“It’s been a good run, guys,” said Reece. “And Hargrove won’t be a threat any longer, but I’m all out of tricks. This next battle is going to suck. It’ll be an honor to die by your sides if it comes to that.”

“We can escape on the Qilin,” replied Pasha, desperation in her voice.

Reece shook his head ‘no’ before indicating the skies around them. The sky was full of monsters closing in fast from everywhere. On land, the group couldn’t even see the sands through the multitudes of undead bodies swarming toward them. As the hordes drew close, Reece could make out distinctive features. Some were lacedons created from humans and sea folk alike. Others were made up of various African and Egyptian people. The behemoths and other abominations looked like they had traveled a great distance to reach them. Some had probably been delivered by ship, aircraft, or some other means.

This confrontation had been planned far in advance. It didn’t make any sense. Even Reece didn’t know he’d be there until a few hours earlier.

“Hargrove’s final trick,” stated Karina evenly. “He knew we would be here and summoned the majority of his forces to converge on us. That’s the only thing that makes any sense.”

Karina’s words mirrored Reece’s thoughts. Did Hargrove have foresight, from a prophecy perhaps? Whatever it was didn’t matter at the time. Waves of monsters were about to crash over them in mere moments, and he and his friends were all but used up. They needed a miracle.

That’s when Reece sensed another wave of energy sweeping out in all directions from where the nightcore had been floating in the air. It was almost blinding in its fiery intensity as everything was bathed in blue. The next thing he knew, Cyrene was behind him, and his body hummed with energy. The orb was still floating in the air. The last of the blue energy escaped from its containment. Then the shell of the nightcore became dark and fell lifelessly to the sand.

“Regenesis has begun,” stated Cyrene. “Now it’ll cover the earth and reignite everything that requires chi energy and mana. It’ll also alter beings with latent chi-powered abilities and potential. A new world is being born right now, Reece. And it’s all thanks to you.”

“Yeah, uh, well… I think I had a little help,” replied Reece. “But I appreciate the sentiment. Still, I’m glad we were able to save the world. Although, it would have been nice to live long enough to enjoy it.”

Reece looked out into the oncoming undead and determined to take control of as many as possible. It would take a tremendous amount of luck and determination. But maybe some of them could still make it out alive. It was the only small hope he had left. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he began his trance. However, a moment later, it was suddenly interrupted.

“Reece,” called out Shenfu. “Our abilities are now fully restored. It’s time to bring in the cavalry.”

Moments later, Shenfu and the rest of the Qilin disappeared, teleporting away. Reece turned back to look at his companions. Angel, Naeva, Hank, and Bjorn’s hybrid forms had doubled in size, and they now were truly monstrous, with sharper teeth and longer claws. Aspen and Taela didn’t look different, but both women radiated power. Cyrene and Ciera looked more alluring than ever.

Cyrene stepped up to the Beckers and placed her hands upon each of them. A moment later, their terrible wounds began to heal, the sutures falling to the sand at their feet. Though they still had scars, they looked much like their former selves. Crying, they embraced the nymph in thanks and then each other, kissing with a love that had been denied them for far too long.

“It’s time to put our power to work for the greater good,” said Zia.

“Finally,” agreed Stephanie. “Let’s show them what Druden can do.”

The two women began chanting, their arms dancing in intricate patterns. Scrub brush and small scraggly trees, the only foliage in the area, came to life. Pulling themselves from the sandy soil, they rushed toward the oncoming undead. The farthest from Reece’s group soon launched themselves at the nearest undead creatures, their vines burrowing into zombie brains and the like. The undead wave slowed but didn’t relent. The Beckers continued their attacks, mixing in lightning attacks from the sky.

Reece shook his head and smiled. The discovery that his fellow astronauts were all picked for the mission because of their varied lineages wasn’t lost on him. While not shocking, it was a pleasant surprise. Maybe not a game-changer, but they’d definitely take a few more undead bastards with them.

