Chapter Thirty Three: There Is Only Wind

XXXX

Hours had gone by. I didn't bother with procedures. After getting our stuff, we went as fast as possible to the Planar Portals, and I didn't wait in line. I didn't even show my papers. I pushed past everyone until we were walking through the Washington A.C. portals. Anyone who bothered to even call me out I just stared down until they broke. I had no patience, no time for rules. This wasn't the moment for a man to play fair.

We were lugging our stuff to Halina's car. There was snow on the ground, but I, just like another princess I know, have never minded the cold. This city had remained untouched, but who knows for how long. The TV's from inside the buildings had nothing but pictures of burning cities, shifter packs going crazy, radicals lead by mysterious personal raiding everything they can, city guard causing untold damage.

Nothing was going very well.

The city councilors that I had assassinated could have been replaced possibly by good people, but there's no way of telling at this point. Still no angels, still no word from any National Council.

The car was covered in snow. Halina loaded while I wiped it clean. She quickly started the thing, and I opened a portal to the Spirit Layer.

"No time for ice and snow," I said. "We need to get to the portal stations as fast as humanly possible."

"Ditto, be honest," she said as she drove off through this weather. "Can we beat the Alpha Pack?"

Sasha had been sending me messages, and so far they've held off. I might be able to make it before it begins.

"No," I said flatly. "All we can do is fight until we've evacuated the city."

"Are we going to the city first?"

"Yes." 

It would take an hour once we got to Statue City, then we should be able get to Lake City. But by then I know they'll have started their attack. Tyrion isn't one to be... subtle. The wild courses through his veins, he lives to kill the weak. The wilds are his fuel, his philosophy, and to destroy a city is like a birthday present to him. He'll relish in it's destruction.

"How many are in his pack?"

I licked my lips. "Thousands."

"Well," she chuckled nervously, "look on the bright side. You fought against the shifters at West without any issue. You had hundreds of heroes gathered at Lake City before you left."

While optimistic, the human really has no clue. I can appreciate both.

"Halina, you've never seen this pack. You'd think you have seen a world of fantasy, and a scary one at that. They are the biggest, strongest, most trained, most brutal pack in the world. They are the elite of the elite, in both shifter packs and any other Hidden trained forces. I'm probably the most fit to fight them in Lake City, and I probably wouldn't be able to defeat a hundred before being torn to shreds. Where they move, nature follows. It's like a plague, except this one has a mind."

She became silent. Thinking. That face I've grown used to said she would try to find something positive. Maybe she would. But as far as I'm concerned, the Last War has now ripped something precious from me.

I can't fathom a world without my home.

"Is there anywhere to go then, after the fight?"

"I don't know. Depends on if Sasha was able to find a safe place."

"Is he doing this to get to you?" she asked.

So many good questions. I looked out to the snow, the few birds in the air. I answered, "Probably. He's smart, smarter than me most likely. Or at least very aggressive, which is a trait I've lacked in the past few years."

"Then now is your chance to kill him. He'll find you, and you can bring him down," she said, grasping at anything with hope. "What is so powerful about him? How can a shifter be more dangerous than a necromancer?"

"He's immortal for one thing," I said. This time I felt fear. "And you don't become the Alpha by being weak. Millions of shifters, and none have challenged him in centuries. Trust me, there's a reason why."

She went to say something else, but stopped, as though to figure out if she should say goodbye. That would be smart. I would be the one to fight him, not anyone else. He'd only want me.

My vision blurred for a moment. It was getting worse, and it won't be getting any better after this battle. Odds are I'll forget who I am for a few minutes. Possibly longer. We will see.

We will see.

XXXX

We got to Statue City, and it had not fared well these past few weeks. The bronze statues were lying scattered everywhere, broken, unimpressive. Windows were shattered. Power lines sparking.

But there were people. Hidden were out, trying to rebuild, somber looking but still trying. Who knows how many had left, had died, had decided anywhere else was better than here. Yet here still some stayed, not giving up because of hard times. Heroes walked around, coordinating projects, obviously keeping their weapons ready in case shifters or fae or whatever decided to return.

I wanted to stay and help, to offer my services, but I couldn't. Troubles lie elsewhere, and they would continue to happen until this was met on the battlefield.

