The three jogged through the ruined city streets. The companions were taking the most direct approach to the ramps up the cliff to the dead god's bridge.

"Master, " said Dammit as he came into view above the three companions.

"What did you see? " asked Tad as he continued to jog, passing the city center fountain.

"The Bismuth forces hold the area in front of the dead god. They have partially erected a fort there. It is now being attacked from three directions. The undead are floundering and can not cross the soft sand where the curtain cut across the desert. Those that try sink into the sand and are not seen again. So they push for access across the dead god, " said Dammit, who was following just above Tad.

"Anything flying in the dark, Dammit?" asked Tad, slowing as they came closer to the cliffside of the city.

"No, Master, " said Dammit.

"Anything else you think I should know about the undead horde, Dammit? " asked Tad. He didn't trust the Imp, and he knew the creature would always be working against him where it could get around its bound promise.

"Several creatures in the horde glow with necrotic magic. I saw one caster on a chariot behind the attack. This might be the commander. " said the Imp.

"I want you to fly back to the Cathedral. Fly around outside near the building and watch for more undead. If any enemy flies near or finds another way, you go in and warn the defenders, " said Tad.

"Yes, Master, " responded the Imp. Then it turned and flew off at speed.

Tad could hear beast-like cries and screeching from the dark cliffs above him. A crescent moon had risen, and he could see the outlines of the cliffs in the clear night sky. The air was starting to become chilly, and the stench of the undead was overpowering.

As the three ran towards the ramps, Tad heard a heavy thump. In front of him, he could see several undead who had leaped off the cliffs trying to get to the temple. The fall was over a hundred feet, and most of them lay in a jumble of broken bones and rotten meat. One still twitched, but it stopped as the three companions came near it.

At the base of the ramp stood a single man-sized Automatron. Tad approached it, stopping several paces away.

"We seek Orion and Maximilianus, " said Tad out loud.

The automatron looked like a bronzed ale barrel with a face drawn on it. The creature had two arms and legs and was holding a long bronze-colored sword. It pointed with the sword at the ramp. Its hands only had three fingers, and its feet looked like some weird duck foot. Tad wondered if that was to help them cross the sand. Their normal feet would be thin and probably sunk too far with their weight.

"I have informed Orion. They await you at the top, " said the automatron.

The three jogged up the ramp. Tad didn't want to arrive so winded he couldn't defend himself.

They passed two more sentries. One of them had a destroyed skeleton lying in front of it. The corpse was cut up so many ways Tad couldn't define its race.

Tad reached the top, and he sensed Maximilianus a dozen yards ahead. He was standing on this side of the dead god's chest and arm.

Tad sent a light over to verify as they hurried to him. Orion still possessed the negotiator's body. Tad could sense the power of the being now. This ability must be another gift from the goddess. Before, he couldn't decern it wasn't a regular automatron, and now he could.

Maximilianus spoke, "Tad, I have negotiated a compromise and aid for this one battle from Orion. In trade, your court date is one year and one day from now, based on this plane's calendar cycle. I have also promised Orion you would help them one time with another issue he has in a plane Bismuth can not visit. In trade for this, he has agreed to help you and protect your friends and valley until this horde is dealt with. "

Orion was watching Tad. Tad was trying to process what he had heard. The goddess had said he was helping because of Tad's promise. Maximilianus had turned that around and managed to enlist Orion's help somehow in trade for some unknown task. Tad took a deep breath.

"I assume our agreement has not changed, Maximilianus? If that is so, then I agree to the terms. As long as the task does not exceed my ability to perform it and it doesn't put my friends or my interestest at risk," said Tad. He had very little choice, really. Yea, it felt like some trap, but it was a trap for a future day, and tonight, he and his friends needed to survive.

Maximilianus spoke, "Do not worry, I will write up a formal document containing the language and intent of your agreement. I have already agreed to the terms in spirit, as you can see across the sand there. Orion's forces are dealing with the undead," said Maximilianus.

Tad looked into the darkness. He could hear the battle and screams of the undead creatures but couldn't see anything.

"Oh, I forgot. Here let me help you," projected Maximilianus directly at Tad. Then there was a flood of complex magical formulas, and Tad learned a new spell, Low light vision. And like that, he now knew a spell that let him see by the light of the moon and stars.