“Where are you, Shen?” muttered Reece, wondering about the missing Qilin.

Just then, the Qilin reappeared with white-sizzling ‘pops’. They were also carrying passengers. The vampires and berserkers from Madagascar leaped from their Qilin mounts and joined Reece’s group.

“Greetings, Reece,” said one of the vampires, a pale blonde man dressed in leather. “We’re here to lend a hand, and it looks like you could use a few.”

“Hah, you’re more than welcome,” laughed Reece. “My optimism was starting to run a little thin. We’ve got a whole heap of incoming.”

“I see,” said the vampire. “Then we shall greet them.”

The vampire and six others dashed toward the horde while the enormous berserkers shored up their flanks, waiting for the undead to arrive.

The vampires and berserkers were soon joined by the human defenders of Madagascar. Next came numerous Adaro, harpies, Rakshasa, Lycaons, and Nagas. Then it was people from all over the planet. All were brought there to fight the zombie horde assembled against them. If they didn’t stop the horde here, it would just roll over the world and wipe them all out one at a time. They all knew it, and so they came to fight.

What had started as Reece, Cyrene, Ciera, and Chippo had become a small army of the strongest warriors on the planet. The Qilin were on a roll, bringing in a dozen new fighters at a time, all ready for combat. Then the Qilin’s cavalry was further bolstered.

From the north, arriving from across the Mediterranean Sea, flew troop transports and fighter jets, attack helicopters, and a host of other aircraft, all laying waste to the massive army of undead below them.

Reece looked back at Cyrene and raised an eyebrow even as his jaw dropped.

“How is this possible?” he asked, half stunned.

“I have no idea,” Cyrene smiled and shrugged.

“I do,” said Aika, backing up to Reece as she beheaded two zombies, one with each of her katanas. “I suppose we can let you in on our little secret now that the commander is dead.”

“What secret?” asked Reece, narrowing his eyes at her implication.

“We were quite busy while you were stuck at the great wall,” answered Aika. “We may have taken a detour per Karina’s direction to visit the Oracle of Delphi. Ever heard of her?”

“Yeah, of course,” said Reece, curious about where her explanation was going. “I assumed she was only a myth. But, I guess there isn’t much about our planet that is merely a myth. The last few months have proved that time and time again.”

“Exactly,” agreed Aika while she lopped the head off a charging ghoul. “And she was tricky to find, but Karina knew where to look. Well… long story short, she told us we would fail unless we did several specific things. One was to gather as many groups from around the world as possible for a final battle to turn the tide of this war. We also needed to keep certain bits of information from you. The Oracle said it would help you to make several decisions. Choices you needed to get correct for us to succeed. So, I’m sorry, but not sorry.”

A large group of ghouls charged them, pausing their conversation. Reece pulled his recently returned twin pistols and capped several, but Aika and Ciera annihilated the ghouls with an unmatched lethality. Aspen and Bjorn worked together as a team, rending ghouls limb from limb. They even brought a pair of behemoths down. Angel, Taela, and the twins were concentrating on a massive behemoth, working together to trip it up and allow Taela’s spear to finish the thing off. Everyone was doing their part to eliminate the commander’s army for good.

The Qilin were still bringing fighters from all over the world, and even the remaining members of the Order had decided that their lives were worth more than their loyalty to a deceitful leader. It was now every living being against the undead. The walking dead’s advance slowed to a crawl. The whole world was allied against them. It wasn’t long before the army dwindled to a fraction of its former size. This allowed Reece and his companions to finally take a breather while the new arrivals finished off the remains of the undead menace.

More and more arrivals appeared, joining the fight from various Troop-Transports from all over the world. Additional jets arrived from African, Egyptian, French, Greek, and German air forces, all coordinating their attacks with each other as they took the fight to the late Abel Hargrove’s forces. Pasha coordinated the attack from the Phoenix, ensuring the jets didn’t mistakenly attack the sphinxes or Qilin.

