"What do you mean there's nothing you can do?" Boog cried out, his muscles tense and his fists clenched. He was looking up at the floating man of shadow with a great frown and a stubborn tear rolling down his cheek.

The cloaked man sighed. "It is beyond my power to bring Graham DeLuca back into the world of the living, Charles. There is nothing I can do."

"It's your fault he's dead! You should have never brought him here!"

"He chose to stay. Had he wished to return home I would have let him."

"You're full of shit! You think you can just bring us here and have us do all the work for you and get killed in process while you sit back and do nothing!"

The man's mouth was straight yet a muscle in his jaw twitched. "Nothing? Charles, I slow the spread of the darkness as much as I possibly can while you and the others cleanse the anchors. What I do is far beyond your capabilities and was I to do nothing you would have all failed already. The spread of death across the universes is quickening as the dark force senses the threat you all pose to it. Your progress is faster than any other group's has ever been, despite the dangers and challenges you have all faced, and it knows this. Graham's death is incredibly unfortunate and I will take all the blame and guilt for it but had he not aided you all you would not be here. You would have all perished before ever cleansing a single anchor."

"He's right," said a soft voice.

Boog glanced to his right to see Celestia there, wiping tears from her eyes. The others had all gathered as well, the Moharans behind them covering Graham's body with a blanket and taking him away.

"Graham did a lot for us, Boog," Celestia continued with a sniff. "At the first anchor he kept those shadow beasts away from us for as long as he could. He stopped Aragol and I from being affected by the spores. He..." She paused, her eyes darting from side to side as if remembering something. Whatever it was, it brought more tears and she shut her eyes. "He did his part, Boog. I want him with us but he didn't leave us for nothing. We all understand the dangers we face..." She then turned and left the area, her head bowed and her shoulders slumped. Victoria went with her, taking her hand and speaking to her in a calm voice.

"Is it over?" Aragol asked the cloaked man. "Have we cleansed all the anchors?"

The man shook his head slowly. "Unfortunately, High General, you have not. Six yet remain."

"Six?" Boog asked incredulously. "We barely survived three! You want us to risk cleansing twice that number?"

"If you wish to abandon your cause and return to your respective homes I will grant you that and I will understand. Perhaps with three cleansed anchors the dark force's spread will slow long enough for your lives to remain unaffected."

The five companions exchanged uncertain glances. Boog thought back to his old life, to the world of Jarheads, people gifted with great powers, and his role as a trainer. He served a purpose there and a good one as well. Here, however, he did more than train saviors. He was one. How could he abandon that? How could he live with himself knowing that he gave up on his life's greatest task? As painful as it was to realize that Graham was gone forever, death was not foreign to him. He knew of the risks and he also knew the greater risk of not doing what he was chosen to do. There was no benefit in going back home.

Boog stepped forward.

Aragol followed immediately after. Elmar and Casandra stepped forward together. Ivory came next and glanced back at Victoria and Celestia. They nodded back to her.

"They'll stay," she said to the man of shadow.

"Karmen will remain with us as well," Casandra added. "I am certain of it."

"She's too stubborn to quit," Victoria said as she returned with Celestia.

The man nodded. "I am pleased to hear that you will continue. Know that you have done well and I have great faith that the remaining six anchors will be cleansed and dealt with efficiently."

"What do you know of our enemies?" Aragol asked the man. "Where do they come from?"

"The dark force knows of you and your task. It has sent its own chosen ones to defeat you before your mission is complete."

"Are they all from other worlds too?" Elmar asked.

"Yes, they are chosen much the same way you were, though their destiny never was to kill you. The dark entity only chose them because of their talents."

"If their destiny isn't to kill us then why are they?" asked Victoria.

"I assume they have little choice in the matter. The force that summoned them most likely has their lives in its hands, so to speak, and should they defy it they will be quickly destroyed."

"They are enslaved to their task," Casandra noted. "Should we manage to defeat the dark entity would they be returned to their worlds?"

Boog raised an eyebrow at Casandra. What was she thinking? "Are you saying you want those monsters to go back home? If we destroy the dark force before we kill them all I say we leave them stranded in whatever world they end up being in. They don't deserve the mercy of going back home, not especially after what they did to Graham!"

