The musketmen fired in unison, each shot sounding like a crackling pop. Selvina heard the whistle of musket balls screeching past her but felt no contact. Holding onto Amalthea's back so tightly her hands ached, she gazed ahead, struggling not to scream. The musket volley had left behind a great cloud of smoke behind, momentarily blinding the shooters. Behind them stood their queen, cursing loudly.

Selvina's eyes widened as the queen's hand began to glow blue. Would the elf-stone protect her from a spell if it was cast beyond its range?

No, Amalthea said, answering Selvina's mental question. The elf-arrow prevents spells from being cast but is not a shield against those already unleashed.

Queen Svala let out a cry and then threw her hands forward, blasting out a huge shard of ice. It flew through the air like a frozen lance and Amalthea narrowly avoided it. The spell had missed and yet Selvina's body had shivered as it passed by and the skin on her arms had burned cold. She winced from the pain and whimpered lightly as the queen launched another lance.

This one struck the ground directly in front of Amalthea and burst into thousands of tiny shards. They struck the unicorn and young woman and made them both cry out in agony. The conical hat covering the unicorn horn was torn apart, revealing to all onlookers the white horse's true nature. Amalthea didn't slow down, however, and kept running, despite the slivers of ice poking out of her body.

The smoke now cleared and the muskets freshly reloaded, the shooters aimed and fired at once as their queen danced in glee behind them.

Selvina cried out as she felt the searing pain of a musket ball glancing across her left shoulder. She heard the whistle of other missed shots but felt Amalthea's body shudder beneath her. The unicorn's pace faltered for a moment before recovering and continuing on.

"Amalthea?" Selvina asked, wincing through the pain. "Are you hurt?"

The unicorn only replied with heavy breathing and a fresh burst of speed.

Selvina looked up above and searched the sky. "Tinkerbelle, help!" She soon spotted the fairy diving down at the attackers, stabbing at the musketmen's eyes and then pestering the Swordenish queen in the midst of casting another spell. It caused some confusion and disruption but not enough to stop another volley from the musketmen.

This one, fortunately, was hurried and poorly aimed and all shots missed.

Amalthea was just over twenty or so paces from the pikemen now and Selvina could feel her pace faltering. Her breathing was ragged and she was slowing down.

Hold on Selvina, Amalthea said with some struggle. I'll charge straight through...

"You won't make it!" Selvina replied, pale-faced. "You'll die!"

Svalla screamed and blasted forth a dome of frozen air around her, annoyed with Tinkerbelle's attacks. It froze the musketmen instantly but the clever fairy was too quick and only just avoided contact. She was about to dive in again to keep up the attack when Selvina called her.

"Fairy dust us!" the young woman screamed. "Hurry!"

"The elf-arrow!" Tink shouted back, flying toward her anyway.

To that, Selvina tore the necklace off of her and tossed it aside, not bothering to look where it landed. Tinkerbelle didn't ask any questions. She flew in and spun circles around the unicorn and young woman, dusting them heavily.

Svala shot forth another spell, this one coating the ground ahead of the unicorn with a thin layer of ice. Selvina saw it and felt her hopes of escape plummeting. If they didn't rise up in time, Amalthea would slip on the ice and slide directly into the waiting pikes.

With a cry of defiance, Amalthea kicked her body into the air, using what was left of her dwindling strength. Tinkerbelle, for what it was worth, tugged on the unicorn's horn and helped her along. The leap soon turned into flight as the unicorn and rider soared over the pikemen, frozen musketmen, and Swordenish queen. The riders pursuing them, too preoccupied with their task to notice the frozen ground, couldn't stop their mounts in time and they all slipped and fell. Some of the warhorses were impaled as they bowled through the pikemen and slammed into the iced-up musketmen, toppling them over and making some break apart. Queen Svala wasn't spared either, having just enough time to let out a scream before a huge warhorse smashed into her.

****

Jack threw forward the grappling hook as the dragon queen flew by. The hook snagged onto one of the empress's hip spikes and held firmly. Jack gripped the hook's rope with all his might as Rhiannon turned sharply to the left. The young man dangled behind the dragon as she flew toward the last standing line of warships. He dropped as the dragon slowed down and pressed his legs together, not wanting them flailing about once they hit the water.

Rhiannon flew toward a sinking ship, hoping to slam Jack into it. He hit the water with his heels and leaned back, pulling hard on the rope, keeping it taught. His effort paid off as he skied across the surface of the water on his heels, keeping his grip tight. The ship was rapidly approaching but he wasn't worried. Jack turned his heels and his body swung to the left. A great tail of water splashing behind him, Jack swept to the side, avoiding the ship with only inches to spare.

