Cass released the breath caught in her throat as she watched Kohen eviscerate the paladin attacking Ahryn. The boy stumbled back as Kohen rammed his sword through the man's chest again and again, his phantom hand shooting out and crushing the soul within to a fine powder, before dropping the lifeless body to the ground and lunging at the next nearest paladin.

It worked.

For now, at least, Kohen was too busy protecting Ahryn and punishing the boy's attackers to devour souls. Which meant everything else might be possible.

The dragon charged the boy. Kohen snatched Ahryn up by the back of his gambeson and dragged him out of the dragon's path, tossing Ahryn past him before turning to slice at the dragon's flank.

The dragon twisted to crush him in his jaws, but Kohen skipped out of the way, his lightning sword leaving a crisscross of cuts along the dragon's snout.

The captain charged into the fight after the dragon, scooping up a fallen paladin's shield to replace the one the dragon had crushed.

"Focus the demon!" he shouted at his subordinates.

The captain isn't affected by Fairy Fire! Cass panicked.

He is much stronger than you or I, Salos answered. Even with relatively low Resolve, he likely has enough to match my Will. Additionally, his desire to kill the boy is likely comparatively low. Remember, Fairy Fire does not manufacture conflict. It only heightens what already exists.

But it works on the grunts, Cass said.

They are all lower leveled and likely have tendencies to murder whatever is put in front of them, Salos answered flippantly. Do you want to speculate about this in greater detail, or can I focus on the miracle you have asked me to perform for you?

Cass waved him off. If he was going to be like that, she'd let him concentrate.

The captain swung at Kohen. Kohen caught the strike on his lightning blade. Steel and lightning clashed.

A paladin, ignoring—or perhaps incapable of following—his captain's orders, swung at Ahryn.

The boy raised his hands to summon another shield, backpedaling to get out of the way.

Kohen's lightning blade disintegrated to break the sword lock. He stepped back, turning to run to Ahryn's aid. The captain's sword slashed down his side, leaving a long, bleeding gash.

Kohen raised his off-hand, dripping with blood from his new wound, and traced a symbol in the air with it. His blood glowed. It shot off his arm in a burst of fine needles.

They pelted the attacking paladin and the two immediately behind him, puncturing their armor like pin cushions. The attack wasn't strong. With their Fortitude, it was likely little more than an irritation. But it was unexpected.

The paladin staggered back, covering his eyes with his shield.

Kohen leapt at him, his sword impaling the man's chest. They tumbled to the ground. The phantom hand snapped out and crushed the soul.

A fine powder was building in the air. It glimmered and shone, promising power if she could just collect up enough of it.

They were the remains of the souls Kohen crushed. Formless but powerful still.

Could he consume them? She hoped not.

Much of it swirled around the central altar. Souls flickered like a growing fire above it. The souls of the men the captain had killed.

That seemed to deny them from Kohen, but was that just because he was too busy with living souls to investigate the ones on the altar, or was there something special about them there that made them off limits to the demon?

Too many questions. Too many baseless guesses.

The captain swung at Kohen again, his massive sword whooshing through the air.

Kohen spun to block, a Fortitude's Protection leaping into existence between blade and body. The captain's sword slammed into it, sending cracks through the spell.

The dragon thrashed, swinging his head like a hammer at the gathered combatants. Ahryn threw up another light barrier. The dragon slowed as his head passed through it.

Slowed enough for Kohen to shove Ahryn out of the way, his green barrier falling as he did so.

Ahryn fell out of the dragon's path.

The dragon struck Kohen, his huge head slamming Kohen across the room. He bounced across the glass floor, a trail of blood spraying behind him.

Ahryn scrambled out of the way as the paladins surrounded him. As the dragon turned to chase him.

The captain followed Kohen across the room, yanking him off the floor by his hair. Kohen snarled. Blood dripped from his forehead and gushed from his side. He clawed at the captain's armored arms.

A paladin swung down at Ahryn. The boy rolled out of the way, the blade missing him by a hair.

"Pathetic demon," the captain sneered, raising his sword to Kohen's chest. "Lay what remains of your soul before our blessed lady. Find salvation in her exaltation."

The demon growled something in that other language.

The dragon roared, his claws slamming down on the humans below him. They crushed a paladin between him and Ahryn.

