Yesterdays Heroes Part 2 Continued...

"It is done," Red Robes said, lowering his arms and allowing Gromer's body to fall to the floor. "The demons will find this one's fear and confusion impossible to resist."

"And what about that?" asked the pale woman, pointing to the still form in the center of the circle.

"It is an empty shell and no use to us," Red Robes said as he motioned to the two attendants hovering at the top of the stairwell to take Gromer. "We'll dispose of it."

"How?" The woman asked. "Remember, no blood can be spilled here until the appointed time."

"Inside the tower, yes," Red Robes smiled. "But outside?" He pointed to the open window and made throwing motions with his arms.

The two attendants nodded and picked up Gromer’s body.  They carried it to the window and without words or ceremony, threw it out into the night air.

Gravity would do the rest.

******

A small crowd had now gathered around the two Olympians in the main hall and listened as Haem attempted to describe what he had witnessed by the tower and the cliffs. Anemos sat on the floor, a goblet of wine clasped between her shaking hands.

"And from what I can gather they used your friend Gromer in some kind of spell." Haem's head dropped as he passed on the next bit of news to Calun. "I'm sorry, but the human Argo said he was dead."

For the first time in a long time Calun's eyes flared white and his lip curled back.  Saying nothing, he turned and stormed toward the door. He didn't get very far before he found Ceridwen blocking his path.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Where do you think?" he growled through gritted fangs.

"No."  She shook her head and extended her arms.  Calun wasn't going anywhere without a struggle. "We can’t go headlong into something we know nothing about. I'm sorry about Gromer, but do you think they'll hesitate to kill anyone else who goes to the tower unprepared?"

"Ceridwen, they killed my friend! Do you think I am going to stand here and-"

"He's not dead."

All heads turned to Anemos as she spoke for the first time since coming into the hall. "I don't care what Argo said, he's lied to me already today."  She looked up. "And if he's alive then we have to get him out of there."

Calun turned back to his leader. "Ceridwen..."

She shook her head. "Calun we still don't know what-"

"We do." Once again Anemos spoke. She pointed towards the scrolls she had brought to the cliffs with her.  Now they lay on a table. "It's in there... I think. That's one thing Argo didn't lie to me about. Otherwise why would they have sent the shadowbeasts after me?"

The name generated as much fear among the assembled clan as it had with the Olympians. Some, like Nightshade, had to be helped to a seat. The others looked to Ceridwen, waiting for what she would say next.

"Argus?"

The heavyset gargoyle looked up from his post by the door. "Yes?"

"Take as many of the clan as you need to guard the rookery and our home."

His answer came in a short sharp nod before he turned and motioned to a number of his clanmates and they left the main hall.

"I need two volunteers to go down to the dock. See if our way there is clear."

A small web winged gargess and her mate stepped forward. "We can do that," she said.

"Very well. But be careful!"

The small female and her mate nodded and soon they were gone.

"Calun?"

The blue horned gargoyle had moved closer to the open door, his gaze and anger locked on the tower across the bay. At the mention of his name he looked over at Ceridwen.

"Take two warriors with you and scout the skies around the tower. Do not go inside!" she added, seeing the expression on her seconds face.

He frowned at that, but did not need to be told twice. Motioning to two other gargoyle he was gone in a matter of seconds.

Ceridwen now turned her attention to Anemos. The Olympian had gotten up off the floor and was now making her way with the help of Haem to the scrolls. "Can you read what is written within?" she softly asked, seeing with awful clarity the change in the female since she had last seen her on the docks the night before.

"Yes," she answered, picking up the scroll she had taken from the tower. "I haven't read the scrolls Argo gave me, but this one says why they are doing what they are doing."

Ceridwen sighed. "I don't think there is any reason for bringing monsters like the shadowbeasts back, but I will read it." She glanced over Anemos' shoulder. The Olympian had unrolled the first of the scrolls and was now reading it at a feverous pace. "By the time the others return we need to know what we are facing and if we can fight it."

"You must be able to fight it," Haem spoke up from beside Anemos. He hadn't left her side since they had left the towers and he wasn't about to leave her now. "All the Olympians apart from Anemos have lost their powers. The humans will not do anything. Your clan are the only ones who can do anything now.

An uneasy silence fell over the assembled group. Some now gathered around Ceridwen and the Olympians, others made their way outside, either to await the return of the scouts or to protect the eggs. At the back of the hall Sabrina and Madbrook looked at each other, their worst fears about arriving at the island were coming true and now they had a decision to make.

"The egg is safe in the rookery..." Sabrina started.

"And I'm not going to wait here and do nothing," Madbrook finished.

"Calun?"

"He won't go against Ceridwen's orders, but..."

"He might need our help."

"The tower it is then."

Once decided, the two time travelers slipped out of the main hall and into the night. No one tried to stop them. In truth there were many who had thought of following Calun, but Ceridwen had given the order that the rest of the clan remain behind for the time being. But if two newcomers decided to back up their Second? No one would interfere. Not this night.

******

"Where's this light the Olympian was talking about?" asked the first of Calun's companions as they neared the center of the island. "The tower is completely dark."

"Below it isn't," the second gargoyle noted, pointing to the streets. The area around the base of the tower was a hive of activity. A crowd of Olympians were trying to get into the tower but something was driving them back. Here and there several of the halflings were lying motionless on the ground. Injured or dead, the gargoyles didn't know. Calun didn't know recognize any of the casualties but…

"Look!" They had now gotten so close to the tower that they could see into its windows. It was movement at one of these windows that grabbed the gargoyles' attention. The panes were flung open and a body, limp and un-resisting, was tossed out into the night.

"Gromer!" Calun instantly recognized that body, no matter how battered and bruised it was. He folded his wings and dropped like a stone, trying to reach his friend before he struck the ground. The race between gravity and gargoyle was close, but a few meters above the ground Calun caught him and swooped back up into the air, much to the relief of those watching above and below.

"Well caught, Calun!" his two companions called to him.

For a moment the blue gargoyle didn't reply--he was too preoccupied in checking that Gromer was alive. He sighed in relief when he detected a faint but present pulse. "He lives," he breathed. "Anemos was right." He looked back at the tower and the crowd below. "We should return to the cliffs," he called to his companions. "And get reinforcements. We can't let the Olympians fight alone."