There were still many flying undead, and several jets were brought down during the aerial dogfights. But the combined efforts of the pilots and their gunners tore through the undead ranks, quickly decimating the abominations in a hail of gunfire and occasional missile. The mindless and leaderless creatures fell to the incredible onslaught. The entire world was represented in this battle. The remains of every country fought together for the fate of their shared planet.

Angel ran up to Reece, having returned to his human form. He was carrying his long-range radio in his hand and had a big smile. Angel slowed to a stop once he reached him.

“I think we did it!” Angel exclaimed. “I just got off the radio with Micah on the Hunter. Every remaining community on the planet has assaulted the Order’s forces from all over the world. Li Ji is coordinating the worldwide effort. So far, everything is going better than expected. Things can finally return to normal in a few weeks, maybe months.”

“See,” said Aika. “The whole world is standing together to destroy this threat. The aspects knew what they were doing, as did the Oracle.”

“Who am I to argue with results,” replied Reece, giving her a wink and a smile. “But I don’t think things will ever return to normal. Well, at least not the normal we knew.”

“Fair enough,” agreed Angel.

Reece turned and saw Karina. She was covered in blood and looked a bit different. She tentatively stood up and stumbled over to Reece, falling into his arms. Looking up at him, her eyes were no longer red but a sparkling purple. She smiled and winked at him as a warmth spread through his body from her touch, a touch he had feared he’d never feel again.

“Are you okay?” asked Reece tentatively, not understanding what had happened to the girl.

“Better than okay,” replied Karina, her face softening as she stared into Reece’s eyes. “Somehow, the nightcore made me human again. I’m slow and weak now, but I’m fully healed. I can finally grow up into a woman. A complete woman. One who will be able to have children someday. I’m at a loss. I’ve been stuck in this body for so long without hope. Now, I have what I’ve always wanted. However, I won’t be able to protect you, at least not for a while.”

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to protect you then,” said Reece, grabbing the girl in his arms and giving her a big celebratory kiss.

“And when I’m older, you’re going to do me a favor,” said Karina, a seductive edge to her voice. “You’re going to knock me up. I can’t let Ciera, Naeva, and Aika have all the kids…and all the fun.”

It was then that Reece noticed the sparkle in her eye. She was staring knowingly at Aika. Reece’s eyes went from narrowed slits to wide open. Turning, he remembered Aika looking a bit thicker. Now that he looked at her in a different light, it was obvious she was pregnant. Reece nearly swooned at the thoughts of how many kids he was having when confusion came crashing in again.

“Wait a second,” he said. “I thought you said that vampires couldn’t get pregnant.”

“That’s true,” cut in Aika. “But seeing as I haven’t been a vampire for a while, Karina gave up her Lilitu-hood for me. In the process, she reverted to a vampire herself. So, I can have children now.”

“Why would you do that?” asked Reece, whipping his head back to Karina’s face.

“Because I couldn’t have kids anyway, and I knew how badly Aika wanted children,” explained Karina. “It seemed like the obvious choice. Besides, the aspects looked out for me and gave me a second chance, so I think it all worked out pretty well, don’t you think.”

“Are you kidding?” gasped Reece. “All things considered, I feel lucky that we all survived. It’s nothing short of a miracle.”

“That may be truer than you think,” clarified Karina. “There were dozens of miracles thrown your way. You were an instrument of the gods, one of many. Don’t you think they’d tip the dice in favor of those that fight for them?”

“You know, you’re pretty smart for a rebellious teenager,” joked Reece, mussing up Karina’s hair.

Karina smiled up at him, all full of innocence and love, then jabbed her thumb under Reece’s armpit, distracting him. A moment later, she had grabbed the arm he had used to muss up her hair and wrenched it down and around to his back, spinning him enough that she had access to the backs of his knees. She kicked each of them, forcing Reece’s knees to buckle, allowing her to guide him painfully to the ground. Then she bit him at the base of his neck, just enough to draw blood. The whole attack took less than a second. From there, she licked him seductively, winding her tongue up his jugular to the base of his skull, ending with a quick nip at his ear before whispering into it.

