“Kinaaz!” Ladon shouted out across the field. Fins, feathers, and fur all mingled together. And the titan loomed closer and closer. Every step quaked the Earth, every step made Ladon stress more. Unlike Kinaaz, she bounded over, acting younger than she truly was. She was older than Ladon but with her recklessness and his overwhelming protectiveness and leadership instincts firing he felt like the true adult.
“Where is your armour.” Ladon growled. Looking at the grey lioness with a bit of concern and more than a little frustration. She just grinned as if completely ununderstanding.
“Ah well you see Ladon, someone like me simply doesn't need to be burdened by armour!” She exclaimed with excitement. “V agrees with me.”
“V?”
“The strange brown lioness.” Kinaaz explained. Ladon looked over her shoulder at the aforementioned lioness. She was making everything far more difficult with her strange proclamations. Talking about a goddess and revealing peoples secrets and futures. She was quickly becoming a thorn in his side.
And yet, she had quickly brought her pride into line. Ladon had asked for their presence and yet once he saw them squabbling and fighting upon themselves he could see why the group had no land to call their own. He could hardly believe they had remained as a group for the whole hour he had watched in mild horror.
But then V had walked in. A confident air in juxtaposition with her slim and small body. She had taken one look at the ragtag bunch and sorted them out where even a couple of Ladons own mediators hadn't been able to.
And now, she was telling Kinaaz she didn't need armour.
Ladon was going to give her a piece of his mind.
The ground shook and quaked.
And the Earth erupted into chaos. Roots erupted from the soil, tangling around limbs.
The sky howled, a tornado looming upon the horizon.
The sea foamed and crashed upon the island in huge plumes of white wash.
And everyone scrambled to react. The Titan loomed over the island, long arms reaching, ripping trees from the earth and throwing them like twigs. Ladon flattened his ears at the sound of someone screaming, whether in pain or terror he wasn't sure.
And the lions charged into battle.
The first legion aimed for the legs of the creature, tangling them with ropes, getting tangled themselves. Ladon’s mind flashed back to his son’s tail getting stepped on by a smaller gollum, he called out a warning and-
Gone.
It hit like a blow to Ladons own heart as he stared at where a lion had been and now only stood a column of stone.
It only got worse from there.
Even with the futuristic technology that Bahira had delivered it was near impossible for the lions to hold the titan at bay.
Blasters stripped rock from the creatures side before reaching the air and almost singeing the feathers of the air. The sea dwellers were doing slightly better even with their focus on physical attacks rather than magic or technology.
Ladon delved into the battle himself, he wasn't the most skilled fighter in any sense but his desperation to reduce the casualties and harm to others was a formidable motivator.
He tried to clear his head from the misery surrounding, trying not to panic and how this would all turn out and focus on cutting, headbutting and blasting his way to victory, or at least, hopefully victory.
--
Meanwhile Mysrek floated far higher. The sounds were far further away up here. It was almost peaceful, until you caught a snippet of sound from down below. So unlike the screeches of seagulls, it sounded like the world was tearing itself apart. It sounded like war.
Mysrek dived in closer to the titan. Avoiding the flailing limbs, it was starting to fall. It was slowly working and she desperately hoped that the fighters down below could see that.
Mysrek had to be fast, before the current wounds on the titan became more. Became lethal.
Swooping faster now she came face to, well not quite face due to the huge differences in sizes. But she looked upon the titans face. Watched as its eyes furrowed in, concentration she hoped, even as she knew it was more likely to be anger. A deep rooted frustration and hatred.
Mysrek hummed, closing her golden eyes and reaching for the magic that came innate to her. A blessing of being born from the moon and sun Mysrek could communicate in almost any language.
And this titan-
Mysrek frowned. Feeling the breeze on her face. The titan was breathing in, and there was something there. Struggling and weakened and controlled but- also far too far gone. It wasnt here in this form. It was somewhere else, someplace else and there was no harm that would come to killing this body and Mysrek could be reassured and-
She was flying backwards through the air, flung tumbling through the heavens by the titans exhale. Blown away like an annoying gnat.
--
The titan struggled now. Bogged down in clay, covered in cracks and nettings and blo-
It didn't matter. There were still survivors. Fighting valiantly while others remained in the medic tents. Everyonce and a while a burst of healing magic and more fighters would return to battle.
But everyone was weary. It had lasted all day, all night. And now at a new dawn the titans eyes dimmed. It slumped down, and a chorus of shouting and roars echoed across the island.
They had done it. The titan was defeated!
Ladon looked upon the beast with mixed feelings. He couldnt feel most his body, and had definitely chipped a horn. He breathed out a sigh-
And the world turned a blinding white.