"True, brother," the larger of the two said. "Even without their powers the halflings put up more of a fight than the humans here do." He chuckled. "Even if..."

Whatever he was going to say next, the sentence would forever go unfinished. A dark shadow ploughed into him, sending both beings hurtling towards the ground. Calun and the other gargoyle didn't have time to react. The smaller gargoyle made an attempt to dive down and catch his brother, but time was not with him. Shadowbeast and gargoyle vanished into the trees below, and moments later there came the sickening sound of two bodies hitting the ground. Both Calun and the other surviving gargoyle let out cries of grief and anger.

"Behind you!" a female voice rang out as Calun turned, just in time to see another shadowbeast bearing down on him. There was no way he could defend himself when both his hands were full. He banked sharply, hoping that he could buy himself some time. As he did so, twin bolts of blue and green light drove into the shadow beast, knocking it from the sky and sending it to join it's brother below.

Calun looked up to see the newcomers, Sabrina with her hands outstretched and Madbrook, holding some kind of device in his hands.

"Calun are you alright?" Sabrina glided up to him.

"I'm fine," he said. "Thanks to you."

"I'm sorry," Madbrook hung his head. "We couldn't get here in time to save your friend."

"It's not your fault." Calun banked to the left and began the journey back to the cliffs. "He will be avenged. Now, let's get back to the others before the humans send any more of these monstrosities after us."

Within minutes they had made their way back to the cliffs. There the majority of the clan had assembled on the outer balcony to await their return. The reception was a mixture of joy, relief, concern and--when the absence of one of the group was realized--grief.

They made their way into the main hall where Ceridwen and Anemos were still pouring over the scrolls. Anemos turned, and seeing Gromer in Calun's arms, gave a small squeal of delight. Ceridwen's expression, however, was anything but happy. She watched as Calun carried the Olympian over to a padded couch and laid him down. "How is he?"

"Alive, but apart from that I can't say." Calun sighed. "Archer's dead."

"How?"

"A shadowbeast ambushed us. It got to him before we could do anything. Sabrina and Madbrook intervened when a second attacked. It's the only reason we got back here."

"The Olympians?" Haem had joined Anemos as she fussed over Gromer. "What about them?"

"They're still fighting to get into the tower. They've already lost some of their number." He turned to Ceridwen. "We have to go and aid them."

"We will, but I want to make sure that all the eggs are safe first. Haem?" She turned to the red Olympian. "I need you to go down to the docks and carry a message to your people. My scouts tell me they're readying boats to leave. I ask if they could bring one around to the outer cliffs."

Haem nodded. "We'd be more than willing to. You've never turned your backs on us. It's time we repaid the favor."

Ceridwen nodded.  No smile would come this night. "Our thanks. Two of my clan will help you get down there. Tonight is not a night to be traveling alone or unprepared."

Haem quickly gave his good-byes to Anemos and then to the gargoyles before leaving. Outside, two gargoyles armed with spears joined him, one allowing the Olympian to clamber on his back and hold on for dear life as they leapt off the balcony and headed towards the docks.

"Anemos?" Ceridwen called to the pale blue female. "Gromer is as fine as he can be. I still need you here to finish translating these scrolls for me."

Her head bowed, Anemos reluctantly returned to the table. There she was joined by Sabrina, Madbrook and Calun.

"What did you discover?" Calun leaned over Anemos to look at the open scroll.

"A bad dream. The humans in the tower plan to plunge this world into darkness. If what Argo wrote in here is true, then they're already halfway there."

"Darkness?"

"Demons," Anemos explained, tracing a line of text with her finger. "There is a realm where these creatures exist. They have never come to this world before because there was always something barring their way."

"Then how are they going to get here? Are the humans going to break down the barrier?"

"No," said Anemos, shaking her head. "They've sent the demons into the barrier."

"Ok, could someone just slow down and tell me what's going on here? Barriers? Demons? Other realms?"

"Yes. Our world is only one of many. Time and space is much like a corridor that loops forever into itself. Each realm, including our own, is only one of countless rooms that branch off from it."

"And you learned all this from scrolls?" Calun picked one up and squinted at it. He couldn't read, there had never really been a need for it.

"They can be helpful." Anemos pointed to another line of text. "They've opened the door in the demons' realm and let them into the corridor."

"And now they have to open our door to let the demons through into our world," Ceridwen finished.

"Yes," Anemos nodded. "But once the spell is started, we can't stop it from here. The spell must be countered from the other side of the door."

"But none of us here are mages. We can't-"

"I don't think we need to be. I need to read more, but I think all we need is a counterbalance." She sighed and looked down at the scroll. "That's the easy part."

"Closing doors between dimensions is easy?" Madbrooklyn spoke up in disbelief. He knew how much energy was needed for a trip across time. But to stop a horde of demons from descending into this world? How could that be described as being easy?

"We can find the numbers to counterbalance." Ceridwen looked up. "But it's finding a suitable sacrifice and a way of getting there that's going to be the problem. And we don't have the luxury of time to think about it."

While they spoke, Sabrina had been silent, deep in thought.  Now she interrupted them. "Wait a minute.  The other side of our door?  Then we'd have to cross into this corridor right?"

Anemos nodded. "That's what the scrolls say."

"How close would a place like Avalon lie in relation to this corridor?"  

Avalon, the island of eternal summer and home to the Fae.  It could appear at any location on Earth without actually physically being there.  There was not one among them who hadn't heard of Avalon, especially considering the blood ties the Olympians shared with those still living on the isle.

"Avalon crosses both in and out of this world.  It is possible that it does so by traveling along the edges of the corridor," said Anemos thoughtfully.  "There is an incantation to get to the island, but none of my people dare utter it. We did not break away from our cousins on the best of terms, and we would rather not get involved with them further."  

Sabrina pressed on.  "What if the mists that surround it are part of this corridor?  We would not have to set foot on Avalon itself; just use it as a starting point."  She suddenly realized that when she used her powers of teleportation, she might be traveling along the edge of the corridor herself.  But she had no idea of where this corridor was or what it looked like. And besides, she very much doubted that her powers could break through the walls between worlds.  No, their best option was to try and break through from the mists of Avalon.

