They won the battle and decimated the Koru’s forces. However, their own forces suffered heavy losses. Using their hard won reprieve to assess damages before attempting a final attack on the fortress. No one except Ang and Dungii noticed Lysyntri fade into the dark and run off, they nodded in mutual agreement and followed her. Dungii used his antennae to track her moving uphill between patches of forest and gravel. Along the way, Ang noticed vaguely familiar runes carved into trees and rocks. They spotted her at the edge of a cliff overlooking the Koru-Ation’s stronghold, drawing a rune on the ground while chanting and holding a glowing orb. At the center of the rune bound to a wood stake idled an unconscious Haxx.

“Mom, what are you doing?” asked Ang.

“Ang! What are you doing here. How did you find me?”

“Meep.”

“I see, your friend has potent magic sense.”

“Mom, can you answer my question, what are you doing?”

“You weren’t supposed to see this. To see this side of me.”

“MOM! What… are… you… doing?

“I can’t stop now. Not after everything I did to prepare for this. You shouldn’t have come here. No one is suppose to be here. I chose to harbor this burden.

“What are you doing!” demanded Ang.

“I’m casting an Oblete spell, it will destroy everything within the circle of runes I’ve drawn. This will put an end to the tyranny of the Koru-Ation. We will be free, this war will end. The pixies and the Satke will reclaim this land, and I know you will be safe to live however you choose.”

“And what does Haxx have to do with this?”

“The spell requires a living catalyst to activate. I released Haxx from the Koru’s servitude, but they have already modified his soul, he asked for this. Now please, Ang I must do this. Your friends fought well, and the dragon proved useful, but they don’t have enough power to end this.”

“So, those runes are for this Oblete spell... I have another question. Why do those runes look like the ones you drew around our village? The ones you told me were for protection.”

Lysyntri’s voice trembled as she spoke. “Ang, they… they were for protection, they were for your protection. Everything I’ve done was for your protection.”

He turned to a nearby tree and tore off a sheet of bark. He held it up, eyes wet with anger and betrayal, he shouted. “This rune, first you tell me this rune was for protection, now you tell me it's for an Oblete spell. You lied to me, you’ve been lying to me.” Ang cried out, “Where are the Usgrat!? Where is my family!? What have you done!?”

“You want to know what I’ve done, here look.” Lysyntri waved a glowing hand over Haxx while reciting a short incantation. Black smoky tendrils wove around his body expanding out until the twisted form of a Black Knight appeared. Ang’s knees buckled slightly under the force of the aura but he stood firm, his mother seemed unaffected. “You see, Ang.” She drew another rune and returned Haxx to his previous state. “Before you were born, the Usgrat lived on this land. It was a ripe and fertile place until the Koru arrived. They started cutting down forests, enslaving our people, and poisoned the soil, with no provocation. We were captured and injected with malice. It allows them to turn us into those Black Knights with a simple spell. However, I created a rune that could suppress the effects temporarily, allowing us to escape and flee to that island. Those horrid creatures pursued us, but my sister, your aunt, used Obnenio Colm Sceltdor to defeat them and hide our presence. There is no easy way to remove the malice. I tried with many, but most died in the process. The only ones I was successful with were myself, Ongjorni, Yoorei, and Paouni. I knew the Koru would eventually find us and trigger the transformation. So with you on the way, I devised a plan. I enlisted the help of my old friend Kiliyi, and while giving birth to you fractured off a piece of my soul to gift to her. Making her an oversoul’d being, a living Ardin. I set the runes around the village and Ongjorni agreed that should the need arise, I would use his body as the catalyst for Oblete and seal the remainder of his soul within Hue.”

“So the Usgrat, my family, their...”

“Dead, and I killed them.”

“And the Silver Willow, your sister..?”

“I foolishly thought I could apparat a tree, but I destroyed her too. You see now, Ang. I’m a terrible person who has done terrible things. I’ve taken so many lives, but it was all for this.” She holds up the glowing orb. “All so I could gather the Imdrina to cast this final spell, after that battle, I have everything I need. I’ve failed everyone dear to me, except you. I can save you. I can secure a better future for you. You might hate me but that’s fine, because I love you, and I’ll shoulder this burden, so you don’t have to.”

“No, no mom this isn’t right. This isn’t what I want. The killing has to stop.”

“And it will with their destruction.”

