[SpringsSong]

Well, her spirit certainly is stronger than most—most only had their memories altered by one year, and they broke out into tears before they could even sit up.  Thirteen years, though?  I’d have been bawling before the whole deal was done. Ekal thought to himself as he held her close, running a hand through her hair and saying that it would be okay.  However, he knew that it would take her a fair bit of time to get over the fact that Deraj had still tricked her, that she’d been believing a lie this whole time...

...and then Nyera!  He knew how close the two Goddesses were; she was doubtless fairly upset about this whole matter now that she knew Nyera had been telling her the truth the whole time.  Then, of course, Ekal remembered Aila’s ability to sense other people, and she shakily ran out to meet Nyera.  He followed after her, knowing that she was on the verge of a full-fledged breakdown now, and he was the only one that could explain it.  However, he had a feeling that Nyera would catch on as soon as Aila began speaking; Nyera knew her femme-mate better than Deraj would ever know her, especially now that all this had been revealed.  He knew that Aila would mourn for a little bit—now, at least, Hairam and Mariah would get proper burials; he had gone back to get them and had used his powers to preserve their bodies so that, one day, Aila would remember everything that had happened and would be able to see their children—even if they were dead.

“Aila, you know I understand that it was all because you had your memory altered.  I knew, as soon as you said that I left you without saying that we needed to end it, that you had gone to Yesac and begged him to erase your memories of our children.” Ekal said.  “You know that I understand what you had to be going through when Deraj killed our son and daughter, and that you wanted to forget that it ever happened because you would only play through all the ‘what if I had...’ scenarios in your head, and you always follow those to the worst possible conclusion.  Aila, you must understand that I hold you at fault for nothing at all.”

Here, he held her close again, but then felt her body go stiff.  Almost instantly, he knew that she was having another vision—she’d had way too many in the past day to be healthy for her—and he held her close, waiting for her to come out of it, but then, she started mouthing words.  When he caught the last five, he held her firmly by the shoulders and glared into her eyes.

“Deraj!  I know you can hear me!  I was only trying to protect her from her parents, and to protect her in case I could not get clearance to depart from Inailia to be at her side when she gave birth.  If you say a sacrifice is demanded, then why don’t you come down here yourself and challenge me instead of intimidating my mate?  Why don’t you come here and stir up the seas and call the Inailians to defend their patron God and summon the Guardian of the Seas from his lair?  Why don’t you come gaze upon the handiwork you created thirteen years ago—and find yourself severed from Aila?” he said.  Then, Aila snapped out of her vision, and he held her close to him, running a hand through her hair as she clung to his arm.

“He will have to go through Ciren, the Inailian people, Ciren’s guardian, Xadoc, and he will have to deal with us—maybe even some of the Lesser Pantheon; Giada and Ath’yeri, and maybe even his own two sons and your sister...”

Here, he looked to Ciren, his eyes serious.  If he knew Deraj...

“Summon Xadoc now, Ciren.  We will need him at the ready,” he said.

[2.2]

[SpringsSong]

“Aila...”

Nyera blinked as the other threw her arms around her, sobbing inconsolably.  However, she understood why Aila would be in such a state.  Deraj would never have gotten away with this if it were a child of hers and Aila’s, Nyera’s heartache would have reached Ciren, and the Inailians were very well capable of detecting when their patron god and savior and provider of a home was upset.  She glanced back at Ekal, and then to Ciren, who was looking out to the sea.  However, soon, Aila became entranced in another vision, and she knew from the way she was mouthing the words said to her, it was a rather disturbing image.

“Deraj will pay for this with his position as the head of the High Pantheon,” Nyera said firmly.  “We need to summon all of the Pantheon that has returned.  I know we are without Ekal’s opposite, or the Goddesses of Fortune and Trickery and the Gods of Air, the Hunt, and the Sun, but it has been revealed to me that Yesac’s children are the Goddesses of Fire and Earth, and that Kylistern is the God of Ice.  I had foreseen Valisilwen’s death—she will be killed by a demon of this world who calls himself Lord Baal, but then... the new God of Life, Kuille, will bring her back, but she will be without powers—and Alyssa, who will be gifted with life in this world, will become her successor,” she said, glancing nervously at Ciren.  “We must be on our guard.”

Here, Nyera stole away from the others and went to her stateroom, her blue eyes serious as she looked around.  There were pictures of all of the Gods she had just mentioned, and she was desperate for each of them to come to their aid.  However, there was one she knew she had to speak to promptly, and that was the one that would take up his father’s mantle as the God of Life and head up the Pantheon: Kuille.

Kuille...

She knew that it would be a stretch if the other could hear her; as far as she knew, Kuille had no knowledge of his powers.  However, she soon felt a ripple in her psychic field that matched Kuille, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she continued to speak to him.