Casandra frowned back at Boog. "You would allow them free reign in a foreign world so they could wreak havoc there? I hold no love for them, namely Minara, but I would never wish her evil upon another world ill-equipped to deal with it."

"Then they should just die, then." Boog turned back to the man of shadow. "You can do that, right? You can kill them? Why not just do it now?"

"The entity summoned them, Charles. I have no power over them. Were the entity destroyed I would then have the capability of ending their lives. If that time comes, I will do it if you ask it of me."

"Good!"

A cleared throat was heard behind them and they turned to see a Moharan standing there, an old lynx. "I am Inquistor Nil," he said. "The Jewel of Fire is nearly low enough to allow its passengers to evacuate and once it has we will be holding a feast in honor of the fallen. It would do us all a great honour if you were to attend."

"We wouldn't miss it, Inquisitor," Elmar replied with a small smile.

Boog turned around to ask the cloaked man another question but he was already gone.

****

The feast was held in a mostly undamaged part of the huge city of Akamar as night's dark pall filled the sky. Not long after the cloaked man had left the Phoenix departed as well, letting out a loud cry before flapping its wings and soaring off into the horizon. The avian army never returned from its pursuit of the demons. Only Moharans and the Holaarians remained. Inside the expansive city square tables and stools were set and a grand display of food was brought out. It was food the companions were unaccustomed to eating and, though Aragol and Elmar had no trouble eating, the others were far choosier.

The food, once everyone found something they liked, was quite good and slightly raised spirits but the weight of Graham's death kept most joy at bay. A display of dancers, torch jugglers, acrobats and plays was set up to lighten the mood and though all the performers showed great skill the eight friends hardly noticed.

Aragol, finishing the last legs of a huge cooked beetle, glanced at Celestia who sat beside him. Her plate was untouched and her eyes stared at the table. He put down his food and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "Celestia, you must eat. We have more anchors to cleanse and you cannot do that on an empty stomach."

"I'm not hungry..." she mumbled.

"You must be hungry. You were battling for hours and you have yet to eat anything since we departed for the Temple of Rancoor."

"I don't feel like eating, Aragol..."

"Would Graham want you to give up?"

Celestia frowned and pushed herself away from the table. She then pointed a finger at Aragol and hissed, "Don't talk to me about Graham! You don't know him!" She then turned and stormed away.

Aragol watched her walk away and sighed. He stood up and followed her as she found a dark alley between two undamaged buildings. His heart ached as he saw her crouch and begin to cry. He wanted to help her but was uncertain of the right way to do it. A teenage mind was a volatile thing and he wished not to damage it further. A hand was placed on his arm and he glanced to the left to see Casandra.

"I will talk to her, Aragol," she said quietly. "Return to the festivities."

He nodded and turned to leave. "Thank you, Casandra." He glanced back to see Casandra kneel down beside Celestia and the young woman suddenly buried her head in her shoulder. A heavy weight gripped his heart but he had faith in Casandra's abilities. She was in every way someone who could mend things.

As he returned to his seat he caught Elmar stealing the last legs of his beetle. "What are you doing?"

Elmar, caught by surprise, dropped the legs and leaned back into his seat. "They ran out! I've tried many different types of food in my travels but those stuffed beetles are amazing!"

Aragol found a smile creeping on his face. "I must agree; they are indeed delicious!" He offered Elmar his last legs, to the other man's great delight, and glanced back once more at Casandra and Celestia in the alley. They were walking off, speaking to one another and holding hands.

He looked ahead to find Boog showing off his strength to the other performers by bearing seven Moharans on his shoulders. Victoria was beside him and tickling his armpits, to his great displeasure, laughing all the while. Unable to restrain himself he dropped the Moharans, who all landed neatly, and stormed after a gleeful Victoria. Off to the side, mostly shrouded in darkness, Ivory was speaking to a Moharan guard, their attention focused on each other's gauntlets. His eyes wandered over the Moharans and Holaarians seated at the tables and eventually settled over Karmen. She met his gaze and he smiled at her.

She immediately glanced away but a second later fixed her eyes on his again, this time with a slight smile.

High above, brilliant stars and distant planets filled the sea of blackness full of tiny flickering diamonds.

