Page 69 of Crimson Skies

It will be alright. We are just as strong, Theophile…

The tension thrumming through him abated a little at Rohengar’s calm reassurance. Theo inhaled and guided the power of the Book of Rain into the Earth.

A beam of light shot out of the artifact and slammed into the planet’s nexus. He grunted and clenched his jaw, Rohengar cushioning the impact of the contact on their core.

Now, Theophile…

A savage bellow left Theo as he opened a portal to every realm and connected to their nexuses, raising a shield that eclipsed metaphysical boundaries. One that had not been seen for millennia.

* * *

The soundof war choked the air above San Francisco.

The bay and the ocean churned with turbulent waves and giant whirlpools as the Nereids engaged the giant monsters in the water. Smoke spiraled from the burning buildings and explosive craters where battalions of human magic users and the otherworldly who had called Earth their home for five hundred years fought Elios’s ground forces.

Morgan glanced at the distant city as he arrowed through the atmosphere within a tempest of black wind and dazzling, emerald magic. Bostrof and his army of Lucifugous were down there along with his team and most of Argonaut.

He clenched his jaw and pushed his disquiet about their fate to the back of his mind as he picked up speed, the strength he had gained from absorbing the Golden Apple of Resurrection filling his veins with incandescent power.

He couldn’t afford to lose focus.

Morgan flashed between a score of giant eagles, cut down three war demons in the blink of an eye, decapitated a Cyclops, and arrowed toward a Nephil. The Sword of Wind sang in his grip as he dropped down on the monster with an almighty bellow.

His blade carved a vertical line straight through the shadow-wreathed giant’s head to his torso. Blood misted the air. The glow in the monster’s eyes dimmed.

Morgan was already on the move by the time the giant tumbled toward Ocean Beach, dark wings slack and stone mace falling from his limp hand.

Victor and Boreas joined him as he aimed for the horde of war demons and the three Nephilim who’d surrounded a unit of Dryads led by Thalia. A flash high above caught their gazes and made them slow down a fraction.

Sunlight was glinting off a gossamer barrier in the sky.

Morgan smiled fiercely. “He did it!”

Pride lit up Victor’s face as he watched the glowing being with white wings above them. “I never doubted he would.”

They disposed of a band of ghouls as they resumed their dive, darted between the beams of the Cyclops fighting Clotho and Lachesis, and deflected an array of stray black magic spell bombs that escaped past where Cedric, Leiv, and Kalliste confronted a mob of sorcerers.

“Just like old times, huh?!” Victor shouted, his dark flames engulfing a war demon as they smashed into the pack attacking Thalia and her troops.

He carved the head clean off the monster, his broadsword humming.

Morgan slashed the first Nephil across the face and ducked beneath his swinging mace. “You mean, like when you stuck your sword in me in the Nether?!”

He weaved his way around the giant’s arm, saw the opening he’d been searching for, and pierced his heart.

Boreas moved out of the way of the falling Nephil before driving his ice blade through the skull of the second giant and twisting the weapon with a grunt. “He’s got a point.”

The monster froze, scarlet pupils darkening. The Winter God ripped his blade out as the dead Nephil plummeted toward the beach, taking down a group of hellbeasts along the way.

Victor made a face at Morgan. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

He grabbed a war demon by the throat, overwhelmed it with his flames, and sliced it in two.

Morgan grinned. “Give it another couple of centuries and I might just forgive you.”

They got rid of the third Nephil with a combined attack the giant never saw coming.

“Thanks!” Thalia shouted from the back of her eagle as she regrouped with her soldiers. “We’ve got this!” She scowled at the remaining war demons and lifted her blade high up in the air. “To me, warriors!”

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