Kuille... we need you to come here—you and Alyssa, actually.  Something terrible happened thirteen years ago—well, thirteen Re’klettan years ago.  That would be about twenty-five Evelon years.  Kuille, I am sure you know that your father is the God of Life, but thirteen Re’klettan years ago... your aunt, Aila, and her mate, Ekal, had two children.  Two days after they were born, Deraj killed them.  He would not have told you this, for Aila had begged Yesac to erase her memory of the children.  It has long been said that only you could take down the God of Death—that is because you are to take your father’s place... it is your destiny to become the new God of Life, and it is Alyssa's destiny to take Valisilwen's place as the Goddess of the Moon.  Please... Kuille, you are Aila and Ekal’s only chance at survival...

She sighed as she looked at the other pictures.  One of the pictures was of An’ama; even though she did not want to admit it, it seemed like, every passing day, An'ama was going to be the Goddess of Trickery.  Though she did not want to contact her, she knew that they would have to.

It would be their only chance at beating Deraj successfully.

[1.2]

[SpringsSong]

“Aye,” Ciren said as he looked to the sea.  “Xadoc will come, and he will be bringing our Goddess of Earth with him—apparently Giada managed to find him on accident and is quite taken with her.  He is not usually one for love, so this comes as a surprise to me, knowing that he is quite taken with someone that he knows can take on a human form, and that is descended of the God of Death, for he said that she told him her father, and he nearly drowned her then, for he knows Yesac is not necessarily the nicest character to be around, and he feared her to be like him at first,” he said, looking out at the sea longingly.  After a few moments, he shook his head.

Deraj... I am sorry, but it has to be this way.  You must learn that you cannot go and kill children like this just because you fear that they might be taken from her.  You took them from her all the same. Ciren thought to himself, shaking his head as he watched Nyera walk away.  He knew exactly what she was going to do; she was going to summon Kuille first, and then Alyssa, and then Kylistern and Ath'yeri and An'ama—he had a feeling that An’ama would be joining the Pantheon sooner or later as the Goddess of Trickery; no, she would—Ciren knew that Yesac would not prevent her from becoming a part of the Pantheon, but there was another development.

Lairelithoniel was now the Goddess of Festivals.

Should have known that Aila’s cousin would have found her way into the Pantheon sooner or later... she has Deraj completely wrapped around her fingers... but Deraj won’t be in the Pantheon much longer...

He glanced back to Ekal and Aila, his eyes filled with sorrow as he shook his head.  He knew that Aila was devastated about this whole mess, but there was really nothing that could be done about it.  Deraj had done what he did, Aila pleaded with Yesac to erase her memories of that event, and because of it, Ekal had suffered for twenty-five of Evelon’s years.  Just looking at her now, he could tell what a toll it was taking on her.

“Nyera and I will always be here for you, Aila; just like we were back in Re’klet.  You do not have to worry about us betraying you or harming you in any way.  I could never bring myself to hurt someone that Nyera loves so dearly—to the point where she would sacrifice herself if needed.  Heck, if it came down to it, I would sacrifice myself to save you.  We’ve all been through so much together that it’s a miracle that we’re all still... civil with each other, you know what I mean?” he asked, laughing slightly as he said this.

Xadoc, you had better hurry—Deraj is approaching fast, and we will need your help—and Giada’s, and everyone else’s; however, I know Giada is there with you, so bring her—tell her not to ask questions.  Fly, fly from the oceans, my friend and guardian... you might be our only hope should Deraj come in his winged form, for the rest of us cannot take that form on this ship—not without sinking it.

Ciren frowned slightly as he glanced again at the oceans, and then, the skies.  He could have sworn that he saw a black dot in the skies, but it soon cleared... but he still knew that they were far from safe until Deraj had been cast out from the Pantheon.  He glanced out to the sea again, his eyes sad.

I wish I did not have to do this... but to let Music be compromised is to lose the essence of Re’klet herself.  That, of course, cannot be allowed...

[1.2]

[SpringsSong]

Aila blinked as all this was said.  Valisilwen... killed?  Brought back by Kuille, the next God of Life, as a mortal?  Alyssa, made corporeal and a Goddess?  Kuille, the next God of Life?  She knew that Valisilwen resented her duties as a Goddess, while Alyssa was quite fascinated with their ways.  She also knew that her sister was quite taken with Kuille, so there could not have been too much harm in that.  She sighed as she looked to Ciren, her blue eyes brimming over with tears.

“Ciren... you have no idea what this means to me.  Honestly—this means all of Nycisia to me, and more.  Thank you—now, what is this about Giada and Ciren’s guardian being an item?  And... oh, don’t tell me that Laire’s been made the Goddess of Festivals.  She has, hasn’t she?” she asked, “and she’s got Deraj curled around that little finger of hers, doesn’t she...?”

Aila cursed.  She wished that Laire had never come back to a place where Aila could find her—or where Laire could find her.  She was not exactly liking this right now, but there was really nothing that they could do about it now.  With Laire as a Goddess of the Pantheon; granted, she was in the Lesser Pantheon, but she was still in the Pantheon nonetheless, everything was going to go to Yesac’s realm in a hand basket.  She shook her head firmly as she reached out to Yesac, her voice concerned.