“I may not be super strong or fast anymore,” she whispered, her words dripping with danger. “But three thousand years of battle experience says I can still kick your ass anytime I feel like it, Reece Danielson.”

“I stand corrected,” smiled Reece. “Or should I say, ‘kneel corrected’, huh… love?”

“That’s better,” said Karina, releasing Reece’s arm and allowing him to get back up.

Reece raised an eyebrow at the girl as he stood, rubbing his shoulder to work out the pain.

“So, what are we going to do about them?” asked Angel, pointing behind Reece.

Turning, Reece noticed that the fighting was all but done. The remains of the Order were eyeing the newly arrived fighters cautiously. The feeling looked mutual to him. There were still several hundred fighters left for the Order, but they didn’t look like they were about to surrender. Reece hastily walked towards the stand-off with his hands raised high.

“Hold up! The battle’s over,” yelled Reece, getting the attention of both sides. “Abel Hargrove, also known as Commander Rogers, is dead, as is his ability to control his people. We’re all victims here. There’s no reason to fight among each other. The true enemy is gone, now…lower your weapons!”

It only took a moment, and the two sides followed Reece’s suggestion. It wasn’t luck. Reece had used his influence to bring them all together. He understood the kind of power he held and that even though he was using it to do a good thing, he was sure no one should wield that kind of power. He also knew it was a problem for another day. Today would be a day of celebration. They still had some issues to work out, but it was a turning point for what would be known as The Plague War.

He felt Karina slide up to his left, pressing her body to his side while her right hand gently stroked his back. Aika arrived at his right. She snaked her left hand into his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. The two females knew him too well and understood how conflicted he would feel after using his ability to influence so many around him. He knew that they wanted to reassure him. That what he had done was good. Reece had to admit that their support helped a lot. He would be relying on it in the days and weeks to come.

Aika and Karina stepped forward together, pulling Reece along. They led him back to the rest of his friends. They exchanged hugs of relief, celebration, victory, joy, and remembrance for those they had lost. Emotions ran high as everyone began catching up with each other. So much had happened to them, and Reece only knew his role in the story. The war was worldwide. Thousands of others sacrificed, fought, helped, and even died to win it. Each had their own story.

When the adrenaline finally wore off, Reece noticed that he wasn’t the only one exhausted. The Qilin all huddled near each other. Ciera and Naeva were passed out in each other’s arms, lying against the furry flank of Naeva’s companion mount. Bjorn, Hank, and Dmitri sat among the wreckage of a vehicle, one of the Order’s Humvees that had seen better days. Aika and Karina were still leading Reece along one of a hundred dunes when the exhaustion kicked in.

“Hey, ladies,” said Reece. “I’d like to rest for a few minutes if you don’t mind. This seems like a nice spot.”

“Are you sure?” asked Aika, looking skeptically at the smooth sandy slope.

“Yeah,” nodded Reece.

“Suit yourself,” replied Aika, her and Karina gently setting Reece down. “Shout if you need anything.”

“Thanks,” said Reece, “and will do.”

The two women trudged off, and Reece fell back into the sand with a little smile, looking up into the desert sky. Shutting his eyes, Reece let his body relax and the exhaustion take over. A loud whump next to him told him that he had company. Someone else had laid down just as he had.

“You ever think that discovering that zombie rat creature on Zhengzhou would lead to all of this?” asked Angel, giving voice to the person lying near him.

“Not in my wildest fantasies,” replied Reece. “It’s going to be a whole new world now.”

“I heard that, amigo,” agreed Angel. “So, um… what do you think that activating that nightcore orb actually did? It seemed kinda anti-climactic.”