Tad channeled and cast the spell. It used a law domain similar to his ice spells. It was just a single word and a small twirl of a few fingers following the form he had learned as he projected energia.

Then Tad saw as if it was late afternoon. The colors were muted, but he could see two lines of Bismuth forces on a flat piece of sand. They were formed into a half circle with one line just inside the outer line. The sand looked hardened into a half-circle. A building in the center with no roof and only half-finished walls a few feet high. Bismuth forces must have been building that while they waited, thought Tad.

The Bismuth army stood on the solid sand floor as the undead moved steadily towards them. It looked like a meat grinder, where the meat might be weeks old and sat in the sun for far too long. The long swords of the Bismuth forces were harvesting them like wheat. They sheared through rusty weapons, bone, and decayed sinew. There was a steadily growing wall of undead bodies and parts in front of the Bismuth contingent. It circled wide all around the platform of hardened sand.

Several Automatrons were laying behind the two lines of troops, though. This fight had a cost, those on the ground were not moving, and all had glowing green holes and gashes.

The undead was surrounding the group, and they, in turn, formed a half-mile wide semi-circle that butted up against the moat. It was a wide, deep sand moat that still churned where the curtain had parted the desert.

Tad watched as one of the undead walked right into it and sunk quickly like a pebble in syrup. Over a few seconds, several others dropped in and disappeared as well. For all practical purposes, it was a moat of sand. Tad already knew this sand was a light powder which is why they used the dead body of the god to cross it. He didn't know how deep it was, but considering how far it had to go down to cover the waterfall above the river, it was at least two to three hundred yards deep. He wondered how the ghoul made it across if this was the case.

Tad realized something at that moment. This battle was a problem he could not have solved alone. Gweleth had been correct. He did have a lot of friends that would stand with him. Sure some wanted something, and others didn't. But he knew that without them, he would have been dead as he looked out upon a small sea of undead creatures of every shape and size. The green of necromancy permeated all of them. It shook him to his core.

Almost absently, as he looked at the war in front of him, Tad spoke. "I believe there is a Charriot with the leaders of this attack in it. "

Orion spoke with a deep voice with a metallic ring, "How do you know this? "

"An Imp flew high above and scouted a few minutes ago, " said Tad.

"We will concentrate on them when they show themselves, " said Orion, then he turned back to observe the battle across the bridge.

Lamruil spoke loudly, "Tad, there are giants to the right. They are pushing through towards the bridge." He was pointing out into the dark to the right.

Tad could make out the heads of the creatures coming up over the far dune pushing and stepping upon the undead in their path. They wielded clubs the size of trees. He used his magic sight and saw they were glowing with necrotic energy. These took much more energia than the smaller undead creatures.

There were nine giants, and they walked forward in a line. Tad watched as they stopped while reaching down almost as one. They each picked up an undead creature in front of them. Then they hurled the smaller undead over the moat to Tad's side. Two of the undead missiles went far, bouncing once and going over the cliff. The other seven landed like large slabs of meat. Then Tad saw them start to move and stand up. Tad looked at Lamruil and Nico. Well, that explained the ghoul earlier.

"We have company, " said Tad, and he took off at a run towards the creatures on his side. Two of the automatrons also turned that were guarding this side of the bridge and started running towards the undead creatures.

Tad realized these undead were orcs. Undead orcs, and they were bigger than him. They carried rusty knives and scimitars, and one just had a shield.

"Lamruil, I'm going center. You take the right with Nico. Let the automatrons take the left, " said Tad as they came into range and combat was engaged.

Tad could see Lamruil's swords as blaze spots of crackling light in his new vision. He willed his own lights gone. They were interfering with his new low-light vision spell. He expanded his soulscape as the movement speed of combat slowed for him. He saw more undead landing behind these seven. They had to stop these giants somehow. Sure some of these undead were half-broken or fell off the cliff. But some weren't and given time. These will outpace the speed at which they could be destroyed.

The undead orcs were not fast or skilled, but they tended to come at him in two's and threes. One time the ones rushing Lamruil turned in unison and came at him from the side. Lamruil caught them from behind. But for several seconds, Tad had to defend himself, backing away from the line they had been holding.