Do not let Laire know the name of your realm, she said firmly, and make sure Deraj forgets it.  Kuille is going to be made his successor, and we are going to recognize your daughters and Deraj’s sons as full members of the Lesser Pantheon now—except, of course, Kuille, who will take his father’s mantle as the God of Life. Aila said, and then, she paused for a few moments.

Bring... bring An'ama, too.  She is to become a Goddess as well.  Please, come with all haste, and make sure Ath'yeri comes too.

She smiled slightly as she imagined the looks on Ath'yeri and Giada’s faces when she would tell them that they were actually Goddesses now in every right; though only one parent was a God, that held no effect on them.  Heck, children from her and Ekal or Nyera and Ciren or—heaven forbid, Deraj and Laire—could live as mortals for their whole lives.  After all, the Gods (with the exception of the God of Death) lived among the mortals, so the only way you could spot one was by the mark—if it was even visible to you.

“Ekal... I am afraid right now, Ekal; so afraid.  I fear that Deraj might not try to just take you, but that he might try to harm me again.  I remember seeing the claws coming at me now—I was so scared when I saw those claws coming at my face, and then... all I felt was a burning pain in my right eye, followed by a searing pain that was the severing of the connection with my children—our children—when they were killed.  I do not want to go through that with you being... we cannot be killed, but... while Deraj is still the God of Life, he can banish you, and then, he will kill you... I cannot let that happen...”

She sighed as she looked around, her eyes filled with sorrow as she looked up at the sky.  She, too, thought she saw a black speck in the sky, but then remembered that An'ama, Kuille, Kylistern, and Deraj were all black in color.  She shuddered, and then, she closed her eyes.

Calm down, Aila...

[2.3]

[SpringsSong]

Ekal nodded as Aila spoke.  It was precisely as they all feared: Laire had found favor in the eyes of one of the other gods that had needed to retire ages ago, and he had seen that Laire was a desirable replacement for his festive lifestyle, no puns intended as he was the God of Festivals.  And then, to make the matter worse, she had gotten Deraj’s attention as a desirable female...

...one that believed his lies.

“Aila... although she is Deraj’s mate in replacement of you, she has done you no harm.  We cannot bring her down, and you cannot try to harm her.  The only thing she has done to you is take your mate, whom you never really loved in the first place because you knew, deep down inside, that he had done something horrible to you before and that you did not want to know about.  Even though you could not confirm it because of your altered state, you knew, somehow, that you and Deraj just were not meant to be.” Ekal said, holding her close.  “And I can guarantee you—Deraj will not have the chance to cast me out and send me to Quaylia.  I have been planning this confrontation for a long time now—Xadoc, the only one of us without a human form, will be our barrier if he attacks in Paragon form.  If he comes in human form, we shall have the rest of the Pantheon—yes, even An'ama, the Goddess of Trickery, will come—to help us.  All we have to do is get Alyssa—she is the only one of us that cannot be harmed—to get into his mind and name Kuille as his successor.”

He knew that this was still risky.  Alyssa was Aila’s guardian, and she was presently incorporeal, but there was still a danger that Deraj could harm her all the same.  He could touch incorporeal beings, but only if he could see their outline.  Alyssa was almost always invisible to the human—and Re'klettan—eye, unless you were Aila or Kuille.  Then, you had the ability to see them because you had her complete and total trust.  Ekal still wrung his hands nervously; what if Deraj managed to force Alyssa into a situation where he could see her?  What if he would not be controlled by her?  Would they have to resort to Yesac drawing the powers out of him?

“Drawing upon Yesac’s power to send even the Gods to Quaylia will be our last resort.  We will have him cast Deraj’s powers out of him, but because of his ties, we will not kill him.  The only reason we would do this is if Alyssa cannot get into his mind to control him.  We need to be together on this, Aila; if we aren’t... then, well... then I might not be the only one being banished to Quaylia.  He might be angered enough with you and Nyera and Ciren that he might cast all of us out.” Ekal knew that casting out Yesac was an impossibility; he ruled the realm of Quaylia, and to cast him out would be the same as letting all of the souls from Quaylia out to run rampant in Re'klet.

That, of course, could not be allowed.

“We shall not let him win this one, Aila,” he said softly, leading her back to the stateroom.  “We will remain here until we are needed; I’m sure the currents will alert us to when Xadoc is emerging from the oceans.  After all, he can summon a forty-day storm, no?”

He smiled as he placed an arm around Aila to try and reassure her that it would be all right.  Deraj would soon meet his end in the Pantheon, and they would be free to be together.