Geysers of water exploded all around him as cannonballs screeched through the air all about him. Jack's body was soaked cold but despite his wet hands he clung firmly. He leapt over a floating body, dodged some debris, spread his legs to glide over a sharp plank of wood, and then gasped as he came to another sinking ship. This ship's bow poked out of the water directly ahead him like a ramp, giving him an idea.

Jack ducked suddenly as a mermaid bearing a spear shot out of the water, screeching in anger before it impaled a sailor rowing away in a small longboat. It then threw the Noyran seaman overboard into the waiting mouths of circling sharks, the toothy fish tearing the screaming man into bloody chunks of meat.

The sinking ship was upon him now, and Jack skied on his heels until his feet reached solid wood. He then ran up the angled bow as quickly as he could, his hands and arms strained from their iron-grip on the rope. He continued running along the bowsprit and when he reached its end he leapt off, using the momentum to aid him climb up the rope toward his destination: the dragon's head.

Ahead of Jack now was Scylla, her wolf heads gnawing through the deck of an overturned ship. Upon spotting the approaching dragon, they stopped what they were doing and launched themselves at Rhiannon. She was forced to gain altitude, giving up on dislodging Jack. Two heads managed to clamp down on the dragon's tail and limp leg, tugging her back down toward the water.

Jack used the delay to his advantage and pulled himself along the rope as quickly as he could. Rhiannon roared in frustration before blasting a jet of flame at the sea creature. Scylla shrieked in pain as the flames tore into her skin, the sound eerily similar to weeping child, and gave up the attack, her whimpering wolf heads letting go of their prey. The child-like sea woman with wolf-head legs then dove below the surface, licking her wounds.

Just as Jack was reaching Rhiannon's body he glanced about at the battlefield from his elevated position. The Noyran and Swordenish ships still intact—and there were very few— were swiftly sailing away, white flags waving. The remainder of Avalon's navy seemed to be gathering together as merfolk dispatched whatever enemy sailors still lived. The water was stained red and the sky was black with smoke as ships burned, bodies floated, and cries of agony and death filled the air. The stench of gunpowder, smoke, and blood had long numbed Jack's nose and he rubbed it now, suppressing an itch.

His heart pulsed warmly as he spotted Julia's Revenge. He could see Captain Hook standing at the bow, spyglass in hand, watching him. He gave him a wave and a salute and felt his eyes moisten when the captain returned the gestures.

Goodbye, Cap, he thought sadly.

Jack then frowned and blinked away oncoming tears before he continued pulling himself up on the rope. The empress would pay for all the destruction she's caused. She would answer for all the innocent lives she slew and all the homes she demolished.

Her reign was over.

****

Amalthea and Selvina eventually settled down on the side of a road south of the city. The unicorn was weak and barely breathing but yet alive. Selvina ripped a length of fabric from her skirt and began hurriedly dabbing at the bloody wounds all over Amalthea's body. She had been shot eight times and most of the balls had entered her lungs.

In tears, Selvina cried out, "Use your magic, Amalthea! Heal yourself! You can do it!"

The unicorn eyed Selvina directly, the light in her eyes fading. I am too weak, Selvina. I am sorry... I... I have... failed you...

Suddenly frowning, Selvina stood up and clenched her hands into fists. "Don't die on me, Amalthea! I forbid it! I need you!"

You will survive... without me... I have seen your strength....and it is... it is...

Selvina dropped down on her knees once more, her emotions breaking her down. She draped herself over Amalthea and sobbed. "Don't leave me! I need you to help me with the Writer. The world needs you, Amalthea!"

No, the world... needs you... My time here... is over.

Amalthea, unable to cling to life any longer, closed her eyes and was silent.

Selvina cried out in defiance, slamming her fists on the ground and glaring at the grey sky. Eyes burning with tears and fury, she pointed up at it, her finger rigid. "Curse you! Curse you all, you gods! You brought me here to save this world and this is how you help me? You'll let Amalthea die? She doesn't deserve to die this way! She doesn't deserve any of this! If you really care about me and my destiny then you'll save her! If you care about anything other than yourselves you'll save her!"

Selvina continued to stare, watching the drifting clouds for any sign of acknowledgement, any sign that the gods were listening to her. Her frustration, anger, and pain rising, Selvina's face reddened as she opened her mouth to scream.

But then.