****

The next morning there was a great gathering of Moharans, Holaarians, and the eight destined ones. Before them were the mass of graves filled with the brave souls that had perished in what was dubbed the Battle of Mohara. Inquisitor Nil stood facing the gathering, his long whiskers dropping and his pointed ears low in mourning. Directly behind him were several open graves with bodies draped in silken blankets.

"We are here this morning to honour the fallen," he started. "Nilepyt's corpse litters our fine city still but its life force is forever extinguished. Were it not for the sacrifices of those behind me we would not stand here this day. Their souls shone most brightly last night and I could feel their presence. The gods are overjoyed to have them amongst their ranks. They are heroes in the divine realm as they are heroes here. Their families and their friends will remember them as will the histories of Mohara. Each name will be engraved in the sacred parchment of our people and a celebration of remembrance will be held each year to offer them the gratitude they greatly deserve.

"Directly behind me lay those that lead these heroes into battle. They did not shy away from combat themselves and surrendered their lives to preserve Mohara and its people. Lying farthest to your left is Lead Ranger Elenia, a Moharan with skill and courage few could ever match. Her prowess in battle was the stuff of legend."

Boog, standing with his friends, glanced to the side where he saw a scarred reptilian Moharan bend down beside Elenia's grave and throw a handful of sand within it. He had never seen a lizard cry before but the sight of it pained him.

"Closer to me is Kenseil," Nil continued. "Though he was no captain or leader he was Mohara's greatest scout and a legendary rescuer of the stranded. Buried beside him is his loyal falcon Aigre, a mount greater than most whose mental and spiritual connection to his rider was unlike any other. Together they saved countless lives and their like will never soar through the skies again.

"Directly at my back is Captain Habon. He needs no introduction as the people knew him as Mohara's greatest defender. Trustworthy, honorable, and sharp of mind he protected Mohara for decades from any and all harm. His last stand will be remembered for eternity.

"Beside him is Yzara, ambassador to Holaar and once our greatest enemy but now a hero of the Moharan people. She had sensed the danger Nilepyt posed long before the Titan ever revealed itself and only because of her quick thinking were Holaaran soldiers able to defend us from Nilepyt's demon horde in time. Her sacrifice, as those of all Holaarans, will not be forgotten and will usher in a time of great peace between our nations. In giving her life, she united the Mohara and Holaar forever. She owes us our greatest gratitude."

Boog glanced at Celestia, standing to his right, and saw her struggling to hold back tears. He opened his mouth to say something when Nil spoke once more.

"And lastly, but certainly not because of lack of merit, we have the body of someone no Moharan or Holaaran could have anticipated in coming to our rescue." Inquisitor Nil looked directly at the eight humans. "With his eight companions, he came and defended Mohara from the demons and Nilepyt itself. His name was Graham DeLuca and without his abilities the Jewel of Fire would have crumbled and every life on it would have been lost. He saved more lives than anyone could ever hope to and though he is not even of this world, his deeds will be remembered throughout history, as those of his friends." Inquisitor Nil gestured the humans to step forward.

Reluctantly at first, they stepped away from the crowd and stood beside the old lynx, staring ahead at the gathering with him. Boog saw all the faces staring at him and felt uncomfortable at first. He glanced at his companions and with the exception of Aragol, Ivory, Victoria and Casandra they seemed as nervous as he was. He assumed as military leaders Aragol and Ivory were accustomed to having people stare at them, Victoria was probably taking in all the attention with great pride, and Casandra appeared genuinely grateful for the appreciation.

"We honour these eight heroes today," Inquisitor Nil said. "We honour them with our lives. They had no obligation to aid us and needed not to risk their lives for us but they did. They may have lost a member but they have forever gained our respect and our sincerest gratitude."

From the crowd came the familiar scaled face of King Mevon. He slithered ahead a few feet, gave each human a smile and a nod, and then turned to his people. With arms spread wide, he said, "Fellow Moharans and honored Holaarians! No longer will we look on hairless ones with contempt and disgust. These nine heroes may not have come from our world but they defended it with their lives all the same. Kneel down with me and offer them your respect." He turned to face the eight companions and removed his crown. "They most certainly deserve it."

He then bowed low, his face nearly touching the sand, as did every single Moharan and Holaarian behind him.

Long live the defenders of destiny.