“Yeah, maybe…,” answered Reece. “But I think we haven’t seen the effects of it just yet. I have a feeling that the world is changing more than we know. Cyrene mentioned something about it releasing chi or mana into the world.”

“Well, that sounds kinda ominous, don’t you think?” asked Angel.

“Yep,” quipped Reece. “That’s why I’m just lying here, relaxing and enjoying a few more minutes before the next life-altering event happens.”

“Speaking of, “Angle shifted his position on the sand, “I understand you and Aika are expecting. Congratulations. So, by my count, that’s four kids with three women.”

“Yep, and Karina has put me on notice. She wants kids too, once she’s grown up a bit more,” added Reece, a hit of anxiety in his voice.

“Jupiter’s cock AND balls,” exclaimed Angel. “How are you going to manage all of that?”

“Well, I don’t really know,” said Reece.

“Hey, maybe all that chi energy will rub off on you,” offered Angel.

“What? Like, allow me to clone myself?” asked Reece before he gave Angel a big grin. “Hmmm, maybe Rogers was on to something…”

“Whoa, no crazy talk! Okay, amigo,” laughed Angel. “I think we have more than enough of you already.”

“I can’t argue with that,” chuckled Reece. “Besides, how would the rest of you men get dates? I seem to attract everyone! It may not sound like a bad problem to have, but it’s maddening at times.”

“Well, since you brought it up,” said Angel, putting his hand on Reece’s shoulder. “I was wondering what you were doing later tonight?”

“What in Hades… are you kidding me?!?” exclaimed Reece in mock horror. “What about Stephanie?”

The two men started laughing hysterically, trying to get words out amid the chuckles. “Not…a…chance, amigo! You’ve…”

The rest of Angel’s words were lost as the laughter took over. Reece couldn’t stop laughing enough to respond. Angel was able to raise an eyebrow through the laughter as he studied Reece for a moment. Reece took a deep breath. His abs had started hurting from all the laughing.

“You’re… really… something… I mean, you and…,” Angel stammered between chuckles, pointing to Reece and then himself before falling back into a deep belly laugh.

Reece joined him again. The two men lay together, laughing hysterically, letting all the emotions, stress, and horrors of the day melt away. Once Reece opened his eyes, he felt tears streaking down his cheeks. Through blurry eyes, he witnessed Naeva, Ciera, Cyrene, Aika, and Karina all standing over them with a mixture of cocked eyebrows and furrowed brows.

“Yeah, you’ve got it rough,” said Angel, the sarcasm dripping from each word as he stood up and slapped the sand from his oversized cargo pants. “Good luck, amigo.”

Reece could still hear him chuckling as he trudged away through the sand. Reece wiped the tears from his eyes before sitting up. He gave the ladies a big smile.

“Oh… no you don’t,” said Aika, holding her swelling belly. “You better wipe that smile off your face. I told you… when this was over, we’d have to revisit this little harem you think you’ve collected.”

“Oh yeah, right,” sighed Reece, slowly rising to his feet and wiping the sand from his pants. “Let’s see where we all stand. It’s always been about three simple things; love, family, and survival.”

“We know,” agreed Karina, giving Aika a knowing look. “Aika’s just a little testy because of obvious reasons. So, you’re just going to have to cut her some slack, okay?”

“Yeah, fair enough,” agreed Reece. “So, from the looks on your faces, you seem to have an idea of how this should go, am I right?”

“He is very observant,” commented Cyrene.

“Yeah. So, none of this will come as a shock,” replied Naeva. “Okay, so… Reece… Ciera and I have decided to be a couple, mostly exclusively. We may need you… um… your services on occasion but nothing romantic or frequent, okay? Look, we both love you, but we’re in love with each other. We pretty much always have been. Ever since we first met. Please understand. We don’t want to hurt you, and you can see your children any time you want. We want you in their lives. Can you accept that?”

Ciera and Naeva stared hard at Reece, their inner eyebrows upturned in anticipation as they awaited his response. He took a moment to collect his thoughts as he considered the two women before him.

