Eight Gods on a Windowsill

The sizzling of sand followed a loud crash as the flames passed through me and into the dunes behind me. I quickly took the chance to sidestep out of the fire and into a spot that was clear of his range. Well, it was clear for now. Hagnr tested my ability to think on the fly. His battle prowess exceeded my own on multiple levels. His control of his flames, too, was greater than my own. I knew I was right to bring him here. While familiar to him, these deserts would provide a better battlefield than the forest we previously fought in. If I had stayed where I was, it would have been the end for me. I surveyed the area around me.

Dunes piled high in the vast desert, broken through the landscape only by giant mountainous bluffs that stood high like trees made of limestone and corals. Sedimentary mountains buried half in the sand had the mouths of caves dotting their face throughout. The twin stars overhead were hot and bright. Sparsely succulents dotted the ground, soaking up whatever light they could. This ocean basin had long been neglected by water. Only the desert remained. A desert of red-orange sand and glass from all the flames scorched from our battle.

Stamina at seventy-nine percent. Stockpiling mana.

Hagnr burst into laughter. "So, you have Rhumer's invulnerability. You are just a walking cacophony of abilities you cannot control. It would have been better if you had one singular ability that you could have honed over your lifetime."

Stamina restoration is complete in twelve minutes and fifty-seven seconds.

"Here you come unfocused, ill-trained, and in poor control of yourself; but, yet you want to protect that dog of an emperor whose armies raze everything in his name." Hagnr continued. "You know nothing of Abryi lez Rayne; yet, you defend him and his honorless self. Do you even know of the destruction his armies caused on this planet?" Hagnr waved his hands about. Then, noticing the look I gave him, he commented, "Did you think I would not notice the sands of my own home world?" His chuckle deepened as he glared at me. "Poor child, you have been used all this time and have no idea of the man you serve." His tone became more serious. His amusement died with it. "I can smell my forefather's scent from here. Do you intend to contest him as well when you cannot even overcome me?"

Now, I wanted to laugh at him. Me serve Abryi? He talked about me not knowing the full picture; however, his assumptions were on a level that even I dared not to make. "Tell me something, Hagnr. What do you know of me and the manner of relationship I have with Abryi?"

Mara, what are you about to do? Kaddyr queried, worried. Don't do anything rash.

I ignored Kaddyr. "You dare lament the destruction caused by the armies of Amalya. That is what armies do. They come and destroy. You dare seek retribution when you had had the right to defend your planet. The power to do so. Yet, you failed. And, you seek vengeance on a man you dare call a war criminal because his armies did what they were designed to do. You are the fool, Hagnr!" I screamed. "You have the nerve to assume I serve Abryi. I defend him, yes. However, in no way do I serve him. I serve no one! I protect this universe on my own whim for the sake of all that live in it, that includes fools like you." I turned my thoughts in on myself. Kaddyr, Lillith, I am going to borrow a little from you.

What are you going to do? Kaddyr questioned again.

Stamina at eighty-one percent. Stockpiling mana. Stamina restoration complete in eleven minutes and twelve seconds.

I was glad that what I was about to do consumed no stamina, only mana. It was also going to boost the amount of stamina I had. Not the amount of mana restoration. But, it would prevent me from using up all my stamina at once. I could feel the hairs on my arms stand up on end. The air around me began to shift and become denser. The sand started to sink beneath me.

"Look at you. The need for such focus and inability to use your techniques instantly shows your lack of control." Hagnr became even more enraged. "You think I will stand here and let you transform? I don't know what changes will happen once you do. But, I am not going to allow you the chance." He rushed me with his hands glowing a bright red. "Red Dragon Claws." He began to swipe at me.

"Parvatha."

Hagnr's attacks made contact with my barrier. It did nothing. He wasn't strong enough to shatter it like A'grappa. That didn't stop him. He was desperate.

Focus. Concentrate on what you need to do. I could feel my body start to shift. Frustration. Indignation. Wrath. Pure unadulterated killing intent. I poured those feelings through me. I let them fester.

My barrier shattered as Hagnr was pushed back from the force of my will alone. My will for him to submit. To acknowledge me over his own desires.

Yog's ash began to circle me. Hiding my transformation and protecting me as much as it could. All that my body was doing was on the orders of my will alone. Hagnr was right, I still didn't have enough control over my abilities. But, in the form he was right now, I was much stronger than he was. He just didn't know it yet.

"You smell of death, lapdog." Hagnr barked. "Just what are you?"

I didn't answer.

A pulse echoed through the ash causing it to ripple, sending out more of my will. It pulsed again and again, faster and faster until a giant pulse forced all the ash in every direction revealing my transformation.

Long Markhor horns rested on my head. My teeth had turned to fangs. My gray eyes turned red. Golden spikes and black scales covered most of my body, arms and neck. Scales even crept across my face. Black wings extended from my back. The back of my shirt had torn open to accommodate my large wings.

"Don't look so surprised, Hagnr." I smiled a slow malevolent sneer. My voice deepened a little, sounding more sinister. "I thought you knew that I had many abilities. Did you think this was not one of them?"

Hagnr scoffed. "Second step." His voice spoke levels of calmness. His form shifted also, becoming more dragon-like. Scales began to creep even further across his body. His jaws widened, producing more fangs. "You have piqued my curiosity, Mara. But, the outcome shall still be the same."

Stamina at ninety-seven percent. Stockpiling mana.

Hagnr was upon me with ease and speed that far surpassed what he had demonstrated before. When he was within mere millimeters of my face he slashed at me. "Red Razor Claw." The force from the attack sent me skidding backward across the sand. Hagnr didn't stop there, he followed up with a second attack. "Red Razor Flames." He emitted concentrated flames in my direction. "Razor Burst." He shot several volleys of red flame bullets toward me. Each attack found their mark, kicking up dust and sand with the force of their impact.

Suddenly, the smell of ozone filled the air. A second kobold appeared next to Hagnr. This one appeared female. And, like Hagnr, she was covered in red scales that crossed over most of her body. Unlike him, however, with each movement, she emitted lightning from her body.

"Dear brother, you having trouble with this one opponent?" She chided. She sniffed the air. "It's not even Abryi. Why haven't you dispatched of this strumpet yet?"

"Zoldya." Hagnr responded with even less enthusiasm.

"We don't need you pressing yourself into exhaustion again. I doubt Edward and Lan would want to restore you back to normal again." He tone made it very clear she was making a mockery of her brother. "Or, are you still incensed that you had to share a room with the very man you tried to kill?"

"Enough, Zoldya." He shut her down immediately. "The fun is just about to start."

The dust cleared around me, bringing into view all the scorched sand behind me. Once more I had phased through the attacks Hagnr threw at me. Not even his prior attack had landed. I managed to erect a small barrier just in time.

Stamina at ninety-six percent.

"You're pretty resilient, young one." Zoldya remarked. "I'm not surprised you have been giving my brother a little trouble. But, you have no control over your abilities and waste too much mana." She took a small step forward and with her second step she was upon me in an instant. "Red Dragon Flash."

I immediately erected a barrier. The world went white. Ozone filled my nose once more. I could sense Zoldya move back to where her brother was.

"Never fear," came a confident voice I was not expecting to hear right now, "Abryi is here."