Tad was using a simple shield blade on the end of his staff. It was easily slicing through the creatures. He was parrying the rusty weapons they wielded. He could have put more energia into the blade and sundered the weapons. But he was trying to conserve the mana he had regained since the fight with Samathe. He had quite a while yet to get his mana back fully.

Tad chanced a view across the moat to the automatrons. The screeching and moans had changed to a higher-pitched wail. Tad saw the white flesh of ghouls, some of them with glowing claws coming at the automatrons. And as if on queue, the undead giants threw nine of those over the moat in front of Tad and his friends.

These creatures had glowing green claws, and their eyes burned with energia as they stood behind the undead orcs engaging the companions.

"Nico, watch out for the claws. They will burn you with acid, " said Tad.

Up until then, Nico had been pouncing on the undead in front of him. One at a time and using his claws to decapitate them. He was getting so good at it he could to the next as the one he was on crumped below him. Their swords were not doing much if any damage. Having magical skin certainly had its perks.

Lamruil was using his grace and finesse. Tad had fought Lamruil in a duel long ago. He didn't think any of the orcs were going to be much of a challenge, but these ghouls, though. They were fast, much faster than the orcs. Tad saw Lamruil cast a spell on himself and his movements sped up. Galadinidú had once told him that was minor haste. He never did talk to Lamruil about acquiring that.

"Tad, Tad, Niucrelath chose the artifact. You are not going to like it, " projected Kettle, which almost cost Tad his life. Two ghouls charged him, one left and one on the right. One leaped, and the other dropped to all fours and ran at him like a dog close to the ground.

Tad backed up two paces dissecting the one in the air and summoning his first full shield spell of this battle to block the other.

"Kettle, what? " projected Tad back. His weaker shield blade went through the other, slicing its chest in half. The creature's arms still flailed, trying to reach Tad as it rolled by. He took another step back, spinning his staff's blade around fast, decapitating the torso. He moved right to help Lamruil, who was holding back three of the ghouls. Nico was finishing the one he had pounced upon from behind.

"Niucrelath, she selected Gate of the Stars as the artifact. I heard a crash too. I think it's the portal that was in Samphires Wagon, " said Kettle.

Another nine ghouls and something else just landed on their side of the moat. Tad looked to the left, one of the Automatrons had a glowing green slash across its chest, but it was still up. Tad didn't know if that would cause it to go down. The next batch of ghouls was upon them.

Crap, he had forgotten about that gate. He hoped Samphire didn't have plans for it. He also hoped Niucrelath didn't consume it. Tad didn't ask how Kettle knew this about the gate. He was actually more worried Maximilianus had heard it. Knowing the name of an artifact that was chosen through Kettle's knowledge of the book or log or whatever. That would get the Librarian thinking.

"Kettle, we can talk after this battle. Let me know if anything attacks or you need any assistance," said Tad hoping Kettle would take the hint.

For the next few minutes, Tad was being pressed hard. Lamruil had started backing away from the ghouls as more and more landed before they could be killed. The automatrons on the left were being overwhelmed also. One went down. Crap.

Then Tad saw something he didn't expect. The negotiator being controlled by Orion stepped in to fill its place. Whirling its thin saber so fast, Tad could hardly see it. This took the pressure off Tad. Who took out the three in front of him, having to use energia to power shields again to block. This then allowed him to take the pressure of Lamruil, who had a few new gashes in his leather armor.

Nico was over there ripping off heads, dodging his opponents as they rushed, and landing on their backs. He looked like a giant cat picking dandelions in a windstorm. Tad shook his head and looked out across at the giants who had stopped throwing to this side of the moat. They had started throwing ghouls behind the line of Automatrons in front of them on the other side of the moat.

This was having an effect on the Bismuth army. Even with part of their second line turning to deal with the creatures, they were losing troops.

"Nico, how many ports do you have left? " asked Tad.

Nico, in his cat form, just looked at Tad.

"Come on, no time for jokes, " said Tad.

Two seconds later, a naked gore-covered Nico stood there in place of a lynx.

"I said I had three, " said Nico.

"No, you looked at me like an idiot, " said Tad.

Nico raised his eyebrows, laughing.

Tad huffed, "Do you think you can get to those giants and take a couple out and get back here? "

"Yea, sure thing," said Nico, then he disappeared.