"It's possible," Anemos admitted. "But..."

"But it's all we have and it will have to be enough," Ceridwen said. The leader of the Atlantean clan stood and addressed the assembled group. "Some of us will have to go to this place in order to thwart the humans. The notes tell us six are required to cast the humans' spell. Therefore six of us are also needed to break it.  I need four volunteers to join Anemos and I in this quest."

"I'm coming." Calun stepped forward. "You'd have to tie me down to stop me."

"And us." Madbrook and Sabrina joined him. "Both of us have abilities that could be useful."

"They're not wrong about that," Calun said. "You should have seen how they dealt with the Shadowbeast out there."

Ceridwen nodded. "Now I need one other."

"Two others." The gargoyle who had set out with Calun to the tower stepped forward. Beside him was a young female. "You said there were demons there. Someone will have to protect all of you while you stop the spell. Azure or I can handle that."

"Thank you, Priam. Thank you, all of you." She turned to the remaining members of her clan. "Is Argus still at the rookery?"

"Do you even need to ask, my leader?" a gargoyle near the doors replied. "Argus would be out of place anywhere but guarding the doors to the rookery."

"Tell him to come here. There is something I want to discuss with him." Ceridwen looked down at the scrolls. Two problems had been solved, but many more remained and there wasn’t enough time for her to decide on all of them. The safety of the eggs and the Olympians would have to fall upon someone else’s shoulders. Like it or not, the fate of the island and perhaps all others would depend on her small group. If they failed, then it wouldn’t matter how many eggs she got into the boats, it wouldn’t matter how many of her clanmates she sent to fight alongside the halflings. If they failed, then this world would become the domain of the shadowbeasts and their kin.

And that would spell doom for them all.

*

Up in the tower, Arius sipped at his wine as he watched the battle at the base of the tower. "Sometimes I wonder why the halflings didn’t show this much spirit when they had full use of their powers. Crippled like this. Humph. You could almost empathize with them."

"You’re not having second thoughts, are you?" asked Red Robes as he switched his attention away from the circle where the master of the shadowbeasts was calling forth more of the creatures.

"No." Arius set his goblet on the windowsill and walked away. "But the scholar in me will always find such things…interesting."

"Interesting or no, such things will soon cease to matter," Inanis said as she gently rocked a tiny bundle in her arms. "The potion worked, she will sleep for hours and neither feel nor know anything."

"That’s good," Arius said, walking over to Inanis. Leaning over, he pulled away some of the cloth wrapped around the bundle and looked into the tiny sleeping features of an infant. "Argo doesn’t know this, but his daughter will help us achieve great things."

Möbius chuckled. "I very much doubt he would see it that way."

"It doesn’t matter." Arius looked over to the circle where three shadowbeasts now stood. "Our main concern now is the gargoyles. I don’t doubt that they’ll try to stop us."

"A lot of good as that would do them." Red Robes snorted.

"Nethertheless, we can’t count them out. The beasts will take care of their leader and second. Without those two to lead, the clan will be in disarray. Gargoyles need a leader. Without one they will fall apart and won't be any threat to us."

"Well if we’re going to attack the gargoyles, I say we really stick the knife in and twist it." Red Robes walked around the shadowbeasts, giving the dark trio a wide berth. "Do they have the gift of speech?"

"Yes," the beast master replied. "It’s very limited, but they can talk."

"Good." Red Robes smiled. "I want them to pass on this message."

*

One step at a time, each upward motion becoming more difficult than the previous one. Argo tightened his grip on the knife he carried and for what would never be the last time, cursed his own resolve. He’d grown up on the island, had never known anything but the peace and the opportunities it offered. He’d grown, worked and had finally achieved the place where he wanted to be, making sure that the peace between the three races remained. It hadn’t been easy, but Atlantis had achieved a status quo that was not seen elsewhere on earth.

That was until a few days ago.

Six weeks ago, Argo’s wife had died bringing their daughter into the world. He had coped by throwing himself into his work, leaving the care of his daughter to relatives.

And then a human had been caught trying to steal an egg from the gargoyles' rookery.

The man had died without revealing the where or why of his actions. But it had taught Argo something. That night he had returned to his apartments, fully intending to spend some time with his daughter. There he found the relative…but no child.

Arius, an old childhood friend of Argo’s, had called by the apartment and had offered to take care of the child for a few hours. The relative hadn’t found this strange. Arius had been a frequent visitor to both Argo and his wife in the past. Over the last few months, Arius had dropped by less and less often, and when he did come it was always with dark circles under his eyes. But still, any visit was a welcome one, and the relative didn’t object when Arius offered to take the child around the gardens while they waited for Argo to return.

Since then, Argo hadn’t laid eyes on his daughter. The first night he was parted from her, Arius and a red robed scholar had paid Argo a visit. They had a project, a great project they explained, and they needed Argo’s help. They’d let him know what they needed when they needed it. In the meantime, they’d look after his daughter.

What could he do? He’d never before encountered something like this. The threat of harm to his daughter was there, though hidden behind elaborate words and gestures. He’d played along when they had asked him to bring Gromer up to the tower, played along when they told him to give the Olympian a drink that would temporarily neutralize his magic.

But when they had attacked and tortured him, he knew that he needed help. He knew where they were keeping the scrolls they had been studying. His presence in the upper floors wasn’t unexpected. He argued with Arius one more time and then backed down. On his way down he had snuck into the scroll room, grabbing the three most well used scrolls, each one written in Arius’ scrawling script.

And then he had bumped into Anemos and had committed his second shameful act of that day. He sent the female unaware and innocent into that viper's nest. When she had gone, he retired to his apartments and opened the scrolls. Luck had been with him. The three scrolls contained enough information to point the reader towards a possible solution to the evil that was happening.

And there had been more, so much more. He knew what they had planned for his daughter and he knew that he had been damned the day Arius had pulled him into this vortex.

He’d done nothing, in fear for his daughters life, and he’d hidden it well. Oh but the island's actors would have marveled at the performance he had put on these past few days. But that play had ended. The curtain had already fallen on him. He’d passed the scrolls onto Anemos when she had come to him terrified and seeking his help. And then he’d pushed her away, had passed that burden onto those who could bear it. He had his own to shoulder and it was proving to be a force greater than gravity.