[2.3]

[SpringsSong]

Nyera sighed as she felt Kuille’s response to her plea.  It was far less than enthusiastic, which was to be expected when you had just heard that you were supposed to replace your own father as the God of Life—as well as having the powers to overthrow the God of Death should the need arise!  She lowered her head as she closed her eyes, looking through the pile of photos again.  Giada was coming with this Xadoc character, Ath'yeri and Kylistern still needed to be contacted, An'ama and Yesac would be coming soon, and then... no.  Lairelithoniel would not be invited to this particular party because of her ties to Deraj; however, if she knew Laire, she would be there anyway.

That is the last thing Aila needs—more heartbreak. Nyera said to herself, shaking her head.  It’s bad enough that Valisilwen resents us... but to lose her cousin because of her ties to the man that killed her children?  Will Laire even believe us if we tell her that?  Does she even need to know that he has done this to her? she asked herself, looking around again as she felt something twist within her heart.  Something was going dreadfully wrong, she could tell already, and all she had to do was close her eyes and reach out.

There, flying towards the ship, was Deraj—with the human form Lairelithoniel on his back.

Of course, she thought, she cannot fly when in her Paragon form.  She has the same wings that my Ciren has, but he uses his to swim.  We need to be on the lookout for him to arrive soon—I sure hope that Xadoc can arrive in time to prevent any disasters.  Deraj will not likely take to his human form if I know anything about when he is angered.  He will come in, sail raised and wings about to shatter the ship...

Nyera did not waste any time looking for Ciren, who was standing out on the bow of the ship now.  Her face was grave as she looked at him, waiting for his attention.  When at last it was given, the woman’s voice was slightly frantic.  She had good reason for it to be frantic, but it would doubtless be confirmed as soon as Ciren saw the shadow in the sky that was approaching them even now.  All she had to do was point into the sky where the black dot was.  Before she could give Ciren a chance to recognize who it was, she gave a loud shout in the direction of the being.

“Deraj!  I know you’re out there, and I know you can hear us!  Both of you—you and Lairelithoniel—come here now!  We’re not afraid to face you, and we most certainly are not afraid of a little confrontation!” she said, her voice full of venom.  “Come here and tell Aila in your own words what it was you did all those years ago—tell her what really happened when she got her scars, when you killed her children!”

Her voice was enraged, as was to be expected.  She expected nothing less if it were Aila addressing him, because Aila had every right to be even more enraged than she did; after all, they were Aila’s children, not hers.  All she could do now was wait and see if Deraj would take her taunt and come to the ship, ready for attack.

I sure hope we know what we’re doing, Nyera.  Taunting him into coming here and attack us, essentially, and daring him to tell Aila what really happened when she now knows...

[1.3]

[SpringsSong]

Ciren blinked as Nyera walked out beside him, and then, pointed to the skies.  Sure enough, not all that far out, was a black dot... with green wings.  He shook his head as he glared up at the skies, and then, he turned back to Nyera as she cried out to Deraj; a challenge to come and tell Aila the truth about what happened thirteen Re'klettan years before.  He, however, knew what would happen if Deraj was allowed to land on the ship in his Paragon form.

“Xadoc!  Guardian of the seas!  Come forth and let your fury be known to those that would dare try and harm those on the seas; come forth and let us know what happens when you try to tamper with the sea or the one that holds dominion over it!  Come forth, come forth; come to my aid, my friend and guardian!”

Ciren knew that they would only stand a chance if they had Xadoc on their side because Xadoc was the only one that could not take on a human form, so he could easily match Deraj in strength and prowess, but he also knew that Xadoc was doubtless still sleeping deep beneath the ocean.  He could only hope that Xadoc was close to where they were now, or else there would be serious issues.

These issues would not just be for them, but for the entire ship.

If Deraj landed on the ship in Paragon form, he would cause it to sink, destroying all but the Gods and Goddesses aboard the ship.  If he were to land on the ship, then... then they would all be in rather big trouble.  Aila would be the one he would be after, and he would stop at nothing to make sure she remained blissfully ignorant about the whole matter of his involvement with the mess thirteen Re'klettan years ago.

“Go warn them that they are nearby,” Ciren told Nyera.  “I will stay here and wait for Deraj to land here, and I will wait for Xadoc to come here with Giada.  Xadoc will generally only respond if I am here at first, but I think that Giada would have some power over him now as she’s captured his heart.”

He once again turned to the seas, his emerald eyes piercing into the water as he searched for Xadoc.  Sure enough, his eyes picked up the outline of the Nago with an adult female clinging to his plumage and holding her breath.  From the earthen colors that had started to appear in her hair, he could tell that this human-form female was Giada, Yesac's daughter, the Goddess of Earth.

Xadoc!  You have arrived in the nick of time, if I do say so myself, dear friend, and my, how you have matured since we first met! he said; he had first known Xadoc when he was still a young Nago, still full of curiosity about his powers to cause a forty-day tempest and his connection with the God of Water.  He was just relieved that the Nago had come to their aid now; maybe they could catch Deraj off-guard now.

