Dread coursed through Rouya’s body as she stared at Evelyn. Up until a few minutes ago, she’d belonged to her and could trust upon her unwavering loyalty but now the tables turned on her and she was left without a single maiden. A part of her still wanted to believe that Evelyn could look past her current master and recognize her for who she was.

All around Kyrarae homes and buildings were collapsing to the fire and the spreading cataclysm. She wondered what in the pillars could possibly have caused such destruction and, more importantly, when it would stop?

The ground stirred beneath her feet as another tremor shook through the city. Rouya reached out with her right hand, taking in magic and drawing up the spell to bring Mah to her. The return spell failed, shattering into a spray of blue dust before her. Rouya furrowed her brow in confusion. She sent Mah to get help from the Mage’s Guild and a return spell would bring Mah back to her. Which meant that something happened to her.

“It looks you're all alone little princess,” Markus said, stepping away. He straightened his jacket and brushed off the dust from the fortress. “Enough dallying, finish her!”

Evelyn turned away from her master and faced Rouya, glassy eyes reflecting in the firelight. “Please run. Get out of here.”

“I’m not going to leave you behind,” Rouya said, sliding her foot to the side as she took on a defensive stance with her scythe. She began twirling the scythe in front of her in a figure eight, steadily increasing her speed. “Let’s play a game of truth.”

Evelyn smiled and raised her glaive. She kicked off and hurled herself forward at a lightning pace Rouya could hardly track. A blur appeared to her side, and she quickly stepped back, readjusting her swing to cover her left. The scythe caught the blade and deflected the attack but Evelyn pivoted on her toes, sweeping around and whacking Rouya in the gut with the pole.

Rouya felt the air rush out of her lungs with the blow knocking her back several feet. She winced and shook her head to clear her mind as he focused on the maiden wandering around her. “I understand what you have to do and it doesn’t change what I feel for you.”

The maiden froze and clenched her jaw. Apparently Rouya’s words still managed to get through to her. She cast her gaze to the ground and gripped the glaive with both hands as she charged forward anew.

Rouya cast all her training aside and went on the offensive as well. She struck with an overhead blow but Evelyn caught the blade with the pole and with a twist knocked the scythe out of Rouya’s hands. It skidded along the grass where the blade snapped off and left Rouya unarmed.

“Don’t cry, little princess,” Markus said as he kicked the remnants of the scythe further away. “You’ll be reunited with your family soon enough. To give your soul some peace, let me just tell you that it was me who killed him. I did what was necessary.”

“You’re nothing but a cowardly murderer. You knew you couldn’t beat my father.”

The whining of horses drew their attention to the sky where a chariot rode. Ahzi, Attia and Vida were aboard, with Attia dropping down and drawing her twin swords.

“Don’t think we’re letting you off that easily,” Attia said and raced towards Markus. Evelyn jumped away from Rouya and into Attia’s path, blocking her sword with the glaive. “Ugh, you just keep getting in my way, don’t you?”

With everyone’s attention drawn away from Rouya, she saw her moment to escape but also the glint of metal in the grass. The broken tip of her scythe still laid beside Markus. A shot by Ahzi drew Markus further away from the fragment and Rouya began to creep up to it.

Adelaxia appeared from a portal and beckoned to her husband, shouting over the fighting, “Come now Markus. Take what we got and let’s leave this place. Can’t you see what’s happening?”

Markus turned away from Adelaxia and drew up a summoning spell, bringing out Cemri and Tessia as well. “It ends tonight for tomorrow I shall be the new Padishah. You three, engage the maidens. Evelyn, find Kalim and bring his body to me. I’ll deal with Rouya.”

With the command given, the maidens set to action and engaged the new arrivals while Markus shifted his attention to Rouya. He marched to her, rolling up his sleeves as she drew closer.

“Nightgaze, it’s time. Pierce the armor of our foes and bring them to their knees.” Mitra raised her bow, channeling magic into her next attack.

“You’re right. I’m not fit to rule,” Rouya said. Markus slowed his pace, studying her movements. She went down onto her knees and lowered her head. “I don’t stand a chance against you. All I can hope for is that you spare my life in the same way I spared yours before.”

Markus came to a stop and loomed over her, hesitating to strike and enjoying the praise given. The fighting behind him drew more intense as the maidens unleashed every ability they had and further contributed to the destruction around them. “I’m glad to see you’ve come to the right conclusion. Unfortunately, I can’t let you get off that easy. Did you know the Shah’s of the old kingdom used to strangle their siblings to death upon ascending the throne? They knew not to spill royal blood. It’s the honor I give to you for coming through.”

Rouya wrapped her fingers around the shard and looked up to Markus as he indicated for her to rise. She slowly got up, concealing the blade in her hands as she met his gaze and aimed her thrust at his throat.

She put all her energy into the strike, already feeling the wear and bruises of her body protest every action she took. Markus shielded himself with the blade piercing the hand he held up. He screamed out in rage, backhanding Rouya and sending her to the ground before plucking it out and watching as the blood pooled in his palm.

Another tremor shook the ground, stronger than the previous. Cracks formed along the surface, gently spreading across the entire garden followed by a roar and rush of air as the plane the palace rested on broke free and soared into the air. Rouya’s body stiffened, her heart racing as the scene unfolded before her.