"Die," the captain said in return, stabbing his sword through Kohen's chest.

A paladin swung at Ahryn.

Kohen gasped. It was a hiccuping, choking sound. Bloody and wet.

The captain dropped him. He slid off the captain's blade, landing with a wet thud on the floor.

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Cass dropped out of Stealth between Ahryn and the paladin.

Order of the Copper Crescent Paladin (Lvl 33)

She wasn't sure when she'd started running, only that she was here now. Only that if she weren't here, Ahryn would die.

She raised her dagger to block. It was awkward in her hands. Was there a technique to blocking, or was she supposed to just take the hit against her weapon? Salos would know, but Salos was busy.

She called Tempest Blade to its edge. The lightning buzzed comfortingly before her. A promise that even if his sword shoved her aside, he'd hurt for it.

The paladin's sword swung down.

A barrier of white light appeared between her and the sword. The blade slowed as it passed through the light. She didn't have the Strength or Fortitude to contest the paladin's Strength directly. But maybe with it slowed, she could survive anyway.

Blades slammed together.

The paladin's Strength ripped into her. She was thrown aside, her arms numb from the force of his attack.

But lightning coursed back down the paladin's blade, through gauntleted hand and into his body. His muscles spasmed as the lightning ran rampant.

But it wasn't enough. There were more paladins. Another stepped forward, sword in hand. More drew closer. All surrounding the trapped boy.

And Cass struggled to stun even one.

Had it been enough to buy time for Kohen to get back up?

His breathing was shallow. Wet. Drowning.

He lay where the captain had left him. His soul still glowed, but it was a twisted and pulsing thing. He was alive, if barely.

The captain stood over him, blood dripping from his sword, waiting for Kohen's next revival to stab him again.

Salos, cut Fairy Fire, Cass called. Maybe it would be enough to spare Ahryn. Maybe it would buy her enough time to do something else.

The flames flickered out. The paladin's approach did not slow.

The dragon roared.

What else could she do? She was just about out of resources. She'd recovered a few points of Focus while the paladins had swarmed Ahryn, but not enough to change her options dramatically.

Stamina: 47/141

Focus: 32/549

Health: 70/134

Not enough for Confounding Mists. Not enough for anything crazy.

Enough for a judicious use of Elemental Manipulation. Maybe two, if she didn't have to summon any material.

Could she save him with that?

She'd have more if she burned Health. She could do that twice, for an additional 90 Focus. Could she save him with 122?

She clenched her teeth. She could still barely feel her hands.

But she had to try, didn't she?

Cass—

A paladin flew backwards into the cathedral with a scream and a thud. He slammed into the group around Ahryn. They jumped apart as the man fell.

A figure stormed in after him, sword out and trailing amber aura. It dripped from her blade, falling like stars behind her. She twirled it around, slamming it through the fallen paladin's chest. Her aura burst in his chest, and the man fell still.

Her armor shone, despite the rents in its plates. The blood smeared across it was worn like honor to her might rather than a testament of her wounds. Over a mane of curling crimson hair, she wore a circlet of amber aura, burning like the sun.

Alyx was here.

Cass froze. Relief and reservation hit her simultaneously.

What was Alyx doing here?

Was she here to rescue her?

Was she here to hurt Salos?

Neither thought made sense. There was no way Alyx should have known Cass had been kidnapped. And, if she did, there was no reason Alyx would chase Cass into danger just to hurt Salos.

She must be here for the dragonlings. Like Ahryn was.

That made the most sense.

They were Alyx's goal. There would be honor or merit or something for rescuing them.

Alyx pulled her sword from the paladin's chest, flicking it to the side to knock the blood from the blade. Her dark eyes scanned the room, narrowing as they passed over each paladin.

Freezing at the sight of the dragon. Freezing again on Cass.

"Another one?" the captain grunted in disgust. "Kill her too!"

Like a disturbed ant's nest, the paladins surged at their captain's order, Ahryn entirely forgotten before the far more dangerous Alyx.

There was no time for wonder or questions. Cass had to trust that Alyx was here to help. She ran for the swordswoman.

Salos, Fairy Fire me again! Cass yelled across their bond.