Tad could see a shadow appear on the back of a giant. Then it leaped to another one next to it as the first one's head started to roll down its chest, and it fell backward on a group of ghouls. A half-second later, the giant lynx was again standing next to Tad.

"Damn, you do good work," laughed Tad, "Let's go help out across the bridge. Tad nodded to Orion, who had resheathed his thin saber, and Tad took off at a run across the chest of the fallen god.

They were in the thick of it. The Automatrons had lost some numbers. Tad was thinking almost half. They had closed ranks, and there was little room in the center as the giants continued to throw ghouls at them. These were now starting to land directly on automatrons. Many of which were sliced in half before standing up, but a few were doing damage before going down. The green necrotic energy of their claws was causing tremendous damage to the soldiers of Bismuth. He wondered about that.

There was a new threat starting to make its appearance. These were tall undead warriors in full plate armor. They wielded tear-shaped shields and half rusted longswords and maces. Their weapons were not glowing with necromancy, but these creatures moved like trained soldiers. Tad recognized the shields. They were the same shape as the ones wielded by the construct guards in the city. One or two even had the same emblem on them. The image was of the goddess Niucrealath's crown as the rays of the sun showed down on it.

Their weapons might not have had necromancy running across them. But most still looked sharp even under the rust, and they moved like trained warriors, and they were fast like the ghouls. They climbed over the rows of dismembered undead and automatron bodies. They stopped a few feet out of reach of automatrons long swords. They raised their moldy shields to form a circle. Behind them came another row forming a second circle of shields. These undead moved and wielded weapons like live opponents. Tad saw massive amounts of necrotic energia and the brown of the cursed magic from the gem running through and over them with his magic sight.

Tad heard Niucrealaths speaking in his mind, "The fallen. They were once the legion's elite guard. They swore loyalty to my enemy in the end. He promised to spare them the death he brought upon my other followers and the city. I doubt this is what they had in mind when they betrayed their kingdom. "

A chariot pulled by a large undead creature with one horn burst through the pile of undead, throwing it all over. The bladed hubs on its wheels were churning decayed bodies into streamers of gore. On the back of the chariot were three riders. One a huge man in full black plate armor and a square-topped great helm. He had a black tear-shaped shield with a jagged spike driven through the middle pointed outward. He carried a two-handed sword in one hand with green necrotic flames burning along its edges. The slits of his helm showed green where the necrotic energy replaced his eyes in their hollowed sockets.

Next to him was a Naga. This one wasn't undead, though. She was real, and Tad was sure she was a necromancer. She had a great deal of energia ready to unleash, all necrotic and some black of the void. The driver was another fallen in full plate as well holding the reigns to the creature pulling the chariot.

Lamrial projected to Tad, "That is a Rhino. I've seen them once in the wild."

Tad replied, "What do you think? Can we take these guys with all these Fallen coming at us? "

"I have no idea. I doubt that big one would have exited the chariot if he did not think he could take us, " said Lamruil.

Tad had to agree with that. He hadn't been using all his power up till now and figured he still had at least one good smite. If that Naga was alive and Tad struggled with the undead knight, this was going to be a contest he wasn't sure he could win.

The Naga was also female. She also had some weird hair that Tad assumed from here was snakes. She looked like a miniature model of the fabled medusa. She wasn't one because Tad wasn't stone. She was big, though, and only a little smaller than Samathe.

"Nico, you have any ports left? " asked Tad.

"One, but I don't think I can take either of those, " said Nico quietly.

The Naga spoke, her voice projected across the field as the automatrons shifted uneasily. "Which of you is Niucrealath's chosen? I come with a proposal."

Tad didn't understand why she had stopped her attack. They had the advantage, then he thought of something.

"Kettle, how long till sunrise? " asked Tad.

"Less than an hour, Tad, " projected Kettle.

Ahh, that's why. The Naga didn't think she should get through to the Cathedral before the sun came up and weakened her army or even destroyed it.

Tad looked at the Bismuth troops. They only had a single row now, and they were down below half strength. Still a significant number but much less than the undead opposing them. Several of the bigger ones still stood, but he didn't think they would be a match for that knight if they swarmed forward. And shield walls were a bitch if you were in front of them.

