Resistance inside the spire itself was minimal; they’d clearly never expected anyone to get this far. Climbing the stairs proved a more physically demanding task than killing the meagre contingent of guards had been. When they got to the top, they were met with another pair of beautiful double doors, just like the ones at the entrance. Livia flung them open just the same, and at the far end of the large, circular chamber, the leader of Dunlark Spire sat at a dark, polished desk.

“Somehow,” Livia sighed, “I’m not surprised to find you here. Should’ve figured it out sooner, huh?”

“You’re right,” Tecal agreed, standing up. “You really should have. And I should’ve realised sooner that you would be so foolish.”

Krey stepped forward now as well. “Didn’t figure it out after the first few scrapes we got into together?”

“You, Sir Knight,” Tecal pointed at him, “I had pegged for a bleeding heart, sentimental fool the moment I saw you; it was written all over your surcoat.”

Krey glanced down briefly at his chest, emblazoned with Knights Berodyl heraldry— blue field and white stag crest.

“You, however…” Tecal raised her voice and moved her finger to now point at Livia. “I expected better from you.”

Livia gritted her teeth. “Better? You call being the head of a terrorist organisation better?”

“Oh, please, Livia,” Tecal rolled her eyes. “I am not the leader of Dunlark Spire; I am its owner. Calling me its leader implies I care about its cause and beliefs; I do not. Mine is a far higher calling! And, now, thanks to me, so is theirs. They were exactly as you described before me - directionless terrorists driven by blind spite - but, as the test in Calsa proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, I have organised them into a truly disciplined military, one that will conquer the Elven Theatres, unite the disparate elf tribes, and add to my ever-expanding strength. My homeland’s machinistry has helped greatly as well; I am thankful I was able to convince a machinist to join me in forming my hanran before fleeing Tambur— a true machinist, one of Tambur… not one of the pretenders I see running through my streets below with pathetic toys in their hands.”

“Calsa…” Emilie breathed shakily. “Rajata City… that was your doing? You ordered that takeover?”

Tecal nodded. “I ordered Florentina to rally my forces in the area and turn the city into my new foothold in the region. Despite her… disappearance… I have retained control, even as the rest of the country tries to pry it from my hands. They will find it a most difficult prize to reclaim.”

“But why?” Pippy piped up. “Why do all this? Why hurt so many people, cause so much suffering? Why force so many into… militant slavery?”

“I’ve already told you,” Tecal boomed, “you insipid blatherskite! I explained it all clearly in Montar Jungle. Once the rest of Berodyl has bent its knees to me, the conquering of Tambur will be child’s play, and I will assume my rightful station as archon. Berodyl will know true leadership, and will be guided to heights the people never thought possible, even if they must be dragged up by the scruffs of their necks!”

“You’re insane!” Livia cried. “Might does not make right! Trust me, I know from personal experience!”

“Is that so?” Tecal smiled now. “Then stop me! Kill me! It’s the only way I will be denied my destiny!” She levitated off the floor in silent, unfelt, pure magical flight. “You disappoint me, Livia! After what you accomplished in Aubade - events I made sure to keep an eye on from afar when they began sending shockwaves through the firmaments - I thought you would understand me! But, if you will not join me, then you are in my way, and thus I must put you down.”

“If anything…” Livia growled, holding back tears. “What happened in Aubade… it only proves my point!”

“I hope you’ve already told your friends the story, Livia,” Tecal said, “because you have just run out of time.”

Tecal may have been of aevis blood, but was also drake, and so had no wings to spread. However, it made no difference; when she threw her arms out wide in full span, the resulting explosion of raw magical power destroyed the come around her all the same, leaving the top of the spire exposed; a magnificent stage for what she hoped would be a battle more spectacular than a simple execution.

In a calm but powerful voice, she declared: “I am Tecal the Cyclone, daughter of the long line of Iltzin, aevischild of Tambur; my name shall be writ across the pages of history in your blood.”

“Don’t worry, Livia,” Krey said with a smirk, drawing his blade. “Once this is over, I’ll remind you to tell us.”

“If I’m not mistaken,” Tecal said, “one of knighthood’s highest callings is dragon slaying.”