His palms grew sweaty and the knife fell from his grasp. He lunged for it, not wanting it to clatter against the stairs and alert any who might be listening. His hand grasped the naked blade and he stifled a cry as the metal sunk into his flesh. The knife was quickly transferred to his belt as he tore a strip from the hem of his robes and hastily bandaged his wounded hand. He stood and for an eternal second listened for the sound of death coming.

Nothing.

No, death wouldn’t come for him here. It was waiting for him at the stairs that led to the top floor. He doubted that he’d get past the guards posted there, but he had to try.

He had to try.

*

Had Argo known that the thing he feared was beginning, he would have doubled his flight towards the upper level. There, in the circle that had been etched into the floor, Inanis gently laid his daughter atop a small back jewel. The same ‘eye’ that Möbius had shown them when he had first come to the island. She stepped back and took her place at the outer edge of the circle.

Arius waited for complete silence before he started to speak. "We have the soul and we have the eye. The host are gathered. It is time to open the gate and let them in."

So spoken, he began to chant, a song without music that was taken up by Möbius on his right and then spread around the six counterclockwise. When it reached Arius once more, the floor beneath the child vanished, revealing an abyss. Argo’s daughter lay where she had been placed, hovering over the hole.

The spell had begun and there was nothing anyone on Earth could do to stop it.

******

"Are we ready?" Calun stopped mid pace and wandered back over to the small huddle by the table. How he hated this waiting. Half the clan, lead by Argus, had already left to help the Olympians.  The remainder had begun moving the eggs from the rookery. The newcomer Sabrina had taken her own egg from there and it now lay wrapped in a number of cotton sheets by the table. Wherever she and her mate were going, she said so too was the egg. Only a matter of minutes had passed, but to Calun it was too long. He wanted to go there, close this hole and then, when they returned, make the humans in the tower…even Argo, pay for what they had done. For all of them Atlantis had been a haven, the one safe place they could live in, and now even that had been taken away from them.

And he knew he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. He’d heard the mumbles and lowered words passed between the clan members, old mistrusts and fears.  Wounds that should have long since healed had been torn open. As he reached the table, he caught the tail end of a conversation that he himself had taken part in only minutes before. This was the going over of what they already knew but had to be certain of. The cost of a mistake...any mistake would be too high.

"What about this ‘spirit sacrifice'"?" Madbrooklyn leaned over and pointed to a few words on the scroll. "Where are we going to get that from?"

"There are demons in that place, we can use one of them," Ceridwen said, handing out weapons to the members of their small group. After much persuasion, Anemos had been made to accept a small dagger after Ceridwen had told her that her powers may not be any use to them in this ‘corridor’.

Anemos now looked at the still unconscious form of Gromer. All efforts to rouse him had been unsuccessful. Smelling salts, words, even cold water had failed to elicit any sort of response from the Olympian. He was hurt, yes, but what kind of injury would keep him from waking? A small idea wedged itself into that thought and refused to leave. What if he never woke up? What if the humans had hurt him so much that he…

She shook her head. Nonsense, he would wake up. If they could close a hole between worlds, then one lone Olympian would wake up again.

"We should go," she said in a small voice. "We have no idea if they’ve already begun."

*

From the tower two shadows, darker than the air that surrounded them, slipped out into the night. Turning, they opened their great wings and with one great down-stroke, sped off in the direction of the cliffs.

They had their purpose, the deaths of two gargoyles and a message to pass on. Death would come first, then the message. Grief, then fear and a poisoning of their spirits. It was something that the shadowbeasts excelled at, and they would not fail.

*

Ceridwen stood in the now empty rookery and sighed. The last of the eggs had just been taken down to the boats and now the central nest, still illuminated by the glow of the moss, lay bare. She’d been hatched here, as had many of the clan, and she had always thought that her own child would emerge into the world from this place.

Now that would never happen, and there was something else, another fear that had begun the moment Anemos and Haem had been found.

"You will see your little one hatch."

Ceridwen turned to see Nightshade slowly making her way down the stairs. The older gargess carried a torch in one hand and a dagger in the other.

Ceridwen started forward. "You were supposed to be at the boats!"

"A gargoyle does not abandon her kin or clan while she can still fight."

"Nor does she disobey the orders of her leader. Mother you should be at the boats. I don’t want you to have to face the shadowbeasts again."

"Everywhere is in shadow, child, it doesn’t matter where I am." Nightshade walked up to her daughter and embraced her. "You have so much of your father in you and it is because of that I know you won’t fail." She pulled away slightly and smiled. "Now go, the others are waiting for you. The clan…I will be waiting when you return."

They embraced each other again.  No more words were spoken, none were needed. They then turned and walked up the stairs, turning their backs on the rookery for what could be the last time. There Ceridwen’s small group, Anemos, Calun, Sabrina, Madbrook, Priam and Azure were waiting for her. Also there were two warriors, one carried Gromer’s limp body while the other was there to ensure that Nightshade got down to the boat safely.

"We should go," Ceridwen said as she leapt off the balcony. One by one the others followed, Priam carrying Anemos, leaving behind them a home they had no guarantee that they would ever return to.

In moments the harbor became visible. The water and the docks were crowded. It seemed as if the wave of fear had finally reached the humans and now they were squabbling over the few remaining boats that had not already been taken by the Olympians. Far outside the harbor, riding the choppy seas, was a large sailboat. In the past it had been used to export goods from all over the Mediterranean to the island. Papyrus from Egypt that made the scrolls for the library, asphalt and salt from the Dead sea, olive oils from both Spain and Greece. Now it’s cargo was far more precious. Below deck, in the store rooms that previously held such goods, there was now a makeshift rookery. Half of Ceridwen’s clan waited on deck for the return of their brothers and sisters, the ones who were helping the Olympians in the city.

"We’re as prepared as we’re ever going to be," Calun said, pointing down towards a much smaller boat that was tied to its larger companion. "They even found us a boat to make the journey in."

"Good. We need to make the crossing and we need to do it as soon as we’re down there." Ceridwen glanced back over her shoulder at the warriors who followed her and beyond them at the tower which stood in darkness. The lights that had once blazed on all floors had been extinguished. The wind carried raised voices, shouting, confusion, and there wasn’t anything more she could do about that.  At least there was nothing more she could do here. Her clan and the Olympians would have to do their best. More importantly, her small group would have to do more than their best, for if they should fail then the efforts of all on the island would be wasted.

