Chapter 34
Still clearly battered from the attacks of Abaddon and Belial, I tried to keep the door to the Big Court locked with Alatus and Devas. Avery and Lilly had freed the sword, and when she took it in her hands, the power that this sword possessed was felt in the room, and we were surrounded by a surge of power that drew everyone's attention. Not only did we notice the power that was released, but so did all the other beings on Antaris, including the dark side.
The walls of the mansion gave way and were destroyed as the army of Abaddon rushed in our direction and overran our defenses. Due to the breaking of the line we had and Lilly's and my absence, our defense was greatly weakened, and even the attack was no longer successful.
Aidan and Inna still stayed there, but without all of us, it was difficult to hold the line.
Avery immediately noticed what was coming and called our attention to the current situation.
"We are surrounded! We have to get out of here immediately and go back to our people!" he shouted to us.
Lilly grabbed Devas, and I took Avery with me with Alatus' help to fly out of the mansion at the last second and destroy the door and our house when Abaddon and Belial made a breakthrough with their monsters.
"You can run, but you can't hide!" Abaddon shouted angrily as he ordered his legion to follow us.
They left the mansion and stormed after us, destroying everything that stood in their way. The screams of our warriors rang loudly as they fell, and Abaddon fought his bloody way to us.
We landed in the middle of our army, and with Lilly's help, we managed to overpower the attack there. The problem only got worse as we were surrounded and stood huddled in a circle, surrounded by the now huge dark army.
"You just make it easier for me...letting everyone die together is such a noble gesture, my king!" Abaddon mocked our situation as he stood in front of us.
"I won't just take the sword. You will be the last to die so you can watch all your kind-hearted followers die!" Abaddon shouted angrily.
"Keep your defense! Everyone together, don't let anyone get past you! Fight!" ordered Avery, ready for Abaddon's attack.
Belial laughed at us and looked at his brother who didn't take his eyes off the sword. And even though we all stood around Lilly protectively, we still had the feeling that we weren't strong enough.
The amicus were driven away from us, and many suffered serious injuries that would likely result in death, weakening their respective owners. Alatus stood by my side, and I felt his excitement, his anger at everything that was happening, his fear for me... and another feeling... determination.
The attack was given, and Abaddon's army rushed towards us, with him and Belial at the forefront of the attack. They forced us to use the battle to separate the circle of our army that had already been formed in order to gain the upper hand more easily.
Elves and fairies, along with wood elf witches and wizards, fought on land, while the sea folk supported us from the water. But all our efforts and even Lilly's powers seemed not enough, and our army began to suffer terrible setbacks. The first warriors around us fell, and Lilly and I were attacked by Abaddon and Belial with their black forces and sealed off from the others by the black fog that made it impossible to see us.
They circled us, and we only heard their voices calling for the sword in a circle around us where we could not predict the exact direction of their attack.
As Belial jumped out of the mist and lunged at Lilly, I was attacked by Abaddon and fell to the ground. Alatus was badly hit by Abaddon when he protected me, and I managed to put up my red aura in time to protect myself from his attack like a barrier between us.
"Alatus!" I screamed as I felt the pain of his injury.
I could only take a quick look at Lilly, who was defending herself against Belial and pushing him away, while Alatus, injured, was still protecting me.
I felt that Alatus was not only communicating with me but also with Lilly, who was protesting against his plan.
"There has to be another way Alatus!" she called out to him as he looked at her.
The language he used to speak to her was foreign to me and seemed ancient, but Lilly understood every word he said.
Abaddon also seemed to understand and shouted "NO!"
"Iris, as the only one of my kind, I decide to give you my life. All my strength and gifts are intended for you because only you are destined to use the gifts of all beings...You are and have been the Prodigy from the beginning in the magical world...I will always be with you!" Alatus said to me as his red glowing aura surrounded him.
I watched as his body disintegrated into red glittering dust above me through the concentration of his enormous energy and merged with my body.
I felt the union of Alatus and my soul and the bond that now emerged as a single being. The union of Alatus and I was so strong that as a result, a huge red aura glowed around me like an explosion of energy, breaking through the black mist around us like a shockwave.
"IRIS!" I heard Avery shout from the distance as he fought his way towards me, while tears slipped down my cheeks from the sacrifice my beloved Alatus made.
Belial seemed unfazed by what was happening and stormed towards Lilly again to get the sword.
But this time, I felt no fear, no ignorance, and no concerns.
I knew what to do and what I could do thanks to Alatus and his powers in me.
Two strong red dragon wings sprouted from my back, and I stood protectively behind Lilly and hugged her with them to ward off the attack. Lilly looked at me in amazement under my wings, and I could see the glow of my fiery red eyes in hers. I took her hand that held the sword, and as I opened my wings again, I thrust her hand and pierced Belial's body.
Abaddon's shocked face watched as his last brother turned to dust before his eyes, and I let out a scream that resembled a dragon's roar.
The realization of the death of his brother and my powers, together with Lilly, made him decide to withdraw. He fled like a coward, dropping his sword as he fled towards the breached shield and exit.
Some of the demons followed him and escaped, but all the ignorant ones who waited for his orders were at our mercy. The anger I felt at the loss of my amicus bubbled out of me, and the revenge for his death was devastating and deadly for all the demons and beings of darkness Abaddon left behind.
"Abaddon flees! Their army is without leadership! It is time to destroy them... Destroy them all!" Avery ordered, visibly weakened by the fight.
They got the strength to end the fight that our army had lacked so far through Belial's death and Abaddon's curse, and so they once again stormed towards the opponents with all their remaining strength and destroyed every absentee of the darkness with my and Lilly's help.
The battle was won.
After a while, the last of Abaddon's followers died, and we looked for each other on the battlefield.
Nothing remained of the attackers but dust and ashes, and the only ones on the battlefield were our injured and fallen people and the glittering dust of the amicuses who didn't make it.
"Iris! My Iris!" Avery shouted as he ran over to me and scooped me into his arms as I slid to the ground. He held me tightly in his arms as I cried sadly with a heavy heart over the death of Alatus.
We were dirty from fighting and bruised, covered in our blood and the blood of our attackers, but we survived.
"We have to go after him! We have to find and destroy Abaddon!" I shouted angrily, ready to follow him.
But Avery stopped me because even though he wanted to, he was aware that Abaddon had already fled far, and we couldn't follow his trail.
"I want that too, Iris... but dearest Iris, it makes no sense to leave now. We are weakened and can no longer follow his trail," he explained to me carefully.
The survivors needed help too, and even though I longed for revenge, I knew they needed help and were now a priority.
Our home was destroyed by the fighting. There were residents fighting fires and helping the injured everywhere, and we joined them.
Bael and Noah worked with the water creatures to put out the fire, and Avery and I took care of the injured ones. Lilly supported the healers on the battlefield, and when Devas found her there, he couldn't contain his emotions and hugged her in relief while kissing her.
Bael contacted Ava through her alliance and let her know what happened, and according to Avery's orders, they all had to stay safe because Antaris was no place for all the children now.
When Aidan and Inna joined us after helping the sea creatures put out the fire, I was relieved to see both of them alive and unharmed.
Everything was destroyed, our safe home was no longer safe, and we suffered terrible losses... but we survived. The good survived.