"I have that honor, " yelled Tad stepping forward in front of his two friends.

"I make you an offer then, young human. Give us the gem of Rathak Tul, and we will depart this place. " said the Naga.

Niucrealath spoke into Tad's mind, "You can not give her this gem. She would destroy us all with its power. "

"Yea, I figured as much. I wasn't going to give a cursed gem that feeds the undead to a Naga necromancer, " projected Tad with a virtual wink.

Tad shouted, "I'm afraid I don't know who this Rathak Tul is, nor have we been introduced. "

"Does your goddess teach you nothing? You walked across his dead form to this place. There is no need for my name human. " said the Naga.

Niucrealath spoke, "She was Samathe's teacher. She is also the one that betrayed me, allowing my enemy into the valley. "

Great thought, Tad. A virtual circus wheel of betrayal. He had no idea who was telling the truth about betrayal, but he had sworn to protect Bubbles, now the new goddess Gweleth. He had every intention of following through with that promise.

"Well, you see, I think I broke your gem. I do not know if you'd want it now, " said Tad. Tad didn't know what kind of response he would get from that statement. The Naga gave out a loud hiss through her fangs while the death knight blazed with necrotic energy. The knight started swinging as he waded into the Automatrons.

Nico shouted, "Tad, next time, don't tell them you broke their toy till after you won!"

Then all hell broke loose. The fallen charged the line as a shield formation. The Naga started a casting that looked like it was going to suck all the necrotic energy from every destroyed creature on the field.

Lamruil and Nico moved to the right to help on the line. Suddenly there was Orion with his tricorner hat standing in front of the death knight, parrying every blow it swung at him as if he was bored. The knight backed up a step and eyed Orion.

Orion spoke loud enough that Tad could hear him three yards behind the line, "I believe we have not been properly introduced, I am Orion, and you are Crevlar the general that betrayed his country, no? These fallen are your troops?" then Orion tapped his metallic boot with the edge of his thin blade, and there was a loud ringing of metal on metal. "Would you care to dance? "

Tad could see the necrotic energy blaze even without his magic sight. The death knight's sword grew brighter as green flames roared along its edge. The glow from inside his helmet burned in a repulsive bright green as it ejected through the eye slits of the helmet. The creature didn't speak, just strode forward, swinging fast. Orion touched the knight twice, and green light showed through the armor where his thin blade struck.

Then the Naga's spell completed, and a beam of energy shot forward into the death knight. From there, spread shot out and hit every undead fallen encircling them. Tad noticed the rents in the armor of the knight repair themselves. The knight moved forward, swinging the giant sword with the same speed as Orion's thinner blade now. Orion parried, and their duel was on. Anything that got near them was diced like a fruit in a blink. Automatrons and undead shied away, forming a large area as the two dueled.

Tad saw the Naga starting another casting. Well, that last one didn't turn out well for Tad's side. He wasn't going to let her case another one. He activated his Torque, then he ran, pumping energy into his shields. He placed one above the back joint of the automatron in front of him. As his foot landed on it, he sprung forward, forming another shield on the surface of a fallen's helmet. He leaped from that to the next helmet blocking downward as this one swung upward, slicing at him. He formed soulmancy shields where his feet would land.

"Galadinidú, smite, " projected Tad as he pushed energia into the staff. He leaped to the shoulder of a fallen he had placed a shield on a split second earlier. He took another final leap off a helmet, pushing so hard he thought the shield he placed would falter. He flipped, twisting his body, bringing his staff down towards where the Naga slithered on the chariot. Then he disappeared just as her spell finished with a green blaze of energia shooting into the dusk of the dawning sky. A half-second later, Tad reappeared, bringing the staff down in all its glowing furry.

This time, he didn't miss the center and from the top of her head. Straight down the front of her through the chariot walls, wheel, and floor smashing into the ground with a reverberating BOOM of sand and dust. Tad slammed Galadinidú into the ground. He was going twice as fast as he expected, and he felt a crunch in his ankle as the rest of him hit the hard-packed sand and the debris from the chariot. Flaming bits went flying in all directions. The wind was knocked out of him, and pain was lancing up an ankle he was sure was broken as it flopped around. He pushed up on his good foot, though, using Galadinidú to steady himself as the pain spiked, even more, looking around.