And ultimately, she felt if that happened, she would be the one to blame.

A short distance behind the group, Sabrina and Madbrook followed, their eyes searching the night for any sign of the Shadowbeasts. They had not spotted the creatures since their encounter outside the tower, and their absence now was disturbing the pair.

"They have to be up to something," Madbrook muttered. "I mean, why create creatures of pure evil if you’re not going to use them?"

"Maybe they were only meant to stop people getting into the tower," Sabrina suggested, adjusting the strap on the makeshift sling that now carried her egg.

"They sent the beasts after Anemos," he reminded her. Something to his left caught his attention, two shadows darker than the rest that emerged from behind the cliffs. "And they are definitely sending them after us! Ceridwen!"

The female gargoyle turned, looking in the direction Madbrook was pointing in. "I see them! Glide low! We won’t be such an easy target for them then."

Without another word, the small group turned as one and dove towards the harbor and streets below. The two shadowbeasts, now discovered, didn’t hesitate in changing their course to intercept the group. What followed became a deadly game of tag. The gargoyles often doubled back on themselves in an effort to confuse their pursuers. In the end it was the actions of one gargoyle and a shadowbeast that brought it to a halt. As the gargoyles dove beneath an archway, Madbrook pulled his wings up and managed to loop back over the structure. This action placed him behind the shadowbeasts and he didn’t waste any time in blasting one of the creatures. As it screamed and fell he brought up his weapon for another shot, his eyes widening in shock as he saw only Sabrina and the others before him.

"Where’d it go?" he shouted, frantically looking around for the shadowbeast. The two creatures had been side by side. It couldn’t have vanished into thin air.

And it hadn’t. With a screech the missing beast re-appeared in front of the small group, striking the gargoyle who was carrying Gromer. The poison was fast acting and the gargoyle dropped the Olympian as he tumbled from the sky. However history was not about to repeat itself as both Ceridwen and Calun dived, catching both stricken beings before they hit the ground. The beast then dove once more, this time heading towards Ceridwen. A ball of green light, thrown by Sabrina, forced it to turn away.

How did she? Ceridwen hadn’t been present for Sabrina’s first show of her abilities, and this sudden power came as a surprise to her. Still, she nodded her thanks to the halfling.  It wasn’t the time to dwell upon such things. For the time being it was good enough that she was on their side. "Destroy it!" she shouted. They couldn’t waste any more time. The gargoyles without burdens--Sabrina. Madbrook and Azure--turned and closed in on the creature.

And then the most unexpected thing happened.

The shadowbeast spoke.

"Destroy so that one never get its soul back!" it rasped as it alighted upon the wall that separated the city from the shore.  It pointed at Gromer. "Masters threw soul in Between so the demons can feed!" The creature started laughing. "Empty shell, empty shell, empty shell, empty…"

A short distance away Nightshade listened to the creatures' ravings. Despite her escort’s best efforts, she had resisted being taken to the ship. When the shadowbeasts had first appeared, she had been overcome by a fear that tore all strength from her wings, and it was only the quick actions of her escort that prevented her from falling out of the sky. Now, as she witnessed one of her clan suffer the fate that had once befallen her and heard the creature's taunting, that fear gave way to something else. A rage, so deep and long buried that it surprised her with the force of it’s return. These creatures were the ones responsible for keeping her from her mate's side, stopped her from steering Flynt away from his fate, to give him the news about their hope for the future. It was they who kept Ceridwen from knowing her father, and now they threatened her too. She couldn’t allow this! With a roar not uttered in decades, she dove down and knocked the shadowbeast from the wall, gouging at its face as she screamed. "You who would hinder us will help us instead! Your dark spirit will be the one we sacrifice!"

In answer, the shadowbeast screamed and sunk its talons deep into her shoulders and neck.   Thus locked, the pair fell to the ground amidst the screams and uproar of those around them.

"Mother!" Ceridwen was the first to reach them.  She laid Gromer down on the ground and ran to Nightshade, barely noticing the green glow that surrounded the pair, and gently pulled them apart. When she reached Nightshade’s still form, she knew that there would be no final goodbye, no long recovery from the shadowbeast's venom. The blood that surrounded her told all. When death had come it had been swift and instant.

No words were spoken as the others arrived to see Ceridwen arrange her mother's body into a more dignified position. She then stood and slowly walked back to the shadowbeast. The creature was still writhing in agony.  Nightshades claws had struck home.  Some small comfort could be gained from that.

"We should kill it!" Nightshades escort growled, raising his spear for the killing blow.

"No," Ceridwen answered, her voice oddly flat and devoid of emotion. "Mother said we would use this one's soul to close the hole. We should give her that final act of vengeance." She turned, seeing expressions of grief, shock and rage. Calun was walking forward to comfort her, and oh how she was dearly in need of it. But she couldn’t allow herself that luxury. She needed to act, to keep away the rage that was building up inside her.

"Calun, bring the boat here," she said.

The blue gargoyle nodded, and passing his unconscious burden to Nightshade's escort, set off towards the boats. The group watched as he slashed the rope that tied it to the gargoyles' ship and used the oars to bring the small vessel back to shore.

"Sabrina?" Ceridwen looked down at the Shadowbeast at her feet, once again noticing the glow. "You’re the one keeping this creature bound?"

Sabrina stepped forward. "Yes."

"I need you to keep it bound till we close the hole." Now she looked at the halfling. "Can you do that?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Lonsquoll?" She now spoke to Nightshades escort. "Take your brother to the boat and tell the clan what’s happened."

He nodded. "What about the Olympian?" he asked, gesturing towards Gromer’s unconscious form with a nod of his head.

"Gromer will be coming with us. Need I say why?"

"No." He shook his head. "Good luck." And with those words he was gone.

On the shore below, Calun had beached the boat and they made their way down to him. Ceridwen lingered a few moments longer, bidding her mother one last goodbye before she turned and followed the others.