"Selvina?" a familiar voice called. "Is that you?"

Selvina turned her head and coming up the road was a rider.

Accolon.

****

Jack had finally reached Rhiannon's head and held on to one of the dragon empress's horns as he unsheathed a long dagger. Wind whipped his thick hair about and, appreciatively, dried him rather quickly, ensuring a firm grip on the dagger. He didn't think it would pierce dragon scales but if he could jab it into an eye or two, the damage would be done. Blinded, Rhiannon would be weakened and disabled enough for the forces of good to defeat her. Jack understood the risks of this undertaking but they didn't stop him from pressing on.

He remembered how Selvina said she would need Rhiannon's help with the Writer but he also remembered their conversation with Baron Samedi back in the troll city of Karkanlaw. The voodoo man had said that the Writer was using Rhiannon as his puppet. Jack couldn't fight the puppeteer but if he destroyed his puppet it still weakened him. With Rhiannon defeated, the armies of Frenis, Avalon, and, hopefully, Midae, and Kenmard could then storm the Writer's mountain and aid Selvina in defeating him once and for all. Rhiannon couldn't be trusted to help. She was in league with the Writer. Her fate was sealed.

"I could flip over and toss you off," the dragon said in a grumbling, guttural voice. "It would take little effort on my part."

Jack, momentarily taken aback by the voice, recovered quickly and replied, "You could try, Rhiannon, but I will hold on. I won't let go. You'll be wasting your energy on me."

"Who are you who thinks they can kill me with a knife?"

"I am Jack, and I will save this world by ridding it of you."

"Jack? Interesting... I may know a friend of yours."

Jack had bent down and pulled his arm back, readying himself to swing forward and impale the dragon queen's eye with it. He hesitated, however, at what she said. "What are you talking about, witch?"

"Does the name Selvina mean anything to you?"

Jack nearly dropped his dagger at the mention of the woman he loved. His heart racing, he debated on his next action. He could ask what Rhiannon meant but it could all be a ploy to catch him off guard so she could throw him off. If he attacked her, she would do everything in her power to throw him off or kill him anyway. If Rhiannon did know about Selvina and, godsforbid, knew where she was, then his death would mean little. Disabled or not, Selvina would be killed, that he was sure of.

"I can see that it does," Rhiannon went on. "She spoke to me of you, Jack. She cares deeply for you. I would even call it love."

Jack grit his teeth and frowned. "How do you know any of this? What are you saying?"

"I have her, Jack. She is in my keep as we speak. Bring harm to me and she dies. The world does not need her as much as you may think. It is by my will alone that she yet lives. Do not give me a reason to have her slain."

"You lie!"

"Ask King Arthur. Ask him about how he failed to protect her. Ask him and you shall know that I am not lying."

Jack sat in place, dagger still in hand, and thought frantically of what to do. The empress had Selvina? How could King Arthur let this happen? How could he not protect her with an entire army at his side? It wasn't true. It couldn't be! And yet, Jack found himself believing the dragon empress. Why would she lie about this? What could she gain out of telling him a fabricated story?

"If you have her," he said, his resolve strengthening, "then take me to her. Take me to Selvina!"

"Only to have you take her from me? This I cannot allow."

With that, Rhiannon suddenly spun her body around. Jack let go of his dagger and grabbed hold of one of the horns, clenching tightly. He watched the blade plummet to the sea, disappearing with barely a ripple. Rhiannon was upside down now, but Jack didn't let go. He did not fall. For several minutes the dragon flew this way but Jack never dropped.

With a frustrated growl, Rhiannon flipped herself over again. She then began swinging her body about but Jack held easily. She gained altitude and flew higher and higher, into the clouds and beyond them. Jack held on, closing his eyes as his teeth chattered from the chillingly cold air. Rhiannon flapped harder to gain lift but eventually the air was so thin she could not longer support her great body. The dragon empress then dropped out of the sky like a comet.

But Jack held.

Moments before crashing into the sea, Rhiannon spread her wings wide and skimmed the surface of the water as she flew straight ahead. She began flapping for another high altitude rise when something emerged from the sea. A bearded man bearing a trident rose up on a column of water and pointed his weapon at her.

"The Abyss take you, Rhiannon!" the Lord of the Oceans shouted before a crackling bolt of lightning blasted forth from his trident. It struck the dragon empress in the chest with thunderous force and she screamed in agony, her high-pitched wail echoing across the waves.

Both Rhiannon and Jack, stunned and injured from the blast, dropped into the sea.