“Meet the fury of the oceans!” Ciren said, his voice booming.  “Come and meet the fury of the oceans; come and meet the guardian of the sea!”

[1.3]

[SpringsSong]

“Look, Xadoc!  There’s Uncle Ciren down there... and... wait.  We’re not supposed to be fans of Deraj now, right?” she asked as she pointed to the sky, where it seemed like Deraj was right above them as she clung to the Xadoc’s head feathers tightly as she glared back at him.  She remembered hatching and seeing his tail blade there, along with Ariana’s, and Aila’s tail-flames.  She had looked up to Deraj for so long, but then she found out that Yesac was her blood-father.

Even Father is not this cruel to people, Giada thought to herself, shaking her head as she sighed.  The green and brown streaks in her hair had started to develop after meeting Xadoc; he explained that he had connections to Ciren, and then, he told her that she was the Goddess of Earth, which was something she had not necessarily expected, given that she had the ability to summon Shadows—or, in Evelonian terms, demons—on her own freewill.

Now, if only those would help against Deraj...

“As surely as the power to summon Shadows was passed down to me, Deraj will not see this day out as the head of the Pantheon.  As surely as the earth bends to my whims, there shall be a new God of Life before the sun sets and before Valisilwen escorts the Moon into the skies.  As surely as nine of the Lesser Pantheon have yet to return... Kuille shall be the new God of Life!”

She said this with a resolve that would doubtless strike Xadoc as odd; after all, she seemed like such a kind girl that could not bring herself to harm so much as an Angst Ball, and here, she was saying that she would not allow Deraj to see the day out as the God of Life.  She was oddly firm in this resolve of hers, and she would not allow it to go otherwise.

“Let us plunge into this battle then, shall we, Xadoc?  I want to see how well Deraj handles the Ocean Guardian and the Goddess of Earth—who know?—we could soon have the rest of the Pantheon that has returned here before much longer,” she said, wrapping her fingers in Xadoc's mane.  “Let’s make this a day that the Pantheon shall never forget.”

She knew that getting Ath'yeri here would be a trick, but if anything was wrong in the Pantheon, then all Gods and Goddesses within it were obligated to come and assist, no matter how they felt about the Pantheon; love or hate or no preferred standing, they were all drawn together when there was troubling times afoot.

This was certainly one of them.

[1.1]

[SpringsSong]

Xadoc burst forth from the oceans, shaking the salt water from his wings as he tried to make sure that the new Goddess of Earth remained on his back, as he was accustomed to flying rapidly to the point where no one could keep their eyes on him for more than a split second, which usually meant that people could not stay on his back.

“Nay, if we were fans of Deraj, that would mean we would be against the Pantheon; let me assure you, being against the Pantheon is far worse than being against one of them.” Xadoc said, chuckling.  “He picked an ill day to come and try to retake what was never truly his.  He will soon pay for his mistakes.”

He listened as Giada vowed that as she had the power to summon Shadows, as she could bent the earth to her will, and that as nine of the Pantheon had yet to return, Deraj would have a successor named, which would be his son, Kuille.

“You certainly mean business, getting rid of this guy,” he said, chuckling as he shook his head.  “I don’t suppose one of those things would be along the lines of ‘as my love for the sea-guardian is undying,’ would it?  You know by now how I love you, Giada; alas, this is neither the time nor the place to discuss love, I am afraid, as there is a battle that must take place.”

Here, he turned his head to the north and saw Deraj, Head of the Pantheon, God of Life.  Much like him, Deraj bore a human female on his back, but the only reason she was not flying, he ascertained, was because the wings which she had were incapable of giving her flight, not because one of them would be landing on the ship and the other remaining airborne.  He sighed as he glared at him, and then, lowered his head so that Giada could slide off onto the ship below.

“This part of the fight is mine, Giada, and mine alone.  You cannot come with me for this fight, lest Deraj capture you and use you as a ransom to draw Aila’s rage out—and doubtless aimed at Ekal, whom she so dearly loves.  Find her and Ekal; tell her that Earth and the Guardian of the Oceans have come to their aid in this battle.” He waited until Giada was safely off of his back, and then, he turned to Ciren.

“Protect this darling jade at all costs.”

As he said this, he turned around and flew high up into the sky, stopping just before he would have run headlong into Deraj.  He beat his wings steadily, keeping him at the same altitude so that he could confront the male.

“God of Life!” he said angrily.  “Twenty-five Evelonian years ago, you took the lives of two little children; today, you shall pay for that mistake dearly.  Come and fight me!”

[1.1]

[SpringsSong]

Lairelithoniel was perched on Deraj’s back, her blue eyes glaring down at the ship that was their primary target today.  If she remembered anything about what had been said about the whole mess with her cousin and the children from her and Ekal, it was that Aila remembered nothing of it, and what was how it was going to remain.  However, she had the strangest sense of foreboding that this part of the mission was no longer gospel truth as she  knew her sister’s powers of persuasion, especially with her position in the Pantheon.