We pulled past the portals, which looked just as looked rough. Good thing they had survived or else I'd might have had a heart attack trying to get back home. Before anything else happened though I got a text message.

Sasha: It's starting.

God, it's like he can smell me

Fuck, maybe he can.

I opened a portal to the Spirit Layer.

I told Halina to floor it.

XXXX

"We're here," I said as the GPS voice told us we've arrived. We made good time, making it twenty minutes sooner than normal. I had punched in the address for the Lake City light portals, because I knew that's where everyone would be.

"Get ready," I told Halina. "You're going with them, wherever that might be. I'll be engaging in battle."

"And my car?"

"Leave it here. It'll be safe." We both got out, and I grabbed my two swords, satchel, and a few other odd things shoving them into various places. When Halina was done getting her backpack ready, she nodded the all clear.

I opened a portal, and we walked on out.

Well, two things upon entering Earth:

First thing is we were right in front of the portal buildings, so that was good.

Second thing? My city was burning.

People were fleeing, being ushered to the portals by heroes and some of the mercenaries I'd befriended years ago. But I could see the fires across the city, could hear the fighting, people screaming, dying, running for their lives.

"Get inside Halina, I'm going to find Sasha and the others."

She didn't argue. As she left I called Sasha, pushing forward past everyone, getting looks from the heroes. From what my nose told me, the pack wasn't here yet, but they'd be getting close within the hour. If we were lucky we could get everyone to safety in time.

She answered.

"Where are you?" I asked, getting my feet moving. I could see my breath, and the sun was covered by clouds. The shops I'd known all my life stood empty, filled with pain. Don't worry, I'll fill you with life again.

"Corner of West Main and Breath. Everyone is here but..."

"I'm on my way." I hung up. That was barely a minute away. Witches flew overhead, some battling large birds and dinosaurs long extinct. Fae too were flying, some towards safety some fighting, magic lighting up the sky. I saw red beams from a hundred yards away. I could barely hear anything over the people. Fear, panic, usually my fuel, yet today it was my nightmare.

I rounded the corner and saw my friends. Sasha la Rose, holding her glass wand striped with orange, black dress flowing with the wind, was talking with the warlock Ren, captain of the Blue Billed Mercenaries. Paul and Fina were a few feet away looking for trouble, and Jamie was wrapping his arm in gauze. Wait a minute... where was--?

"Ditto!" Sasha saw me and came up giving me a big hug. "Goddamn, I didn't think you were coming back. We're being flanked, we're out manned, and out powered."

"Good to see you again," Ren said.

"I wish under better times," I responded. Sasha got off me and I clasped Jamie's shoulder. "Glad to see you're all not dead. How long until the evacuation is complete?"

Paul and Fina finally walked up, smiling but it was forced. The vampire answered, "Almost done. I've been counting."

"Of course." I looked around, to the skies, sniffing like a mad man. "How much time you think Paul?"

"Thirty minutes?"

"Okay." I nodded to Fina, who had knives in both hands. Her wings look battered, but overall alright. "Estimates on enemy numbers?"

She smirked. "Not even here for ten minutes, and he's back in charge. Honestly I don't know. Over five thousand. They're toying with us though, letting many of the heroes fall back. We've lost some, I don't know how many."

"Sasha, Ren, call everyone back. We need as tight of a circle as possible. They'll pick us apart at a distance. We need to stay strong and not break. Not for thirty minutes." Looking around I said, "Where's Buddy?"

Sasha glanced away, and Jamie said, "He's out fighting. We don't know where."

Shit.

"I'm going after him. Get the heroes together, we can hold them off if we stay strong."

Then I was gone, ignoring Jamie's voice behind me. After going down three streets the people let up and now it was heroes and mercenaries making defensive positions. There weren't too many shifters, but I could see them coming. Heading straight, I told many of them to fall back, then drew Ever Heart. It glowed purple, too eager for death.

I wasn't.

I kept going straight, and the bodies began to show. Not raising any yet, I prepared myself. Up ahead were shifters, mostly massive creatures, coming rather slowly towards me. Igniting my left hand in black necro-fire, I yelled as they charged.

