Getting down from the cliffs was far more difficult than getting up, and by the time Kiela made it to the bottom most if the land had been taken over by the faceless army. The shifters had retreated to behind the cliffs, and it seemed to be hopeless.

Kiela wished to be back in the village, to take a swim and wash the sweat from her skin. But the battle was my yet over, and the outcome was still uncertain. She waded back into the frat, using her claws to fight for she had no more knives. She cut down a faceless and looked up. A few feet away stood a girl with brown hair and green eyes. Smooth skin now covered where scrapes and scars used to be. But the eyes were the same.

"Artemis!" Kiela cried out joyfully.

"Kiela!" Artemis replied. She held out her arms wide and Kiela ran into them, clutching the other girl to her.

"Artemis I'm so glad that you're okay!" She gasped.

"I am glad to see you too." Artemis replied. "I have waited a long time to do this." White hot pain flashed through Kiela's shoulder, right in the healing arrow wound. She screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Her blurry eyes barely registered the bloodstained knife in Artemis' hand.

"Why would you do that?" Kiela cried. Her vision flickered. Talk about stabbing someone in the back. Artemis just gave the phrase a whole new meaning.

"You see, Kiela, when you left me I was very close to death. I could see Sylnav's hall, and all our friends that had gone before. I wasn't ready to die. Drisnôk came to me, and offered to heal my wounds, if I would only serve him. And I realized that our gods are diluting us. I they had this power to heal, then why do so many people die? Why was Manin allowed to live? And I realized that I could rule, far better then they have." She laughed maniacally. "My first step to becoming great will be to kill you. Your energy will be mine, and no one can stand before me. I am a god!"

"Artemis what are you doing?" Kiela asked, panicked.

"I am taking what is mine." Artemis replied. She drew a knife and knelt. Blood dropped down the length of the blade and dropped into Kiela's eyes.

Then a scream pierced the air, and a blade emerged, poking through Artemis' chest. She toppled to the ground, revealing the shocked form of Kym behind her.

"Kiela, are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine." Keila replied. Her stabbed shoulder told another story.

"You have to come. Samah and Ramsea are fighting Drisnôk. The faceless are everywhere!" Kym told her. "Where's Connix?"

"Dead." Kiela replied. "I killed him at the top of Rüjae."

"You killed him? That's amazing!"

"Don't celebrate yet." Kiela warned. "We still have a long way to go."

Horns blasted through the air. "What's that?" Kiela asked.

"North and South village must be here!" Kym exclaimed.

Sure enough, a black line of boats came over the water. People were visible, and arrows cut through the ranks of faceless by the shore. Kiela felt relief fill her.

"Where's Drisnôk?" She growled. "This war ends now."

"Follow me!" Kym replied. The two girls fought their way through the melee towards the sounds of battle.

Drisnôk was visible from leagues away. His huge body stamped and crushed both faceless warriors and shifters alike. As the girls drew nearer they spotted two people cutting and hacking at his legs. They came closer and the figures resolved themselves to be Ramsea and Samah. Drisnôk tried to shake them off, but they clung on and dodged every slash of his swords.

Deep cuts opened themselves on Drisnôk's body, but they healed almost as quickly. He roared and his hand stretched down. Ramsea jumped backwards, but Samah wasn't fast enough. It closed over him, and Drisnôk snapped his spine, letting the body fall lifelessly to the ground.

"Dad!" Kym screamed, and surged forwards. Kiela held her back.

"Don't Kym." Kiela warned. "You are your people's leader now. They can't loose you too."

Kym sobbed. "I don't care! I want my father!"

Kiela stared at Drisnôk. It seemed so unfair that so many should die to right an ancient wrong. Tori's voice echoed in her ears. You have to kill him. Don't let me die in vain.

I won't Tori. Kiela vowed. I will kill him.

She shifted her fingers and darted forwards.
"Ramsea!" She called. The elder moved towards her. Together they both attacked, slashing and dodging. Drisnôk's blows were too powerful to deflect. She jumped onto his leg and used her claws to pull herself upwards, carving big gouges into his stomach and arms.