“Indeed it is,” Krey answered, pulling his shield in close and pointing his sword up at her. “And now the time has come for me to answer that call.”

“If you can,” Tecal spat. She raised a hand casually and threw a lightning bolt at him, which he blocked with his shield. Some of the electromantic energy dispersed through the handle and up his armoured arm, but the pain was significantly less than what it would’ve been with a direct hit.

“Alright…” Krey took a deep breath. “Time to see if I’ve really learned anything.”

“What’re you mumbling about down there?” Tecal taunted.

“Perhaps you should come down here and find out!” he returned.

Tecal descended back to the floor, and Krey did not do the chivalrous, knightly thing of giving her the time to take up a stance. With the hand that held his shield, he swept his arm across his body in a throwing motion, and from the sideways edge of his shield came an arc of autumn-hued fire— red and gold and bronze. Tecal dashed through it and smashed the back of her foot into his side with a reverse spinning kick, causing him to stagger out of her way… but not quite to fall; his footing found new purchase when he saw the light singing he’d done to her feathers. Not much, he knew, but it’s a start.

“I am tired of entertaining weaklings!” Tecal roared. “Come here, Livia Sol Sasna, and show me the power of the one who singlehandedly opposed the Onyx Taurus Legion!”

“It’s not gonna be that simple or easy for you, Tecal,” Livia declared as she drew Veridis. “Pippy, let’s go.”

“Right!” the younger aubadean twirled her mace as she moved to Livia’s side.

“Remember back in Narkato, Pippy? When you went berserk?”

“Yep,” Pippy smiled, “I had a feeling that was gonna come up here.”

“Combining our powers, the best Aubade had to offer… should be interesting.”

“Yes,” Tecal agreed. “Pray that it will be enough to defeat me.”

Is this what you meant, Phyrn? Livia thought. Is this the evil far stronger than anything we’ve faced before?

Pippy became engulfed in flowing streaks of red light, and as her spirit swelled with magic, she stomped her foot and let out the mightiest roar her throat could muster. In contrast, the darkness gathering around Livia seemed to drink of Pippy’s radiance, and the elder aubadean matched her lover’s battle cry. Weapons raised, power surging, they charged their opponent. They darted out to the flanks and attacked on two fronts; Livia’s sword came down, and Pippy’s mace came up, but Tecal’s forearms met them both and stopped them both, sparks flying from her tough scales. Krey, who knew he had faded from the scope of the battle at this point, decided to take advantage of his inconspicuousness. While Livia and Pippy continued to press their assault, he manoeuvred behind the aevischild. Tecal was no longer just blocking attacks, but had begun punching and even kicking their attacks away, her movements flowing in a stunning dance of focused fury. Krey waited for his moment, noticing that Tecal’s gigantic sword was not currently stowed on her back… and charged at her with his shied up. “Your scales may take slashes well, but let’s see how they fair against smashing force!”

He slammed into her back at full speed, hoping to shatter her scales. Unfortunately, the only thing that would get shattered in this collision would be his pride. With a mere flex of her back muscles, Tecal blew Krey away and off his feet, not even sparing him a glance. In the same action, she let out a burst of magical force, pushing her other assailants away.

“Humans…” Tecal hissed. “Inventive, I’ll grant… but far too anaemic to execute your ambitions. No matter what clever strategy you attempt, I will simply shrug you off like a gentle summer’s rain.”

Emilie rushed to her faithful knight’s side, swathing him in white aura. She tried to summon some semblance of jocularity, trying to escape the dourness that gripped her. “Is dragon slaying everything you hoped it would be, Sir Knight?”

“And more, My Lady,” Krey managed to cough up.

While Emilie got Krey back to his feet, and Pippy was also down and recovering, Livia found another rising surge of determination in her bosom, and flew at Tecal again. The aevischild grabbed her blade in one hand and her neck in the other, ripping her weapon from her hands and raising her up like a sandbag.

“Your power might’ve been sufficient to vanquish Aubade’s pathetic excuse for draconic beings, Livia… but now you face true dragon, and what we call wyrms would eat what you call wyrms as if they were naught but earthworms.”

