas said hurriedly, as if afraid the Phoenix’s doubt would tip the little girl over into a full-blown tantrum. “However, I think we must hesitate before counting Origenius here as an ally. I do not mean to insult you, good sir, but how do we know we can trust you? To stand against a Reaper is no small thing.”

Origenius drew himself up taller, but it was Qala who answered first. “He will fight with us,” she said confidently.

All eyes turned to her, but her certainty did not wilt under their attention. “I saw it in his mind. He considers the oath he swore to be worth his life, if it comes to that.”

“I thought you said his mind was hard to read?” Zogrusz asked, to which Qala responded with a sly smile.

“It was pretty hard, but I figured it out. He’s an open book to me now, just like the rest of you.”

Origenius reached up to tap his stony brow. “Are thou truly in hither, little princess?” he asked, his rocky features knitting together in concern.

“Yup!” she cried. “But don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone what else I found in there.”

“Ah . . . mine thanks,” the stone man said haltingly, lowering his hand.

“I believe Qala,” Rhas said, dipping his head in the direction of the girl. “And so now I do have confidence in our new ally. But that is not all I wanted to say at this moment.”

Zogrusz frowned, surprised by the sudden change in Rhas’s tone. He noticed Anecoya shifting uncomfortably – she had also caught it.

The cat sat back on his haunches, lifting his head high. His golden eyes met each of their waiting gazes in turn, lingering longest on Anecoya. “You should leave,” he declared solemnly. “All of you.”

Anecoya snorted, folding her arms across her chest.

“You cannot understand how much I appreciate your loyalty,” Rhas continued, ignoring her interruption. “Never could I imagine that I would have friends like you, willing to lay down your lives for me and my world. And I care for you like family and dearest friends. Annie . . . you have been my daughter since you emerged from your egg. And Zog . . . it warmed my heart to see how much you appreciate my people. You are more human than many of the mortals that inhabit this world. But now . . . now you must go. You must return to the stars where you belong. There is no reason for you to sacrifice yourselves here, to take some meaningless stand when the outcome is near certain. If I know that you are out there, that the memory of my world persists somewhere in the cosmos . . . I can hold tight to that knowledge when the destroyer finally comes.”

Rhas fell silent, the only sound in the cavern the clicking of insects as they scurried along the walls. Then Anecoya strode forward and crouched beside the world mind, who now looked far more tired than a few moments ago.

“I will never abandon you,” she said simply, reaching down to scratch affectionately behind the cat’s ears. “Father.”

Rhas’s head jerked up as she said this. “But, Annie –”

“Enough, I will stay,” she said sharply, glancing over at Zogrusz. “And you?”

“Of course,” he said, a little hoarsely. He gestured towards Qala and Origenius. “But this is not their fight. Perhaps it is best if they flee while there is still a chance.”

Origenius’s hand went to the hilt protruding over his shoulder. “I swore on mine sword that I would repay the debt owed. I would not deserve to wield this blade if I proved myself so craven.”

“And I’m not leaving, either,” Qala said matter-of-factly, sticking out her tongue at them. “And none of you can make me.”

Rhas lowered his head, his body sagging. Zogrusz couldn’t tell if the cat felt relief or sadness – likely a little of both, he decided.

“Never has a world been luckier,” he finally murmured.

“Take heart,” Anecoya commanded, scooping up the cat and giving him an affectionate squeeze. “So long as we live, there is hope. We shall defeat this monster, I promise you.”