A mighty shake dislodged her and Drisnôk slashed his sword towards her head. Kiela stared transfixed at the gleaming expanse of metal that was about to end her life.

"No!" Ramsea shouted. She hurled herself at Kiela, pushing her out of the way. Her eyes met the girl's. "You are the wolf. You must not die."

The blade fell, and the great elder was no more. Drisnôk's leg flashed out and Kiela soared through the air to land dazed on the ground. Her leg crumpled under her, and her ribs sang with so much pain that she knew they were broken.

How many are gone? Sarae, Ramsea, Samah, Tori... I can't do it.

You must. Sylnav demanded. Think if the past, use it to secure the future.

Ramsea's intent gaze filled her head, a memory from long ago. "One of the first of the new creatures, what would become shifters, watched Sylnav as she fought Drisnôk. He saw a slight hitch in Drisnôk's stride, a weakness in his left knee. He drove his claws into it, and for the first time all battle Drisnôk howled in pain..."

Now you see. Sylnav told her. Do it before it is too late...

Kiela pulled herself upwards and looked. She saw the weakness, she saw the hitch in his stride. She lunged, feet racing on the ground, claws stretched forwards... And they sank into soft flesh. Drisnôk howled, and his body shone with light. The light dissolved and all the faceless turned to ash that blew away in the wind. A horrible sound of anguish filled the air as Drisnôk's form became smaller and smaller.

"You have all wronged me." He snarled. "This can't be it..."
His figure too turned black and vanished.

Kiela's vision flickered and the light around her dimmed. With a sigh she sunk into the darkness.

***

Kiela's eyes blinked open to a shining white hall. Fajr, Sylnav and Eursa sat in three impressive looking stone thrones built in a semi circle around her. "Where am I?" She asked, her voice sounding groggy even to her own ears.

"Congratulations Kiela." Fajr said. his voice was formal and reserved, but joy sparkled in his kind eyes. "You have killed Drisnôk, and saved the shifters."

"Thank you, Lord Fajr." she replied, bowing.

"No, thank you." Fajr answered. "In return for you noble services, we have decided to bestow great powers on you, so that you may join us in this hall, to rule with us over the land of Carnasia."

Kiela froze. "So that means that I can't go back?" she asked.

Fajr saighed. "No, Kiela, you cannot go back."

"What?" she asked. "I won't ever see my friends again? All I wanted was to belong, to live somewhere without fear!"

"Kiela." Sylnav said, sympathy filling her voice. "There is a... consequence to hosting my form within your body for so long, especially since I worked magic within you. It means that a certain amount of my powers are still in your body, and they will never leave. To put it plainly you are dangerous, in danger of becoming the next Connix or even the next Drisnôk. You will never die, because of that little bit of my spirit, and all shifters will in time seem fickle beings to you. Do you really wish to stay the same while all your friends die around you?"

"No." Kiela replied under her breath "I never wish to experience that again."

"Then you must listen to us." Sylnav urged.

Eursa made a small noise of frustration. "Young warrior sees horror. Young warrior sees pain. Need one day of joy before our pain is hers."

"I agree." Fajr replied. "Kiela, you can have one more day in Carnasia, with your friends if you agree to our proposition."

"Fine." Kiela said. "I do not wish to do the same things as Connix has."

"Then it's settled." Eursa growled. "You have one day." 

THANKS FOR READING! I HOPE YOU ENJOYED! IT'S ALMOST THE END OF THIS BOOK, SO PLEASE VOTE WHILE YOU STILL CAN! FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEW TO WATTPAD YOU CAN ACTUALLY VOTE FOR EACH CHAPTER, NOT ONLY ONE VOTE FOR THE WHOLE BOOK. EG. A BOOK WITH 31 CHAPTERS = 31 VOTES. THANKS SO MUCH!

QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: DID KIELA ACT TOO QUICKLY?