Orion was standing over the headless body of the death knight. Nico actually looked fine. Lamruil had blood coming out of his side. He was holding his leather armor shut over the wound.

Tad's vision blurred a second as the migraine hit him. He hadn't been this drained of mana since he was fourteen, learning how to cast. It hurt as he looked around and hopped on one foot. The fallen had collapsed where they stood. The sun was starting to peek up above the dunes. Then a massive wave of life energia exploded out from the valley. A beam of light shot straight into the air from the Cathederal's tallest tower, where the upper crystal resided. A few seconds later, a blue curtain of magic energy spread out from the sand to completely encompass the valley forming a blue dome centered directly on the beam of light. The light extinguished as the sun's edge poked up over dunes to the east.

All this as a wave of life energia exploded out of the valley and the undead fallen disintegrated. Swords in motion flew as the skeletal hands that held them turned to dust. Armor and shields clattered into piles on the hardened sand. Automatrons looked around excitedly.

A few moments later, Gweleth appeared in front of Tad, "Thaddius, you have done well this day. " she handed Tad his minor ring of regeneration. It looked different. The green gem had a red swirl in it. He put it on. He could feel it's pulsing right away.

Gweleth smiled then turned to Orion. "I will send my champion to complete your task when he is ready. "

Orion nodded to Gweleth. Saluted with his thin blade, then spoke, "Thank you. " He turned, waved his sword at his remaining troops, and a portal appeared in front of him. Beyond the portal, Tad could see a landscape of tall pointy bronze towers and streets. There were dozens of Automatrons in the street where it opened. Orion stepped through, and his troops formed two columns. They walked through the portal shoulder to shoulder. When they were all through the portal, it closed.

Galadinidú spoke then, "You have gazed upon the streets of Bismuth. Would you like me to mark this location? "

Tad projected back quickly, "Yes. Also, later explain to me what you just said. "

Tad felt his mana regenerating as he hobbled over to Lamruil and cast simple heal on him. His foot had straightened out. It still hurt like mad, and he couldn't put any weight on it, but it no longer just dangled there. Was the ring working faster? Something is different.

Tad looked back at Gweleth to find she was gone. Tad looked around. The sun was striking the other undead remains, which were starting to smoke and disintegrate.

Nico spoke up, "You know I didn't see any gold on these undead. How am I going to buy an inn if this keeps happening? Also, Tad, porting is my gig. You can't just start doing that. "

"I didn't, Nico, " said Tad touching the Torque around his neck. He had triggered it before he had made his made run across the tops of the fallen. He had played with the Torque when they moved the vampire sisters into the World egg. The last time he had gone back to retrieve one. He tried visualizing an area near the table the vampires had rested near. He had appeared right there next to them. Tad had thought about how the artificer had moved constructs in and out of the tower. There was no way an old man was moving a four-ton stone statue to that metal table in his tower. He had to have a way to get it there directly before it was enchanted. So when he triggered it this time. He had envisioned the area near the ceiling of the artificer workshop. Tad had appeared and dropped immediately from the ceiling, and before he hit the floor, he willed himself back to finish his strike. His intent was to gain momentum for a powerful strike downward when he reappeared. It had worked and broke his ankle, but the results could not be questioned. He looked again over at the Naga. He didn't even know her name. Actually, he decided he didn't care at this point. He would just call her crazy hair lady if anyone asked.

Her body wasn't burning in the light of the sun but not like the undead. It smoldered like an old fire. Also, now that Tad thought about it, he looked around. He didn't see the other seven giant corpses. Some of the undead must have been ordered back before the Naga had spoken. Also, he didn't' think the Naga was the being that confronted him in the temple with the undead monkey. He took a deep breath, a problem for another day. He looked back at the blue dome of energia over the valley as he cast another heal on Lamruil.

The armor of the fallen and their weapons didn't burn in the sun. They appeared to be steel and iron. There was rust on it, but many of the parts looked almost cared for. All though the leather bindings were completely decayed.

He decided to worry about that later. He nodded to his friends. One was standing there naked as the day he was born, and the other was covered in his own blood. Lamruil's wound was mostly healed, but his armor wasn't. A large rent was in the side.

"You fellas hungry? " asked Tad.