“But why can’t we negotiate peace with them?”

“The Koru-Ation, aren’t just a tribe of humans. They’re a fanatic organization united by a dangerous belief.”

“We can change people’s beliefs!”

“Angdraoni, when are you going to learn that life isn’t that simple! Now away with you and that thing!” Lysyntri moved to activate the rune. Angdraoni threw a clay ball at her. Reflexively, Lysyntri flicked a bolt of Forge Fire. It passed through the clay ball and on to Ang’s heart. It struck him in the chest. Lysyntri screamed and collapsed. Brek’s protection rune absorbed the red fire and burned away, leaving Ang unscathed. He ran to his mother’s side to find Kiliyi perched beside her neck.

“Kiliyi did you poison her?”

“She did it to protect you.”

“It’s alright, we’ll just have Bassinee use some antivenom and…”

“No, it’s better this way. I… I almost killed you.”

“But you didn’t, we…”

#

Her son’s voice grew distant, and her vision became hazy, but she saw a recognizable figure next to her son. “You’re here, and Sprinli too, I see that now.”

“Yes, mom I’m here, I’m not leaving.”

“Meep, meep”

“I thought that I shattered your soul, but you reassembled the pieces, and have been with him all this time, protecting him with your veil. Thank you so much My… no that’s not who you are anymore. Please continue to protect your friend… Dungii.”

“Meep meep.”

She saw many shapes emerge from behind the trees. “Everyone, you’re all still here, protecting my son.”

“Mom, these are Kiliyi’s daughters, my stepsisters.”

“I see now, I didn’t fail. Your family is much closer than you realize. Together we kept you safe, even from me. Ang lay Hue on my body.” Tears streaming down his face, Ang sets the axe on his mother's belly. “He who breathes life into the world, I’m coming to you. Kiliyi, thank you for always watching over him, you know what you must do. Ang, I’m sorry for not being the mother you knew. Now I’m going to restore the power of this axe. Don’t live a life full of malice. Be happy in whatever you choose to do, and whoever you choose to call friend. I love you. Remember you are the child of the Usgrat.” Lysyntri’s body dissolved into light that entered the axe, traveled through the braided handle, and materialized into another blade, making Hue a double-edged axe. Ang picked it up, closed his eyes, and held it close to his chest. He could see his mother in the blue dress, his father, uncle, his whole family, and though he had never seen her before, he knew exactly who the lady with the magpie on her shoulder was.

“Meep meep.”

He opened his eyes, to see Kiliyi poised to activate the rune. “Wait.” He grabbed the glowing orb, stood up, and walked over to Haxx. He observed, his ragged shallow breaths, gaunt face, and frail state. He knew what needed to be done. Ang placed the orb in the center of the rune, stepped out of the circle, and nodded to Kiliyi.

#

They solemnly made their way back to the others. Brek ran up to Ang, their expressions almost identical. “Ang, I’ve been looking for you, it's Vlux she...” Ang pushed passed him and ran to where everyone gathered. They saw him coming and moved aside to show Vlux laying on the ground, her body shaking, hands clutching the tome.

“Ang, I have to return Home to you.” Ang knelt next to her and delicately received the book. “Brek, here take Splinter, you’re in charge now.”

“Vlux, it’s done, we’ve won. My mom saw an end to it. The land is ours.”

“That’s good. I knew she was coming. I saw it when I used Gift Babel on you. Why do you have that look on your face? Where’s that stupid smile I learned to love? Their, that’s better, that’s the Ang I remember. The one that saved me from the Koru, took me across the ocean to the Land Behind the Sea, got me captured and brought to a city in the sky, and found a freaking dragon for me to ride. Thank you, everyone for being my friend. I leave the rest to you.” Vlux went limp, Bassinee screamed and held her body close. The pixies gathered around, trying to console her. Ang placed the tome in his satchel, stood up and walked away with no more tears left to cry.

Thramuny saw Drumya sitting alone clutching himself. She walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Drumya?”

“I don’t feel him anymore. I’m all alone. I have no more family left.”

She crouched in front of him. “That isn’t true, look there, you have plenty of friends. And maybe when we get back to Kyxichen we can start a new family, Drumya the Dragon.” Thramuny the Breeze, and Drumya the Dragon looked into each other’s eyes and shared a kiss as the sun rose on a greener land.