******

Argo walked up the stairway, fully aware of the two shadowbeasts following close behind. Before him were the doors that opened out on the top floor. Guarding them were two robed figures, each one carrying a sword. Fangs and claws behind, sharp blades ahead, and beyond, his daughter. Argo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Luck had gotten him this far; let it take him a little further.

Please.

******

"Vocate venti fortunate ex rege Mabis et hic navis flugem regate ad orae trans avalonis."

"Come, winds, safely from the kingdom of Mab guide this ship through the waves to the shores beyond Avalon."

The group listened intently, although the language was foreign to many there. Their boat now glided slowly through the water, having left the gargoyles' boat behind a few minutes ago. The larger vessel had pulled up anchor and was now using the winds and the currents to move swiftly away from the island. They too were leaving Atlantis, but to where? There were some who still had their doubts.

"You think it will work?

"It isn’t the time for doubts, Priam," Azure said as she helped Sabrina secure both the egg and Gromer. "Now shush! The Olympian is trying to concentrate."

Around them mists began to rise from the water, thickening and spreading as Anemos repeated the chant time and time again. Beyond all expectations, it seemed to be working. Now all that remained was to see whether it would take them into the corridor, or fetch them up against the shores of Avalon.

Silence descended as the mists became so thick that nothing could be seen beyond the confines of the boat. Anemos frowned, looking around her for a sign, for anything that would let them know that the chant had worked. So far she could see nothing. Had it worked?

The same question lingered on the minds of all in the boat. Calun, who sat just behind Anemos, leaned over the side of the boat, causing it to rock slightly.  He peered into the mists.  No scent, no sound, no nothing. Turning, he looked for Ceridwen. The leader of the Atlantean clan was sitting at the far end of the boat, her gaze locked on the magically-bound form of the shadow beast. If they had not had need of the beast to close the hole, then if he knew Ceridwen - and he did - the beast would have perished the moment it had taken the life of her mother. But things were not the way they used to be. The rules, so long understood, had changed on them in a matter of hours, and he didn’t know if he would ever figure them out. All he knew was that when they returned home, he would definitely see through the vow he had made before… that the humans responsible would pay . That was if they got home.

He looked back at his companions and mentally scolded himself. If? What kind of question was that? They would succeed. They would return. There just wasn't any other alternative.

He now wished that there was some land - something – that would let them know that they had arrived.  A dock, an earthen bank…any kind of solid ground, anthi-

Suddenly the boat lurched forward and there came the unmistakable sound of wood scraping against gravel. The nine travelers looked at each other and then as one, all eyes were on Anemos.

"Are we there?" asked Ceridwen.

The blue Olympian blinked and looked around her. "I...I think so. Avalon doesn’t have any gravel beaches."

"And if we were at Avalon the mists would have parted," Sabrina said as she stood and jumped out of the boat. "As it is, I can’t see a thing."

"It must be the right place." Calun followed Sabrina out of the boat. "But where’s this hole?"

Again the mists seemed to be listening to the blue gargoyle. Whispered words, faint and carried on the air, reached the ears of all.

"No prizes for guessing where that’s coming from," Madbrook muttered as he checked the power level on his weapon. There was still a small charge, enough for one or two shots.

"So that’s where we go." Ceridwen started forward. "Azure, stay with the boat and guard Gromer and the egg until we get back."

Azure nodded. "They’ll be waiting for you when you return."

With that they struck out in the direction of the voices. The shadowbeast, still bound by Sabrina’s magic, was now carried along on a cushion of air provided by Anemos. No one wanted to touch the creature. Soon Azure and the boat had vanished, swallowed up by the mists. The group traveled in silence, all senses alert, looking for the source of the whispering.  And, they hoped, the hole the humans were trying to open.

The ground, unseen beneath the mists that swirled around their feet, began to slowly rise up a steep slope. At it’s crest the mists thinned and they found themselves staring down into a deep depression.

And they were not alone.

Hundred of dark shapes prowled the slopes of the basin, circling a small yet brilliant light that shone at the bottom.

"Demons!" Whispered Calun as the group flattened themselves against the ground. "They must be! How are we supposed to get past them?"

Madbrook frowned as he looked down at the light. "Well someone better think of something soon," he said. "That light is getting bigger."

"'Course it has," came a voice from the mists. "Those uglies haven’t chased anything else for the past few hours." A vague shadow became a solid body, and a familiar obsidian-eyed Olympian crawled up to the edge to join the astonished group.

"Gromer!" Anemos was hard pressed to keep her voice down. "You’re awake! How?"

"What do you mean awake?" Gromer frowned. "I’ve been busy playing tag with those guys for days now."

"But we left you back at the boat," Calun whispered, coming up beside him.

"Boat? What boat? Has Argo been giving you more of his special drinks?"

"We’ll sort it out later!" Ceridwen hissed. "We need to get down there, but we first have to get past the demons."

"A distraction?" Gromer mused. "Shouldn’t be a problem. Those things chase anything that moves, but you’re going to have to get their attention away from that light." He paused. "What in Hades is going on here, anyway?"

"A distraction…" Ceridwen tensed. "When I move, the demons will go after me.  Make use of that time to get down there and close the hole."

"Sorry, can’t let you do that, my leader. You’re needed here." Priam stood up and launched himself off the edge of the basin. "You still have your six!" he called back. "Good luck!" The gargoyle dove low, skimming mere inches over the heads of the assembled demons. The gambit paid off. As Priam alighted on the opposite edge of the depression, the demons moved as one, homing in on the gargoyle. He gave one last smile towards his comrades and then was gone, followed by a host of demons.

"Good luck to you too," Ceridwen whispered. "Let’s go!" she called to the others.

The gargoyles, Anemos, the shadowbeast, and a very confused Gromer made their way down the basin.  Anemos quickly filled him in as best she could on what they had to do. When they reached the bottom, the small group took up positions in a circle around the light. The shadowbeast was cast, screaming, into the center.

It was time to begin.

*******

The commotion at the top of the stairs was unexpected, but Arius, Mobius and the others were so enthralled by the spell they were casting that they did not react as Argo burst into the room. The human moved quickly across the room, heading towards the circle and his daughter. His desperation and fear had given him a burst of speed that had carried him past the guards, even if he hadn’t escaped their blades.

