108: THE ENEMY OF OUR ENEMY

(Janel’s story)

Janel sprinted toward Xaltorath, aware she had two wizards behind her, one of whom she couldn’t trust.¹ But Xaltorath seemed intent on taking down Relos Var, so Senera’s motives would be straightforward, at least on this one occasion.

Traversing the battlefield proved to be a frustrating experience in more ways than one for Janel. The problem was memory.

She remembered everything. But knowledge didn’t equal skill. Casting spells required mnemonic memory, muscle memory, practiced to the point of automatic reflex. Which she hadn’t done. Janel would start to cast a spell and then remember she didn’t know what to do. C’indrol knew; Janel didn’t. In many ways, she’d have been better off abandoning her mortal body and roaming as a demon, but that wasn’t an acceptable option for several reasons. Least of which because any demons on the field were fair targets for all sides.

So Janel mostly ended up cutting down enemies with her sword. Which wasn’t her sword at all—it belonged to King Kelanis. At least the sword had a nice balance, but she would have preferred something twice as large.

“Up ahead!” Senera pointed.

Relos Var and Thaena had both vanished. A second later, a large explosion blasted the area; they hadn’t vanished, just turned back to human size.

Dragon-size targets were awfully easy to hit.

“I see!” Janel dodged out of the way of a giant tentacle-limbed demon grabbing for her, but one of the creature’s curling limbs wrapped around her sword arm, barbs sinking into her flesh. She moved to set the thing on fire, but as she did, a slender curved sword cleaved down through the demon’s head, so fast the monster didn’t have time to make a noise before her attacker fell to pieces. She turned back, expecting to shout a thank-you to Talea or Xivan—

But it was Xaltorath’s shadow demon, darkness wrapped around him like a thick, black cloak.

The creature paused for just a moment, giving off the impression he stared at her. The demon nodded at her—just once—before he vanished and reappeared farther away, assassinating another demon from the shadows before vanishing again.

He’s killing demons, she thought. He’s only attacking demons.

Janel almost laughed. How perfectly appropriate. Xaltorath had given her a brother, of a sort. And here he was, lashing out at the other demons, the same way she always had. Janel knew nothing about this demon—who he’d been as a human, if he’d been driven insane like most demons or had somehow escaped that curse too—but in that split second, she felt a warm flare of kinship. Then she pushed her curiosity aside and concentrated on the battle.

Most of Thaena’s forces had fled the area, and those who hadn’t were dead. Relos Var had transformed back into a human shape, fighting both Thaena and Xaltorath simultaneously. The energies streaming around them were astonishing and terrifying. Off to the side, the stranger who’d come through the portal with Relos Var, Kihrin, and Thurvishar fought a separate but potentially overlapping battle involving a colossal demon swarm who seemed unusually focused on him.

Janel saw the issue immediately: Relos Var was losing. If they just left this whole thing alone, Xaltorath and Thaena would rid the world of Var in just a few short seconds. Which she’d have gladly accepted if only Xaltorath or Thaena winning were any better.

“I can’t believe I’m about to do this.” Janel watched as one of Xaltorath’s claw strikes dropped Relos Var to his knees.

“We have to do something!” Senera was already starting to spellcast, but Janel could easily understand why even a wizard of Senera’s skill level might find herself intimidated at the thought of wading into that battle.

Janel gave the woman a contemptuous stare. “No,” she said. “We don’t have to do a thing.” She turned back, sighing. “But we’re going to.”

Janel debated her options, none of which were good. It wasn’t a matter of which was the most dangerous—they were all dangerous—but which of the three Janel might survive fighting. Thaena could kill with a glance.

That was a problem.

So she melted the ground under Xaltorath’s feet to catch her attention.

“Hey, Xaltorath!” she shouted. “Can anyone play this game?”

Just then, Thaena paused and looked off into the distance. Her quicksilver eyes widened.

The Goddess of Death vanished.

“What just happened?” Senera looked around.

Thurvishar also scanned the area. “There’s always a chance that was a good thing?” He sounded uncertain.

Meanwhile, Xaltorath raised her head and grinned. ***OH YES. THIS PARTY IS ALWAYS READY FOR MORE DANCERS.*** She started moving in Janel’s direction.