The marks on Livia’s face stopped throbbing, her onyx aura fading. “I guess I… finally topped out…”

“How sad,” Tecal sighed. “Oh well. I’m sure Phyrn and Brightbrand will put up a better fight. The gods themselves shall tremble at my rage.” She was slowly pacing forward as she spoke, carrying Livia to the edge. “Hear me well, gods above! This world has outgrown you!”

“NOOO!” Pippy screamed as she finally saw what was happening, regaining the strength that’d just been knocked out of her. However, as she threw herself in their direction, it was too late. Tecal cast Livia off the top of the spire as if discarding a broken doll. She became a flaring red missile aimed at Tecal, landing a punch on her face that managed to make her head turn.

“Congratulations,” Tecal mocked dryly. “You’re the last aubadean.” She nearly made Pippy vomit when she planted her knee in her stomach, continuing to stroll past her as she nearly keeled over. She walked over to her desk, which had survived up to now, picked it up near-effortlessly, and tore it in half.

As she tossed the ruined desk off the side, Krey and Emilie noticed the huge red case now revealed that had been hidden beneath. Krey piled onto it, using his entire body to block Tecal from retrieving her weapon. Meanwhile, Emilie scrambled for Veridis, which lay in the middle of the room.

“Pippy!” Emilie called out. “Here!” she heaved the sword through the air with all her strength, and Pippy caught it in her left hand.

“Cease this futile, struggle, knight!” Tecal cursed, punting Krey off her weapon with a fierce kick that nearly dented his armour. She drew Quetzalcoatl-Egi from its scabbard, and the force of its mere drawing sent Krey rolling yet farther across the floor. In the same cutting motion, she deflected Pippy’s attempt to strike with Veridis. “Utter a final prayer to your meek, little goddess, humans, for now you die.”

Do not give up now!

Livia regained her lucidity as she fell; it was a long way to the bottom. She heard a voice echo in her mind, and her eyelids felt heavy.

You’re so close! Don’t stop!

“It’s no use,” Livia murmured. “I’m not strong enough.”

Not alone you’re not, but you have friends up there who’re counting on you! Friends who have and will continue to lend you their strength time and time again!

“But… Phyrn… you said… my strength would be enough to save them… and it wasn’t.”

You have not tapped into your true strength yet!

“The power of the Onyx Taurus… that was the best I had, damn it!”

No, Livia… oh no, not at all. Your true strength resides in those you seek to protect.

“They’re going to die because of me. I dragged them into this, and now they’re going to die. But what’s a little more blood on my hands, right? Soon my blood will run too.”

Let go of your fear, Livia! You have to stop claiming responsibility for the lives of others! They chose to be here, to be with you, because you are worthy of each other! It is time you accepted that! If you don’t, they are going to die! You’re going to die! You have the power to save yourself and them! Use what they have given you!

What they’ve given me… Livia thought. “What they’ve…”

Livia’s eyes snapped open.

Tecal and Emilie stood face to face, Krey lying off to one side, and Pippy curled up to the other. Shaking, with tearful eyes, the hierophant dared to draw the magicked blade that dangled from her hip. It still felt alien in her hands, heavy with a weight beyond the physical, but still her delicate arms brought it to bear, clutched in beautiful hands that were never meant to hold such a deadly thing.

“You would raise a blade to me, Your Holiness?” Tecal sounded almost sorry. “I have to respect that. Even though you must know you have no hope left, you still choose to stand and fight.”

“I will do my duty to the bitter end,” Emilie croaked.

“So be it.” Before Tecal could act, however, she felt a pressure that actually resisted her forward movement. From behind Emilie, a terrific current of airomancy was flowing now, and on it rose the reawakened Livia Sol Sasna. “What?!”

“Emilie!” Livia cried, the hierophant turning as her comrade’s voice filled her with elation. “Get out of the way!”

Emilie just dove, wasting no time as Livia came hurtling back into play, planting her foot in Tecal’s face. She sent the draken sliding back on her feet, and stuck the landing on her own two as well, slipping her arms out of her jacket and slamming it down on the floor.

“Come on! I’m not dead yet, Tecal!”

“Excellent!” Tecal cheered. “This is more like it!”