She’s the freaking Goddess of Music; second only to the Deity of Life, Laire told herself.  If she wants something from one of them, she has the powers to get it from them, no matter the consequeces of it.  If only I could say I was the same, but no; I need wine and parties for that part of the deal to work out, I do, she said to herself.

Then, she heard the cry from the Paragon that was fast approaching them.

“Oh, look, Deraj.  It is as you had feared; Aila has used her powers of persuasion to gain her memory back—or else there’s someone here with really good foresight, and they’re keeping her safely out of your sights because they know you did what you did, and if Aila knew, she would probably find some way to get past the fact that you are a God and kill you.  I know that if I were her and in that situation, I would,” she said, shaking her head as she looked again at the Nago.  “Guardian of the Oceans.  I’ve read about him.  He only obeys the Deity of Water and whoever earns his heart.  I wonder if we could use that against him?”

There was just one flaw with Laire’s scheme here; that was neither she or herself had any foresight abilities.  They could only guessat what would tip this frightful Guardian of the Oceans over the edge, and if they got lucky, they got lucky.  Nine times out of ten, though, their guess was as far off as any.  The only reason Laire was as helpful as she was to Deraj was because she knew Aila’s tipping points.  She knew for a fact that Ekal was one of her largest tipping points, and if you did anything to Ekal, you had her to deal with.

Of course, she only knew this because Deraj had attacked Ekal back in the Shrine, and Aila had given one of the most adverse reactions ever, given what she had gone through with him—or so she supposed.  Ekal left her because he was scared of being a father to chidlren of the Goddess of Music...

...or had he ever truly left her at all?  The way she reacted to him when he appeared at the Shrine was quite adverse considering what he had put her through, but she supposed that people never really did change, no matter how their circumstances changed.  Aila still loved Ekal dearly...

...and now, Deraj was bent on keeping them apart.

[1.1]

[SpringsSong]

“Bugger it.” Deraj said as he spat in the direction of the ship.  “If that Xadoc is here, then Ciren must be here, which means Nyera’s here, too, which means she’s probably talked to Aila about the whole matter, as Nyera was her midwife, which means either Ekal has restored her memory or Yesac has.  No!—Yesac is not here.  Ekal must have restored her memories.  We might have to employ different methods to lure her forth.  Maybe... the children from Yesac that she and I raised.  One of them is bound to be here—in fact, I do believe I sense one of them,” he said, his eyes gleaming dangerously as he stared down Xadoc, flying closer to him.

“What was it you said to Ciren before flying up here to challenge me?  ‘Protect this darling jade at all costs’?  I thought that the Guardian of the Oceans was to remain in the ocean, in perpetual sleep, until he was summoned by the Deity of Water, and then, he was to return to it, not go and fall in love with... the Goddess of Earth.”

Deraj’s crooked grin widened as he took Laire and sent her flying from his back.  If they were going to have the advantage here, he would need her on the ship.

“Find the one that hails as the Goddess of Earth.  I will deal with the Guardian of the Oceans.”

Knowing that Xadoc would doubtless try and stop Laire from even reaching the ship, he readied his tail blade and swung it at the Nago Paragon, slicing deep into his arm.  As the blood began to stream down from Xadoc’s injured arm, Deraj latched onto him, his claws portruding into the skin of the Nago Paragon.

“You forget that I can see into people’s hearts, Guardian,” he spat.  “You were summoned by Ciren because he knew I was going to come.  You were summoned because Ciren was expecting me to put up a fight to try and get Aila back.  You were summoned because none of the Pantheon—especially not Ekal—want me involved in Aila’s life.  Well, they are all about to learn otherwise.  I do not take to these sorts of things lightly—I must know if Aila recalls what happened thirteen Re'klettan years ago now.  If she knows the names Hairam and Mariah... then I am in trouble.”

He released the Nago and pushed off from him into the air, and then, he dove for the ship.  A perpetual snarl was on his face as he glared down at the ship, and, not spotting Aila, he bellowed.

“Aila!  Come and meet me out here now!”

[1.1]

[SpringsSong]

Aila blinked as she sat bolt upright, sensing a disturbance in her field of perception.  Almost instantly, she cursed, turning to Ekal, her eyes wide with fear as she wrapped her arms around him.  She jumped, however, when she heard the angered shout of Deraj.  She knew, then, that there was nothing she could do as she walked towards the door, her feet moving continually forward...

...until she was on the deck.

“Deraj!  You have some explaining to do, I think.” Aila said, her voice firm and demanding.  “I know you know what happned to Mariah and Hairam.  Don’t try to play dumb with me, Deraj; you know you did it to them... you know that you killed them, and you know how I got my scars.  Deraj... it is time to come clean!” she said as she snarled at him, especially after seeing Xadoc’s blood dripping down into the ocean.  Aila snarled as she glared at him, longing to jump up into the sky and take to her Paragon form, but she knew that Deraj had the advantage in the skies.  She knew that they had no possible way of beating him without the rest of the Pantheon, but the rest of the Pantheon was not here, now, were they?