Chunks of rock split off from the ridge showering them. Markus punched a boulder flying his way, splitting it into dozens of pieces with one striking him across the forehead. He fell unconscious and landed right in front of Rouya. He was completely at her mercy. The man who murdered her family. She wrapped her hands around his throat but hesitated before releasing her breath and letting her shoulders slump. Killing Markus wouldn't bring them back but it would change her. Make her more like the rest of the summoners out there. Willing to go over lives to reach for the ultimate power.

Rouya couldn’t get herself to kill him in cold blood. What she could do was retrieve the relics he stole from her. She pulled the Nazar free and placed it around her neck once more. Evelyn’s presence inside the Nazar became aware of her and made her feel joyous.

“Get away from him!” Adelaxia stormed over and slapped Rouya across the face. “Don’t you dare lay your hands on him. This is all your fault.”

“I’m not going to hurt him but he must face trial for what he did,” Rouya said, reaching for the ring. Just as her fingers brushed against his, the ground gave away and Rouya plummeted, crashing into the side of the ridge several times on her way down before collapsing onto a platform.

Fire loomed on all sides, burning with an intense heat and the planet’s core even further below. The world was breaking apart and beyond repair. She needed to leave as quickly as possible.

Rouya was still winded by the fall with her ribs aching at every breath she took. Ghastly figures of her forefathers emerged around her, the disappointment evident in their faces.

"Look what she's done to our home."

"I told you the girl was no good."

"A great shame in the family tree," said another.

A silent figure among them kneeled beside her. Rouya couldn't trust her eyes for any of it to be real. Ghosts weren't real, but she recognized her father's softer features and neatly trimmed beard from before the alcohol. He smiled and kissed her forehead. "I left a mess behind and ruined your chance to shine through. You'd have made a better Shah than any of us."

"What are you talking about," Cassius said. "I unified all of Aequilla and reformed the military."

"It doesn't end here. People still need you," Justinian said, reaching out to her but as his fingers drew near, his shape faded and disappeared along with the others.

Rouya pushed herself up onto her elbows but as she tried to rise to her feet, an odd numbness came to her awareness.

“What?” Rouya reached for her legs but couldn’t feel her own touch. No matter how hard she strained herself, she could get either of her legs to nudge an inch. “No, no, please no.”

“Ugh. Gah!”

Rouya heard Adelaxia’s struggle nearby and saw her fingers on the ledge. She crawled over to the edge and glanced down at the hapless woman barely holding on with one hand.

“Look, take my hand,” Rouya said, leaning in as far as she could and offering her help.

“Pah! I, ugh, don’t need your help.” Adelaxia used her free hand to begin conjuring up a portal beneath her. Magic hissed around her and mixed with the flames deep down. Rocks crumbled and her grip suddenly slipped free, flailing as she attempted to hold on to anything. Her fingers brushed Rouya's, just barely missing each other before her descent.

“Adelaxia!” Markus stood on a higher platform and jumped in after her but even as they both fell, he wouldn’t be able to catch up to her.

Adelaxia must have seen the desperate situation she was in as she could no longer form a portal beneath her. She drew in magic once again and split open a pathway to another world between her and Markus. He slipped in, calling her name all the way through. Adelaxia closed her eyes for a brief moment of serenity and vanished in the liquid flames.

With the situation further deteriorating, Rouya reached into the Shadow Realm to gather magic and began tracing the symbols to summon. The spell snapped together, despite her shaking fingers and hummed with magic. Evelyn appeared moments later and rushed over to pick Rouya up. With the platform crumbling, she leaped from ledge to ledge, fire washing up around them, until they reached the surface.

The relief was only short-lived with more land crumbling around them. It was only a matter of time before they no longer had a place to run to.

"I guess this is as far as we go," Rouya said, holding on to Evelyn tightly. Being with her was enough to lighten her spirit. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up with the prickling of magic nearby. Evelyn noticed it as well and turned around where they spotted a portal opening up and a knight stepping through.

"Shit. I should have taken my chances on Ryhad," Helodion said, ushering the two of them over before the portal would close. "So this is what happens when I leave the place for a day? I'd like to offer you someplace better but it's nasty on the other side."

"Anywhere is better than here."

All three of them leaped back through the portal winding through space before landing in the arrival square of Ryhad. Helodion was true to his word. Ryhad was under attack with the streets flooded by soldiers and only a handful of troops holding on to the square.

"Where's the backup?" Kaspar called back to Helodion. He and three others were holding a cart in place while another two were lashing out at anyone who dared climb over.

"This is all we got for now, but it's more than enough," Helodion said as he joined Kaspar.

Kaspar recognized her and did a stiff bow. "Your grace, I apologize for not recognizing you. Damnit, he's actually going to do it."

A brute of a man stood on the road, waving his sword at the line of people being herded down to them. Men, women and children all bound together. "You're forcing my hand here. We could have made this so much easier for everyone." He snapped a woman from the front and pulled her hair back, holding his blade against her neck.

Rouya pursed her lips and met Evelyn's eyes. "Stop him."