Bleeding heavily and oblivious to anything other than his daughter, Argo let his momentum and adrenaline carry him forward. It was now that Arius saw him, his eyes widening as Argo’s outstretched hand crossed the threshold of the circle, his blood now falling and getting caught up in the vortex that surrounded his daughter.  A look of supreme triumph crossed Argo’s face as his head snapped up and he was dragged by the hair away from the circle. His gaze now locked on the wide eyes of his former friend and a smile crossed his lips as the guards and the shadowbeasts hastened to make amends for their mistake.

And the spell continued. 

******

Suddenly there was a rumble and the light, which had now almost reached the edge of their small circle, suddenly dimmed and shrank back. Something had happened on the other side of the hole, something that had interrupted the power of the spell.

Interrupted but not stopped. Each took this opportunity to reach out and grasp the hand of their neighbor. And now a chant began, spreading clockwise from Anemos.

"Claúdo quo lanua.”

"Close the door."

The counter spell was simple. A dark soul to counter the pure one, a chant, moving in the opposite direction around the circle, and a message, simple but strong.

Now all that remained was to see which of the two opposing forces was the stronger.

******

Those forces were not only pulling at the fabric between worlds, but they had also reached out to the island. As if protesting these events, Atlantis shook.

The quake caused pandemonium on the streets. The members of Ceridwen’s clan who had stayed on Atlantis grabbed the surviving Olympians and glided away from the island, towards the boats which were now mere specs on the horizon.

The humans scrambled for the last few remaining boats. Confusion reigned as people tried to figure out what was going on. The earth tremor gave them a simple message.

Get off the island. 

Now!

******

The struggle between the two groups had intensified. Ceridwen didn’t know why, but at some point it seemed as if the opposing force had been distracted by something. What was happening on Atlantis? Had the Olympians and her clan gained access to the tower? Were they now struggling with creatures the spell casters had created to protect them?

The light suddenly expanded. Ceridwen bent her will back to the task at had. She couldn’t let her mind wander, couldn’t become distracted. One unguarded moment and they would fail.

******

Another earth tremor shook the island, and the tower rocked on it’s foundations. Arius gasped and stumbled forward, and as he did so he felt something being wrenched from his grasp.

Someone was interfering with the spell.  What were they doing?

No!

******

Suddenly the force that had been pushing the door open pulled away slightly. It was all the group needed to push their will forward, to visualize the gap between worlds closing. The shadowbeast started screaming as it was drawn into that increasingly vanishing hole, the borders of it’s body growing indistinct.

Anemos’ eyes snapped open as Shadowbeast and hole became one.

"Signum!" she shouted.

In response, the light suddenly flared, filling the basin with it’s brilliance before it was sucked back into the center of the circle. There it dwindled to a pinpoint and then vanished.

The six members of the circle collapsed to the ground.

Anemos sat up and blinked. "We…we did it!"

"All right!" Madbrook punched the air and then dashed across the circle to embrace Sabrina. Around them the others were engaging in their own celebrations.

However the joy was short-lived as a scream tore through the darkness. The demons had caught up with Priam.

Seconds later the rim of the basin was crowded by a number of misshapen forms. Madbrook gulped. "Ah yes, forgot about them."

Their escape route to the boat had been cut off. There would be no choice this time but to face the demons.

Ceridwen stood. "Straight through!" she shouted. "Straight through and don’t stop till you reach the boat!"

As the demons poured down the slopes, the six ran towards the ridge they had gathered on before coming down into the depression.

"On my back and hold on!" Calun shouted to Anemos. The female Olympian nodded and held on for dear life, her arms wrapped around his neck as the gargoyles sped along on all fours.

Gromer had changed too, back into the gargoyle form he had worn the previous night but what seemed to him to be an eon ago.

"One thing I noticed about this place," he told them, "is that it responds to what you’re thinking." He ducked as a demon with eight arms and something that could barely be called a head lunged at him. "So think of things to keep these uglies away!"

******

The explosion ripped through the upper floor of the tower, blowing off the roof and exposing the circle to the night air. The energies and magics that the human spell casters had summoned were now released in all directions, out towards the sky, across the sea and down into the foundations of Atlantis.

As the dust cleared, Arius groaned and tried to get up. A sharp pain cut across his body, causing him to stop moving. A large pillar had fallen across his lower body, pining him to the floor. He looked across the circle to his cohorts. He couldn’t see anything, but he could hear something. A whimper, small and alone came from the center of the circle. In seconds it became a cry as Argo’s daughter, once sound asleep under Inanis’ spell, had now woken up to find herself in an unfamiliar place. Her tiny arms waved in the air as she sought someone to comfort her.

And comfort came, but not from one of her own kind. Argus had been making one final sweep of the island, looking for any Olympians or gargoyles who had been left behind when the upper floor of the tower exploded. He had turned and glided towards it,   though not with the intent of any rescue.  As far as he was concerned, there was no one in that tower who deserved saving. No, this was to confirm once and for all that the ones who had caused such suffering that night were dead.

The cry had come as a flame to the senses, and Argus alighted on the tower and walked over to the tiny human child that lay surrounded by rubble and death. Reaching down, he picked her up

"Help me."

Argus turned at the voice, no more than a gurgle, and found himself looking at Arius. Snarling, the gargoyle held Argo’s daughter closer to him and walked away, ignoring Arius’ increasingly faint cries for aid. The pleas finally stopped when Argus opened his wings and glided off. It was too late now.  Arius and the other members of the circle had failed. What came next would be all they deserved.

The tower began to shake as the energies released beneath the tower tore through the earth’s thin crust and opened the way for the final judgement.

******

Madbrook couldn’t help but smile as the wall he envisioned in his mind suddenly materialized behind him and there came a satisfying thud as the demon who had been pursuing him slammed into it. Around him his comrades were having similar successes.

"There!" Anemos shouted, pointing ahead. "I see the boat!"

"Azure!" Ceridwen shouted as a shadowy form stood. "Launch the boat now!"

"We won?" Her voice floated back over the mists.

"Yes! Now we need to get out of here!"

There came the sound of splashing water as Azure leapt from the boat and began to push it out towards deeper water. As they reached the shore, Anemos slipped off Calun’s back and ran to the vessel, Gromer a few paces behind her. She held out her hand as Azure helped her into the boat, although both females almost lost their balance as Gromer exclaimed, "That’s me!"