“Laire, you...!”

Aila growled as she moved to tackle her cousin, her eyes filled with venom as she held the Lavamancer down.  Her voice was low as she placed her hand, which was now half-way between a hand and a claw, on her neck and placed her mouth, which was also mid-transformation, next to her ear.

“Listen, Laire.  I love you like a sister.  I really do.  However... this is inexcusable.  Has he even told you what he did to mine and Ekal’s children before they’d even lived a week?  Has he?” she asked, her voice becoming continually harsher as she tightened her grip around Laire’s neck.

After a few moments, she turned to Nyera and pointed towards the staterooms.  Her message was clear enough; make sure Giada stays where she is; she does not need to know that Deraj just wounded Xadoc.  She returned her attention to her cousin, and then, she spoke in a voice loud enough that Deraj could hear it.

“Your attempt to sway me back to you is in vain, Deraj.  While I will not try to sway Laire, you cannot sway the rest  of the Pantheon.  No—you will not sway the rest of the Pantheon.  They all know what you did, Deraj; and they are all opposed to it—yes, even An'ama, the Goddess of Trickery, disapproved of how you handled that, and I naturally disapprove of it!  You killed my children!”

She ran to the bow of the ship now, leaving Laire breathless on the deck of the ship.  Her eyes were steely as she glared up at the SailFin male, her eyes filled with pain.

“I trusted you...”

[2.4]

[SpringsSong]

Ekal sighed as he, too, heard the voice of Deraj.  Already, he knew that they would be in for another fight like the one that had happened in the Shrine, except this time, Aila was also a target of the attack, not just himself.  He turned tail and followed after Aila, his eyes filled with concern as he saw the SailFin, his wings beating furiously as he hovered above the ship.  Ekal growled as a dark aura began to appear around him, his eyes furious.

“Deraj, you have precisely one minute to explain to me why the heck you’re here, and what it is, exactly, that you plan on doing to my girl.  I’ll have you know that basically the entire Pantheon is against you; yes, even Yesac and An'ama are for us and against you, and I am sure that, if he were here, Maethorion would disapprove of your abuse of your powers.  Do not try and sway me otherwise, Deraj; I know you used your powers to sense that Aila was pregnant, and that was when you started to plot how you would eliminate either me or them—whichever would tip the scales and cause her to summon Yesac from the other-realm and alter her memory and leave her with but a memory of a harsh break-up—and you harmed her further than I can ever allow again.”

He glared at Deraj as he wished he could take flight, but then, he remembered that he could at least summon Shadows.  So, he summoned a Shadow that latched onto his back and lifted him into the sky as he took on his Paragon form, but not before he dove under Deraj to catch Xadoc, and then, he placed him on the deck of the ship [which, quite frankly, was a little awkward, considering Xadoc was a twenty-five-foot-tall Paragon with no human form—or so everyone assumed, as he never bothered mentioning it or taking it], and then, he turned back to Deraj.

“Big mistake.”

Ekal flew high above the God of Life, and then, he extended shadowy tendrils towards him and held his claws, tail blades, and maw perfectly still.  It was evident that Ekal did not want Deraj going anywhere, but there was an imminent danger in using Shadows like this.  If Deraj were to somehow sever the Shadow from Ekal, then Ekal would not only lose his ability to fly, he would be several hundred feet in the air, above the ocean, and with only the enraged God of Life in the air, his chances on surviving unscathed were... rather slim.

“I’ll have you know that I never meant to leave Aila.  I was only saying that to protect her from the heart in case I did not pass the exam to go back to Nycisia, and I would want our children going to that school of the arts we all went to.  And... I believe you have something else to tell us about how we were thrown into this world, hm?”

Ekal knew that none of the others were bound to ask what Ekal meant by this, but he had found out too much by listening to Deraj talk to Lairelithoniel.  She was not technically Re'klettan, so he had heard the discussion he had with her about what really happened that day, nearly twenty-four Evelonian years before, and the Pantheon deserved to know why they had been dragged out of the familiar realm of Re'klet and into this messed-up one where one of their Goddesses was being hunted and where the God of Life had gone insane.

[2.4]

[SpringsSong]

“Ekal, what are you talking about?  The portal was a freak accident...”

Nyera asked this as she turned to look at Ekal, and then, she closed her eyes and focused on Deraj’s memories.  All she had to do was search a little ways back, and then, she growled as she ran to the edge of the ship, leaping up and taking her Paragon form, bringing herself level with Deraj.

“You!  How could you?!” Nyera shrieked, swiping her claws at Deraj’s chest.  “You told us you had no idea how the portal worked!  Why did you lie to us, Deraj; why?!  So you could continue to isolate Aila from the man you knew she loved more than she could ever bring herself to love you because she knew, somehow, that she had been hurt deeply by you, even if she couldn’t remember it?  Did you?!”