Tecal threw everything she had, but Livia strafed in a dance of acrobatic manoeuvres enhanced by currents of wind. She retrieved Pippy’s mace and felt a surge of power run up her arm that almost hurt, but the pain was good - a vivid red - and she leapt into the centre of the room where Tecal had made her stand. She struck out, and Tecal struck back with her enormous sword, and the airomantic powers of both Livia and Quetzalcoatl-Egi whipped into a brief typhoon, a burst of red exploding from the head of the mace and jostling Tecal’s blade. Tecal gritted her teeth, and Livia felt a ripple in the sword’s length. This power… she realised, I knew it! It’s too powerful for its own good! She recalled now had the weapon had behaved in previous battles, and one incident in particular in the jungle, where the blade had started to bend and the entire thing nearly blew itself apart from the force of its own power.

Livia knew when a power was too great for its owner, knew when to stop… and now, here, in this fight, she’d finally realised what she’d always needed to do… what she’d been doing all this time: she realised how to accept the gifts of power from others. I will use what you all have given me, she proclaimed in her mind, the enrichment you have brought into my life. I will not spurn your desires to fight anymore! I will not deny your wishes anymore! No longer a burden, no longer a sympathy! What ever happens… even if we perish… I will not let fear and grief cage me anymore! Her heart ached so beautifully, brimming with a height of righteous joy she’d never thought possible.

“What’re you grinning for?” Tecal growled.

Livia didn’t answer, instead discarding the mace and dancing on around the room. Next, she grabbed Krey’s broadsword, and focused her petramancy into it, reinforcing it; it was warm to the touch, too, as if a pyromantic spark lingered within its metal. She attacked Tecal again, just as she had before, and intentionally allowed their blades to clash, a portion of Quetzalcoatl-Egi both petrifying and also catching fire. Tecal’s face was twisting with fury now, the grimace of a monster, and as her muscles flexed and trembled, so did the form of her magic greatsword.

Livia did this once again with Trick of The Light, retrieving it from near Emilie, and slashing at Tecal’s incoming strike to both parry it, and also inflict a pernicious green magic, left in the magicked weapon by Emilie’s own despairing emotions before she’d been incapacitated. At this point, a crack was forming down the length of Tecal’s blade, a searing light bleeding from within.

“What are you playing at?!” Tecal howled. “HOW DARE YOU TOY WITH ME, HUMAN?!”

“You’re about to find out!” finally, Livia retrieved Veridis by rolling right by Tecal’s feet, emerged from the roll into a one-knee stance, and brought Veridis up, activating the magical shield. When Quetzalcoatl-Egi crashed down into it, the shield exploded… but so did the overpowered greatsword.

“What?! WHAT IS HAPPENING?!”

“Your reach exceeding your grasp, Tecal!” Livia proclaimed boldly.

Quetzalcoatl-Egi ruptured and cracked even more, the magics that kept it whole dispersing in a series of detonations that left Tecal disoriented and in pain… just distracting enough for Livia to pierce the chaos and the dust cloud to deliver a final blow.

When Livia passed through the space Tecal had just been occupying, however, she was jarred when her swing didn’t connect with anything. There was nothing there anymore… and not because of the explosions. Tecal hadn’t been destroyed… she was simply gone. That’s when Livia felt a familiar presence. She looked skyward, and there he was: Fyren, god of judgement, and executioner. They locked eyes, silent. Emilie, regaining her lucidity, managed to impart projectiles of white magic in Krey’s and Pippy’s directions, allowing them to rise back to their feet as she did too… even if they had lurched upward slowly and in pain.

Krey, too, now gazed up at the blue-clad spectre of fate, but all Pippy could see was Livia standing there in the centre of the room, standing in a pose that, to her, made her look like one of the stone heroes in the hall of legends from back in Aubade’s magic capital. She had the strength to hobble over to her, but not to hold back her burning tears and gravelly sobs, seizing Livia’s arm so tightly she almost dragged them both back down to the floor. “You’re alive… YOU’RE ALIVE! Livia, I’m so happy you’re still alive!”

“Agh!” Livia’s stoicism was smashed to pieces, and she manoeuvred to hold Pippy up with an embrace, showering her in kisses. “Yes, I’m still alive! You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

“We’ll see about that,” Fyren interrupted, drawing Pippy’s and Livia’s eyes back up to him.