The dawn star, normally bright and high in the sky exploded into an array of colour. Lions, cats, hyenas and foxes alike, each had to close their eyes against the harsh light, a rumbling crashing sound echoed.
And when the felines opened their eyes once more they were met with a horrifying sight.
The titan. Returned. And just as furious as it had always been.
--
Merridan was going to kill that little- she growled. That traitor. Who did she think she was? What possible reaosn could she have for ruining everything? She had ruined the peace, was likely resulting in causalities and wounds. Ruining lives as she went, ruining nature. Ruining Merridan’s life.
She shook her head. Feet pounding upon the earth, her wings arched in anger. She could hardly control their movement and they flapped a little to propel herself as she raced across the land.
She would find Lorena and shred through whatever magic, or allies or anything and make sure that she could not do this ever again. She would save everyone from the titan and let everything go back to normal.
Meridian was too enraptured with her anger to realise that this would be the first time she had actually considered ending someones life. Or the fact that she was finally acting like the Hero she was meant to be. Going off on her own, fighting a solo fight, defeating impossible odds.
Lorena revealed herself to Merridan. Far far away from the battle. One could still see the titan from here, but could not see a single lion at all. It was quiet here, and for a moment Merridan felt like she should be facing her foe down in a much more dramatic way. A thunderstorm on a cold dark night, rain lashing against their fur. The trees creaking in a harsh breeze.
But the only sound was birds chirping and a quiet rustling grass. The sun shone bright and Lorena didnt look scared at the slightest.
She had a wand and she pointed at Merridan and-
Merridan could feel the energy cover her. The titan protecting her in a deep ancient magic. Lorena’s wand flickered and became a golden time piece, glowing and pale as bone on the face.
Lorena herself changed. Larger, darker, a glimmer of sand or glow. A dark blue and-
Merridan
Merridan froze. She had heard that voice before. It was almost as familiar as the titans presence. Like long lost dreams and lives she couldn't remember. Her heart dropped as the question that had been bugging her returned once more. Who exactly was she?
You are a figment. The voice spoke. It was Lorena, and yet it really wasnt. It was masculine now, and old. It knew everything and yet hated. A piece of a place long broken. You and the titan are kin and yet this isn't your world.
“But I grew up here, its my world for most of what I can remember.”
It does not need to be your world any longer. What has it done for you?
Merridan went to argue, went to fight against the statement but instead her mind flooded. She remembered being like everyone else, only to have that taken from her by prophecy. She saw the arguments with her supposed family, with her friends. She saw her rebellions and how it backfired. She saw the over the top sympathy and everything else so bad.
And she grew in rage, what did she owe these people?
But no, that wasnt right. They shouldnt die because they werent kind to her.
They wont die. Not truly. The voice speaks. He already knows where her thoughts are going. He knows her. Always had and always will. He can see it all splayed out in front, Merridan’s thoughts.
They still live within the other realities. He showed Merridan how they unfolded. Unlimited possibilities. She saw the land, Ladon and Amas and Jovano happy, playing with cubs. She saw Allana and Neptune joke together. She saw the kingdoms come together. They were there, and would continue to be. They were happy.
You can be like them too. Somewhere else. No pressure, only a good life that you always deserved. Just close your eyes
It did sound nice. Merridan had never had something like that.
Do not fall for his tricks A second voice boomed within Merridan’s mind. She felt shocked away. A cold and harsh emotion so unlike not-Lorenas. Her eyes widened, a dagger mere moments from her chest. She twisted, swiping out with a wing.
Non-Lorena hissed. Feral and nasty and filled with hate. No reasurrance or kind words was left. Instead Merridan could see the truth. She could remember His words, another land, another time.
Im sick! He had cried. Sick of hearing them, of constantly listening to thoughts. Cruel and kind, noisy and loud and never ever ending.
If only it had all stopped.
If only he had had a world to himself. One with no sentient beings. One with no more thoughts.
Merridan had gotten in the way.
Merridan would not be able to stop him.
It wasnt in her capabilities. It wasnt in the Titan’s either.
He could reset this timeline forever. Until he won. Maybe he already had. The memories that didnt quite exist. A deja vu of epic proportions.
There was only one that could stop him. Merridan called out, reaching for the titan and together-
They pulled on everything they had. The titans body crumbling even as it was reversed through time. Merridan’s own form changed and stretched and was Gone.
She wandered through what felt like endless realms. Other titans. Other heroes. She was filled with determination but also her natural inclination to rage and frustration. She wasnt a perfect hero after all. But it didnt seem like any of the others were either.
And the one who could solve all this continued to allude her. At she rested her own world’s titan called to her. Demanding that she find the one called Azrail. He would be able to fix everything. Lorena would never have been in their world to start with. And though it had its own costs, Merridan was sure it would be worth it.
It had to be.
(2006/2000)
Sky 8