Anemos turned and her eyes widened. He was right! There in the bottom of the boat, still unconscious, was the body they had brought with them from Atlantis.   The other Gromer, still in the shape of a gargoyle, grabbed the side of the boat as his legs threatened to give way beneath him.

"Soul and body separated! That’s what the shadowbeast meant!" Anemos gasped.  

The rest of the group reached the shore and made their way towards the boat. Gromer reached out with one trembling talon and touched the face of the Olympian in the boat. Instantly the gargoyle vanished and Gromer’s Olympian body gasped as he awoke and sat bolt upright in the boat.

Sabrina and Madbrook had also made it into the boat. Calun looked over his shoulder. Ceridwen was still on the shore, stopping the demons from reaching the others. He realized with a sinking feeling that she was buying the others enough time to make the journey back to Atlantis.

"Ceridwen!" he shouted. "The others are safe! Come on!"

"Go with them! I’ll hold the demons off for as long as I can!"

"She can’t do that!" protested Madbrook, getting up and placing one hand on the edge of the boat. "We all go back or none of us do!"

"Madbrook my friend, I’m really sorry about this," Calun said as he spun around and knocked the beaked gargoyle out with a swift left hook. As Madbrook fell back, Calun began pushing the boat out until the water was up to his chest. "Anemos, use your powers and get this boat as far away as you can and then get back home. Ceridwen and I will stop any of them from following you. Now go!" he roared, giving the boat one final heave before he turned and started wading back to shore.

"But..."

"You heard him! Do it!" Azure growled through gritted teeth. The female had taken up a position at the rudder, her gaze locked on her leader and Second as they faced the demons on the shore. "Don’t waste their sacrifice!"

Tears streaming down her face, Anemos nodded. Closing her eyes, she willed the water that surrounded them to speed the boat away from the demons. As the figures on the shore grew distant, she opened them. "I don’t think I can."

"You can." Sabrina reached over and took Anemos’ hand. "We believe in you. Ceridwen and Calun know you can do it."

"But…"

"It’s their choice," Gromer said. He was still sitting in the bottom of the boat. "If I can survive here, then they’ll be more than capable of doing so." He looked down and sighed. "Start the chant, Anemos."

Anemos turned facing the open water. She closed her eyes and gripped the front of the boat. Lowering her head, she began the chant that would take them home.

Behind her all eyes were on the two gargoyles on shore. Both stood side by side, facing the demons. This was the last thing they saw before the mists rolled in around them and the sounds of battle faded away.

When the mists parted again, they found themselves alone on the open sea. Atlantis was visible on the horizon.

"We made it back," said Sabrina in a small voice.

Beside her, Madbrook moaned as he came to. "What hit me?" he asked, rubbing his beak.

"Calun."

"Oh." Madbrook looked around. "Where is he? Where’s…"

"They’re still back there, fighting the demons." Gromer sighed. "Damn humans." He cursed and spat towards Atlantis. "They’ve got a lot to answer for." He turned back to the others. "So what do we do now?"

His question was never answered as a loud rumbling came from the island.. All eyes were drawn there as suddenly the center of the island vanished from sight as if it had been swallowed by the earth. Moments later, the rest of Atlantis exploded, the force creating a wall of water that rushed towards the small boat.

"My love!" Sabrina grabbed her egg and embraced Madbrook. The beaked gargoyle had a strange look on his face.  So much power, so much energy. Why this felt like…

His eyes widened as he turned to Sabrina. "I think we’re going to…" The sentence was suddenly cut off as the two gargoyles and their egg vanished.

At the other end of the boat, Gromer rushed towards Anemos, shape changing as he did so into a gargoyle. He grabbed her and leapt from the vessel, opening his wings and riding the almost solid wave of air that was being pushed before the tidal wave. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Azure do the same. Madbrook and Sabrina had vanished.  He only hoped that they had escaped from the wave in time.

The wave passed below them, obliterating their small boat as it rolled on towards the horizon. Behind them where Atlantis once lay was a boiling cauldron of smoke and fire. They couldn’t go back there.

"Where did the boats go?" he shouted, straining to be heard over the roar of the explosions behind him.

"That way," Anemos pointed towards the western horizon.

"Then that’s where we go." He banked left and headed towards the west. Behind the three survivors, the sky remained dark. The sun would not be seen that day and Anemos wondered if it would ever rise again. She shook her head. Of all the uncertainties and betrayals of that night she knew one thing. The night would end and day would come.

In an uncertain future, that was the only thing they could truly rely upon.

"There!" Azure pointed towards a large ship on the horizon. Somehow the gargoyles boat had survived. But how? The answer came as she caught sight of the soaked figures on the deck. Ceridwen’s clan had evacuated some of the Olympians to their boat.

All right, then. Anemos amended her thought as they neared the ship and a sea of welcome faces. There were two things in the world that could be relied upon.

The sun, and true friends.

******

"And that, as they say, is the end of the story," Madbrook finished as he poked at the dying embers of the fire. "When the flames of the phoenix cleared, we were on the grounds of the mansion in this time." He frowned. "Shaiya?" The silver-haired female was deep in thought, her gaze seeming to focus neither here nor there.

"Shaiya?"

She looked up. "How sad," she said suddenly.  "How sad that the ones who caused such suffering and destruction should get away with mere death when those who stopped them were forever trapped in that place."

"Yeah," Madbrook nodded. "It sucks. But I think it's one of those unwritten laws of the universe, y'know. The ones that keep everything balanced out."

"Yes," Sabrina agreed. "If Ceridwen and Calun had not chosen to remain behind to keep the demons at bay, then no one would have returned from the Between." She sighed. "Sometimes I wish we could tell them thank you."

Madbrook smiled and gave her a hug.   "Maybe one day we'll find the magic or technology to do just that, but I think they knew, they know." The beaked gargoyle then rubbed his hands together. "Now, we've been talking about the past for so long that we seem to have forgotten something."

"Forgotten?" Shaiya frowned. "What could we have forgotten?"

"The future," Madbrook said, a grin crossing his face. "More specifically, what do we have to eat? It's been a while since I had my last meal and storytelling works up one hell of an appetite!"

The End

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