The large black bull was too slow, and he was consumed by fire. The others though dodged the burning corpse and came from all sides. Some type of velociraptor snapped at my left. I jumped out of the way, only to move again as cobra fangs came down where my arm once was. Still moving, I ducked as a snapping hound jumped over me, and I had to block a sword strike as she shifted mid air.

Getting full height, I kicked a orange monkey only to dodge raptor fangs. Slashing quickly, I sent the raptor off with a cut down it's face. Flames raced from my fingers into the hound but it was like she didn't notice, shifting through the flames to use her sword as a shield. I went right, hand shooting out, and was going to sent necro-lighting into her face until a cobra launched itself in my way, shifting to reveal a man with a sword.

Moving, it took all my reflexes to party and not die instantly. I fell into him and he shifted back into a cobra, wrapping around me. My hand grabbed his neck and I turned a decent portion to ash, head falling away.

I got a kick to the side, and I released a large amount of necro-fire in all directions. Standing, the hound and orange monkey were rubbing their burns. As fast as I could I cut down the monkey, but the dog ran off.

Jesus, that was just a handful too.

Going down the street, more were running my way. Then I heard the beating of wings, and I spun, blade cutting across the belly of a large bat.

Having my back turned was a mistake. Fangs of something came down, and I let out a scream. I reached my free hand around and threw off a massive bobcat. The unending charged again, and I grabbed it's face, turning it to ash without mercy. Spinning, Ever Heart cut open a red tiger, then I punched some type of large lizard, nearly avoiding large deadly fangs. My sword slashed a vulture descending from the sky, the unending healing from the wound instantly and coming in again.

I released a torrent of black fire, hoping to turn it to ash and smoke, only to be assaulted by a goat ramming my leg and sending off rolling down the street. Groaning, more of the city was burning, grey smoke filling up the sky, heating up the city even though it was winter. Even more pissed, I stood, ready to kill, when the shifters were called back.

A large group of them had finally arrived, and leading them was no other than the King of Shifters, Tyrion. He was in human form, standing in the middle of some human, some animal, shifters, his green tattoos swirling like a lazy river on a warm day. His lackies surrounded him, a large group of at least fifty. But more were going by down other streets, some forming up behind me. They held off though, waiting for their master. In his grip was the one I was looking for.

Tyrion held Buddy by his neck. My friend was clearly hurt, bleeding from several spots, bruised, and no spark of hope in his eyes.

If I wasn't pissed before, I definitely was now.

"Ah, there he is," Tyrion said, wicked smile and cocky attitude. "Finally making an appearance. To protect his dear city." He lifted Buddy up a little bit. "And his dear friend."

"Buddy," I said. "Hang on. I'll get you."

"You know, I never appreciated you coming to my pack, saving your friend from justice, killing two of my own." Tyrion lifted my friend with one hand, as though showing off a fresh catch. "I bet you didn't think I would remember. That I wouldn't take revenge. I've never loved these kinds of attacks, for the purpose of destruction alone, but today, well, today is different."

I clenched my fist, so tight around Ever Heart that my knuckles turned white. "Explanations aren't needed. I understand Tyrion. But if you continue down this path, you will see no forgiveness from me."

"Ah, Necromancer. Tisk, tisk, tisk. This is your fault. You decided to challenge us. You decided that our vision should be stopped. If anything, you should be asking for forgiveness when we have you bent over, sword hovering over your neck."

"Do not threaten me. This is your last chance Tyrion." But my eyes were locked with Buddy's. I tried to give him hope. I tried to say that I, the hero, would save my friend.

"Ironically, Ditto, the forgiveness of a necromancer means nothing to me."

His hand began to tighten, yet I still looked at Buddy in the eyes. He had nothing though. No fear, no regrets, no anything. The only thing I could see was contempt. As if to say I did what was right. This man can't hurt me. Not anymore.

The snap took his life.

The snap took my rage.

I drew Stonework, my vision near black. Lifting both blades, I crossed them, readying for the only thing I knew better than life.

"If it's death you want," I said as Tyrion threw aside the body of my friend. "Then it's death you'll get."

I stepped forward. If there was one thing my master made sure before she sent me out into the world, is that I was prepared to fight without magic. Swords were all I needed.