“Of course, Naeva… Ciera,” Reece nodded at the two women in turn. “I knew you had feelings for each other, and I must say, I’m glad you’re in love. I love you both too, but you’re right… you belong together. As for my services, I can’t guarantee that I will be free to do that for you, but I want to be a part of my kids’ lives too. You see…”

“Hey, Reece,” cut in Karina. “Don’t tie yourself into knots over this. If you’re worried about the rest of us, don’t be. We’re all in. You can do this for them and no one will keep you apart from your children.”

“And, as for me,” added Cyrene, “maybe, if we’d met under less complicated circumstances…” She let the idea linger.

“I get it,” said Reece, understanding her point. “So, what will you do now?”

“Oh,” answered Cyrene. “I’m going to travel the world, of course. I’ve been cooped up in that chamber for far too long. There’s a whole vast planet to explore. A lot of people that’ll be trying to find their way. I can help them to, you know, make a difference… live, laugh, love…”

“Well, that’s extremely admirable,” said Reece. “I can’t thank you enough for your help these last couple of days. I’ll miss you, but I’m also excited for you. I think the world will be in good hands.”

“Don’t worry, lover,” she purred. “I’ll be back.”

Naeva, Ciera, and Cyrene hugged Reece before walking off together, leaving him standing with Aika and Karina.

“Well, then…,” said Aika, her face softening, “I do know a bit of what you’re going through. I’m in love with you, Reece. But…I’m also in love with Pasha. If… you can accept that, then I can accept that you are also in love with someone else.”

As if on queue, Pasha walked up beside Aika and slid her hand into the vampire-turned-lilitu. Reece smiled at Pasha who winked at him in return. Reece gave the trio a shit-eating grin.

“I’m having second thoughts about that threesome you suggested aboard the Zhengzhou,” said Reece.

Pasha’s eyes grew wide with desire and even Aika seemed to give it some thought. Then she did something that surprised him. Aika looked knowingly at Karina, who took Aika’s hand in her own before looking back at Reece.

“I’ve been alive a long time but never really lived,” said Karina. “I’ve loved a great number of people in that time. I’ve even been in love a few times. You know all of that already.”

“What I never told you, Reece… was that I’ve never had a love anything like this. Part of it is that I have all my experiences to draw upon. But more than that, I’ve never known anyone like you. I don’t believe in fate or destiny or any of that crap. But you and I, we work. Aika and the others don’t detract from what we have at all. Rather, they somehow enhance it. It’s crazy, but why argue with success? On second thought, while not fate… maybe the aspects did play a hand in bringing together the right people to save the world.”

“After all, we’re all part of a big happy dysfunctional family, but one that backs each other. Naeva, Ciera, Pasha, Angel, Bjorn, Hank, Dmitri, Aspen, and all the others; even the newer faces like Taela and Cyrene… they’re family. Much of that is what we all have been through together. But it’s more than that. It’s something I lost before I became a Lilitu. Odin’s left eye, I can barely recall my biological family. I need you to understand how precious this is for all of us. As long as we stick together, we can overcome anything. And based on what Hargrove said about his god, we may have to.”

“Alright, Karina, that sounds good to me. Well, except for the part about Hargrove’s mysterious god. I can’t tell you how many times each of you has saved me, probably every way someone can be saved. Of course, I love you all. How could I not?” said Reece, smiling at the three women before him. The sentiment made him a tad weepy. “Stupid sand in my eyes. How about we get out of this desert? I’ve got sand everywhere for Thor’s sake! Besides, we have a threesome to plan.”

Aika, Pasha, and Karina moved into Reece and grabbed him in a hug. They shared a moment, comforting each other after the harrowing battle and the even more harrowing discussion in which they had just participated. Out here in the middle of the desert, near the western coast of Africa, Reece felt like he was home. Then someone grabbed his butt.