Fairy Fire this, Salos, Salos muttered, his voice echoing Cass's cadence, Stop Fairy Fire, Salos. Fairy Fire me, Salos. Carefully deactivate the magic circle, Salos. Her skin erupted in purple flames despite his grouching.

"Come get me!" Cass shouted as she stepped behind Alyx.

The paladins obliged, running at them.

"Cass?" Alyx murmured. She sliced down the first paladin, her sword cutting through his armor like a hot knife through butter.

Cass looked away. "Ah, hi."

"You're alive." Was that relief in her voice?

Alyx sliced across the next two, cutting one paladin's shield in half and cutting deep across the second's chest. A third ran at them from Cass's side.

"Trying my best," Cass said as she summoned a Tempest Blade to her dagger, throwing the lightning blade at him. She wove it between his shield and sword, striking the center of his chest, stunning him as Alyx knocked back a fourth on her side.

"Are you hurt?"

Cass shook her head, ignoring the gashes along her arms and legs. "I'm alright."

Alyx glanced at Cass as she turned to cut down the one Cass had stunned. Her dark eyes pierced through Cass.

Cass looked away as Alyx's amber sheathed blade sliced through the paladin. Her aura rippled around her. Her body overflowed with it. Had she always been this strong?

Across the room, a surge of crimson mana overflowed, sticky and creeping. Kohen rolled to his feet, his wounds closed again, the blood dried from his lungs. He launched at the captain, his lightning blade slamming against his shield.

"What exactly is happening here?" Alyx asked.

The dragon reared back, his lungs expanding for another breath attack.

Cass opened her mouth to explain. How did she even explain? Her eyes lingered on Kohen. Would Alyx even understand?

She had wanted to kill Salos, whom she nominally liked. Would she have any reservations about killing Kohen, whom she'd been expecting to kill even before all this?

No. Better to keep the details to herself. There wasn't time for a long explanation.

What did Alyx need to know?

"That's the captain of the Copper Crescent," Cass pointed at him, fighting Kohen. "We need to kill him to get out of here." Her finger shifted over to Kohen. "The demon is protecting Ahryn for now."

Alyx opened her mouth, undoubtedly with very reasonable questions, like 'what did Cass mean, "demon"?' or 'why would a demon protect Ahryn?' or 'shouldn't we murder the demon?'.

Cass kept talking before the question could be voiced. "Salos is working on freeing the dragonlings."

"Then we need to kill the demon before the Copper Crescent Captain." Alyx slashed through another paladin.

Cass threw another Tempest Blade over Alyx's shoulder. "Well. No. I mean. You would be right, if killing him was the plan."

"Cass. We talked about—" Alyx cut herself off, shaking her head. "We can't let it get into the city."

"Agreed," Cass said. "But, I have a plan."

Well, the start of a plan. She would have to admit, if pressed, she didn't know what they'd do with him after they contained him. But, as long as no one pressed her on it, she was content to leave that part to herself.

Cass could feel Alyx's eyes on her again. Their previous argument bubbled unspoken between them.

Cass understood the fear now. Kohen—as a demon—was powerful. Far more powerful than he'd been as a human. And the ease with which he destroyed souls was terrifying.

But she didn't want to yield to that fear. And she refused to let anyone paint Salos with that same brush.

"And it involves not killing the demon?" Alyx asked.

Cass nodded, steeling herself for an argument.

Alyx's jaw clenched. Her eyes drifted out over the cathedral again. Her hand tightened around her sword's pommel. Another paladin dropped. Then another. Finally, Alyx said, "Okay."

Cass blinked. Wait. Really? She was going to go along with it just like that? But she'd been so ready to kill Salos. She—

"What do you need me to do?" Alyx asked. Her eyes were serious. This wasn't some strange trick or ploy. Cass could decode the reasons later. Now was the time to work together.

"Weaken the captain and the demon as badly as you can. But don't kill either yet."

"And the dragon?" Alyx asked.

"Try not to hurt him if you can." It was a non-answer, and Cass knew it. She had no idea how to save him, just that he needed to bond with a knight. But she assumed that someone who knew more could take care of him once the dust settled.

It seemed to be enough of an answer for Alyx. She visibly un-tensed. "Anything else?"

Cass shook her head.

"Then let's go." Alyx sprinted into the melee, her sword flying and her aura shining brightly.

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