Tyrion smiled, then whistled. His hoard called into action, there was nothing to do but face the consequences of my mistakes. The first shifter I slashed across his face, the man going down in a howl of blood and screams.

Ducking and cutting and stabbing, my hands were a flurry, my mind set on killing. Stonework cut a cougar in half, then an ape, then a stag, and a hound. An unending bit their fangs into my arm, and I stabbed them with Ever Heart, then shot necro-lightning out burning anything it touched.

A large grey wolf launched itself in the air, teeth and spit coming for my face. Jumping to my right, I had to kick a woman before putting Stonework deep into the wolf, lifting the shifter and slamming them into the pavement.

Suddenly, pain erupted through my body as Tyrion punched me so hard I was sent flying, landing hard and rolling before coming to a quick stop. Spitting, I got onto one knee.

"What a joke," the King said. He came forward slow and deliberate, arms wide open. "Do you think you're the only special creature in this world? I've killed more necromancers than I can count. The Dead War was a fun time. I'll give you credit though Death, you've got more spite than any other of the bone-cutters before you."

Bone-cutters, haven't heard that one in a while.

His pack ran around him, coming in fast and swift. Not done or dead yet, I roared with a miserable promise of never backing down. Putting as much demon strength into my body as it'd let me, I put my blade down a throat, then another through a hawks wing, and necro-fire into an ugly looking woman. My nose just caught the whiff of Tyrion, and I had to spin as fast as possible to block another punch. The power reverberated into my skull, rattling my eyesight, but I had to keep fighting. I refused to die here.

Buddy my friend, you will not be forgotten.

The image of the philosopher enraged me. Screaming, I lunged at Tyrion, and even as he dodged I split open the skull of a tiger. Blood and gore were my weapons. Using the tip of Ever Heart, I directed the river of blood at my feet into a ball and shot bullets into another dozen shifters, maiming those who couldn't die and killing those who could.

"You still fighting for your compatriot?" Tyrion mocked. He shifted and attempted to sink fangs into my back. Narrowly avoiding a game-ending blow, I kept mowing down shifters, but still they continued to come. The unendings were relentless, even cutting them in half didn't stop them for long.

A bite. A slash. A punch.

The hits were starting to make their way in. I was fading fast.

Of all the beings I've faced, this kind of defeat didn't surprise me.

But I'd die making sure these bastards knew that I'd never forgive. Buddy will be avenged for that's the strongest bond of them all.

Remembrance.

Stonework removed chunks of skull from a poor man, before I kicked very large house cat into submission. Time was running out though. The King of Shifters hasn't even begun to get serious.

Which is why when a deer managed to kick one of my legs, he took the opportunity to jump on me, knocking me onto my back and pinning my arms down. I looked into the eyes of the Wilds itself, the black wolf one of the most dangerous creatures to ever live. I couldn't even move under his weight.

Hope fleeting, I prepared to greet my eternal servant.

Then an orange beam blasted Tyrion off me, and many of the other shifters too.

"Don't fucking run off again," Sasha said as she pointed her wand at the enclosing shifters. "And don't fucking give up yet."

She quickly reached out her hand, and I smiled as I took it with her hoisting me up.

"Where is Buddy?" she asked.

My smiled faded. Looking away, it was easy to point to where he now lay.

She gasped, bringing her hands to her face. "Oh..... no."

"Ah, you bitch!" Tyrion had shifted, standing up with a steaming chest. Of course that didn't kill him. "Oh, it's you. The one who protects this city."

"Are you ready Sasha?" I whispered. We just needed a few more minutes. She nodded, regaining her hard face. Truth be told, if I had to die this day, by her side wouldn't be too bad. "I'd be careful Tyrion. She's not called Sasha the Falling Star for no reason."

"Rip them apart!" he bellowed, and the pack re mobilized against us.

"You didn't hear this from me," she said, anger as deep as a winding canyon. "But we'll kill them all."

Together, we faced the wilds and all of its majesty.

Sasha shot out more orange beams, taking some down while I got in front, releasing as much darkness and death I could before they were on top of us. Both swords shredded everything that came within my radius. The Alpha Pack, for all their reputation, would still die like mortals.