Nyera was clearly beyond enraged now, beating her wings furiously and slashing at Deraj with her claws.  However, she soon realized that she could potentially be harming Ekal if she hit the hit one of the Shadows, which would not be good for him, even if she could out-maneuver Deraj, Deraj would out-maneuver her to Ekal, or else Ekal would fall and hit the ocean’s surface and be knocked unconscious.  Even if Ciren could save him, Deraj’s rage had clearly peaked.

“Ciren!  We need everyone’s help here!  Summon the others!  Yesac and An’ama!  Kuille and Alyssa!  Kylistern and Ath'yeri!  Death and Trickery; Life and the Moon; Ice and Fire!” she said, latching her claws onto Deraj, her eyes seeming to glow a solid blue as she kept her claws firmly latched into his skin, trying her best to avoid any of the Shadows.  She then looked down at Xadoc, and in a move of rage and fury, she swiped at Deraj’s fin, scratching it slightly, but not putting any tears through it, for she knew that doing such a thing would be the end of her, no matter how she tried to escape it.

“You will pay for what you did to Aila all those years ago, Deraj.  You deprived Hairam and Mariah of the best lives they could have ever had; in fact, you just plain deprived them of life to begin with.  You will pay for the scars you gave Aila—three over her right eye?  She’ll give you three over both eyes, and she might just give you a few more as well, maybe... two deep gashes on the chest that are deep enough to remain forever as scars, but not deep enough as to cause death, like they caused Hairam and Mariah?” Nyera asked him.  “I would ask if you would rather just be put out of the Pantheon, but I won’t, because the entire Pantheon has decided that you cannot remain the head of the Pantheon.  You must be dealt with, and we have already discovered your successor.”

She closed her eyes as she unlatched herself from him, but not of her freewill.  All of a sudden, she lost all strength in her limbs, and she fell headlong into the ocean, landing with a splash as she began to sink beneath the azure waves.  All the while, she was wondering what could have caused the sudden loss of her strength... all she knew was that she was falling, and she was falling fast.

Ciren... help me... I-I can’t...

Nyera tried her best to reach out to Ciren, but her conscious self soon faded out, and her body went limp in the water, her claws flailing aimlessly and her wings stretched upward in a position that they should never be in.  This was quite the odd predicament to have oneself in...

[1.4]

[SpringsSong]

Ciren blinked as Xadoc fell from the skies, but then, he felt his blood begin to boil as he realized what point Ekal was trying to make, as well as what Nyera had just discovered from just looking into Deraj’s memories.  Ciren growled as he looked around, trying to make sure that Giada was nowhere to be seen, but then, Ekal placed him on the ship.  He knew why, of course; if Xadoc was left to fall into the ocean and his wound continued to bleed profusely, then he would not last very long.  Ciren then heard her plea to summon the rest of the Pantheon, from the ones that knew they were a part of it to those who had yet to discover this fact.

“Gods and Goddesses of the Pantheon!  Hear me now and come to our aid!  Yesac, come forth from Quaylia; An'ama, come forth from your pitch-black hovel!  Kuille, come forth from your meditations in the forest; Alyssa, come forth from the ethereal realms!  Kylistern, come forth from your icy haven; Ath'yeri, come forth from the fires!” he cried, keeping his eyes darting from Nyera to Xadoc constantly.  He knew that Deraj could sap the life from anyone who held onto him with malicious intent, and he didn’t want Nyera to fall victim to—

...crap.

Ciren thought this as he saw Nyera fall into the ocean, her eyes closing and her wings at angles that they should never be at.  He knew, now, that he had a choice—remain here and tend to Xadoc, or...

...no contest.

He dove into the water, taking on his Paragon form as soon as he had slid beneath it, for his blue coloration disguised him well enough that anyone who saw him would just think that it was a large, colorful fish swimming below them and not a Paragon.  His powerful muscles propelled him forward as he tried to catch up to Nyera, his emerald eyes determined as he got closer and closer to her.  When he was able to catch her in one of his claws, he turned around and summoned a strong current of water, propelling both him and Nyera out of the water and into the air.  As soon as they breached the surface, Ciren transformed both of them back into their human forms, breathing a sigh of relief as he checked her pulse.

“She’s alive... just unconscious,” he said, brushing some of her hair out of her face.  “Thank Zu'hai she had those wings, though; or else she might have fallen out of my grasps and she might have drowned on us,” he said, remembering the one thing about their immortality that was... slightly bad.  You could not die of a fatal wound, no matter how fatal, but if you fell ill or drowned, well, then... you were dead.

“You just turned all of Inailia against you, Deraj; I hope you’re ready for this...” Ciren said in a warning voice, his eyes starting to glow green as he summoned columns of water to clamp down on the SailFin male.

[1.4]