Chapter 14

Again she watched her world fall apart.

The sorcerer Damian, a close second to her true love Morgana, lay still barely breathing.

Mars stood triumphant having just knocked out Làidir. Làidir who was far stronger and a better fighter than Iris. The two most powerful in their group had managed to take the weapons and left an open bite mark wound on Mars' neck.

She hadn't yet fallen to despair, for Morgana still fought against the Romans. Instead fury burned within her and then exploded outwards in a flame tornado the likes of which she had ignited in that valley of undeath and now once more in the city of Eklibour.

She caught a few allies in friendly fire, but many many more Romans turned to ash.

Iris' flames burned harmlessly against Làidir whose ancestry gave her great resistance. Mars, however, was stopped from crushing her brains out, but her burning touch.

He roared, more in frustration than in pain.

"No. I won't die. Not to a druid."

He tried to strike her down with lightning, but nothing came. Instead he sighed with exhaustion. Then he spasmed shocks of familiar lightning shaking him, Damian's magic. He also put a hand to the open wound at his neck and grimaced.

Damian had weakened him, and Làidir wounded him.

Iris wasn't yet sure how, but she was certain she could stop him.

She bathed the god of war in fire and charged.

Meanwhile, I rolled over. It was all I could manage because Mars had struck true and now I clung to life.

I wanted to help in the fight. However, I struggled just to breathe and most of my remaining magic was trying to regain control of my body from the burning divine energy trying to turn my body to cinder and magic form to nothingness.

A roman assassin drew their knife, but then gagged. An arrow point stuck through their throat. Saw in the distance Meredith and her bow. Meredith's arrow, I guessed. Why, though?

Meredith ran.

How things repeat, and yet how different they were from last time.

New attackers came. Umbra took out the two Romans in a wave of disease. They clawed at their decaying skin and died.

Umbra once more reached by side

Another assassin came, but it was Tulisa who kicked him back. He became a puddle of blood and mucus. Her new body gave her phenomenal strength. She had the young girl on her back.

Both Umbra and Tulisa held me up.

In another situation, two women clinging to my side raising me up would have been a smug joy and wonderful delight. Now I felt like a scarecrow, or like an old man with crutches. Even as a fake corpse, or soon to be one, the world had need of me yet to stay alive.

Iris was getting destroyed in her slug fest with Mars. She diminished smaller and her flames fluttered dimmer with each blow she took. Until. Iris dropped to one knee, shrunk from her giant form and her flames vanquished.

Morgana desperately tried to cut through, but fresh waves of traitor clan warriors and Romans rushed her and her fellow defenders.

Tara, however, made it and stood in front of Iris. Tara, hero of Ferisdarm, but all she was a mortal warrior with a magically sharp weapon.

She tried to strike, but the God of War slapped it out of her hands. Her fingers broke and the weapon flew from her reach.

"I saw your feats against the Unseelie, and today and now you stand defiant before Mars. You are a brave warrior. What is your name?"

"I am Tara, Oathsworn to the Sorcerer Damian, and he has made his wishes clear. Death to the Gods!"

Tara grappled the God of War, her hands in his with their feet planted.

She spoke no words, for she could not in the extremity of her agony. She screamed, red-faced and veins popping, in defiance.

For her mortal unmagical strength stood no chance. All the enchantments I'd given her failed against divine might. First, her wrists snapped, next her hand shattered, then her knees buckled inwards breaking her legs, and finally her collar bone split and she hit the ground.

Iris grew her arm huge and punched Mars back causing him to stumble away a few feet.

I tried to think of what to do. Mars' open wound burned at his neck. He had run after the dragon came. Dragonfire, it could kill them.

"It's dragon fire, burn him with it…!" I shouted at her.

Mars howled hearing the words. He sprang at Iris, determined to kill her then and there.

I fired lightning stream continuously from the heavens, he tried to dodge, but it struck hs shoulder and split apart his flesh

So my lightning could burn hot enough to burn him, but I had nothing left to give.

Iris reared her head back and she transformed into a dragon snout using what all of the little left, but great power she had to spare.

Iris poured dragon fire flames into Mars' wound. When she was done, the God of War was cooked. She dropped to both knees and her head dropped. Her legs gave out and she hit the ground utterly spent.

Her flames were lethal, and she too had fallen.

Though dying, Mars committed one last attack.

A single, mountain crushing punch to the base of Iris' skull.

Mars struck, but it was Tara that took the blow. In an act of near impossible mental strength she had with her broken body risen from the ground as little more than a meat shield

Tara's skull shattered and brain squished into mush, and still Mars' strike powered through, and it was less Tara's body and more the disgust and shock Mars' felt something go wrong, tricked him than he drew back early.

He still struck Iris.

Unable to move with her spine shattered, but thanks to Tara's sacrifice, her head was still attached to her neck. Our growing child was spared.

The God of War lay smote and Iris lay still as if dead. But she clung to life…