Rolling, I brought Ever Heart into the chest of a coyote, pushing the body aside to cut down another tiger. Or maybe it was the same. I don't know. The blood was starting to all blend together. Red, for all it's worth, was my least favorite color.

Using necromancy I raised anything dead around me besides Buddy. Some dead twitched to life while I back peddled beside Sasha and got back to back with her. Surrounded, I know for a fact we were thinking the same thing: unleash hell and everything it stands for. The two of us have never studied magic together. Two different interests, but that doesn't mean we both don't know what each other can do.

The Falling Star raised her wand, arcane symbols revolving around the tip. Holes ripped open from the sky, and orange meteors (well technically not meteors but you get the idea) came crashing down, and while those were striking large groups of shifters, I lashed out, faster than any witch or warlock, sword edges cutting open anything within reach.

The dead now stirred and were attacking their former friends. I blasted apart a large bull, then stabbed more unendings, then rolled as Sasha let loose a torrent of energy, feeling the heat across my back. Getting to one knee I threw both swords into a charging triceratops. Releasing fire and lightning, everything burned from death, the stench making me smile. Leaping to my right, I tackled the shifter Daryl. He shifted from being a wolf, but still snarling like a fool.

"I'm going to kill you, you fucking bast--"

He was cut off when I turned his neck to ash, head rolling away and into the path of a charging rhino. Using my demon strength, I spun then elbowed the unending into a building. As glass sprayed everywhere I got back to Sasha, who had set half the place ablaze.

And as she turned to me, I saw Tyrion leap for the witch with outstretched claws. I shot necro-lightning, barely managing to hit him out of her path. Grabbing my swords, we circled up again, ready for the second round.

They hesitated.

Why?

That's when the sky half a mile away opened up, and out of the light portal came the Angels.

"Oh no," I said.

"What are they doing here!" Sasha yelled, scared beyond belief.

"I don't know. I guess here to finish things off."

"By the old gods, you're both so naive," Tyrion said, holding up a hand to stop his forces. "They had their own special assignment, but we asked them to come here to help... show just what you're dealing with."

Then, if it couldn't get any worse, came another familiar noise. A buzzing that shook the earth came from the opposite direction of the angels, and in the sky appeared what could almost be described as moving darkness.

"Ditto, what the fuck is that?"

"They somehow managed to find everyone who hates me," I said. "That Sasha is the legendary Swarm. And somewhere in there is the shaman Inish, who I've pissed off multiple times."

"The Swarm? You mean the pack of shifters said to be almost myth? The ones who all turn into flesh devouring bugs and other horrors? The ones who can wipe out a city in a heartbeat? That Swarm?"

"Yeah that pretty much sums them up."

"What did you say about pissing them off?"

She was interrupted by Tyrion. "Go on Necromancer. Leave. Tell your 'armies' what awaits for them. We'll be waiting."

The shifters cleared a path, letting us go without trouble. Some of them looked pissed as fuck, but their master demanded that we return to tell the tale of horrors. As we headed for the Light Portals, it was clear the city would not be standing when we returned.

Whenever that may be.

Thankfully everyone was able to make it through, except the one lone worker who awaited to see if we would return. She opened one last portal.

"Go on Sasha, both of you. I need to go home first."

"What? No Ditto--"

I silenced her with a hand. "Trust me, I need supplies. I'll meet you--wait where is the evacuation going?"

"North Greenland City. The only place I could confirm safe."

"Then I'll meet you there." I pushed both of them, the other witch scared but not reluctant to go.

"Give me a day. It'll take some time travelling. Go. I'll destroy the portals. Go!"

"Ditto, but our home."

"It's lost. The city is lost. We," I took a deep breath, "we lost. But the war wages on."

"But--"

"Don't worry, everything will be okay. I promise."

The two went through. I let loose a sigh, wiped off my face with a sleeve, seeing mostly blood, and then dropped two red balls. Bath Bombs. Opening a portal to the spirit realm, they began to detonate. I heard the first explosions as the portal closed behind me.

Spirits greeted my empty body.

Falling to my knees in the dusty ash, I let loose a scream. As loud as I possibly could.

Of course nothing could respond except the wind.