Checking first that she could stand now on her own, Livia stepped away from Pippy, pointing Veridis up at the blue-clad god. “Yeah, we will. In case you haven’t noticed, we just beat your best chosen into the next life— literally!”

“I wish you would stop doing that,” Fyren lamented. “I cannot allow such valuable servants to be slain, but my ability to overcome the severance is beginning to dwindle. I’m not sure how many more I can spare your callous wrath, Livia.”

“Well, it shouldn’t be hard for me to avoid them in the future,” Livia said. “I’ve started to notice a trend.”

Fyren raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“You seem to have a thing for mostly naked women; first Florentina, now Tecal. At least Ponima had some class.”

“Ponima yet lives? How amusing; I thought I’d slain her already. I suppose she’s not a goddess of madness for nothing… but I shan’t fall prey to her trickery a second time. Now that I’m aware of her continued existence, I shall have to make her a priority.”

Livia let out a groan of cringe, regretting her careless words.

Fyren allowed himself a more distinct smile now. “I surmise that she sent a chosen against you. Tell me about them.”

“Well…” Livia began with a mockingly casual tone. “She was a shrineblade. I don’t know why she’d abandoned her post to serve Ponima, though. I think Ponima made her some big promises of glory and that sort of thing.”

Fyren’s smile narrowed. “Surprisingly bold for her.”

“Nearly had us, too— took us out one by one…”

“But then she got to you, Livia Sol Sasna. You know… you have impressed me. So much so, that I wish to make you an offer.”

Livia’s mouth tightened. “Whatever it is, I assure you, I refuse.”

“But you haven’t even heard what—”

“Roll it into a thin tube and slide it up your divine arse, Fyren! And while your hand’s up there, try pulling out a calendar, because your days are numbered.”

“How curious… that Phyrn could inspire such loyalty in you by… doing what? What has she done to earn devotion from you so deep that you would kill in her name?”

“I don’t kill for her, Fyren; I kill to stop you. And she has earned my loyalty several times over.”

Fyren shook his head. “If only you knew how big of a mistake that is. If only you knew just how wrong you are. Perhaps, given some more time in this world, you will come to see sense, and pledge yourself to me. Your days are, too, numbered, Livia… but they do not have to be. I still have the power to breach the severance for a small few more… but that power, even for me, will not last much longer. I will need an answer soon… and so I shall visit you again in the near future, after you have been exposed to more of this land’s… wrongness.”

“I have felt it,” Pippy interjected, “but… this is not the way to deal with it! The severance, the death and destruction… there must be another way!”

“Ah, yes,” Fyren toned, looking now at the Battlecaster Extraordinaire. “I thought I felt a sympathetic ripple in the mana. Hmm… perhaps you would make for a more suitable—”

“Touch a hair on her head,” Livia seethed, “and I swear, you will find out whether or not I’m physically capable of killing a god, and if I’m not, I will make you wish I were!”

“Aww, Livia!” Pippy swooned. “Even when we’re staring in the face of annihilation, you can be so sweet!”

“What better time is there for such things?” Krey wondered.

“None that I can think of,” Emilie answered.

Livia felt warm, sweet tears well up in her eyes, and a smile on her lips that felt more real than any smile had before. “I do not need your offers of power, or salvation, or whatever else you might try to offer me, Fyren,” Livia stated with utter certainty in her voice. “I have my salvation right here beside me, the power I’ve been looking for all along, everything I could ever want or need.”

“A touching sentiment,” Fyren murmured. “I hope you realise how hollow it rings before too long.” The menacing god vanished in a flash of blue, and Phyrn’s chosen stood alone now atop Dunlark Spire, together and victorious.

Krey retrieved something from a pouch on his belt, put one end of the small, tubular object in his mouth, and lit the other with a small flame he produced on the tip of his finger.

Livia couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “Krey? You kept that all this time?”

“Yeah,” He managed to enunciate with the smokeroll in his mouth. “And I could damn well use some nerve-calming right about now.”

Slowly, rising from her windless chest, Livia could only laugh.